January/February 2011 - Dogs Naturally Magazine

NUTRITION • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE • TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR • AND MORE
Volume 2 • Issue 1 • January/February 2011
Dogs-Naturally
NOSODES
can they replace vaccination?
GEMMOTHERAPY
ALGAE
for dogs without boundaries
fixes for COUNTER SURFING
FLUORIDE
DANGERS
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 1

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-Dogs-Naturally---------
Contents
for dogs without boundaries
Volume 2 Issue 1
FEATURES COVER
12 THE SLIPPERY SUBJECT OF OILS
FOR DOGS
Should you feed fish or plant-based
oils for your dogs and should you
worry about the environmental cost?
by: Deb Percival
20 MICROCHIPS:
ARE PET OWNERS BEING
MISLED?
Microchips have become a very hot
topic. Learn why this practice is
creating so much controversy.
24 OFFICERS SHOOTING DOGS
More than three dogs are harmed by
police officers each and every day.
Find out what is causing this alarming
trend and what you can to to help.
by: Pat Miller
28 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR DOG
HAS A VACCINE REACTION
How to detect if your dog is suffering
from vaccine-related health issues
and what to do.
by: Jan Rasmusen
30 VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURE
Learn about the many different forms
of this ancient Chinese modality and
which health disorders it can be used
for.
by: Julie Mayer DVM
34 HOMEOPATHY IN THE AGING
DOG
Solutions for dealing with disorders
common in older dogs.
by: Christopher Day DVM
38 TOXIC PESTICIDES:
REVERSING THE DAMAGE
If your dog has been exposed to
flea, tick or heartworm medications,
there are supplements and foods that
can limit the damage.
by: Deva Khalsa DVM
40 YOUR DOG IS A POLITICAL
ISSUE
Expenditure on pharmaceutical
products increases exponentially
every day. How are pharmaceutical
companies targeting your dog?
by: Catherine O’Driscoll
COLUMNS
4 EDITOR’S MESSAGE
5 CONTRIBUTORS
6 TEN MINUTE TRAINER
Tug of War Rules
8 SHOW & TELL
Mary Langevin
Cat’s Cradle Catahoulas
11 THE APOTHECARY
Causticum
23 SECRET GARDEN
Hawthorn
32 LIVING AND TRAINING
WITH MICAH
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14
18
26
36
42
NOSODES:
CAN THEY REPLACE VACCINES?
Explore the history and efficacy
of these specialized homeopathic
remedies.
by: Gerald Wessner DVM and Ellen
Kohn
GEMMOTHERAPY
How plant shoot extracts can detoxify
and protect your dog.
by: Stephen Blake DVM
ALGAE: FOOD FOR LIFE
How this super-food can reduce the
need for costly supplements and
boost your dog’s health.
by: Beth Lowell
WHAT’S IN YOUR PET’S WATER?
The hidden dangers of fluoride and
what you can do to make your dog’s
water safe.
by: Joanne Suresh
FIXES FOR COUNTER SURFING
This article explores solutions to help
you protect your counters and garbages
from four-footed thieves.
by: Chris Puls
COVER DOGS
Leonbergers Cassie and Lincoln (foreground)
owned and rescued
by Vic Neumann
Photo by Vic Neumann

-Dogs-Naturally-- editor’s message
Intuition Publishing
Editor In Chief: Dana Scott
Advertising: Julia Henriques
Ellen Kohn
Joanne Suresh
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MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of each issue of Dogs Naturally is to
document the various concepts of and approaches
to holistic dog care. Dogs Naturally seeks to
support pet owners, breeders, trainers, groomers,
vets and health care providers through education
and open communication.
The goal of our editorials is to present varying
viewpoints on natural care.
SUBSCRIPTION
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We are now well into 2011. Have you made a New Year’s resolution?
Mine is to introduce somebody to holistic care each and every month. It is a rewarding
challenge because I know that once friends and acquaintences make the switch, they will
not turn back. I may not get any thanks and they may tell their friends that it was their idea
but that’s fine: I don’t do it for myself, I do it for the dogs.
Dogs Naturally magazine is also something we do for the dogs. Our goal is to not only
keep holistically minded pet owners up-to-date with new information, but to bring new
people into our fold. Our editorial will reflect this with pieces that speak to all walks of life.
Whether our readers feed prey model or kibble, whether they vaccinate or not, whatever
their choices are, they are welcome and we think they all will find something of interest.
The articles this month are a wonderful assortment and we are most honored to welcome
some new contributors who have so much to share with us! Please help us to welcome Dr.
Stephen Blake DVM, Dr. Christopher Day DVM, Dr. Julie Mayer DVM, Dr. Gerald Wessner
DVM, and Dr. Deva Khalsa DVM. We are honored that they have agreed to be a part of
Dogs Naturally and we can’t wait to see their future contributions.
The magazine also has a marketing team in place. Our goal for 2011 is to get the magazine
into print. We are working hard to make that a reality starting this spring but, to do so, we
need your help. Please help to bring holistic care into mainstream media by supporting us
with subscriptions and advertising. Your word of mouth advertising will also be of great
benefit to us and will help to portray holistic medicine as a credible practice. It is not ‘alternative’
or ‘complimentary’ medicine, it works just fine all by itself, thank you, and that is
what Dogs Naturally is working hard to prove!
Holistic living is a journey, not a destination and we are all at different points in our travels.
Our paths may or may not diverge, but variety is what makes the world go ‘round. This year,
make a resolution to welcome as many people into our fold as possible, and do so kindly and
respectfully because we all started somewhere and we are all trying our best. The following
quote from Maya Angelou summarizes our journey so well:
“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
I hope 2011 is a happy, healthy and prosperous year for all our readers.
Dana
4 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

DR. JULIE MAYER has been practicing veterinary
medicine since 1991. She has dedicated
most of her career to holistic medicine
and rehabilitation. Dr Mayer was named one
of “Chicago’s Best Vets” by Chicago Magazine
and most recently received the 2010
Iams Eukanuba AARV Award for excellence
in the field of Veterinary Rehabilitation. Julie
now practices in Arizona.
VIC NEUMANN is a retired educator who
knows that you have to love what you photograph
- and the rest takes care of itself. He
and his wife, Joan, are owned by two rescued
Leonbergers, Lincoln and Cassie.
Vic has self - published two volumes of dog
photography to raise funds for Leonberger
rescue organizations. His books, “DAWGS”
can be previewed on blurb.com or you can
contact Vic directly at vicneumann@comcast.net
DR. STEPHEN BLAKE has practiced small
medicine for the past 36 years in San Diego,
California. The past 30 years he has specialized
in alternative veterinary medicine,
utilizing Classical Homeopathy, nutrition,
glandular therapy, massage, Aromatherapy,
Acupuncture, Gemmotherapy, Oligotherapy
and Bach Flowers.
DR. DEVA KHALSA began her holistically
oriented veterinary practice over 25 years
ago, incorporating homeopathy, acupuncture,
Chinese Herbs, nutritional advice,
allergy-elimination techniques into her approach.
Dr. Khalsa loves sharing her knowledge
with the public.
Dr. Khalsa is a Fellow and Professor of the
British Institute of Homeopathy. She has lectured
both nationally and internationally.
contributors
DR. GERALD WESSNER operates an exclusive
homeopathic practice in Summerfield,
FL. Dr. Wessner has been very successful
treating such diseases as Herpes, Lyme
Disease and Syndrome, Parvo, Distemper,
Strangles, Heartworm Infestation, Vaccinosis,
Pancreatitis and a host of other diseases.
CATHERINE O’DRISCOLL is the founder
of Canine Health Concern, a non-profit organisation
that seeks to help dog owners
raise healthy, happy, vibrant dogs. She has
brought the truth about pet vaccines to light,
and promotes natural canine healthcare.
Her books “Shock To The System” and “What
Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines” have
opened the eyes of thousands of pet owners
world-wide.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 5

Ten Minute Trainer
Tug of War Rules
One thing all dog owners understand is that nearly every problem
behavior stems from a lack of self control. Show me a dog that pulls
on leash, jumps up on guests or doesn’t come when called, and I will
show you a dog who needs to learn more about self control and making
right choices. These are not bad dogs, they are just dogs who have
not been shown that they can make good decisions, even when in an
excited state.
Playing tug of war can not only be great fun for you and your dog,
but it is a great way to teach your dog that he can offer self control in
an excited state. It is a terrific way to exercise your dog, even in small
spaces, and can function as a very high value training reward.
Many trainers warn that playing tug with your dog can make him
aggressive, dominant or pushy. That is only partly true. If you allow
the dog to make the rules, then some dogs may become snappy and
out of control when playing this game. If you attach rules to the tug
game however, you now have a powerful game for teaching your dog
how to control himself and his teeth. Tug of War can be a cooperative
effort where you teach your dog that if he wants the fun game to
continue, he must be on his best behavior. So without further ado,
here are the Tug of War rules:
1. Use one or two dedicated tug toys so your dog understands that
when that toy appears, there are rules attached to it. Don’t leave
the toy unattended, rather bring it out for those special Tug occasions.
2. Make sure that it is you who begins the game, not the dog. This
means you must choose a word or phrase such as “Get It” that
will indicated to your dog that the game is now on. If he tries to
take the toy before you initiate play, the penalty should be immediate
stoppage in action.
3. Before starting to play tug with your dog, teach him the “Out”
command. To do this, show him a toy and say “Out” as he releases
the toy to eat the treat. After many repetitions, try telling him
“Out” before you present the treat so that he will learn to release
the toy without a bribe. Once he is releasing the first time, every
time when asked, then you will no longer need a treat - his reward
can be resumption of the game (only after you invite him).
4. Once your dog understands the “Out” command, try to incorporate
it into your Tug games. If he does not Out as soon as you
ask him, then freeze. This will stop the game by removing all of
the fun out of the tugging and he will quickly learn that breaking
the “Out” rule results in a stoppage in play - just like a penalty
in hockey!
5. If your dog runs away with the toy, don’t chase him. Simply ignore
him or direct him to another activity and remove the toy as
soon as he drops it.
6. Take frequent breaks for obedience training. As a reward for a
sit, down or trick, you can resume the Tug game.
7. If the dog becomes too revved up, end the game immediately.
The idea is to give him some fun and exercise, not whip him up
into a frenzy. He may growl and get into the spirit of the game,
but you must always feel like you are both in control.
8. Your dog must show respect for your person at all times. If his
teeth touch any part of your body, even accidentally, end the
game immediately and ignore the dog for a minute or so.
9. Children or adults who are unable to enforce these rules should
not play tug with the dog. Dogs and children should always be
supervised.
There are few games that will be as effective in teaching your dog to
control his mouth and control his manners like Tug of War.
6 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 7

show & tell
Mary Langevin
Cat’s Cradle Catahoulas
Q Tell us about your first dog
A My first dog was a toy poodle named Tina
that my parents surprised me with when
I was 11. I still remember that night very
well - a long drive in the pouring rain and
I had no idea where we were going. I had 4
older brothers and sister and my parents had
already gone through the list of every possible
pet available to children except for a
dog. They really didn’t want a dog now that
the other kids were grown and the house was
quieter, but I had begged and begged them
for years to have a dog of my own so they
finally relented with a small non-shedding
breed. Owning a dog was everything I knew
that it would be! Tina and I spent all our time
together, she slept with me, came to friends
homes with me and I was always out walking
her. I left home when I was 20 and Tina
stayed with my parents. When I would go
home for a visit the first thing I would hear
was her barking on the other side of the door
to welcome me. She died when she was 13,
quietly in her bed, I always missed her welcoming
bark at the door when I would visit.
Q How did you get involved in your breed
and in breeding
A When I met my future husband and we
started a family we had a few dogs that we
got from shelters. My husband never seemed
to bond very well with them, but would always
talk about the dog he had on the farm
when he was single - a Catahoula Leopard
Dog named Cal. One day I happened to
be looking through the Dogs Annual and
came across the picture of a bobtail Catahoula
- “This is it!” I thought, my husband
needed another Catahoula. We visited the
breeder who was listed in the magazine and
she happened to have a 9 month old bobtail
male named Jagger. Jagger and my husband
bonded within moments of meeting each
other and he ended up coming home with us
that night. I fell in love with the breed then
and it wasn’t long before we got an older female
and started breeding. The bobtail trait
in the Catahoula breed is fairly rare and was
seen more in the beginning years of the development
of the breed during the 1940’s and
50’s. It’s a dominant trait but very few breeders
are breeding for it anymore, so since that
day of meeting Jagger 15 years ago, we have
specifically bred for the natural bobtail in our
breeding program.
Q Tell us more about Catahoulas – do they
make good pets – what is their job?
Catahoulas make wonderful family dogs, especially
with children, but are definitely not
a breed for everyone. They do not have the
happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care temperament
of some breeds. In order to best understand
them it’s first important to know what
they are bred for. Catahoulas are a “cur” dog,
they were developed in remote and rural
parts of the southern United States during
the first half of the 1900’s as a multi-purpose
dog: hunter, treeing dog, family guardian and
stock dog. As a working and hunting breed
they possess a strong spirit and stamina and
are a courageous hunter that can stand their
ground against formidable prey. Because of
these attributes they are by nature a confident
and assertive dog which some owners
can find difficult to live with at times. People
who enjoy a dog that can think for itself;
a dog that will protect and watch over their
home and family; a dog that will make them
Kings Ridge’s Jagger
laugh, either by its antics or quick thinking
and a dog that will help them find adventure
wherever they look, would enjoy the companionship
of a Catahoula.
Q Tell us about your journey into natural
rearing.
A Jagger was the dog that taught me about
natural rearing. He was diagnosed with severe
arthritis in his spine at only 7 years old
and was prescribed Metacam by my conventional
vet. I knew that Metacam given over a
prolonged period of time was not good for a
dog, but had no idea just how bad it was until
I got home from the vets and started looking
up information on the internet. This is a list
of only a few of the side-effects of Metacam:
heart problems, severe stomach pain, black
stools from internal bleeding, severe liver
dysfunction, severe kidney damage or renal
failure, seizures, decreased activity and sudden
death. This was just not acceptable! Jagger
was not going to make it to even 10 years
old if he had to take this stuff for the rest of
his life! That’s when we had our first visit to
a holistic vet and what a different experience
that was. Dr. Cynthia spent 3 hours with us,
she asked for a write-up of Jagger’s life, wanted
to know everything about him, about our
family and about the other dogs that he lived
with. She spent time just watching him, laid
on the floor with him, smelled him all over
his body. By the time we were done I felt that
she knew absolutely everything about him.
8 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Dr. Cynthia gave me 9 little “white pills” to
take home with us - a homeopathic remedy.
Jagger was to take 3 pellets once a day for 3
days and then we were to wait - wait for his
body to respond and care for itself. Within
2 weeks Jagger was pain free with no need
for any type of pain killer and he remained
this way for over two years, when we needed
to do the protocol again. His diet was also
changed from kibble to a prey model raw
meat and bone diet and we stopped the use
of all vaccines. No topical flea treatments and
no more heartworm medications. Every dog
in the house was put on this new way of living
- the way that nature intended for them
- and everyone flourished. Any new dogs
that we’ve gotten over the years are all raised
vaccine-free and chemical free.
Q When did you start rearing your litters
naturally?
A After changing the way we raise our own
dogs it was a natural progression to want the
healthiest lives for our litters of pups. I had
already seen the effects of modern rearing on
some of the older dogs that came from our
litters. One dog who started having seizures
at 6 years old after his rabies vaccine and one
dog that died of renal failure at 7 years old.
I wanted long, vibrant and healthy lives for
all our pups! That of course meant weaning
them onto a raw diet, not worming them and
sending them to their new homes vaccinefree.
I was afraid at first that I would not be
able to find enough homes that would be
willing to raise their pup naturally but I was
pleasantly surprised by how much people really
wanted to learn and were open to giving
their pup the best start in life. I have to admit
that it was a bit scary the first time I sent
pups off to their new homes vaccine-free. If
I had vaccinated them and they became sick
because of that - well then it wasn’t “my fault”,
I was only doing what I was suppose to do -
the “responsible” thing - but if I sent them
to their new homes unvaccinated and they
got sick, then it would be looked upon as my
fault. I think this is the reason that vets will
so often take the easy way out. Just give the
vaccine or the medicine, no matter what the
side-effects may be because then they are doing
things by-the-book and will not be found
at “fault”. Of course I don’t worry about my
pups going off now with no vaccines; they are
protected by nature and by their own strong
immune systems that have not been compromised
by the use of any foreign substances.
Q What are your thoughts on genetic health
issues?
A My thoughts on what is a genetic condition
have changed greatly since I started natural
rearing. So often a breeder and their breeding
program is “blamed” for so many health
issues that effect our dogs today, mainly because
no one wants to look any deeper into
the real problem. It’s easier to just point a finger
at someone’s breeding program and leave
it on their plate to fix. I see now that many
of those health issues are simply a matter of
how your dog is raised - what they are fed
and what chemicals are put on and into them
Cats Cradle’s Annie at 11 years old
that effect so much of their health. Renal/
kidney failure has become an epidemic in
the dog population with so many dogs dying
or effected at a young age and yet the main
reason dogs have renal problems is because
of the junk that is in their kibble foods and
the chemicals that are in their vaccines and
what’s put into their bodies on a yearly basis.
Hip dysplasia is another condition that
I look at differently now. I used to see it as
most other people do - an inherited polygenic
disease - but now I see that it’s the way we
raise our pups - what kind of nutrition and
exercise your pup gets as it grows. Marc Torel
and Klaus Dieter Kammerer of Germany
published a book in 1997 titled “The Thirty
Years’ War 1966-1996” regarding the role nutrition
plays in developing HD. Unfortunate-
Stop * Drop * Flop
Bowsers Beds
Available at:
www.askmuddy.com
Ask Muddy: The Dog Who Knows What’s Best For Him
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 9

