"Places to look: behind the books in the bookshelf, any cupboard with a gap too small fro any cat to squeeze through, the top of anything sheer, under anything too low for a cat to squash under and inside the piano."
---Roseanne Ambrose-Brown
Friday, October 24, 2008
Quote ot the Day:
"Places to look: behind the books in the bookshelf, any cupboard with a gap too small fro any cat to squeeze through, the top of anything sheer, under anything too low for a cat to squash under and inside the piano."
---Roseanne Ambrose-Brown
Slippery Elm for Digestive Upsets
A great herb to keep on hand for digestive upsets in pets is slippery elm. The inner bark of the tree is used.
It is a nutrient and food for very young, old or very weak cats and dogs. Use slippery elm as a food in convalescence, mixed with a bit of honey and water. it tastes sweet and pets take to it readily.It coasts and heals all inflamed tissue internally and externally.
It is used for the stomach, ulcers, bowels, and kidneys, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery and colitis and the entire digestive tract.
Use it externally for wounds, burns, rashes, abscesses, boils or insect bites and internally for the lungs, coughing, vomiting and for stomach and bowel cancer.
For a poultice to bandage wounds, stir enough water into powdered bark to make a past and apply it to the affected area. Slippery elm bark contains special cells that expand into a spongy mass in the presence of liquid. Applied to thoroughly cleansed wounds, it dries to form an herbal bandage.
I use the powder straight from the capsule, sprinkled on pet's food. For a tea taken internally use 1 to 2 teaspoons of powdered herb per cup of water. Blend a little water in first to prevent lumpiness. Bring to biol and simmer 15 minutes.
It is a nutrient and food for very young, old or very weak cats and dogs. Use slippery elm as a food in convalescence, mixed with a bit of honey and water. it tastes sweet and pets take to it readily.It coasts and heals all inflamed tissue internally and externally.
It is used for the stomach, ulcers, bowels, and kidneys, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery and colitis and the entire digestive tract.
Use it externally for wounds, burns, rashes, abscesses, boils or insect bites and internally for the lungs, coughing, vomiting and for stomach and bowel cancer.
For a poultice to bandage wounds, stir enough water into powdered bark to make a past and apply it to the affected area. Slippery elm bark contains special cells that expand into a spongy mass in the presence of liquid. Applied to thoroughly cleansed wounds, it dries to form an herbal bandage.
I use the powder straight from the capsule, sprinkled on pet's food. For a tea taken internally use 1 to 2 teaspoons of powdered herb per cup of water. Blend a little water in first to prevent lumpiness. Bring to biol and simmer 15 minutes.
No No Foods for Pets
With the holidays coming up -- Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we can't resist giving our pets table scraps but not all people food is fit for dogs and cats.
Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine which can kill a dog or cat. The smaller the animal, the less chocolate it may take to cause illness.
Tuna fed to cats every day can cause a deficiency in vitamin B and E, leading to illness. Because tuna blocks the absorption of these vitamins you need to add supplements to their food or limit tuna treats.
Onions contain sulphur which can destroy red blood cells and cause anemia in some dogs.
Milk can cause gas and diarrhea in some pets who are lactose intolerant like people. Try a as a treat the product Catsip. It is a lactose free milk product which contains taurine to promote healthy eyes and blood vessels.
Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine which can kill a dog or cat. The smaller the animal, the less chocolate it may take to cause illness.
Tuna fed to cats every day can cause a deficiency in vitamin B and E, leading to illness. Because tuna blocks the absorption of these vitamins you need to add supplements to their food or limit tuna treats.
Onions contain sulphur which can destroy red blood cells and cause anemia in some dogs.
Milk can cause gas and diarrhea in some pets who are lactose intolerant like people. Try a as a treat the product Catsip. It is a lactose free milk product which contains taurine to promote healthy eyes and blood vessels.
Cold Weather Tips
As our temperatures go down, be sure to take extra care of your pets.
Bring them indoors if possible, when the temps reach 32 degrees. Cats are safer if kept inside year round.
If your dog or cat spends anytime outdoors during cold weather he/she should have an elevated house, clean dry bedding and a flap to cover the door. Straw works best for bedding since it traps air in pockets and dries quickly when wet. Blankets will stay wet far longer.
Check the water bowl often and add fresh water when it freezes. You can buy electrically heated water bowls for this purpose.
After walking your dog or when your cat comes inside, wipe paws to remove, snow, ice and especially deicing agents.
Keep your pets away from antifreeze; it is poison. For safety, buy the non toxic kind available at most stores now.
Before starting your car, bang on the hood to scare away any animal sleeping there - cats like to curl up on the hot engine parts. They can get seriously mangled when the engine is turned on.
These simple tips can keep your pets and your neighbor's healthy and safe in the coldest weather.
