Vitamin defficiencies & symptoms

As detailed in our post about the ingredients in pet foods, the following vitamins & minerals are added:

"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)."

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)

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.

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.

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

Our Survey Results

Canine Health 101 Survey Results

·         From 2000 to 2009 the market share on tinned & dried food increased 71% and the average cost of a veterinary visit has risen by 410%

·         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

http://slidesha.re/kLQC8n

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Vaccinations

There are many reports on vaccinations around at the moment and many articles have been published in the relevant press. These reports contain frightening information on the contents of vaccines and the side effects of them, which are not always immediate.
Some of the immediate side effects include:-

• lethargy
• fever
• stiffness
• sore joints
• abdominal tenderness
• anaphylactic shock (an allergic reaction that causes swelling of critical airways which can result in death within minutes)
• liver and kidney problems and more.

If an animal has a pre-existing health problem, vaccinations can expedite a decline in health of that animal as they are known to depress the immune system. Many animals with chronic problems fail to improve or respond to traditional treatment.

Cancer at the site of the injection can happen as often as 1 in 1000.

Well documented adverse effects include auto-immune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) in dogs (which is deadly). Research has suggested a link between vaccines and immune-mediated polyarthritis in dogs. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy, a painful bone disease, appears to be triggered by the distemper vaccine in some Weimeraners. Some dog breeds, notably Dobermans, Rottweilers, and Akitas, seem especially prone to deleterious reactions.

Also you may have noticed that there is no variation given in the amount of vaccine dependent on size, from puppies to adults and from Chihuahua's to Saint Bernard's, all animals are given the same full vial, that seems wrong somehow to me, surely we are overdosing the small and under-dosing the large.

Humans get their inoculations once only, (with Tetanus as an exception), so why would our pets need them annually?
Pets systems are the same as ours, once they have developed anti-bodies another dose will not be of assistance.
Vaccinations are making animals produce auto-anti-bodies which attack their own DNA.

Known reactions to certain vaccines:-

Distemper	" Watery fluid dripping from the nose " Conjunctivitis, eye discharge, entropion " Chronic gastritis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, appetite disorders " Recurrent diarrhoea " Sensitivity to food with resultant diarrhoea " Epilepsy, rear leg paralysis, spondylitis " Lip fold dermatitis " Excessive licking of feet, eruptions between the toes, allergies " Kennel cough, chronic bronchitis " Chronic skin eruptions, especially lower half of body " Failure to thrive, abnormally thin
Rabies	Restless nature, suspicion of others, aggression to animals and people " Changes in behaviour: aloofness, unaffectionate, desire to roam, OR clingy, separation anxiety, 'velcro dog' " Restraining can lead to violent behaviour and self-injury " Self-mutilation, tail chewing " Voice changes, hoarseness, excessive barking " Chronic poor appetite, very finicky " Paralysis of throat or tongue, sloppy eaters, drooling " Dry eye, loss of sight, cataract " Eating wood, stones, earth, stool " Destructive behaviour, shredding bedding " Seizures, epilepsy, twitching " Increased sexual desire, sexual aggression " Irregular pulse, heart failure " Reverse sneezing
Panleukopenia in cats	Lazy cats, lie around most of the time " Finicky appetites " Chronic fever for weeks, with few symptoms " Possible enlarged cervical lymph nodes " Poor groomers " Chronic dehydration leading to cystitis and calculus formation " Emaciation, hyperthyroidism " Inflammatory bowel disease " Chronic respiratory problems, sinusitis
Other reactions	Any auto-immune disease such as lupus, red cell aplasia, auto-immune haemolytic anaemia, cardiomyopathies; neoplasias such as fibrosarcomas, mast cell tumours, thyroid tumours, etc.; inflammatory bowel disease, eczematous ears, any dermatological condition, warts, lymphomas, poor hair coats, stomatitis, periodontal disease, thyroid disease, and so on.

