Hi Peter

Thank you for teaching us to be more proactive with our pets and ourselves. It suddenly occurs to me that the reason for a lot of our problems is that we want that “magic pill”.

If someone is told they have high cholesterol, they want a pill to make it go down so they can continue to fuel their bodies with the junk that caused it.

When they have a sore joint, they want a pill to dull the pain, instead of curing the cause of the pain.

When they cough, they want something to stop the cough.  (isn’t a cough a normal way of clearing the passage?)

When we have a fever, we immediately want to get it down. (Isn’t fever natures way of fighting something bad in our bodies?)

If we are overweight, we want a magic pill to shed the pounds because it is easier than proper diet and exercise.

Allergies are a natural defense.  Unless it is extreme, as all the above mentioned ailments) why do we want to put a blanket over them.

The pharmaceutical companies are rich because they have convinced us that this is the answer to everything.  Shame on us for believing it.
Thanks for listening.

Michelle Saari

How about minerals? How can you insure that your dog or cat is getting all the important nutrients needed for good health and longevity? Essential minerals are not always present in sufficient amounts, especially if your pet’s diet is limited to a few ingredients.  Even if you feed a variety of foods, intensive agriculture and soil depletion can lead to serious health problems unnecessary suffering and expensive vet bills.

What can you do?

Learn more! Please accept my special invitation and  join me for the first in a series of complimentary interactive webinars.  I hope that together we will be able to explore the ways of making our animal friends healthy, happy and long living. You may also be interested in learning about GreenMin, one of the most exciting natural healing projects that I have worked on.

What is GreenMin?

GreenMin is a new generation of natural mineral supplements that is unlike any other

• 100% natural and whole food based
• Highly bio-available
• Free of heavy metals and pesticides
• Certified organic

Whether you’re a pet lover or an owner or supporter of a natural pet food company, don’t miss this opportunity.

Get your questions ready—the answers are free.

Just click and register here to join us on one of the two available dates:

• Thursday, August 26, 2010 10 AM – 11 AM PDT
• Tuesday, August 31, 2010  6 PM – 7 PM PDT

With gratitude,

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

PS: Watch me talking why raw pet food is the healthier choice for your pet’s diet:

Please share:

Drug  Companies  are predominantly are not  in the business healing  but  disease maintenance .  Just  check this  video out ….

More often than not, my blog ideas are usually brought up by a real life situation. This one is not  an  exception.

Molly was a sweet  puppy adopted by my lovely clients, Nadia and Will. They are one of those clients who I want to live with if  I come back as a dog. She and  her husband Will were thrilled about getting a puppy and hoped to make Molly happy and healthy for the years to come. Part of the plan was Molly’s visit at my  office.

Nadia was told that the breeder was the sellers mom, who  couldn’t come to meet  Nadia. However, she swore that the puppy had been de-wormed, vaccinated, socialized and got free run to play with others.

As soon as I have heard the story of “the breeder was my mother who could not attend” I became suspicious that Molly was a puppy mill puppy. It was obvious that some of her baby  teeth had not even erupted. Her tummy looked like a little  inflatable balloon and her hind legs were weak and twisted in a awkward shape. She could barely walk.

What do I do now, I thought. Nadia was in love with Molly and ultimately, it was not Molly’s  fault that she was a product of a puppy mill and human greed. I could see that Nadia was very upset and all I could do is to say that “we all make mistakes and that all we can do is to learn  from them and accept our imperfections.”

The reality was that Molly was about 5 weeks old,  full of parasites and had most likely spent the first  part of her life locked up in a cage with her mother and siblings. Molly is one of hundred’s of thousands of puppy mill pets.

Blog writing is my way of overcoming the familiar: “ This problem is too big to be solved…” Perhaps it can be, one dog, one puppy mill at a time.

I trust that most of you have  no intention of supporting the shady and torturous business of  puppy mills and puppy brokerage for the sake of having the latest and the trendiest of breeds.

My plan is to ask you to  help me  put  these businesses that perpetrate despair, torture and suffering out of business.

