By Dr. Becker

Tracheal collapse is a chronic, progressive disease involving the windpipe, or trachea.

The trachea is somewhat like a vacuum cleaner hose that contains small rings, in this case cartilage that keeps the airways open.

The rings are C-shaped, with the open part of the "C" facing upward.

Running along the top opening of the C-rings is a band of tissue called the dorsal membrane.

How the Trachea Collapses

In certain dogs, the rings of cartilage are either not formed correctly at birth, or they weaken and begin to change from a C-shape to more of a U-shape.

As the dorsal membrane stretches, the cartilage rings get progressively flatter until eventually the trachea just collapses, leaving the dog trying to pull air through what is essentially a closed straw.

Tracheal collapse can be congenital, which means it's present from birth, or it can be acquired. When the condition is congenital, it appears to be a result of a deficiency in certain components of the cartilage rings, like calcium, chondroitin, glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans.

Acquired tracheal collapse is often caused by chronic respiratory disease, Cushing's disease and heart disease. Collapse of the trachea in the neck occurs when the dog breathes in. Collapse of the trachea in the chest occurs when the dog breathes out. The collapse can involve the bronchi that feed air to the lungs, which results in serious airway obstruction in the dog.

Symptoms

Tracheal collapse is most common in small breed dogs like the Chihuahua, Lhasa apso, Maltese, Pomeranian, pug, Shih Tzu, toy poodle and the Yorkie.

One of the first signs of tracheal collapse can be a sudden attack of dry coughing that sounds a little bit like a goose honk. It progresses from the goose honk sound to a more consistent cough and often occurs when there's pressure placed on the dog's trachea. This can happen when the dog is picked up or if the collar is pulled.

As the disease progresses, the dog can develop exercise intolerance, obvious respiratory distress, and gagging while eating or drinking.

Some dogs with tracheal collapse can turn blue when they are excited or stressed. Certainly, secondary heart disease can result from the consistent straining to breathe.

Some dogs have both laryngeal paralysis and tracheal collapse. These dogs usually make a wheezing sound when they breathe in.

Diagnosis of Tracheal Collapse

Tracheal collapse can sometimes be seen on a regular X-ray as a narrowing of the tracheal lumen, or opening.

Fluoroscopy, which is a moving X-ray, allows the vet to visualize the dog's trachea as he breathes in and out.

An endoscopy allows a view of the inside of trachea with a tiny camera. It really provides the best way of viewing the inside of the airway. During this time, the veterinarian can also take samples of the trachea for culture and sensitivity tests or additional analysis.

Sometimes an echocardiogram is recommended to evaluate heart function.

Any disease of the upper or lower airway can be mistaken for tracheal collapse, including a foreign object in the airway, laryngeal paralysis, an elongated soft palate, infection of the trachea, lungs, or heart failure, as well as tumors or polyps. So it's pretty important that you get a definitive diagnosis and not just a guess.

Treatment Options

Conventional medical management of mild to moderate cases of tracheal collapse involve the use of cough suppressants, antispasmodics, bronchodilators, and sedatives to help reduce coughing spasms and the associated anxiety.

It's important to break the coughing cycle, because coughing irritates the airway and leads to more coughing.

If infection is present, of course, that has to be addressed as well. And certainly if the dog is overweight, it's really important that he lose weight.

I also recommend you evaluate your dog's environment. It should be smoke-free and free of other environmental pollutants.

Any dog with a collapsing trachea should be walked using a harness only. I absolutely do not recommend anything around the neck, as reducing all pressure at the throat is really important for these dogs.

Medical management works for about 70 percent of dogs with the mild form of this condition. Holistic veterinarians usually recommend cartilage builders to help maintain the integrity of the tracheal cartilage.

These supplements can include glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, eggshell membrane, and CMO, which is also called cetyl myristoleate. Sometimes, chiropractic and acupuncture have also been demonstrated to reduce the intensity of the duration of coughing episodes.

In more severe cases or for dogs who don't respond to medical management, sometimes surgery is recommended. If the collapse is happening in the neck or the thoracic inlet, plastic rings are placed surgically around the inside of the trachea.

If the collapse is deeper in the chest, often a stent is placed in the trachea. A stent is basically like a tiny spring that holds the trachea open.

Repair of a tracheal collapse is a very specialized surgical procedure. Don't let your veterinarian tell you that it's no big thing. These particular procedures have significant potential for complications. They should only be performed by a veterinary surgeon that has really extensive knowledge and a well-equipped hospital with a staff able to help your dog recover from this significant procedure in an appropriate manner.

Sadly, an estimated half million dogs and cats are euthanized each year after their owners pass away with no provisions made for their pet.

What would become of your dog, cat, bird or other companion if something happened to you?

I realize this isn’t a pleasant thing to think about, but it’s actually not complicated to make arrangements for your pet in the event you’re no longer able to care for her.

And the peace of mind you’ll receive from setting everything up ahead of time will be well worth the effort.

Planning for Pet Care in the Event of Your Death

Your will or testament is one vehicle by which you can legally arrange for the care of your companion animal in the event of your death.

One or more people who agree to take responsibility for your pet are named in the document, along with any assets you want to leave to that person to help with the expense of caring for the animal.

You can also leave your pet with one person and the money to another person, with instructions for reimbursing the new owner for pet-related expenses.

Unfortunately, wills are not handled immediately upon the person’s death, and settlements can sometimes be dragged out for years.

To make matters even more complicated, specific instructions for a pet’s care contained in a will are not enforceable, nor does a will allow for disbursement of monies over the remaining lifetime of the animal.

So including pet care in your will is only a first step. You’ll also need a legal document called a pet trust to make further, specific provisions for your animal.

Pet Trusts

There are different types of pet trusts to consider.

A traditional pet trust gives you a great deal of control of your pet’s care after your death. You can specify, for example:

• The person who will handle the finances for your pet (the trustee)
• The new owner (caretaker/beneficiary)
• What expenses the trustee will reimburse to the caretaker
• The type of care your pet will receive
• What will happen in the event the caretaker you specify can no longer keep the animal

This type of trust is legal in all 50 states in the U.S.

Another type of trust is the statutory or honorary pet trust, which is in effect while you’re alive as well as upon your death. This type of trust controls how monies are disbursed, including prior to your death if you choose. A statutory trust provides more flexibility than a traditional trust and is the simplest to do, especially if you already know who your pet’s caretaker will be after your death, and that person is aware of and agrees with your wishes. Only a handful of states do not recognize the statutory pet trust.

A third type of trust is a revocable living trust, which avoids probate after your death. The benefit of this type of trust is it can eliminate the majority of disputes and challenges to a standard will.

The Importance of Preparing Legal Documents

It’s really important to assign ownership of your pet in your will or a trust.

Otherwise, your four-legged family member will automatically go to your residuary beneficiary (the person or persons who’ll receive everything not assigned in your final legal documents).

If you have no will or trust upon your death, your pet will go to your next of kin.

When you adopted or purchased your pet, did you sign a contract agreeing to return the animal to the breeder, shelter, or some other entity in the event you can no longer keep your pet? If so, it’s a good idea to attach those documents to your will or trust and give a copy to your assigned pet caretaker as well so everyone who may need the information has it. (Breeders and shelters are only interested in insuring your pet isn’t abandoned. As long as you’ve provided for the animal in a will or trust, it will satisfy their requirements.)

