Healthier Pets

Natural Technologies and Environmental Wellness to Help Your Pets and Save You Money too!

Three years ago, we thought we would have to put our 13 year old lab mix Jesse down. She could not stand up. When she tried, she was in so much pain she would lay down immediately. My heart sank and I called my chiropractor in desperation. He gave me some phone numbers of animal chiropractors. When Dr. Andi Harper did her “magic” on Jesse, it looked like hocus pocus. However, the next day Jesse was able to get up and down. Occasional adjustments are all that are needed unless there is an injury. This was one of the incidents that began my quest for healthier living for my entire family. To find an animal chiropractor in your area, ask your chiropractor for a referral or search at http://www.avcadoctors.com/. My dogs are 15 and 16, on no medications, and continue to be healthy and active. My hope is that you get many more productive and good years out of your pet and save money in the process.

Below is part 1 of a 5-step process to improve the health of your pets and yourself in the process. Some things you might know, but now might need to seriously address. Hopefully, other things – especially in part 2, will be new to you. Visit www.livinghealthiernow.com to view all of the referenced articles as well as more detailed information, TV clips, research, how to comparison-shop products and more. Most articles are also on the Chat, Chew & Chocolate website under Healthier Living Expert.

Our world has become exponentially toxic. Unfortunately, the chemical and beauty industries are not closely regulated. What is on your skin is in your blood stream in about 30 seconds. Animals pick up environmental toxins through their paws, fur/skin and lungs.

1. Cleaning Products: Switch to non-toxic cleaning products and avoid aerosols. Visit www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm . Safely dispose of your toxic cleaners. Read the labels carefully. Look for ones that are not only good for the environment but are also safe for you to use and gentle on your wallet (most are concentrated).

2. Outside: Herbicides, Pesticides, Fertilizers, Insecticides and Poisons can all add up to trouble and toxic overload for your pet (and you). Try to find solutions that are more natural. If you use these products, follow the directions exactly and heed the “keep off the grass for X hours” warnings.

3. Carpet Cleaners: Look for the more natural formulas as your pet spends plenty of time lying around on the floor.

1. Air: Indoor air pollution is worse than outdoor air pollution due to all the toxic cleaners, volatile organic compounds in furniture and building products, and the air-tightness of our homes. Pets and humans both can have allergies that can be improved with better quality air. Breathe better air and be healthier is proven in research. Read my articles about the importance of indoor air and how to comparison shop filtration systems .

2. Water: There are many toxins and pharmaceuticals in our water supply. Water is so critical to health, cellular function and detoxification. Pets also need good quality drinking water that is bio-available and pH+ to help them maintain good health. Check out the articles on the importance of water and how to comparison shop water filtration systems. Look for systems that de-cluster the water molecules and make it more alkaline.

3. Electropollution: With all the cell phones, WiFi and other electronics, we are exposed to 100 million times the radiation that our grandparents were. Even though your dog or cat does not use a cell phone, there is no escaping electropollution or its impact on our bodies at a cellular, hormonal, DNA and blood brain barrier level. Pets and children can be especially sensitive. Check out the TV show I was on, plus all the articles and tips to reduce your exposure. Learn more about the only patented technology (Molecular Resonance Effect Technology) to address the electropollution problem and reduce the impact on the body. To help my pets, I use the Home Harmonizer with Energy Resonance Technology and I put a BioPro Universal Chip on my pets' tags. The Energy Resonance Technology helps support their biofield (the energy field of our bodies that living things have) and cellular communication. Like us, they cannot escape electropollution, so this can help strengthen their bodies. Interestingly, some of Jesse’s lipomas (fatty tumors) have gone down in size.

For many years, Jesse was on an arthritis drug called Metacam. Not only was it expensive, but it has a large list of potential side effects. She has been medication free for the past 2 3/4 years. Magnetics and infrared are two of many natural technologies that can help all sorts of issues.

Magnetics: Magnetic energy works on the same basic principle as chi energy. All living things operate in the earth’s natural magnetic field. Energy products my help reduce downtime and give a boost to our over stressed systems – even in our animals. While emergencies respond best to traditional treatment, chronic cases are often better treated holistically. Unlike chronic use of antibiotics, steroids and anti-inflammatory medications, magnetic and infrared energy (energy medicines) have no side effects. Animals cannot have a placebo effect!

Resolve injuries more quickly by removing toxins and inflammation and increasing blood flow to injury

Far Infrared Benefits – Sun’s energy that every living thing absorbs and uses:

Reduce soreness through direct action on free-nerve endings in tissues and peripheral nerves

My dogs wear Magnetic Collars (Two – three sport bracelets put together to form a necklace). I have not seen “mini strokes” any more or senior moments. The sports bracelets have 3 technologies - magnetic, infrared and negative ions. They sleep on Magnetic/Infrared Pet Beds. Biaxial Magnetics are great for acute/chronic injuries and conditions (bones, joints, soft tissue, internal function and discomforts).

Quality of pet food is very important. Just like in humans, poor quality food results in less than optimal health or worse. Here are some supplements you might not be familiar with that are really benefiting my old dogs.

1. Adult Stem Cells "Adult Stem Cells have significant capabilities for growth, repair, and regeneration of damaged cells and tissues in the body, akin to a build-in repair kit or maintenance crew that only needs activation and stimulation to accomplish repair of damage." (Dr. David A. Prentice, Ph.D., Georgetown University Medical Center, 2003)

StemPets and StemEquine support the natural release process of stem cells from their bone marrow. These cells can travel throughout the body and act to support optimize organ and tissue function. Clinically proven to release 25-30% more stem cells in the human studies. I’ve been noticing more energy and less stiffness in both dogs after a month on the products. My dogs are actually taking the human product StemEnhance and StemFlo (helps make sure the stem cells can get where they need to go) as it is less expensive.