Animals rescued from a puppy mill:

HOW TO AVOID  PUPPY MILLS

1. What  are puppy mills?
   They are  mass breeding stations with the sole purpose of breeding and selling puppies.
2. What is the life of dog used for  breeding like?
   Dogs used for  breeding are often  confined to small cages, get no attention  or exercise  and often sleep in their own waste or walk  metal cage screens.  They are fed cheap and nutrient  poor  pet  food, bred as often as 2x a year and get no  or minimal veterinary  care. The bitches are considered breeding machines.  They are the slaves of the modern times.
3. How does all this affect the puppies
   It comes without  saying that stressed malnourished mothers have puppies that are more likely to be ill. Lack of human contact and “family structure” makes them more prone to behavioral   problems. No or  very  little  exercise leads to disfigurement and poor development of joints – especially knees, elbows,  shoulders and the hips.This all  is just  the tip of the iceberg. Poor and uncontrolled breeding happens commonly between dogs  that  are  closely related.  This can lead to  genetic weakness and  serious health problems.
4. How do  puppy mills  affect the lives of other dogs?
   For  every dog  bred  in  puppy  mills, there is a one less home  for a homeless dog at your local rescue organization.  These dogs are often  euthanized.
5. What can you do  to  avoid  puppy  mills?
   The most  popular dog breeds are more likely  to come  from  puppy  mills. Smaller dogs are more likely to be breed in such facilities because they eat less and can be sold for  a hefty profit. Never buy a  dog from a pet  store  no matter how sorry you feel for the puppies in the shop window.  Your purchase will keep the vicious  circle spinning.Ask yourself  a question. Do you really need the latest and trendiest schmoodles, labradoodles, “bullshits”, cockapoos or whatever new flavour of the year comes up. I often find the best and healthiest dogs are the mixed breeds…If you are one of the people  who just  simply  fell in love with the more popular  breeds, it is ok,  own it  and  go for it. No one is perfect.   Just  make sure that you find a reputable breeder and that you meet the mother of the puppies in their  home.

   If the seller  makes  excuses,  doesn’t   want you to come to her or  his  home or  enter their  home.  Run as fast  as you can  and  tell  others.

   Yes,  I  know, we  feel sorry for these  puppies  and want to  rescue  them from the house  of  horror.  However,  the only way to stop the vicious  circle of puppy mill breeding is to stop buying them.

   If you are reading this blog  too late and you are pretty sure that you have a dog  from a puppy mill, you  may want to read the following section.

1. Do not  trust  what you have been told  by the seller and do the following:
2. Two fecal  sample  checks for  parasites as puppy brokers often lie  about puppies being dewormed.
3. Follow the holistic  approach  to vaccination link .  Puppy mill puppies are often vaccinated too early for the immune system  to respond.  Early vaccination wipes  out the maternal antibodies and leaves  puppies unprotected.
4. Gradually  increase the exercise.
5. Ensure that your puppy  socializes with other healthy dogs and puppies to gain  social skills and become well adjusted.
6. Forgive yourself.  I  believe that making mistakes is part of learning. No one is  perfect.  You can easily make  up for your mistake by passing  this message to  others who would otherwise fall in the  same trap.

With  gratitude,
Dr. Peter Dobias

Please share:

As a driver I have a bad  habit.  I don’t usually buckle up right away but a few minutes after I start driving and the car’s warning signal gets louder and more annoying. I finally listen and  with an attitude of a teenager I reluctantly buckle up.

I myself am puzzled by this. What  brings on the teenager like attitude within me? Why  do I  take the chances and believe falsely that accidents are less likely to happen in the first kilometer or two of the trip?  There is something in most of us that makes as do things that are thrilling and dangerous, no matter how much it doesn’t make sense.

In the 90’s, I worked in a vet clinic in Whistler, British Columbia, a beautiful mountain resort full of thrill seeking folks, who hurl themselves down the double black diamonds  runs  that are steeper than this letter A.

Before the local bylaws tightened up, Whistlerites were also infamous for letting their dogs roam freely around town especially on powder days. Dogs can walk themselves, especially with 3 feet of fresh powder waiting, right?

Unfortunately many dogs couldn’t and I remember hating the “hit by car” emergency calls.

Neither were cats spared of the thrill seeking attitude of their owners. One of them  refused to put  his cat in a carrier when driving and they hurled down a ravine. During the ride to the clinic his freaked out cat decided to latch onto my clients face. It was a miracle  that neither of them were hurt except the car was a total write off.

My memory also takes me back to Cass a beautiful German Shepherd who was adopted by my friend Pat. The previous owner tied her to the track canopy with rope attached to her collar. It took one sharp turn, Cass flew of the truck and was dragged behind for a while before he noticed. She miraculously survived but  the  owner could not pay the vet bills and gave her up.

The good news is that Cass has a better home now. Unfortunately, the consequences of this nasty accident will be with Cass for  the rest  of her life.

The person who finally inspired me to write this  blog is Anna,  a great friend and a dog lover who would throw  herself of a cliff if her dog was in trouble.  However, Anna too, as most of us, has a dangerous habit. She leaves her dog Sam sit on the front  seat because “ he is so  cute”  and he is too hot in the back of the car.

