this video will touch your heart

What Vets Don't Know Or Won't Tell You

I had a few things this past year happen that I was unsure if I was onto something or just thinking crazy things.

The first time that was the worst is when Diamond (my pit mix) went down (in severe pain and couldn't walk). I took her into the vet and nothing was discovered from the vet. Needless to say not much was done either on that visit.  We came back home and she was fine a day or two..then back down again. A week later I took her back in for x-rays..thinking possibly she may have hip dysplasia. The x-rays confirmed she had Lumbosacral Spondylosis. A few days before I took her in on the first visit, I had started giving her some cephalexin for a UTI. When I discovered how bad she was in pain, I stopped everything. After she was back up and walking a day or two later, I started the antibiotics up again. That's when she went back down again and I took her for x-rays. This was in March.

In November I took her in for a teeth cleaning, a rabies shot, and blood work. Little did I know at that time, you don't give rabies on the same day you do surgery. (Things vets don't tell you) Three days after her teeth cleaning she went down again and she went down hard. This was November 2012.  Since that day it's been nothing but a daily struggle to keep her pain free. I took her back to the vet when she went down and I told them it had something to do with the surgery. I told them I thought she had had a reaction to antibiotics previously. They looked at me really funny. Since then I have spoken with many Drs about this. The only thing that was thought that possibly could have caused it was the bacteria release from the teeth cleaning, or possibly the anesthesia but we just really didn't know. In the back of my mind I have wondered if the connection was the antibiotics. The vets looked at me crazy when I kept mentioning my thoughts on this.

So when I met the new Dr on her Stem Cell Surgery, I told him all of this and how it has put her down since the teeth cleaning. So he WAS concerned about the anesthesia and would make sure he didn't give any antibiotics etc. SO, she had the surgery and it didn't put her down at all. So now I know it wasn't the anesthesia.

Last night I was reading a book on Canine Arthritis (that was written by a DVM) and BINGO...there it was..my answer.

A N T I B I O T I C S !

It states: While RARE, many Drs feel that drug induced joint problems are becoming more common. Your dogs immune system can react to ANY drug, and drugs are usually considered foreign substances. A hypersensitivity or allergic reaction occurs when antibodies form chemical complexes with the administered drug, these drug-antibody complexes are then deposited into the joints of the body. The drugs most commonly associated with drug-induced lameness are antibiotics, especially sulfa drugs, erythromycin, penicillin's, and cephalosporins.

It further states genetics can play a role also especially with Doberman Pinchers when sulfa drugs are administered.

SO, when I read this, my jaw dropped and my thoughts were..I WAS RIGHT! I WASNT CRAZY! and why didn't these Drs NOT put this together or even possibly think it was drug related? They have this knowledge right? hhhmmm....

I can give Diamond doxycycline without any issues but cephalexin puts her down. Looking back in her records on the day she had her teeth cleaning, she was given an injection of penicillin and sent home with amoxicaps. SO OBVIOUSLY she has a sensitivity to these as well. The bad part about this is, it put her down from November till the day of her stem cell therapy (Sept 12th). Ten months of pain.

And not only am I speaking of drugs but also vaccines can do this. Even vaccines can make a dog go lame that never had any issues before, although it seems more common in puppies. I am NOT ruling out adults as well. Vaccines are very harmful in adult stages and titer testing should be done instead. Titers cost a little more money but..if you have a dog that gets ill, goes lame or acquires a disease, which one then will be expensive? So weigh the costs. Have titer testing done instead. I am aware rabies is a law but every 3 years this should be the most that it gets done. And if your dog has an illness, weakened immune system or auto-immune disease, they CAN and should be exempted from rabies. Speak with your vet on this.

The bottom line here is, always be aware of what goes in the body and don't think your suspicions are crazy or a little over the top. Always trust your instincts, ask a lot of questions, research a lot before you have any surgery done or vaccines or medications given. And always feed your dog a species appropriate diet.

 Anytime the body is fighting any disease or illness, inflammation can flow threw the body causing inflamed joints.

