Your dog needs his dog vitamins every day to stay healthy. Most dogs don’t get a diet that supplies all the necessary vitamins and minerals they need for long, healthy and vital lives. You see, vitamins and minerals work together; like nuts and bolts and they supply all the tools needed for your dog’s specific body processes. Each vitamin and mineral plays a unique role in keeping the body machinery rolling along healthily with all gears polished and working. If all the gears are in order your dog will stay healthy and be strong enough to stave off lots of diseases, among them cancer, diabetes and liver or kidney failure. The body machine has to be ready for any problem at any time – be it a virus, a bacteria or a toxic overload. So what’s all the mystery about dog vitamins and why are the labels so confusing?

Most dog supplements containing vitamins and minerals do not list their ingredients in milligrams and International Units and they don’t give the form or source of their ingredients. You see, quality ingredients are ones that have a lot of activity, are easily absorbed and are in a form that is effective and useful to the body. What’s a lot of activity mean? Well you might search, for example , for a cranberry capsule at the health food store and might compare two bottles. Each would state that they have 100 mg of cranberry in each capsule. But one might have 10% active cranberry while the other has 60% active cranberry. If they were both the same price the 60% active cranberry would be a much smarter purchase.

The manufacturers of many of the dog vitamins readily available on the market look for inexpensive food sources that can be ground down to provide a vitamin pill or powder. Unfortunately, these products are not complete or balanced and the form of the ingredients is often not the best. Every doggy body needs a complete set of tools to stay healthy. That’s why it’s important to purchase dog vitamins that are from quality sources and are precisely formulated

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Walk the Path of Natural Diet for better cat nutrition and better dog nutrition.

Nowadays, everyone wants to learn about natural diets, home made meals, cooking for your pets, good nutrition and optimal pet diets. If you want your faithful friend to live as healthy and happy and as long a life as possible, you’ll want to give him the benefit of a diet that contains as many nutrients and immune-boosting substances as possible, while simultaneously reducing or eliminating his consumption of toxic or disease-promoting ingredients. Your cat’s and dog’s wellbeing depends on what you put in their dish. The time to keep illness at bay, after all, is before it’s has a chance to develop. This is what a healthy diet can do!

Vegetables, fruits, grains and herbs are sources of nutrients that your dog simply cannot get from eating a diet comprised commercial dog food.

One point that you should keep in mind is that vegetables and fruits are fresh, “live” foods filled with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that disappear after heating and processing. Beyond their nutritional value, there is the quality of freshness they possess, the exact opposite of the “dead” products sold by the manufacturers of commercial dog food. Unfortunately, most big-brand dog foods are absolute garbage and contribute greatly to health problems. There are better brands and lots of other alternative home cooking options in my book, Dr. Khlasa’s Natural Dog. Therefore, whenever you have the time to add, say grated carrots to your dog’s meal or give him a sliced broccoli stalk as a snack, by all means do so. In addition to supplying him with needed nutrients, it will help fill the void that a diet of processed or cooked food creates. Variety is the spice of life!

The enzyme pathways of so many of a dog’s organs need the vitamins and minerals that only fresh foods can provide. That’s why I strongly recommend that a “real food” diet include a variety of these commodities, as well as a vitamin supplement.

Believe me, if your dog seems to do all right on conventional dog food, you cannot and will not fail to make him healthier with some home cooking. And this is irrespective of whether or not you count calories or measure amounts precisely. You can’t go wrong by taking this approach. My book Dr. Khlasa’s Natural Dog is filled with recipe ideas, dog food ideas and easy ways to make your pet’s diet healthier so he or she can lead a longer, happier and healthier life. Daily preventive supplementation to give them everything they need every single day of their lives with VITAL VITIES by Deserving Pets is the very best ‘supplemental health insurance’ you can give them!

Dr. Deva Khalsa VMD

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Natural Remedies are easy and fun to use at home.

Garlic

Garlic is one of the few herbs that have worldwide recognition and use. The good news is that dogs love the taste of garlic. The garlic plant is a member of the lily family. It is one of the oldest cultivated plants. For ages, garlic has been renowned for its ability to ward off disease.

Modern research has shown that garlic has antifungal, antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-cancer effects. An interesting fact is that, in 1858, Louis Pasteur proved that garlic was able to kill fungi and bacteria.

Daily usage of garlic supports the body in ways that no other herb does. It supports the digestive tract, helping support and revive those good bacteria in the gut and wards off worms. It can also be useful for the treatment of ringworm. Garlic also helps regulate blood sugar levels.

The odor of garlic is due to the sulfur containing compounds that account for most of its medicinal properties. The essence of the garlic will mix in with the oil produced by your dog’s oil glands, and helps to prevent flea infestation. When humans perspire profusely, it is all too easy to tell who recently ate a lot of garlic. It comes out in our perspiration. Dogs do not perspire, except on their feet, but the garlic comes out in their coats’ natural oil.

Your dog will enjoy fresh garlic in his food. Garlic is best used fresh. One-half to one clove taken once or twice a day. You can give them to your dog whole, or you may dice or macerate them and mix them in the food. If you home cook for your dog, add garlic to the recipes you cook and it will still be of benefit to his health.

One or more cloves of garlic can be used per day, depending on the size of your dog. Garlic is also available in health food stores in tablets or capsules. Supermarkets carry powdered garlic, but this form has lost most of its oomph. Garlic can be used as a flavoring in many of the recipes listed in this book.