First, I wanted to tell Anna right there that her  dog’s nose is a few inches from the airbag. Then my voice budged  in: “Peter, it is not your business!”  “Well it is and it isn’t.” I argued, “A dog can’t speak for himself and what if there was an  accident?  The airbag’s release  would break Sam’s neck and…. Anna would never forgive herself.”

After this heated argument of me with me, I settled for posting a line on my facebook. Anna did find it and replied with a kind and  funny comment: “Busted!”

I hope that reading the above lines will either freak you out or inspire you enough to want to read the following lines to make your animal friend safer when traveling. Here is what  you can do…

1. Do not let your pet roam the car  freely when driving. Your animal friend doesn’t  have a driving license and has no concept of what would happen if it wedges under the break pedal or prevents you from steering.
2. A safely fastened pet carrier is a great option for cats and some dogs. It is a excellent way to prevent your car hurling down the ravine because your freaked out cat latched onto your face.
3. Dog owners – buy a car for you pet. I am not kidding! Get a car with a built in safety cargo net. It doesn’t  need to be brand spanking new. Just safe. Your dog will have both  the comfort and safety when contained in the  back of your car. Some people  think that driving BMW is an unnecessary excess. I bought it because it has the best built in cargo netting on the market. I can also fold the rear seats down and move the cargo net right behind the front seats if I want Skai to be closer.
   
   I  remember, one time,  a work crew was repairing the road. My  lane was open and as  I was slowly driving ahead. Suddenly, I saw a huge truck speeding in the opposite directions, going way too fast. In order for the truck driver to not  hit the crew, he  swerved the truck into my lane. In slow motion, I saw the truck hurling towards me, breaks screeching, tires  smoking… I stepped on the breaks with full force  and closed my eyes. The truck stopped 10 meters away. If  Skai was not safely contained behind the cargo net, he would have flown through the vehicle, possibly getting injured or killed. I will never regret spending the extra money for a car from a manufacturer who cares about pet safety.

4. If you can’t help it and love seeing Fido stick his head out the  window to watch the world whiz  by, get a dog seatbelt harness that can buckle in.
5. If you  want to give  your dog an even greater  degree of freedom,  you can use a nylon cargo strap or climbing rope and loop it  around the rear seat. Make sure that it is securely fastened.  Use a climbing karabiner to clip your dog to. This will allow him to move freely from  side to side.
6. If you are the one who loves to have your  best  friend on your  lap when driving or on the passenger seat, stop and think. Is it worth taking the risk that your best friend could be killed  instantly by  the airbag or by being catapulted out of the vehicle?
7. If you have a truck and  like to keep your dog in the cargo area, do this only  in the warm months. You dog should wear a proper seat belt harness  attached  to both sides of the canopy. The rope  must be short enough to prevent  your dog from  falling out.
8. Never leave your dog running freely in the canopy, attach the collar to the rope or tie him to only one side. Remember Cass. It only takes one sharp turn and  Fido will fall out,  to be dragged and likely killed or seriously injured..

I know, I know, we all love to seek  thrills once every while. We all break the rules.  How about finding other ways to get the “fix;” a ride on rollercoaster,  watching a scary movie  or sky diving.

Just  promise one think that you keep your animal friend out of it and safe…

With gratitude,

Dr. Peter  Dobias.

PS:  Save animal lives share this blog with others.

A friend of mine  called me recently and was very upset.  This was the second time his dog Barkley had eaten a mango pit.  The first time, he threw it up, but  this time,  it stayed down for more than a week.
The local vet recommended  surgery and my  friend was not  really happy about slicing Barkley’s stomach open. He called  me to see if there was anything else we could do.

The pit was large and flat and it was unlikely to go further than the stomach.  I thought  if  we made Barkley throw up, it could get stuck in the esophagus.  We had to find a way  that would  make the mango pit slippery enough  to make it slip out without complications.

I suggested  my friend  cook 2 cups of  squash  to make a puree and   add 1/3  cup  of  flaxseed steeped in the same amount of hot  water. The flax seed made the whole  mixture  slimy and slippery which was perfect to make  the pit  slide out.

To make Barkley throw up, we added ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide (to be  mixed in just before feeding).  When peroxide reacts with stomach juices it is know to   bubble up  which  makes most  dogs  throw  up.

My friend  and I  agreed that  he would call me if there was any news and that  he would  also be ready to see the local vet in the unlikely case of the pit  getting stuck. Finally,  an  hour later, I received a text message  from Elan:  “Peter, call me! “

“Oh no,”I thought, “Barkley may be in trouble!” I  called right  away, anxiously waiting for an answer. “Peter, we got the pit! ” my friend proclaimed victoriously.

