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

The  statistics show  clearly that cancer “fights back”  at  an ever increasing rate and intensity.  It  appears that no matter how many times we  say “ No” to cancer;  cancer’s  reply is often “Screw  you!”

My life is far from being untouched by cancer.  Both of my grandmothers died of cancer, my brother passed away from a brain tumor and my father died from prostate cancer. To add to all this, my brother in law was diagnosed with a brain tumor  a few years ago. His  diagnosis was a  real shock to me. I wanted to cry out” Oh no, not again!  However, deep  inside I felt a shift. It was then  that I realized,  cancer can’t  be fought, it has to be understood.

Over the years in my veterinary practice,  I have always been puzzled  as to why there were clients who’s animals were  more prone to cancer than animals of others. There was no correlation with regards to  the breed or even species.  Gradually,  I started to see that while so much research has been  focusing on the development of new  drugs,  chemotherapy, surgical techniques, the effect of environment and our diet,   the most  important factor is commonly forgotten.   Our  lifestyle, our  state of mind  and the energetic  connection between  us and  our  pets.

During the past 100 plus years, the  discoveries in  genetics and DNA led us to believe that if we or our pets inherit a certain gene or disposition,  we and they will suffer from the  same conditions as ancestor. However, the more recent  findings confirm that genes  will remain dormant and unexpressed  unless they are  turned on by an impulse from the outside.  This impulse can be from a biochemical,  chemical, physical influence or even more subtle energy generated by our fears and  thoughts.

Despite the old  saying – “ healthy mind, healthy body”  many people  still believe that the “cure for cancer” comes from the outside and is dependent on the discovery of some sort of “miracle drug”  that will “fight  cancer.”  The reality is such that  despite the advance of medical science and technology,  we can extend  and prolong lives, but  have neither found the cure for cancer nor have paid sufficient attention to its  prevention.

What can you do?

Here are your 12 steps to cancer prevention…

#1 Face your fears

If you catch yourself  worrying about you or your loved one getting cancer, do not  push the thought aside.  Just stop for a moment, close your eyes and invite the fear to come closer to look at  it.  Face it ,  do not  run away.  Challenge it with kindness, firmness and compassion as if the fear was a troubled bully that you try to understand.

Explore the fear, imagine, that you turn the fear  around,  upside down and  look at  it as if it was an object,  a seashell, a rock, a leaf or a flower.

You will notice that if you do not “fight” your fears, they will become less  intense and less frightening. You will discover a newly  found freedom and plenty of  energy  to  shift from just worrying to planning or taking action on how to prevent  or treat cancer in the best possible and least harmful way.

#2 Do the emotional inventory check

Another important  step in  cancer prevention is not to forget but  forgive. No matter whether we like it or not,  suffering from  hurts and emotional pain is  part of the human condition. The event  could have happened a long time ago,  perhaps your best friend had an  affair  with your partner or your parents were neglectful or your spouse told your friend that  she married you only  for material gains.  Perhaps you have suffered  a loss of  a loved one or were  a victim of abuse.

No matter  what the injury was,  finding a  way of neutralizing this experience is absolutely essential in reducing your risk of physical disease and cancer. Constantly replaying what happened, carrying the heaviness within will have the opposite effect. Yes, it may take time to let go of these  patterns but  it  is definitely  worth the effort.  Forgiving will neutralize the pain much faster than feelings of hatred or revenge.  It is your cells that bath in the sea of stress hormones and you decide what “ bath you prepare”

#3 Be nice to yourself

When working with my clients and their  pets,  I often  see  people blaming themselves  for their pets’ disease.  They feel that  they didn’t  look  after  their  pets  well or they go into  the world of ’should have’  and ‘would have’

We are our  own  worse enemies when it comes to being loving , compassionate and forgiving towards ourselves. This too generates a block of the healing energy.

Life is simply such that  it  brings  us  challenging times  and as painful as it may be, it is  a part of our learning on a journey to become better and more aware human beings.  Our animals have  their own journey and  we are not always responsible for their problems.  However, we can be their  source of positive energy if we put our life on the right track

#4  Surrender to mortality

Imagine  if  someone  gave you the gift of being immortal. I can’t prevent  myself from thinking that if I was 5000 years old,  I would get  bored with the same old friends,  the same  family , the same bad  habits.  As much as we may hate the thought of  mortality, it is exactly what makes being with our loved ones and definitely with our pets so special.