An option for paying for future health care for your companion animal is to make a separate arrangement with your vet. Depending on how you feel about your DVM, you can leave money with her, or you can draw up a contract and leave a credit on your account for expected future services your pet may need.

Another option is to purchase pet health care insurance and then designate funds to keep the policy in place after your death.

Who Will Care for My Pet When I No Longer Can?

Certainly this is the most important question of them all. And you know better than anyone who would be the best person to take on responsibility for your pet when the time comes. Give the subject careful thought, because it’s possible the people you feel closest to are not the best choice for pet owners.

Not everyone is a ‘pet person’ – perhaps not even your best friend or your own child or grandchild. Think about how you want your pet to be provided for after you’re gone, and then think about who you know with the time, energy and other resources necessary to care for your pet as you would.

Some people don’t have the time available to properly care for a pet. Others have too many obligations already or are too busy with careers, child rearing, etc. Perhaps you want your furry best friend to continue eating a raw diet or receiving chiropractic care. Does the caretaker you have in mind share your overall pet care philosophy?

When you decide on someone, then repeat the process all over again and come up with a backup caretaker.

You and your identified caretaker(s) should discuss your plans at length, and it’s a very good idea to have the future owner’s name, contact information and your pet’s care plan in writing. Make sure the caretaker has a copy, close family members, people who visit you regularly, and/or a neighbor you’re friendly with. Consider leaving a copy of the document in a conspicuous spot in your home as well.

This will help to prevent a situation in which your pet is relinquished to a shelter because no one realized a plan was in place.

If there is no one you feel would be appropriate to care for your pet, there are fostering options which can provide a temporary home for your pet until a new owner can be found. These include:

• The breeder or shelter you bought or adopted your pet from
• A breed or other rescue organization
• Your local animal shelter
• Your veterinarian

Obviously you’ll need to make arrangements ahead of time with one or more of these organizations to take charge of your pet when the time comes, and a method for notifying them immediately.

Ways to Fund Future Pet Care

You can use cash, life insurance, stocks, bonds, annuities and assets like your home or car to provide funding for your pet, and there are various ways to make the funds accessible to your pet’s caretaker after your death.

For example, if you have a living trust you can transfer cash or other assets into it yourself. You can also name your trust as beneficiary of your life insurance policy.

I recommend you talk with an attorney or other qualified professional about how to fund your pet’s financial future and the proper way to go about it based on your individual financial situation.

For more information and tools to help you plan for lifetime care for your pet, visit 2nd Chance for Pets.

Pluto the basset hound does normal dog stuff that doesn’t look so normal in slow motion.

This month's featured patient is Myra Moonbeam, a darling female Boston terrier who developed a terrible neurologic disease following a vaccination.

In May 2005, Myra Moonbeam was a happy, healthy, almost two year-old girl who went to her veterinarian for an annual exam.

The vet gave Myra a Lyme vaccine.

Over the next few weeks Myra started shaking her head a lot and losing her balance.

Then she began vomiting and stumbling when she walked.

The balance problem and disorientation worsened over the next week to the point where she was falling down.

Myra was also experiencing rear limb weakness, her lymph nodes were enlarged, and she developed a head tilt and head tremors.

Myra is Referred to a Specialist

At the end of May, due to her rapid physical decline, Myra was referred to a board-certified neurologist who performed a spinal tap and other diagnostics.

Myra's recent history (since the Lyme vaccine), her clinical symptoms and the results of diagnostic testing all pointed to a diagnosis of granulomatous meningoencephalitis, or GME.

GME is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS).

It's a canine condition seen primarily in young to middle-aged small breed, female dogs.

The disease is rarely seen in cats.

GME happens quickly and is life-threatening.

Lesions are primarily found in the white matter of the brain and spinal cord.

The traditional veterinary community considers the disease to be idiopathic, or without an identifiable cause.

However, it is also thought the disease may be caused by an abnormal response to an infectious agent.

While most conventional DVMs refuse to acknowledge a link between autoimmune diseases and vaccines – especially Lyme, rabies and leptospirosis vaccines – holistic vets have long voiced concern about what certainly seems to be a cause-and-effect relationship between certain vaccines and the subsequent development of autoimmune disorders in pets.

The veterinary neurologist placed Myra on high doses of two powerful immuno-suppressive drugs, azathioprine and prednisone.

Over the next several months, her neurologic symptoms improved. At her October 2005 recheck, the neurologist told Myra's owner the dog should stay on the drugs until May of the following year (2006).

Myra's mom had researched the side effects for azathioprine and prednisone, and she was very concerned about leaving her pet on those drugs for such an extended period of time.

She made an appointment to bring Myra to see me in November 2005.

Myra's Healing Protocol

In my professional opinion, Myra's autoimmune disease was caused by the Lyme vaccine she received in May 2005.

So my plan for Myra centered on cleansing her little body of the toxic effects of vaccines and the immuno-suppressant drugs she was taking, and supporting renewal of nerve tissue damaged by the GME.

My protocol included the following homeopathic remedies and natural supplements:

• Vaccine detoxification with homeopathic Thujaⁱ. Homeopathic remedies are selected based on a patient's symptoms. Myra's neurologic symptoms also aligned with the remedy Lyssin, so she was given that as well.
• A supplement called Metal Magnetⁱⁱ which binds to accumulated heavy metals in the body and makes them easier to expel. (Many vaccines contain mercury and other heavy metals.)
• A custom-compounded plant sterol to replace the prednisone Myra was taking.
• The supplement NeuroRecoveryⁱⁱⁱ to help rebuild peripheral nerves and the central nervous system.

In addition to the above remedies and supplements, I tapered Myra off her medications over an eight week period.

We monitored her progress by re-checking her neuro reflexes and bloodwork every few weeks. Judicious monitoring of high risk patients like Myra in this manner is absolutely critical to their recovery. Autoimmune diseases can be life-threatening and can flare back up at any time.

Myra's mom understood she would be coming in for lots of vet visits during the recovery process and that her dog could relapse at any time. Thankfully, she didn't.

Myra Today

I'm grateful to report that Myra Moonbeam made a full recovery from her GME.

By her third birthday, she was once again a happy, healthy girl. In June, she'll be a lady of nine who enjoys her raw food diet and a wonderful quality of life.

Myra can never be vaccinated again, for any reason, without the risk of acquiring an immune-mediated disease.

References:

• ⁱ Homeopathic Thuja
• ⁱⁱ Integrative Therapeutics Metal Magnet
• ⁱⁱⁱ American Biologics NeuroRecovery

Watch as a Basenji puppy makes repeated attempts to nap on his Great Dane pal.

If you're wondering where to go on vacation this year and you have a furry best friend of the canine persuasion, I have an idea you might want to consider … dog camp!

Now, camp isn't for everyone, so your dog should enjoy hanging out and playing with others of his species (and their owners).

He should also respond to basic obedience commands, including coming when called.

You'll also want to do some research and find a camp that best suits you and your pet, since there are different styles and overall themes to choose from.

Most camps seem to offer something for everyone, from the canine athlete to the lapdog – but you may want to contact the camp directly to get a sense of the intensity of activities.