Did you know...?
There are more breeds of dogs than than there are of cats? Dogs win this contest hands down with about 310 breeds to their credit compared to about 70 for cats!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tips for Chronic Diarrhea in Pets
First of all if your pet has chronic diarrhea, please take him to the vet for an overall physical. Many conditions can cause this and you need to know what is going on.
If everything has been ruled out like in my case with Snowball, then you might want to try some of these remedies. Snowball gets the runs every so often and they last for weeks. He is acting fine, no weight loss or vomiting or dehydration. I have tried all sorts of things to help stop it with no results, It usually stops on it's own. But this time I hit pay dirt!
I discovered in a people remedy book that apples, let to turn brown will stop diarrhea in humans. Plus bran which helps to loosen stools - also works to firm them. I added a little bran and chopped brown apples to Snowball's food twice a day.
To boost things along I also added a few drops of Crab apple from my Bach Flower Remedy collection. This I put in his water, and on his food. The trick is to get it in him at least four times a day for five days. If it works-- it works.
Low and behold, his stool firmed up and he has been fine. I tapered off the apple and bran and still good. I left the Crab apple in the water for the full five days. So far so good. If he relapses, I will just go back to the remedies - a brown apples, bran and crab apple again. Hope this helps your pet too!
If everything has been ruled out like in my case with Snowball, then you might want to try some of these remedies. Snowball gets the runs every so often and they last for weeks. He is acting fine, no weight loss or vomiting or dehydration. I have tried all sorts of things to help stop it with no results, It usually stops on it's own. But this time I hit pay dirt!
I discovered in a people remedy book that apples, let to turn brown will stop diarrhea in humans. Plus bran which helps to loosen stools - also works to firm them. I added a little bran and chopped brown apples to Snowball's food twice a day.
To boost things along I also added a few drops of Crab apple from my Bach Flower Remedy collection. This I put in his water, and on his food. The trick is to get it in him at least four times a day for five days. If it works-- it works.
Low and behold, his stool firmed up and he has been fine. I tapered off the apple and bran and still good. I left the Crab apple in the water for the full five days. So far so good. If he relapses, I will just go back to the remedies - a brown apples, bran and crab apple again. Hope this helps your pet too!
Book Review: Homeopathic First Aid for Animals - Tales and Techniques from a Country Practitioner by Kaetheryn Walker
I have many homeopathic books in my pet library but this one was worth adding to the collection.
Along with physical conditions and the remedies used to treat them, Walker intersperses anecdotes and recipes for things like electrolyte solutions and kitten/puppy milk replacements. The section on caring fro orphaned pups and kittens is worth the price of the book in my mind!
Along with physical conditions and the remedies used to treat them, Walker intersperses anecdotes and recipes for things like electrolyte solutions and kitten/puppy milk replacements. The section on caring fro orphaned pups and kittens is worth the price of the book in my mind!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Milk Thistle for Liver Problems
Milk thistle or silymarin is a liver cleanser, detoxifier and repairer.
Use it for liver or kidney damage, hepatitis, jaundice, and parvovirus recovery. it may be helpful in chronic skin disorders, tumors and cancer. I give it to several of my pets daily.
This is a major antioxidant. Pets that have been on a lot of veterinary drugs, heartworm prevention or medication, vaccinations, deworming drugs or chemotherapy need this herb for healing.
Use it for liver or kidney damage, hepatitis, jaundice, and parvovirus recovery. it may be helpful in chronic skin disorders, tumors and cancer. I give it to several of my pets daily.
This is a major antioxidant. Pets that have been on a lot of veterinary drugs, heartworm prevention or medication, vaccinations, deworming drugs or chemotherapy need this herb for healing.
Halloween - Not for Pets!
Halloween is coming up and although it is a fun holiday for humans, it can be a scary one for pets.
Keep them inside or in an enclosed area during trick or treat hours, making sure they don't accidentally slip out. I have several black cats and I keep them safely inside with me.
Don't share your candy with pets, especially chocolate - it can make them sick or even be lethal.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Suggle Safe Heatpad
With the weather getting cooler and winter on it's way, our pets need extra warmth too especially if they are older. I got this item as a gift and use it often for my aging indoor cats and for the ferals outdoors in their shelter.
Snuggle Safe Microwave Heatpad is a wonderful way to keep them warm and toasty. This plastic Frisbee shaped disk is filled with a nontoxic material that heats up in the microwave to provide up to 12 hours of safe gentle warmth when placed under their bedding.
To order check www.DrsFosterSmith.com or other web sites. I have not found it in any pet stores yet.
Cat Fact
67 percent of America's feline friends get to sleep on their owner's beds - or anywhere they want.
Today's Quote:
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."
