Canine Rearing: Golden Gate to Health

I think everyone will agree with this sentiment. As our canine pals have a limited number of years with us, we need to make them productive, healthy, and happy. Of course, how we do that is where all the diligent work comes in.

Concerned about the effect of chemicals on health, we use no pesticides, clean surfaces with vinegar and mild soap, and treat our lawn organically.

Being prepared for emergencies is critical, so keep the Animal Poison Control Center number 888-426-4435 handy, and learn how to create a poison-safe home, what to do If your dog Is poisoned, and the 10 most common poisonous plants.

Also, print our pages on . . .

What to Put in your Dog's First Aid Kit

How to Perform Dog CPR.

There are many different kinds of veterinary specialists, and veterinarians can be certified in conventional (western) medicine or have additional more holistic (eastern) certifications in areas such as Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Homeopathy. In conventional medicine, the diagnostic techniques utilized are blood tests, x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, Cat scans, EKGs, etc. Based on the test results and a physical exam, medications or surgery are typically prescribed. Less frequently, veterinarians will recommend changes in the environment, lifestyle or nutrition. When nutritional changes are recommended, they often involve switching from one commercial food to another.

Although holistic veterinarians do benefit from conventional test findings to provide baseline data, their interpretation of the results may be somewhat different. Rather, conventional medicine may view many chronic diseases as degenerative in nature and view the dog's outcome in a more pessimistic manner. The key to treatment is probably a marriage of the best from both worlds of conventional and holistic procedures and remedies. It is difficult to find talented diagnosticians and surgeons additionally possessing advanced holistic expertise. But, our simple remedy has been to incorporate the services of both types of veterinarian. The following listings should help in finding certified specialists in your own local area.

Dancing Paws Pills 2 Go Pillcase for Pet Meds

This new pillcase helps you organize your pet medications when you're on the road, and is great at home as well. Remembering to give your dogs their supplements and medications each day is vital to their health. That's why this cleverly designed sturdy plastic pill carrier is such a great idea! We have never seen something this adorable as well as functional. And, the wonderfully large size makes the case great to use for people's daily medications as well. The entire unit is 9" L x 1.25" H x 1.75" D.

Convenient travel size
Easy to open and stays shut
Holds larger size pet tablets
Detachable Compartments
Key chain tab on each compartment
Durable
Daily pill organizer

There's a tray for every day of the week — each with a paw print to remind you how important remembering medications is. There's plenty of room for medications and supplements. Plus, each compartment is detachable and has its own key chain tab. If you are leaving for 1 or 2 days, you can detach them and carry only the days you need! You do not have to carry the whole 7 day chain. Pills 2 Go is great for around the house too! It comes in either yellow or orange, but we like the yellow better. It is actually more translucent, thus enabling you to see the contents better.

List Price: $6.95
Our Price: $5.00

Making informed choices regarding vaccinations is important. We titer through Cornell University—a high reading indicating adequate antibodies and no need for a booster (which can weaken the immune system). The Rabies Challenge Study may also show the need for less vaccinations. Learn more about vaccinations, when to spay or neuter, heartworm medication usage, thyroid testing, and immune system implications.

Be sure to learn about Going Organic and our pages on Food Glorious Food, as well as to learn The Whole Tooth. Honestly, there is so much to know when it comes to good care for our animal companions. And, that means knowing about key disease and behavioral issues.

One great overall publication that will help to keep you current on all things dog is The Whole Dog Journal., a monthly guide to natural dog care and training. This guide advocates natural and holistic feed, healthcare methods and successful nonviolent training . . . and does not accept commercial advertising. We have subscribed to this newsletter for many years now as it is invaluable.

Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Pure Sockeye Salmon Oil
Our Golden Alfie has gotten 6000 units daily since 2007, before that getting 3000-4000 units a day. Boy, what a difference it has made. His coat is incredible, and at his now senior age of 9 (2008), the extra softgels keep down joint inflammation associated with increasing age and arthritis. It is a must-have supplement!

Derived exclusively from wild sockeye salmon caught in the cold, pristine waters off Alaska, this 100% PURE oil is not blended with any inferior salmon or other fish oils. Here's why this is unique: To achieve high ratios of EPA to DHA, commercially available salmon oil capsules are fortified with other fish oils. One benefit of Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Oil is that it has the lowest cholesterol levels, in contrast to the higher levels found in farmed salmon oil. The freshest and purest oils available, Sockeye contains the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any salmon.