ly it has not been translated into English yet,
but a summary of the book can be read here
- The Error of the Millennium in Veterinary
Medicine, it’s a very interesting read.
Q What advice would you give breeders who
are just starting with natural rearing?
A Trust in nature!! Natural rearing is not
some new fad - it’s as old as time itself. It’s
only been the past 70 years or so that we’ve
started to raise our dogs the “modern way”
and we can all see where that’s gotten us - so
many more diseases, auto-immune issues,
allergies and cancers in our dogs today. We
seem to accept these things as the norm now,
but they are not! We need to go back to a
more natural way. Every living being’s immune
system has been designed by nature
to be able to care for itself, we need to believe
in that and help it along when need be
through natural means. It’s also wonderful to
have a support group of link-minded people.
There are many groups on the internet who
deal with raw feeding, no vaccines and natural
rearing and I would really suggest joining
these groups. It’s also important to have the
support of a homeopathic or holistic vet. I
always know that no matter what comes up
that Dr. Cynthia will have the answers. She
was a great support when I reared my first
litter of pups naturally.
Q Has your faith in NR breeding ever been
shaken?
A No never! Once I started along this path
it just all made so much sense. I have never
questioned thats it’s the right way to raise our
dogs and pups. I gives me a wonderful feeling
to look at one of my dogs and know that they
are as pure as nature can allow.
Q Do you remember one defining moment
in your journey into natural rearing?
A I do remember when I joined a mailing
group called “Just Say No To Vaccines”. I always
knew that yearly vaccines were dangerous
(even my children did not get the shots
they were suppose to because I always had
a bad felling about it) and I wanted to learn
how to raise my dogs and pups with minimal
vaccines and then realized that the people
on this list were not vaccinating their dogs
or puppies at all! I was horrified!! How could
people send their pups out into the big bad
world of viruses and germs without them
being protected!? But if these people could
do it and have healthy dogs then there must
be more to it. That’s when I really started to
investigate more on vaccines. I read every
book that I could find, I visited hundreds of
websites and joined many groups. I learned
how the body’s immune system really works
and what happens to it when a virus is given
through a vaccine. I met some of the most
amazing people who were willing to give
their time and energy to answer my questions
and help me learn. It didn’t take long
- maybe only a couple of weeks - before I was
totally against the use of any vaccines. I know
that it takes some people longer to get used to
a new idea and way of thinking but all of this
just made so much sense to me that there was
never a question.
Q Is there anything else you would like to
share?
A Just think about what the average dog
goes through during its first two years of life
- wormed at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age; vaccines
approximately 3 times before the age of
16 weeks, often times including up to 7 different
live modified viruses; rabies vaccine at
16 weeks old; topical flea treatments monthly
during the warmer weather; second rabies
vaccine at 1 year old; 5 or 7-way booster vaccines
at 1 & 2 years old; heartworm meds
monthly during the warmer season. All of
these things contain dangerous chemicals
and are a huge assault on your dog’s body.
It’s a constant barrage on your dog’s immune
system - month after month and year after
year. And what is the result of all this “protection”
that we feel must be given to our dogs?
Dogs are not meant to suffer from chronic
skin and ear infections at two years old; endure
seizures at four years old; die of renal
failure at seven years old; or to be considered
“old” at eight years; nor consumed by cancers
at the age of nine. They are meant to be vibrant,
healthy and full of energy and life well
into their teens. You can achieve this long life
for your dog. When we give our dogs’ bodies
the opportunity to care for themselves
through natural rearing your dog will reap
the rewards – a long and healthy life. DNM
Mary with Cats Cradle’s Turtle Dove
10 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

the
Apothecary
Causticum
A potassium compound which is unique
to homeopathy, causticum is derived
from lime and potassium sulphate.
Causticum is often used in elderly dogs.
It is used mainly for chronic rheumatic
and arthritic conditions and paralysis,
mainly of the bladder and larynx. There
is chronic and increasing weakness in
the vocal cords, bladder, facial muscles
and extremities. There is also gradual
emaciation.
There may be deformity of the joints
and loss of muscular strength. The dog
may be restless at night and have faintlike
loss of strength during the day. The
weakness progresses into near-paralysis.
There may be cracking and stiffness,
most notably in the stifles, and the dog
will walk unsteadily and fall rather easily.
The dog requiring causticum will be
chilly and quite drowsy. There may be
cataracts present and inflammation or
ulceration of the eyelids. There may also
be an accumulation of ear wax and loss
of hearing. Warts and a scaly nose may
also be evident.
Dogs requiring causticum will have a
hoarse, raspy bark and possibly a cough.
He may have difficulty lying down at
night and the cough may disturb his
sleep. Warts may also be present.
Causticum has a strong indication in
older, weak dogs with urinary incontinence.
They may wet their beds and uri-
nate involuntarily, especially with sneezing
or coughing.
There are a few key modalities for Causticum.
Dogs will be worse with cold air,
especially cold, dry winds. Cold, clear
days will exacerbate symptoms. Dogs requiring
Causticum will also worsen with
the air movements just from motion.
Symptoms will be better with heat and
dogs will often seek the comfort of their
bed, especially if it is in a warm location.
Damp heat is preferred and the dog will
do best on warm, damp or muggy days.
It is important to note that there may
be reactions if Causticum is given before
or after Phosphorus.
Carboneum Oxygenisatum is a complimentary
remedy. Similar remedies
Enlightened Animals
Energy Healing and Spirit-Spirit Communication
for People and Their Pets
Give your dog the gift of love
with Reiki, Healing Touch,
Meridian and more
Ellen Kohn
www.enlightenedanimals.com
(303) 670-1023
that you might want to explore include
Arsenicum Album, Rhus Tox and Phosphorus.
DNM
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 11

THE SLIPPERY SUBJECT OF OILS FOR DOGS
What You Need to Know
About Oils for Dogs
(and Yourself!)
by Deb Percival
Fish oil supplements are the new black –
for people and their pets. My family doctor
recommends them. My veterinarian recommends
them. My osteopath suggests I take
them by the fistful.
Numerous studies indicate that omega 3s
might stave off a variety of diseases in people
and pets. The evidence that omega 3s
improve cardiovascular health is especially
strong. While some other omega-3 benefits
are less universally studied and results are
more anecdotal, there is evidence that they
help everything from brain function to cancer
suppression, and more. The most easily
assimilated omega-3s – EPA and DHA –
come from oily, wild-caught, cold-water fish.
The bazillion dollar question: Is that a good
thing?
DEAD OCEANS
In 2003, before fish oil had ‘arrived’, the Pew
Oceans Commission warned that the world’s
oceans were in a state of “silent collapse,”
threatening our food supply (not to mention
the lives of everything that lives in the
sea). Today the world’s fishing fleets are two
to three times larger than what the oceans
can sustain. Scientists predict that seafood
stocks will totally collapse by 2048. At that
point the oceans will be basically dead, consisting
of algae and jelly fish. The thought is
unbearable, but even if you don’t care about
the oceans, know this - at least 70 percent of
our oxygen is generated by ocean life. It’s estimate
that our behavior over the next nine or
so years will determine the fate of the oceans.
At this chillingly pivotal time, people are rethinking
their consumption of fish – in all
forms.
This article explores two fish-oil alternatives
– coconut oil and organic butter from grassfed
cows.
COCONUT OIL
The health benefits of adding coconut oil to
your dog’s diet are many. Plus, coconut farms
have been identified as a way to mitigate climate
change.
While fish oil is a long-chain fatty acid, coconut
oil is a medium-chain triglyceride; also
called a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA). It
got a bad rap for a while because it’s high in
saturated fats, so there was a misconception
that it was unhealthy for the heart. Today,
it’s considered to be a heart-healthy oil. It is
important to use organic, expeller-pressed,
virgin coconut oil.
COCONUT OIL BENEFITS FOR PEO-
PLE AND DOGS
Coconut oil is an omega 9 fatty acid. The
lauric acid in coconut oil helps prevent heart
problems like high cholesterol, reduces high
blood pressure, and prevents atherosclerosis.
In addition, coconut oil boosts the immune
system, promotes normal thyroid function,
improves nutrient absorption, aids in weight
loss, relieves arthritis, provides relief from
kidney problems, and helps reduce allergy
symptoms. It helps with diabetes by improving
the secretion and production of insulin,
and helps the body use blood glucose more
efficiently. It aids in stress relief, improves
skin and coat, and helps control body and
breathe odor. It is used in the Indian healing
system known as Ayurveda.
Coconut oil also can be used topically. Because
of its antibacterial powers it is used to
disinfect and heal wounds. It’s been reported
to clear up warts, precancerous lesions, ringworm,
bites and stings. I read a report of a
dog owner whose dog had a bump on his
nose for several weeks. The vet wasn’t concerned
about it, so it went untreated until the
owner read about coconut oil, put a dab on
the bump once a day, and in three days it was
gone. I’ve also heard that it’s great for helping
dry up hot spots.
My dogs are crazy about it, and start levitating
as soon as I get the container out. (I put
in their food two days a week.) It smells great,
and if I get it on my hands I rub it in. I’ve read
it’s good for dry, cracked paws, but when I
tried that trick it was hard to get it past their
tongues. It might be a two-person endeavor –
possibly worthy of a YouTube video.
DOSING
Begin slowly. Add it to their food (or feed it
to them off the spoon) and gradually work up
to about 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body
weight per day.
Coconut oil is a detoxifying agent, killing
viruses and harmful bacteria. If your dog
seems tired or uncomfortable, or has diarrhea
when you start using it, reduce the
amount until the symptoms stop, and then
increase it gradually.
ORGANIC PASTURE BUTTER
Here’s another interesting source of omega 3
– raw, organic pasture butter from grass-fed
cows – a supplement recommended by Dr.
Michael Fox, a veterinarian with doctoral degrees
in medicine and animal behavior, and
author of many books on animal care.
This butter reportedly contains 110 mg of
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), 120 mg of
omega-3, and 219 mg of omega 6 essential
fatty acids per 14 gram serving. The greater
12 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

the percentage of a cow’s diet that comes
from grass, the greater the amount of unsaturated
fatty acids, the lower the amount of
saturated fatty acids, and the more optimal
the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
Butter made from the milk of pastured cows
has also has higher levels of true Vitamin A,
Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and Vitamin
K2.
Organic pasture butter from grass-fed cows
has appreciable amounts of short-and medium-chain
fatty acids, which support immune
function, boost metabolism and have
anti-microbial properties.
Choosing organic minimizes the risk of exposure
to antibiotics or synthetic hormones
and pesticides. Butter is rich in important
trace minerals, including manganese, chromium,
zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful
antioxidant) and also is an excellent
source of iodine.
Iodine and Vitamin A are essential for proper
thyroid gland function. The glycosphingolipids
in butterfat aid in digestion. CLA
has strong anti-cancer properties, and helps
build muscle rather than store fat. CLA
disappears when cows are fed even small
amounts of grain and processed food.
The Wulzen factor, or “anti stiffness” factor,
is a compound that’s present in raw animal
fat. Researcher Rosalind Wulzen discovered
that this substance protects humans and animals
from degenerative arthritis, hardening
of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of
the pineal gland. Pasteurization destroys the
Wulzen factor – it is only present in raw butter,
cream and whole milk.
FISH OIL
If you are going to buy fish oil, give it to your
dogs. It’s a waste for those of us who eat meat
or fried foods, drink coffee or alcohol, or
have stress in our lives. We can convert ALAs
to DHAs and EPAs – inefficiently – but we
can convert. A dog’s ability to convert plantbased
omega-3s is very limited.
I would suggest that you rotate your oils and
not use fish oil on a daily basis, especially not
in a prophylactic fashion. It’s likely to come
to a decision of whether you love your dogs
or your grand dogs more. Small-fish populations
are collapsing: Most fish oil is made
from small “prey” fish. The reason prey fish
and sometimes squid are targeted is they’re
low on the food chain and have short life
spans, so the accumulation of pollutants is
less than it would be in larger, longer-lived
fish.
There are grim problems with using prey fish.
For one thing, there aren’t enough of them
for us and for their natural predators, which
rely on them for food. Their populations are
crashing. Current consumption is wiping out
prey fish, which also leads to starvation and
extinction for tuna, salmon, dolphins, seals,
penguins, birds, and whales. Many of these
species are already under serious stress from
over fishing and other sustainability issues.
Without adequate food they can’t recover.
Our collective appetite for fish also complicates
things. The oceans can’t provide the fish
we want without the help of aquaculture, or
farmed fish. Farmed fish are fed prey fish.
Lots of prey fish. It takes approximately 20
pounds of small fish to create 1 pound of fish
for your dinner. That industry is frantically
looking for alternative food sources.
A recent report from the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) concluded that
80% of all marine fish stocks are currently
fully exploited, overexploited, depleted, or
recovering from depletion; including stocks
of the seven most important prey fisheries.
The reading I’ve done on “sustainable fish”
leads me to believe that there is no longer
any such thing. If we don’t stop eating fish
now, there will be no more fish, perhaps in
our lifetimes.
Toxins: All fish are contaminated with toxins.
True, the lower on the food chain the
fewer toxins, but they are still there, and they
can still build up in your dog’s body, or yours.
In addition, fish oil is processed – it’s not a
whole food. Parts of the fish (guts, heads,
fins, skin, or, in some cases the whole fish)
are processed using high temperatures and
harsh solvents, such as hexane and ethanol.
Rancidity: The oil becomes rancid if exposed
to light, heat, or air. Rancid oil is pro-inflammatory
– just the opposite of what you want.
Quality varies: consumerlab.com recently
selected 24 products for review; 17 passed
quality tests (they met requirements for
freshness and purity, and contained the
claimed amount of omega-3 fatty acids), and
roughly 30% failed the tests.
The amounts and ratios of EPA and DHA
vary significantly from product to product.
Only about a third of the oil from fish is EPA
and DHA. Some companies offer a concentrated
product. Some companies use semisynthetic
(ester) forms of EPA and DHA,
which may or may not be as active as the
natural triacylglycerol forms.
Hard to absorb: Omega 3s and 6s must exist
in certain proportions. A diet high in omega
6s (from processed food, fried food, caffeine,
alcohol, etc.) blocks absorption of omega-3s.
Stress is also a complicating factor. What a
waste! So if you’re deciding whether you
should take it or give it to your dog, perhaps
your dog is the better choice!
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Fish oil does have a mild blood-thinning effect,
so if your dog is on any blood-thinning
drugs, be sure to consult your veterinarian
before administering any supplements.
Too much suppresses the immune system. In
people, three grams is generally considered
too much.
ROTATE OILS
I’ve decided to rotate oils for my family and
my dogs. That rotation will include coconut
oil, small amounts of organic butter from
grass-fed cows, extra virgin olive oil, and a
ground flax and cottage cheese mixture (my
dogs are great with flax, but be aware that it
can sometimes be an allergen). I may mix in
a wild salmon oil on occasion. I’m hoping
this will be a good solution for us all, for fish,
and for future generations. DNM
Deb Percival was fortunate to spend her childhood
camping, hiking, backpacking, canoeing,
fishing, vacationing at national parks with
her family and their dog, and writing about
her experiences. As an adult she coauthored
two books (Strengthening America’s Competitiveness,
and Street Smart Franchising), and
owned and managed a large public relations
firm. The latter eventually kept her from actually
writing anything, so she sold it to return
to her roots. Today she writes about animals,
sustainability, eco-travel, and wellness for a
number of magazines and websites. She and
her husband share their house with two angels
– one disguised as the magical rescue lab, and
the other disguised as the wonderful snuggly
lab.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 13

Nosodes have been used in homeopathic
medicine since the mid 1800s. Nosodes are
relatively unknown in veterinary practice
and very controversial in holistic veterinary
practice. Many benefits have been noted,
including a decrease in the severity and frequency
of disease. Although nosodes are still
controversial as a replacement for traditional
vaccinations, evidence of their safety and efficacy
is growing.
What are Nosodes?
Nosodes are specialized homeopathic remedies
that are prepared by taking actual
diseased matter from a sick animal such
as diseased tissue or nasal discharge. The
preparation of a nosode involves a lengthy
process of succussion and dilution of the
original material using traditional homeopathic
protocols until virtually no molecules
of the crude substance remain, rendering the
nosode safe for use. This process, called potentization,
inactivates the original disease
substance and converts the material into a
bioenergetic remedy which interacts with
the body’s energy field. The final product is a
potent remedy that is an energetic blueprint
of the actual disease.
Nosodes are completely safe, easy to administer,
and can be given to puppies much earlier
than vaccines. Pregnant females can be
treated with nosodes prior to giving birth,
providing immunity to their litters before
they are born.
The difference between a nosode and a conventional
vaccine is that there are no danger-
ous chemicals and additives in the homeopathic
remedy. Nosodes are also given orally
whereas core vaccines are injected. Nosodes
can be used in two ways: to protect against
disease (called homeoprophylaxis), or as a
remedy should the animal become ill. Nosodes
restore health through vibrational energy.
They interact with the body’s energy
reserves, recalibrating positive and negative
forces within the energy field and stimulating
the body to heal and protect itself.
When a nosode is given, the body recognizes
the cellular structure and disease imprint,
producing an immune response similar to actual
exposure to the disease itself. Although
this is difficult to prove scientifically, there
are numerous examples of how nosodes have
been used in homeoprophylaxis and to treat
the onset of disease.
Human Research
Dr. Isaac Golden, an Australian homeopath,
has done extensive research in the field of homeopathic
childhood immunizations. Working
directly with families who agreed to participate
in a clinical trial of typical childhood
diseases, Dr. Golden concluded that homeopathic
immunizations were 90.4% effective.
From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Golden also studied
vaccine safety compared to homeopathic immunizations.
He found that children who received
standard vaccines were 15 more times
likely to get asthma, 7 times more likely to
get eczema and 2 times more likely to get allergies
than those who were immunized by
homeopathic preparations. His work is pub-
Nosodes
Can they replace vaccines?
by: Ellen Kohn and Dr. Gerald Wessner DVM
lished in his ground breaking books, ‘Vaccination
and Homeoprophylaxis: A Review of
Risks and Alternatives’, and ‘Homoeprophylaxis:
A Ten Year Clinical Study’.
Similar studies have been conducted in Cuba
and Brazil using homeopathic immunizations
during disease outbreaks. In fact, homeoprophylaxis
intervention was used during
a large-scale Leptospirosis outbreak in
Cuba in 2007. Four different strains of the
virus were combined in the homeopathic
preparation, which was given to over two
million people in high risk areas. Resulting
data showed that in the areas where homeopathic
intervention was used, the incidence
of Leptospirosis fell below the historic median.
This result suggested that the homeoprophylaxis
succeeded in reducing the disease
incidence and controlling the epidemic.
This was one of the first examples of using
large-scale homeoprophylaxis as a method
for disease control.
Brazilian statistics on the use of homeopathic
immunizations were collected in the 1974
outbreak of Meningococcal disease. Out of
18,640 children who received homeopathic
remedies, only 4 cases of meningococcal infection
occurred, compared to 32 cases out of
the 6,340 children who were not protected.
This resulted in a 95% effectiveness rate for
the homeopathically immunized children.
These types of studies in childhood disease
provide a reference point for veterinary studies
which are difficult to document and collect.
Clinical trials are costly and follow-ups
may be more difficult in rural areas where
.....continued on page 16
14 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