It is simply a part of the Universal plan of being human – experiencing the temporary nature of everything around us and  coming to terms with it.

It helps me to believe that the souls of our animals   come back  again in another body.   If you haven’t  read the story of my horse Alfa and Skai you can find it  here. Of  course ,  no one knows if it is the truth, however, I love the thought.

#5 Be aware of the possibility of your own sabotage.

It baffles me that so many  people miss out on the opportunity to take  simple and inexpensive steps  to living healthy lives and take chances that clearly lead  to disease, pain and  suffering.

Perhaps that is also part of the Universal plan of learning.  Many  people like to  play with  fire knowing that  their smoking ,  bad eating habits,  lack of   exercise or  a bad relationship are not healthy; however they  subconsciously maintain and are possibly addicted to these states.

It is an irony that  the biggest personal transformations happen as a result  of  very challenging and turbulent  times and falling  down right to the very bottom. All we can do is to be there for our friends but telling them what  to do often generates more resistance. This may be one of the most difficult  parts of being a care giver – watching others hurling to disaster while they stubbornly refuse to listen to our warnings.

#6 Eat healthy, feed your pet real and natural food

This one is a  real  no brainer.   Eating junk makes your cells get all clogged up,  intoxicated and ready to turn their division into chaos and anarchy – cancer.  If  we add the sleepy, intoxicated and weak immune  system into  the  equation, the  chances of cancer  are many times greater.

My favorite  book for people is called “Anti-Cancer   -  A New Way of Life”  by  Dr. Servan- Shreiber

When it comes to  your pet, I am in the final stages of finishing my upcoming book “ If Dogs Could Cook “  that will give you a simple and clear outline  on feeding your pet naturally.

In one sentence.  If you want to reduce the chances of cancer, do not  feed processed  food , no matter how  natural it is claimed to be.  There is nothing better  than whole food.

#7  Chemicals do not  belong  in our household or bodies.

Whenever I visit my friends or  family,  I find it so interesting that the degree of their  health  can often be measured  by the kind of cleaning products they buy for their household.

Most  chemical cleaning  products  do not  have all the ingredients  listed and buying them is a real crap shoot.  Many of them  are  carcinogenic or at least toxic and they  wreck  havoc  in the body.

The safest  way is to  simply avoid  any chemicals.  There are many natural and healthy alternatives  that  may be just  a few dollars more.  If you are on  a budget,  most  cleaning can be done with  vinegar, soda and natural castile soap.

I am sure your pets will also appreciate the absence of chemical odors and deodorants.

#8 Exercise

I  see physical activity,  fresh air or yoga as a form of flushing and purifying the body.  Every  cell  gets  more  blood and oxygen which increases cleansing.  Cells,  tissues and organs also love to be bathed in endorphins which our the “feel good “  mediators  released by  exercise.

The most difficult  part is to  get  used to the exercise and also stop listening to the voice in our head that tells us that we should not go because “everyone will be better than us, which you know is a big part of dodoo or an excuse to sit on the couch, watch TV and be miserable.  Remember that our ego thrives on the addiction to  suffering and will try to play game with us all the way.

Luckily, most dogs are always  in for a walk or a run.  We would do anything  to see  the happy  face and tongue  hanging out.  Cats  enjoy a regular outing  too and if it is cold or rainy, play with them indoors to make them move.

If you do not  exercise  regularly,  I  suggest you  stick it  out  for 2 – 3  weeks  until  a  good  habit  forms,  join a  yoga  or  gym class to get in the routine and don’t  forget to take your  best  friend out  for walks or  runs.

Pets can be the  best exercise plan you have  ever had.

#9 Do you do what you love to do?

I often wonder how  many people really love what they do.  Not that long  ago,  my nephew  came to me to share his  small business idea that  he and his  friends  came up with.   He was passionate about  his  plan and I could  see that he  loved the  idea.   Then he  paused  and said  something that  I will not  forget:  “ This business will be  a kind of  hobby that I don’t  intend  to make much money with.  I am also planning to get another job to earn a living.”

The crazy thing is that  there are many people who live their  lives  like this.  They have things  that  they  love to do  and then they have a job.