We were both ecstatic .  Barkley didn’t  need to go under the knife plus 1 squash, flax seed and a little bit of peroxide are definitely  much less expensive than  abdominal surgery!

This whole  story  prompted me to write a little more on foreign body ingestion because this was not  the first time I have seen dogs eating strange things including  a fine china plate with the dinner, 10 golf balls or  corn cob.

The purpose of this blog is to give you an insight about what to do when  your dog  eats  non-toxic, indigestible objects.

If  your  dog  ingested a toxic substance or a poisonous  plant or you are not  sure what  exactly went  down Fido’s stomach, contact  your  local  emergency care  provider.  Otherwise,  read  on.

FIRST AID – FOREIGN BODY INGESTION

Ask the following questions:

1. Do you know what your dog ate ?

If the answer  is no and your dog has been repeatedly vomiting or having diarrhea for more than 1 day   or appears to behave strange,  contact  your vet immediately.

IF the answer  is  YES,  and  you  know what   your dog  ate, go to STEP 2

2. Is your dog drooling?

If your dog is hyper-salivating,  the object  may be stuck in the esophagus or your dog ate a toxin.  You should  see  your vet immediately.

3. The size of the object is more then 1.5 inches in diameter

it is unlikely that it would pass further in the small  intestine. If your dog  appears to be fine, is  calm. You can  prepare the following mixture

• 2 cups of cooked squash puree
• 1/3  cup of whole flax  seed steeped by the same volume of hot water
• ½  cup of hydrogen peroxide
• small  amount of smoked  fish or cooked  liver for flavor  only

Feed this mixture to your dog.  You should  see vomiting within 30 minutes and hopefully you will be the lucky winner.

If your  dog  doesn’t  throw  up and  appears  fine,  go to step 4.

4. The foreign body is  smaller  than 1.5 inches

If your dog is not vomiting and appears to be fine,  feed  him the following mixture

• 50% of meat of your choice ( raw or cooked depending on your preference
• 40% cooked squash puree
• 10%  flax seed steeped with  enough  hot  water to make the whole mixture slimy.

Feed this  meal for 2 – 3  days.  Many  foreign  bodies  pass with no problem

5. If your dog is restless,  or vomiting more than once or  having diarrhea for more than 24 hours, see your veterinarian.

If the foreign body is in the stomach,  your dog may have normal appetite with occasional vomiting. Intestinal  obstructions usually  cause lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of discomfort

6. If you know that your  puppy or adult dog  likes to  chew  on things, keep it  confined  in a dog pen when  away or in a  room  free of  hazardous objects.

Please  note that  the above information  is  not  intended to replace the care of experienced healthcare provider.

If you are put in  a situation where surgery may be needed, never go for an exploratory surgery unless the foreign body was confirmed.

Barium radiographs,  ultrasound or endoscopy are the first diagnostic steps that need to be taken first.    Foreign bodies in the stomach can  often be removed endoscopically to avoid the surgical trauma and risks.

If you find that your veterinarian is suggesting surgery while your dog appears fine or  a foreign body was not confirmed, seek a second  opinion.

Chronic kidney disease or chronic renal insufficiency is one of the most common conditions of cats and slightly less common in dogs. Symptoms include increased drinking and urination often followed by lack of appetite, vomiting, and muscle loss and general deterioration.

Kidney tissue is composed of very fine and sensitive kidney units that filtrate the blood, eliminate toxins and regulate water balance in the body. These units are highly prone to damage due to toxins or immune system dysfunction.

The conventional belief is that kidney disease is genetically predisposed and that other causes such as bacterial infections, poor diet and toxins, compromise the very fine and easily affected kidney tissue. While all these are true, the kidneys’ health mainly depends on the general health and harmony of the whole body. Back issues, muscles spasm, injury and stress especially in the region around the third lumbar vertebra appear to be especially connected to kidney health. The immune system plays an important role in protecting the kidneys, however, if not finely tuned, it starts creating antibodies against still functional kidney units and destroys these along with tissue that is inflamed. This leads to irreversible and often serious damage.The clinical signs such as increased drinking, urination and increased levels of kidney toxins, start showing up only after 75% of the kidney tissue is destroyed.

However, I have seen animals living good lives years after they reach this stage if treated properly. The damaged kidney units can never be regenerated and the main goal of the treatment is to stop the kidney destruction and preserve the remaining kidney tissue.

When I started practicing, I saw many cats looking like walking skeletons, wasting muscle mass and not doing well at all. I was taught that this is caused by the kidney disease itself however, I was not convinced.

