Whilst our last Blog pointed out a couple of issues with lack of vitamins in a pre-packaged canine diet, there are also issues with an overdose of vitamins, as those added have been found to be over 20 times the recommended daily amount i.e. Toxic levels.
Here is our presentation on what happens if a body overdoses on certain vitamins...
http://www.slideshare.net/Tiamaat1/hypervitaminosis-9403125
A holistic approach to Canine Health, addressing Nutrition, Communication, Behaviour & Natural Remedies as opposed to the "classical view".
Monday, 27 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Vitamin defficiencies & symptoms
As detailed in our post about the ingredients in pet foods, the following vitamins & minerals are added:
"Vitamin and minerals:
"Vitamin and minerals:
Choline, Chloride,Calcium Panthenate, Thaimin Mononitrate, Riboflavin Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Menadione Dimethylprimidinol Bisulfite, Ascorbic Acid, Iron proteinate, ferrous carbonate and ferrous sulphate, Copper Oxide and copper proteinate, Copper Sulfate
This content has been tested at up to 20 times higher than the recommended daily amount (toxic levels)."
This content has been tested at up to 20 times higher than the recommended daily amount (toxic levels)."
However cerain vitamins and minerals need others in order to be absorbed and utalised.
For example:
In order to convert beta-carotene (a natural anti-cancer) into Vitamin A the body requires adequate amounts of zinc, protein and fats (Mercola, 2011) however there is no zinc added, the protein levels in pet food are particularly low, not all of which is digestible and the fats are not always of the right sort of quality.
A lack of vitamin A causes blindness and also diminishes the ability to fight infections - these symptoms are often noted in conventionally fed pets. It is also noted that a Vitamin A defficiency commonly causes dermatosis in Cocker Spaniels (Watson, 1998)
Whilst vitamins B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) & B9 (Folic Acid) are included vitamins B3, 5, 6, 7 & 12 are not - these missing vitamins cause the following symptoms:
B3 - defficiency along with a defficiency of trytophan (listed below) cause Pellegra (aggression, dermatitis, insomnia, weakness, mental confussion & diarrhea). In advanced cases dementia & death.
B5 - acne & paresthesia
B6 - microcytic anemia, depression, dermatitis, high blood pressure, water retention & elevated levels of homocysteine
B7 - Impaired growth & neurological disorders
B12 - macrocytic anemia, elevated homocysteine, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss & other cognitive deficits, the autoimmune disease pernicious anemia, mania & psychosis & in rare instances paralysis.
Trytophan is not added, Tryptophan is an essential pre-cursor to Serotonin, used by the Amygdala in the brain to promote calm, a lack of Tryptophan in the body has been connected with animal agression, another symptom often noted in conventionally fed pets.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list and further research would be of extream interest. However, many of the above symptoms are very commonly seen in our beloved pets, now you know why.
refs:
Mercola (2011) Genetically Engineered Rice is a Trojan Horse: Misled by Bill Gates and Monsanto, Mercola (Internet) Available from: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/21/genetically-engineered-rice-is-a-trojan-horse--misled-by-bill-gates-and-monsanto.aspx (accessed 21/06/2011)
Watson (1998) Diet & Skin Disease in Dogs & Cats, The Journal of Nutrition (Internet) Available from: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2783S.short (accessed 21/06/2011)
Watson (1998) Diet & Skin Disease in Dogs & Cats, The Journal of Nutrition (Internet) Available from: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2783S.short (accessed 21/06/2011)
Monday, 13 June 2011
Canine Parvovirus
Canine Parvovirus (CPV) has a number of different strains, and 2 different effects, the most common of which is gastrointestinal, the other is cardiac.
Mortality rates are high, up to 91%, but more likely in animals who already have an impaired immune system i.e. via stress (which reduces the immune response), lack of nutrition or are already fighting off some other form of infection/antigen.
Symptoms of CPV are vomiting and dysentery, consisting mostly of blood.
Traditional Treatment consists of:
An IV drip, antiemetics (i.e. metoclopramide) {which prevent vomiting}, antibiotics to prevent the risk of secondary infection & analgesics (pain killers) due to the intestinal discomfort caused.
A puppy with minimal symptoms can recover in 2 or 3 days if the fluids are begun as soon as symptoms are noticed. If more severe, depending on treatment, puppies can remain ill from 5 days up to 2 weeks. However, even with hospitalization, there is no guarantee that the dog will be cured and survive.
Natural treatment that has worked for me
Force feeding:
fluids, including electrolytes, colloidal silver & homoeopathic china
natural organic live yogurt, containing spirulina powder and honey
minced chicken containing spirulina powder & cod liver oil
A natural anti-virus was created by my homoeopathic vet, taking a sample of virus from an infected dog, killing it in vodka, diluting this with water, succusing, & re-diluting as per the standard for homoeopathy. This was added in drops to the water bowls of the other dogs.
My reasons for choosing the above
The main cause of death in CPV cases is due to dehydration because of the constant vomiting and dysentary, or secondary infection.
Therefore, fluids & electrolytes to treat the dehydration
Colloidal silver & honey are powerful natural antibiotics
Live yogurt coats the gut replacing the good bacteria destroyed by the virus, which also attack the virus
Spirulina is a "super-food" containing more vitamins & minerals than any multivitamin on the market and a high level of easily digestible protein, necessary to re-build the cells lost to the virus.