Sidebar: Did you know that the price of a slave in ancient Egypt was about 15 lbs. of garlic

Sidebar: Garlic for wart removal: Mash garlic and tape on to warts for a few hours. In some cases, the warts will decrease in size or disappear.

Aloe Vera – the incredible burn cure

This plant has been used for centuries in many cultures for treating burns and healing wounds. The Aloe originated in tropical Africa, where it was used as an antidote for poison arrow wounds. Historically, it was used by the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and in India.

Each leaf contains a jellylike substance which works toward rapid regeneration of tissue on wounds and burns. This gel appears to increase the rate of healing in the cellular matrix and decrease inflammation. It also has antibiotic and coagulating agents in it. It is useful for treating fungal infections of the skin. Aloe can also stop the itch of insect bites and relieve them. Taking one to two tablespoons orally three times a day acts as a tonic for the intestinal tract.

Aloe plants can be easily found in the nursery, and require little care to maintain in a home. Place a terra cotta pot with an Aloe Vera plant on your window ledge and watch it grow! The gel from the plant is much more effective than the jars of the gel that are available at stores. The active ingredients remain active after cutting off a leaf for less than three days.

Fresh gel can be obtained by splitting the leaf. Apply the green tinged clear jelly like inside of the split leaf to burns, wounds, fungal infections and insect bites. If you cut a leaf and use part of it the remaining parts of the leaf needs to be stored in the refrigerator.

Sidebar: Aloe gel can be used topically on itchy areas of your dog skin. It is excellent to use on allergic dogs with hot spots.

Dandelion- Taraxacum Officinale

Rather than being troubled about all those dandelions on your lawn, you can use them to make a healthy tea infusion and detoxify your dog’s liver. Dandelion is one plant almost everyone can recognize. Yet it is a somewhat recent addition to the field of herbal medicine, first appearing in Europe in the mid-fifteenth century. It was first mentioned in Chinese medicine in the 7^th century. The Chinese use the entire plant, and Western herbal medicine tends to use either the root or leaf.

Dandelion is a very powerful diuretic and is one of the best sources of potassium. Dandelion is a wonderful example of how a complete herb works. Pharmaceutical diuretics drain potassium out of the body and deplete potassium reserves. The dandelion root works as a very powerful diuretic, removing excess fluid from the body, but also replaces potassium that is lost in the process. The roots are the part of the plant you would use to formulate a very effective diuretic. The plant is rich in potassium, which is generally lost with very frequent urination. Dandelion can be used for fluid retention, especially with heart problems.

Dandelion reduces congestion in the liver and can even help with jaundice. Both the roots and the leaves can be used for medicinal purposes. The leaves work as a digestive and liver tonic. The root is used as a cleansing tonic for gallstones, jaundice and constipation.

Dandelion leaves are also specific medicine for the kidneys, while the root is a remedy for liver detoxifications. Dandelion increases gastric secretions to aid in digestion.

The nice thing about these herbs is that they can be used preventatively. Some chopped dandelion in a meal works to clean a relatively healthy liver and simply make it even healthier.

I would recommend that you do not use dandelions from lawns that have been sprayed with herbicides. That would counter our purpose to heal the body. Unsprayed leaves can be harvested at any time during the growing season.

The fresh leaves are often sold in supermarkets in the produce department. Commercially available dandelion is less bitter than what grows on your lawn.

Dandelion capsules and extracts can be found in health food stores.

A few fresh leaves can be chopped and added to a tasty meal for your dog. They can taste bitter, so begin to add them sparingly at first. Dandelion leaf juice can be made in a juicer and one quarter teaspoon can be given 3x a day for a medium sized dog. The fresh juice is a more powerful diuretic than an infusion, which is prepared from dried leaves. A tincture can be purchased in liquid form in health food stores. A few drops given a few times a day can aid in removing fluid in dogs with heart conditions.

IN box: Two to three tablespoons of the leaves can be placed into one cup of water and brought to a boil. Simmer gently for 15 minutes and let cool. Give one tablespoon of the liquid 3x a day for a medium sized dog. An infusion or tea can also be made by pouring hot water over the leaves and allowing the mixture to steep for five to 30 minutes.

Cranberries

Cranberries are much more than a traditional food served during the holiday season. Recent studies prove cranberries efficacy in treating urinary tract infections. It has been known for long time that cranberries acidify the urine. Bacteria cannot survive when the pH changes. But there is another way cranberry fights that urinary tract infection. It contains a polysaccharide called mannose which decreases the ability of the bacteria to adhere to the cells lining the urinary tract. The bacteria will adhere to the mannose from the cranberry rather than the surface of the cells. These bacteria then get flushed out with the urine.

Sidebar: Cranberries and Blueberries, which are in the same genus prevent bacteria from adhering to the cells on the bladder wall.

Additionally, cranberries are excellent as a general health tonic, balancing the acid-base balance in the body. Many dogs eat far too much protein and grain, causing an increase in the acidity in the body. Cranberry makes the body a healthy alkaline and the urine a healthier acid. Adding some stewed cranberries to a meal helps to promote a healthier, more alkaline state. Fresh and frozen cranberries are four times as potent as cranberry juice cocktail while cranberry juice concentrate is 27 times as potent.

The herbal garden

In the Middle Ages almost every Monastery had a physic garden which contained the herbs they needed for cooking and healing. At that time, the definition of physic meant medicine or healing as an art or a profession. Nowadays it means something that lifts the spirits or energizes. A healing herb (physic) garden can now do both for you and your dogs

I love working in my herb garden. When I run my hands gently along the plants and rejoice in their fragrance. It’s a truly healthy feeling. Fresh herbs have a much higher concentration of phytochemicals than dried up herbs sitting in a jar on a supermarket shelf. When freshly picked, they are a joy to use in cooking.