 Some ingredients in vaccines include:-

• Ethylene glycol - (antifreeze)
• Phonol or carbolic acid
• Formaldehyde - a known carcinogen
• Aluminium - associated with Alzheimers, seizures and cancer
• Thimerosal - (preservative)
• Neomycin, streptomycin (antibiotic)

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Some Quotes:-

According to the Current Veterinary Therapy XI, considered the Bible of Veterinary care:-

"A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations.
ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION THERE IS NO IMMUNILOGIC REQUIREMENT FOR ANNUAL REVACCINATION.
Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response when exposed to virulent organisms. Only the immune response to toxins (such as tetanus) requires boosters... and no toxin vaccines are currently used for dogs or cats. The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy."
Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Ph.D. - "Annual revaccination provides no benefit and may increase the risk for adverse reactions. The percentage of vaccinated animals (those vaccinated only as puppies) protected from clinical disease after challenge with canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and canine adenovirus in the study was greater than 95%."

"Many people are very concerned about vaccinating their animals and the adverse reactions are often referred to as vaccinosis and miasms which is said to be difficult or impossible to cure. Most wonder why "annual boosters" are given to our animals " Helen L. McKinnon

"Some vaccines cause mild immunosuppression, e.g., modified live parvovirus vaccines may suppress the immune response in puppies to the point that they succumb to distemper when vaccinated with modified live distemper virus." - The Merck Veterinary Manual

"The more common risks associated with vaccines include residual virulence and toxicity, contamination with other pathogens, allergic responses, disease in immunogeficient hosts (modified live vaccines), neurological complications, and harmful effects on the foetus."- The Merck Veterinary Manual

"Vaccines that contain killed gram-negative organisms may also contain endotoxins, which stimulate release of interleukin 1, and can cause stress with pyrexia and leukopenia" - "it may be sufficient to provoke abortion in females." - The Merck Veterinary Manual
The American Veterinary Association advises that re-vaccination should occur every three years rather than annually.

For more information on vaccines and what they do to your animal, please read:-

• "Shock to the System" by Catherine O'Driscoll [ISBN: 0-9523048-4-8] and check out her website
• Publications by Dr R D Schultz DVM PhD listed at the International Veterinary Information Service
• Publications by Dr R D Schultz DVM PhD Listed at the National Library of Medicine
• Vaccination controversy and guidelines - at VetAdviceLine.com
• An Introduction to the vaccine controversy
• Death by lethal vaccine injection
• Details on a holistic vet conference - 1996, in attendance Dr Jean Dodds and Dr Ronald D Schultz
• The Merck Veterinary Manual - this states the known reactions to each vaccine (available via their website)
• Article on reducing vets bills and increasing longevity by Dr Kim Bloomer

To spay/neuter or not to spay/neuter

Sterilization will naturally serve to prevent any unwanted litters. In bitches, spaying will greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer, pyometra, perianal fistula and cancers of the reproductive organs.⁵

Spay surgery itself carries a somewhat high rate (around 20%) of complications such as infection, haemorrhage and even death.⁵

Spaying significantly increases the rate of urinary incontinence in bitches….about 20-30% of all spayed bitches will eventually develop this problem. This is believed to be most likely caused by the lack of oestrogen that results from being spayed.¹

Sterilization of males may reduce some unwanted sexual behaviours, but there are few other proven benefits to neutering a male dog. Testicular cancer is prevented, but the actual risk of that cancer is extremely low (<1%) among intact dogs. Contrary to popular belief, studies show that the risk of prostate cancer is actually HIGHER in neutered dogs than in their intact counterparts.⁵

Several studies prove significant health risks associated with sterilization, particularly when done at an early age. The most problematic is a delayed closure of the bony growth plates. This results in an abnormal, “weedy” skeletal development that increases the incidence of orthopaedic problems like hip dysplasia and patellar luxation. Working and performance dogs, if neutered before maturity, risk the inability to perform the jobs they were bred for.¹⁰

But by far the most startling news to surface this year is the result of a study that shows that keeping ovaries to the age of six years or later is associated with a greater than 30% increase of lifespan in female Rottweilers.⁴ Similar studies in humans reinforce this finding.^7,11

A 30% longer lifespan means that you could have many additional years with your bitch simply by delaying spay surgery until middle-age or later.