NOSODES IN VETERINARY PRACTICE
by: Dr. Gerald Wessner DVM
A nosode is a specific remedy which is made from the disease material
from animals and even humans. The material could be pus,
nasal discharge, spinal fluid, diarrhea liquid, pleural and peritoneal
effusions or even a parasite such as the heartworm.
Homeopathic remedies are made by serial dilution and succusionthis
combined process is called potentization. In the case of a homeopathic
remedy the process starts with a sample of the material. For
my example, I will use Arnica to describe the process. First, a leaf of
the material is soaked in alcohol-this will become the Mother Tincture
(the alcohol is usually like vodka or ethyl alcohol)-the time may
range from an hour to a month depending if the material is leaves or
bark or roots. Then a sample of this Mother Tincture is taken and
diluted 1 to 100 with a mixture of alcohol and water. The sample is
now succussed; pretend the sample is in a test tube and held in one
hand and struck sharply against the other hand 100 times. This is
now a 1C dilution. 1 for the first dilution and C meaning 100. This
process is repeated until the desired dilution is reached, be it 12, 30,
100 or 200. Now we have a remedy called Arnica 30C. This same
process is used to make nosodes. Most nosodes I use are 30C in
strength.
In my practice, I use nosodes both prophylactically and in the event
of exposure to disease. For example, I recommend that my clients
keep vaccines to a minimum or zero and use nosodes for protection.
In puppies, I will administer a reduced amount of modified live combo
vaccine at the first visit to help with starting the immune response
and then recommend that after a few weeks to socialize the pups
by allowing them to visit pet stores, dog parks or areas frequented
by other dogs. My theory at this point is to rely on the replication
(and elimination of the replicated virus through urine, etc.) of the
MLV canine vaccines used in other dogs to help boost the antibody
titers in the puppy. In the past 3-5 years, utilizing this procedure, no
incidences of canine disease have been reported to me. Of course,
this cannot be performed with the Rabies vaccine.
I also use the Bach Bowel Nosodes (in combination with well prescribed
homeopathic remedies) in curing chronic diarrhea and digestive
issues in all species of animals. In horses, a sarcoid nosode
is used to get rid of a benign growth that may cause the animal to be
unusable because either it rubs an associated area or equipment such
as girth, saddle , harness or bridle.
Some of the most successful nosodes I have used have been made
from spinal fluid, serum from infected West Nile positive horses
and pus collected from horses afflicted with Pigeon Fever. In my research
over the years in studying homeopathy, I have found mention
of a veterinarian curing distemper dogs in the early 1940’s , a physician
recommending people take the Anthrax nosode to prevent
anthrax and South American countries relying on nosodes in epi-
demics. Nosodes are
an integral part of my
veterinary practice and
I am fortunate to have
found how to use these
wonderful homeopathic
remedies.
Recent evidence has come to light to show that unvaccinated dogs
are now showing positive titers. For many years holistic veterinarians
believed that nosodes protected through an obscure energetic
process, but now more scientific evidence has come to light to show
that it is possible for antibodies to be produced in the body without
the antigens from the vaccine, especially when a killed vaccine like
rabies is administered. Much more research is needed in this area to
not only protect the animals, but also to protect the human public.
SCHEDULE FOR IMMUNIZATION WITH NOSODES
It is recommended that dog owners work closely with a homeopathic
veterinarian for a nosode consultation and follow-up. The following
are general guidelines for nosode usage.
Pregnant females may be given nosodes to pass immunity to the unborn
puppies.
Puppies can be given homeopathic nosodes beginning at three weeks
of age. The suggested dosage for dogs of all ages irrespective of previous
orthodox vaccinations is the same.
One dose given daily by mouth for the first three days then…
One dose once a week for six weeks then…
One dose given once a month for one or two years.
I have had a couple of patients become lethargic after nosode administration
after using for 3 to 5 years(these animals were also sensitive
to vaccines), so I don’t think giving them continually monthly is necessary
after the first couple of years of administration.
Presently I urge clients to protect their animals with nosodes and
not vaccinate, as there can be serious issues associated with vaccines
and also the often repeated vaccines. Recent information supplied
by noted immunologist Dr. Ronald Schultz has shown the parvo vaccine
giving positive titers for 7 years, the distemper 15, the para-influenza
9 and the rabies 7. For years, holistic veterinary practitioners
have been warning that vaccines can be harmful and an article from
Purdue University has shown DNA damage following vaccines and
another study shows auto-immune thyroid antibodies produced after
rabies vaccines. A Google search for vaccinosis, as of this writing,
produced 2,480 articles: to me this shows that this is a real issue otherwise
nobody would be writing about this clear and present danger.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 15

nosodes are more commonly used within
farming communities. Nevertheless, success
stories are emerging based on empirical
evidence that supports the use of nosodes
as a viable alternative to vaccines in routine
health care.
Homeopathic Immunization in Dogs
Dr. Christopher Day, British veterinary homeopath,
has been using nosodes in his
practice for 35 years. Evidence of reduced
rates of distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis,
parvovirus and kennel cough has encouraged
him to recommend nosodes to his clients
for prevention and treatment of disease.
In 1985, Dr. Day documented the successful
use of nosodes in a kennel cough outbreak.
The trial was done in a day care and there
were 214 dogs participating including both
vaccinated and unvaccinated dogs. The nosode
was introduced by placing it in the dogs’
drinking water.
Remarkably, out of a total of 214 dogs that
were treated with the kennel cough nosode,
the incidence of actual, full-blown disease
was only 1.9% out of 214 dogs, and the majority
of dogs who did contract kennel cough
exhibited only minor symptoms. The vaccinated
dogs had a higher incidence of disease
at 4.7% whereas only 0.7% of the unvaccinated
dogs showed symptoms. Minor
symptoms were expressed by 42.5% of the
dogs, with 59.7% of vaccinated dogs showing
minor symptoms, compared to 26.7% of
unvaccinated dogs.
This study shows that nosodes can be effective
in disease prevention, and when dogs do
contract disease, the severity of symptoms
can be reduced with their use.
The alarming increase in autoimmune conditions,
allergies, cancer and other canine
health issues due to vaccine reactions is a
known fact. Pet owners are now seeking alternatives
to keep their dogs healthy while
preventing disease and illness. The growing
interest in nosodes comes at a time when
the safety and efficacy of vaccines are being
questioned.
As an integral part of the homeopathic family,
nosodes are dog friendly for several reasons.
Because their action works across the
mucous membranes of the mouth, it is not
necessary to swallow the medicine. Dosing
is easy since the mouth doesn’t have to be
opened and the remedy can be placed on the
gum or inside the lip. The single dose powder
is sweet tasting.
The immune response to nosodes offers a
more natural response to disease without the
introduction of killed or modified viruses
and harmful preservatives that can weaken
the immune system. Unlike vaccines, nosodes
are both safe and effective.
Can nosodes replace vaccines? What we do
know is nosodes are working with a degree
of efficacy to warrant further study and data
collection. We know that they are a safe alternative
to vaccines, and that they have been
proven for homeoprophylaxis in human
clinical trials. Because of their safety record,
health benefits, and even the lower cost, nosodes
are gaining popularity among holistic
veterinarians and pet owners who are willing
to give them a serious chance. DNM
Ellen Kohn is a Reiki Master Teacher, Healing
Touch for Animals® Certified Practitioner
(HTACP), Certified Aromatherapist, Meridian
Practitioner and Animal Communicator.
She works with Alaskan single remedy and
blended formulas in her energy healing work.
Ellen founded The Kohn Foundation (www.
thekohnfoundation.org) in The Bahamas to
assist the children and animals of Grand Bahama.
Ellen lives in Colorado with her husband and
seven pets. Visit her on the web at:
www.enlightenedanimals.com
Dr. Gerald Wessner graduated from the University
of Pennsylvania in 1965 and spent two
years in the U.S. Army at Ft Leonard Wood ,
MO as the Assistant Post Veterinarian. After
the army he worked in private practice at several
race tracks in the northeast and opened
a small animal practice in Pennsylvania. In
the late 70’s Dr. Wessner started learning and
practicing acupuncture and in the late 80’s
he started an exclusive acupuncture practice.
From 90-95 he was the State Veterinarian at
Tampa Bay Race Track in Tampa, FL and in
1995 started an exclusive homeopathic practice.
Shortly after this, he moved the practice
to Summerfield, FL and continues to practice
there.
The practice consists of both clinic hours and
phone consultations. Dr. Wessner has been
very successful treating such diseases as EPM,
Herpes (infectious, auto-immune and neurological),
Lymes Disease and Syndrome, Parvo,
Distemper, Strangles, Potomac Horse Fever,
Pigeon Fever, Heartworm Infestation, Colic,
Snakebite, Vaccinosis, Pancreatitis and a host
of other diseases.
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16 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

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Gemmotherapy
A Way to Help Our Animal Friends
Achieve Optimal Cell Replication
by Stephen Reeve Blake, DVM, CVA, CVH
The beauty of Gemmotherapy is that it is a
gentle system of medicine that provides both
a quantum and Newtonian healing potential
for our friends the animals.
I have known about this system of medicine
for over thirty years and have used it extensively
in my practice for the past 10 years
with amazing results. I use this modality in
every patient I see. I show the client how to
use it both in a treatment format, as well as a
preventative manner.
Gemmotherapy is a drainage system developed
in Europe over 30 years ago. Preliminary
research on using plant buds therapeutically
was started by Dr. Pol Henry of
Belgium in the 1950’s. Max Tetau, M.D., after
extensive clinical research on immature
plant materials, introduced the therapeutic
technique known as Gemmotherapy in 1971.
The buds or young shoots of the immature
plants are macerated and extracted with
glycerin for 21 days, then made into a 1X
potency. These extracts are high in growth
factors, which contain the phyto-hormones,
auxins and gibberellins. These active ingredients
are presents in the buds, but begin to
disappear as the plant matures. Auxins have
a fetal hormonal action, which is found only
in the buds of plants. Gibberellins stimulate
RNA and protein synthesis. They are also
only present in the buds and not in the whole
plant. Researchers have found that utilization
of this process releases the greatest amount
of healing potential from the plants.
There are 60 plants utilized in the system of
Gemmotherapy I use from Boiron. Each of
these plant extracts has very specific actions
on any living organism. Much like homeopathic
remedies, they can be used to help
many organ and organ systems. They work
well in combination and are well tolerated by
both the animal and the caregivers.
I have a rule in my practice that I have used
for decades: I only use products on animals
that have been thoroughly tested on people
and found to be safe. Testing on animals is
at best subjective and harmful to animals
much of the time. By testing on humans, we
are able to get a more scientific evaluation
of the action and results we are observing in
our patients.
The main principle behind Gemmotherapy
is drainage and detoxification of the organism
at its cellular level. By accomplishing
this process, we give the doctor who resides
within each patient a chance to go to work.
Drainage in our patients has changed since
the times of Hahnemann, Kent or Hering’s
times. Hormones, vaccinations, drugs and
petro-chemicals are rampant in our society
as compared to Hahnemann, Kent and Hering’s
time. Environmental toxins, miasms
and our own metabolic processes can block
replication of normal cells. Without these
cell replications, we have organ failure, which
is the disease process we see in our practices.
The definitions of Health and Healing I
share with all of my patients are very simple.
Health and Healing are optimum cell replication.
Gemmotherapy simply assists the
doctor that resides within each patient to
increase the drainage process so that healthy
cells have a chance to replicate, and the doctor
within is thereby working on ‘healing
thyself.’
After evaluating each patient individually
and assessing their current level of toxicity,
I select one to eight Gemmotherapies and
have them administer them at a frequency
suited to their animal’s particular needs and
responses to treatment.
If a patient has a great deal of physical pathology,
I recommend 1 to 5 drops and rotate
them, so that on any one given day they only
get one Gemmotherapy at a time. In very
sensitive patients, I will dilute one drop in a
gallon of water to a ½ cup of water and have
the client administer a single drop and wait
to see the response of the animal to the Gemmotherapy
chosen.
18 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

It is extremely important to make sure that
you understand what healing is all about, so
you act and do not react to symptoms your
pet generates in the process of healing. The
concept of starting and stopping a remedy
must be understood so you do not treat too
fast and make your friend uncomfortable by
accelerating the detoxification process too
quickly.
If I see a patient react to the dose I have
prescribed, I stop the remedy immediately
and allow the dose to act, much like in homeopathy,
and then once I see the results I
move forward with the use of the remedy. I
explain to the client that our goal is to get to
a point where we can give a few drops of the
Gemmotherapy with no detectable physical
or emotional response to the medicine for
a week and then we are ready to proceed to
maintenance.
The beauty of this system is you can start
your pet on this program along with existing
health care programs you may be using
and get a complementary effect. The chronic
debilitated cases should be started out slowly.
It is also essential to make sure you understand
the potential healing phases or ‘provings,’
which, simply put, means symptomatic
worsening of the case before your pet gets
better. I have found that dosing between 1
and 5 drops, 1 to 2 times per day, will prevent
this. If you have an ultra-sensitive patient, I
would suggest mixing one drop in a gallon to
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half cup of spring water and giving one drop
of this mixture until you are comfortable
with the reaction. I then reduce the amount
of water and gradually increase the dose of
the remedy until I reach 5 drops per day with
no adverse reaction. At this point, if there are
no more symptoms of the original disease
state, I have them stop and go to a maintenance
dose of 5 drops once per week thereafter
as a preventive aspect of the program. Areas
of the body most negatively impacted by
our environment need continued support to
prevent them from rebuilding toxins which
can inhibit the body’s ability to replicate cells.
Since most toxins impact the cardiovascular
system, digestive system, lung/large intestine,
kidney/bladder and liver/gallbladder,
these are prime areas of concentration for
your drainage treatment and prevention.
My experience with Gemmotherapy in the
equine is limited to my phone consultation
clients but my findings have been the same
as in the dog, bird, cat, reptiles, etc; it helps
all animals in all the species I have treated as
part of their care. I recommend you give it
orally in a treat or in their food at a dose of
5 to 20 drops per treatment. They tolerate it
very well and I have yet to have any rejections
by my horse patients. If I have a horse
that does not like it orally, I have the client
massage it into the area of concern or into
the inside of their ears (All the acupuncture
points for the entire body are found in this
location) When I use it topically, I refer to it
as Gemmo Acupuncture and it is very effective.
Once the patient is clear of symptoms,
I recommend going on a maintenance dose
of once per week for helping to prevent a return
of degenerative predisposition of each
patient.
The most important part of any drainagesystem
application is in explaining to the
pet-caregiver the purpose of the medicine
prescribed. I explain that each Gemmotherapy
is specific for detoxifying and
strengthening the particular organ system
that needs drainage and support. I also explain
that animals may get worse before they
get better and if this should happen I have
you stop the remedy and wait until they are
stable before beginning the remedy again. I
explain to my clients, we are seeing the body
responding to the medicine and they will feel
better once the toxins are flushed from their
bodies. The beauty of this system is that it is
simple, gentle and easy to explain. DNM
Dr. Blake graduated from the University of
Arizona 1969 with a BS in animal science.
He graduated from Colorado State University
in 1973 where he received his DVM. He
has practiced small medicine for the past 36
years in San Diego, California. The past 30
years he has specialized in alternative veterinary
medicine, utilizing Classical Homeopathy,
nutrition, glandular therapy, massage,
Aromatherapy, Acupuncture, Gemmotherapy,
Oligotherapy and Bach Flowers.
Dr. Blake graduated from Dr. Richard Pitcairn’s
first Veterinary certification course in
1993. He had been utilizing homeopathy in
his practice for 13 years prior to taking the
course. Certified in classical homeopathy by
the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy in
1993 and in acupuncture by the International
Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 1990. He
now has a limited consultation practice in San
Diego, CA.
Dr. Blake has been a lecturer at the American
Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
national conventions for the past 10 years.
He has given many lectures on Homeopathy,
Aromatherapy, Bach Flowers, Gemmotherapy,
Oligotherapy, nutrition and Bovine Colostrum.
He also hosts a monthly Internet health
newsletter, The Pet Whisperer , for animals
and people, which is read by thousands of pet
owners and veterinarians around the world.
Dr. Blake has been published in many periodicals
such as the American Holistic Veterinary
Medical Journal, The Whole Dog Journal, The
Whole Horse Journal, Animal Wellness Magazine
and many others. He has a chapter in the
Complimentary and Alternative Veterinary
Medicine Principles and Practice on Bach
Flowers in Veterinary medicine, and has just
finished writing and illustrating his first book,
The Pet Whisperer, which is available through
The Pet Whisperer Publishing Company at
www.thepetwhisperer.com
Dr. Blake has been on television and radio talk
shows spreading the word about alternative
veterinary medicine for many years. He is on
many Internet lists sharing his knowledge with
those who want to learn more about alternative
medicine for their pets and their families
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 19