Sidebar: Phytochemicals are compounds found in plants that are used by our bodies for nourishment when we eat the plant.

The plant kingdom is abundant in rich resources that can be added to your dog’s diet to aid in preventing disease. Herbs can be used to support your dog’s health and wellness, helping them to stay at their peak of vitality. Routine use of herbs in the diet will help keep your dog’s body detoxified and keep the immune system in its healthiest state.

It is also fun to dry garden herbs at the end of the season. With herbs to spare you can make potpourri, rinses, and enjoy your bounty in a variety of ways. Using plants as medicine brings us back toward an understanding of how we fit in the cycle of nature. Working in your herb garden is a good excuse to get back in touch with nature while getting a nice tan. Your dog will love the outside time too. Read on as we take a walk through your garden of herbs

Coming full circle

Learning about the herbs that are used in botanical medicine reveals a bright new world. We are surrounded by plants that have the ability to increase both our own and our pets’ health. Once again, we can marvel at all the gifts this planet has bestowed upon us. It is time to remember again, the true wealth that is available to us all.

It may surprise you to learn that some of the plants you may typically purchase for your perennial garden are medical plants.

The Coneflower, for example, is a common plant in perennial gardens. It is also called Purple Coneflower, or Echinacea. This plant gives a powerful boost to the immune system and is commonly taken when a cold or flu is coming on. Another example of a common healing plant is Hypericum, or St. John’s Wart; a pale green plant that produces delicate yellow flowers. This plant can help with depression and it also has an antiviral property.

Your own physic garden…. rather your dog’s garden!

In this next section, we will make it easy for you to plant a healing garden that will provide you with healing herbs throughout the growing season in a 4 foot by 4 foot space. What could be more fun, on a balmy spring day, than working in this garden with your dogs playing or laying nearby? Perhaps you would want to gather the herbs and dry them at the end of the season as you prepare for winter. It’s a group effort to run this garden, for you maintain it and your dogs eat the herbs

Why these herbs?

These herbs have been used for centuries as natural cures and to help maintain good health. They are safe and easy to use and they were often used in the diet as spices. As well as making the food taste better, they have healing powers. Fresh herbs are always the best to use, but use them sparingly in the food because they do provide a strong presence.

Be sure to harvest these herbs before they begin to fade at the season’s end, and dry them in bunches hanging upside down. You will have these lovely home-grown products to add to your dog’s meals during the dreary winter months.

Many of these herbs return year after year. In the very cold climates, a covering of hay or burlap may protect the more fragile ones. Some, such as chamomile, spread quickly, but they can usually be easily controlled.

Sidebar: Perennials are plants that have a lifespan of more than two years and, if the climate is right, will return year after year.

Herbs applying for a job in your garden.

Chamomile

German and French varieties are often available at Garden stores. Chamomile has a sedating and calming effect. It also calms and helps the pain of teething when prepared as a tea. This herb is also good to add to your dog’s diet when he is at that nervous adolescent stage.

Chamomile also supports the digestive functions and the liver. It will help to ease flatulence and dyspepsia. It can help dogs with irritable bowel problems. It can also be taken to boost the appetite. This herb helps to cleanse the blood and supports pancreatic function. It has been used to settle the stomach. Chamomile is a very gentle herb. It can be of assistance to allergic, itchy dogs. In this case, it can be added to the diet and also used externally on the skin. It increases speed of wound healing and acts to reduce inflammation and swelling. A strong tea can help to heal skin rashes and soothe irritated skin. Chamomile can also be helpful promoting sleep with elderly animals who pace around at night. The older animal would take it just before bedtime.

Sidebar: Fresh chamomile is an excellent insect repellent.

Chopped bits of chamomile may be added to home-cooked meals. One to three teaspoons is plenty. The flowers and leaves are the best parts of the plants to use. To make a tea, put 2 cups of boiling water onto 2 teaspoons of the dried or fresh leaves and flowers and let steep for 10 minutes. For digestive problems this tea can be given with or after meals.

One home dried flower can give more flavor than a commercial tea bag of the herb. It can be harvested throughout the summer. Pick the flowers and leaves when they are free of dew. Dry the herb quickly so the flowers retain their rich pungent scent, but do not dry them at too high a temperature.

In box: . Of course, you can always join in and have a cup yourself. Relax!

Calendula

The vivid colors of its flowers are reason enough to plant calendula. This herb also earns a spot in the garden for its medicine properties, which were recognized as far back as ancient Roman times. The Romans dubbed what we call the common Pot Marigold Calendula Officinalis.

Sidebar: The Romans coined the name Calendula to reflect the herb’s blooming schedule, for it would flower on the calends, or new moon, of every month. Officinalis refers to its ‘official’ medicinal value.

This herb is a favorite among herbalists, and for good reason. It has an almost magical effect in healing wounds. Calendula has a more powerful ability to hinder bacteria than many antibiotics, but it also has the benefit of having an anti-inflammatory effect while it promotes new healthy cell growth. It also works against fungal infections. It is ideal for first aid treatment and works almost miraculously as an antiseptic lotion.

