We want freedom for our dogs

I cannot agree more with the idea that the degree of evolution of a society can be measured by the way we treat children, elderly and the animals.

For more than 20 years, I have been a proud Vancouverite who loves the outdoors, healthy life style and my daily dog walks. As a veterinarian who works with dogs and their people on a daily basis,  I can see the undeniable positive contribution of dogs to our health, wellbeing, our society, and our economy.

• Dogs get us out for walks and help us to be active.
• They help us connect with people on walks and prevent isolation.
• They help us to be healthy and reduce our health care costs.
• They allow us to experience unconditional love.
• They keep us company and cheer us up when needed.
• They remind us to be playful and enjoy life to its fullest.
• They teach us to live in the present.

I could go on and on and create a list that would definitely not fit on one page. There have been numerous studies written about the health and emotional benefits of living with dogs. The question I want to explore here is, why dogs, dog bylaws and animal control have become such a huge issue in recent years?

Some people say that this is a response to a few incidences where dogs of careless or irresponsible dog owners injure people. However, punishing all dogs and dog owners for the issues of a few would not be any different than treating all people like criminals when one person causes a crime. This attitude has generated a fiery public debate that polarizes communities and creates a lot of media attention.

Changing the topic for a moment.

One of my favorite songs is Sarah McLaughlan’s “Ordinary Miracle” and the lyrics say:

“The sky knows when its time to snow
Don’t need to teach a seed to grow
It’s just another ordinary miracle today…”

 

I love the lyrics because they are a reminder that there is no need to over-regulate the natural balance and harmony of nature or of a healthy society. The Earth will continue spinning and the seasons will changee without our control and generally  the unspoken rules and general courtesy in our society are much more powerful than excessive control and policing.  In fact such excessive attempt to control others naturally creates rebellion, distrust and disillusion of the general public.

For example, I witnessed an alcohol raid on the beach of English Bay in Downtown Vancouver where the police squads virtually raided the bags of unsuspecting people enjoying a beautiful summer day. While I am not a drinker, the arrogant and rude behavior of some of these officers was a frightening reminder of my past years of living behind the Iron Curtain. It was a reminder that even in democratic society, some people apply for a job with police or in bylaw enforcement because they love the taste of power.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not support heavy drinking neither anarchy, I just suggest that our lawmakers and enforcement could learn a lesson or two from the European countries where drinking in parks is not a big deal and dogs are allowed in parks, restaurants and on transit without disturbing anyone. In my opinion, extreme over-policing generates oppression and anger and makes “drinking in public” more prevalent and serious. The forbidden fruit always tastes the best. But getting back to dogs…

Just the other day, I found a new sign at the Capilano Dam in North Vancouver that said: “No dogs allowed on the lawn.” First I was angry. I have been dog walking in the park and Skai loves to play here! When my anger fizzled out, I realized that this situation could be used us a springboard to an open discussion.

Based on the news in the media, the battle over the freedom of our canine friends has been increasing in intensity. From what I know, the people who demand more animal control and ban of our dogs from parks and beaches are doing so  because they are afraid of dogs or do not like dog poop stuck to their shoes. These people have a tendency to make a blanket statement against all dogs as a result of a few incidents where aggressive dogs injured people.

As a veterinarian, I know that most dogs are loving and not aggressive. To me, restricting all dogs from parks is unreasonable and could be compared to us being treated like criminals when one person causes a crime.

In my opinion, the solution is not in “bylaw” officers sneaking up from the bushes and ticketing people for having fun and enjoying good life with their dogs. It reminds me of the fairytale of my childhood about a kingdom where people were punished for singing.

I understand that not everyone has a good connection with dogs and some people are afraid of them. However, because of the undeniable benefit of dogs on our health and in our society, we, dog lovers can’t tolerate the current situation where dogs owners are discriminated and treated as a second class citizens and the the anti-dog bylaws are getting out of control.

Here are a few ideas to open a discussion about  how to solve the current situation

• Every dog owner in Vancouver should register their dog without an exception which will be helpful to establish the most accurate dog count.
• This ratio of families with and without dogs should reflect the ratio of beaches and parks where dogs are allowed.
• Ideally each large beach or park should have a dog and no dog section to reduce the need to travel to distant locations.
• Led by the example of other developed nations, dogs should be allowed on public transit with a comfortable muzzle with the exception of service dogs who would not need to be muzzled.
• To reduce the risk of accidents and dog bites, it may be viable to create a system of dog registration where off leash privileges would be granted to dogs who graduted from already existing “canine good citizen” certification programs. The registration tag for  certified dogs could be “green color” to recognize safe dogs easily.
• I believe that most people would agree with fining people who mistreat dogs, train them for aggression, act irresponsibly or do not pick up their dogs poop.
• Install poop bag vending machines or stands where part of the proceeds from the sales would go towards animal welfare and dog training. There are great “corn based” compostable bags on the market that are environmentally safe. As an alternative, poop bags posts could be serving “sponsored” by a local advertising business.

The point I want to make here is that while I respect a difference in opinions and do not expect everyone to like dogs, I strongly believe that dogs and their people do not deserve to be treated like second grade citizens. No one likes to be spied on, raided upon in parks or forced out in the gettos of small and second grade public parks and places.

Based on the statistics, 36% of Vancouver families live with dogs and this number should be equally represented in the number of beaches and parks that dogs are allowed in.We pay taxes, we love our dogs,most of us are responsible citizens and yes, Mr. or Ms. Politician, we have the power to vote out those, who do not respect our equality.

With Respect,

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

A Vancouver veterinarian, dog lover and advocate.

To support Freedom for Vancouver Dogs Petition join us on Twitter here.

I have always known that dogs are smart but there is another characteristic that is deeply seeded in the canine soul – compassion.

I know no other animal than a dog to jump to the rescue of his friends so selflessly and without thinking twice if their life is in danger.

My dog  Skai regularly jumps to my rescue when I am swimming despite the fact that he much prefers a pasture to the ocean.   I have seen dogs grieving their best friends,  I have seen them protecting or saving  children and I have  also heard of stories where a dog ran to get help when their friends were injured.

As I am thinking of all the different situations,  I can’t  help myself  thinking that dogs are in fact the most evolved life form on this planet.   They without  a doubt are the masters  in showing us what love and compassion really is as you can see from the videos bellow.

All I  want to do today is to say one big  thank you to those dogs and humans who care… and make the lives of others safer and better.

With gratitude,

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

When I was a veterinary student,  I didn’t  even question the possibility that vaccines  could cause harm. I was taught that they are the cornerstone of health and must be given. However, as I went on to practice, I  realized that vaccines are not that safe.