MICROCHIPS
Are pet owners being misled?
Microchips are being implanted in dogs and
cats by veterinarians, animal shelters and
breeders for identification purposes. Microchips
are also being implanted by members
of the public who have taken a brief microchipping
course; either online or in person.
Fish, ferrets, horses, alpacas, turtles, elephants,
birds, llamas, laboratory animals,
zoo animalsand even snakes are being
chipped. But are microchips a reliable form
of identification? And are there health risks
associated with the implants?
Microchip implants are marketed as a safe
and permanent form of identification that
lasts the lifetime of the animal. They are also
marketed as a way to reunite lost or stolen
pets with their owners, to significantly reduce
the number of pets in shelters, to identify
and punish owners of dangerous dogs;
and to prevent bad breeding practices and
cruelty to animals.
Reasons used to promote and sell implantable
microchips may sound appealing. Before
being enticed by carefully crafted advertising
that is being used to not only convince people
to have their animals microchipped, but
also to implement mandatory animal chipping
legislation, we should examine the facts.
HEALTH RISKS
Consumers are repeatedly told that microchip
implants are safe. So safe, in fact, that
pharmaceutical giant Merial says scientific
studies show that microchip implants are totally
painless, perfectly well tolerated by the
animal and that there is no risk of itchiness,
allergic reactions or abscesses. Merial even
claims that European experience shows that
microchips are never rejected from the body.
However, published scientific studies and
adverse microchip reports recorded by the
British Small Animal Veterinary Association
(BSAVA) prove otherwise.
Scientific studies involving mice and rats
show that test animals have developed aggressive
and lethal microchip-induced cancerous
growths. Scientific reports also show
that chipped zoo animals have developed
microchip-associated cancerous growths.
Medical reports and scientific studies also
reveal that dogs and cats have developed aggressive
cancerous growths at the site of their
microchip implants.
In 2009, a Yorkshire Terrier named Scotty
developed epitheliotropic lymphoma at the
site of his Schering-Plough Home Again microchip
implant. Little Scotty died within
months of developing cancer; his death coinciding
with his sixth birthday.
In October 2010, a lawsuit was filed in the US
by Andrea Rutherford against Merck Sharp
& Dohme and Digital Angel Inc. because
her cat, Bulkin, developed cancer at the site
of his Home Again microchip implant. The
results of the lawsuit are pending.
Scotty after tumor removal
20 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Many advocates of microchipping say
the risk that your pet will develop cancer
from a microchip implant is “negligible”
to “nonexistent.” Some even say that the
microchip-cancer risk is an “Internet urban
legend.” But ask yourself how negligible
the microchip-cancer risk is if it’s your
pet that develops cancer. Ask yourself why
decades of scientific data prove that an object
implanted in the body can cause cancer,
yet nay-sayers of the microchip-cancer
risk claim that microchip implants cannot
cause cancer.
Animals have also experienced neurological
damage as a result of microchips: “A
1.6 kg, six-week-old Tibetan Terrier was
admitted with a 12 hour history of acute
onset of progressive tetraparesis following
insertion of a microchip to the dorsal
cervical region,” write T. J. Smith and Noel
Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Referrals in the
UK.
Animals have also died due to the microchip
implant procedure. In 2004, the BSAVA reported
that a kitten died suddenly when it
was chipped. “During the postmortem examination
the microchip was found in the
brain stem,” writes the BSAVA.
In 2009, a young Chihuahua named Charlie
Brown died within hours of being chipped.
Charlie died from “an extreme amount of
bleeding” from the “little hole in the skin
where the (microchip implant) needle went
in,” says Dr. Reid Loken, the board-certified
veterinarian who performed the procedure.
Lori Ginsberg, Charlie’s owner, says, “I
wasn’t in favor of getting Charlie chipped,
but it was the law.” Ginsberg adds: “It’s horrible
to live in a country where your choices
are being taken away and you are unable to
make decisions about your family and your
life … Politicians should not take away my
right to do what is best for my pet.”
“This technology is supposedly so
great until it’s your animal that dies.”
Lori Ginsberg, Charlie Brown’s owner.
When presented with cases like Scotty’s,
Bulkin’s, Charlie Brown’s and others, many
people justify the health risks of chipping by
saying that adverse reactions to microchips
are rare. The risks however, are vastly un-
derestimated as veterinarians and animal
shelters are not required to report adverse
reactions so only an extremely small number
of these cases are reported.
DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING
Although microchip implants are marketed
as a permanent form of identification they
can stop working or be expelled from the
animal’s body. Microchips are also known
to migrate and become lost within the body,
making identification difficult.
Also, unbeknownst to the majority of pet
owners, microchip numbers can be duplicated:
more than one animal can have the
same identification number. Barbara Masin
of Electronic Identification Devices, Ltd
states: “I went to the USDA listening sessions
and offered to show them the problem
with duplication possibilities, but they
didn’t want to see it. The situation is very
political”.
“There are certain people involved within
the USDA who have very close ties to certain
manufacturers. There is an underlying
agenda, unfortunately, and this is not for
the good of the country.”
Another well-known slogan used to sell microchips
is: “Microchips help reunite lost
and stolen pets with their owners.” But this
catchy phrase is deceptive and provides a
false sense of security for pet owners who
believe that their pet’s chip can be read by
all microchip scanners.
Dr. Patricia Khuly, VMD of the Sunset Animal
Clinic in Miami, Florida warns: “…
not all scanners are created equal. Some are
better than others at reading a wide variety
of microchips. That means your pet may get
lost, found, scanned and euthanized if the
scanner comes up ‘empty.’”
Charlie Brown
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 21

Microchip induced tumor
Tragically, an 8 month old American Pit Bull
Terrier named Hadden was euthanized at the
Stafford County, Virginia, Animal Shelter after
the scanner used to read his chip could
not detect the implant.
Lisa Massey, Hadden’s owner, says, “They
[shelter employees] just explained that they
were very sorry … that they had scanned
Hadden twice and nothing registered.” Even
under ideal controlled conditions, no scanners
have 100% sensitivity for all microchips.
Another important point that pet owners
must be aware of pertains to recovering their
stolen microchipped pet. Specifically, if your
chipped pet is stolen, the chip does not guarantee
that you will find your pet. Also, recent
cases in the UK reveal that the chip does
not provide proof of ownership. So, even if
you locate your stolen, microchipped pet, it
is possible that your pet will not be returned
to you. In April 2010, Dave Moorhouse was
contacted by Anibase, a microchip database
company, asking if he wanted to change the
ownership records of his Jack Russell Terrier,
Rocky. Mr. Moorhouse told Anibase that
Rocky had been stolen and asked where he
was but Anibase refused to provide information
regarding Rocky’s whereabouts.
Steven Wildridge, managing director of Animalcare,
the company that owns and operates
Anibase, says: “This is not a choice, it’s
an obligation under the Data Protection Act.
If the individuals involved do not want us
to pass on their details to the original owner
then we cannot do so unless compelled to
following a criminal or civil proceeding.”
Although Rocky’s microchip was registered
to Mr. Moorhouse, the police concluded
there was no criminal case and refused to
help him find Rocky. A Huddersfield County
Court judge ruled that the situation was
out of his jurisdiction. Mr. Moorhouse asks,
“What’s the point of having your pet microchipped
if you can’t get him back?”
Those who promote and/or profit from microchips
also claim that microchipping will
significantly reduce the number of pets in
shelters. This claim is not substantiated by
accurate, long-term, independent studies. In
fact, in the few short-term studies that used
carefully selected animal shelters to test microchips,
scanners and databases, researchers
noticed “… microchipping … is not an
infallible system, and it is not realistic to expect
100% performance.”
Implantable microchips are also promoted
for use in dangerous dogs so their owners can
be identified and held responsible for their
dog’s bad behavior. The limitation is owners
of dangerous dogs will probably find a way
to avoid having their dogs chipped. Owners
of “dangerous” chipped dogs can also easily
have the chip removed, either surgically or
by some inhumane method, in order to avoid
being identified.
Microchips are also promoted as a way to
prevent bad breeding practices and cruelty to
animals. A proposal has been made in Wales
to implement mandatory chipping of dogs in
breeding premises. RSPCA inspector Richard
Abbott says the charity has found dogs
in “dark, damp, ammonia-smelling” conditions
with “no bedding whatsoever” and
with “puppies dead or dying next to them.”
Unfortunately, compulsory chipping will
not prevent bad breeding practices, unhy-
gienic conditions or cruelty to animals by
bad breeders, those involved in puppy mills,
or anyone else for that matter. Instead, it is
likely that chips and insertion devices will be
purchased via the Internet to reduce costs,
and the implant procedure will be done by
insensitive, untrained individuals in stressful
and unhygienic conditions. As a result, puppies
will suffer and/or die due to infections,
abscesses, bleeding, neurological damage
and cancer caused by the implants. Meanwhile,
the conditions in which the dogs and
puppies live will remain the same.
“There have been concerns about the implanted
chip causing problems; various
Internet ‘urban legends’ have tried to link
microchips and a rare form of cancer. To
date, we are not aware of any scientific
data confirming this. In our opinion, the
risk is negligible to nonexistent.” Dr. Ellen
Friedman DVM: Newburgh Veterinary
Hospital; Newburgh, NY.
Conclusion
Real-life evidence shows that microchip implants
are an unreliable and potentially dangerous
form of identification. In spite of the
risks, microchip companies and advocates of
microchipping continue to mislead pet owners
by saying that microchips are reliable and
safe. In addition, mandatory animal microchipping
legislation continues to be enacted
around the world.
It is important, therefore, that pet owners
educate themselves regarding problems associated
with microchips, and share the information
with other pet owners, veterinarians,
animal shelters and those involved in
microchipping policies. Pet owners should
also become involved in the process of reporting
adverse microchip reactions, otherwise
adverse consequences of microchipping
will continue to be grossly under-reported.
It is important that pet owners work together
to reverse mandatory microchipping legislation
and prevent further microchipping legislation
from being enacted. DNM
Article graciously provided by Noble Leon,
a website dedicated to microchip awareness.
Visit http://noble-leon.com
22 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Hawthorn
Secret Garden
Hawthorn is an outstanding herb for elderly
dogs. Although it’ strongest action
is on the cardiovascular system, it can
have many indications for your older
dog.
Hawthorn is a small tree with sharp
thorns that are readily embedded in
dogs’ feet when they are stepped on.
Regardless of its dangers in your yard,
Hawthorn trees yield reddish berries
which, along with the flowers and leaf
buds, can be easily fed to your dog in either
a fresh or dry form. You can also
make a tincture or tea. Hawthorn trees
of various species are abundant and can
be found in thickets and meadows in
most of North America.
The fruit of hawthorn is the best cardiotonic
available. It improves the general
function of the heart and can steady and
strengthen a weak or irregular heartbeat.
Hawthorn is so powerful in fact, that it
has been shown to be as effective as digitalis
but in a safer, milder form. There
is no danger of side effects or cumulative
danger with hawthorn. In patients
already on digitalis, giving hawthorn at
the same time can help patients lower
their dose of digitalis by nearly half.
Hawthorn also functions to dilate the
coronary vessels and those of the brain.
Flavinoid, the red pigment found in
hawthorn berries, is the compound most
responsible for its tonic effect on the
smooth muscles. Although flavinoids
are found in many fruits and vegetables,
hawthorn is the richest natural source.
Hawthorn is not only useful for older
dogs. It is a valuable daily supplement
for working dogs who may undergo
continued cardiac stress. Sled dogs, agility
dogs, herding and bird dogs would all
benefit from this herb.
Hawthorn is often essential for the care
of the older dog. It’s daily use can assist
those dogs suffering from congestive
heart failure or heart issues stemming
from heartworms, infections or chemotherapy.
It also works to strengthen appetite
and digestion.
Hawthorn can also improve circulation
through the liver and kidneys but without
the risk of elevated blood pressure.
Alongside other herbs, hawthorn can be
used as a diueretic and to help fight the
early stages of renal failure.
Hawthorn is not only an effective herb,
it is quite easy to obtain. The hawthorn
tree is common and fairly easy to spot.
When you do find a hawthorn tree, you
can easily pick the berries and feed them
straight to your dog. You can also take
the berries home and dry them and then
grind them into a powder with a pestle
or a good coffee grinder. For best results,
add about a teaspoon per pound of
your dog’s food per day. DNM
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 23

y: Pat Miller
OFFICERS
It used to be a rarity to hear of a dog being shot by a law enforcement
officer. Not any more. Something has happened in our culture and
our law enforcement communities to cause an exponential increase
in tragic incidents such as the one that occurred on September 12th,
2010, at a crowded street festival in Washington DC. On that afternoon,
Officer Scott Fike shot and killed Parrot, a Pit Bull/Shar Pei
mix who was attending the event with his foster caretaker. Parrot had
been minding his own business when the owner of a small poodle
allowed her dog to approach Parrot. Parrot bit the other dog. According
to reports, the incident had resolved and Parrot’s caretaker
had him under control when the police officer approached and alpharolled
the dog. When Parrot attempted to defend himself the officer
threw him down a set of cement stairs and shot him.
Other recent cases from the Police-Killing-Dogs Hall of Shame include
Bear, a Siberian Husky who was shot by an off-duty federal police
officer for engaging in what was probably rough play between
two dogs at a dog park, or at worse a normal, non-serious “scuffle”
between two dogs,” and the killing of two Labrador Retrievers in their
own home; the home of the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland,
when police officers served a search warrant at the wrong address.
In November, in Seattle, Washington, a well-loved Newfoundland,
Rosie, escaped her yard, frightened passers-by, and was eventually
shot by police in a neighbor’s fenced back yard, where she could have
easily been safely contained until her owner was located. While some
officer-related dog shootings certainly are more than justified, many,
including the ones described above, are not.
Dr. Randal Lockwood of the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals says he sees 250 to 300 incidents per year in media
reports, and estimates another 1,000 aren’t reported. That’s more
than three per day! What is going on??
I worked for 20 years at the Marin Humane Society in Novato, California,
just north of San Francisco, for much of that time as a humane
officer enforcing humane and animal control laws. I can’t recall one
single incident of a dog being shot by a police officer in our county
during that two-decade span. On the rare occasions when a dog
shooting did happen somewhere in the country, there was inevitably
a huge uproar with considerable attention from the media. Today,
apparently, officers shoot and kill dogs around the United States multiple
times daily and it hardly causes a ripple. Most of the time not
much is said about it – it certainly isn’t often picked up by national
news. So what has changed? Several things:
SHOOTING
DOGS
1. Popularization of the Pit Bull. In 1976 when I started working
at Marin, we never saw a Pit Bull in a shelter. Ever. In those days
the only people who owned Pit Bulls were dog fighters, and they
weren’t about to let their dogs end up in shelters. Nor were they
foolish enough to breed dogs who would attack people. They
had to be in the pit with dogs who were fighting each other, and
sometimes separate them when they were fighting. The last thing
they wanted was a dog who would bite a human. Then, in the
1990s, The Humane Society of the United States launched a campaign
to make dogfighting a felony in all 50 states. In their efforts
to educate the public and legislators about the brutally cruel
“sport” they glamorized the breed – and people started wanting
them. Some of these people were responsible dog owners, but
there were also a lot of irresponsible ones. Shelters started seeing
a trickle, then a downpour, finally a flood of Bully dogs, until
today almost every full-service shelter in the country often finds
a preponderance of Pit-type dogs in their kennels. Many other
large, strong breeds – like the Rottweiler, the Cane Corso, the
Presa Canario, the Boerboel, and the American Bulldog – were
also extremely rare in this country until the 1990s and later. Now
they are common. Law enforcement officers in general seem to
be exceptionally reactive to the Bully breeds.
2. Sensitization of Our Society to Dog Bites. In the “good old days,”
if a dog bit a kid, Mom usually asked Junior what he did to the
dog. Today she calls Animal Control first, then her attorney. In
the “good old days,” dogs ran loose a lot, everyone accepted that
dogs were a part of life, that dogs sometimes bit people, and it
was no big deal. Plus, because dogs ran loose a lot, they were better
socialized and probably less likely to bite people. Today, with
a marked increase in responsible dog ownership, dogs don’t run
loose so much, they aren’t as well socialized, and the population
of humans as a whole is a lot less comfortable, and less tolerant,
of dogs being dogs.
3. Dog Mauling and Dog-Related Fatality Statistics. In the mid
1990’s, an average of 20 people per year were killed by dogs in the
U.S. In those pre pit-popularity days, dogs most often implicated
in serious dog bites and dog-related fatalities were breeds like
Huskies and German Shepherds – medium-to-large dogs who
lacked the sheer bulk and determination of many of the Bully
types. In 2009 there were some 32 dog-related fatalities in this
country; 15 allegedly caused by Pitbulls or Pit mixes and three
by Rottweilers or Rottie mixes. At the close of 2010, with 34 fa-
24 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
As a result of the outcry over Parrot’s shooting and the acknowledgement that most officers would prefer
not to shoot dogs, a group of caring dog owners and law enforcement officers have organized a group called
PEACE (Protecting Enforcement and Canines Through Education). PEACE is in the process of becoming
a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission will be to support and promote education for dog owners
and law enforcement in order to reduce the number of dog-related shootings that occur each year. Resources
will include information for owners on how to keep their dogs safe, as well as opportunities for law enforcement
training on dog body language and behavior. PEACE currently offers a yahoo groups discussion list (no
police-bashing allowed!) as a forum to discuss incidents, identify resources and explore strategies for addressing
the issue of officer-related dog shootings. To join that list and join in the discussion, send an e-mail message
to: copsshootingdog-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
talities on the books 17 of the deaths were caused by Pits; five
by Rottweilers; and one by an American Bulldog. That’s 56% in
2009 by what some call “high-risk” breeds, and a staggering 68%
so far in 2010. Although 34 deaths is miniscule in a country with
a population of more than 310 million, in which an average of
92 people are killed by lightning annually; 15,500 by murder (by
our own species) and 42,000 in car accidents, still, people get
incensed over dog-related fatalities.
4. Lack of Community Involvement. In the end, the police work
for us. We the People. If we don’t get involved over police shooting
dogs, they can reasonably take that as a statement of public
support for their actions. I think back to all the aggressive dogs I
managed to handle during my animal protection career without
ever shooting one – and without ever being badly bitten (one
minor bite in 20 years… but that’s another story). I carried a gun
for the sole purpose of dispatching badly injured wildlife, and it
never even occurred to me to point it at a dog. My trusty control
pole was all I ever needed to protect me from the ravages of
flashing canine teeth.
So… if you want this trend to change, get involved. Insist that your
law enforcement officers be trained and equipped to appropriately
and non-lethally handle situations in which dogs are involved. Call
your police department tomorrow to inquire about their department
policies for handling dogs, and to ask if their officers are equipped
with and trained in the use of humane canine capture equipment.
Then ask three of your friends to call, and have them ask three of
their friends. Get it started. Perhaps Parrot, Bear-Bear and Rosie’s
deaths can have some meaning after all. DNM
Pat Miller is a Certified Dog and Horse Behavior Consultant and
Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She offers classes, behavior modification
services, training clinics and academies for trainers at her 80
acre Peaceable Paws training facility in Fairplay, Maryland (US), and
presents seminars worldwide. She has authored “The Power of Positive
Dog Training,” “Positive Perspectives,” “Positive Perspectives 2,” “Play
With Your Dog,” and “Do-Over Dogs.” Miller is training editor for The
Whole Dog Journal, writes for Tuft’s University’s Your Dog, and several
other publications. She shares her home with husband Paul, five dogs,
three cats, five horses, a donkey and a potbellied pig. To learn more
about Pat, visit: www.peaceablepaws.com
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 25