--Will Rogers
--Will Rogers
Book Review: Kinship With All Life by J. Allen Boone
This is a wonderful little book about animal communication, first published in 1954. A friend let me borrow it and I was smitten!
It is written by an animal caretaker who is caring for a movie star dog named Strongheart while the owners travel. Boone begins to realize that this dog has opinions and thoughts of his own and wants to be treated equally.
It will surely change your view about animals and make you realize that they are equal beings in their own right. More spiritual than most books of this kind yet it does give you directions to connect telepathically with your animal friends or animals in general. A must read.
It is written by an animal caretaker who is caring for a movie star dog named Strongheart while the owners travel. Boone begins to realize that this dog has opinions and thoughts of his own and wants to be treated equally.
It will surely change your view about animals and make you realize that they are equal beings in their own right. More spiritual than most books of this kind yet it does give you directions to connect telepathically with your animal friends or animals in general. A must read.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Poem For Cats
And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?
Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself
Are you coming then? asked God
Soon, replied the whiskered angel,
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled.
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.
But don't they understand? asked God
That you''ll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is...forever and ever and ever?
Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat, For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am...forever and ever and ever.
- Author Unknown
Should I have my cat declawed?
Declawing is a very controversial issue among veterinarians these days. It is an illegal procedure in many European countries including Germany. I just want to set the record straight as to exactly what declawing is.
Simply put, declawing is a painful and permanently crippling procedure requiring serious surgery. Under general anesthesia, the cat's last joint of each toe is amputated including the bone, not just the claw.
After surgery, complications may arise - reaction to anesthesia, hemorrhage, infections, nerve damage and nails regrowing inside paw and needing x-rays periodically to check for this painful condition. Declawing causes gradual weakening of leg, shoulder and back muscles, affecting the cat's ability to walk.
Declawing also affects the cat's personality, often making them morose, reclusive and withdrawn since their main mode of defense has been removed. Without their claws some cats may bite to defend themselves.
There are more humane alternatives to this procedure including regular nail trimming to clip off the sharp end of the claws which hook into furniture; setting up several scratching posts and teaching the cat how to use them with toys and catnip; or using soft nail claw caps. These are soft vinyl nail caps applied to the newly trimmed nails by a groomer or vet and lasts 4-6 weeks.
Many vets refuse to do the declawing procedure and will be more than happy to help you work out a suitable alternative method. Please explore all possible solutions before you declaw. Your cat will thank you!
Simply put, declawing is a painful and permanently crippling procedure requiring serious surgery. Under general anesthesia, the cat's last joint of each toe is amputated including the bone, not just the claw.
After surgery, complications may arise - reaction to anesthesia, hemorrhage, infections, nerve damage and nails regrowing inside paw and needing x-rays periodically to check for this painful condition. Declawing causes gradual weakening of leg, shoulder and back muscles, affecting the cat's ability to walk.
Declawing also affects the cat's personality, often making them morose, reclusive and withdrawn since their main mode of defense has been removed. Without their claws some cats may bite to defend themselves.
There are more humane alternatives to this procedure including regular nail trimming to clip off the sharp end of the claws which hook into furniture; setting up several scratching posts and teaching the cat how to use them with toys and catnip; or using soft nail claw caps. These are soft vinyl nail caps applied to the newly trimmed nails by a groomer or vet and lasts 4-6 weeks.
Many vets refuse to do the declawing procedure and will be more than happy to help you work out a suitable alternative method. Please explore all possible solutions before you declaw. Your cat will thank you!
Friday, October 10, 2008
How to Grow Wheat Grass
Does your indoor dog nibble on grass when he is outdoors? Or does your indoor cat eat your house plants?
why not grow some wheat grass for them to graze on? This eating grass is part of a natural cleansing instinct so don't discourage it, just give them a healthy alternative.
Here's how to grow wheat grass.
Soak one to two tablespoons of wheat berries (available at natural food stores) overnight.
Drain the water.
Almost fill a plant pot or tray with potting soil and sprinkle seeds on top.
Cover with 1/4" of potting soil.
Water daily, just enough to keep the soil moist.
When the shoots are about 4" high, offer them to your pet to eat as is from the pot.
You can also trim the shoots with scissors and sprinkle small pieces in their food. Try growing barley, alfalfa or rye as alternatives.
why not grow some wheat grass for them to graze on? This eating grass is part of a natural cleansing instinct so don't discourage it, just give them a healthy alternative.
Here's how to grow wheat grass.
Soak one to two tablespoons of wheat berries (available at natural food stores) overnight.
Drain the water.
Almost fill a plant pot or tray with potting soil and sprinkle seeds on top.
Cover with 1/4" of potting soil.
Water daily, just enough to keep the soil moist.