In the first few years of practice, I not only saw severe acute vaccine  reactions, but also clear onset of a variety of health problems soon after vaccination.  I  also saw several cats with feline fibro sarcoma, a type of tumor that has been confirmed to appear in the vaccination site of  1 out of 1000 cats.

I naturally started to ask the question “if you and I would be willing to get vaccinated if there was a 1: 1000 chance of getting cancer,  why were vets not  obligated to tell their clients that this risk was there?”

From my perspective, injection of any artificial substance, especially mercury and formaldehyde containing substance cannot create a greater state of health.

Under the natural conditions, pathogens mainly affect the individuals who’s immune system is weakened.  Most bacteria or viruses enter through the mouth, respiratory tract  with the exception of rabies.

The immune system has time to prepare for the unwelcome visitors and in most cases respond by eradicating the pathogen before it gets a chance to grow and spread.  It would also be rare to have more then one serious pathogen  attacking the body at the same time.

In contrast, vaccines introduce multiplex pathogens by an injection that bypasses natural gateways.  This  situation can be compared to someone entering your bedroom window in the middle of the night instead of ringing the bell. How would you feel?

Over  the years, I have heard both sides. The one of the drug and vaccine  companies telling me that ‘vaccines are safe’ and the one of anti-vaccine proponents  saying  that ‘they are damaging to health.’

First, I was unsure about who to trust.  However, after more than 20 years in practice, I can see that the pets with  fewer or  no vaccines  do much better than those who get  vaccinated. 

Here is some important information:

1. Vaccines contain dangerous carcinogens and disease causing chemicals such as mercury and formaldehyde.
2. Vaccines are sometimes made by infecting healthy laboratory animals, including dogs, cats and horses, which causes endless unnecessary suffering. To me it doesn’t make sense to kill an animal to save another.  When I was a student, I  saw these poor souls locked in isolation for a lifetime, most  often loosing their lives under torturous conditions.
3. I have observed time and again that early vaccination can neutralize natural maternal antibodies and leave your puppy unprotected.
 In reality, puppies and kittens vaccinated at 8 – 12 weeks end up more vulnerable to the diseases.
4. Vaccines have the ability to cause symptoms similar to the disease they are trying to prevent.
5. Combination vaccines often overwhelm the body and cause immune system problems.
6. Repeated exposure to vaccines can create toxic build up and serious chronic disease or even cancer.

 What  can you do to keep your dog disease free?

1. Maternal antibodies protect puppies fully until around the age of 10 – 16 weeks.
2. When your puppy is 12 weeks old get an “antibody titer test” done that is available in most veterinary clinics.
3. The most concerning diseases are distemper, parvovirus and leptospirosis. Most clinics run just the first two tests.
4. If any antibody level is present, retest at the age of 5 months and socialize your puppy on a moderate basis with other dogs.
 Your puppy will learn to communicate and interact with other dogs by being in their presence and contact with other dogs will stimulate the  production of antibodies by being exposed while being protected by maternal antibodies. This is in fact natures “way of vaccination.”
5. From my perspective,  any antibody presence is sufficient despite some labs claiming that  there is a low (insufficient) antibody levels. I have not  seen any dogs with antibody presence getting sick.
6. While no method can provide you with 100% guarantee, I have not seen any dogs who have got parvo or distemper since starting to use this protocol in the late 90’s.

What to do if your dog has been tested for no antibodies

1. Early vaccination before 12 weeks of age often neutralizes or blocks the maternal immunity. Vaccines simply destroy maternal antibodies by binding to them.
2. If a titer test confirms presence of no antibodies, you may consider vaccination with one antigen of parvovirus ( not a combination ) at 12  weeks
 and distemper 4 weeks later
.
3. Avoid boosters and unnecessary vaccine exposure by getting a “titer test “done 1 month after the last vaccine and then 2 – 3 months later
4. Do not use vaccines for Kennel Cough, Lyme disease and Giardia – they have the highest side-effect causing properties. I have seen many dogs vaccinated for Lyme disease having symptoms of arthritis at the age of 2 – 3 years old. This vaccine has not been approved for people because of safety issues. 
Kennel cough is a self-limiting disease similar to a cold. Vaccine causes very frequent side effects – kennel cough itself.
5. If you live in an area with rabies, the vaccine may need to be given, however, give it at least 4 – 8 weeks from other vaccination.
6. Never give more than 1 antigen at a time.

How to reduce the chance of vaccination  side effects

1. Never vaccinate your dog before 12 weeks of age if you have the choice
2. If your puppy has been vaccinated early, any medical condition may or may not be a vaccine side effect.
  Some of these side effects may persist for a year or a life time.
3. Consult an open minded holistic practitioner who knows how to recognize vaccine related issues.
4. If you see problems appearing within 1 – 2 months after vaccination, it is safe to administer 2 doses of homeopathic remedy Thuja 200 C 2 weeks apart

Conclusion

Based on my experience, healthy puppies may not need any vaccination and maintain their antibodies (protection) for a life time. This is the safest way.

It is evident that none or minimal vaccine protocol is safer that regular vaccination.

Vaccines can cause serious side-effects that are often not noticed or recognized by conventional medicine.

No one can give you 100% guarantee that your puppy will not get infected with or without vaccines.

Healthy food, fresh water, the right amount of exercise and low stress level is the best disease prevention.

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

NOTE: If you currently work with a practitioner, day care or boarding facility that demands vaccines, remember that it is you who makes the final decision. Be polite, state your request clearly and notice how much you can stand your ground. If you find them not respecting your wishes, choose another service care provider.

I write my articles either on the basis of inspiration or a request. The later is definitely true for diabetes.

Recently, I have had the pleasure to interview one of the Vancouver’s most talented healers, Ryan Carnahan on a very interesting topic of detox.  Heavy metals are one of the most serious pollutant and disease causing factors out  there.  Learning how to detox naturally may ad months and years to your best friends life.  I hope you will enjoy this interview.

With gratitude,

Dr. PD:

Hi  Everyone,  I have the pleasure to  introduce you to Ryan Carnahan  who has  been  very  kind and  agreed for me to interview him. He is a person who has a deep knowledge on the level of nutrition, supplements and  energy healing and I would like you to hear  a little about   minerals and their function and foremost,  how they  contribute to getting rid of  heavy metals in the body.

Ryan,  what  is  your background?

RC: I have been  in  practice 17 years,  in my practice, I combine homeopathy, osteopathy, herbal medicine, energy healing and of course  nutrition. I integrate all these in my practice to provide  people with a  well rounded  approach to maximize  health and longevity.