To also make a note: During winter time this is a time for our dogs to start having achy joints. So get ready before. Prepare. Have your medicine cabinet stocked with RX meds, herbs (start the herbs now if you haven't), vitamins and don't forget the ADEQUAN. It's wonderful stuff and can make miracles when you have lost all hope. It did for me and has helped MANY MANY animals stay upright and walking. Ask your vet for a vial to take home with you to give the injections. It's more cost effective that way. Have your vet show you how to give them.

Have on hand some moist heat packs, funds saved up for chiropractic and acupuncture visits. Give daily massages and take short walks. Watch your dogs weight and if your not already, consider a raw diet. You will be totally amazed how much your dog will be so much healthier.

To learn more on raw diets, read here or join us on facebook in our group on raw diets and over all holistic health care. Also I have a group for Canine Arthritis. Here you can get immediate answers in time of need or you can email me.

Note.- Pets allergic to antibiotic class of penicillin will naturally be allergic to amoxicillin as well. Please make sure your pet's veterinarian is aware of this.

Holistic and Organix Pet Shoppe

 http://www.holisticandorganixpetshoppe.com/what-vets-dont-know-or-wont-tell-you.html

Hydrangea Root~ For Kidney Stones in your dog

 Hydrangea Root-a flower essence, helps to naturally dissolve kidney stones and struvite crystals. A safe, natural alternative treatment, to be used in conjunction with a grain-free diet for pets. Kidney support, urinary diuretic, eliminates swelling and fluid retention, increases the flow of urine. Will dissolve/remove bladder/struvite & kidney stones and relieve the pain they cause, and alleviates backache due to kidney distress.

A common shrub, hydrangea is a bitter and a solvent.

Hydrangea Root (Hydrangea arborescens) is a bitter herb that has been traditionally used to relieve inflamed or enlarged prostate, for urinary stones or gravel associated with infections, for arthritis, gout, and for bladder problems. Its solvent properties nutritionally support the urinary system. It contains natural minerals plus silicon, flavonoids, resins and saponins
 

Hydrangea Root is antilithic (preventing the formation of calculi or promoting their dissolution.) which means that it dissolves urinary stones and prevents the formation of new ones.

Hydrangea Root has a long history of promoting a healthy prostate and urinary tract.  It combats infection and is believed to very helpful in treating inflamed or enlarged prostate and bladder infection, including cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis, etc.  As a diuretic, it promotes the flow of urine and is said to remove stones and the pain caused by them.

Hydrangea Root stimulates the kidneys to release retained fluid and helps to prevent the formation of gravel.  It will also help to pass deposits through the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder. Importantly, the herb is also used to relieve the backache often caused by kidney trouble and dissolve and remove kidney stones.

Further supporting a healthy urinary tract, Hydrangea helps treat urine problems, such as frequent urination that may also be accompanied by burning pain, and it has been used to help treat bedwetting problems in children.

Hydrangea Root is believed to be a blood cleanser and may treat lymphatic conditions that are caused by poor blood. Hydrangea has also been used to relieve chronic rheumatoid arthritis and the swelling of arthritis (by reducing calcium deposits), gout and edema.

 Hydrangea Root

 Hydrangea Root-a flower essence, helps to naturally dissolve kidney stones and struvite crystals. A safe, natural alternative treatment, to be used in conjunction with a grain-free diet for pets. Kidney support, urinary diuretic, eliminates swelling and fluid retention, increases the flow of urine. Will dissolve/remove bladder/struvite & kidney stones and relieve the pain they cause, and alleviates backache due to kidney distress.

A common shrub, hydrangea is a bitter and a solvent.

Hydrangea Root (Hydrangea arborescens) is a bitter herb that has been traditionally used to relieve inflamed or enlarged prostate, for urinary stones or gravel associated with infections, for arthritis, gout, and for bladder problems. Its solvent properties nutritionally support the urinary system. It contains natural minerals plus silicon, flavonoids, resins and saponins

Hydrangia Root is antilithic (preventing the formation of calculi or promoting their dissolution.) which means that it dissolves urinary stones and prevents the formation of new ones.