Behavioural studies show that sterilization increases fearfulness, noise phobias and aggression. Other well-documented adverse health effects of de-sexing include increased risk of bone cancer, haemangiosarcoma, hypothyroidism, and cognitive dysfunction in older pets. Sterilization confers an increased susceptibility to infectious disease, and also a higher incidence of adverse reactions to vaccines.¹⁰

“potential health problems associated with spaying and neutering have also been identified, including an increased risk of prostatic cancer in males; increased risks of bone cancer and hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs associated with sterilization before maturity; and increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and hypothyroidism.” Ref: AVMA.org

In a study of well over a million dogs, information on breed, sex, and age was collected and reported to the Veterinary Medical Database between 1964 and 2003. Results—Castrated male dogs were significantly more likely than other dogs to have hip dysplasia (CHD) than other dogs and spayed females were significantly more likely to have cranial cruciate ligament deficiency (CCLD).

Dogs up to 4 years old were significantly more likely to have HD whereas dogs over 4 years old were significantly more likely to have CCLD. In general, large- and giant-breed dogs were more likely than other dogs to have HD, CCLD, or both.

Prevalence of HD and CCLD increased significantly over the 4 decades for which data were examined. There was no data reflecting the decade-by-decade increase but one might suspect that the significantly increased rate of spay and castration procedures may be a factor in the overall forty-year increase. ref: June 15, 2008 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

“increased rate of cystitis and decreasing age at gonadectomy was associated with increased rate of urinary incontinence. Among male and female dogs with early-age gonadectomy, hip dysplasia, noise phobias, and sexual behaviours were increased, whereas obesity, separation anxiety, escaping behaviours, inappropriate elimination when frightened…”

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
¹ Bovsun, Mara; "Puddle Jumping; Canine Urinary Incontinence"; AKC Gazette April 2009
barkingbulletin.com/newsletter/2009/q4/Puddle-Jumping--Canine-Urinary-Incontinence/

² Fry, Mike, "Reflections from the No Kill Conference in Washington DC":
animalarkshelter.org/animal/ArkArticles.nsf/AllArticles/3A078C33CD079D17862575AD00471A9B

³ James, Susan Donaldson (ABC News) "300,000 Imported Puppies Prompt Rabies Concerns"
October 24, 2007 petpac.net/news/headlines/importedpuppies/

⁴ Nolen, R. Scott "Rottweiler Study Links Ovaries With Exceptional Longevity"
JAVMA March 2010 avma.org/onlnews/javma/mar10/100301g.asp

⁵ Sanborn, Laura J., MS
"Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs"; May 14,2007
naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf

⁶ Thoms, Joy "The Importance of Spay-Neuter Contracts" The Orient Express, Nov, 2009

⁷ Waters, David J., DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVS "A Healthier Respect for Ovaries"
gpmcf.org/respectovaries.html

⁸ Winograd, Nathan J. "Debunking Pet Overpopulation" June 29, 2009
nathanwinograd.com/?p=1390

⁹ Winograd, Nathan, “Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America” Almaden Books, 2nd edition, Feb 25, 2009.

¹⁰ Zink, Christine, DVM, PhD, DACVP
"Early Spay-Neuter Considerations for the Canine Athlete"; 2005http://www.thedogplace.org/Veterinary/0603-SpayNeuter_Zink.asp

¹¹ “Retaining ovaries may be a key to prolonged life in women and dogs”; DVM Newsmagazine; Dec 5, 2009. veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/646838