I suspected that the low protein prescription diet was the main cause of weight loss. We were told by the pet food companies that low protein diets are important in reducing the kidney toxin levels. However, I could see that animals fed this food were showing signs of protein starvation and deteriorated fast.

It took me a few years to dare to go against the conventional recommendations and started suggesting high quality raw protein diets for patients with kidney disease. In addition to glandular supplements supporting the kidneys and homeopathic remedy individually selected for each patient.

The results were surprisingly encouraging. Most patients with mild or moderate kidney disease maintained good body weight, showed great energy and didn’t seem to deteriorate as fast as patients on low protein food. They appeared to live longer than expected.

My own cat Mina was diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of 10 years. When I adopted her in 1991, I did everything according to the book . I fed her dry processed food and administered yearly vaccines until I woke up and realized what was happening.

Mina was my great teacher and one of the first cats I have used my new treatment protocol on. She is 18 years old still enjoying her retirement.

Over the years, I have finely tuned my treatment protocol and despite the need for individual assessment of each patient, I would like to provide you with:

General guidelines for holistic approach to treatment of chronic kidney disease

DIET

• Feed a good variety of high quality protein diet, ideally raw.
• Do not feed beef , buffalo or bison as they have a higher content of inflammatory factors which affect the immune system function.
• Avoid so called low protein kidney or senior diets.
• Dry food especially stresses the kidneys by “absorbing” water creating a persistent state of dehydration.
• If you do not want to feed raw, canned diet is better however canned food can never measure up to what nature intended.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

• Homeopathic remedies bring stability and neutralize the body’s energetic state that leads to the disease itself. It is important to work with an experienced animal homeopath to use this form of treatment.
• In my experience, internet reference is not a sufficient basis for homeopathic prescription and often leads to confusing the situation.

GLANDULAR SUPPLEMENTS

• Renafood for dogs or Feline Renal Support for cats protects the kidney tissue by neutralizing undesirable antibodies against the body’s own kidneys and provides necessary nutrients specific to the kidneys.

PROBIOTICS

• The beneficial bacteria from the right probiotics is capable of using excess kidney toxin called urea for their own growth. My favorite brand is Immunity Probiotic by New Chapter Organics. You may click here for prices 20% lower than suggested retail.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

• GreenMin is a new generation of whole food, certified organic mineral supplement containing 20 essential trace minerals. Unlike many synthetic supplements, GreenMin is algae based, USDA certified organic product. It replenishes minerals lost through excessive urine production.
• Tiny Tabs by New Chapter (Dogs) and Feline Whole Body Support (cats) are my favorite vitamin supplements. They too are whole food based and I use them for my own pets and patients.

HYDRATION

• If you pull the skin on the neck and it stays up for longer than 1 second, your pet may be dehydrated. Simple administration of electrolyte solutions under the skin such as Lactated Ringers or Sodium Chloride (0.9%) will help pets in more advanced stages of kidney disease.

BACK HEALTH

• Check your pets spine especially around the 3rd-4th lumbar vertebra. This region directly supplies energy meridian flow to the kidneys. Increased heat, inflammation, muscle pain, spasm and sensitivity of this area will compromise the kidneys.
• The best techniques for treating the back are physiotherapy, intramuscular needle stimulation ( a form of acupuncture technique ), gentle chiropractic treatment and massage.
• Ideally, do not use any anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin or Metacam as it is contraindicated in patients with kidney disease.
• I have neither seen any clear benefit of Enalapril, a drug that modulates the blood pressure. It is my experience that these drugs are detrimental to the long term prognosis.

WELL BEING AND FAMILY

• Don’t forget to do all you can to look after your own needs. I see direct correlation between the degree of health of people and their pets.
• Good exercise, at least 2 walks a day for dogs and access to the outdoors or the balcony for cats makes a big difference.
• Pets who spend a lot of time alone, do not get walks , play time and attention are more disease prone in general.

FURTHER SUPPORT AND RECHECKS

• If your pets condition is stable, a quarterly or semi annual recheck is highly recommended. This way, you can adjust the treatment and supplements as needed and avoid unnecessary complications.
• If your pet is vomiting, lethargic and has no appetite, hospitalization and further diagnostics may be needed.

If you are unsure what the best treatment decision is, especially because of the pressure from a conventional practitioner to follow the conventional drug and processed food route, you may be interested . If you are interested in how to choose the right vet click here to read my blog post.

I almost answered her question privately and then I thought,  it is a perfect opportunity to get a few  things of my chest, write a blog and hopefully help at the same time

Over  the course of the past  months of blog writing,  I  have found a new passion for writing and bringing more clarity into animal healing. I like to question and challenge beliefs of others and also my own. This way I keep my ego in check and keep on learning. In the big scheme of things,  we humans, know very little.