Hydrangea Root has a long history of promoting a healthy prostate and urinary tract.  It combats infection and is believed to very helpful in treating inflamed or enlarged prostate and bladder infection, including cystitis, urethritis and prostatitis, etc.  As a diuretic, it promotes the flow of urine and is said to remove stones and the pain caused by them.

Hydrangea Root stimulates the kidneys to release retained fluid and helps to prevent the formation of gravel.  It will also help to pass deposits through the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder. Importantly, the herb is also used to relieve the backache often caused by kidney trouble and dissolve and remove kidney stones.

Further supporting a healthy urinary tract, Hydrangea helps treat urine problems, such as frequent urination that may also be accompanied by burning pain, and it has been used to help treat bedwetting problems in children.

Hydrangea Root is believed to be a blood cleanser and may treat lymphatic conditions that are caused by poor blood. Hydrangea has also been used to relieve chronic rheumatoid arthritis and the swelling of arthritis (by reducing calcium deposits), gout and edema.

Hydrangea Root Capsule Dosage:
Kidney Stones-Administer x 6-8 weeks, then re-test
Struvite Crystals: Administer x 6 weeks, then re-test
up to 25lbs:  1/2 capsule with food 3xday
25-50 lbs: 1  capsule with food 3xday
50-75lbs: 1 1/2 capsules with food 3xday
75lbs+: 2 capsules with food 3xday

Hydrangea Root Liquid Dosage:
Kidney Stones-Administer x 6-8 weeks, then re-test
Struvite Crystals: Administer x 6 weeks, then re-test
Administer 3 times daily: 1 drop per 2 lbs of body weight up to 50 lbs Add 1 drop per 4 lbs thereafter.

http://westshore-petwatch.webs.com/urinaryproblems.htm

Warning: Certain parts of hydrangeas are particularly dangerous and toxic to dogs. These parts are the buds and the leaves. Owners of dogs should make sure that their pets steer clear of hydrangeas, and make sure that the buds and leaves go nowhere near their mouths.

