| Health Philosophies |
 |
| VACCINATION CONTROVERSY Doctors and vets are trained in a very specific healing discipline. They know a little about pharmaceuticals, and some of them know about surgery. But they rely upon the pharmaceutical industry to tell them which drugs to use in which circumstances. On many occassions, you are putting your faith not in the hands of your doctor, but in the hands of some sales rep from a drug company. Annual vaccinations have absolutely no scientific validity, and are simply a money maker. There is an ever increasing number of veterinarians; allopathic, holistic and homeopathic, that are fighting a war against annual boosters, and the abuses of over vaccinating of animals. Most veterinarian associations have changed their recommendations in the last few years, and are now advocating boosters not be given for at least 3-8 years. I chose to learn as much as I could about alternative remedies so I could assist my animal's immune systems with homeoprophylaxis, and supplements for their nutritional needs. Immunity is not controlled entirely by antibody levels as was once thought. Immunity is controlled by memory cells. Memory cells are B and T lymphocytes. These are white blood cells which stand ready in the body to respond with protective antibodies when challenged by a disease agent. Memory cells, once programmed, persist for the lifetime of the animal. Therefore it is possible to have low antibody levels (or titer) and still have protective immunity. Although memory cells cannot be measured, their presence can be demonstrated by challenge studies. Of particular interest to me were these following articles & links; Vaccinations in Veterinary Medicine: Dogs and Cats by Don Hamilton, DVM Vaccinations in Veterinary Medicine - A New Perspective by David M. McCluggage, D.V.M. A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO VETERINARY VACCINATION by Dr. Clare Middle BVMS, Dip Hom, Dip Ac. Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Primucellâ-FIP Vaccine F.W. Scott, DVM, Ph.D., W.V. Corapi, DVM, Ph..D., and C.W. Olsen, DVM, Ph.D. - Cornell Feline Health Center Pet Vaccine Myths It's For The Animals is an excellent site with numerous links for easy to read articles to understand that the conventional approach to vaccinating animals is under strong review and condemnation. Exerpt from an SARS article written by Helke Ferrie (physical anthropologist and medical science writer) in "Vitality" (Toronto's Monthly Wellness Journal) June,2003 issue. I felt that this information was also indirectly relevant and certainly very interesting. |
| Information and Educational Links to help you make informative health care decisions for your beloved pets. |
| As time permits, I will be adding to this information section of my website. Look for new articles on Nutrition, Homeopathic Remedies & Holistic Health Care. |
| CAT FOOD COMPARISONS Petsmart - compare any 4 of the top name brands that they carry by the top 10 ingredients and guaranteed analysis. |
| Nutrition & Misleading Advertising Sadly, many people are duped by flashy advertising and the high cost of food, into presuming that they are actually buying quality food for their pet. The most expensive foods do not necessarily provide the best nutrition. Examples of this are Iams/Eucanuba and Science Diet (frequently recommended by vets). Iams has always had a very high presence at dog & cat shows, and in advertising with the associations in their yearbooks, or monthly magazines. A large portion of breeders used to feed Iams, but this market has been reduced drastically since the take over by Proctor & Gamble in 1999, and a substantial change to their formulas. Many breeders spent hundreds of dollars on fecal samples, only to resolve that the changes in Iams formula were causing severe diarrhea problems in the populace. There is also a great deal of controvery and many claims of animal abuse over Iams' laboratory testing on dogs and cats. Undercover investigation discovers callous cruelty behind Iams' Lies. Iams under fire for false advertising - Again. I would NOT recommend a food that has by-products or perservatives other than Vitamin E. You should also be aware that veterinary associations allow only specific foods to be sold in animal clinics, and this is also part of the supporting income to the clinic. Obviously, the vet is not going to recommend a higher quality food than what they carry, if they are not permitted to sell it. Today I don't wonder why there are so many problems with our pets. We do everything thinking it's for their good, because that's what we're told, when in fact nothing good comes from injecting diseases (vaccines) into our beloved animals, and certainly nothing great about many of the commercial pet foods that are preserved with poison toxins and made mostly with by-products and corn for protein source. By-products are what's left after you remove the meat - such as feet, beaks, brains, intestines. None of that is real food as the protein is not composed of the amino acids that cats can fully use. Instead they are leftovers of metabolism that the kidneys have to deal with. So, it shouldn't be surprising that there are so many kidney problems with our pets nowadays. |
| RAW FOODS Cats are carnivores, and there are many breeders who believe in feeding a raw diet. This site has recipes and guidelines. |
| 10 SECRETS Pet Food Companies Don't Want You to Know |
 |
| Oriented to self care, this free educational web site is dedicated to help promote natural health for humans and their animals. "First, Do No Harm..." |
| The Truth About Commercial Pet Food by Animal Protection Institute of America |