My friend has a bumper sticker on her truck that says: “Don’t always believe  what you think”.  I love this quote  because it reminds me  how often we construct  false beliefs  about many things in life.  Veterinary medicine is no exception.

So how  shall we  approach life and make important decisions or even foot fungus?  You can either approach it from “a rigid smart ass”  point of view or be flexible by combining a reasonable degree of knowledge,  experience, observation and  intuition.

Several months ago,  I wrote  a blog  called “Tribute to our bacteria superheroes.” There I mentioned  that despite  all the negative publicity bacteria gets, the whole world would cease to exist if bacteria disappeared.

So here is the scoop on nasty dog foot fungus:

1. HIBITANE ( chlorhexidine) SOAP IS TOXIC to bacteria and it is also toxic to other cells especially if applied on regular  basis.  IT  SLOWS DOWN AND SOMETIMES PREVENTS  HEALING.
2. Many dogs who  with front foot  lesions  have issues with their NECK. They often  suffer neck injuries from pulling on the leash,  inappropriate collars  (barbaric restraint collars as choke collars or even prong collars), carrying heavy logs or hitting their head.
3. Dogs that have hind  foot  lesions usually have suffered a LUMBAR SPINE injury
4. What  follows such neck or back  injuries is muscle tightness,  which leads  to restriction of nerve  function, energy and blood flow to extremities and especially  the feet.
5. This often creates unusual sensations such as referred pain, pins and needles or numbing which can make some dogs lick their feet. However, even if they don’t  lick, the skin on their  feet is weaker and MORE PRONE TO INFECTIONS.
6. Frequently,  bacteria or  fungus has been detected however, they are usually SECONDARY and because the primary issue comeS from the spine, antibiotics and antifungals are usually ineffective.

What  is  the Natural Healing Solution?

1. Stop using Hibitane and start  using  Healing Solution to promote skin  healing naturally
2. See an experienced  animal physiotherapist  or chiropractor for a neck assessment.  If you  contact me,  I will be able to connect  you with the right person.
3. The most  important  part is to get  any pressure off the neck  by replacing your dog’s  collar  with a harness  such as  Sensation or  Easy Walk harness that attached in the front.
4. For dogs with hind feet  issues, any sprinting, ball retrieving and back stressing activity should be avoided.
5. Ideally,  your dogs  general  health , diet and supplement schedule  should be reviewed as well.
6. If you would like to speak to me. All new clients are eligible for 15 minute Free Consultations  at www.peterdobias.com/services

Do you have any other examples of  how dogmatic, rigid approach to life leads to trouble?  How  do you make life’s important  decisions.  Share your insights in the  comment in the section below.

Thank you for making a difference and sharing  this article with others.

Imagine,  your   heart  is  pounding, you feel like it  is  going to explode,  you feel hungry all the time and can’t  keep any weight  on;  you are restless and can’t  sleep at night.  After a while,  the high blood pressure affects  your kidneys,  you  feel  restless, crabby and unwell.

Welcome to the world  of hyperthyroidism in cats,  one of the most  commonly diagnosed  conditions in veterinary practice

The conventional  approach to treatment  includes  some of the following:

1. Radioactive iodine  injections  that selectively “kill” the thyroid  gland  cells but also expose  the whole body to radiation.  You  would not be able to touch your cat for a few weeks. It would be locked in isolation with minimal  human contact.
2. Tapazole is a conventional drug that selectively poisons the thyroid  gland.  It  affects  the liver and increases the chances  of other health problems.
3. Surgically removing the thyroid gland.   This results in the need for supplementing the necessary thyroid hormone with another  drug.  There is also a risk  that your  cat’s  parathyroid gland ( the calcium regulator )  would be damaged  during the surgery and  a life threatening low calcium crisis may follow.

Wondering, if there is something simpler and safer than the above treatments?

More than 10 years  ago,  I asked  exactly  the same   question  when  my  cat  Mina  was  diagnosed  with  hyperthyroidism.

I  adopted Mina  in 1992.  She  was a stray cat brought  to the clinic  where I worked.  I was determined to  avoid any of the above treatments for as long as I could.

I came across Natrum  Muriaticum, a homeopathic remedy derived from  plain and simple Sodium Chloride – common table  salt.  I was  skeptical but decided to  try it.  I gave Mina 2 doses, 2 weeks  apart.

My skepticism soon faded away when I started to see Mina being less cranky, her heart rate dropping back to normal  and to my big surprise, the test  results  showed normal thyroid values. I was stunned.  A homeopathic remedy made of CHEAP TABLE SALT  CURED MY CAT.  How crazy was that?