A friend brought her dog in to see me many years ago. The dog’s left front leg had been run over by a gravel truck. All of the skin, muscle and tendon on the lower, front part of the leg had been sheared off. To make matters worse, the gravel had been ground into the wound. It looked like the best possible scenario would involve skin grafting. She did not have the financial wherewithal to do much at all. We decided that I would remove the gravel and clean it up. Every day, under my direction, she placed bandages well moistened with calendula on the wound. A fresh bandage was applied every day. By the end of the month the entire wound had healed and the leg appeared normal. No grafting was necessary and all the fur grew back.

In Europe, calendula flowers are a common ingredient in ointments and creams used to treat cuts, mild burns, inflammations, sores and bee stings. Calendula Officialis is the pot marigold! Calendula is a long-blooming easy to grow annual that reaches 2 feet in height. The flowers range from 1 ½ to 4 inches across and range in color from buttery yellow to deep orange.

I have to admit that Calendula is my favorite, for it can do so much. Calendula acts as an antifungal and antibacterial agent. It is excellent to place on the skin of itching dogs and can sometimes stop a hot spot in a jiff. For hot spots, use a strong infusion made from the leaves, and applies this frequently to the area. Calendula is widely available in salve and ointment form in health food stores. A liquid tincture is also available. A pad soaked in the infusion or diluted tincture can be applied to speed up the healing of wounds.

In box: When making your own calendula infusion it is best to use the petals alone, for this makes a better product. You can harvest the petals from early summer through late fall. The petals can also be dryed and used in a tea later in the season. The flowers can be mixed into handmade soap or mixed with olive oil.

Recipe: Pour one cup of boiling water onto 1-2 tablespoons of the petals and steep for 15 minutes. The tea can be taken internally for gastritis or mouth ulcers and gum disease. Externally, as a compress, it acts as an antiseptic and has a healing effect on the skin. It also greatly helps to stop itching.

Purple Coneflower – Echinacea

The Native Americans used this herb to treat fevers, wounds and even snakebites. It was commonly used by the Native Americans of the Great Plains region of North America for its powers of wound healing and immune boosting.

Of course the early settlers caught on and used it for colds and infections. Later a German researcher, Dr. Gerhard Madaus, brought some seeds over to Europe and began scientific research, which proved its immune stimulating properties. Today, Echinacea is the most important over the counter remedy in Germany.

Echinacea is the well- known herbal remedy that many start to take the minute they feel a cold coming on, because it is effective against both bacterial and viral attacks. Many people have it as a decorative plant in their gardens, completely unaware of its healing properties.

Echinacea is made from popular Purple Coneflower that one often sees growing in perennial gardens. You may very well have admired this common long stemmed purple flower in a garden without knowing it was the source of the popular health food store herb.

While some people take it all winter with the intent of warding off the flu, its best use is at the very start of a fever or infection. When my twin boys were babies and a fever or cold came on, I would go to my garden a pick one Coneflower plant, root and all. After simmering both the root and flower for 10-15 minutes, I would cool it a little and add some honey. Each of the boys would drink a cup and go to sleep and when they awoke, the fever would be gone.

Echinacea can also be used topically. Studies with Guinea Pigs demonstrated an increased rate of healing when Echinacea was applied topically. An infusion made with the root can be applied to minor scrapes and cuts.

Some say the fresh plant is much more effective than the dried herb and I would fully agree. That is why it is so nice to have it growing in your garden. Of course, Echinacea comes in all forms in the health food store: liquid tinctures, tablets and capsules.

Sidebar: To boost the immune system place 1-2 teaspoons of the root and one chopped flower in 2 cups of water and bring it slowly to a boil. Let this simmer for 10-15 minutes. Dose: three times a day. A medium sized dog can have one tablespoon per dose. Do not worry about adjusting for size. The root is the most commonly used part of the plant for infections and inflammation. It can be especially helpful for recurring kidney and bladder infections.

Fennel

Fennel is a wonderful digestive aid and was used for this purpose in Australia and Spain for hundreds of years. Fennel seeds, when taken after a meal, assist in digestion. The seeds have also been used for years to expel intestinal parasites. The tea helps rid the body of toxins and cleanse the cells and tissues of the body. The plant itself can be chopped finely and added to a home cooked stew for your dog. The seeds can be made into a tea and added to the meal also.

Sidebar:To make a tea pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds. Let steep for 15 minutes, add ¼ to ½ of a cup of the cooled mixture to your dogs meal. Refrigerate the leftover tea and use for future meals.

Parsley

This herb is rich in minerals and is an aid to digestion. Its use in meals helps to maintain a good pH level that your dog needs for disease prevention. It also freshens the breath, and we all know one or two dogs who could really use that!

Parsley is also excellent for the urinary system: the kidneys and bladder. It works as a diuretic to remove water retention in the body and is a good addition to each meal for dogs with heart conditions and fluid retention. Parsley is easy to add routinely to each meal. A teaspoon or more can be finely chopped and added to home-cooked food.

Parsley works to detoxify the body and a teaspoon or more in every meal adds that chlorophyll that is so healthy.

Rosemary

Rosemary originated in France and the United States. A small amount of fresh Rosemary can go a long way. This herb has an absolutely beautiful aroma and it is lovely to sit near in the summer months. It would be great to place a bench or table setting next to your herb garden because the aroma in itself has a healing effect on the body and soul.

Rosemary, used topically, has an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic effect. Inhaling the steam from a tea of rosemary is good for sinus infections. Adding ¼ teaspoon of rosemary in 2 cups of home cooked food is adequate for flavoring. This herb also helps digestion.