Some camps attract overachievers, while others are geared more toward fun and relaxation.

If your pup is a youngster, he should be well socialized before he packs his bag for camp.

If your pet is older, he should be easygoing and agile enough to withstand a little rough play from younger dogs.

Large breeds should know how to treat smaller dogs, and the little ones shouldn't be overly fearful of dogs much bigger than they are.

Here are a few camps you might want to check into, starting on the east coast in Vermont, moving west all the way to Washington state.

Five Dog Camps from Coast to Coast

Vermont

• Camp Gone to the Dogs. Camp Gone to the Dogs features a summer camp in Marlboro and two fall camping sessions in Stowe. The list of activities is impressive and includes obedience training, all kinds of canine sports, and even puppy kindergarten. You can attend a workshop on Tellington Touch (TTouch), a lecture on how to read your dog's body language, or you can take a guided off-lead nature walk.

Accommodations in Marlboro are either Marlboro College dorm rooms (the summer camp is held on the grounds of the college), cabins in the woods, a nearby inn, and off-site pet-friendly hotels. In Stowe, the camp and accommodations are at the Mountaineer Inn, an upscale property with home-cooked meals.

Lake George, New York

• Canine Camp Getaway. From their website: "From agility, Frisbee, hiking and swimming in the dog-friendly pool to lure coursing, scent detection, "Barks & Crafts" and classes in Canine CPR, dog nutrition and so much more, this resort vacation offers something for everyone!" And when you're finished with all those activities, you can enjoy "Yappy Hour" in the dog-friendly lounge!

The setting for this camp is the Roaring Brook Ranch, with a backdrop of the majestic Adirondack Mountains. Rooms at the ranch have all the comforts of home. Meals are included and feature big breakfasts, casual lunches, and gourmet dinners. If your dog has restaurant manners, she can join you in the dog-friendly section of the dining room.

Chicago area

• Camp Dogwood. Camp Dogwood runs spring, fall and winter camps that include a great selection of sports, training and recreation activities like agility, freestyle dance and dock diving. They also offer more leisurely pursuits – beach parties and relaxing around the campfire, for example. You can also attend any number of presentations and demonstrations on subjects as varied as canine nutrition to dog massage.

Accommodations include cabins, lodges, tent camping, and off-site dog-friendly hotels.

Lake Tahoe (south shore, Stateline, Nevada)

• Camp Winnaribbun. Camp Winnaribbun holds two summer sessions back-to-back starting in late August. Activities you and your dog can enjoy include tracking, off-leash nature walks, swimming, and flyball. You can also dabble in psycho-cybernetics and canine homeopathy and healing techniques.

Accommodations at the camp are dorm-style, rustic log cabins, complete with bunk beds. If you're not into bringing your own bedding and other supplies, there's plenty of off-site lodging in the area.

Lake Wenatchee, Washington

• Maian Meadows Dog Camp. Maian Meadows hosts a summer camp and one in the fall. Unlike the other camps listed here, this one is all about play. The structure is loose and free, intended for those who primarily want to enjoy time with their dog in an off-leash, rustic setting. There's a private dock and beach, hiking trails, a ropes and challenge course, organized games, seminars and contests.

Accommodations are very basic. Cabins sleep 8 to 12 in built-in bunks and have no electricity, heat or bathrooms (there are two separate buildings which house toilets and showers). Communal meals are eaten at a large dining hall.

A few other dog camp possibilities:

• Camp Unleashed
• Dog Scouts of America
• Canine Country Camp
• Yellowstone Dog Camp

According to industry experts, pea fiber is increasingly used in place of beet pulp and wheat, corn and soy fibers in pet foods – apparently to answer consumer demand for dog and cat food formulas with fewer cheap fillers.

Let’s take a closer look at this latest peculiar entry in the pet food ingredient follies.

Pea Fiber 101

There are two types of pea fiber available on the market -- one is derived from a dry process; the other from a wet process.

In the dry process, the seed coats and hulls are separated from the seed as part of the normal operation of cleaning the peas.

In the wet process, the pea starch is separated from fiber.

The seeds are ground, and then water is added to decant the fibers.

The pea fiber resulting from the dry process has a higher concentration of dietary fiber (over 85 percent) and is rich in xylose sugar.

The pea fiber produced from the wet process contains about 65 percent dietary fiber and is rich in three other sugars.

Both types of pea fiber contain more than 75 percent insoluble fiber and from 5 to 25 percent soluble fiber.

When pea fiber is compared to other, comparable fibers, it performs about the same, except that it doesn’t seem to produce as much gas as other vegetable fibers.

Pea fiber is very low in fat and high in crude fiber (35 to 40 percent). This makes it a perfect ingredient to lower the calorie content of those 'low fat' and 'weight management' pet foods I NEVER recommend for overweight dogs and cats.

Pea fiber doesn’t have much protein -- and what little it does have is vegetable protein, not the animal protein your pet’s body requires -- but it’s high in lysine and also contains tryptophan.

Use of Pea Fiber in Pet Food

The pea fiber that goes into pet food is a light colored, nearly odorless powder. It has a bland taste that doesn’t affect the palatability of the food it is added to.

It can be used with both wet and dry ingredients. It is used to bind water and fat, and also as a thickener in wet foods.

Pea fiber and pea hulls aren’t recognized by AAFCO, however, it seems the FDA has acknowledged them as a fiber source as part of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act.

Apparently there are actually a few published studies on pea fiber in the diets of companion animals. However, no studies to date have involved cats, nor have any provided data on the effects of pea fiber on stool consistency.

According to PetfoodIndustry.com, in pet foods, pea fiber “…is used as a nutritionally functional fiber due in part to the laxation effects imparted from the water-holding capacity (about13 mL water per g pea fiber) of the insoluble fiber and secondly for the fermentability of its soluble fiber.”

Functional fibers are non-digestible carbohydrates that have been isolated from foods. They aren’t the same as the dietary fiber found naturally in foods like vegetables, grains and legumes – not that your dog or cat needs much of that type of fiber, either.

On food labels functional fibers appear as maltodextrin, polydextrose and cellulose. Cellulose is derived from different types of fiber, including pea fiber. Human food manufacturers use “functional fibers” in their packaged products to increase the fiber content of the food, making it appear to be more nutritious than it actually is.

To take this a step further, pet food manufacturers add various types of fibers, grains and other carbohydrates to their formulas to give the appearance – to human consumers – that the foods are nutritious for companion animals. This completely ignores the fact that balanced nutrition for canines and felines is not what is commonly considered balanced nutrition for humans.

My Take on Pea Fiber in Pet Food

It’s a filler and high in insoluble fiber. Neither ‘fillers’ nor high fiber ingredients are part of a balanced, species-appropriate diet for dogs and cats.

You won’t find pea fiber in high quality commercially available pet foods, nor will you find it in healthy recipes for homemade pet meals.

Where you’ll find it are in very affordable, highly processed, low-quality pet foods.

If you’re wondering about the quality of pet food you’re feeding your own dog or cat, take a look at 13 Pet Foods Ranked from Great to Disastrous.

Gorgeous little Cosmo moved from the garden right into his new family’s heart.

The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, was originally developed for people.

It’s a healing method that operates on the body’s energy system rather than on the body itself.