Because I still  wasn’t  convinced that I this was not a coincidence, I treated more cats and saw a very  clear  and predictable pattern.

Cats that  responded  well to this treatment were:

1. middle aged  (less than 12 years old)
2. their T4 (thyroid hormone)  values  were  over the normal but  not  more than 60mmol/l
3. behavioral  change usually happened within 1 – 2 weeks  with cats being less cranky and their  heart rate  dropping to normal.

Note: Cats  over 10 – 12 years  of age or those with T4  hormone values over 60mmol/l  did not  respond  well  and had to be  treated with Tapazole, the least damaging of the 3 conventional treatments.

Seeing these results, I decided to publish my study on hyperthyroidism in cats and my  presentation was accepted at  The World  Small  Animal Veterinary Conference.  My lecture was scheduled just after another one called  Supplementary, Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A SCAM in Flagrant Violation of Veterinary Ethics and Science.

It was presented by a veterinarian, who had, as I learned later,  ties to the pharmaceutical industry.  Apparently, he goes around the world and lectures against holistic veterinary medicine. ( I  asked my  Canadian born friend,  what  flagrant  meant,  he  didn’t  really know but  we both assumed that  it is something “nasty.”)

There is still a lot to clarify and explain and if you know of someone who would be willing  to provide research  funding for such an important  and interesting  study, I hope you will let me know. I have no doubt that the sponsor  will not  be the “Big Pill Inc.”  Table  salt  is cheap and  there is no money to be  made!

My cat is  now 18 years, to my amazement, her thyroid values continue to be normal.  There are few  other cats from the study that are still  well and  alive and I see them regularly.

I often wonder,  how many undiscovered, inexpensive solutions there are for many medical conditions.  Wouldn’t  be great if there was a system of unbiased medical research in place? If we allow drug companies to  control the single most important area of our lives, it is  the same as  making a goat  a gardener?

Dr. Peter Dobias

PS:

If you have a hyperthyroid cat, please  feel  free to contact me at www.peterdobias.com/services.  See text  below  for detailed data of my study.

Homeopathic treatment of feline hyperthyroidism

Peter Dobias, DVM

Dr. Dobias Healing Solutions Inc,  North Vancouver, BC,  contact@peterdobias.com

The selection of the homeopathic treatment was based on the principles of classical  homeopathy. Only one single remedy was used at the time of treatment and no other methods were used. A dose of the remedy was repeated only when laboratory values confirmed increased thyroxin values or if clinical signs of hyperthyroidism recurred.

The homeopathic preparation of Natrum Muriaticum[1] was administered in the form of pellets in 200c potency.  There was one  cat (see Table 1) that received a higher, 1M, potency later  on  during the  treatment.

The goal of this study is to demonstrate the use, efficacy and long term effect of homeopathic treatment in cases of feline  hyperthyroidism. The second goal is to compare the patients whose values had gone back to normal with the patients that did not  respond to homeopathic treatment.

Results:

• A total of 13 cats were treated.
• The age at the commencement of  treatment ranged from 5 to 17 years
• Thyroxine values in the treated cats ranged from 39nmol/l to 175nmol/l (normal reference range is 18-40nmol/l).
• Symptoms of hyperthyroidism seen in the treated cats included tachycardia, weight loss, restlessness and increased appetite.
• The thyroxine values of 8 cats from this group returned to normal and the clinical signs of hyperthyroidism also disappeared.  The average age of these cats was 7.4 years (5 – 12 years). Their initial thyroxine values did not exceed 60 nmol/l and ranged from 39 – 59 nmol/l
• There were 5 cats that did not respond to treatment and were prescribed  conventional therapy of methimazole.  The average age of this group of cats was 13.8. The thyroxin values ranged from 55 – 175 nmol/l with the average of 97 nmol/l.
• One cat, the oldest in the test group, LaRue (age 17), was originally diagnosed as sick euthyroid due to an advanced stage of chronic renal insufficiency. This cat’s thyroxin value initially increased to 55 nmol/l and later returned back to normal. Unlike the other patients that responded to therapy, this cat continued to be unwell and later had to be euthanised.   We have put this patient in the non-responsive group.
• All cats that responded well to therapy maintained normal thyroxin values for at least 1 year and up to 5 years.  The average number of years each patient was followed was 2 years with the average frequency of administration of 1.875 doses/year.
• 1M potency was used in 1 cat where fluctuation between a normal and a hyperthyroid state was noted. This cat’s thyroxin values returned to normal and the clinical signs also resolved.