y: Beth Lowell
ALGAE
food FOR life
Your dog – loving companion or money pit?
I don’t know about you but it really bothers me when people talk
about how much money they’ve sunk into their dog. You might sink
money into a dilapidated fixer-upper home or a boat, but to reduce a
living being to a money pit is, well, inhumane!
It strikes me as odd that people think that dogs and other animals
should be practically expense free and to never have health problems.
Many of these people of course are setting their pets up for a poor
future by paying as little as possible for food and probably more than
they should on vaccines.
It shouldn’t surprise me though, considering that our health care and
insurance system here in the United States sets people up to believe
that health care should be free and that we don’t have to take much
responsibility for our own well being. We subsidize costs for prescription
drugs that treat a myriad of symptoms and illnesses, but don’t
support holistic methods that can benefit the being as a whole. The
danger that this mentality poses is that it fosters a sense of entitlement
when it comes to health, and at the same time encourages a
lack of personal responsibility when it comes to making health related
choices. Though the economy has hit people hard, many would
still rather pay for things they want, like a flat screen TV, a vacation,
a haircut, or new shoes, rather than investing in their own health and
the health of their animals.
There’s also the misguided notion among the public that pet owners
will spare no expense when it comes to their pets. One person I spoke
with seemed amazed that his neighbor would gladly shell out $500.00
for his dog’s surgery but grumble about a $15.00 co-pay at his own
doctor’s office. This makes me wonder what it is that drives people
to be penny-wise and pound foolish when it comes to the health of
their pets and themselves. One simple way to maintain health and
save on medical costs is through what we eat. This of course, applies
to dogs too.
Food vs. Supplements
Food is fuel. The better the fuel, the more mileage we get out of our
bodies. Sometimes the food we eat just doesn’t seem to be doing its
job. Consequently, we often supplement our food intake with vi-
tamins, drugs and supplements intended to help the body function.
But “helping” the body through the use of “supplements” poses risks.
Here’s why.
Both prescription and over the counter drugs, as well as supplements,
are taken to target the symptoms caused by underlying larger issues.
The body becomes dependent on the drug or supplement over time
and can eventually lose the ability to function on its own. For instance,
feeding your pet (or yourself) digestive enzymes over a prolonged period
can make for a lazy pancreas that soon comes to depend on these
outside factors to do important digestive work. Putting an animal on
Prozac to steady her nerves will have long lasting side effects, and in
many cases, be a life-long protocol, rather than a temporary measure
while the dog is taught to cope with stress.
If you’re already feeding the highest quality of food you can plus expensive
supplements your veterinarian may have recommended, how
are you able to identify which foods to feed your dog that will benefit
her most, especially as her needs change through time?
Forget the symptom and look at the big picture
Matteo Ferraro
The first thing you need to do is to adjust your mental picture of what
health really is. Health is not the absence of disease, it is overall wellbeing.
By feeding food that supplies every system in the body what it
needs to function at its best, symptoms can fall away and good health
can happen. The immune system is something we don’t really think
about too often until it’s compromised. Using a food that supports
the immune system, (and all of the other systems in the body), is just
good planning and can only result in good health.
The body’s systems work together to keep the body running. These
are:
• The immune system that fights disease
• The circulatory system that transports blood
• The digestive system that processes food and helps the body
function at its best
• The endocrine system that affects hormones and glands
• The lymphatic system that produces white blood cells, carries
fluids and helps clean out toxins
26 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

• The muscular system
• The nervous system that controls the brain, spinal cord and
nerves
• The skeletal system comprised of teeth and bones that work with
the muscular system to move the body
• The reproductive system
• The respiratory system that allows the body to take in air and
release carbon dioxide
• The urinary system that eliminates waste
Since the systems work together, it doesn’t make sense to address a
high level symptom that results from one system malfunctioning. By
strengthening all of the systems, the body can heal itself.
How to choose the right food
Because each dog is different, what you feed your dog as a meal might
be different from what works for your neighbor. By choosing fresh,
biologically appropriate food, you’re halfway there. But it’s almost impossible
to account for the needs of individual dogs at different life
stages. Yet, there’s a food that’s appropriate for all of them that you
can add to your dog (or cat or rabbit or horse or bighorn sheep) that
will support every bodily system and function. But because you’re
adding it to your pet’s meal doesn’t mean it’s a supplement. It’s food.
The food that’s most densely packed with nutrients in nature: algae.
If you think feeding your dog algae really isn’t necessary and she’s already
healthy enough, consider that each day, animals face the same
health challenges we do, stemming from environmental factors and
stress. Every day our existence is in a state of flux. We need to be at
optimum health all the time in order to be able to fight off illnesses
and conditions that can stem from outside factors or even heredity.
Algae is not a cure
Algae has helped hundreds of animals and humans suffering from
an array of conditions but the point is not that you should use food
to create a miracle cure – but that by eating good food that’s nutrient
-dense and supports every system of the body, you give the body a
chance to heal itself. Without these nutrients, the body does not get
what it needs to function optimally, and old issues return. Holistically
speaking, you don’t use algae as a cure or to treat a symptom, but as a
lifelong support to maintain health.
What’s the cost?
Eliminating a long list of supplements and replacing them with a
food that the body can use saves money. Feeding your dog a good
food along with algae can prevent expensive medical bills in the future.
Choose health now, by providing nourishment that benefits
your whole dog, instead of shelling out more later for a symptom-fix
that comes in the form of a drug or supplement that has negative effects
on your dog’s overall health. DNM
Beth Lowell is an animal Reiki practitioner and offers holistic services
for pets through her business, Animal Spirit. She teaches Reiki, including
Reiki for animals, in Morristown, New Jersey.
Order Dr. Blake’s Newest Book
Gemmotherapy
for our Friends the Animals
Order the 15 page download:
The Five Seasons of Gemmotherapy: How to
Keep Your Pets Healthier Throughout the Year
Order Gemmotherapy products online:
http://www.thepetwhisperer.com/
Dr. Stephen Blake DVM
thepetwhisperer
.com
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 27

What to Do When Your Dog Has a
Vaccine Reaction
by: Jan Rasmusen
IMMEDIATE REACTION
If your dog is breathing heavily, his face is
swelling and eyes watering, and/or he’s vomiting,
has hives or is having a seizure or collapsing,
your dog is having a potentially lifethreatening
allergic reaction. CALL YOUR
VET IMMEDIATELY and start for your vet’s
office or an emergency facility while, preferably,
someone else drives. (You do know
where the nearest emergency vet is, don’t
you?)
Your vet may not recognize your dog’s symptoms
as a vaccine reaction and probably
won’t want to believe or admit that the shot
he administered brought on this problem. If
you believe it’s a vaccine reaction, be strong.
You know your dog better than your vet
does. Above all, keep your wits about you.
Don’t be pressured into doing anything that
doesn’t feel right. For example, if your dog
has her first seizure soon after vaccination,
she is probably having a vaccine reaction;
she probably does not suddenly have a brain
tumor requiring a $800 MRI! As they say,
when you hear hoof beats, think horses not
zebras!
Similarly, if your vet wants to give your dog
antibiotics because she may have developed
some unknown infection the day after the
shot (rather than a vaccine reaction), question
that assumption. Antibiotics given needlessly
can lead to antibiotic resistance and
even autoimmune disease, and will destroy
good intestinal flora which can potentially
lead to gastrointestinal problems and allergies.
Vets (and medical doctors) too often
recommend antibiotics because they don’t
know what else to do and feel they should do
something. Insist on a good evidence-based
reason for giving any antibiotic.
If your dog isn’t breathing, you’ll need to take
action fast and administer CPR.
Non-immediate reactions
If your dog has developed any unexplained
health or behavioral problem within 45 to
60 days of vaccination, or even longer, it
may be a reaction to the shot. If you suspect
the problem may be connected to a vaccine,
you’ll likely have to convince your vet. It’s
common to hear “it couldn’t be the shot” or
“a reaction like that isn’t possible” — even
when the reaction is a common one.
Many vets believe vaccine reactions to be
rare, in large part because severe cases go to
emergency clinics, not back to the primary
vet. The World Small Animal Veterinary
Association, WSAVA (p. 55), says: “It is generally
only the adverse reactions that occur
within the first few hours to a day after vaccination
that are considered vaccine-associated
by most veterinarians or owners. Even when
the adverse reaction occurs shortly after vaccination
there are many who fail to recognize
that the vaccine caused the reaction. Certain
adverse vaccine reactions are not observed
until days, weeks or even months and years
after vaccination or revaccination. The autoimmune
disorders and the injection site
sarcomas, which are among the rare vaccine
adverse reactions, may not develop for years
after being triggered by vaccines.”
Even the drug’s manufacturer (to whom you
should immediately report the reaction) may
deny the connection. Admitting it may cost
them money. If your dog got a rabies vaccination
plus another vaccine of any kind,
make sure you know where on the body the
different shots were given and the name and
serial number of each shot. This is especially
important if your dog got a rabies shot.
Insist on seeing every product’s package insert.
Get it from your vet or call the manufacturer
and ask if it’s viewable on-line. (It
probably is, but they won’t admit it. Note: the
Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDA, is not
the same thing.) Also know that long-term
reactions aren’t usually documented or even
studied. So persevere! A suspected vaccine
reaction, especially one supported by your
vet, may entitle you to compensation for
medical expenses from the drug manufacturer.
Which dogs are most likely to have reactions?
Small and medium-sized dogs are the
most likely, especially when given more than
one vaccine at a time. (DALPPC, a common
“combo shot,” contains SIX vaccines! If your
vet gives rabies and Bordetella at the same
time, that’s EIGHT!) Multiple vaccines also
make it difficult to figure out which vaccine
caused the reaction. Just one of countless
good reasons not to allow them! You should
wait at least three weeks between shots and
apart from pesticides like heartworm meds.)
Dogs vaccinated when they are not healthy,
dogs with previous adverse reactions to vaccines
and dogs vaccinated within three weeks
of a previous vaccination are also more likely
to react adversely.
How prevalent are reactions? The USDA/
CVB 2008 Report states that “Rabies vaccines
are the most common group of biological
products identified in adverse event
reports received by the CVB.” In 2007, 6,500
reactions were reported for the canine rabies
vaccine alone. Unfortunately, former FDA
commissioner David Kessler estimated that
only 1% of all drug reactions are ever reported
(even for human reactions). Thus, approximately
650,000 rabies vaccine reactions
likely occurred. Add to that more than a
dozen other vaccines also causing reactions.
Worse yet, long-term reactions are seldom
even recognized let alone reported.
What reactions are commonly seen? Common
rabies vaccine reactions, followed by
the percentage of reactions reported to the
USDA (many of which are also reactions to
28 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

other vaccines) include: Vomiting-28.1%;
facial swelling-26.3%; injection site swelling
or lump-19.4%; lethargy-12%; urticaria
(hives)-10.1%; circulatory shock-8.3%; injection
site pain-7.4%; pruritus-7.4%; injection
site alopecia or hair loss-6.9%; death-5.5%;
lack of consciousness-5.5%; diarrhea-4.6%;
hypersensitivity (not specified)-4.6%; fever-4.1%;
anaphylaxis-2.8%; ataxia-2.8%;
lameness-2.8%; general signs of pain-2.3%;
hyperactivity-2.3%; injection site scab or
crust-2.3%;, muscle tremor-2.3%; tachycardia-2.3%;
and thrombocytopenia-2.3%.
Oddly, they don’t list seizures which may occur
after rabies vaccination.
Other reactions considered “possibly related
to vaccination” included acute hypersensitivity
(59%); local reactions (27%); systemic
reactions (which refers to short-term lethargy),
fever, general pain, anorexia, or behavioral
changes, with or without gastrointestinal
disturbances starting within three days after
vaccination (9%); autoimmune disorders
(3%); and other (2%).
What to Do If You Suspect
Your Dog is Having a Vaccine
Reaction
1. Get treatment! Most dogs will get emergency
treatment from a conventional vet —
often from an emergency facility veterinarian
you don’t know. The vet will likely administer
steroids and an antihistamine. These are
the conventional treatments of choice. Most
important at this point is to save your dog’s
life but unless there is a good evidence-based
reason for your dog to get antibiotics, consider
whether or not this is a wise course of
action.
If you have a relationship with a holistic vet
and can get immediate treatment, you will
probably be offered homeopathy and/or acupuncture
— which, unlike steroids and antihistamines,
have no harmful side effects.
If possible, find a vet trained in homeopathy
to treat your dog — to “clear” the bad effects
of the vaccine rather than just suppress the
symptoms.
Watch your dog carefully for new or worsened
symptoms. Report all changes to your
vet. If the symptoms are visual, take a photograph
or videotape what has happened.
2. Document everything! Make sure all vets
treating your dog record any reaction in detail
(even a mild one) in your dog’s file. Ask
the vet to sign the notation about the reaction.
Vets retire, move and lose files so keep a
copy of the file in a safe place along with any
photos or video.
If the reaction was to the rabies vaccine, you’ll
want to ask your vet to apply for a medical
exemption when the shot is due again. Ask
the vet to write a letter now to use later. If
the reaction is to any other vaccine, you may
want to get an exemption from groomers and
boarders who require other vaccines — most
(if not all) of which are unnecessary.
3. Call the vaccine manufacturer. Get the
vaccine brand, serial number and lot number
from the vet who administered the vaccine
to report to the manufacturer (who in turn is
legally required to report the reaction to the
USDA). Ask your vet to report the reaction
but don’t expect that he or she will. The 2006
American Hospital Association Canine Vaccine
Task Force Report pleads with vets, page
after page, to report reactions — because
they seldom do. Vets either don’t link the
health or behavior problem to the vaccine …
or they can’t be bothered. Thus, reactions go
unrecognized and reported, and dangerous
vaccines stay on the market.
If the vaccine can be proven to be at fault,
you may be able to recover your expenses
from the manufacturer. Reporting is in your
best interests.
If, tragically, your dog dies or has to be put
down, ask the manufacturer if they’ll pay for
a necropsy (autopsy). If they won’t pay, but it’s
pretty clear that the vaccine caused the dog’s
death, you might want to pay for it yourself
(if you can) and then go after the manufacturer
for reimbursement. This is especially
important with injection-site tumors.
4. Report the Reaction to the USDA. Go
to the USDA animal vaccine reaction reporting
page to view information on reporting
adverse events. The reporting form can be
accessed from that page and submitted electronically,
or it can be mailed or faxed to the
Center for Veterinary Biologics. Or call the
CVB at (800) 752-6255.
Why should you bother? The only way for
the USDA to track drug reactions is by re-
ceiving reports from vets, pet owners and
manufacturers. Theoretically, if enough reactions
are reported, the drug can be recalled.
5. Report your vet. If your vet didn’t advise
you about possible reactions before vaccination,
or let you know if the vaccine was even
necessary, file a report with your state veterinary
medical association. Find the medical
board by doing a web search of terms like
your state’s name and “Veterinary Medical
Board” or “Veterinary Medical Examiners.”
In some states, they’ll tell you if your vet has
a history of negligence. In others, they won’t
tell you anything. Filing a report can result
in no action being taken, so be prepared to
be disappointed. But do it anyway. Multiple
complaints can make a difference.
Wait until you’ve gotten everything you need
from your vet before filing the complaint.
Also, fire that vet and tell him or her why.
6. Take More Action. If your vet’s behavior
was particularly negligent and harmful,
especially if the vet is with a large corporate
practice, consider contacting your state’s Attorney
General and/or a local television consumer
reporter and/or the Better Business
Bureau. Laws are changing because consumers
take action.
7. Stop vaccinating unnecessarily. Your vet
should have told you before vaccinating that
parvovirus (one “P” in DALPPC) lasts nine
years to a lifetime; the same with distemper
(D). The L, leptospirosis, shouldn’t be given
to a small dog unless there’s an epidemic. C,
Coronavirus, is for a very mild, rare disease
of very young puppies. It’s often called a vaccine
looking for a disease. A is for adenovirus
2, a disease virtually unknown in North
America. Read more about your vet’s duties
to get your informed consent. DNM
Jan Rasmusen is the author of Scared Poopless:
The Straight Scoop on Dog Care, winner
of several national awards. She recently hosted
San Diego’s Safer Pet Vaccination and Health
Care Seminar benefiting the Rabies Challenge
Fund. World renowned pet vaccination scientists
W. Jean Dodds, DVM, and Ronald D.
Schultz, PhD, spoke and a DVD of the event is
available at www.dogs4dogs.com/saferpet.
Learn more about rabies vaccination at www.
truth4dogs.org and about vaccination in
general at www.dogs4dogs.com/shots and at
www.truth4dogs.com.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 29