Unlike massage or acupressure therapy which involves applying a certain amount of force to certain areas of the body, EFT uses a light tapping or touching technique.

The goal of tapping is to send healing energy pulses from the fingers and hands to the body’s energy system.

EFT also involves using intention and focus to direct healing energy to the problem being worked on.

“Energy flows where attention goes.”

This is a fundamental concept in energy work.

For an extremely comprehensive introduction to EFT for people, visit Dr. Mercola's EFT website.

EFT for Animals

Contrary to what most people assume when they first hear about EFT for pets, the technique doesn’t involve tapping on the animal being worked on.

Animals have a meridian system, of course, but many of the points on the system are located in spots where pets don’t like to be touched. What’s amazing about animal EFT is that you tap on yourself to make positive changes in your pet.

The technique is called proxy tapping, and you can do it from anywhere. You don’t even have to be in the same room with the animal you’re working on, which of course makes it possible to work on wildlife, pets that don’t belong to you, and a wide variety of animals that are rarely handled by humans.

The proxy tapping technique is simple to learn, and once you know it, you can apply it with any animal with any sort of problem. You don’t have to study the physiology of the animal to be successful – you only need to learn the tapping technique.

How Proxy Tapping is Effective

According to Animal-EFT.org, the use of proxy tapping as a healing tool was actually discovered by a new mother with a premature baby. Mom was sitting at her tiny son’s incubator, unable to touch him, and feeling helpless and distraught. She began tapping on herself while focusing on her baby’s condition, and amazingly, the child began to improve.

Since then, people all over the world have successfully made changes in others by establishing an energy system connection and tapping on themselves. Now, this may sound preposterous to you. But keep in mind EFT creates healing through energy systems, which is difficult for the mind (especially minds conditioned by traditional Western medicine) to grasp. The tapping itself isn’t what heals – it simply opens the door, or ‘primes the pump’ to allow healing to take place.

When you perform EFT to help a pet, obviously, the one focusing attention is you, and you direct it toward the animal you’re working on. As soon as you do, your energy system connects with your pet’s energy system. It’s the connection of the two energy systems that allows you to make changes in your pet or other animal without actually handling him.

The focus of your attention must be on the specific problem with your pet you’re working to solve, whether it’s a physical illness, an undesirable behavior, a depressed emotional state, or some other issue.

With the connection of the two energy systems established, when you tap on yourself and change your system, you simultaneously change the animal’s system through that connection.

How It Works

The EFT process is essentially in three steps:

• Tuning in
• Setting up
• Tapping

Tuning in involves thinking about your pet and the specific problem – physical, emotional, behavioral -- you want to affect.

When you’re fully tuned into the specific issue you want to work on, the set up step involves coming up with a simple phrase or sentence that describes the problem very clearly in your mind. It should be a straightforward statement – something along the lines of, “Buddy is feeling depressed,” or “Bella is constantly scratching her ear.”

Once you’re tuned in and have your set-up phrase very present in your mind, you can begin tapping.

Tapping follows a sequence that starts at point 0, the heart center. (This is also where each tapping round finishes.)

Place both hands flat at the center of your chest in the Heart Healing Position. Take three deep breaths, say your set up statement, and tap in the following sequence:

Tapping Point	Location
1	Top of the Head (highest point on the top of your head
2	Third Eye (the center of your forehead)
3	Start of the Eyebrow (above the bridge of the nose)
4	Corner of the Eye (bone at the corner of eye)
5	Under the Eye (bone below the eye, in line with the pupil)
6	Under the Nose (below nose, above upper lip)
7	Under the Mouth (below lower lip, above chin)
8	Under the Collarbone (meeting point of collar and breastbones)
9	Thumb (side of thumb in line with nail bed)
10	Index Finger (side of finger, in line with nail bed)
11	Middle Finger (side of finger, in line with nail bed)
12	Ring Finger (side of finger, in line with nail bed)
13	Little Finger (side of finger, in line with nail bed)
14	Karate Chop Point (side of hand, in line with life line)

 

Return to point 0 (the heart center), place hands in the Heart Healing Position and take three deep breaths to finish the tapping round.

Don’t Focus on the Activity of Tapping

I want to repeat a point I made earlier about how EFT works. It works using energy, which isn’t a concrete concept to most of us. While it’s true you are using certain parts of your body to touch other parts of your body, the touching/tapping is simply the vehicle for energy exchange.

This isn’t the greatest analogy, but think of a time when you gassed up your vehicle. You can’t get fuel from the pump into your gas tank without the hose attached to the pump. The hose is a necessary part of the process, but it’s not the focus. The exchange of fuel from the pump to your gas tank is the focus. Once the gas tank is full, the hose has done its job transferring energy from the pump to your vehicle. How the hose ‘performed’ is unimportant as long as it served its purpose in transferring the fuel. The ‘hose’ when you’re practicing EFT is the finger you’re tapping with.

My point is, don’t get overly focused on the physical activity of tapping – how hard to tap or how fast to tap. It’s not so much about how you’re tapping. It’s about tapping with awareness. Focus on the contact between your fingertip and each point as you tap – this will help direct energy from your hands to your body.

Tap All the Way Through to Joyfulness

Don’t stop tapping at the point where the problem you’re working on seems to have receded. There’s more work to be done!

From EFT for Animals:

When you tap EFT for an animal, let the feelings be your guide.

You can feel in your own body when the energy flow starts to improve.

In all modern energy work, it is extremely important to not just "tap the bad feelings away" but to keep tapping further rounds until you feel energized, happy, even joyful.

Once you can feel the pain or the problem has gone, think of positive energy forms you want to send to the animal and tap on those instead - love, courage, joy, strength, health all are good energies to send to the animal you're tapping on.

Keep going until you really feel energy tingling in your own body and you KNOW you did a good job because you can FEEL that you did.

I think this is a very important point to make. Although we may start out saying “Indie doesn’t feel well” as our tapping statement, we can shift to a more positive statement such as “Indie will feel very well in her body.”

You can find case studies, success stories and testimonials about EFT for animals here at Little Big Cat and at the Animal EFT website.

A Final Word on EFT for Animals

EFT for animals is a completely harmless, natural, non-invasive therapy that has proved beneficial in dealing with a wide range of issues in all kinds of animals. However, it should never take the place of regular veterinary wellness exams, or vet checkups when a pet is showing signs of pain, illness or behavioral changes.

EFT can be used in conjunction with veterinary treatment and behavior modification, but it should not be considered a replacement for other therapies.

By Dr. Becker

I’m excited to be interviewing a very special guest today!

The reason I wanted to do this interview is because I feel very strongly about the benefits of essential oils in veterinary medicine.

Unfortunately, not all vets view essential oils as safe, effective, or even worth investigating.

So I’m bringing a true expert in the field to the discussion today, Dr. Melissa Shelton.

She has a tremendous amount of experience with essential oils for animals.

Dr. Melissa Shelton’s Initial Exposure to Essential Oils

Dr. Shelton initially became interested in essential oils not for animals, but for her own children.

They had specialized health needs that prevented use of traditional medications, as well as dyes and other additives.

Melissa saw an announcement for a community education class for natural remedies for coughs and colds and other minor illnesses, so she decided to attend.

As it turned out, the class was about using essential oils to cure ailments, and that’s how she became interested in the subject.