How Canine Arthritis and Diet Are Connected

To start preparing your dog for treatment at home, you have to first start with the diet. Most people are busy and don't have a lot of time to spend on feeding their pets. What you can do is find what works for you. You all may know but kibble isn't good for many things. It was created for convenience mostly for humans. There isn't anything nutritional due to over processing of the ingredients. I recommend a high quality canned food or switching to a raw or homemade diet. As I was growing up, my mother always told me to cook your meat completely or you could get sick. So in my mind, food needs to be cooked, no matter what it is. We, as humans, cook our foods and we survive. Dogs eat their kibble and they survive, but that's it. You and your dog are only surviving. Now I am not here to talk about human food other than a comparison. When we humans cook our foods, we cook out the vitamins. To supplement the loss, we have to take vitamins and try to eat more veggies and fruits. Not much nutrition there, is it? In today's world, we eat what we can buy from the market.
A little known fact is that the foods coming into this country and sold on store shelves today have not been checked for any chemicals or toxins. Only 1% of foods coming from an outside source of the USA are inspected. So when you buy foods, buy organic and learn to read labels. When you take precautions and try to eat better yourself, think about your dog, too. Your diet and your dog's diet play a very important role in how your body fights against diseases. So that leads us to here and now.
Your dog has arthritis or some joint disease and now we have to spend that EXTRA time in our BUSY lives to help our dogs be pain free or comfortable. Do you see where I am going with this? Either way you will spend that extra time caring for your pet. Think about all the visits to the vet to help your dog when he/she is hurting. If we had of known in the early years that diet played a role in joint issues, we may have made extra time to pay attention to the diet. If you are lucky enough to have a younger dog without issues yet, maybe its time to concentrate on the diet. Start now, start thinking about what you can do for your dog BEFORE it takes on the pains of arthritis. And if they are already ridden by the joint pain and inflammation, let's make some changes today.
Most all pet foods today have potatoes in them. Potatoes aren't good for arthritis and joints. That goes along with your nightshade family food group as well as all grains. IF you are feeding kibble, start today by getting your dog (if they are not already) on a joint support. Add in some vitamins and minerals, probiotics and digestive enzymes. Fish oils are a wonderful addition to your dog's daily meals. It helps lubricate the joints and keeps them lubricated. Buy high quality fish oils with added Vitamin E. I actually use Ultra Oil for Pets. Its a mixture of oils. If it only contains a small amount of Vitamin E as most do just to preserve it, add Vitamin E three times a week to your pets diet. Also give milk thistle daily. It helps cleanse the liver and keep it from being overworked trying to digest kibble. It takes approximately 12 hours for a dog to digest kibble. In that time, the digestive system is working extremely hard to break down the foods. The liver is bust helping to filter out the toxins. Yes, toxins in foods. There are a lot of them - meats, vitamins, and even water have toxins in them. A lot of the pet foods on the market get their meat from an outside source and much of it comes from China. They do not regulate the meats and there are lots of toxins/arsenic in these foods. We consume these foods daily along with our pets.
Any pet eating commercial foods needs to detox every 6 months. The first detox should last up to 3 months. After the initial detox, you can do it for a couple of weeks at a time each time after that. Once you start getting these toxins out, replace it with good things like probiotics and digestive enzymes. They help break down the foods, add in good bacteria and build the immune system. This is the key to having a healthy pet.
Vaccines, medications, unfiltered water and pet foods all break down the immune system. So you see, ALL pets need to detox and rebuild the system.
If you feed a raw diet, the body digests the food in about 6 hours. This is because the body is taking in its natural source of foods which the body doesn't have to work hard to digest...so the liver isn't taxed either. It helps the body to function properly. If you add in greens to the diet, that is a natural cleanser. Greens also provide a lot of vitamins and minerals to build a strong body. I have one I really like that I give my dogs called Green Power. It is sold from Natural Canine, has all of your greens and is 100% organic. NO preservatives. It's the only vitamin and mineral source you need, complete for your pet. How great is that? It is a powder that can be easily mixed in with canned foods or wet foods. Kibble diets only, you would have to resort to some sort of pill form.
Coconut oil is great to add into foods also. It's an oil that has all kinds of healing properties and will also help fight the bad bacteria, make the skin healthy and the coat shiny. It is great to rub on ears that may have yeast build up or on paw pads to soften them. Many dogs like it as well. It is great to put on scrapes or superficial wounds. In fact, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar work on just about everything. I always look for and buy organic extra virgin coconut oil in a jar. Plastic containers may contain chemicals that are toxic so I always recommend buying anything you can in glass jars.
I didn't touch on canned foods today because it is the middle of the road. It still has the ingredients sourced from other countries in them but they hold more nutrients than any kibble and carry more moisture content. Kibble always keeps a dog partially dehydrated so make sure your dog has plenty of water around. I definitely recommend a canned food over kibble any day. Oh and that age old myth of kibble cleans the dogs teeth, well that is false. Give them a raw meaty rib bone to gnaw on twice a week and the teeth will become pearly white. ~H.O.P.S.

Here are a couple video's to watch.

Why feed a homemade diet:
http://youtu.be/ujztdcXm1Qg

Raw Diets:
http://youtu.be/G3wLTlqnMMg

Gingerbread Dog Treats

 Ingredients:

1 cup molasses or raw unfiltered honey
1 3/4 cup filtered water
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cups gluten free flour (Buckwheat, Tapioca etc)
2 teaspoons aluminum free baking soda
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger or one tsp. of dried powder ginger

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the molasses, water, and oil in a medium bowl.

In another large bowl mix the flour, the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Combine well.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

After the dough is well-chilled roll it out into a 1/4" thickness. Cut dough with a cookie cutter into gingerbread men or other fun shapes.

The dough will rise.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 325 and bake another 3-5 minutes.

Makes about 40 treats.