VETERINARY ACUPUNCTURE
by: Julie Mayer DVM CVA CVC CCRP
Acupuncture (From the Latin acus, “needle”, and pungere, “prick”) is
a technique of inserting and manipulating fine needles into points on
the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture points are known as
Shu Xue. Shu = passing or communication and Xue = a hole or an
outlet. The original meaning of Shu Xue is a hole in the skin that
communicates with one or more internal organs by way of a meridian
(Jing) or its collateral (Luo). Most of these points are located on
a meridian which is a well-defined energetic channel that runs externally
and internally along specific pathways on the body. Stimulating
acupuncture points with a prick, pressure, electricity, heat, photons,
etc., activates the body’s natural healing abilities. Acupuncture is a
complete medical system that is used to diagnose and treat illness,
prevent disease, and improve well-being.
Acupuncture works by correcting imbalances in the flow of Qi
(sometimes translated as “vital energy”) within the body. The Qi
moves throughout the body via the meridians, which are also energetically
connected to the internal organs. The Qi can be accessed and
manipulated by the acupuncture points along the meridians. These
points can be stimulated by the use of needling, mild electric current,
warmed with herbs (moxibustion) or application of a low-intensity
laser or tui-na.
Acupuncture originated in China and India about 3000-5000 years
ago. Text books have been recovered with writings of the practice of
acupuncture and there are hieroglyphics depicting acupuncture on
humans and animals. It is said that veterinary acupuncture was first
discovered when lame battle horses were found to become sound after
being hit by arrows at distinct points. Regardless, interest in veterinary
acupuncture followed its use in humans since livestock was
very important for survival. The human acupuncture points and meridians
were transposed to the four legged animals.
As transportation developed, humans were able to visit other regions
and parts of the world and brought with them their culture. Eventually,
the first veterinary acupuncture report was published in England
in 1828 by the British Veterinary Association in The Veterinarian.
Pioneers of Veterinary Acupuncture founded the National Association
of Veterinary Acupuncture in 1973 in the United States. The
International Veterinary Acupuncture Society arose out of NAVA in
1974. The Japanese Society of Veterinary Acupuncture and Moxibustion
was formed in 1979.
As the practice of acupuncture became contagious around the world,
government organizations began researching and examining its practical
use and validity. Here if a brief recent timeline:
• The World Health Organization concluded in 1979 that “Acupuncture
is clearly not a panacea for all ills but sheer weight of
evidence demands that acupuncture must be taken seriously as a
clinical procedure of considerable value.”
• In 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified
acupuncture needles as medical instruments and assured
their safety and effectiveness.
• In 1997, the US National Institute of Health issued a report titled:
“Acupuncture: The NIH Consensus Statement” and determined:
a. acupuncture is useful for treating many conditions
b. the side effects of acupuncture are considerably less adverse
compared to other medical procedures such as surgery or
pharmaceuticals
c. that U.S. insurance companies should provide full cover
age of acupuncture treatment for certain conditions
Julie Mayer DVM CVA CVC CCRP
INTEGRATIVE VETERINARIAN
Holistic Healing Acupuncture
Homeopathy Nutrition
Rehabilitation Chiropractic
Herbs Mach Morsels
Sports Medicine Reiki
Flower Essences Seminars and Webinars
Integrativeveterinarian.com
Dr.julie@integrativeveterinarian.com
30 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

There are many styles and different ways to stimulate acupuncture
points and meridians. The most commonly use methods are:
1. Dry Needles: needling with traditional acupuncture needles
2. Moxibustion: mugwort herb is used to heat the inserted needles
3. Electroacupuncture: electrodes are placed on the needles to
deliver a microcurrent
4. Aquapuncture: injections of a solution (liquid vitamins, herbs,
homeopathics, etc.)
5. Laser: cold laser light directly applied to the acupuncture point
6. Acupressure: digital pressure applied to the acupuncture point
Some Benefits of acupuncture:
• Acupuncture can be used instead of or integrated with traditional
medicine
• Often acupuncture allows a decrease in the amount of pain medication
• Improves performance and recovery times of athletes
• Increases local blood circulation to enhance healing
• Physiologic, clinical, and scientific evidence makes it a viable
treatment option
In my practice I use acupuncture to treat many disorders such as:
• Pain management: block or alter the perception of pain by releasing
endorphins
• Modulate inflammation
• Decrease muscle spasms when acupuncture needles are inserted
into trigger points. (a component of any chronic pain problem
and of the pain-spasm-pain cycle)
• Balance hormone levels
• Regulate the nervous system
• Release Endorphins
• Release Melatonin (antioxidant, stimulates immune system and
regulates the circadian rhythm)
• Bring Nutrition and O2 to the cells to improve function
• Neurological Disorders- epilepsy, degenerative myelopathy, paralysis,
pain
• Musculoskeletal Issues- osteoarthritis, trauma, muscle spasms
• Cardiac disease- cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, congestive heart
failure
• Immune System Disorders- allergies, immunosuppression (by
increasing antibody production), chronic infections, some cancers
• Skin Diseases- dermatitis, parasites, atopy/allergies
• Urinary Tract Diseases- kidney disease, infections, stones, incontinence
• Digestive Tract Disorders- inflammatory bowel disease, colitis,
mega colon
Further clinical research must be done for acupuncture to gain broader
acceptance in this country. Though every effort must be made to
simplify an understanding of this modality to complement Western
veterinary scientific methods, it must be understood that the practice
of traditional acupuncture operates from a different paradigm of
health which is hard to measure.
Regardless, veterinary holistic health care is on the rise since more
humans are being treated with complementary modalities. Americans
who are realizing the benefits for themselves are seeking similar
treatments for their pets. Give it a try! You can only improve the
quality of life for you and your pets! DNM
Dr. Julie Mayer has been practicing veterinary medicine in Chicago
since 1991. She has dedicated most of her career to holistic medicine
and rehabilitation. Dr. Mayer owned Integrative Pet Care and operated
Therapet, two rehabilitation and holistic centers in Illinois. Dr Mayer
was named one of “Chicago’s Best Vets” by Chicago Magazine and most
recently received the 2010 Iams Eukanuba AARV Award for excellence
in the field of Veterinary Rehabilitation.
Beth Lowell
Paintings of animals and pet portraits
www.bethlowellfineart.com
beth@bethlowell.com (973)963-6464
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 31

y: Susan Jenkins
I use a clicker but I do not consider myself a clicker trainer, in the
purest sense. My first exposure to clicker training was at a Karen
Pryor seminar in 1992 (I still have my clickers from the seminar
and my autographed copy of Don’t Shoot the Dog). It was pretty
foreign to me since I grew up in the era of aversion training—or
yank and jerk. By the time I had begun training Caleb, my current
competition Lab, I had been doing something similar to clicker
training by marking the behavior with a “YES!” and feeding. I began
doing more clicker training with Caleb due to his insecurity
with me leaving him on the signal stand and the moving stand in
Utility. I also helped his insecurity by clicking on the go-outs when
he turned, sat and stayed. I would then walk out to give him his
treat. I am not a clicker trainer, per se, but will say that without using
the clicker with Caleb on the Utility exercises, I would not have
gotten as far as I have with him.
Since Micah came to me clicker trained, I continued using the clicker
in much of his training, including starting the foundation of the
Utility exercises. This included touching whatever I pointed to which
led to touching whatever is in front of him. Eventually, when we are
showing in Utility, the correction on the go-outs will be the command
to ‘go touch’. Currently, ‘go touch’ has become quite a game for
him with pylons! In my training center, I have pylons that are about
three feet high and because they are so large, it was a natural thing to
begin to teach him to run and touch. Well, if that is what you want
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to call it—it is more like flying through the air and hitting the pylon
with all four feet at one time followed by landing on top of them! It
is rather hard to not laugh at this exuberant black Lab ‘touching’ the
pylons with that big Labby smile he has! It is difficult instructing my
classes using him as a demo dog with this exercise because everyone
just laughs and laughs, which gets him more and more excited. So,
need I say some of the issues we have had in the rally ring where pylons
are very abundant? How embarrassing it is to be running a course
without your dog because he is still at the pylons touching them!
Because I am not a pure clicker trainer, I created some problems.
My first problem was with training Micah on the retrieve with his
dumb bell. For him, grabbing the bell and running around, throwing
it up in the air and pouncing on it was much more fulfilling
than getting a treat. When I would try adding some distance, he
would break the wait, grab the bell, and gleefully run through the
training building, tossing his bell into the air followed by pouncing
on it. What a fun game! Consequently I had to shorten things up,
keeping things under control (as much as you can with an exuberant
Lab puppy). This included having my foot on the end of the
bell, keeping him on a six-foot lead and teaching him how to take a
correction. To most the term correction is equated to punishment
but another definition is to help guide to a predetermined path of
perfection. So, correction does not always mean punishment. In
correcting with the retrieve, I had my foot on the bell to keep him
on the straight and narrow.
Another issue I mistakenly created was with the scent articles. Once
Micah had a retrieve, I began teaching the scent discrimination using
the clicker. Within a day or two he was working the whole pile,
both leather and metal. I noticed a problem though: if I did not
click when he indicated the correct article he did not pick it up to
bring it back. I asked my instructor what I had done wrong, knowing
it was me and not him creating the problem. She told me he
was dependent on the click to reassure him that he had the correct
article. Within a couple of days of telling him to come as soon as
he indicated the article, Micah understood what I wanted. Now he
32 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

is doing wonderful articles even with distractions. All in all, I had
taught the scent articles for Utility in a few days using the clicker.
Since I compete with my dogs, conditioning is important so we
walk quite a bit. It was on one of these walks in my neighborhood
that I had a proud Mom moment but was very grateful that no
one had a camera. I was walking my two boys, thinking Micah
was starting to mature and would soon begin to lift his leg. With
females, the sign of them starting to mature is when they come into
season. For those of us with boys, it’s when they start to lift their
leg. We live in the middle of a city with commercial buildings at
the end of our block and at the end of the last private driveway is a
concrete divider. So here I am walking my boys thinking that soon
Micah would become a ‘man.’ You know how we ‘Moms’ are about
those milestones in our kids’ lives. So we are at the end of that
driveway when Micah lifted his leg for the first time and I was so
proud that he was becoming a man! So proud that I never noticed
the concrete divider, tripped over it, and fell in the middle of the
parking lot! If anyone saw what I was doing, I am sure they had
a good laugh! Like I said, I was so grateful no one had taped it. I
could just see the comments—“Lady excited about Lab lifting leg
for first time falls and is hospitalized!” Or worse—having it show
up on YouTube!
Another sign of maturity with Micah was his bowel habits. I was
so thrilled having a puppy that was weaned to raw and he came
home loving chicken, beef, goat—well everything, actually. He is
a Labrador after all. After a few weeks, I began noticing that after
eating chicken he would have terrible, loose stool. So I started
feeding more beef. Not long after that I noticed the loose stool with
beef too. What was going on?! I talked to his holistic vet and we
could not come up with any answers. We ran all the normal tests
and some that were not so normal. This just should not be with a
raw fed dog of any age. So, he started getting slippery elm in with
his food and although it helped, I would still have issues with some
beef and some chicken.
On top of that I could not get any weight on him. He went from
being this nice plump Lab puppy to this gawky animal with spider
legs. I sent a picture of him to his breeder and she was mortified
and asked “Where did those spider legs come from?” She was concerned
that I was not feeding him enough. I kept reassuring her
that I was feeding him plenty. My dog food bill was proof! But
we still continued to have issues with loose stool and not keeping
weight on him. Then one day I tried to feed chicken backs again
with a little left over goat that they had not finished. Not a problem!
Wonderful stool! Tried it again and more nice stool. I started
getting beef from yet another source and he does not seem to have
a problem with it. Finally! No loose stool! I told my holistic vet
about what I did with the chicken backs and she had to admit it
was interesting. Within less than a month he gained over twelve
pounds. When I took him in to get weighed, she was shocked!
Immediately she drew blood to send off for a thyroid panel, which
thankfully came back normal. Even feeding has been an adventure
for Micah!
Another thing my husband and I learned early on with Micah was
that he is an escape artist. I get home from my training center between
9:30 and 10 p.m. each night. One evening, I had taken a load
of stuff into the house leaving the boys in their crates. I went to go
back out to get the boys and there was Micah at the side door sitting
and looking in. My heart stopped! We have a lot of feral cats
in our neighborhood, along with coons, possums and skunks--all
kinds of critters that could be fun to chase. I very calmly opened
the door and let him in, letting him know that he was a good boy.
Another time I had a private client scheduled so I gave the boys a
nice recreational bone. Caleb stays in the x-pen in my office and
Micah goes into one of the crates in the back room. I was in the
middle of the private session when Micah came flying out into the
big room with that happy Labby smile and jumped into my lap.
Thankfully it was not an aggressive dog that I was dealing with!
Needless to say it was not long after that we got new crates for my
car—ones that are double action. Hopefully, it will be a while before
he learns how to 'jimmy' those crates and escape. DNM
Susan Jenkins has been training and competing for almost 30 years,
and presently owns Papp’s Dog Services in Akron, Ohio. Before getting
her first purebred Lab, Susan was involved in horses, and was
even getting ready to show but happened into a dog show with obedience
and was hooked!
Susan is currently working on her AKC Obedience Trial Championship
with her yellow Lab, Caleb, and will soon start competing with
her black Lab, Micah. Her desire is to give people the tools they need
to have a well behaved member of the family and to introduce more
people into the sport of obedience.
Micah with his pylon
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 33