I have also heard that you’re a new owner of a dog?

RC: Yes, Reina,  we have had her for 8 months, she is a rescue dog from Mexico.  We are  very  blessed to have her in  our life and she has really taught me a lot and I have learned a lot from you in our discussions in how to take care of her.

What has she taught you?

RC:She is an ongoing reflection of what is going on  in my life.  I have always known that  pets are  very similar to children but  experiencing this is very different.  In my  practice,   I see the dynamics between  children  and parents and see how directly children and pets are  influenced by the things that  happen in the families and may be outside of the awareness of the parents. I can  look at  Reina and  I can see what is going on with me. It is apparent that they pick up the energy in the household and they adapt to the household and other relationships.  It is a constant reflection of ourselves and it takes away some self-centeredness of ourselves  because  we devote our life to taking care of someone else and it is an honor to do so.

I would like to go back to the topic of minerals and what  function in the body they  have and what  happens  when  we  provide a whole food source of minerals.This is quite important and I know you have picked up on it  when  you created GreenMin by seeing that  the best  quality raw diet  can be  still deficient in minerals. We can be feeding the highest quality diet from the most  pristine  environments but the plants are growing in soil that  is lower in minerals than it once was. The body needs to  use these nutrients for detoxification and maintaining health.

The liver is the most  important detoxification  organ  and it  requires a huge selection of nutrients in order to detox the  body from a  wide  range of toxins – including those produced during metabolism and from microbes such as bacteria, yeast, as parasites as well as environmental toxins.

The liver is  constantly working to metabolize these toxins and if the body is not receiving the full  spectrum of nutrients such as  minerals  and vitamins, the liver’s enzymes will not be able to process these toxins efficiently and they will start to create health problems.

So when  we  talked about GreenMin,  I  was  thinking especially about minerals and how the animals  may be benefiting from that. Animals  eat  food with  bones  and organs and  these contain  heavy metals.   Particularly the kidneys and brain  can contain  high  levels of  mercury and other metals like cadmium. Lead is often stored in the bones. If our  animals  eat  bones and organs which is  a part of their natural  diet, their liver, kidneys, bowels and lungs – all of the detoxification routes – need to metabolize and process toxins in the best possible way.  In  order to  do this, they need a full spectrum of nutrients to handle this.

Coming back to  some of these minerals like  sulphur, selenium, zinc, magnesium etc – these are crucial in  the production of detoxification enzymes in the body and the liver.

Mercury is a real  problem and  it comes  from the environment, vaccinations that the farm animals and our pets  get and these compound into the pets bodies and hopefully,  if your pet is healthy, it will be  able to excrete as much of the heavy metals as possible.  Sulphur, selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and others are all required for these enzymes, especially in the liver for detoxifying these metals.

Now coming back to mercury in specific, sulphur and selenium bind to mercury in the body so what happens is that mercury attaches to these minerals and can create a depletion of these minerals in the body.

Zinc will compete with cadmium, lead can compete with calcium and become deposited in bones, so these toxic metals have a way of sneaking in and using our metabolism and nutrients that we are ingesting to wreak a little bit of havoc.  So it is important that we have a really healthy supply of the good minerals so that our detoxification enzymes can be in the best form possible and so that they can help shovel these metals out of the body.

So if we are in a nutrient deficient state, like many of our pets are who may be on a very poor diet to begin with, you compound that nutrient deficiency with the environmental toxicity with the toxicity of the vaccinations and all of these things and they are really not in the best place possible to be able to recover and rebound.

Now, it can sound kind of doom and gloom but ultimately we don’t have to be afraid of environmental toxins.  We need to be wise, we need to be prudent and we need to be informed.  We just have to do the right thing so that we are in the best place possible so our bodies can be the natural detoxifiers that they are.

Our bodies will eliminate toxins through our bowels, our hair, our sweat, our urine but they need the proper nutrients in order to do that and that is where I products like GreenMin can come in and really put the animals in the best place possible for the toxicities that may be in the food that they are eating.

Dr. PD So if I understand well, the minerals are basically the soldiers of the body for the detox system and they work really hard to eliminate any heavy metals or any toxins that are in the system through being part of the liver and the enzymatic system and just helping to eliminate.  That makes a lot of sense because we have seen this especially in middle aged and older animals that are probably much more burdened by heavy metals and different toxins, they suddenly can look renewed and that is most likely what is happening.

Now some of our listeners and clients and customers have been wondering whether they have to put vitamins and essential oils in the food on top of minerals and some of them also believe that if they put vitamins and maybe essential oils that they do not need to put minerals in.

What is your opinion about that?

RC: Well, you know minerals, vitamins and oils are all very different categories of nutrients. You can try and just put eggs and flour in a cake and see how that tastes but really you are going to need a little sugar, a little baking powder and whatever you need to make the cake that tastes its best! In my book I talk about the three top supplements.

For me it is a good quality multivitamin, a high quality fish oil- and I say high quality because there is a lot more popular fish oils coming out there now that are not high quality. So yeah, fish oils are important.  They don’t have to be fish oils, Omega III’s can come from a plant based form but they are not as potent and bioavailable as the fish oils. And the third is a probiotic supplement. So we have these top three things that I think are very important.

Ryan, I have always believed that the health of people and their animals come along together.  It sounds like you may be a perfect person for some of our listeners and clients to be in touch with.  Where do you work and what do you do?  I know that you work in the human field and I would like to know a little bit more about your practice.

RC: Sure, I practice in Port Moody, BC ( Vancouver Lower Mainland region) and work with a wide range of people dealing with conditions ranging from back pain to digestive problems, immune system problems, etc.  I specialize in chronic pain but I do treat a wide range of ailments.  As we spoke about earlier, my approach is quite holistic and I use different modalities to approach the body to try and look at it from as many angles as possible to really see what is going on.

The goal of the treatment is really about balancing the body so it can heal itself, it is as simple as that. So we identify imbalances on a physical, mental, emotional and energetic level and then use herbs, homeopathy, osteopathy and energy balancing to restore balance to the body.  It is all about balance and once the body is balanced it will heal itself.  And I say the same thing about animals.  If we are providing the nutrients that they require, the body will tend to go back into balance and that will in turn create much better health.  So this is what I aim for with my clients.

Dr.PD: I love the simple approach to healing because I usually say that we need to eliminate toxins and what doesn’t belong in the body and then provide the body with nutrients that it needs then rebalance and realign the energy and that is all that needs to be done because the body does the rest.  I think we will have a lot of opportunity to talk in the future and I believe that you are still open to new clients although I know you are very busy.  What is your website address?