Dr. Shelton had already turned away from the use of chemical air fresheners at home and at her veterinary clinic. This was in part due to the bloodwork abnormalities she was seeing in pets exposed to a lot of air fresheners in their environment. When the air fresheners were removed, the bloodwork values returned to normal.

So she was excited about the possibilities for essential oils, because in addition to being safer than chemical air fresheners, they also smelled really nice! 

Dr. Shelton began investigating whether she could use essential oils in her vet clinic safely, but to back up just a bit, she’d actually first been exposed to them years earlier – when she was able to cure her husband’s warts with an essential oil.

She and her husband had tried many different things to try to get rid of the warts. Eventually they tried clove oil, and it worked. And 10 years later, Melissa still has that same bottle of clove oil!

Coincidentally, I was also introduced to essential oils almost by accident.

As some of you know, I’m a wildlife rehabilitator. Twenty years ago, the woman I apprenticed under said,

“You know, if you have really stressed wild animals coming in, just put a few drops of very pure pharmaceutical grade lavender oil on a cotton ball, tape it outside of their cage, and you will see an overall calming effect.”

I have done this trick with lavender oil for years. It’s tremendously effective. But suddenly I had people gasping and saying, “Oh my gosh! There’s not a cat in the room when you’re doing that, right?”

A Controversial Treatment

I started to get a little panicky thinking I might be causing harm with my use of lavender oil.

I asked Melissa if she’d received feedback from others in the veterinary community about the supposed dangers of using essential oils around animals.

Dr. Shelton’s experience has been similar to mine. She’s contacted regularly by others in our profession with questions like, “How dare you even recommend that you could do this [use essential oils] around cats?”

Melissa has been using essential oils in her practice for about three years now, but before that, she was cautious about even using a diffuser at home with her own cats (she has over a dozen at the moment!).

She would watch her kitties very carefully for reactions to the diffuser. And she ran tons of bloodwork to reassure herself they were healthy.

Then Dr. Shelton noticed that her Munchkin cat spent a lot of time at the diffuser, lying next to it. In fact, she actually delivered a litter of kittens right next to it. And it occurred to Melissa that her cat was certainly smarter than most humans when it came to how her body responded to the oils in the diffuser.

But Melissa continued to check blood and urine in her cats and monitor them closely. Over time she felt confident no abnormalities were developing and she began to relax with the idea of essential oils around cats.

Then it occurred to her the kitty probably didn’t lay next to the diffuser just because she liked it, and that there were certainly more compelling reasons driving her to be close to it.

The Quality of the Oils is Paramount

I asked Melissa whether she thinks the information about essential oils and animals comes from those who are simply misinformed, or is there an element of fear mongering involved.

She believes it’s a little of both. She’s done her own research on reports of toxicity from oils, hoping to learn why some people can successfully use them and others are so dead set against them.

And from her research, she has determined it comes down to an issue of the quality of the essential oils used – just as many things in veterinary medicine come down to quality. For example, pet food. When we see pets that have become ill thanks to a poor diet, we recommend the owner upgrade the diet as soon as possible. We don’t outlaw all pet food because there are low quality brands on the market – we just pick a better food.

Dr. Shelton says it became very obvious to her that there are just as many variations in the quality of essential oils as there are in brands of pet food. She has her own brand preferences based on the quality of the oils. As a holistic vet, when she finds a product that is safer or more effective, that’s the one she uses and recommends to clients.

When it comes to essential oils, what Dr. Shelton has found is a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon initially because it was a natural remedy. But the majority of those folks had no knowledge of essential oils, or how to distinguish a high quality grade from a lesser grade of oil. She has discovered even companies that are big warehouses for essential oils don’t understand about testing the quality of the oils, or how to evaluate an oil at all. They just warehouse them.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there was well. Dr. Shelton has spoken directly to people with cats that have been damaged by essential oils, so it does happen – just not as often as many people think.

Melissa has met or knows of thousands of people who use essential oils successfully, and only a few that have had major problems with them.

I asked her if in her experience, problems from use of essential oils were primarily a purity or potency problem, or a mishandling problem.

Dr. Shelton believes it’s a quality problem (for example, a five-dollar bottle of essential oil purchased from the local drug store is mostly likely a poor grade oil), and also a mishandling problem when the person gets the oil home. She can usually trace a problem with an essential oil back to it being a synthetic oil, a poor grade oil, or a situation of misuse by the consumer. For example in one instance, a bottle spilled and a cat wound up basically covered in essential oil.

How Dr. Shelton’s Passion for Essential Oils Developed

I wanted to know if Dr. Shelton’s passion for essential oils for animals developed gradually, or rather suddenly.

She says she was always drawn to them but initially thought she couldn’t be around them much because of her own sensitivities to odors and inhalants. In fact, she actually thought she was allergic to them.

Then she was exposed to very high quality oils, and she was instantly energized. She began devouring books on essential oils and became very passionate and a huge advocate.

Sometime after that, she had a patient at her vet clinic that had her stumped. She felt there was nothing more she could do for the animal – there was nowhere else to turn. Every veterinarian is faced at some point in their careers with such a patient.

But Dr. Shelton suddenly found herself with several of those patients almost simultaneously. The pets’ owners were telling her, “Look, I’m not giving up on this animal, so you better come up with something else.”

Cowboy the Cat and Essential Oils

One such patient is Cowboy the cat. Cowboy has upper motor neuron damage to his bladder and can’t urinate. Dr. Shelton hospitalized him over and over and over again, but his owner refused to give up. She’s willing to do anything to help Cowboy – surgery if there was any that would help, taking him wherever she needed to, to have his bladder drained safely on a regular basis, or whatever was required. She was willing to do anything.

Dr. Shelton kept gently suggesting it might be time to euthanize Cowboy, but his mom’s response was always, “No! No! No!” So Melissa eventually decided that if Cowboy was human, she would try certain essential oils, and his owner agreed.

So try they did. And while Dr. Shelton had every intention of weaning the cat off the essential oils after a period of time, Cowboy’s mom insistently continued with the remedy. Dr. Shelton was sure she was going to see bad news in his bloodwork from the ongoing use of essential oils, but his test results came back perfect. And she was more convinced than ever that “these things really work.”

She convinced Cowboy’s owner to back off the oils to every other day … and the cat had a relapse.

Melissa continues to follow Cowboy’s bloodwork. And for over two years now he’s been getting essential oil treatments twice a day, topically, using a mixture of several oils. His bloodwork is, in a word, spectacular. In fact, he’d just been in the day before our interview. Dr. Shelton re-checked his blood values and it seems Cowboy is actually regaining some neurologic function!

Cowboy is an amazing case, of course, and one of Melissa’s all-time favorites.

I wanted to know if Cowboy can urinate on his own now all time. Dr. Shelton says not completely. His bladder is still slightly enlarged, but it releases urine more easily than before. In fact, it releases when he sleeps, which indicates improvement in the neural tone.

And Cowboy can actually urinate in a small puddle instead of just dribbles these days. He’s also showing a small panniculus response when he’s petted, which is a bit of twitching of the hair and skin down his back – also a good sign. And he can twitch his tail ever so slightly.