Homeopathy in the aging dog
by: Christopher Day DVM
A lovely old Border Collie was brought in to see me a few months ago.
He had a bit of a problem with his skin, which his human companion
wished to see cured. Bruce waddled into the consulting room with
that air of authority and confidence that only a senior canine citizen
can exude. He carefully and slowly creaked to a sitting position and
looked up at me for some sort of approbation.
Of course, he received that, in spades. He was a fine, dignified, cheeky
old fellow and endeared himself to me straight away. “Bit creaky?”
says I. The lady who had brought him in clearly doted on him and
said, ruefully, “what else can we expect at his age?”
This brief interchange, under the scrutiny of this wonderful old dog,
summed up for me so much that is wrong in our culture. What is this
disease called ‘old age’? Age is an accident of time and has NOTHING
to do with disease. Only if we are not in balance, does our in-built
‘health system’ deteriorate as we age. There is absolutely no rule that
says we have to suffer disease more as we grow older. There is no rule
that says we cannot die healthy, when our time runs out, when we
reach the end of our rope. There is, of course, a natural ageing process
of degeneration but this should not cause significant malfunction.
So it is for dogs, too. Give them a fresh, healthy and appropriate diet,
keep off the over-vaccination bandwagon (there is no science to support
annual boosters and in fact there is evidence to the contrary),
give them a loving and happy home, attend to any injuries promptly
and thoroughly, with natural healing methods, to prevent later complications
and they will reward you with a healthy, active and funloving
old age.
We are very fortunate at home. Our 15 year old Terrier acts like a
puppy. She has all her teeth. She is twice as knowing and artful as
when she was a pup. She looks like she could go on for years. Long
may she enjoy this sort of health. She is now seeing it as her duty
to discipline our new 7 week old Border Collie puppy rescue, who
joined us last month.
Back to Bruce the Collie. His skin was flaky and smelly. His coat
failed to shine. His nose was a bit dry and crusty. He had greying
eyes, the signs of cataract. He was a little arthritic in his hips. All this
spoke of the ‘sycotic miasm’ or ‘sycosis’, a pattern of disease which is
a common enough sequel to dutiful revaccination throughout life. I
examined him. His heart was good. His appetite was good. He had no
trouble with stool and waterworks, apart from a tendency to wobble
a bit when crouching and having difficulty lifting his leg, which was
a bit humiliating for such a proud old chap. His tail carriage spoke to
me of prostate trouble, so I checked him in that department and, sure
enough, a swollen and sore prostate gland (also part of the sycotic
miasm). Upon enquiring, I was told that yes, he had been a ‘real boy’
when younger and still was a bit of a lad. Definitely one for the ladies!
Modern wisdom might suggest castration, as the way forward. Homeopathic
wisdom suggested Thuja. This remedy fitted so well with
his whole symptom picture and, yes, he was feeling the cold a bit
these days.
A full check at the AVMC includes a look at the back. His back and
pelvis had some significant misalignments. Correction of these by
34 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Chiropractic manipulation immediately altered his demeanour and
posture, in a seemingly miraculous way. Yes, Bruce was going to stage
a significant recovery from most of his problems, I was sure. He may
need Acupuncture later.
Just as the saying tells us: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old,
we grow old because we stop playing”, so we must look at preventing
‘old age’ diseases, while the ‘patient’ is still in youth. Diet and lifestyle
are desperately important. Bones to chew are essential to skeletal and
dental health. If we have a dog, who has reached older age with many
problems, because we didn’t know about such things when he was
younger, is it too late? The simple answer is “No”. The body retains
healing capacity up until death. It is true that we may not see 100%
recovery, healing processes could be slower and the dog may not live
long enough to complete the job. We should, however, be able to start
a reversal, which should restore enough health to make life a lot more
enjoyable and worthwhile.
What can Homeopathy offer the older dog, who is showing signs of
wear and tear? Rhus toxicodendron 6c, twice daily, is wonderful for
the stiffness that worsens in cold damp weather, is worse on rising
and eases off with a little exercise. Causticum is a wonderful ‘older
dog’ remedy. It suits stiffness worse for cold, bright weather and better
for warm and damp conditions. More than this, it has strong indications
in the weakness (and tendency to paralysis in extreme states)
which some older dogs show and it will help certain ‘canine stroke’
cases. Baryta carbonica can suit the old chap who may be losing some
of his marbles. Confusion and a tendency to overweight characterise
it. Ambra grisea is well-suited to a general ageing and weariness. If
the heart is playing up, rather than rush to high-tech pharmacological
solutions as a first line, one can consider Crataegus, in ‘mother
tincture’ form. It is a wonderful heart strengthener, along with that
good old stand-by for the prevention or slowing of age-related degeneration,
Vitamin E. In experienced hands, Digitalis in low potency
can be invaluable in heart treatment. This can be a ‘dangerous’ drug,
however, if not handled correctly, so caution is counselled. If there is
a ‘heart cough’, from lung congestion, then Apis mellifica or Spongia
tosta may have a part to play. Herbs may help in this case. Taraxacum
(dandelion) is a great stand-by, as a herbal diuretic. There are, of
course, other homeopathic treatments of use in heart conditions, but
these few will do a great deal in most cases.
If the kidneys are playing up, Mercurius solubilis, Phosphorus or
Kali chloricum may be needed. If the hind legs are giving way, with
no obvious pathology and no X-Ray signs, then Conium can prove
useful. Constitutional remedies that are possibly better suited than
many others to our notion of older dogs, who may have degenerative
processes at work, are Lycopodium, Sepia, Calcarea carbonica and
Causticum.
A natural part of life is death, however paradoxical that statement
may seem. In the evening of life, it is inevitable that there is a risk
of death. We must not begrudge our dear animal companions their
final earthly journey. In a really healthy body, death appears to be
organised, just as well as living is. Thankfully, a great many of my old
patients find their own way out, in a time, place and manner of their
own choosing. This is lovely when we stop to think about it. Horrible
though it is to lose them, how comforting it is to know that they did
not die a minute before they wished and did not suffer the so-called
‘agonies’ of death. I firmly believe that our modern lifestyle, diet and
management culture lead to a decreasing chance of this natural and
pain-free way out for our beloved canine companions. If there appears
to be a problem for the dying dog, when he appears to be unable
to make up his mind which way he is wanting to go or cannot
find the resources to help himself, then high potency Arsenicum, or
in some dogs Tarentula, will often help decisions. If he is needing to
join the spirit world, it will often enable him, gently and calmly, to do
just that. If he really doesn’t want to go, then it seems able to help him
to bounce back with renewed vigour.
If all this fails and life has, sadly, become a burden to our friend, then
it is our duty to help him on his way, with compassionate euthanasia.
This is usually done very sensitively by a veterinary surgeon. I would
want my own dog to die at home and in my arms. Most vets will accommodate
that sort of wish. Terrible though it is to contemplate
having to do this to our friend, we owe him the right to leave life just
as he lived it, with dignity and composure.
In Bruce’s case, we can shelve all thoughts of such things. He has
bounced back in that really rewarding way some dogs seem able to
do. Not only does he seem to be in very good health already, he also
seems to be improving daily. Rock on! DNM
Chirstopher Day is a holistic vet, natural vet, homeopathic vet, herbal
vet (herb vet/herbs vet), chiropractic vet, acupuncture vet and complementary
vet, with more than 38 years of experience in the field. He
provides veterinary expertise in the Alternative Veterinary Medicine
Centre in Oxfordshire, England.
Copyright © 2007 AVMC
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Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 35

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What’s in
Your
Pet’s
WATER?
by: Joanne Suresh
Our environment is constantly bombarded with toxic waste, by-products and gases
from large manufacturing corporations, pharmaceutical companies and a host of other
industries. The earth’s most precious resource, its water supply, is also laden with toxic
pollutants, including our public water supply. What is it in water that makes it so toxic
to humans and pets?
Fluoride – the enemy within
Fluoride is a chemical ion of the element fluorine. Fluoride can be found in the earth’s
crust, water, soil and in minerals such as fluorite and fluorapatite. In its natural state,
fluoride is harmless. The fluoride that is added to our water however, is synthesized
fluoride. We are all familiar with this form of fluoride as it is present in toothpaste and
mouthwash and is purported to prevent tooth decay. Opponents of fluoride however,
claim that this it has been proven to be ineffective and does not provide any significant
cavity-protecting effects.
Fluoride is a by-product of fluorine gas which is common to both aluminum and nuclear
industries. The cost of neutralization and disposal for this hazardous industrial
waste is about $1.40 per gallon. Not surprisingly, campaigns were initiated to promote
36 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fluoride as a wonder product with the ability to prevent tooth decay.
As a result of this marketing strategy, many municipalities now pay
these corporations to add fluoride to their water supply. Because the
use of fluoride has become so widespread, a significant amount of the
fluoride found in municipal water supplies is imported from China
to meet demand. This fluoride has been found to be contaminated
with heavy metals.
Fluoride is a Class 2 environmental toxin, second only to arsenic in
its danger as a biochemically reactive poison. Fluoride’s primary use
is as a rat and cockroach poison and it is a known carcinogen. Historically,
fluoride was also used in Nazi Germany ghettos and prison
camps to sterilize the human inmates. Research chemist Charles Perkins
stated that repeated ingestion of low doses of fluoride over a long
period of time destroyed areas of the human brain that trigger resistance
so it also functioned to make inmates more docile.
More recent research shows that fluoride ingestion can cause dental
fluorosis (disease of the teeth), weakening of bones, bone loss, bone
cancer, kidney disease, osteosarcoma and hormone disruption. It can
also lead to reduced IQ levels and cognitive damage. Due to the controversial
findings on the fluoridation of water, a number of western
European countries such as Austria, Germany, and Belgium have
prohibited the practice of adding fluoride to their water. In fact, 98%
of Europe is now free of fluoridated water.
When the water supply is fluoridated, it follows that the food supply
will be as well. Water is consumed by our food animals, it is used for
agriculture and crops, and it will wash into our rivers and oceans, affecting
marine life. As we consume fruits, juices, meat and eggs, we
are constantly ingesting small amounts of fluoride. It is difficult to
estimate just how much fluoride each person is consuming on a daily
basis. It is important to note however, that the effects of fluoride are
cumulative and irreversible, so even small amounts can wreak havoc
over time.
Racetracks in Southern CA such as Santa Anita, Del Mar and Hollywood
Park have reported significant rises in bone breakage in horses.
Fluoridation in the water causes horses to develop pathological
bone structure and other irreversible damage which worsens with
consumption. Since the San Diego Wild Animal Park began using
fluoridated water, the elephant show has been permanently cancelled
with one animal reportedly having mental derangement. Their zebras
were also isolated in a separate pen for sudden and unusually
aggressive behavior. The Australian state of Victoria announced the
recent euthanization of hundreds of Kangaroos due to acute fluoride
poisoning. The poisonings resulted from emissions of fluoride from
the Alcoa aluminum smelter which were absorbed by local vegetation
on which the kangaroos forage. It was reported that more than
200 kangaroos suffered from lameness caused by fluorosis, had developed
dental fluorosis and they also suffered from excessive bone
growth and lesions on their ankles, calves and paws.
Significant amounts of fluoride can also be readily found in pet foods
and the consequences are just as dire for our pets. A study conducted
by the EPA (Environmental Work Group) found high levels of fluoride
contamination in eight major brands of dog food. The primary
source of fluoride contamination appeared to be bone meal and oth-
er animal by-products used as filler. One vegetarian brand and one
brand by a small manufacturer tested negative for fluoride contamination.
Osteosarcoma, which can be caused by fluoride, is the most common
primary bone tumor in dogs, occurring in over 8, 000 dogs each year
in the United States. Osteosarcoma occurs primarily in larger breeds,
probably due to large breed dogs being exposed to higher levels of
fluoride compared to smaller sized dogs. When selecting a dog food,
it is important to avoid by-products from beef, chicken and turkey
as these contain the highest amounts of fluoride. The safest option
is to switch to a raw or home prepared diet which allows you to be in
control of the ingredients.
As for eliminating fluoride from water, you may want to consider distilled
water or installing a reverse osmosis system. Avoid toothpaste
with fluoride, and if feeding your dog fruits and vegetables, try to
obtain organic produce that is organic.
Boron can function to remove fluoride from drinking water. Larger
amounts can be toxic, but a small pinch added to drinking water is
enough to safely remove any fluoride. Iodine can also detoxify the
body from fluoride accumulation. Kelp and iodine supplements
combining iodine and potassium iodide are most effective. Because
iodine can cause calcium depletion, it is important to note that calcium/magnesium
may need to be added to the diet. Other substances
purported to help remove fluorine from the body include apple pectin,
zeolite minerals, turmeric, cayenne, parsley, chlorella and cilantro.
Even though synthesized fluoride is almost impossible to avoid,
there are options available to detoxify and reduce exposure.
Municipalities throughout North America are practicing medicine
without a license by injecting this toxic substance into the public water
supply without the consent of the people drinking the water. This
practice is in violation of FDA regulations, state medical laws and
federal laws. Thankfully, there are some cities in the United States
and Canada that have rejected the fluoridation of their water supply.
If you are not sure if your city water is fluoridated, you can obtain a
water report from your water department website. All water services
must post an annual water quality report and the levels of all chemicals
and additives must be reported.
If you are concerned about fluoride exposure, you may wish to write
a letter to your state officials, your local senator, or a state board. You
can opt to join your town meeting and educate the public about the
dangers of fluoridating your city’s water. Individual cities have the
option of removing fluoride from their water supply, so your participation
in council meetings and public education can make a difference
and end the senseless poisoning of ourselves, our children and
our pets. DNM
Joanne Suresh majored in Physiology and Psychology and has always
been surrounded by dogs, ranging from strays to purebreds. Her interest
in homeopathy and healthy living began right from the start as her
mother was also an advocate. Joanne worked in a cancer clinic that
provided alternative cancer treatments and is a Reiki master. She continues
to advocate healthy living, for both herself and her black Labrador
Taj.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 37

Toxic Pesticides
Reversing The Damage
by: Deva Khalsa VMD
The advent of easy to use spot-on products has made flea and
tick prevention convenient for many pet owners. Certain ticks
can carry dangerous diseases so we’ve all become extra careful
with our prevention routine.
As a veterinarian, I’ve been taught that the majority of these
products are harmless and safe, but evidence now shows that
both the ‘active’ and some ‘inactive’ ingredients in the spot- on
preparations have been linked to serious health effects both in laboratory
animals and in pets.
The Washington-based Center for Public Integrity (CPI), a nonprofit
investigative news organization, and the National Resources Defense
Council, an environmental advocacy group, have both published reports
about the safety of prescription and over-the-counter flea and
tick treatments.
Dr. Dobozy of the EPA’s Pesticide Division has found that the active
ingredient (fipronil) in Frontine remains in a pet’s system with the
potential for nervous system and thyroid toxicity. Tests on laboratory
animals resulted in thyroid cancer and altered thyroid hormones,
liver and kidney toxicity, reduced fertility and convulsions. Frontline’s
web site creates the impression that the product stays in the oil
glands of the skin. But Dr. Dobozy’s study showed that, in fact, it
does enter the body and the organ systems.
Advantage contains the active ingredient Imidacloprid. In laboratory
studies Imidacoprid has been found to increase cholesterol levels
in dogs, cause thyroid lesions, create liver toxicity, and has the
potential for damaging the liver, heart, lungs, spleen, adrenals, brain,
and gonads. As a neurotoxin, it can cause incoordination along with
labored breathing and muscle weakness. When this drug was tested
after its introduction in 1994, researchers found an increase in the
frequency of birth defects when it was tested on rats, mice and dogs.
In the Journal of Pesticide Reform, author Caroline Cox exposes thyroid
lesions as a result of exposure to imidacloprid.
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. Data from pyrethroid-based insecticides was
recently made public through the Freedom of Information Act and
analyzed by CPI. According to CPI, from 2002 through 2007, at
least 1,600 pet deaths related to spot-on treatments with the above
mentioned ingredients 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 the “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 as well as increased aggressive behavior
and learning problems. Vectra #D, the new guy on the block, contains
36.08% Permethrins.
As a result of all this newly revealed information in the CPI’s report,
the EPA in April 2009 announced it was taking a closer look at all
spot-on flea and tick products. 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.
Medical problems that have become common in our dogs and cats
could potentially be linked to these previously “believed to be innocuous”
spot-on products.
The laundry list of the toxins our pets are exposed to on a daily basis
has the potential to result in a multitude of diseases in our dogs
and cats. A recent study showed that bladder cancer in Scotties was
linked to lawn chemicals. The bottom line is that our pets our constantly
exposed to a variety of toxins and we need to provide them
with the tools to flush these dangerous chemicals out of their bodies.
38 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

The good news is that new research is providing us with solutions.
Studies show that kale cleans up after the party, dumping carcinogens
and toxins out of the cells at least six times faster than in control
groups. Kale and broccoli are considered super-foods for they have
special phytochemicals that help prevent disease. Phytochemicals are
compounds found in plants and nature that help prevent or eliminate
disease. John Hopkins Medical School discovered the first phytochemical
in kale in 1992. Since then hundreds have been discovered.
While we can’t put our pets in a bubble before we take them out for a
walk, there are healthy ways of helping them to cope.
Health oriented magazines repeatedly tell us that if we eat more
colored fruits and vegetables our own cancer risk is cut by 30%. A
sad fact is that cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over two
years of age. This sage advice about phytochemicals in colored fruits
and vegetables and their cancer preventing qualities for humans may
apply equally well for our dogs and cats.
It all comes down to the cell and how well it can repair itself. Somehow
we’ve expected our dogs and cats to stay healthy on highly processed,
heated and compressed prepared pet foods. These foods don’t
have the tools our pets need to cope with the toxic environment they
live in. If your Maytag Man doesn’t have his tools he won’t be able to
fix your washing machine. Similarly, without the necessary tools, our
pets don’t have what they desperately need to stay healthy. Every dog
needs a daily serving of a complete and balanced supplement with vitamins,
minerals and phytochemicals to help them stay healthier and
live longer. Adding lightly steamed or pureed vegetables to your pet’s
meal every day may also help the cells stay healthy. A good multivitamin
may also provide the necessary tools for your dog to stay healthy.
Quality supplementation may be the best ‘supplemental’ health insurance
you can give your dog! It’s so important, in today’s toxic
world, to fill in all the gaps in your dog’s nutrition and provide him
with all the tools he needs to stay healthy. DNM
Dr. Khalsa earned her degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s
School of Veterinary Medicine in 1981. From her earliest years as a veterinarian,
Dr. Khalsa trained in homeopathy, along with many other
holistic modalities, and soon began developing her own treatment protocols
drawing from her rapidly growing knowledge base.
Since beginning her holistically oriented veterinary practice over 25
years ago, Dr. Khalsa has been incorporating homeopathy, acupuncture,
Chinese Herbs, nutritional advice, allergy-elimination techniques
such as N.A.E.T and also J.M.T. into her approach. Today her work is
a blend of sophisticated holistic techniques and traditional veterinary
medicine designed to best enhance the natural strengths and attributes
of her patient.
Aside from her impressive career and dedication to teaching within
the veterinary world, Dr. Khalsa loves sharing her knowledge with the
public. She coauthored, ‘Healing Your Horse: Alternative Therapies’
(Howell Book House, 1993), and most recently authored, ‘Dr. Khalsa’s
Natural Dog’ (Kennel Club Books, 2009), a book best described as a
‘holistic bible’ for dog owners. Dr. Khalsa is a Fellow and Professor of
the British Institute of Homeopathy. She has lectured both nationally
and internationally.
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Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 39