When the shoots are about 4" high, offer them to your pet to eat as is from the pot.
You can also trim the shoots with scissors and sprinkle small pieces in their food. Try growing barley, alfalfa or rye as alternatives.
Second Hand Smoke Bad for Pets!
Researchers at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, MA have discovered that cats who live with cigarette smokers are twice as likely to develop feline lymphoma, a deadly cancer of the blood and immune system. This seven year study also showed in households where cats were exposed to second hand smoke for 5 years or more their health risks tripled. So...if you smoke, stop for the health of both you and your pets!
Book Review: Cats: Homeopathic Remedies by George Macleod
This book is a must have and also comes in a dog version - Dogs:Homeopathic Remedies.
It explains this branch of natural medicine, how to prepare and administer the remedies. Sections cover descriptions of the remedies as well as what remedies work for different symptoms.
For readers who have little knowledge of homeopathic medicine, let me explain. This branch of medicine, using all natural remedies from the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms, treats like with like. It involves using tiny amounts of natural substances that may cause symptoms to treat symptoms.
I know this may sound like a lot of nonsense, but I have used them with my feral cats with great results! The trick is to get the right remedy. If you goof, nothing happens - that's it. No side effects or anything. Just try another remedy! This is a very harmless, inexpensive way to treat minor illnesses and some remedies even aid in treating more serious symptoms along with western medicine.
My only fault with this book is the terms may be a bit more medical than for the average lay person. Get yourself a medical dictionary of sorts and you will be fine.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Reiki for Animals
Reiki, pronounced ray key, is a unique touch system of energy healing that dates back to ancient Tibet.
Reiki supplies the body with additional life force energy to help heal. It was rediscovered int he 19th century by a Japanese monk named Dr. Mikao Usui. It has been passed down since then by Reiki Masters and is used worldwide on people in hospitals, private practice and by individuals for self care.
Reiki is also used on animals with great success. Since animals absorb energy far more quickly that we do, the Reiki session can be quite short but still have far reaching effects. It is gentle and non-invasive - ideal for using with animals. When a pet is feeling well, they may reject Reiki and walk away. If they need it, they will sit quietly accepting the energy.
What is Reiki like? The Reiki practitioner will hold her hands just above the body or lightly touching it. Her hands will feel warm at the spot on the body. The person or pet getting the treatment may feel a warm tingling sensation or nothing at all. Most pets fall asleep during the session.
Reiki can aid in reducing pain and stress, cleanse the body of toxins, balance the flow of energy, and accelerate the healing process. For healthy animals, Reiki helps to maintain their health, enhances relaxation and provides an emotional sense of peace and contentment. For dying animals, Reiki is a powerful yet gentle way to provide comfort, relief from pain, fear and anxiety and to ease the transition to death.
Reiki can also treat from a distance so that the patient does not have to be in the Reiki practitioner's presence. A free healing network is available online - go to www.the-dhn.com. Request a healing for you or your animal friends.
Book Review: Why Is Cancer Killing Our Pets? How you Can Protect and Treat Your Animal Companion by Deborah Straw
With cancer the number one killer of pets in the US, this is a much needed book to assist us in understanding a serious disease.
After losing four pets to cancer, and frustrated from the lack of information available, journalist Straw decided to research everything from surgery to holistic remedies.
Readers will discover the many environmental, dietetic and vaccine related culprits that may cause cancer and learn how to prevent it. All areas of treatment for cancer are covered including herbal, conventional acupuncture and Reiki. An excellent source of general information.
After losing four pets to cancer, and frustrated from the lack of information available, journalist Straw decided to research everything from surgery to holistic remedies.
Readers will discover the many environmental, dietetic and vaccine related culprits that may cause cancer and learn how to prevent it. All areas of treatment for cancer are covered including herbal, conventional acupuncture and Reiki. An excellent source of general information.
Comfrey for Skin Issues
The herb comfrey is a good blood cleanser, nutrient, detoxifier and infection/inflammation fighter.
As a pure slave comfrey helps heal skin wounds, bites and itching. I know a shelter owner who used the salve one of her cats with skin cancer on its ears and the cancer healed.
As a tea taken internally it heals ulcers, urinary tract infections, kills streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria, heals lungs and respiratory problems. It is known to speed the healing of bruises, torn ligaments and broken bones.
Make sure this herb is in your pet medicine cabinet!
As a pure slave comfrey helps heal skin wounds, bites and itching. I know a shelter owner who used the salve one of her cats with skin cancer on its ears and the cancer healed.
As a tea taken internally it heals ulcers, urinary tract infections, kills streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria, heals lungs and respiratory problems. It is known to speed the healing of bruises, torn ligaments and broken bones.
Make sure this herb is in your pet medicine cabinet!
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