I urge you to not waste  one more day and start planning  your future work based on what you love to do… I know, it may not be as easy to get up and quit  the job that you don’t  like,  just  do not  wait too long and at least develop a plan.  I have seen many people who’s  work is their  hobby and they are the happiest and healthiest   folks  walking this  planet.

Sometimes, a radical  “job amputation”  is not really needed and a slight modification  to  your current  job does wonders.    In my case, I  have always loved working with people  and their  animals but  didn’t  like  managing my clinic and dealing with a high volume of  work  in order to  cover the high  clinic overhead.

All I needed to do was  to plan a gradual exit, sell my  clinic and  keep a small number of clients to carry me over while I started to work on  creating an  income flow  from  lectures,  writing and a natural animal supplement line that is presently  in the making.

As a result, the  weekends  and  weekdays merged  into  one  word  – life.

To summarize, do not waste your life with work that you do not like. Your hobby and your job should be one, if you go  against the flow of the river, your health will suffer.

#10  Let your gut  and your  heart guide you.

I am sure you know that voice in your head;  your ego, that constantly  tells you what you should or  should not  do,  how you should or  should not  behave while  deep inside,  you feel that this  voice doesn’t really know what is good for your soul. “

My favorite authors on this subject are Eckhart Tolle and Adya Shanti , who’s teachings provide such a great resource for living a simple life in alignment with your true self.

I often teach my clients,  how to recognize the right  answer  in  any decision making.  Just try to think of  a question and listen to the answer that comes before your mind starts interfering and editing it..

This  includes decisions about your  pets medical  care  and treatment.   Ask yourself if you are you trying to please someone or following your vet’s  suggestion  just  to please him or  not to  feel guilty.

Just listen to your gut and make decisions from your  heart.

#11 the connection between you and your pet

If you have ever seen a musician or a teacher using two  tuning forks,  you know that  if you hit  one , the  other will start resonating on the same  frequency.    If you have never seen this,  perhaps you have seen a married couple where both people start looking and acting the same after a certain  time.   They  simply start resonating  on the same frequency.

Your pet is not  any different.  It  absorbs your love and  joy  but also the  stress or unhappiness that you may feel.   If you want to have healthy pets,  make  sure that you look after your health first  and happiness first.  Their health and well being will follow.

#12  Law  of attraction

It is becoming clear that as much as we sometimes do not want to believe it,  we usually  get what we wish  for or  what  we fear.

I am  not  writing this blog post to make you suppress your fears  of  disease and  cancer in anyway.

Worrying about the health and safety of our  loved ones  is natural and all we  need to do is face our worry,  be kind to ourselves when it  happens,  explore the fears until they fade away  and replace them with our vision of the best possible outcome.

The truth  is that  cancer can happen to anyone – you, me or our  pets.  However,   if you live our  life doing what  you love, eat healthy food, exercise regularly and face  your fears instead of burying them , the likelihood that  we will hear the  C word  diagnosis is much, much less.

Remember, your pet is like a tuning fork. It resonates on the same frequency..

First, I am happy to inform you that  I have no more  fear of loosing my veterinary license. This concern is very common among holistic practitioners,  simply because the licensing bodies often recognize conventional medicine only.

I love the newly found freedom because it gives me an opportunity to share anything important with you, no matter what the opinion of  the less open minded conventional circles is.

This year,  I will be paying more attention to the  intuitive part of healing, where the answers come with ease and clarity.  I would like to teach you how  to tap into your intuition,  inner knowledge and  healing energy that resides in all of us.

Here are my plans:

If Dogs Could Cook

is the name of the upcoming book. Some of you may already know that my new book on raw and natural diet is in the works. I have been in the final stages of making editions and adjustments andhope that this book will bring you ease and clarity into natural diet feeding.

Healing Solution

is our proven and universal herbal solution that can be used for a variety of situations from scrapes, incisions, cuts, hot spots, bacterial and fungal skin infections, abscesses and skin chafes.

• The beauty of Healing Solution is that it is 100% natural and made with organic herbs.
• It is a healthier and safer alternative to  the conventional products that are toxic to the skin cells
• There will be  several different versions of Healing Solutions available for a variety of uses.
• The  estimated launch is Spring 2010

Green Min Balance

is our brand  NEW product with the logo of wagging tail “h”. After years of searching for a complete mineral and micro-nutrient supplement, we are in the final stages of preparing a 100% plant based, human grade, certified organic formula that contains 73minerals and nutrients.

It is also a rich source of highly bio-available calcium which replaces supplements containing indigestible calcium sources like lime, coral or cooked or steamed bone that is often ontaminated with heavy metals. Green Min Balance is a revolutionary product that you do not want to miss.

Good Life Learning lecture series

will be continuing in 2010. My focus will be on helping you save money on vet care through disease prevention and understanding the connection between your dog’s physical body, emotions and also
your own well being. We are planning to introduce webinars, continue our Vancouver based seminars as well as making these available in audio and video format.

Gradually, I will be inviting other speakers who will present on a variety of topics to help you create the good and healthy life for you and your animal friend.

Our Blog

has been growing in the number of posts and provides handy, free information that can save you virtually thousands of dollars, but mainly keep your best friend’s healthy.
http://www.peterdobias.com/community

Flying Dog Club

Some of you may be familiar with the concept of Flying Dog Club. The goal is to create a community of people who would like to travel with their dogs safely and humanely. In the next few months, we are planning to organize our first online meeting to discuss our plans and listen to your suggestions.

Join me on Facebook, Twitter

Become part of the community building efforts or just checkthe latest news. I hope that we will be able to create a momentum and increase interest in gentle, side-effect free healing. Together, we can show people how to make the right choices when it comes to animal health care.

Thanks to Healing Foundation donors!

I would like to thank Christy Johnson and Healthy Hound Pet Foods and Faye Mosher for their generous support of our new foundation. In the first stage of our efforts, we would like to distribute printed material on the damaging effect of choke chains, prong collars, tight collars. These medieval methods of “restraining dogs” take a big toll on their health. If  you would like to be part of this effort, stay tune for our meeting…

As time progresses we hope to conduct studies especially in the area of cancer prevention, allergy treatment, kidney disease, thyroid issues to name a few. If you would like to contribute to Healing Foundation  Programs or volunteer, click here.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year…

Dr. Peter Dobias

My original plan was to write about vaccines for adult dogs but because this is the last day of 2009, I felt like writing about something more fun. In the previous two blogs, I wrote about avoiding puppy mills and catteries and how to make sure that we do not over-vaccinate our animal friends.  Your dogs happiness =  health =  big savings  on vet bills

The holiday season made me think even more about  how important social life is for people but  also our dogs. Perhaps, you just went through the Christmas all relieved that the relatives are gone. But honestly, how would you feel if friends and family never stopped by? I am sure you would miss them.

Despite most dogs thriving on social interaction, many new puppy owners are being told by their health care providers that their puppy should not see any other dogs for the first 3 – 4 months of their life. I find such an approach unnecessary and often the reason for poor social skills and behavioral problems.

Not allowing your puppy to meet any other dogs can be compared to prohibiting children from any socialization until the school age!

Socialization is a way of learning the ropes of pack hierarchy, recognizing a friendly dog or the one that is better to avoid.

How to make your dog’s life fun?

1. As soon as you get your dog, try to connect with either the littermate owners or connect with a network of likeminded people through puppy classes, interest groups and so on.

2. If possible make more than one friend and if you trust your friends, allow sleepovers and walks without your presence. There may be time when you may need dog sitting and having a few friends who are willing to help can be very handy.

3. Exchange of dog sitting services will  give you the peace of mind when you are on holidays.

4. Young dogs are always tolerated by the adults and it is the best opportunity to learn canine language. If an exchange of opinions happens, between and adult and a young dog, it is usually harmless but a very useful lesson.

5. Try not to leave your dog alone for extended periods of time. Even dogs can get bored and depressed. If you work full time and can’t come and see your dog over the lunch break, try to create connections with other dog people who are on a different schedule and can take your dog out for some fun. I recommend going on a few dogs walks with your friend to ensure that your dog is familiar with his new buddies.

6. Interaction with children is wonderful if your puppy is not scared or doesn’t have a tendency to bite. I love watching children and dogs play because they are so alike in many ways.

7. Take your dog along whenever you can. Some shops and even restaurants in more progressive countries allow dogs. Many hotels also allow dogs and majority of my friends  and families welcome dogs. We have a rule in our house, if you want  us to come for a visit,  our dog comes along.

8.  When it comes to flying join and visit www.flyindogclub.com to learn how we can make safe flying with dogs come true

9. As it is a good time for new year resolutions, one of them may be to spending more quality  with your dog. It may be playing, combing, giving a massage, playing hide and seek, teaching the names of toys or once in a while, a luxurious snooze on the bed together

Remember that happy pets need no vets.