When Melissa first started seeing Cowboy, he had to be hospitalized almost monthly to relieve the urinary blockage. His bladder would be the size of a cantaloupe. It was horrible for the cat – being catheterized and hospitalized until he was feeling better – then sending him home only to see him the next month to do it all over again.

Since he’s been on the essential oils, he’s gone over a year without a hospitalization. Read more about Cowboy here.

The Miracle of Dr. Shelton’s Very First Feline Essential Oils Patient

I told Melissa I assumed Cowboy’s mom just be ecstatic to see her pet get so much relief and improved quality of life from an inexpensive, non-invasive therapy. Dr. Shelton says the client has spent only a fraction of just one hospitalization on essential oil treatments.

I asked Melissa if there was a specific case earlier in her career as a vet that sparked her interest in sort of going against the grain of traditional treatments toward incorporating alternative remedies like essential oils in her practice.

She responded that actually it was her own cat who was her first essential oils patient. She was an outdoor ‘farm cat’ (the Sheltons do cat rescues). One day she came stumbling up the driveway with clear signs of a severe neurologic problem. Dr. Shelton actually prepared euthanasia solution because she assumed there was no hope for the poor cat.

Before she could use it, however, her husband suggested – since she’d wanted to try essential oils with cats – that she try them first before euthanizing the kitty.

So with literally nothing to lose, Melissa decided to try treating their farm cat with essential oils. She did what is called a “kitty raindrop.” Within two doses the cat was 100 percent back to normal.

It was such an amazing result – and also, remember, her first experience using essential oils on an animal – that Dr. Shelton wondered whether it was truly the oils that helped or whether the cat would have recovered on her own.

Getting Started with Essential Oils for Pets

I next asked Melissa if she has advice for people interested in getting started very safely using essential oils with pets.

Dr. Shelton’s opinion is that first and foremost, the quality of the essential oils must be very good. She has evaluated the oils from about two dozen different companies. There are some good small companies that provide what she calls medical-grade oils (because she uses them for medicinal purposes). But she has found that just because a company has some very good quality oils doesn’t mean all their oils are of the best quality.

It’s important to be very cautious when it comes to the quality of essential oils. Dr. Shelton has a brand she uses made by a company that consistently researches products for medical-grade quality. Their oils are tested multiple times in independent labs.

Dr. Shelton has a website at www.oilyvet.com. She’s so passionate about essential oils for animals she created the site specifically for the purpose of educating pet owners. She answers many of the questions she’s been asked by pet owner after pet owner about essential oils for dogs, cats and other companion animals. She also discusses the brand of essential oils she uses and provides a link for people interested in ordering their own oils.

The goal of Dr. Shelton’s website is to get information out to as many people as possible through videos and other educational materials. Prior to launching the site, people would drive from other states to her vet clinic just to get information on essential oils. Melissa realized many people are curious and others share her passion for the subject, so her website evolved to get information into the hands of those people.

Essential Oils to Treat MRSA

I’ve become keenly interested in essential oils as one of the few effective treatments for MRSA, and other antibiotic resistant bacterial infections. I really believe one of our last resorts to successfully treat these horrible infections lies with essential oils.

Dr. Shelton agrees. She has MRSA patients who have responded to essential oils when nothing else worked.

The beauty of essential oils is plants change, and so every single distillation of essential oils is slightly different from its predecessor. This is a benefit we don’t receive from pharmaceutical drugs. Every batch of a medical drug must by law be identical to the batch that preceded it.

Plants, on the other hand, adapt and change with the tiniest variable in their environment, for example, a change in the water supply. So essential oils, created from ever-adapting plants, never reach a point where pathogens become resistant to them. They stay at least one step ahead – which makes them much smarter than anything we can create in a laboratory.

Dr. Shelton says she’s reached the point with essential oils where she thinks, “Boy, if somebody tries to take them away from me, I don’t know if I’d want to practice veterinary medicine anymore.”

She compares it to how we view the issue of nutrition in animal health. We are both huge proponents of the importance of nutrition in the lives of our patients and all animals. If we couldn’t modify a pet’s diet as part of our healing protocol, our jobs would become incredibly difficult.

Dr. Shelton sees them as a pair, diet and essential oils. She always starts with the diet. If she’s not able to convince a pet owner to make necessary dietary changes and she also meets resistance using even a small amount of essential oils, it gives her an empty feeling. She feels that strongly about the benefits of good nutrition and the use of essential oils in pet care.

Essential Oils – True Holistic Healing

One thing that adds to the amazing power of essential oils is they work at emotional and cognitive levels as well as at the physiologic level. Many pets have dramatic improvement in their response to stress and anxiety with the use of oils.

They affect animals down deep, at the cellular level, positively impacting neurochemistry and biochemistry. This, of course, makes for more balanced, happier patients who are also regaining physical health.

Melissa uses essential oils to help with behavior modification in pets as well. In fact she has a video you can watch at her website about Emmett, a parrot with a horrendous case of papillomatosis – a viral form of avian warts that can affect the entire GI tract. Emmett had growths in his mouth, down his throat, and all the way to the other end of him. The condition was so advanced it caused the bird to breathe so loudly he woke up his owner from several rooms away in the middle of the night.

Once again, euthanasia was on the table in order to end Emmett’s suffering. But Dr. Shelton remembered she’d gotten rid of her husband’s warts with essential oils, and wondered if they would work for poor Emmett.

With great trepidation, because birds are so exquisitely sensitive and fragile, Melissa began to treat Emmett with essential oils. And guess what? The papillomatosis greatly improved. But that’s not the end of the story.

As it turns out, Emmett had watched his previous owner die and then laid in the bottom of his cage for several days before anyone found him. Now, remember Dr. Shelton was primarily focused on the bird’s physical problem, the papillomatosis, and hadn’t given much thought to his emotional state.

Because the essential oils had worked so remarkably on Emmett’s disease, Melissa wanted to take some photos of him for an upcoming presentation. She used another blend of essential oils on Emmett that were intended strictly for photo op purposes … and the bird’s emotions changed. You can actually see it happen on the video posted at her website.

Emmett came out of his cage on his own for the first time in over two years. And Melissa was stunned to realize she’d been largely overlooking the emotional component in her use of essential oils on animals. Read more about Emmett here.

This is one of the most exciting things about essential oils to me – they promote healing on every level – spiritually, energetically. They are the essence of a holistic approach to healing – mind, body, spirit. As Melissa puts it, essential oils “connect all the dots.”

So Why All the Negativity?

I’ve been thrilled to watch Dr. Shelton expand her educational process in essential oils. She is helping to change the negative opinion many people have about them.

I’m not by nature much of a cynic, but I’ve often wondered who or what is really behind the bad reputation essential oils have acquired in the last 10 years.

Is the bad press coming from pharmaceutical companies that don’t want the public to learn just how beneficial, broad-reaching and inexpensive essential oil therapy can be? Are the forces behind the ‘negativity movement’ afraid pet owners will find out just how cheaply and successfully we can treat the minds, bodies and souls of companion animals?

Wherever the negativity has come from, I just want to say I’m a huge admirer of Dr. Shelton’s work in overcoming it. She’s out there helping pet owners and others challenge their fears of essential oils in a logically sound way so that they can open their minds to a totally natural, very effective form of healing for animals.

I just really appreciate everything Melissa is doing, and I want to thank her for spending some time with me today discussing her work and amazing success treating animals with essential oils.

For those of you interested in learning more about using essential oils to treat pets, please visit Dr. Melissa Shelton’s website.

As the announcer so aptly put it, “A dog’s gotta do what a dog’s gotta do.”

If you’re adding a cat to your family and you already have a dog, or if you’re adding a dog to a household with one or more kitties, don’t expect pure bliss from the start.

In fact, it’s better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Then if things go smoothly, you can exhale.

Chances are it will be the cat in your life who will need more TLC -- either because she’s coping with a strange new environment, or because there’s an interloper in her territory.

Kitties like their surroundings -- and everyone in them -- to be predictable and consistent day-to-day. It helps them feel less vulnerable and more in control of their lives. Even small changes like re-locating the litter box or moving dinner up an hour can be quite stressful on a cat.

The following are recommendations for how to safely, successfully introduce a new canine or feline family member to your current pet.

Introducing a New Dog to Your Cat

• Go slow. If you’re introducing a new dog to your cat, the last thing you want to do is fling open the door and allow the first meeting to happen on the dog’s terms. This is a good way to overwhelm and terrify your cat the first time he lays eyes on his new ‘sibling,’ and his initial fear response can become permanently imprinted.
• Instead, before you allow the new pup into the house, make sure your kitty has escape routes from every room and safe places to climb to and hide under that the dog can’t access. Make use of a few baby gates or other barriers that keep the dog from entering certain rooms or areas of your home.
• Bring the dog in on a leash and keep her restrained and unable to lunge at or get close to your cat. Once kitty realizes he’s not in imminent danger and makes the first move -- either in the direction of the dog or away from her – you can lead the dog a distance away from the cat and take off the leash. Chances are the dog will head in the direction of the cat, but kitty should be better prepared at this point to handle the advance in whatever manner his instincts tell him to.
• It’s a good idea at this point to distract your dog with a toy or a few treats, a short walk, a romp in the backyard, etc. Get her focus off the cat and onto other features of her new home and family. At no time should your dog be allowed to corner or unintentionally intimidate your cat. Many more kitties are injured by dogs than the reverse, so your first obligation is to keep your cat safe.
• Reward your dog whenever she focuses on you rather than the cat.

Introducing a New Cat to Your Dog

• If you’re introducing a new cat to the family dog, again, the first rule is to take it slow. A kitty new to your household will need double doses of care and consideration. Not only is she dealing with a strange dog and unfamiliar humans, she’s also faced with brand new, unsettling surroundings. It will take time for her to start to feel comfortable.
• Before you bring kitty home, I highly recommend you prepare a room for her that she can occupy by herself until she settles into her new life with you. Preferably it’s a quiet spot in a low traffic area – a spare bedroom might be ideal. Put her litter box in there, bedding, a few cat toys, and insure she has places to hide like under the bed or in a closet. Feed her in there as well, and make sure she has fresh water each day. Don’t close the door to the room, but do limit access with a baby gate so she can feel safe but not isolated. You might want to use a calming pheromone diffuserⁱ in her room.
• When you bring the new cat home in her carrier, don’t let your dog run up to it to investigate. Keep the dog at a safe distance and take the carrier directly to your kitty’s new room. Place it on the floor near the litter box, unlatch and open the door, and spend a few minutes speaking in a soft voice to her. Chances are she’ll remain in the carrier for awhile, until her urge to investigate gets the better of her.
• Cats have wildly varying temperaments. Your new girl may venture out of her carrier and even out of her room on her first day home. She may sit on her side of the baby gate and watch the dog watching her. Or she may wait until it’s dark and the house is quiet and then take a tour. At the other extreme are kitties who will at some point, when you’re not watching, bolt from the carrier under the bed or into the closet, and you might not see them much, if at all, for several days, weeks or even months.

As a general rule, it’s best to let a new kitty get acquainted with your dog on her own terms and timetable. If it takes a few days or even a few weeks for her to venture into the main area of the house to check out the rest of the family, that’s fine and perfectly normal.

• If your cat is extremely shy or fearful and seems to want to live the rest of her life under the spare room bed, you’ll need to spend time talking gently to her and using toys and food to try to entice her to come out and interact with you. If that doesn’t have any effect, I recommend you consult your holistic vetⁱⁱor an animal behavioristⁱⁱⁱ for advice on ways to reduce her stress level and help her become more comfortable with her new environment, dog and all. Talk with your holistic vet about specific homeopathic, herbal or nutraceutical remedies that might help address your kitty’s stress level. Also consider blended flower essences, such as Spirit Essences^iv or OptiBalance Pet^v remedies.

It may seem as though your new kitty is content to exist under the bed, but it’s really not much of a life for her. I encourage clients with extremely timid or frightened cats to try a variety of things to reduce stress levels, enrich the cat’s environment, and build confidence so the kitty can participate more as a member of the family.

Many cats and dogs get along right from the beginning. Others grow to be friends after a period of adjustment. And some learn to co-exist by simply ignoring one another.

References:

• ⁱ Comfort Zone
• ⁱⁱ American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
• ⁱⁱⁱ Animal Behavior Society
• ^iv Spirit Essences
• ^v OptiBalancePet

The commercial pet product industry is apparently celebrating the increase in "preventive" cat food formulas available "over-the-counter."

In a PetProductNewsInternational.com article oddly titled "Cat Marketplace: Stop Health Issues Before They Start", the writer states:

"In years past, the only cat foods designed to prevent health care issues were prescription only.

Whether the issue is allergies, obesity, urinary difficulty, diabetes or hairballs, pet food companies are creating diets that help owners feed cats that have a propensity toward these ailments.

Retailers can now offer their customers a wide range of over-the-counter preventive brands, from grain-free to high-water content to novel protein-sourced formulas."

The marketing spin in this statement is making me dizzy.

Since when has any prescription pet food been designed to prevent health care issues?

Generally speaking, the low grade prescription foods sold by veterinarians are hyped as being able to alleviate symptoms of existing disease, which is very different from preventing disease in the first place.

Secondly, the poor quality of those prescription foods, not to mention their species inappropriateness, does nothing to prevent illness or cure it, and in fact creates disease over the long haul.

At best, veterinary formulas can provide short-term relief of certain symptoms.

They don't address the underlying disease causing the symptoms, and they do contribute to disease when fed long term.

Comparing Apples and Oranges

If I understand the article correctly, certain types of commercial cat food more species-appropriate than others are being promoted as "preventive."

And not only preventive, but available "over-the-counter" as well – to differentiate them from veterinary formulas.

It seems pet food companies are promoting their newer, more species-appropriate formulas as having the same qualities as prescription diets, but without the need for a prescription.

What's truly confusing is the comparison of apples to oranges.

On its face, a can of grain-free cat food will always be better nutrition than a can of carbohydrate-filled food or a bag of dry kibble – standard ingredients in the vast majority of prescription diets.

Pet food manufacturers are using pet owners' lack of knowledge of the poor quality of veterinary formulas to promote their products.

Products which in many cases are probably better nutrition than prescription pet food.

This would be funny if it wasn't so convoluted and disturbing.

What Exactly are These New "Preventive" Cat Foods Preventing?