Sidebar: Throw some bits of rosemary and lavender on your floor and vacuum them up as you clean. They will, as they sit in the bag, give off a pleasant scent as you vacuum.

It is excellent to add into an external rinse for your dogs coat because it promotes hair growth and brings out the luster and color tones in the fur. Rosemary rinses are also great for dogs with flaking, dry skin.

Sidebar:To make a tea pour two cups of water over 2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary. Let steep for 15 minutes and use as a rinse for the coat.

Sage advice

Sage is another herb that has a wonderful, healing fragrance. It can be used as an addition to the everyday diet by adding ½ teaspoon of chopped fresh sage to a stew or casserole. It can also be used as a tea to rinse the mouth because of its healing effect on gingivitis. You can even add some of the tea to your dog’s water bowl and simply allow him to drink it. (Of course, make sure he likes the water with the sage tea addition. Start out with small amounts in the water, and if he likes it, gradually increase the amount of tea.) This herb works to strengthen the body in general and has the effect of balancing estrogen levels. It would be good to add this to the food of a spayed female who is experiencing urinary leakage when sleeping.

Sidebar:To make a tea pour two cups of water over 2 teaspoons of chopped Sage. Let steep for 15 minutes and refrigerate. Either use in the mouth to rinse for gingivitis, or put a teaspoon or more into the drinking water for a taste test. If your dog likes it, add more, teaspoon by teaspoon.

It’s about Thyme

Myths, legends and rhymes all seem to have been inspired by the humble thyme plant. The ancient Egyptians used it as part of the recipe to embalm their dead. Even today the oil of thyme, thymol, is an ingredient in embalming fluids. Thyme began in the Mediterranean, but it has spread all over the world and is used by many diverse cultures in their cuisine. Thyme comes in an amazing diversity of flavors, ranging through oregano, cinnamon, lemon and caraway. Common thyme or any other cooking thyme is excellent to use to flavor stews and casseroles for your dog.

Thyme has antibacterial effects. Thyme oil or its components have been suggested as a food additive to more naturally extend the life of processed foods. Vapor with the essential oil

has been shown to inhibit

airborne fungus and bacteria. Thyme has proven antispasmodic and respiratory effects and has historically been used for bronchitis, as an expectorant, and for laryngitis.

Dry Thyme by hanging it upside down for a week. The leaves can be saved for seasoning your dogs food. Mix it with dried rose petals for a lovely potpourri.

Lavender

This plant is known for its relaxing and soothing effect on the spirit. An important use for it with dogs is its ability to reduce the buildup of excess sebum, ie., skin oils, on your dog. It works like a charm for some of those lovable yet greasy and smelly dogs. You see, bacteria begin to grow in the excess sebum and the bacterial growth in the greasy coat is responsible for that musty, smelly, old shoe odor that some dogs seem to have.

A lavender rinse after a bath, or placing some of the tea in a spray bottle works to decrease both the sebum and bacteria and keep that odor at bay. Lavender also works as an antibacterial to keep the bacteria down. As an added benefit, it is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic, so it decreases the itchies as well. It is beneficial for bathing skin irritations or wounds because it promotes tissue regeneration and speeds wound healing. As an added benefit, the delicate purple or white flowers are beautiful to look at and smell great!

Dr. Deva Khalsa VMD

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Natural Remedies and Home Remedies for Itching and Allergies

Is your cat itching?
Is your dog itching?

Here are some easy natural remedies that you can use to nip the problem in the bud.

Tip to remember: VITAL VITIES vitamin, mineral and superfood supplement helps relieve skin conditions like allergies, dandruff and chronic infection in many dogs and cats. Healing starts from within.

Home remedies

• Black tea or Japanese green tea prepared as a very strong brew. The resulting liquid is applied to the inflamed area for three to 10 minutes to soothe it. The rest of the brew can be stored in refrigerator and used later.
• Calendula tincture can be applied directly or diluted 1:1 to the irritated areas.
• Witch Hazel is easily available in drugstores. A soaked cotton ball can be placed on itchy area a few times a day.
• Aloe Vera can be found in health food stores and pharmacies. The jelly from the fresh plant works the best. Places on the area one to three times a day.
• Baking Soda can work wonders! Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Place the paste on the areas that are itchy and/or reddened. Leave the paste on for a few hours and wash off.
• Baking soda spray can also be prepared by mixing one tablespoon of baking soda with 8 ounces of water. Place in a spray bottle and use when necessary. Shake before using.
• Oatmeal poultices are easy to make. The powder, finely mixed with water is placed on the area for a short time. Aveena Colloidal Oatmeal, found in pharmacies, can be used as a tub bath or poultice.
• Preparation H cream is easily available in drugstores. It contains no harmful ingredients. This cream stops itching and burning. It can often prove helpful with itching skin.
• Cabbage leaf is an old-time remedy to remove heat and inflammation from an area. Pound one cabbage leaf until the surface is broken that it and the juice oozes out. Hold this leave on the inflamed area. The leave will begin to get warm as it soaks the inflammation out. Remove the leaves after several minutes.

Homeopathic remedies for itching

Homeopathic remedies need to be chosen in relation to the symptoms they produce. The type of reaction that occurs in relation to the problem is important in deciding upon a remedy. Some dogs itch less and feel better when they are warm. They may sit out on a black driveway and bake in the sun. Some dogs desperately need a cool environment and go to the tile in the bathroom floor or sit by the air conditioning vent. The remedy Arsenicum album is an excellent remedy for skin allergies where dogs crave warmth. You would think a dog with inflamed itching skin would always prefer a cool area. Yet, the Arsenicum dog itches less when he is in the sun or warm under the covers. Be sure you remember how the symptoms express themselves when you choose the remedy.

