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

Learn about weaning, feeding, supplements and natural approach to vaccination

While one could think that puppies are born with a clean slate, the reality is that they often carry “a baggage full of problems” from previous generations.  These problems are not just genetic. It appears that puppies are also burdened by the imbalances and health issues  of their parents that were exposed to excessive vaccination, poor nutrition, stress and the use of immune-suppressive drugs such as anti-inflammatory and corticosteroids .

I am saying this because many people who get a new dog question what they have done wrong while they really have done everything right.

STEP 1 – BEWARE OF PUPPY MILLS

If you are planning to get a puppy, the most generous way is to choose one from a rescue shelter.   Not only will you feel great about your decision but you will also give a home to a dog that would otherwise continue to suffer or be euthanized if a suitable home is not found.

If you would rather get a puppy from a breeder, just promise that you will stay away from puppy mills, suspicious ads and pet store bought puppies.

Puppy mill owners (ab)use dogs as breeding machines. They lock them in cages, rarely walk them and most of them suffer tremendously.  Beside the endless suffering, puppies of these dogs often end up with serious irreversible health issues that even a miracle healer or a vet will not be able to solve.  I am warning you right here that treating these problems will suck your pocket dry and break your heart.

If you feel the urge to “rescue” a puppy mill puppy, buying one creates more demand which is exactly what the puppy broker or puppy mill owner wants.  Not buying one will make them go bankrupt and hopefully they will surrender the dogs to authorities.

I suggest that if you can’t find the dog of your liking in your area, there are many homeless dogs in “kill shelters” all over the US or in third world countries.

STEP 2 NURSING AND FOOD

Feeding dogs is another fiery topic and writing about it is like poking in a wasp nest.  I am planning to right on food more in the next issue and will only mention that good puppy nutrition starts with a well fed mother.

After more than a decade of feeding and recommending a raw, species appropriate diet, my clients and I have witnessed a huge difference between dogs fed processed and raw food.  Because I have repeatedly seen longer lives, less medical issues, shinier and healthier coats, better mobility, less chronic disease and cancer there is no way I would switch back to kibble.

Do you too wonder why processed pet food companies making kibble offer retailes and vet a wholesome fresh food at their lectures?

STEP 3 SUPPLEMENTS

Most people understand the role of vitamins and perhaps omega oils are in health.  However, many are unaware that the most common causes of disease and premature aging are mineral deficiencies.

Not one single mineral can be manufactured by the body and minerals are severely depleted in even in organic foods.  The main reason is intensive agriculture and excessive soil exploitation and fatigue.

That is why any pregnant or lactating mother should be getting these basic supplements:

Essential minerals and heavy metal detox,for example GreenMin

Multi-vitamins (Whole food probiotic based supplement)

High quality Omega Oils.

Non-dairy based live Probiotics to promote good digestion and proper immune system function.

The most well known issue of mineral deficiency in pregnant and nursing bitches is lack of blood calcium in pregnant or nursing bitches – eclampsia. One of the causes of postpartum eclampsia is under functioning parathyroid gland which leads to slower release of calcium.  However, proper function of the pituitary gland also depends on the presence of other minerals and nutrients.

Feeding lactating bitches balanced diet and supplements is equally essential for the well being of puppies and their development.  If you are tempted to purchase cheap synthetic vitamins, just remember that because there is a difference between a plastic orange, orange juice and a wholesome orange, there is also a difference between synthetically made vitamins, natural extracts or whole food based vitamins.  Because we can’t make food in a chemical lab, synthetic supplements are always going to be “the plastic” orange of nutrition.

STEP 4 WEANING PUPPIES

Just recently, I saw a mother at Wholefoods feeding her baby by squeezing baby food from a tube. I watched her and wondered if she knew that this “baby food” ha a fraction of the nutritional value of fresh food that she could blend and prepare fresh at home.

It is an example of how blinded we have been by marketing and advertising. Many people are convinced that feeding sterilized, pasteurized food is somehow better.  Nature doesn’t make baby or puppy food and that is why I recommend feeding puppies the same high quality raw food as you would feed an adult.

Starting 3 – 4 weeks of age, you can introduce high quality raw food by  feeding the mothers in the pen with puppies that will gradually start eating it.  By the time puppies are 8 weeks old and ready to come home, they should be eating a variety of meats, veggies, eggs and  chewing on raw bones to massage their gums and promote healthy teeth and bone development.

I am not a big fan of giving milk products mainly because in nature, milk is not a part of the canine diet as soon as puppies are weaned.

Just don’t forget to give your puppy vitamins, omega oils, minerals and probiotics to keep it strong and healthy.

STEP 5 VACCINES

I am relieved that there are now research studies available that confirm that the practice of yearly dog vaccination has absolutely no scientific basis and that most dogs immunity lasts at least 8 years and possibly even a lifetime.

Vaccines are another fiery topic. All I can do is to give you my humble opinion and suggestions.