Next: How to play safe and prevent injuries

Previous blog posts on How to Save on Vet Bills

Cat Lovers , click here.

In the previous blog, you learned about the importance of choosing a healthy puppy and avoiding puppy mills.

Now that you have chosen well, you may be wondering what is the best way to keep your best friend healthy. One may think that vaccines or “the shots” as many call them, would be the next step. However, it is not that simple.

The  main concerns

1. Vaccines contain dangerous carcinogens and disease causing chemicals such as mercury and formaldehyde.

2. They are often made by infecting healthy laboratory animals, including dogs, cats and horses.
3. Early vaccination can neutralize natural maternal antibodies and leave your puppy unprotected.
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.

Wondering what the alternatives are?

Here is your Healing Solution :

1. Never vaccinate your puppy 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.
3. Consult an open minded holistic practitioner who knows how to recognize vaccine related issues.
4. You can administer homeopathic Thuja 30 C or Thuja 200 C – 1 dose to neutralize vaccination side effects.

Nature’s vaccination protocol – the ideal choice

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.
5. Your puppy will learn the “ropes” by being in the company of other canines and will produce its own antibodies by being exposed to them while being protected. This is in fact natures “way of vaccination”
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.

Alternative vaccination protocol for puppies that were vaccinated early,

have an unknown history or tested negative for antibodies.

1. Early vaccination often neutralizes or blocks the maternal immunity. Vaccine simply locks the antibodies and puts them “out of commission”.
2. If there are no antibodies
a. consider vaccination with one antigen of parvovirus (  not a combination ) at 12  weeks
b. 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, Lymes disease and Giardia – they have the highest side-effect causing properties.
a. For Example – I have seen many dogs vaccinated for Lymes 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.
b. Kennel cough is a self limiting disease similar to a cold. Vaccine causes very frequent side-effects – kennel cough itself.

If you live in an area with rabies, the vaccine may need to be given, however, give it at least 4 weeks from other vaccination.

Never give more than 1 antigen at a time.

Conclusion:

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

It is more likely that none or minimal vaccine protocol is safer.

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

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.

My choice will always be no vaccines whenever possible and antibodies are present.

Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

PS:
If you currently work with a practitioner who demands vaccinating your pet, 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. You are there for your pet.

I never realized, how many people talk about their vet bills on Twitter.

While I sometimes joke that vets are still cheaper than most kitchen or bathroom reno’s or lawyer visits, vet bills can get out of control and seem never ending..

If you have ever complained about the cost of vet care, keep on reading, it may save you thousands of dollars.
In next few  weeks  and months, I would like to share with you a simple to follow plan of keeping your animal friends healthy and happy.

If you are one of those people who has a heart of gold but can’t seem to walk by the pet store window without “rescuing” yet another puppy mill puppy or cattery kitty, think twice.

Problem:

Many of these puppies and kittens have been affected by

• poor nutrition
• crowded environment
• heavy parasite burden.

Your puppy mill purchase may  drain your pocket but also fuel the vicious circle of

factory style pet production.

If no one bought from puppy mills, they would cease to exist.

Physical abuse and concentration camp like conditions are common. Unscrupulous breeding practices lead to serious genetically predisposed health problems. This includes breeding closely related animals such as brother and sister or parents and their off springs.

• Most animals are fed inferior food that has a lifetime negative effect
  
• on their health such as bone and skeletal deformities.
• Parasite burden may be a source of serious organ damage and poor digestion.
• Animals from puppy mills and catteries are often less socially adjusted.
• Over-vaccination is common and can lead to more disease including cancer later on.

Solutions:

1. Be strong and resist the urge to save the puppy or kitten behind the shop window.  By making your purchase you are in fact putting more animals “through the mill”.
2. Adopt an animal from a shelter
3. If you have your eye set on a special breed that is not available at shelters , inquire at the local societies and clubs or contact a small scale family oriented breeder
4. Always request to see the mother of the kittens or puppies if dealing with a breeder. If you are not allowed, this should raise a warning flag
5. Choose puppies and kittens that are loved and well socialized or those who have been abandoned and are in need of a good home.
6. Do not have your puppy shipped or flown without visiting its original home.
7. Observe your ego.  Do you really need “the expensive dog or cat?”
8. A living being should not be a fashion statement. Look for a best match , the best friend.
9. Never get a pet for your young children or as a gift. Choosing an animal friend is a big decision. You would not adopt a child for anyone else either.
10. Ensure that you can spare at least 2 hours of your time for walks or interaction with your new family member.Never leave your new animal outside and alone for days and weeks. Pets are social and they need to be included.
11. Be responsible, don’t be stupid and go with your gut feeling.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to forward this message to others. Together, we can make a difference!