2. Joint Formulas:
As pets age, they can experience joint challenges that can affect their mobility and their quality of life. Nikken offers a supplement created Bio-Directed Pet Joint formula which contains a cetyl myristoleate compound. These chewable tablets are a pet-friendly, smoked hickory chicken flavor. However, over the years, I’ve given them a variety of high quality human joint formulas. The key word is quality.

3. Young Barley Grass: We use both the powder formula and the capsules of Jade Greenzymes with both my dogs. The young barley grass is often called nature’s perfect food – very nutritious and very alkaline. My brother says it has helped calm his anxious dog. When Sierra had vestibular disease and could not keep anything down, I was offering her water with the Jade Greenzymes in it to provide the nutrition she was missing along with the hydration. There are other “greens” on the market that are excellent too. Remember quality is critical for all supplements.

Our bodies, thoughts and emotions are energy. Emotions can become trapped anywhere in the body and disrupt the energy flow and function. This can result in physical conditions, pain, and even behavioral problems. Some statistics claim that over 95% of disease results from negative emotional energy. By releasing trapped emotions (via a simple technique called The Emotion Code), I was able to significantly reduce my cholesterol in 3 months 31% decrease in LDL, 25% total cholesterol, and 73% decrease in LP (a). The doctor could not believe my results. As part of my certification process, I’ve worked on more than 45 people and animals often with amazing results – anxiety, motor tics, physical pain, etc. The animal’s subconscious mind can give you lots of info to help you understand them better. Don’t discount what a huge impact you, your tone, your actions and life situations have on your pets (especially the departure/addition of another animal/child in the house, death or divorce). Look for a future article on the Emotion Code.

Animal and human acupressure and massage can make a big difference in the health by helping with the body’s energy flow. They can improve the healing process and lessen all sorts of physical discomforts and challenges. Learning animal acupressure and massage is easy and will have health benefits for both the owner and pet, plus it is a great bonding experience. I’ve personally used it to help facilitate the recovery of my pets.

Hopefully, you learned a few things that you might not have considered before for helping your pet at all stages in life. I’ve found that being proactive with the environment, supplementation and natural technologies has definitely saved me money over the years. Most importantly, I know I’ve added extra years of good quality, enjoyable life for my pets.

A friend was thinking about putting her 15-year old dog down because of incontinence. After a few weeks of using the "necklace" and the pet bed, the dog no longer has accidents and is running around the yard. She can "hold it" all night in her crate too.

Give the body what it needs and it can do amazing things to heal itself. Drugs and surgery aren't the only alternatives. Our culture has become more open to alternative and natural technologies that have been successfully used for thousands of years in other cultures. Massage, accupressure and craniosacral balancing are two other natural treatments to keep your pet healthy or rehabilitate an injury.

Natural Pet Food Diet I used to think that dry dog food was the only way to go for good health of my pets. Healing Touch Veterinary, PC provides an outline and reasoning to consider a more natural approach to giving your pets the nutrients they need in an easy to utilize form.

Andrea from The Pawsch Puppy and Pet Boutique (Castle Rock, CO) is an animal massage therapist and craniosacral therapist. Just as in humans, massage has many benefits for your pets. Canine massage is not just petting. It is purposeful touch applied to muscles and tissues to obtain a desired outcome.

Cranioscaral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy is a healing modality that uses very light touch to bring the cranial system back into balance. It assists in balancing the whole body and can be effective in addressing a number of conditions in both animals and humans. When an injury or trauma occurs, it gets "stuck" in the tissue and stored in the memory of the cells. The practitioner senses any restrictions in the craniosacral system by palpating the cranial wave on different areas of the animal. They assist the body to correct itself. The result is the body can do its self-healing more effectively. Since it builds health in both the brain and the nervous system, it is a great choice for prevention of chronic conditions (arthritis, hip dysplasia, irritable bowel syndrome, lameness, etc.) as well as injuries. It also works well with behavioral issues.

Animal Chiropractics

Chiropractic care for my DOG?

There are numerous common stressful or traumatic situations that can cause abnormal or restricted movement to occur in the spine of your dog. This change in proper movement of the spine is what chiropractors call a “subluxation.” When a subluxation occurs, the dog’s spine loses its normal flexibility. This results in stiffness, which further leads to resistance and decreased performance. The most common symptom associated with spinal subluxations is pain, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways.

A surprising number of problems that may seem unrelated to a “back problem,” actually are a direct result of a problem in the spine, which protects the spinal cord. All of the nerves that come out of the spinal cord exit between the individual vertebrae that make up the spine. When there is a vertebra out of position it puts pressure on the nerves that pass by it. Often this results in back or neck pain at that spot. However, sometimes problems are seen further down the pathway of the affected nerve(s). These problems may be pain, spasm, lameness, or weakness in another area of the body, or problems with an internal organ that is the endpoint of the nerve.

According to the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association... Chiropractic care is appropriate in the treatment of:

Neck, back, leg and tail pain

Muscle spasms, nerve problems

Disc problems, joint problems, limping

Injuries from slips, falls and accidents

Jaw or TMJ problems, difficulty chewing

Event or sports injuries

Post-surgical care

Bowel, bladder and internal medicine disorders

Maintenance of joint and spinal health

Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to many health and performance problems of the dog. Chiropractic does not replace traditional veterinary medicine and surgery, but provides a complementary method of care.

"Chiropractic is both treatment and prevention. It has much to offer, from improving the quality of life of the geriatric to enhancing the performance of the athlete, and all patients in between..."

...The Canadian Veterinary Journal issued October 1999

Dr. Andi Harper, DC,CAC

Harper’s Ridge Chiropractic Care

303.518.3688

Healthier Living for Pets