My practice site is www.RyanCarnahan.com and I have another website which is healerathome.com where I offer a series of ebooks covering the most important natural first aid remedies and there is a free ebook on treating colds naturally, which I am really excited about because it is just packed with good information that can be used on a regular basis.

It has been great talking to you Peter – what we really focused on today is the physical aspects of health but the other important aspect of health is the mental and emotional aspect of ourselves and our animals. This is also very important for detoxification as well – perhaps we can talk about another time.

Dr. PD: Thank you Ryan,  those  are definitely topics that I would like to have the future discussion on.

Take Care

PS:  For more information of Green Min, FAQ and how to purchase GreenMin, CLICK HERE

Recently I  conducted a survey  on the incidence of GDV in dogs. What I have learned is that  dogs that are fed processed food are about five times as likely to suffer from a bloat than dogs  that are fed raw or cooked food.

Most veterinary textbooks state that gastric dilation volvulus  is a serious life threatening condition which is caused by general  breed  predilection, fermentation and gas formation in  the stomach and is often caused bystomach twist or torsion due to increased activity and exercise after eating.

This is all true, however,  when  I started to  observe the patterns  and  energy flow changes in the body, I discovered a few very interesting findings that can be used in GDV  prevention.

Processed  grain-based pet food

The digestive tract of a canine evolved to digest the carcass of  prey. Dogs have teeth that are used for ripping, shearing, crushing  and crunching meat and bones. Dogs do not have grinding molars which are the hallmark of herbivores.  Their digestive tract is ideal for digesting protein and also resisting bacteria due to very, acidic pH of their stomach.  Also, when you feed your  dog processed food, it  turns into porridge. The stomach doesn’t  really need too much  and over time, the stomach muscles  become very weak in the same way as if  you didn’t exercise.

A weak stomach is much more prone to dilation in cases of fermentation and gas buildup happens much more often with purely digested carbohydrate foods. A strong stomach on the other hand would be able to expel fermentation gas much better because of  its strong musculature which is also useful in a twist prevention. From my perspective, this is the main reason why dogs on processed food are more likely to be affected by GDV.

Feed the right bones

Feeding your dog poultry, lamb or other small  to medium size RAW ONLY bones makes the stomach wall and muscles  stronger which also  prevents it from distention. Any gas buildup is much easier expelled or moved downwards into the intestines.Feeding bones is, from my point of view, one of the most important steps in  preventing GDV. Just remember that they have to be raw.   To read more about what to feed and what bones to leave out here is the blog on this topic.

Fruit – a possible predisposing  factor

Some people are surprised when I say that  fruit should never be fed together with the protein meal. The main reason why I suggest this is that fruit and protein digests very differently. Fruit digestion time in the stomach is relatively short and it will ferment and produce gas if it stays in the stomach longer. Some people even joke that the fermentation process  causes  alcohol production which can make your dog drunk. I have never seen this.

If you feed  a protein meal together with fruit, the digestion time of protein is longer and fruit fermentation is more likely to happen.  That  is why I  recommend feeding fruit  at least one hour or longer before a meal and at least four hours after eating.

Exercise

The general consensus is that  dogs should not  exercise after eating. This applies to either raw or processed food.  When the stomach is full, it is more likely to flip and twist when there is a  sudden movement, jump or turn. You should never exercise the dog  vigorously  within 3 to 4 hours after feeding.

Providing the right nutrients

This is another important part of treating any condition.  Vitamins and especially mineral deficits may have a negative effect on muscle function and digestion which can  lead to GDV.  If you  would like to see what basic  supplements I recommend, you can  follow this  link.

Promoting the  spinal energy flow

I have saved   this topic for the end of the blog and it is my own take on GDV prevention. If you have read my other blogs, you may remember  those where I talk about the energy flow along the spine.  Some call it  prana, Chi  or energy meridians.

I imagine this netrwork as the body’s “watering system” where the spine provides the main  “water” supply and the  branches lead to various “garden beds”,  the body’s organs.

You know that if you constrict a hose in your gardens watering system  the carrots or lettuce  will not thrive as well  because of lack of water.  Your dogs body is not much  different in the way that if one of the branches of the spinal energy channel gets impinged or  blocked, it will affect the organ that relates to that segment.These impingements or blocks  can be  recognized by a spinal exam or  a hand scan where I notice changes in the energy flow.

After  years of observation, I started to see, which spinal segments relate to each other and the patterns present in a variety of different  conditions and used the  Chinese traditional medicine principles in creating a simpler, yet pretty accurate body map.
While creating this map, I have found a very close connection between the stomach and spinal point at the  thoracic lumbar junction; the transition between the  last thoracic  and the first lumbar vertebrae.
I have noticed that dogs that have a tendency to stomach problems are in general more prone  to congestion, inflammation and sensitivity exactly at the T-L junction (thoracic-lumbar junction).

When I asked several emergency vets,  they didn’t seem to  be aware of  this connection between this spinal  segment  and GDV.  Then  l I asked if they saw any signs of vertebral degeneration, arthritis or spondylosis in this region when they took Xrays of bloated dogs. Indeed they confirmed that  those changes are frequently  present in dogs that get bloated. I saw  this as another sign of energy flow reduction.

That is why I urge you to pay attention to your dog’s spine. A regular monthly back care and assessment of any dog is one of the most important parts of disease and also GDV prevention. I find many modalities helpful  -  physiotherapy,  chiropractic , massage or intramuscular needle stimulation treatment ( IMS) and acupuncture are good examples.

Exercise

I am not too a big fan  of frequent ball throwing, sprinting, jumping up  because. I’ve seen many dogs getting injured and their spine  going out of alignment.  My goal is to increase your awareness of this issue and I definitely will be writing more about it in future blogs.

What  to do if you suspect a bloat

First I would like  to say that  simple panting  is not a sign of a bloat. Panting  is commonly the “canine way of sweating” and is  considered normal in most cases when your dog looks otherwise comfortable.

However if you see signs of severe distress, your dog’s gums are pale,   he or she is salivating excessively and the stomach is distended,  rush your dog to the nearest  vet or emergency clinic immediately.  If you have a 24 hour facility  nearby,  do not wait for a call back of your regular vet, just  go if you can’t get hold of her or him.

Most  likely, a light sedation (of safe)  and a stomach tube will be the first step, followed by  x-rays and very possibly an emergency surgery. As a first aid measure on the way to the hospital, I recommend giving a homeopathic remedy – call Nux Vomica  200 C  or Carbo Vegetalis 200 C.