Dr .Peter Dobias

Next topic – What  vaccines  companies  do not  advertise about vaccination

.

My friends often  tell me that I  am a dreamer who makes things happen.  Sometimes it appears that  the more unrealistic, wild or out there the dream is,  the more likely  it comes true.

Today,  I decided to share something that I have shared only with a handful of my closest friends.

I am sitting on board a Westjet Boeing  737 on route to Maui – Hawaii with my dog Skai snoozing at  my feet. Tomorrow morning, Skai and I will get up and go  for  our run on  a beautiful and wild beach on the North Shore of the island.

I  imagine that you  are  about to ask the much  asked  question.  How did you get your dog to fly on board with you?

I am sharing the following story with you in hopes that   it will inspire you to follow  your dreams.

Back in the 70’s

When I was growing up, times were different. As soon as we knew our way to school in the first grade, we walked  to school on our own. No baby sitters, no  mom’s driving us to school.When  we hit  our teenage years, our  parents  registered  us  in the local government run riding club; convinced that it was the best way to keep us out of trouble. We started  our lessons on Shetland  ponies. Small but smart little horses,  that  learned to shed us off  quickly by running  under the fence of the riding ring. Usually   they left us hanging on the railing like a pair of dirty socks, which definitely was not much fun.

As  we got older, we transitioned to riding the “real horses”;  big and strong yet sensitive, careful and considerate. We all had our favorite horse that  each of us looked  after and  I  fell in  love with Alfa a gentle chestnut mare with white socks, a wide white blaze and beautiful, sparkly eyes. She also suffered from a chronic tendinitis, a common injury in  horses.

I grew tall  very fast and  it was decided that Alfa  should be ridden only by smaller kids.  I didn’t  care much for that decision but I  continued to look after Alfa;  washing her, brushing her and  taking her for walks in the  nearby  fields.

I also watched helplessly, when careless trainers made her go on in the riding ring despite her lameness. She was obviously in pain and I grew more angry inside  because the trainers ignored my request to allow her to rest. I was just a kid…

It was then, that I  decided to become a vet.

With 4 kids in the family, we didn’t  have the money to purchase Alfa. One day, I made a wish for her to be sold to someone  who  could give her a better life.  My wish was heard  only a few weeks later and soon Alfa was sold to a wonderful family in a nearby village.

I was heartbroken but knew that it was the best thing  that  could  happen to her.   My beloved Alfa  spent  the rest of her life in a pasture with a beautiful pond and a stable with a wooden floor and  a thick layer of daily fresh straw bedding.  This was my first experience with the power of intention.

I visited her whenever I could and even after I moved to Canada,  I found my way back a few times.  In the end,  I lost  touch with Alfa’s family and I  am not  certain when she passed away.  She was born on March 8, 1973 so it is likely that she passed away sometime around the year 2000.

Becoming a vet and a healer

I truly do believe that  if it  were not for Alfa, I  may have become an architect as per my father’s wishes.

He and I often clashed mainly because we were so alike. I also inherited  his tendency to nightmares and sleepwalking that  he suffered from. However,  my father, also veterinarian, gave me the gift of   deeper understanding and appreciation of animals. I was lucky twice because my grandfather,  a  herbalist , taught me about  herbs and natural remedies.

My nightmares  started when I was about 5 years old. The  dreams were vivid and often terrifying.  I saw faces standing in my bedroom that looked so real that I  often screamed from my sleep,  jumping  up and  trying to escape the imaginary danger.

Sleepwalking and nightmares brought me a lot of challenges as a child and adult. Whenever I  went to a  summer  camp or  shared the dorm or a hotel  room with anyone, I was mortified about  having a nightmare and screaming from my sleep.