It's orange color is due to the high levels of the carotenoid and astaxanthin (occurring naturally in sockeye) that helps the eyes and cardiovascular system. Alaskan sockeye salmon are the richest salmon species in the powerful biological antioxidant astaxanthin, a natural caroteniod that imparts a rich orange glow to the oil and eliminates the need for added tocopherols present in other brands. Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid that gives our oil its rich orange color—and is up to 100 times more potent than Vitamin E at quenching singlet oxygen ‘free radicals’.

There are NO artificial preservatives, color or sweeteners; corn, dairy, starch, wheat, or yeast.

DR. DRESSLER'S DOG CANCER BLOG

Food and dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acids
Many people ask me if dog food has something to do with the development of cancer in their pet. Before I devoted my time to studying the topic, I never gave it much thought. Nah, I would say. Dog cancer is mostly genetic, viral, a few carcinogens…who knows? ”There is no real cause of cancer”, I would say.

Baloney. There are causes of cancer, and they are real. Most of us vets just don’t take the time to really investigate the literature. Due to our personal biases, lack of motivation, no time, fatigue, or professional indoctrination, we sometimes condemn before investigating.

A great example is dietary omega 6 fatty acid excess. Fats are grouped according to their chemical structure. Two biggies are the omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acid groups. Dog’s bodies, and our own, are designed to have a certain ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids in the diet.

Too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3, and bad things happen. These bad things are not minor, folks. Excessive intake of omega 6 fatty acids suppress cells that are key in the body’s natural cancer fighting ability (Natural Killer cells and cytotoxic T cells). The omega 6 group promotes inflammation, which is critical in cancer development. They also stimulate cancer cells directly by turning on a path in the cancer cells called PI Kinase, one of the central signaling
events in cancer cells which make them behave like…cancer cells.

Where do omega 6 fatty acids come from? Next time you are at the grocery store, read the panel on some popular dog foods. Look for corn (grain, oil, meal), vegetable oil, and beef fat (lard, tallow), to name a few. Foods are put together to be successful enterprises (profit), and omega 6-rich items are favored for this reason.

There are ways to offset the effect of the omega 6 excess in dog foods.

Dog food and cancer: help fight this problem!
In the last post I wrote about one of the issues in most commercial dog foods contributing to dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acid excess. This is a group of fats that are found in large quantities in corn products, vegetable oils, and meat products like tallow and lard, to name a few sources. Dogs in the wild eat lean meats (imagine an antelope’s body) and digested plant matter from the prey’s intestines. The diets we are feeding them currently are inappropriate, and in some ways harmful.

This omega 6 fat excess sets the stage for cancer development, stimulates cancer cell growth, and decreases the body’s natural cancer-fighting abilities.

Our dog’s bodies can better handle the omega 6 excess by providing them with another type of fatty acid that will decrease the harmful effects of too much omega 6. These are oils containing omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in high concentrations in fish oils. I outline this topic in detail in the upcoming book, but for the purposes of this discussion let’s focus on oil from sardines, menhaden, mackerel
, salmon and so on. Cod liver oil is NOT a good source for omega 3 supplementation.

If your loved dog has a cancer at this time, you want to get as much omega 3 in him or her as possible. Start slowly and work your way up to large amounts over about 2 weeks to avoid an upset stomach. Give with food. For a dog about 60 lbs, you want about 18 grams of good quality fish oil containing omega 3’s. This usually means about 15-20 of the typical capsules daily, which is a large amount! For double strength caps, halve the dose. Adjust up or down for the size of your dog. The capsules can be popped and the oil mixed in food if your dog resists eating the capsules by themselves. Watch for digestive upset (vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite), and if so, stop and then later start with lower doses increased more slowly.

Krill oil is, in my opinion, the best option for supplementing fatty acids for a variety of reasons…

If your loved dog is not diagnosed with cancer and is on typical commercial food, I would have you begin an omega 3 fatty acid supplement at lower doses than those dogs with cancer. For a 60 lb dog, my opinion is a standard supplemental dose of roughly 4-6 grams of omega 3-containing capsules daily. Remember to start with low doses than work up over 2 weeks.

There is limited, theoretical evidence that you should stop these supplements 10 days before surgery as they may have mild blood-thinning effect. Do this as a precaution, to be on the safe side.

We have collected many resources on areas related to disease conditions, aging, and behavioral problems. Be sure to explore the pages and materials below.

Sharing health experiences with others can prompt brainstorming and ultimately successful outcomes. Folks may also recognize the situation should it occur with their own dog. Here are some of these Golden Tales: