Saturday April 26th, 2008

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Where to start about my little guy?

I know D’Arcy has been talking to you about immune response problems and Brodie has to be the prime example of what happens when you combine poor breeding, poor nutrition and over vaccination. When people tell me their dogs are so difficult to take care of, all I can think is “You have no idea what difficult is.”

My little ball of energy has an immune system problem. What this means for Brodie is that he has to have an all raw diet consisting of unusual protein sources like Ostrich, Rabbit and Quail. He gets a detoxifying canned food called Mulligan’s Stew, (He likes the new Jackson’s Hole best) and with each meal he needs to have his digestive enzymes.

To keep his systemic yeast infection in check he gets Ox-Doc (an anti fungal supplement) internally as well as in a sponge bath once a week. He also gets his feet washed in surgical soap at least twice a week. He can’t have any grain, so his treats are monitored, and any changes to his diet have to be carefully worked through. I can never use any topical flea medication on him so I have to be careful about where he goes and who he plays with. Even visits to the vets have to be heavily weighed.

 

            Let me give you a little background on Brodie so you can understand where he came from and why he is the way he is today.

A little under three years ago we got Brodie at a local pet store. What this means is that Brodie is likely the out come of one of two choices. Choice one is that he is a puppy mill puppy. These dogs can be found in every pet store where dogs are sold. They are products (I use the word products because this is how they are seen by their breeders) of over breeding (even inbreeding) in the poorest conditions, resulting in a number of birth defects and immune system problems.

            Those that are not from puppy mills come from what is known as a “backyard breeder.” These people produce puppies on a smaller scale.They don’t check to make sure their dogs are in good health or free of any birth defects. They are breeders who are not as concerned about what home the puppies goes to, as how much they can get for them. This is not to say that all neighborhood breeders are bad, you can find lots of good breeders in your own “backyard,” but these people care about their dogs. They will have a long list of questions and qualifications, and have many conversations with you about what kind of dog you are looking for. Ok… Back to Brodie. (I swear all that has a point to this story J )

            When we first met Brodie, we learned a little of his story. He was sold to the pet store by a local breeder who was purposely breeding Chihuahuas to Pugs. She had one too many litters at one time and had no room for one more puppy. Brodie was only 4 weeks old when he was taken from his mother. From the moment the store took him, to the moment Brodie came home with us he never left the store’s grounds. At night they gave him a heat lamp and during the day a heat mat. He was given his first vaccination at four weeks, then again every week after that until he was three months. Then his vaccines were about every week and a half. That’s ten vaccines at least before he was even four months old.

            We brought him home the next day and took him into the vet that next week. Like all good pet parents we wanted the best for our little boy and were eager for all the information the vet could give us - even put him on the vet’s recommended foods, never once looking at the label. (Chicken by-products, wheat gluten, corn, powdered cellulose… that’s paper.) We neutered him at 18 weeks and even gave him his rabies vaccine the day of his neuter. We had no idea that this was even remotely dangerous.

            By the time Brodie went in for his yearly vaccines he was having seizures, throwing up and refusing his food, having constant yeast infections in his ears and on his feet, (his nail beds turned dark brown). With each doctor visit and each blood test we learned nothing. We were told, “He has a food allergy”, or “he is allergic to grass”. When his skin on his chest and around his ears began to turn black and he began breaking out in a pustule like rash I knew something was really wrong. At this time in my life I had become a vet assistant and had just graduated from college, I began looking at my dog a little differently.  Through a change in diet and supplement program I got Brodie’s symptoms under control, but I still did not know what was wrong.

            After joining the crew here at Civilized Nature, I learned about quite a few products out there for enhancing the lives of our four footed friends. One of those products is called Positive Health, a digestive enzyme and immune system booster. I tried it out on Brodie. The next day he blew up in a rash. We came to the conclusion that Brodie was not having “allergy” symptoms, but an immune system deficiency.

Boy does time move fast. It’s already Sunday again, and time for the rest of the hopefully non-boring, information I’ve been trying to get onto this blog.

 

The last entry was briefly about breeding and more extensively about vaccinations.

The two other areas that are important to the topic of immune system issues are: Nutrition and environment.

 

Nutrition:

 

For years dog and cat owners fed what was affordable and available and heavily advertised. Unfortunately that is not always good nutrition, just convenient.

Feeding dry kibble has become such a habit in this country that there weren’t a lot of people who wanted to go back to feeding their dogs from the table, i.e. meat and veggies, or raw diets.

 

Breeders and buyers have taken the easy way for years. Understandable from an expense perspective. From a responsible health perspective????.....not so much. Take into account the things I already mentioned about breeding practices that continue a line that is immune system weak (although pretty), and add to it processed foods with ingredients made for cows and pigs, along with those “mystery” ingredients labeled “meat by-product” and you have a recipe for undernourished dogs and cats with unsupported immune systems always on the alert.

 

I realize that was a terribly bad run-on sentence. However, I’m trying to be all-inclusive and brief at the same time. So…you get the idea-when we manufacture foods from the least nourishing ingredients, we don’t support those with immune system problems already built in at birth. When we feed poor foods to otherwise healthy animals, we see symptoms that look an awful lot like those with compromised immune systems.

 

The conclusion: nutrition is key to supporting the immune system in any dog, cat, or giraffe for that matter.

 

The other side of that key is knowing what those animals need in order to provide it in the food. The challenge today is putting what they need in a still convenient form – kibble. I’m happy to say that there are many companies that now take great pride in creating what they believe is superior nutrition for dogs and cats. They are well informed and definitely have the health of the animal in mind. These are often the foods that you don’t see advertised because their money is more likely to go into their product than on T.V.

 

To be informed consumers, we need to know what our animals need. Rather than going into too much detail here, I encourage you to read the links on our “Special Interest” page that give great outlines of dog and cat digestion and essential nutritional needs.

 

http://www.b-naturals.com/Sep2005.php and http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/documents/ORIJEN_White_paper.pdf

 

We know the basics of dog and cat nutrition start with the fact that they are carnivores.

This means they NEED MEAT. Dogs and cats are designed to process meat protein to supply many of the elements needed to produce red blood cells, muscle and energy. They have liver enzymes designed to process meat protein that cannot cope well with grain substitutes. We see more cats especially coming in with liver, kidney and diabetes problems that can be directly attributed to feeding grains (poor quality ones at that). We have dogs who itch and bite at themselves due to their inability to process the grains in their food.

 

We know dogs and cats have short digestive tracts designed to quickly break-down and absorb the foods they gulp down. This brings us to the next big part of the nutrition issue in domestic dogs and cats.

 

Digestion- We try our best to take care of our pets in our busy lives, and we feel the need to treat them fairly to be sure they are pain free and happy. This often means we treat them with antibiotics or steroids. These treatments work in our pets’ bodies much like they work in our own. An antibiotic goes and destroys bacteria that are considered “negative” and making an animal ill. Just as in our own bodies, these antibiotics are not designed to pick out a specific bacteria, they simply get rid of it all. That includes the “positive” bacteria needed to remain in the intestines to aid in the absorption of nutrients.

When we destroy all the intestinal bacteria we create an environment that is not healthy. When we feed high grain foods on top of the destruction of “good” bacteria, we create an imbalance. “Negative” bacteria can feed on and grow in a high grain environment. So does yeast. How many of you have dealt with those constant stinky (yeasty) ear infections? Consider what goes into your dog or cat to feed that problem.

 

Grains are also slow digesters. Dogs and cats are designed to digest quickly. When you see a large stool from your dog, you can assume the dog is not using much of what is going in- i.e. the body doesn’t have the time or ability to digest the ingredients of the kibble you are feeding. If you have an animal with immune system issues, you may also see mucus in the stool. This is caused by the intestinal wall trying to protect itself. It builds a barrier of mucus to prevent absorption. The slowing down of the digestion and the affect it has on building an environment that won’t allow the dog or cat to get the nutrition it needs are major reasons to limit the amount of grains in our carnivores’ food.

 

So.. we know the quality of the food we feed is essential to good nutrition.

We know our dogs and cats need meats to survive and flourish.

We know medications can destroy the balance in the intestinal tract, lowering absorption of even good quality foods.

We know grains can slow down digestion and feed “negative” bacteria.

 

We also know that we have been feeding the same meats to our dogs and cats for a long time. We fed Beef for yeeeaaarrrs before we decided Chicken was cheaper and easy to produce. Turkey is darn close. When our animals started reacting to (having “allergy” symptoms) those meats we turned to Lamb. That was a little harder to get, and a bit more expensive, but worth it to combat the “allergy” issues.

Well, look where we are now. Now we are making foods for our pets from Duck, Rabbit, Trout, Salmon, Venison, and Goat. We’ve continued to try to change the treatment of the “allergy” symptoms based upon the “as long as we can’t see it, all must be better” philosophy. We are not dealing with the CAUSE.

With that in mind, these new proteins, along with grain-free foods or human-grade quality CAN help us manage the symptoms while working on the cause.

As I said in a previous blog, sometimes the cause may not become evident. Sometimes the best we can do is manage what we know is needed, and let the animal’s immune system cope the best it can.

 

Let’s say we have a dog with itchy skin that has licked his paws raw and has chronic ear infections.

What do we do?

First we look at the breed of the dog.                                BREEDING

Then we look at the food the dog is eating.                       NUTRITION

Then we look at the last time the dog was vaccinated.     VACCINES

Then we look at the environment the dog lives in.            ENVIRONMENT/LIFESTYLE

 

I'll finish this thought and try to tie this all together in the another blog.

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Tuesday April 8, 2008

 

To continue the discussion from last Sunday regarding our approach to assisting customers with dogs and cats that exhibit what is commonly referred to as “allergy“ symptoms…..

 

To recap a bit, we are talking about symptoms such as scratching, licking, ear infections, discoloration of the fur from saliva or fluid discharge, flaky or blackened skin, raised bumps, redness, urinary tract infections, bacterial infections, diarrhea, vomiting and the like.

 

I gave four categories of interest that are key factors in symptoms we see in our dogs and cats:

Breeding, Nutrition, Vaccinations and Environment.

 

Breeding:

 

For many years now dogs and cats have been bred for hair length or color, height, or head size. Popular trends determine the breed of choice for any given year, and unusual color mutations are going for big bucks. (That’s a whole other subject to be aware of. Be aware that color mutations are recessive genes. That means they are not strong. They should never cost you more money.) With cheap foods and no veterinary attention backyard breeders and even top show dog lines are producing dogs and cats from weakened gene pools who carry or pass on health problems to the next generations.

 

We must insist on responsible breeding practices in order to see healthy dogs and cats in the future. Look for a responsible breeder, or be prepared to deal with possible health and behavior issues.

 

Vaccines:

 

I skip to vaccines because I believe they are the GREAT CULPRET in the destruction of our pets’ continued health.

 

How may of your vets send you a postcard in the mail letting you know it’s time for your pet’s annual “booster” shots? How many times have you taken your pet in for those annual "boosters" and within several hours, or even as long as several months later, your animal has a urinary tract infection, ear infection, strange reaction to food it’s been eating for years? Maybe you notice itching and watery eyes, or hair loss. Why would you think it had anything to do with something your vet recommended? You probably wouldn’t think it was the vaccine, (or 3 or 4 vaccines) your vet administered.

 

Since the 1980’s (some say the 1970’s) veterinarians and the USDA, who regulates animal vaccines,  have known that not only are multiple and yearly vaccines unnecessary, they can be the single most harmful element contributing to your dog or cat’s health problems.

Studies have proven that, like those we are given when we were young, vaccinations of specific viruses given to our pets most likely stay with them for their lifetime.

 

A mother’s immune system protection is passed on to her young, and can stay with them for up to 12 weeks. Most vaccines for puppies and kittens are recommended to be given up to 3 times before the age of 12 weeks! Those given are generally multiple viruses at one time!  They are given multiple times in the hope that they won’t miss the time when the mother’s immune system lets up and the pup or kitten’s immune system takes over.  Those multiple vaccines will do one of three things- waste your money by uselessly butting up against the mother’s immune system that is already protecting the puppy or kitten, cause damage to the developing immune system, or develop the young animal’s immune system. The risks of multiple and frequent vaccines include: cancer, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (rejection of one’s own blood), Hypothyroidism, Polyarthritis, contraction of the disease being vaccinated for (this happens in immune compromised animals), Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD), renal failure, Fibrosarcoma (in thousands of cats every year!).

Note: Cat vaccines are reccommended to be given in the rear leg, as it can be amputated if a fibrosarcoma develops. Vaccinations between the shoulder blades may result in fibrosarcoma that spreads to the lungs.

 

Be aware, not all dogs and cats have weakened immune systems, and not all will show health problems due to over-use of vaccines. However, if one continues to bombard the immune system with unnecessary vaccines throughout the dog or cat’s lifetime, the possibility of negative reactions is increased dramatically.

 

Note:  No veterinarian that is ethical will recommend or administer a vaccine to an animal that is not in good health. If your dog or cat has shown signs of having a compromised immune system, that animal should not receive a vaccine! This is my very strong, and, I believe, informed opinion.

 

 Be aware of this when you purchase a dog or cat from a pet store or shelter. Pet stores often over-vaccinate and advertise it as a positive selling point. (Come in and talk to Cassandra about her dog Brody. She can tell you what living with a dog with auto-immune system dysfunction is all about.) (Not to mention the first part of this blog regarding good breeding practices. Good breeders do not sell to pet stores!)

 Shelters often don’t know a dog or cat’s vaccine history, and vaccinate to protect the larger population each new animal is housed with. These are things to be aware of before you take on the care of a new dog or cat.

 

The following web presentation is very informative regarding vaccines. Take some time to read it so you can make informed decisions about your own pet's health.

http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/index.htm

 

 

Keep it safe:              Vaccinate after 11 to 12 weeks of age.

                                    Wait until after 6 months to vaccinate for rabies

                                    Only use modified live virus- not killed or live vaccines

                                    Use one vaccine at a time (no four or five in one vaccines!)

                                    Wait 3 to 4 weeks between vaccines

                                    Vaccinate your cats in the rear leg

                                     Use only non-adjuvanted vaccines for cats

                                     Only vaccinate a healthy animal

 

There's so much more......

 

I’ll finish the other two parts of this discussion in another blog.

 

 

 

Sunday April 6, 2008

 

The puppies just keep coming in! AND WE LOVE IT! (one of the perks of the job are puppies kisses.)

 

Austin came in this last week with his mom Marge. He gave out lots of kisses, and generally won our hearts. Wait till Jeannie gets back from vacation and finds out she missed an "aussie" puppy. (She loves those aussies)

Austin is a 7 week old blue merle Australian Shepherd. What a love. We hope to see him growing up over the next year.

 

And then there was Lucciano (sp?- Sorry I'm no good at Italian)

 What a cute little "Chiwi"! This boy was such a sweetheart we all had to hold him.

He stole "Auntie" Lorna's heart right away.

    Better watch out- she may try to take this little one home.

 

Friday April 4, 2008

 

Hey Everyone! Congratulations are due to the team of Donna Clark and Preston, a.k.a. CH Allegro Danedelus Music Man.

 

Preston won BEST OF BREED at the Peninsula Dog Fancier's All Breed Dog Show in Bremerton! That makes him our local celebrity dog!

Next time you see Donna in the store be sure to congratulate her!