When I  was  24,  I came back home for the summer holidays after going through a series of very  challenging  exams. Stress always aggravated my condition.  I had a nightmare, ran through a glass  door of my bedroom and  lost more than ½ of my blood supply.  A  piece of glass cut one of the branches of my femoral artery and the doctors told me I was very  lucky to be alive.

I graduated from vet school in 1988 and 3 years later,  I moved to Canada with my wife Iveta.

Fast forward to year 2001

Skai came to my life at a challenging time. Going through a divorce, I needed to reset and find a new rhythm in life. Through a friend,  I learned about  a  litter  of border collie puppies at a nearby farm and one of them was Skai, then called Nickel.

Skai became not  only my best  friend,  he has also become a medical alert  dog  and was trained to  wake me  up in case I sleep-walked.

He especially loves running in the forest and I  taught  him to run a little obstacle  course over logs in a nearby  forest. Once I  joked that he was  like a horse and suddenly the thought  crossed my mind. What if Skai was the  reincarnated soul of Alfa – my horse?

They were so similar!  They had the same color, the same  white “ blaze “ and white feet!  The same personality and zest  for life, the will to please and take challenges  quietly with stride.

Then  my ex-wife Iveta came for a visit and we  went for a walk. Skai was so eager to show her his new obstacle course that he ran it with perfection.

Without  me  mentioning to Iveta what I thought of Skai, she  suddenly exclaimed   “Oh my God, he is like your horse!  He is exactly like your horse!  What  if he is Alfa who came back to you?”

From that  day  on,  I simply  could not  prevent  myself from thinking about this seeming coincidence. What  if   Skai is  truly Alfa? What if her spirit came back to me through Skai, my beloved dog?  This time, I can give him the best care, protect him and I would not  allow anyone to make him go on, if injured.

I simply stopped caring if this  was true or not.  After all, not  one single person in this world  can  truly confirm or deny reincarnation. Just  the  idea,  just  the thought  that  the soul of  Alfa came back to me to “relive” our lives  together gave me an immense sense of joy and healed my childhood  wound.

Today, I don’t see  my  sleepwalking  as an annoyance anymore. Thanks to  it,  Skai can  travel  with  me on commercial flights  and  I  am very grateful for that.

What  seemed like a misfortune became a blessing.

I am sitting here on a Maui bound airplane with Skai under  my  feet and just  looking at him brings tears  of joy to my eyes.

Remember, If  you have ever gone through a painful loss of  a loved  one,  a friend, family member or a four legged friend, keep your eyes and your senses open.  You never know; they may be closer than you think.  They may come again to heal you, teach  you and fill your heart with unconditional love the same way my dear Skai has.

With gratitude,

Your Captain

PS :   You don’t  need to be sleep walking  to make your dream of flying with your dog  come true. I hope that as  our  membership grows  bigger, Flying Dog Club will  be able to organize  chartered flights  with  you and your best friend on board.

To do this,  we need to  tell others  and get our membership numbers up. I kindly ask you  to  forward this invitation to  all people who may be interested.

Register or tell your friends now! Read more about Flying Dog Club

PS:  Don’t forget to check our  blog  for previous posts  and news!  Click here ]]> http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/my-confession-why-can-skai-fly/feed/ 3 http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/healing-solutions-news-5th-edition/ http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/healing-solutions-news-5th-edition/#comments Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:56:30 +0000 Dr. Peter Dobias http://www.peterdobias.com/community/?p=504