You should begin to see results with these remedies in 2 –10 days. If no relief is gained or if the dog gets worse, discontinue the remedy.

• Sulphur 6c. This remedy is indicated in dogs that prefer a cool environment. The skin can be red and the itching and intense. The skin can also have an unhealthy, leathery look to it. This remedy would be given twice a day for one week.
• Arsenicum album 30c. This remedy would be used for dogs that prefer the heat. The skin and can be dry and flaky, and the coat can appear lusterless and dry. The dog who needs this remedy may also be thirsty and restless. Dose at twice a day for 2 weeks
• Graphites 30c- This remedy is good for dogs who get hot spots with their allergies. These areas can ooze a sticky yellow or honey colored substance that causes the fur to stick to the area. Give this remedy 4x a day for a week and use calendula tincture topically as well. You may need to shave the fur off to give the area air … so it dries up. Apply the calendula several times a day, reducing the dosage schedule as the area improves.
• Rhus toxidendron 30c – This remedy is made from Poison Ivy, and we all know how itchy a Poison Ivy infection can make you! The dog who needs this remedy will often have a pimply vesicular rash with much itching and redness. Warmth lessens the severity of the symptoms. Dose at 3x a day for 2-4 weeks
• Grindelia 30c. – This homeopathic remedy can be given to three times a day to help decrease the intensity of the itching. Give this remedy whenever needed.
• Psorinum 200c. – This remedy is excellent for skin conditions in which the skin has an unhealthy appearance. The coat may have a noticeable musty odor. The skin is commonly dry, and the itching is intense. This remedy should be given once a day for one week. If symptoms reappear at a later time, give the remedy again for one week.

Dr. Deva Khalsa VMD

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What happens when our children touch and hug pets that have top spot products on their skin?

Are Commercial Flea and Tick Products Safe?

That’s why Deserving Pets offers you TICKED OFF, an effective yet safe alternative. TICKED OFF provides all natural, chemical free relief from fleas and ticks. It is made of safe hydrolyzed silica and safe Southern Red Cedar Oil. You do need to spray it on liberally as it is a contact killer (the silica clogs up their external skeleton). You can also spray it around the house.

Read below to learn why it is so important to use a Safe and Natural Pest Repellent for Pets.

Despite advertising claims to the contrary….. our well known and commonly used topical treatments actually do contain pesticides that do indeed enter our pets’ internal organs and are found to eventually be eliminated in their feces and urine (after traveling though their internal organs!).

Additionally, children and adults that interact closely with pets who have been treated with these chemicals can also be affected by the toxins.

All flea and tick products are made up of “active” and ” inert” ingredients. The active ingredients target and kill fleas- but some of the inert ingredients are also toxic, although the word suggests that they’re safe. Unfortunately, all the “active” ingredients in the spot-on preparations have been linked to serious health effects in laboratory animals.

For instance, Dr. Dobozy of the EPA’s Pesticide Division states that the fipronil in the (Frontline) formulations for pets ” is a persistent chemical that has the potential for nervous system and thyroid toxicity after long term exposure at low dosages.” Laboratory health effects include thyroid cancer and altered thyroid hormones, liver toxicity, kidney damage, convultions, whining, barking, crying, loss of appetite, incoordination, reduced fertility, fetus mortality, smaller offspring, loss of hair at or beyond the application site, moist inflammation, chemical burn and itching.

Veterinarians, like myself, have been told that Frontline is not absorbed into your dog or cat’s system. In fact, many years ago this fact made me a proponent of Frontline. I was told it stayed on the surface of your pet’s skin within the oil glands and, of course, Lyme disease can easily become a life threatening disease. Therefore, a simple spot-on product which was effective in deterring fleas and ticks that was limited to the skin’s surface was a welcome tool.

Merial’s web site states the fipronil is absolved into the skin and that the sebaceous glands (oil glands) provide a natural reservoir. It creates the impression that the product does not migrate into your pet’s body. Yet Dr. Dobozy’s study showed that a significant amount of radio-labeled fipronil was found in various organs and fat and was also excreted in their urine and feces. So much for Frontline limiting it’s range only to the skin of dogs and cats. My colored glasses have turned into 3-D glasses and my perspective has changed.

Washington-based Center for Public Integrity (CPI), a non-profit investigative news organization and the National Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group; have published reports about the safety of both prescription and over-the-counterflea and tick treatments.

Most people think that the pyrethrins (naturally occurring compounds from the chrysanthemum plant) and pyrethroids (the synthetic counterpart), are less hazardous than other tick and flea preventive ingredients. In fact, the contrary has been irrefutably proven. CPI collected data just recently made public through the Freedom of Information Act and analyzed the real data about the pyrethroid-based insecticides that are manufactured for pet, human and environmental use. According to CPI, from 2002 through 2007, at least 1,600 pet deaths related to spot-on treatments were reported to the EPA. That was nearly double the reported fatalities linked to flea treatments without pyrethroids. The pyrethroid spot-ons also accounted for more than half of “major” pesticide pet reactions including brain damage, heart attacks and seizures. Non-pyrethroid spot-on treatments accounted for about 6 % of all major incidents.