Slippery Elm Bark For Dogs

As you may know, it is potentially dangerous to give certain herbs to pets, especially cats. Many people commonly extrapolate a dose of herbs by using the pet's weight compared to the "standard" 150-pound human. A large dog, however, has a comparatively slow metabolism, while a small dog's rapid heart rate and high energy level may make it difficult to get the desired effect. Cats have very different metabolism and enzymes, and many compounds that are safe for humans and dogs (like aspirin) can be toxic to cats. Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva) is an exception to the fears and cautions surrounding the use of herbs in animals. It is very safe and non-toxic. The part of the tree used is the inner bark, which is soft and stringy. Herbalists attribute many wonderful healing properties to Slippery Elm: demulcent (soothing, mucilage-forming), emollient (soothing and protective for skin), nutritive (providing specific food nutrients), tonic (promoting healthy function of one or more body systems), and astringent (constricting, binding or drying effect). It can be used both internally and externally. Slippery Elm is one of the herbs used in the original formulation of "Essiac," an herbal brew widely promoted as a cancer-fighter.

In the gastro-intestinal tract, Slippery Elm acts directly. It can be thought of as a sort of natural "Pepto-Bismol." (Pepto-Bismol itself should not be used because it contains salicylate, a.k.a. aspirin). Its mucilage content coats, soothes, and lubricates the mucus membranes lining the digestive tract. Slippery Elm is an excellent treatment for ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and other inflammatory bowel problems. It is high in fiber, and so helps normalize intestinal action; it can be used to relieve both diarrhea and constipation. It may also help alleviate nausea and vomiting in pets suffering from non-GI illnesses, such as kidney disease. A syrup made from Slippery Elm Bark can be used to help heal mouth ulcers from all causes.

Slippery Elm is said to relieve inflammation of virtually any mucus membrane, and has been used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the lungs (bronchitis, asthma), kidneys, bladder (cystitis, FLUTD symptoms), throat (tonsillitis), and joints (arthritis).

Slippery Elm contains many nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, and several trace minerals) that can be beneficial for recuperating pets, and it may stay down when other foods are not tolerated. Slippery Elm may interfere with the absorption of certain minerals and pharmaceuticals, so is best given separately from any concurrent drug therapy.

In the case of cystitis (bladder inflammation), Slippery Elm is thought to soothe the bladder lining. However, it is somewhat high in magnesium, so may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk. (In cats, urinary tract infections are very rarely bacterial.) Slippery Elm bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains the same compound found in the drug "Elmiron®,"the major pain-relieving treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. Pentosan has been used by the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory for more than 40 years. (Anti-coagulant effects are not seen with normal oral administration.) Since bladder disease in cats is very similar to that in women, slippery elm may be especially beneficial for our feline friends.

Externally, a soothing paste of Slippery Elm powder (mix the powder with a little cold water) can be used as a poultice for hot spots, insect burns, rashes, scratches, ulcerated areas, or other shallow wounds. Native Americans used Slippery Elm bark to stop bleeding. It forms a natural "bandage" that can be left in place for several hours, if you can convince your dog to leave it alone!

To give internally, mix about 1/4 teaspoon of Slippery Elm bark powder with cold water for every 10 pounds of body weight. For very small dogs, it is fine to use the same 1/4 teaspoon dose. The bulk powder may be very fluffy, so pack it down as much as possible to measure it. Slippery Elm powder will absorb many times its own weight in water, so be sure to add enough to make a moderately thick gruel. This gruel can be given before meals by syringe or added to food. It has a slightly sweet taste and is usually well-tolerated by cats and dogs when mixed with food. Give a dose 5 minutes before meals for sore throat, and before or with meals for digestive tract problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease, until symptoms resolve.

http://www.carnivora.ca/html/featured_products/supplements_and_health_care/slippery_elm/index.cfm

Holistic And Organix Pet Shoppe - Holistic and Organix Pet Shoppe

Holistic And Organix Pet Shoppe - Holistic and Organix Pet Shoppe