Summer  is  almost  over and I hope that you have enjoyed  it  as much as  I have.  Great  weather, some work,  some  fun and an  interesting experience working at my friend’s clinic. I must say that I felt as if  I had awoken  from a deep long sleep. For the last 10 years,  I had not worked in any  other practice other than my  own.  Coming to work to another practice made me realize that this  was  possibly  one of the best  things that  could have happened, to put me  in touch with reality and to feel an even greater sense of  purpose in continuing  my  work. In fact, my friend is an open minded  practitioner and uses many holistic treatments. The biggest source of shock  was the alarming number of unwell  patients coming  into the practice for the  first  time.  Seeing so many over vaccinated,  poorly  fed, obese, arthritic,  sore and unhealthy  dogs and cats made me feel as if I  had left  my world and appeared in a foreign place. Now, after finishing my  work  assignment,  I  see   clearly that selling my  clinic and dedicating my  future years to  public work, writing, education and holistic  care  research was the right decision. I  see now  that  staying  at Healing Place would not have allowed the  time to do the most important  work;   to teach  about prevention and bring new treatments to broader  use  in the  field. To  get  this  job done,  I need  your  help.  Together, we can   spread  the  word and increase    awareness. I  don’t  thing   there is one animal  lover  who  doesn’t   wish  the best for  his  pets.  The problem is  that this information is not  available and  we, veterinarians,  have been educated in a one sided system with the belief that healing should be the domain  of  conventional care.  I am not exactly sure if this is the result of  conscious brain washing or just  pure ignorance. However, there results are seen clearly. I hope  that together,   we will be able to  organize  talks,  seminars, webinars,  write articles, books, produce audio, video and whatever it  takes to get the message  across. Many  of you have already come with great ideas.   Thank you! I will  be  looking  for  volunteers and hopefully, soon, for paid team members as well; people  with the skills and desire  needed to make  this  happen. Here is my proposal for work in the 2009 – 2010 years ·       Organize “Food that Heals” – natural and raw diet  seminars.  If you  have a place and time and people  who would like to attend, I will do my best  to be there,  just  let  me know.  For those who  are out of  Vancouver,  we will be organizing webinars  and online  meetings so  no one  is  left  out. ·       Animal Healing Meetings – for those  who would like to  learn more  about  holistic healing for their pets.  We will be offering online group  meetings at a fraction of the cost of veterinary visits,  where we will  discuss  health   problems, their treatment  and prevention.  Stay  tuned  for more  info. ·       I have completed  the second  edit of 20 chapters of  my  natural  and raw diet  book. There are 5- 10 more to come.  The name of the book is   “ If dogs could cook”  ( they wouldn’t…).   My  aim is to  have the first smaller  print  out  by  the end of the year and hope that more and more people  will  realize how good  natural food  is  for their pets. ·       We have launched our 1st signature product of our  new all natural holistic  pet  care line  “  Dr. Dobias Healing Solutions” and are  in the process of  preparing more  new products in the near future.   Once  again,  thank you for all your  suggestions and  ideas.  Remember,  we  are here for you and your  animal  friends and  need to know  what  you need or  can’t find on the market.·       We are also preparing a  professional  formula  line. We have the name and are waiting for the process of  approval and trademarking. However,  you will be the first people to know.  This  line is going to be distributed only through veterinary clinics and practices, with the goal of introducing natural and holistic treatment in veterinary practices. In the past,  I have tried to stay out of the politics of who is  wrong or right,  however, as  fate  would have it  I was  called upon by the BC Veterinary Medical Association, for the  first  time  in 20 years of practice, to defend  my  use of  homeopathy and  natural  treatment. Most of you do not  know  that  I published  a report and presented  my paper at  the World Small Animal Veterinary  Conference in  2006. This  report  confirmed that  hyperthyroidism in cats can be cured by homeopathic  treatments.  This is contrary  to conventional claims that  there  is  no  data  confirming that homeopathy  works. I feel that  the  time has come; that  we  need to provide more evidence  that  holistic  and natural treatments  work and  are needed for the well-being and health of our pets.  By blending the best of both worlds, we will be able to   reduce the medical  costs and more importantly, the  pain and suffering  of  many  animals  and people alike. I have made a commitment to  find  people, who are willing  to contribute and fund these  studies,  I will get  involved in their organizations and research.  Perhaps you  know someone you want to pass my message on to. I hope  you will  receive   this  news  with excitement and enthusiasm.  I have great hopes  that  together,  we will be  able to  do  a lot of good work. I  also  trust that  we can  do it  without  focusing on the negative propaganda that attacks holistic health care, natural nutrition and homeopathy.  This negativity is based  on  fear by people who simply do not understand and some groups who have greater interest in destroying any form of natural and holistic healing. I believe that sooner or  later the same people  may fall  ill and realize that  conventional  medicine  doesn’t always have  the answer.   This may open their eyes and closed minds to see the need for other forms of healing.   There is still a lot to learn and we have barely  scratched the  surface of the vast field of knowledge that  is  waiting  to be  discovered.  I hope that you will join me for this journey and also  pass this message on. With gratitude for you support Dr. Peter Dobias PS:  If you wish to register for receiving more news and information that  can  change your animal friends life  for the better click here

]]> http://www.peterdobias.com/community/2009/09/healing-solutions-news-5th-edition/feed/ 0