Preventive surgery – Gastropexy

Gastropexy is a commonly recommended preventive procedure  where the stomach wall is attached to the inside of the rib cage to prevent the stomach from flipping. While this prevents gastric torsion, I am not that comfortable about  attaching the stomach and restricting its natural movement and function. Any surgical intervention affects the body’s  energy channels and the unnatural stapling of the stomach to the rib cage decreases its mobility.

Summary

On the basis of my practical experience as well as the survey that I conducted recently, I believe that the best way of preventing GDV  is  to feed natural, non-processed food including raw bones, provide the right nutrients, feed fruit separately from the protein meals and ensure that the spinal energy flow is good.

With gratitude,

I swear that originally I had no intention to write a blog on dogs and their sexuality. My very pure intention was to reply to a few questions of my readers about spay, neuter and false pregnancy and then I did some research online  discovered a dog toy of a very different kind.
We all have seen dogs expressing themselves  freely in many different ways.  Sometimes to our amusement and at other times are embarrassed when Fido decides to hump the leg of our mother in law or a dignified official visitor.

So today, I would like to start a very public discussion on dog sexuality, holistic approach to  false pregnancies, spay and neuter procedures and yes, the world’s first sex doll for dogs.

False pregancy

When I was a child we used to have a dachshund named Gerda. In fact  she was on top of the children’s hierarchy when it came to my father’s rating because she adored him and never talked back.

Spaying dogs was not as common back than and I remember Gerda wearing special pants that my dad called “the heat pants.” They not only prevented the carpet from being spotted with blood but also the heat vents  prevented undesired pregnancies. They were kind of a canine version of the chastity belt.
What usually happened within two months after the heat was to me puzzling and also entertaining. As the surge of hormones in Gerda’s body made its way to her brain, she started acting funny.  This occurred in two months dead on. She would pretend that she had puppies. This hormonal change is caused by a hormone called progesterone, which prepares the mother for motherhood after ovulation. This hormone also contributes to milk production, prevents the bitch from going into another heat too early and  creates a very natural desire to care for and nurture.
During the false pregnancy stage Gerda used to steal our plush toys, socks, underwear  and other goodies and gathered them in a nest that she made. She also started to produce milk.  I’m not sure what the likeness is between a piece of undergarment and a real puppy is but she was obviously satisfied.

If you wonder how you should deal with your dog’s false pregancy, I recommend doing nothing but allowing your dog to go through the motions and allow her body to realize that this is a false alarm. There is no need to worry except if your dog’s abdomen is significantly distended. In this case you may want to seek the help of a veterinarian to rule out other problems.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend any medication or doggie Prozac because suppressing the body’s natural tendencies would cause more imbalance and ultimately  poorer health.

Holistic approach to neutering and spaying.

First of all I am definitely in favor of birth control for our pets. Many animals get euthanized because they haven’t found a suitable home. Excessive breeding makes it harder to find homes for homeless animals. I agree that there are some good and responsible breeders whose role it is to preserve the heritage of certain breeds and  I very much respect their work. I  especially value those who breed responsibly for healthy genes and disease prevention  instead of for looks.
There is another reason why I am in favor of spay and neutering. I believe that un-neutered pets suffer unnecessarily because the majority are never allowed to breed. Imagine if you had to live in celibacy against your natural desires and instincts. My heart goes out to many unneutered male dogs who are never let off the leash. Their owners worry that they will either get into a fight or run away to find “a girlfriend.”   The life of a neutered dog is much easier and they frequently make much better pets.

Male dogs

may be neutered around the age of  7 -8 months, however, some sources claim that neutering after the closure of bone growth plates is more appropriate which usually happens between 12 – 18  months of age depending on the breed.  I suggest you basing your decision on your dogs behavior  and if there are no issues, than you can wait until 15 months.  However, because of the scrotum and testicle size, the surgery is more traumatic when done later.

The neuter procedure is relatively simple and I recommend you not cheap out by going to low-cost, high volume spay and neuter clinics. General standards of medical care vary despite clinic inspections. Presurgical blood work, intravenous fluids, proper inhalation anesthesia monitoring and gentle and caring handling are from my point of view essential.

However, don’t get your hopes up thinking that your dog will stop having sudden urges and the leg humping will stop.  I have been laughing my head off since I discovered  the  worlds first dog sex doll. However, when I thought about it from the  dogs’ health point of view,  I  feel that it is a great idea because healthy sex life leads to good health.  Think about it, if  your dog’s first “best friend” is placed in a private location in your home, this could  avoid embarrassing situations when guests arrive.    Fido may become also much happier  and less prone to get in trouble of any kind.

Female dogs

The spay procedure has become subject to controversy as to whether to remove both, uterus and ovaries (ovarie-hysteroctomy) or remove the ovaries only (ovariectomy).  This is from my point of view a better choice.

If you can’t find a vet who is willing to perform such a procedure, just look elsewhere. The main benefit is that if the uterus is left behind, it continues to produce certain hormones that are beneficial to the body, (despite them not being able to cycle or get pregnant). Females with intact uterus appear to be more comfortable after the procedure and have lower rates of  female urinary incontinence.  Some people may  be concerned about pyometra, a life-threatening buildup of pus and fluid in the uterus but I haven’t seen this in my practice.

Natural approach to postsurgical care

Over the years I’ve developed a simple postsurgical care protocol that has worked very well.

1. Arnica 1M – a homeopathic remedy administered orally once every two hours (or less frequently) for the first 24 to 48 hours depending on patient’s comfort level.
2. Calendula 200 C – 1 dose daily for five days. This remedy has a very positive effect on the incision healing.
3. Some people worry about what would happen if the incision healed too fast. In fact the faster it heals the better.

Incision care

I have left toxic chemical soaps, disinfectants and antibiotics behind long time ago.  Instead I have been using a formula called Healing Solution. My grandfather was a herbalist and  thanks to the knowledge that he passed on, I have been able  to create Healing Solution – a herbal mixture that is great for wound healing.  Calendula improves the speed of the healing, Hydrastis (Golden Seal) has antibacterial and antifungal properties, Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) reduces inflammation and swelling and Yucca contributes to healing and reduces inflammation.
I’ve used Healing Solution in my practice for more than eight years now and to my own surprise I have not seen problem incisions for very long time. The benefit of using Healing Solution is not only faster healing and recovery but it also eliminates the need for antibiotics in most cases of  skin and wound care.