The food that actually prevents disease in cats is food nature intended them to eat. Neither your kitty's ancestors nor felines living in the wild today eat food from a can or a bag. Truly health-promoting foods are found in nature, whole and unprocessed.

The very ailments these new, special cat foods are supposed to treat or prevent were caused in large part by years of eating biologically inappropriate commercial diets – many of them produced by the same folks who are now introducing these new formulas.

The article states grain-free diets are for cats with GI issues like gas, bloating, vomiting or diarrhea, as well as pets with food allergies and grain sensitivities. In fact, an obligate carnivore – which includes the family cat – will eventually develop GI issues, food sensitivities and worse when fed a steady diet of grains and other species-inappropriate ingredients.

These new commercial foods are being marketed as though they answer the problem of naturally occurring digestive issues and food allergies in cats, when in fact, the vast majority of housecats wouldn't have such issues were it not for the poor quality nutrition they've received from highly processed, grain filled, moisture depleted cat food.

As I discuss here at Mercola Healthy Pets almost every week, dogs and cats are carnivores. Their bodies are designed to process primarily animal protein and fat, and this is especially true for kitties. They were never intended to eat the kinds of ingredients found in most commercially available pet food.

The article also states, "The prevalence of cat urinary issues has long meant a need for special diets."

Again, the high incidence of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) in today's cats can be attributed in large part to the lack of moisture in dry pet food. No "special diets" would be needed if cats were fed species-appropriate nutrition in the first place.

Exotic Proteins in Commercial Pet Food are Getting a Bit Out of Hand

The article goes on to address the development of feline allergies as a result of proteins commonly fed in commercial pet foods – chicken, beef, and lamb. To answer this health concern, many pet food manufacturers are coming out with formulas containing what used to be considered 'novel' proteins from animals like venison, kangaroo and rabbit.

However, if pets were actually fed a variety of proteins like chicken, beef and lamb – from high quality sources – it's unlikely most would develop the level of food sensitivities we see in cats and dogs today. But because many family pets are fed the same low quality food day in and day out, the combination of a single protein source and other low quality ingredients does indeed create food intolerances and allergies.

The answer, however, is not to offer a dozen other types of exotic protein sources in one formula. Because at some point – and we're approaching it quickly – it will be impossible to find a novel protein to offer pets who need an elimination or 'hypoallergenic' diet to resolve a serious allergic condition. The novel protein of choice used to be lamb, but the inclusion of lamb in so many commercial pet foods today has rendered it useless as a remedy for pets with allergies.

What pet food companies are doing by including exotic proteins in mass-produced pet food formulas is a recipe for disaster. Again, they are counting on pet owners not understanding the implications of exposing dogs and cats to every protein source imaginable – and exposing them through foods containing low quality ingredients, to boot.

The Best Way to Insure Proper Nutrition for Your Cat

Needless to say, pet product companies and pet food stores will be promoting the heck out of all these new "preventive" and "over-the-counter" formulas for the foreseeable future.

As always, I encourage you to do your own thinking and research to avoid falling prey to marketing claims for inferior cat food.

And my point is certainly not that all these new products are bad news -- only that you should be very cautious when considering advertising claims for "over-the-counter preventive brands" of pet food. Learn to understand pet food labels so you'll know what you're buying the next time you shop for pet food.

When it comes to nutrition, the way to achieve optimal health for your kitty is to feed her a balanced, species-appropriate diet for a lifetime. There are a number of ways to do this, including making homemade meals for your pet, or gradually upgrading the food you purchase until you're buying the highest quality commercial diet you can afford.

Any healthy feline diet will have high moisture content and a variety of good quality, normal protein sources. You can rotate proteins (usually people choose between two to four proteins) periodically, but look for cat food that contains only one type of meat in a can to give your pet an immunologic break from those ingredients when you choose a different can .

Many if not most dog owners believe their pet is one smart canine.

This is because 'smart' means different things to different people.

Some people feel an obedient dog is smart, while others believe a dog with a mind of her own is more intelligent. Very agreeable dogs are considered smart by most human standards.

Dogs bred to be more independent and less eager to please are not dumb, but they do often require more patience when it comes to learning and following commands.

Generally speaking, humans assign canine smarts to dogs that:

• Quickly learn and consistently obey commands
• Perform their sport, task or job consistently well
• Are willing and able to learn human-type stuff

Based on these criteria, the Border Collie is a very smart breed. In fact, Chaser, a Border Collie who is able to identify over 1,000 objects and distinguish between nouns and verbsⁱ, is considered to be one of the brightest dogs in the world.

10 Smartest Breeds for Obedience and Working Intelligence

According to rankings by experts who study the subject (specifically, Stanley Coren author of The Intelligence of Dogs), the 10 most intelligent dog breeds are:

Border Collie	Shetland Sheepdog
Poodle	Labrador Retriever
German Shepherd	Papillon
Golden Retriever	Rottweiler
Doberman Pinscher	Australian Cattle Dog

 

This list is probably no surprise to most dog lovers – even those of you with breeds not on the list who happen to think your dog is Einstein. The list has been around for years and the dogs that made the list are very well-known, popular breeds with much greater exposure in general than many other breeds.

Small-to-Medium Size Smart Dogs

Several of the dogs on the above list are a pretty good size. Smaller breeds known for their obedience and working intelligence include:

Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Miniature Schnauzer	Yorkshire Terrier
Schipperke	Border Terrier
Cocker Spaniel	Australian Terrier
Pomeranian	Cairn Terrier

 

If you're considering acquiring an extra-smart canine companion but don't have the space for a large breed, one of these smaller guys might fit the bill.

However, if you assume breeds known for their intelligence are easier to care for than other dogs, you might want to consider the following.

Smart Dogs Are Often Demanding

The thing to understand about smart dogs is they don't do well without plenty of physical and mental stimulation – 'plenty' meaning an absolute minimum of one hour of intense activity every single day.

Having canine smarts doesn't mean these dogs understand when they're left home all day alone with nothing to do. Or when you're too tired to take them out for some exercise.

If your smart, healthy, active dog is under-exercised, lonely and bored by 10:00 a.m. and you won't be home until evening, don't expect him to reason the whole thing out and decide to wait quietly by the door for your return. Chances are there will be things out of place by the time you get home. Hopefully that won't include the stuffing in your upholstered furniture – but it might.

Just as parents must keep active, inquisitive kids challenged and busy to avoid problems stemming from boredom and too much unsupervised time on their hands, owners of bright dogs must do the same.

And For Cat Lovers …

Animal Planetⁱⁱ ranked the better-known cat breeds in order of intelligence on a scale of 1 to 10.

Apparently their selection criteria are top-secret, so I have no clue how they arrived at their conclusions about which cat breeds are smartest. To my knowledge there's no recognized test to assess feline intelligence.

That said, here's the list:

Sphynx (a perfect 10)	Havana Brown (9)
Balinese (9)	Javanese (9)
Bengal (9)	Oriental (9)
Colourpoint Shorthair (9)	Siamese (9)

 

I think it's worth noting that kitties – unlike most of their canine counterparts -- are not wired with a natural desire to please humans. So obedience is not a good yardstick with which to measure the intelligence of our feline friends.

References:

• ⁱ American Psychological Association
• ⁱⁱ Animal Planet

Bella, an umbrella cockatoo, argues relentlessly with her owner’s mother. Hysterical!