your dog is a
political issue
by: Catherine O’Driscoll
I have believed, for many years, that the wellbeing
of our four-legged friends is closely related
to politics. Our governments, it seems
to me, are dragons who eat people and pets
whole. I appreciate that some readers will
think that what I say next has nothing to do
with the dogs – but it has everything to do
with them.
A couple of years ago, the banks messed up
and threatened the collapse of the international
money system. So our governments
borrowed money – from banks – to bail out
the banks. Now the banks are doing very
nicely thank you, and their executives have
kept their outrageous bonuses. But the ordinary
people are facing austerities, job losses
and financial ruin in order to pay back the
money the governments borrowed to give to
the banks. Meanwhile, the banks are strangling
the money supply by refusing to give
loans which keep money in circulation. Putting
money in circulation, as all economists
know, is a good way to end a recession. So is
this deliberate or what?
This affects us and our dogs on a very practical
level. I know people, for example, who
have lost their homes. They have given their
dogs away because there is nowhere for them
to live together. I know people who cannot
afford to feed themselves or their dogs or
heat their homes – when, before the banks
messed up, they could.
Since my own dogs began to die of vaccineinduced
disease, I have been watching and
observing. I watched when, two weeks after
I sent out a press release about a cancer-causing
flea control chemical called Carbaryl, it
was withdrawn from sale in children’s head
lice shampoo. I also observed that the veterinary
licensing body, the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate (VMD) had a meeting with
flea control product manufacturers and gave
them 18 months to use their stocks up on
dogs. Carbaryl, incidentally, is more carcinogenic
to dogs than to any other species.
I observed that when Canine Health Concern
attended a meeting at the VMD to discuss
the traceability of veterinary medicines,
we were the only animal welfare organisation
in attendance. I also observed that pharmaceutical
industry representatives blocked our
inexpensive software solution which would
enable veterinarians and government licensing
bodies to easily trace adverse reactions to
veterinary drugs and vaccines, and the VMD
let them block positive change.
When Canine Health Concern conducted
research into adverse reactions occurring
post-vaccination in dogs, the VMD asked
to scrutinise our research. We said yes, willingly
– but we stipulated that an individual
without pharmaceutical industry ties should
do the scrutinising. The VMD put up a professor
with pharmaceutical industry ties. We
asked them to appoint an independent. They
said no.
The VMD then launched a working party to
look into canine and feline vaccines in the
UK. Guess what. This so-called independent
working group was comprised of individuals
who took consultancy money and
grants from the pharmaceutical industry.
And guess what they recommended? They
said we should carry on vaccinating our dogs
and cats every year. This is despite the fact
that, since the 1970s, it has been known that
dogs and cats remain immune to viral disease
for years or life.
I’ve seen, over and over again, that if concerned
dog lovers write to their political
representatives to have annual vaccination
stopped, or to have redundant one-year vaccines
withdrawn from the market, they simply
get the brush-off from the licensing body
– the VMD – and our politicians do nothing.
Jonathan Powell was chief of staff to Tony
Blair, a recent British prime minister. In his
book, The New Machiavelli, he revealed that
the power of the British prime minister is “illusory
… like the crock of gold at the end of
the rainbow”. Civil service mandarins and
newspaper proprietors seem to be wielding
real power, he said.
The head of the VMD has written to us to
say that he does not have the power to withdraw
redundant one-year vaccines from the
market, and we must write to the secretary of
state. But the secretary of state takes her advice
from the VMD. We know this because if
we write to our political representatives, they
write to the secretary of state, and she consults
the VMD. Then we get a non-answer,
and intransigence, back from the VMD.
It hasn’t gone beyond my notice that the
head of the VMD speaks at pharmaceutical
industry events and appears overly chummy
with the industry he’s been appointed to
oversee. I’ve also observed that VMD staff
receive money by way of research grants and
consultancy fees from the very industry they
are supposed to be regulating. But if anyone
complains, they just get told that VMD staff
are people of the highest integrity.
In which case, why are one-year vaccines still
on the market? They simply facilitate overvaccination,
and leave our animals open to
vaccine-induced disease. They have no practical
use or benefit. Their existence facilitates
fraud. The VMD, incidentally, relies upon
the pharmaceutical industry for the large
part of its income.
40 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

According to a 2005 Animal Pharm report,
the veterinary vaccines sector accounted for
20% of global animal health product revenues
in 2004, and vaccines were predicted
to grow in excess of $4 billion by 2009. Sales
have been rising by 7% per year since 2000.
So alongside the scientific understanding
that we don’t need to vaccinate our dogs
every year, vaccine sales are not declining.
They’re growing.
Apparently, some time ago, the World Health
Organisation mandated that we needed
more experimental data about vaccines, and
that animals should be used for this purpose.
Does this have anything to do with the British
government’s reluctance to legislate about
over-vaccination? Are our dogs participating
in a secret experiment?
Last year, the world was put on high alert due
to a swine flu pandemic that never happened.
The British government placed orders for
some £100 million worth of swine flu vaccines.
According to the Wall Street Journal,
shares of the largest flu vaccine makers rallied
the day after the WHO declared its first
official flu pandemic since 1968.
A Marketwire report trumpeted… “New
report forecasts more than doubling of vaccines
sales by 2013. 2008 had been another
stellar year for the world vaccine market.
Sales grew 21.5% since 2007 to reach $19.2
billion. Few areas of pharmaceuticals have
seen the fast-moving developments in the
marketplace that the vaccine market has.”
Meanwhile, the Cochrane Collaboration
had been looking into the effectiveness of flu
vaccines; their findings were reported in the
revered medical journal The Lancet. They
found no convincing evidence that vaccines
reduce mortality, hospital admissions, serious
complications, or community transmission
of influenza. Another study, reported
in Archives of Internal Medicine, reviewed
33 flu seasons between 1968 to 2001. They
found that flu-related deaths rose steadily
during this time, despite widespread acceptance
of flu vaccines.
Currently, governments around the world
are reducing welfare benefits, but they are
not reducing flu vaccine expenditure or vaccine
advertising budgets – despite the evidence
showing that they don’t work.
Another report, “Drugs for people, not just
for profit”, published by Compass – Direction
for the Democratic Left Ltd, said, “expenditure
on pharmaceutical products has
grown faster than the gross national product
in all European countries. At the same time,
pharmaceutical companies remain incredibly
profitable, with some companies seeing
annual profits of between 20% and 30%.”
The report explained that, “under Margaret
Thatcher in the UK, and Ronald Reagan in
the US, a period of effective deregulation
and a pro-business legislation ensured that
pharmaceutical companies grew to become
immensely profitable.” After leaving office,
Margaret Thatcher went to work for the tobacco
industry. During office, her government
buried research showing that British
children’s diets were so poor that our hospitals
would be full of cancer patients and we
would need more prisons in which to hold
brain-damaged, malnourished, ‘criminals’.
Now, let me throw this little nugget at you:
the world is over-populated. This is something
which concerns one of the richest men
in the world: Bill Gates. Despite his overpopulation
concerns, Bill Gates is throwing
billions into allegedly altruistic mass vaccination
programmes. At the same time, he
was recorded, on film, giving a talk about
CO 2 emissions, and how humans contribute
to this problem. He said we can reduce this
element through ‘health care and vaccines’.
Let me throw another nugget at you: according
to German New Medicine and Meta-
Medicine, we’re susceptible to viruses, and
get pandemics, when we’re under stress,
worried, and struggling financially. Did the
WHO know this when it predicted a pandemic
after the banking crash? And when
the pandemic didn’t happen, did world governments
decide that we weren’t poor or
stressed enough yet?
Why would third world licenses be granted
for the Urabe strain of the measles vaccine,
when this vaccine was known to cause lifethreatening
meningitis in children in the UK
and Australia? Why, shortly after one vaccine
manufacturer shipped contaminated
vaccines that could start a pandemic which
were intercepted by an independent lab, was
the very same vaccine manufacturer awarded
government contracts for swine flu vaccines
that hadn’t been properly tested, and which
were known, from the last swine flu scare in
the ‘70s, to cause paralysis and death?
One pharma giant president retired a year or
so ago and, in his retirement speech, he told
us that ‘our drugs don’t work in 80% of cases’.
But these useless drugs, which all come
with side-effects, are nevertheless legalised
by government licensing bodies. Running
alongside this government-led drugs fasttracking
process, we also have governments
around the world blacklisting herbs and nutritional
supplements. The latest heralded to
be withdrawn from sale in Europe is Echinacea,
a herb with a long and successful history.
Decades ago, governments set up licensing
bodies to legislate against, and make illegal,
the sale of so-called snake oils which falsely
claimed to cure ills but which were often
dangerous. Today, they are helping snake
oils to market. One-year MLV vaccines are
neither safe nor necessary. They are snake
oils, endorsed and facilitated by governments
around the world.
Do we live in a democracy, or are the snake
oil salesmen running it all?
British playwright, Alan Bleasdale, once said:
“There are more crooks in pin striped suits
in the City of London than there will ever be
in the ghettoes of England.” Until the people
wake up, become conscious, and take back
their power, nothing is going to change. Innocent
humans and their animal friends will
continued to be sacrificed on the alter of science.
The hungry dragon, whose name is
Greed, will continue to rule the world, and
divest the planet of inconvenient life. DNM
Catherine O’Driscoll has been running Canine
Health Concern since 1994. In June this year, she
spearheaded a campaign to forcefully persuade the
British government to put an end to the normal
practice of annually vaccinating dogs in the UK. To
support this campaign, she has written a 369 page
response to the UK’s licensing body, the Veterinary
Medicines Directorate. This report is available free
by logging onto www.petvaccine.weebly.com. It contains
the science to explain why vaccines cause so
many diverse adverse effects in our dogs, and also
explains why governments around the world will
not legislate to halt unnecessary vaccination. Catherine
also asks her fellow dog lovers to write to the
British government to lend their voices to the campaign.
Contacts and template letters for you to send
are also carried on the site.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 41

y: Chris Puls
This is an issue that can have costly consequences.
Costly due to the loss of food, but
potentially costly in vet bills if your dog gets
something he shouldn’t. Because dogs repeat
behaviors that get them what they want,
counter surfing can be a hard habit to break!
If the dog has ever gotten a big reward (found
tasty morsels on the counter) then odds are
good the counter surfing behavior will continue.
While prevention (making sure counters are
kept free of food) can be one solution, it often
fails. This is because it only takes one time of
forgetting to put something away or getting
distracted “for just a moment” and the dog
gets rewarded again. These intermittent rewards
are like slot machine jackpots! There’s
a reason those machines are addicting. The
anticipation of getting a reward is almost as
strong of a reward as actually getting one.
So let’s look at some other strategies to help
break your dog of his bad habit:
One method of prevention is to make the
kitchen and any food areas off-limits to the
dog. If you are good about closing doors or
gates and the dog is good about respecting
those, this might work. But it’s not a very
convenient way to live. And without training,
the dog will always be trying to find a way
back into the “casino.”
An alternative is to be sure the dog is confined
to a crate, play room or outside if he
can’t be monitored (or tether the dog to you
so he can’t sneak off to check a counter). A
solution that’s likely to work, and a good way
to temporarily prevent accidents while you
are working on the training below.
If the issue of counter (or table) surfing only
happens during food prep or meals when
people are present, this is the easiest to fix.
You’ll want the behavior of staying out of the
area to be more likely to get tasty rewards
than the behavior of jumping up. Get the dog
a comfy bed, set it on the floor outside the
food area and teach the dog to go to his bed.
Then, when the dog LOVES his bed, you
can start rewarding the dog for going to his
bed while you are prepping food or eating!
Start with short durations, and gradually wait
longer and longer to toss a treat his way. It
won’t be long before the dog races over to his
bed when he sees you go to the kitchen or sit
down to eat.
If your dog mostly checks for prizes when
you are absent, he likely knows that checking
when you are present could be dangerous
for him! This could be because he has
been yelled at or because you have tried one
of the many punishment based methods for
“breaking”this behavior.
Sarah Owings of Bridges Dog Training, Los
Angeles has a pretty unique view of counter
surfing that might work for you too:
“I have a pretty hard-core counter surfer at
my house too. There was just that one time
fixes for counter SURFING
someone left a whole plate of corn bread out
when she was about 9 months old and that
was it. A full dose of Jack-Pot-At-Las-Vegas-
One-Trial-Super-Learning event that I just
don’t think she’s ever going to get over.
“Even after a year of never achieving so great
a coup du scarf again, just a few crumbs here
and there now and then, the behavior really
hasn’t diminished. So, being the good behaviorist
I decided to try and figure out exactly
what was continuing to reinforce it in spite of
all our strict precautions. In an attempt to experience
the kitchen from Zoë’s perspective, I
got down on all fours and crawled around for
a bit. (Very professional, I know).
First of all, when you are a dog, the edge
of the counter looms enticingly overhead,
but everything else is a mystery. And even
though I had just been upright a second before
and knew that all there was up there was
42 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

a clean cutting board, coffee maker and toaster oven, my first thought
as a dog was “I wonder what is up there now?”
This made me think about how you can play peek-a boo with babies
forever and they are always surprised when you suddenly reappear.
So even if Zoë has stood up and checked the counter just a minute
or two previously, by golly, something may have changed and she
is pretty convinced it is necessary to check it again. To a dog it is a
whole new world each and every minute. So one of these minutes,
heck who knows, she might be right. Installing a glass counter top
with see through panels might help because then the dog could see
there was nothing up there and wouldn’t bother...but I suppose that
would be pretty impractical for most people.
My conclusion: No matter what you do (rat traps, spray bottles, pennies
in a can, a strict clean up policy) counter surfing is still reinforced
by that peek-a-boo glimpse (plus, don’t forget, some pretty amazing
smells), up over the edge at what my boyfriend likes to call “the realm
of the gods.” --that strange flat, infuriating surface just barely out of
reach, where the cruel humans daily flaunt before them some of the
greatest treasures in the world (i.e. pancakes, sliced cheese, peanut
butter sandwiches, etc).
How is this helpful? Well, now that I understand her better I don’t
get quite as frustrated anymore, and changing my own perspective
about how my dog is behaving really is often half the battle....She’s not
trying to be a pest. She’s just a dog living in the moment, constantly
tempted by the great mystery above. Any self respecting person with
a shed of curiosity would do the same. If you found a $100 bill in a
trash can one day, I dare you to not go check it again the next.
Oh, and there is a solution I’ve found. It doesn’t eliminate the counter
surfing and we still have to keep the kitchen cleaned up, but teaching
a solid, default go-to-place is very livable. I mean *solid*. Zoë has
been so reinforced for being on that bed that it acts like a magnet. You
can put a bowl of dog food down on the floor and leave the room and
she won’t touch it until you get back and release her from her bed.
Whenever I’m at the counter, or sitting at the table eating a meal, or
preparing her dinner, or even opening the fridge... 95% of the time
she’s on that bed, because we’ve taught her that being on her bed is
a guaranteed way to get paid--maybe not as exciting as a jack-pot at
Las Vegas--but I have to say that 95% of the time she *isn’t* counter
surfing and that is very livable.”
So the go to bed training DOES work and maybe now you have a bit
more insight into WHY your dog feels the need to check a counter he
knows is likely to be empty!
Changing the dog’s behavior when he first gets in the kitchen might
be what it takes. Dani Weinberg, Ph.D. of Dogs & Their People in
Albuquerque, NM put her powers of observation to work and found
that her dog would enter the kitchen and immediately raise her nose
toward the counter.
Of course she could have waited till the dog jumped up and then told
her “off ”but that doesn’t remove the rewarding feeling of knowing
what’s on that counter! So she decided to change where her dog’s nose
pointed by adding a small toy basket to the floor in her kitchen. This
keeps the dog’s focus toward the floor.
She says “I had never used a toy basket with a dog before because I
thought any right-minded dog would just take all the toys out immediately
and strew them all over the house. And that’s what Lovey
did - on the first day. But never again.”
Dani rotates the toys in the basket so that there are always “new”
ones. Her dog now makes sure she checks the toy basket often, to see
if maybe a new toy has appeared. And anyone who HAS a toy box
for their dog knows it is great fun to watch them carefully deliberate
about which toy they want and then work to get only that one out of
the box. And of course it’s usually the toy on the bottom that takes
the most work to get!
Dani also says “The basket is still there, and Lovey (now 22 months)
has not counter surfed since we started this. Even if no one is in the
kitchen, she gets reinforced for focusing downward instead of upward
towards the counters.”
So give these methods a try! Who knows, you just might find a peaceful
solution to counter surfing. DNM
Chris Puls is the president of Dog Scouts of America. This amazing
group teaches people about their dogs’ needs so they can take good care
of them and train them better. To learn more about Dog Scouts, visit:
www.dogscouts.org.
PEACE is a soon-to-be non-profit
organization whose mission is to promote
and support educational efforts for dog owners
and law enforcement officers to reduce the
number of dogs shot by officers.
Protecting Enforcement
And Canines thru Education
Join our discussion group by
sending an e-mail message to
copsshootingdogs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com,
or e-mail Pat Miller at pat@peaceablepaws.com.
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 43

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Seaside Natural Health
Patricia Jordan DVM 113 Lejeune Rd. PO
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(910) 358-0030 seasidenaturalhealth@gmail.com
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Art of Healing Veterinary Chiropractic,
Acupuncture, Integrative Consulting 1440
Odom Lane Bishop, GA 30621
kickbushdvm@earthlink.net
Ohio Holistic Veterinary Service
2527 W. Dublin-Granville Road Located at
Animal Medical and Emergency Hospital
Columbus, Ohio 43235 USA
(614) 889-2556 drdonng@drdonn.com
holistic health care
Aspenbloom 1700 17th Ave SE Rio Rancho,
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drkim@aspenbloompetcare.com
The Whole Dog Cottonwood, CA 96022
info@thewholedog.org
Animal Reiki Source Kathleen Prasad
369B Third St., #156 San Rafael, CA 94901
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groomers
Dog Gone Gorgeous Grooming
1190 Sweeten Creek Rd. Asheville, NC 28803
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Cameo’s Pet Spa, LLC 2604 US Hwy 70 Mebane,
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renee@cameospetspa.com
Canada
suppliers
Big Creek Treats 172 Big Creek Rd. Caledonia,
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44 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine

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JeanE’s Bostons
http://www.jeanesbostons.com
jeanesbostons@thewholedog.org
Bulldog
eMac Bulldogs
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Catahoula
Cat’s Cradle Catahoulas
http://www.bconnex.net/~langevin/
langevin@bconnex.net
Italian Greyhounds
Lepus
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lepus@xplornet.com
Labrador Retrievers
FallRiver Labs
http://www.fallriverlabs.com
fallriverlabs@gmail.com
Scottish Terriers
KC Scottish Terriers
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nrscotties@yahoo.com
Shetland Sheepdogs
Behaven Shelties
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Scottish Terriers
KC Scottish Terriers
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due March 2011
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To list your business or kennel in Dogs Naturally contact us at 1 877 665-1290
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Whippets
breeders directory
Lepus
http://www.lepus-sighthounds.com/
lepus@xplornet.com
Dogs Naturally Magazine | January-February 2011 45

46 January-February 2011 | Dogs Naturally Magazine