Just recently I accidentally stepped on a very dirty dog comb and it was hanging from my foot about three quarters of an inch deep. The first thought was that this would get infected and then I decided to test Healing Solution. I rinsed the wound thoroughly, sprayed it with Healing Solucion and compressed it with a piece of gauze and held in place by Vetrap bandage and  waited 24 hours to take the bandage off. There was no sign of an infection, no abscess and  no antibiotics, no emergency, no drama.

Healing Solution can also be used for hotspots, wounds, punctures, ulcerations, sores, some fungal infections, insect bites and stings and anywhere topical healing is required. Similar to GreenMin, it has been tested on  people and is good for you and your  animal friend.

PS:

In recent years I’ve seen animals being neutered and spayed much earlier than necessary. I find this practice not ideal because early spay and neuter often affects physical and even mental development. It is also more traumatic to the young and growing body. The ideal time for spaying is somewhere around 6 to 7 months of age and around 7 to 9 months in males.

First, I was rather  upset over her quite rude comment. Her ignorance and lack of tact amazed me. Then I started to feel sorry for her because I knew that she was missing out on one of the most amazing gifts that humans ever got.  The miracle of dogs.

Just yesterday, I came across this amazing documentary and  remembered Cathleen’s comments. I decided to send her the link and also write this blog.

This documentary shows that dogs are truly unique and they have evolved along side humans like no other species on this planet.  Some scientist say that if there were no dogs,  humans would be still hunters and gatherers and the evolution of our  civilization  would be halted to a standstill.

Recent research shows that dogs, despite their similarity to wolves,  are very different in the way they understand humans. They are able to read our face and emotions, they are compassionate and willing to risk their lives for us which no other animal would do. Dogs can learn up to 300 words and even comprehend a picture of an object and then select the same from a pile  on the floor. Dogs are  the only species that can respond to pointing. I took this completely for granted and didn’t know that even chimpanzees couldn’t do this.

This documentary also shows, how dogs were selected and domesticated thanks to the dedication and 50 year long experiment of  a Russian scientist in Siberia.

You will also see  how dogs can  help us gain a unique insight into some of the most challenging diseases in humans and possibly  even help in finding a cancer cure.

I have been saying this for a while but this film only confirms that dogs are a true gift to humans and without a doubt the very very best friends. I hope you enjoy this 55 minute video and share it with others.

An if you ever have someone to yell at you in the park to get your dog a leash or tell you that they don’t like dogs, just tell them  how much they are missing out on. They certainly  deserve our respect, care and love because they have been selflessly “serving” us for thousands of years.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

Eye discharges are one of the most common problems. Whenever I see my clients with concerns about their dogs or cats eyes, the first question I ask is what they’re concerned about the most. Most people reply that they’re concerned about infection and their worries make me realize that I need to write a blog to clarify some of these misconceptions.

First, I’m not planning to rediscover the universe here, neither am I eager to make things more complex because I do not need a PhD. What I would like to do today is to bring more clarity into what you may call conjunctivitis, eye discharges, redness or an eye infection.

The anatomy of an eye

Most of the problem conditions that are seen in daily practice relate to the conjunctiva, eyelids and cornea. Conjunctiva is, in fact, the layer of tissue on the inside of the eyelids that connects directly to the cornea, the clear layer covering the eye itself.

The inner structures of the eye are a little more complex. The sequence of the parts of the eye are as follows: cornea, anterior chamber (the space in front of the lens), the iris, the lens that is attached to the eye by a very sophisticated focusing system, called a irido-corneal muscle, then there is the posterior chamber filled with the clear translucent mass called vitreous body and beyond is the retina, the canvas of the eye that is connected to the optic nerve conducting the visual images to the brain’s visual center and the cortex.

The functions of the eye

Most people see the eye as an organ of vision but there is another important function – cleansing. In fact many openings of the body including the eye serve as cleansing and detoxification areas. If the body needs to get rid of impurities it does it really well through the eyes, ears, feces, urine, lungs and the saliva.

This cleansing process is usually manifested by increased local inflammation and redness that is often misperceived as an infection. In fact most of the cases that my clients consider an eye infection would in fact be cleansing reactions of the body and nothing to do with bacteria and infections.

This fact is often ignored and the most common conventional prescription for eye redness are, yes, you guessed right, antibiotics and steroids.  It may also  surprise you that for majority of cases this medication is unnecessary or even contraindicated.

The most common conditions of the outside structures of the eye are:

1. Conjunctivitis due to cleansing reaction as a result of detoxification process. The body is simply trying to get rid of toxins, components of food especially if you feed processed food that is not species appropriate or poor quality.
2. Redness can also occur in the case of digestive imbalances, external irritants and as part of vaccination side effects which are usually manifested by typical greenish pus-like discharge.
3. Obstruction of the tear ducts that start at the upper and lower eyelid at the inner corner of the eye is also a very common problem and the causes can sometimes be from a little speck of plant material.
4. Trauma to the cornea which can result in an abrasion or even corneal ulcer is also relatively common
5. Inverted or extroverted eyelids called entropion or ectropion are common especially in breeds that have suffered the consequences of poor breeding focused on the looks. Silly but true.
6. Infections can also be the result of eye irritation and conjunctivitis, however from my point of view, this is only the case in maybe 10% of the patients.  An infection is a bacterial or viral condition of the eye where the pathogen

Conditions of the infrastructures of the eye

are not necessarily the main topic of this article however I would like to mention them briefly because they often resemble conjunctivitis.

1. One of the most common problems that is overlooked is glaucoma which stands for a condition where the intraocular pressure increases and threatens the eye and the vision itself. Glaucoma is usually painful and the redness of the eye is more deep and diffused. A proper diagnosis can only be obtained by a thorough examination and the intraocular blood-pressure measurement. This condition can be eye threatening and needs immediate attention.
2. Some people mistake cataracts with glaucome, which is a condition that affects the texture and transparency of the lens. Many of my readers often wonder if Skai is wearing his dog goggles – “Doggles” just for fun or fashion and I can’t emphasize enough that he wears them mainly to protect his eyes from UV damage.

Back to eye discharges

I could go on forever listing the different conditions here. However the main purpose of this article is to talk about the 90% of all eye condition’s which is simple conjunctivitis ( inflammation of the conjuctiva) and varied  eye discharges.

What needs to be done first before we jump to the conclusion of conjunctivitis is a thorough examination. I don’t  recommend taking chances and always preform an eye exam personally  or have it done   by another practitioner if I’m providing advice in a long distance consultation.

A routine eye exam includes ophthalmoscopy, which is a term for light examination of the structures of the eye, fluorescein dye test which rules out any scratches, ulcers or obstruction of cornea and intraocular pressure measurement to rule out glaucoma if your pet is in an obvious discomfort.