Bio Spot Flea and Tick Control, Defend EXspot Treatment and Zodiac FleaTrol Spot On all contain either or both of the active ingredients Permethrin and/or Pyriproxyfen. Permethrin has been implicated as a carcinogenic insecticide causing lung cancer and liver tumors in laboratory animals. There is also a suspicion that it disrupts endocrine function. It can act as a neurotoxin, causing tremors and also increased aggressive behavior and learning problems.

Advantage contains the active ingredient Imidacloprid. In laboratory studies Imidacoprid has been found to increase cholesterol levels in dogs, cause thyroid lesions and liver toxicity and has the potential for damaging the liver, kidney, thyroid, heart, lungs, spleen, adrenal, brain, and gonads. As a neurotoxin it has caused incoordination and labored breathing and muscle weakness. When this drug was tested after it’s introduction in 1994 researchers found an increase in frequency of birth defects when it was tested on rats, mice and dogs. In the Journal of Pesticide Reform, author Caroline Cox exposes the resultant thyroid lesions studies have shown as a result of exposure to imidacloprid.

Several weeks ago my entire newsletter was devoted to the problems being reported with Frontline and I promised a follow up. If you wish to receive the data about Frontline newly or once more please e-mail me and let me know. This information is so vital for the health of our beloved pets.

After CPI’s report the EPA in April 2009 announced it was taking a closer look at all spot-on flea and tick products as a result of the increase in adverse reaction reports with special attention to spot-ons. The EPA is also taking action to address uncertainties about the so-called ‘inert’ ingredients present in these products.

Safe alternatives are very much needed for flea and tick control. The high incidence of cancer in both dogs and cats, hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs, aggression and behavior problems, along with a whole slew of miscellaneous medical problems could potentially be linked to these previously “believed to be innocuous” spot-on products. Who would think, without the knowledge gained from these studies that being on Advantage could potentially raise your pet’s cholesterol level in a blood test. As an old friend used to say ” This opens a whole new can of worms!’

Read about Ticked Off on http://www.deservingpets.com/product_p/to32.htm. There is a whole page on Instructions for Use on the product page. It is made from the safe Southern Red Cedar and is safe for cats. You can also use it around your yard and home. Give your pet the only supplement I know that is designed to clean out carcinogens, with Kale,Broccoli, Grape Seed Extract, Selenium, Vitamin C and many other phytochemicals to help repair damage already done; Deserving Pets VITAL VITIES Carcinogens are all too prevalent in today’s world. It’s time to take a pro-active role and add the insurance of excellent nutrition. Sign up to the Deserving Pets site for their newsletter today to get the latest web mail on how to keep cells and organs healthy.

And copy this off to all your friends for we care about their dogs and cats, too!

Dr. Deva Khalsa VMD

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Lucky

The Skinnny on Anterior Cruciate Problems

Your dog’s knee is an complex joint. To add stability to the joint, there are strong ligaments. Two of these are attached in a crosswise fashion and they are called the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. These ligaments act together with two outer bands of fibrous ligament, the lateral collateral ligaments, and the kneecap to maintain your dog’s knee stability through a wide range of motion.

Cruciate ligament damage is seen much more frequently in overweight, neutered, middle-aged dogs, while a very small group of dogs get torn cruciates as a true sports injury. These are dogs that test the physical limits of their bodies through over-exertion such as Frisbee catching. Veterinarians used to think of cruciate tears as a relatively simple and straightforward problem – the dog made a sudden incorrect move that tore the ligament. But recent research has shown that cruciate problems are anything but simple and straightforward in their cause and treatment.

As an example, dogs over 4 years old that are spayed or neutered are considerably more likely to suffer cruciate tears than dogs that remain sexually intact. Do not neuter or spay your dogs early because sex hormones are involved in the development of bone, tendon and muscle. Early neutering and spaying is pushed by SPCAs because they want to halt the pet overpopulation problem. For almost 30 years In my practice I recommended restraining from neutering male dogs because I felt that they stayed stronger and healthier if they were not neutered. At that time the normal approach was to neuter and avoiding prostatic cancer was one rationalization for this surgery. In fact, prostatic cancer occurs just as commonly in neutered dogs as it does in intact dogs and as there are far more neutered male dogs it is seen more in neutered dogs. A similar reasoning for spaying female dogs is to avoid mammary cancer. While the hormones that will activate the cells to create mammary cancer are nipped in the bud with early spaying, this early removal of the sex organs results in many more medical problems. In fact, I never saw one case of mammary cancer develop in my long term patients that practiced holistic treatment under my guidance but I did see mammary cancer in new patients that had not practiced long term holistic care for their pets.

It was once thought that cruciate problem appeared suddenly – after a sudden twisting movement or due to jumping up or out of an elevated location. It’s actually not so and inflammation and weakness in the area can precede and contribute to injury. Whatever the cause or causes, something more than a simple accident is occurring because it’s very common for the pet’s second knee to go out sometime after the first one. Another group of dogs that suffer from this disease are those receiving corticosteroid medications for long periods. It is uncertain if these pets develop the problem because they gain weight or because corticosteroids decrease the ligaments strength.

X-rays will not detect the damaged ligaments in your pet when they occur, but they will pick up later degenerative changes as they develop in the unstable joint. It is also quite common for cruciate ligament damage to be incorrectly diagnosed as a hip problem. One of the things I look for is a tiptoe type of walking when your dog first gets up. This goes on for the first several steps and then the walk begins to get more normal. Sometimes you can pick up the laxity on the joint as you stretch and move it.