• Natural immunity obtain from the milk of mothers persist in most puppies until 12 – 16 weeks of age.
• Vaccinating puppies before 12 weeks will “wipe” out the maternal antibodies which leaves puppies more vulnerable to infections.
• Vaccines contain serious carcinogens such as “thimerosal” (that contains mercury),  formaldehyde and other chemicals.
• Most people are unaware that vaccines are often produced by infecting and sacrificing healthy animals.   To me, the notion of killing one to save another is insane and I feel obligated to inform you about this practice.
• Vaccines can also cause chronic often life long disease that resembles the disease that they are supposed to prevent.  Some good examples are digestive problems, skin issue or mental and behavioral changes that disappear after neutralizing the effects vaccines have with homeopathic remedies.
• Most vaccines bypass the natural entry gates of infection such as mouth or the airways and this is a severe shock to the immune system.  How would you feel if a person entered your house through breaking the windows (the analogy for an injection) as opposed to ringing the bell?
• The administration of multiple antigen vaccines is also a very unnatural way of creating immunity. In nature, usually only one serious disease pathogen would be present at the time allowing the body to fully focus on one pathogen.  Giving combination vaccines makes the immune system overwhelmed the same way you would if you are working on several major projects at the same time.

Here is an immunity protocol that I have been using in my practice for years.

• Never vaccinate your puppy before 12 weeks of age if you have the choice
• If your puppy has been vaccinated early, any medical condition may or may not be a vaccine side effect. I recommend consulting an open minded holistic practitioner who knows how to recognize vaccine related issues.
• If you suspect vaccination side-effects you can safely administer a homeopathic  remedy Thuja 30 C or Thuja 200 C – 1 dose to neutralize vaccination side effects.
• Maternal antibodies protect puppies fully until 12 – 16 weeks. When your puppy is 12 weeks old get a parvovirus and distemper “antibody titer test” done.
• 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 the “ropes” by being in the company of other canines and its exposure to pathogens while it is protected will stimulate the production of their own antibodies. This is in fact natures “way of vaccination” and this is exactly what vaccine companies don’t want you to know.
• To me, any level of antibodies suggests protection despite some labs reporting low titers as insufficient. In fact, no one can say what levels are or aren’t low.  I have never seen parvo or distemper in dogs that have had even a low positive titer.
• If your puppy tested negative for antibodies consider vaccination with one antigen of parvovirus (not a combination) at 12  weeks and distemper 4 weeks later.
• Retest for antibodies 1 month and then 2-3 months after the vaccine and then 2 – 3 months later.
• If your puppy’s titer continues to be negative, you will have to make a decision about   which risk is higher – boosters or the incidence of an infectious disease.
• Never use vaccines for Kennel Cough, Lymes disease and Giardia as they have the highest side-effect causing properties.
• 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 and talk to your veterinarian about the rabies incidence in your area.

It may be shock to you but many healthy puppies maintain lifetime antibodies with zero vaccination except for rabies.

To summarize, no one can give you 100% guarantee that your puppy will not get infected with or without vaccines.  In my practice, I always try to avoid them whenever possible.

With gratitude,

forget to keep your mind open.

Just  click  to play!

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

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

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How to choose the right  vet?

When I came to Canada, I worked for a vet who had a very short temper. When he was performing blood collections or other procedures and the animal would not stay still, he would pin it down and strangled it until its gums turned blue. I remember prying the vet’s hands off because I had grown to be less afraid.

This clinic also boarded animals sometimes for weeks, getting only two 15 minute walks, locked in a dark kennel room with the washer and dryer rumbling and the furnace going on and off. This colleague was later reported and reprimanded by the BC Veterinary Association that considered his behavior unacceptable.

Tragically, I have seen clients, who left the clinic choosing services of another vet that was also abusive. They believed that she was different because she was so kind and loving in their presence. However, she abused her patients when no one was looking, out of frustration; when collecting blood samples, doing procedures or taking X rays.

It would be easy to judge these colleagues, however, I think that it is more important to inquire and help them to get out of the vicious circle of stress and dysfunction. It is human to get angry, jealous, frightened or tired and I am not writing these lines to entice hatred towards these trouble souls. In fact they need our help and understanding.

Today, all the memories festered out as I write these lines. Now that I am older and less afraid of the consequences, I want speak out because it can help to make a difference. This said, I would like to reassure you that most vets are kind, caring and well rounded individuals who love their work.

How to choose the right vet

• The most important part is your gut feeling. Just notice what happens when you meet your veterinarian.
• Do you feel that he/she is  honest and truthful?
• Do you feel comfortable and relaxed or do you sense an intense energy and stress?
• Is he or she sincerely interested in your pet? If a person is too nice to be true it most likely is.
• Ask friends, ask the veterinary staff who do they see or who would they recommend
• Remember that the practitioner’s behavior in the exam room or his reputation may or may not reflect “the behind the scenes reality.”
• Look for a well grounded and calm individual that has a good balance between work and personal life, appears calm and healthy, is not aloof or “too nice to be true. ”
• Ask if you could attend minor procedures like blood collections, nail trim or anal gland treatments. If you are denied the access for whatever reason, be clear with your request. If the practitioner appears angry or defensive about your request, consider finding another vet.