If these tests come out negative you can use a very simple treatment that will not cost you a lot of money, neither you need to be  using antibiotics or steroid medications which are commonly overused. If you do  feel the pressure from your veterinarian to use antibiotics, remember  you are in charge of the decision and any vet should be giving you only recommendations, not make you feel guilty because your decision is different than what  he or she would choose

Beware of a collar that is too tight

I mentioned before that most cases of redness could be related to the cleansing processes. I will repeat once again that the most common causes are from diet, vaccines, imbalances and digestive tract, toxin buildup and the effect of a collar that is too tight.

Yes, believe it or not a collar that is too tight can be a frequent reason for your dog’s eyes to be congested, full of discharge and red. All you need to do to understand this is to grip your neck and tighten your hands around it as if you were trying to strangle yourself. You will  feel the blood stagnation in the head which will decrease drainage of conjunctiva and can cause discharges. Sometimes all we need to do is loosen your dog’s collar so it doesn’t obstruct the cervical veins that drain blood from the head. Many dogs suffer because of the human ignorance,  I put  choke chains, prong collars or  even shock collars mediaval torture devices that should only use for demonstration on those people who put them on their dogs.  Harnesses  are the way to go.

Holistic approach to treatment of eye discharges

In several of my blogs I have mentioned that  healing should be  ideally simple. If you see it discharges especially in puppies most of the time means some sort of form of cleansing unless your veterinarian discovers a scratch, corneal ulcer, inverted eyelashes, hair falling in the eyes because it is too long, obstructed tear ducts and other conditions mentioned above.

Most of the time , you can follow these simple 3 steps:

1. Rule out a serious eye condition by getting an exam done
2. Detox, cleanse and neutralize whatever doesn’t  belong in the body naturally
3. Rebalance and  provide what is missing as high quality nutrients, natural vitamins or minerals

Diet deserves  special attention

Many people believe that if a bag of processed food is labeled “organic” or natural  it must be good. That is not  true because even  mainstream pet food companies jumped on the band wagon of natural foods, while the quality and nutritional value of such food is poor. Good quality raw or cooked diet is  the best you can for your animal friend. Healthy digestive tract, the liver and immune system are  the key for reducing eye discharges.

My favorite cleansing formula for most dogs would include Livton, Chlorophyll complex and good non-dairy probiotics. The first two supplements are made by Standard Process which doesn’t allow to sell products online. However, you can email us to make a purchase request at contact@peterdobias.com

Rinsing and flushing

Another important part of the cleansing process is helping the body getting  rid of impurities and toxins through flushing and rinsing the eyes. In fact you do not need a fancy solutions, ointments or even complex herbal preparations for the eyes. What works really well is sterile saline solution with about five drops of Eyebright (Euphrasia tincture) and about three drops of goldenseal (hydrastis) per a cup of saline

Reduce or eliminate vaccination and its side effects

Especially in young dogs I recommend minimum vaccination.  Learn more here.

If your dog has been vaccinated, it is possible that the greenish discharge is in fact related to vaccine side effects. I’ve had countless cases where health issues completely disappeared after administration  of Thuja  200 C. This homeopathic  remedy is known to neutralize the side- effects of vaccines and I usually give 2 doses 12 hours apart.

If these  simple steps do not  resolve the problem I highly recommend to your veterinarian.

No matter what you do, try not  to suppress the immune  system with steroids because  they have a long term negative effect on the immune system and the body on a deep level. Using corticosteroids can be compared to removing the light bulbs from your car’s dashboard when your car engine is overheating.

Provide high quality supplements

Beside wholesome and complete diet,  I  recommend  providing  your dog with what he or she need; wholesome diet and good selection of high quality supplements . Here are some examples of those that  I give to my dog Skai and my cat Mina. There is a huge difference between synthetically made supplements and those who were “grown and designed by nature.  Did you know that most of the vitamins on the market  are made from  chemicals?  These supplements need to be replaced with natural ones in order to cleanse the body and stop  eyed  discharges from happening.

I can’t emphasize enough that many medical conditions are not what they appear to be. It is definitely that way in many eye conditions labeled as eye infections.  All you need to do is to listen the body, observe its patterns and act according the natural principles of healing which are

1. Detox
2. Provide
3. Rebalance  the body

I  will do my best to provide you with more information that will make you best friends life healthier and longer. This is were you and I truly connect because  I  want the same for my dog and cat.

With gratitude,

Dr.Peter Dobias, DVM

It didn’t take me long to make a decision to write a blog on pancreatitis as I realize it’s one of the most commonly misunderstood conditions. Out of curiosity I decided to do a little survey on Facebook to see what your opinion was and it confirmed that after the topic of general puppy care, pancreatitis is the second most questioned topic.

From my point of view, pancreatitis in other words, the inflammation of the pancreas, is  a result of multiple factors but I have seen a very clear pattern. It is a very common disease in conventional veterinary practice, especially in dogs where processed foods are recommended. Before I start talking about the possible causes and how to prevent this serious and often life-threatening disease, I would like to mention a few important facts about pancreas and the digestive tract of dogs.

The function of pancreas

The pancreas is a digestive gland that produces insulin that regulates the blood sugar as well as the digestive enzymes necessary for digesting food. Pancreatic function and enzyme production is kind of amazing.  The pancreatic enzymes get activated only when they’re released from the pancreas, otherwise they would digest the pancreas itself.

Canines are clearly designed for digesting meat, bones, organs and some plant material, however, nature never intended dogs to eat heavily processed grain-based diet. When processed food is fed is that the pancreas gets simply overworked and it becomes inflamed. The inflammation itself can activate the digestive enzymes before they’re released in the intestines which can result in triggering the process of “self digestion”. The enzymes from the inflamed pancreas can also leak out in the abdominal cavity and damage the abdominal lining and other organs which adds to a serious and often life-threatening situation.
What I’d like to do first is to talk about the signs of pancreatitis, the most frequent causes, what to do, what to avoid and first of all how to prevent this awful condition from happening.

Symptoms of pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is the most serious form and the onset happens relatively suddenly. Your dog would usually stop eating, start vomiting, diarrhea may or may not be present and there is usually a sign of lethargy, dehydration and the abdomen may appear hard-core firmer and sensitive to touch especially in the front portion of the abdomen. Pancreas is closely related to the stomach and is in the same area.