Study Data:

Table 1:

** 1 M potency was administered

Table 2:

*** Methimazole started

Conclusions:

This retrospective clinical study demonstrates that Natrum Muriaticum (homeopathic preparation of sodium chloride) can be successfully used in the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism without the  high cost and undesirable side effects of conventional use of Methimazole or radioactive Iodine 131. It appears that early diagnosis and the age of cats  are  important factors in successful treatment.

Comments:

Despite the fact that Natrum Muriaticum has proven to be effective, other homeopathic remedies may be needed in individual patients to achieve curative results. It is important to remember that proper use of homeopathic remedies is absolutely essential and treatment should only be performed by a veterinarian who has deep knowledge of the principles of classical homeopathy. I would like to emphasize that there is a tremendous need for  open minded, objective and unbiased research and cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, physiotherapy and other modalities for the sake of the health and wellbeing of  the patients – our animal friends.

What would it be? Would you work 12 hour days or spend hours in traffic, watching TV or shopping for things that you don’t need?

I invite you to close your eyes and imagine  what would your next  hour, next day or month look  like. Where are you, what are you doing, who are you with?

When I sold my veterinary clinic, people thought it was crazy.  Everyone around me was shocked and asked why I made such a sudden decision.

The answer is simple, I listened to the advice of my dog, Skai

For years, he reluctantly followed me to clinic door hoping that I would change my  mind, turn around and play in the park instead. The truth was I had no time for play.  I was burned out and felt like I was failing. I wanted to teach people how to keep their pets healthy and give them a good life and I could not find balance in my own life.

My dream was  to reach more people, write, teach and engage in a community of likeminded  people with desire to learn more about holistic care, disease prevention and how to save on vet bills.   The problem was, I had no time.

One day, at then end of my 12 hour work shift,  I turned to Skai lying  under my desk and thought, “What  would you, my  dear  friend, want me to do if  anything was possible?

I closed my eyes and floated away into another world.  There I was, inside of  a pitch black box.  I felt the fear and panic of not being able to find the door, trying to push the walls away as they were closing in on me.  Suddenly the box collapsed and I was standing at the top of a huge waterfall.  I was frozen with fear of falling into the depths below.

It felt like I  stood there forever and finally rolled over the edge  – giving up control. Splaaaashhhhh!  I felt the cool water surrounding my body and trying to swim up to  gasp for air.  When I reached the surface and opened my eyes, I could only see light and the blue horizon.  I felt so good.

“Peter,  our computer system is down, can you come and look at  it and the washing machine is leaking, Peter,  there is someone calling with an emergency,  Peter,  can you sign this  check,  Peter,  you have someone holding on the other line..  Peter! Peter! Peter!….”

I was clearly back in my box.

A few months later

My partner Dean and I decided to go for a brief holiday to Maui. It was the first time we were able to take Skai along to Hawaii as they had cancelled the Rabies quarantine and dogs were now allowed.

It was one of the best moments of my life -  running with  Skai on the beach.

Near the end of our trip,  we decided to drive to Hana, a  remote village on the North East end of Maui.  We hiked through a very dense and lush bamboo forest until we reached a magnificent waterfall.  I stood there at the bottom of waterfall with my arms spread, gasping for air  as water rushed over my face.  I   didn’t even notice that Dean took a picture.

The next day, we boarded a Vancouver bound plane.  I opened my laptop and started to browse through our pictures.  There I was standing in the waterfall with Skai  in the forefront, a big smile on his face…

Suddenly, it all connected,  my moment in the clinic, the black  box,  the waterfall, the plunge… and the feeling of freedom ..

I turned to Dean and said:  “ I am selling the clinic.”

2 years later:

I never imagined my life could be so good.  I have opened a small housecall practice in Vancouver and have as many clients as I wish.  I have almost  finished my book on natural food,  I write blogs  and articles and love being part of the fast growing community of holistically oriented animal lovers.

My new company, Dr. Dobias’ Healing Solutions  will be launching an all natural animal supplement  line in a few months.  I also  find enough time to take Skai back to Maui and  run and play with  him on a wild empty stretch of  our favorite beach.

Yes, there is life and challenges to deal with but every day I feel that I am heading in the right direction and feel grateful for the simple gifts of life.

Now when you have  read this story, I ask you to go back to the original question.

What would your animal friend want you to do? Close your eyes, imagine and ay the answer out loud.

Congratulations, you have just  accessed your own subconscious  desire of the life you would love to live.   Do not to throw this opportunity for change away.  Go for it.  Make it happen.  Just don’t forget to take your animal friend along…

Dr. Peter Dobias