Certain homeopathic remedies are excellent for this problem. One of them is Ruta grav 6x or 30x. This is a remedy that is specific for ligament injuries and it is also specific for the knee joint. With an acute injury, give Ruta together with the remedy Arnica, dosing it several times a day. If there is stiffness after a walk or exercise you can also give the remedy Bryonia. If there is much stiffness after resting when first getting up you can give the remedy Rhus tox. But always give the remedy Ruta grav. The remedy Gelsemium is also a handy remedy to give with knee problems. The potency choice would be 6c, 6c, 30x or 30c given several times a day.

For many years I used acupuncture and chiropracit routinely for ACL problems. Today my treatment of choice for resistive cases would be prolotherapy. I became certified in a course that was given by Dr. De Haan

The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Dog Fancy.

Fortunately, many veterinarians are now learning how to do a procedure called Prolotherapy. Webster’s New Collegiate dictionary defines Prolotherapy as: “the rehabilitations of an incompetent structure, such as ligaments or tendons, by the induced proliferation of new cells”. Injections of a specific mixture are made into the ligaments around the joint and if needed into the joint itself. This stimulates the ligaments to regenerate and also stimulates new cartilage growth in joints. In the hands of a holistic minded veterinarian, this therapy is key to stimulating the growth and repair of collagen, ligaments and connective tissue.

One such veterinarian is Dr. Roger De Haan, DVM, who has pioneered Prolotherapy within the veterinary field. Dr. De Haan says, “I call Prolotherapy my ‘silver bullet’ therapy for ligament degeneration. In the past 20 years, I have treated hundreds of hips, backs, and joints, including ACL degeneration with approximately a 90% success rate. It is gratifying to see an agility dog, or any dog for that matter, move from discomfort and pain and return to normality. Recently, I treated Andy who had been lying around for weeks with no energy. One treatment and Andy was a totally different dog, now excited and running 3 miles daily.

To balance this picture, last year I treated Sarge, who had ligament degeneration in both knee joints, both hips, the lumbar area of his spine and the left front elbow. Drugs were not working any more. The primary vet had given up and told them to contact me. After the sixth treatment, Sarge was a normal, active, happy dog. One year later, Sarge is still one happy camper, not to mention his loving family, the Hovan’s.”

Prolotherapy is a few decades old but few healing traditions are as old as acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, both are a part of a remarkably sophisticated and accurate science of healing developed in ancient China. The principles of Chinese medicine, for instance, published in the period of 400-200 B.C., included a discussion of how the heart controlled blood flow through the body; something only accepted by Western medicine when William Harvey made the same “discovery” 2,000 years later.

Dr. Xie is the founder and President of the Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine. Veterinarians come to the Chi Institute from all over the world to become certified acupuncturist and to learn traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Dr. Xie is a third generation practitioner, and is now an Associate Professor in the Alternative Medicine Department at the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine. As President of Jing Tang Herbal, Dr. Xie has developed many herbal formulas including one named Body Sore which is excellent for canine athletes. Body Sore can be ordered by your veterinarian and you can use it both preventively and if your dog is in pain. Ligament Repair is another formula that is excellent for ligament injuries. Dr. Xie states, “I believe that the complementary and alternative Veterinary Medicine including herbs and acupuncture play a very important role in treating clinical conditions related to sport injuries, and even more importantly preventing the injuries.”

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Russins worked to influence cellular metabolism through radio and light frequencies and thus repair genetic defects.   They proved that chromosomes damaged by x-rays could be repaired in this way by applying vibration and language.  Esoteric teachings talk about creating  changes through language, words and  thought and programming health into the body by thought. This now has been proven and explained.  Of course, the frequency has to be correct.   For ages, spiritually enlightened beings with a highly developed consciousness have known, in one way or another, that this can indeed be accomplished.  It’s all a matter of communication.  More about this in the next entry.

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DNA builds protein in the body but only 10% of it is used for this purpose.  So what about the other 90%.  This supposedly unused DNA is what is being examined by Russian Scientists because they were convinced it was not, as most thought useless ‘junk DNA’.  They were right.  They joined linguists and geneticists in a venture to explore the area.  Their findings were revolutionary.  This supposed ‘junk DNA’  serves as data storage and in communication.  In fact, DNA reacts to language.   Human language is just a reflection of the arrangement of the DNA.   it is entirely normal for DNA to react to language and words.   So many of our medical problems are caused by damaged DNA in cells.  Next, we’ll talk about repairing DNA to restore health.

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According to Russian scientists, DNA is not only responsible for the construction of our bodies and our dogs and cats’ bodies but also serves as data storage and in communication. As I said before, it’s a biological internet.   The alkalines in DNA follow the rules of regular grammar and syntax (the way in which words are put together to form  a sentence).  It makes this look like human language developed on the same rules  DNA follows.  Hmm… do you think dog bark and cat meows also follows the same patterning.    Dogs and cats communicate by sending pictures and emotions, sort of like a movie out to others and when we look at what the Russian scientists are finding .. well.. it makes perfect sense.  It seems they might be using their internet DNA in a much more sophisticated manner than we are able to.

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Did you know that DNA can be reprogrammed by frequencies and words and sounds?  Our DNA gets damaged by radiation, cell towers, cell phones and carcinogens among other things. Our DNA is a biological internet, interfacing between our cells and the environment.  I like to think of it as a responsive and sensitive musical  instrument.  We can use frequencies to repair the damage.   It’s almost like the special bed they put people in on Star Trek and the Doc pushed a few frequencies and voila.. a healthy person.   This is the greatest subject and there is so much to say about it.  More in the next blog.

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