Chronic pancreatitis often presents with no symptoms. The only symptom of it is a slight elevation of pancreatic enzymes and I often see that  animals on a natural diet have a naturally higher pancreatic enzyme elevation no signs of  pancreatitis. These  dogs seem to be   fine and I would say that this is a prime example of a common problem. Our veterinary labs use reference values that are made for animals eating processed food and less knowledge of animals being fed raw diet which is a much healthier enzymatic system including pancreas production.

Diagnosis of pancreatitis

The best way to confirm your dogs diagnosis is by a blood test which consists of CBC, Chemistry panel and pancreas specific enzyme tests such as lipase and canine specific lipase which is the best way of confirming final diagnosis. An ultrasound examination for x-rays may be helpful to confirm the diagnosis and also rule out other causes of vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy.

Causes of pancreatitis

1. Since I started using and recommending raw and natural non-processed food the incidence of pancreatitis in my practice dropped sharply and I can’t even remember when I have seen the last case of true pancreatitis in a dog on a raw diet. I have seen some dogs with slightly elevated pancreatic enzymes but as I said this may be simply related to their pancreas producing more of the enzymes because it is healthy and strong and not because of pancreatitis.From my perspective processed food is the most common reason why pancreatitis happens.
2. Another cause that is very rarely recognized relates to spinal injury or energy congestion at the thoracic lumbar junction. That point relates to energetically feeding the stomach and pancreas. When that segment is injured or congested, the pancreas gets weakened and I frequently see a tendency to pancreatitis. This is not common conventional knowledge. To determine that there is a problem in the stomach–pancreas association point, all you need to do is to feel along the region of the spine where the last rib begins and see if there is any sensitivity, increased heat or pain. This area can not only be a produced posing factor for pancreatitis but also gastric dilation–volvulus, the bloat.
3. Other possible causes of pancreatitis may be your dog getting into garbage or feasting on a large amount of aggravating food. While some people say that high-fat diet causes pancreatitis, I see carbohydrates and mainly grain being more common causes.
4. Nutrient and mineral depletion in the body is frequently underestimated and at times of soil and general food depletion. Minerals and especially micro elements play an essential role in enzyme production. To find out more about the role of different minerals in the body, you can click on the link here.

Treatment of pancreatitis

The truth is that no matter how much we think we know about pancreatitis, there may be other important causes that we simply do not know about and my general recommendation is to eliminate what the body doesn’t need, add what the body does need and deal with rebalancing the body’s energy through homeopathy, physiotherapy, intramuscular needle stimulation or IMS, chiropractic treatment and other holistic modalities.

The general treatment approach depends on how severe the condition is and I usually recommend doing the following:

1. Proper physical examination
2. Blood test
3. Intravenous fluid support if there is a sign of dehydration or if we suspect that peritonitis, the inflammation of the abdominal lining is present.
4. Checking the thoracic lumbar junction for any signs of congestion in correcting this through IMS -intramuscular needle stimulation or chiropractic treatment
5. Fasting is very important and I recommend fasting for at least 48 hours. The goal is to rest the pancreas and most dogs can fast for much longer than a couple of days.
6. I usually provide the following combination of supplements that appear to be very effective in most cases; nondairy based probiotics, a turmeric-based anti-inflammatory Zyflamend and a cleansing and balancing supplement called Chlorophyll complex (available only by email request). These supplements cleanse the body, reduce inflammation and also provide the necessary bacterial flora for the body in case of diarrhea.
7. As a veterinarian trained in homeopathy I also use homeopathic remedies. If you’re interested in learning more about principles of homeopathy click here.
8. I very much recommend massaging the spine in the thoracic–lumbar junction because it does promote the energy flow to the pancreas.
9. Most textbooks recommend the withdrawing of water completely, however I learned that if the pancreatitis cases are moderate, the steps above should be sufficient and water deprivation and IV fluid therapy is not needed. Your vet may state that the situation is critical that you can’t go wrong with IV therapy. However if you do agree on such treatment you should insist that a picture video patch is supervised 24/7 because there are still clinics that leave hospitalized patients unattended at night which from my point if he is unacceptable.

What not to do

I mentioned before but the most important part of treating any disease is to eliminate what doesn’t belong in the body and provide the body with what it needs. From my perspective pancreatitis is not caused by antibiotic deficiency and if we look at it from the body’s point of view antibiotics are toxic substances that kill bacteria when  necessary but they are also toxic to the body itself. At times of pancreatitis, any additional toxic burden can be detrimental to the treatment outcome and  I  haven’t found antibiotics useful because pancreatitis is not caused by bacteria. Some people advocate that antibiotics have to be used to prevent secondary sepsis, bacterial spread. I find antibiotics most often detrimental to the outcome of pancreatitis because our goal should be to cleanse, support and not intoxicate.

I also find this to be the case of other drugs that prevent vomiting or suppress inflammation like steroids and Metacam. I find these drugs seriously violating the body’s own efforts of healing and they put the natural defenses to sleep. It is not any different than taking a sleeping pill at the time our house catches on fire.

This is not to discount the fact that most conventional practitioners try to do their best and I usually say that any effort to help is good unless we learn that certain treatment actually harms our patients. I can’t say this with certainty but I  feel that many dogs with pancreatitis could be saved if they weren’t poisoned in the course of treatment.

Pancreatitis prevention

This is the most important part of this blog. If you forget everything else, please remember that most cases of pancreatitis can be prevented by following these few simple steps.

1. Natural raw or cooked non-processed food appears to be the best for preventing pancreatitis. If you do feed processed food, you’re naturally increasing the likelihood of this disease and also the stomach bloat. In case of pancreatitis,  I also recommend  feeding NO beef, buffalo, lamb,  duck and  generally rich and more fatty meals . Beef, bison and buffalo especially have higher tendency to cause inflammation in the body.  I generally recommend feeding less of these meats even in healthy dogs.
2. Supplement your dog’s diet with essential supplements and remember that most supplements are made the same way. Over the years I have learned that synthetically made supplements are never as good as the natural alternatives made of whole food and herbs. Here are the supplements that I give to my dog Skai.
3. Make sure that your dog is regularly checked by an experienced animal chiropractor, physiotherapist or practitioner that uses IMS–intramuscular needle stimulation. I also recommend regular massage for any dog because it does promote the energy flow to the vital organs.
4. The last point comes without saying. Your dog needs to be happy and get out for frequent walks. And I mean real walks, not standing in the park and throwing a ball, which in fact can be also damaging and can cause back problems.

I hope that this article will be the answer to many questions that many of my readers have asked me on a regular basis and most of all that it will save you the trouble and hopefully  many canine lives. All I am asking of you is to pass it on if you find it helpful.

With gratitude,