Cod liver oil is high in Vitamin D, known to boost the immune system to 3 times it's normal strength.
China is known to combat symptoms similar to malaria, which is how CPV 1st presents.
The homoeopathic vaccine, created specifically from the strain of virus my dogs had been exposed to, was an immediate and permenant way to protect them from that particular strain for life.
Aftershock & Clean Up
CPV is shed in faeces for up to 6 weeks post recovery & can survive on surfaces (even outside) for up to 6 months, therefore destroying it is of vital importance.
Whilst there are many expensive cleaning products & disinfectants on the market that claim to kill parvo, in my experience some of them are not thorough enough & further outbreaks can occure.
Washing all material at 40 degrees or higher, will kill the virus.
Neat bleach is what is necessary on all surfaces to be sure that it is all gone. Do not forget to do the soles of your shoes, as this is a regular vector for infecting others on leaving the property.
N.B. Canine Health 101 do not presume to diagnose or prescribe your animals illness, as by law this must be done by a registered veterinary surgeon.
Mortality rates are high, up to 91%, but more likely in animals who already have an impaired immune system i.e. via stress (which reduces the immune response), lack of nutrition or are already fighting off some other form of infection/antigen.
Symptoms of CPV are vomiting and dysentery, consisting mostly of blood.
Traditional Treatment consists of:
An IV drip, antiemetics (i.e. metoclopramide) {which prevent vomiting}, antibiotics to prevent the risk of secondary infection & analgesics (pain killers) due to the intestinal discomfort caused.
A puppy with minimal symptoms can recover in 2 or 3 days if the fluids are begun as soon as symptoms are noticed. If more severe, depending on treatment, puppies can remain ill from 5 days up to 2 weeks. However, even with hospitalization, there is no guarantee that the dog will be cured and survive.
Natural treatment that has worked for me
Force feeding:
fluids, including electrolytes, colloidal silver & homoeopathic china
natural organic live yogurt, containing spirulina powder and honey
minced chicken containing spirulina powder & cod liver oil
A natural anti-virus was created by my homoeopathic vet, taking a sample of virus from an infected dog, killing it in vodka, diluting this with water, succusing, & re-diluting as per the standard for homoeopathy. This was added in drops to the water bowls of the other dogs.
My reasons for choosing the above
The main cause of death in CPV cases is due to dehydration because of the constant vomiting and dysentary, or secondary infection.
Therefore, fluids & electrolytes to treat the dehydration
Colloidal silver & honey are powerful natural antibiotics
Live yogurt coats the gut replacing the good bacteria destroyed by the virus, which also attack the virus
Spirulina is a "super-food" containing more vitamins & minerals than any multivitamin on the market and a high level of easily digestible protein, necessary to re-build the cells lost to the virus.
Cod liver oil is high in Vitamin D, known to boost the immune system to 3 times it's normal strength.
China is known to combat symptoms similar to malaria, which is how CPV 1st presents.
The homoeopathic vaccine, created specifically from the strain of virus my dogs had been exposed to, was an immediate and permenant way to protect them from that particular strain for life.
Aftershock & Clean Up
CPV is shed in faeces for up to 6 weeks post recovery & can survive on surfaces (even outside) for up to 6 months, therefore destroying it is of vital importance.
Whilst there are many expensive cleaning products & disinfectants on the market that claim to kill parvo, in my experience some of them are not thorough enough & further outbreaks can occure.
Washing all material at 40 degrees or higher, will kill the virus.
Neat bleach is what is necessary on all surfaces to be sure that it is all gone. Do not forget to do the soles of your shoes, as this is a regular vector for infecting others on leaving the property.
N.B. Canine Health 101 do not presume to diagnose or prescribe your animals illness, as by law this must be done by a registered veterinary surgeon.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Digestibility is key
The digestibility of the food you are giving your dog is easy to measure. Simply take the weight of excrement from the weight of food supplied & you can work out what percentage of food was of any use to your pet.
The vast differential between digestibility of commercial pet food and a raw diet is staggering, and something worth noting.
If you make a comparison between these, you can establish just how much of your pet food expenses is wasted on indigestible material.
The vast differential between digestibility of commercial pet food and a raw diet is staggering, and something worth noting.
If you make a comparison between these, you can establish just how much of your pet food expenses is wasted on indigestible material.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Why Should you feed your dog Raw food?
The storage stability of vitamins and minerals are impaired by cooking (Lugwigshafen et al. 1984). Phospholipids found in the cell walls of plant and animal material and essential for the health of each living cell are also broken down by heat. Phospholipids are needed in great quantities by the immune system, especially in the formation of pus in infected wounds (Pond, 2000).
Lugwigshafen, N. A. Bonn, G. B. Elmshorn, D. D. Hess.Oldend, W. K. Cuxhaven, K. K. Grenzach, H. L. 1984 Vitamins in Animal Nutrition, AWT, Bonn p42
Pond, C. M. 2000 The Fats of Life, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge p5-26
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Our Survey Results
Canine Health 101 Survey Results
·
· The results of our international survey show:
73% of regularly vaccinated dogs are stressed
85% of non stressed, non or once vaccinated dogs were raw fed
Veterinary costs and visits are 10 times higher for dogs fed cooked food
Regularly vaccinated dogs required 14 times the number of vet visits per year!
It costs 7 times less, to have a healthier, happier Dog
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