tag:www.naturalawakenings.com,2005:/categories/natural-pet?page=8Natural Pet Natural Pet | Natural Awakenings Magazine Page 8Healthy Living Healthy Planet2019-08-16T00:33:41-04:00urn:uuid:de836ad5-379c-4407-9ba2-2e581f684ed52019-08-16T00:33:41-04:002019-08-16T00:33:41-04:00Pets Welcome Here: Happy Places to Live and Travel Together2018-05-31 11:42:52 -0400Sandra Murphy<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>s of last year, 90 million dogs lived in American homes. Including cats, birds, fish, small animals and reptiles, the grand total is 393 million, reports the American Pet Products Association. Pets are considered family members by 95 percent of their people. Accordingly, pets are a key consideration in choosing a friendly place to live or visit.</p>
<p>The personal finance website WalletHub analyzed the most pet-friendly U.S. cities encompassing criteria inclusive of access to veterinarians and cost, pet insurance rates, pet-friendly restaurants, pet-centric businesses, dog parks and animal shelters. SmartAsset, a personal finance technology company, ranked cities by dog parks, pet-friendly restaurants and stores, walkability, weather and housing costs. Unsurprisingly, many high picks are in warmer climates.</p>
<h3>What to Seek</h3>
<p>“First, look for pet-friendly landlords. Space to play, socialize and exercise animals is next on my list, followed by breweries and restaurants that allow dogs on their patios,” says Alexandra Bassett, a professional dog trainer and owner of Dog Savvy Los Angeles. “I hike off-leash in Runyon Canyon and we visit the Pawbar at Pussy & Pooch, a pet lifestyle boutique, to mingle and sample treats. Food is the fastest way to make a dog comfortable in just about any setting.” </p>
<p>Irvine and Carlsbad, California, and Portland, Maine, are among the first cities to ban use of toxic pesticides in public areas and homes, following pressure from local groups. Being closer to the ground and smaller in size, pets suffer adverse reactions faster than humans. Contact local environmental groups to help ban harmful insecticides and herbicides in public areas.</p>
<p class="pullquote">Find amenable lodging at <a href="https://www.petswelcome.com/">PetsWelcome.com</a>.</p>
<p>In Pasco County, Florida, Epperson Community homes exemplify eco- and pet-friendly planning, with open spaces and solar power-lit trails for jogging and walking. Birdhouses throughout the property welcome wild feathered friends. A centerpiece lagoon enhances scenic walks and uses less water and energy than a traditional pool or golf course. Separate paths allocated for bikes and driverless cars keep dog walkers safe.</p>
<p>Colony Cove, in Ellenton, Florida, is a 55-plus retirement community that allows multiple pets, including some breeds banned elsewhere. It maintains a large dog park, and at summer’s end, dogs are welcome to take a dip in the pool. Further, the association offers mobile groomers, photos with Santa and costume contests.</p>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="InBetweentheBlinks/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574527/Dog-Outside.png"><div class="small">InBetweentheBlinks/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>All species are welcome at Rose Villa Senior Living, in Portland, Oregon, where residents’ request for an off-leash dog park play area was granted. One resident owns two dogs, two cats and an African gray parrot.
<p>The largest-ever Canadian residential project to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification, Calgary’s University District, embraces<br>
ecological conservation, habitat restoration and long-term conservation management principles. Designed for residents to age in place with their families, recreational fitness amenities include on- and off-leash dog parks, a pet-friendly activity space and paths leading to parks.</p>
<h3>Favorite Activities</h3>
<p>Sara Nick, chief content officer at Sidewalk Dog Media, in Minneapolis, suggests experiencing unique adventures. Dog paddling takes on new meaning via stand-up paddleboarding with a pooch at Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse and Tettegouche state parks. Whatever the weather, equine-friendly pups can ride along in a horse-drawn carriage from Doubletree Carriage Company, in Spring Valley. Dogs are welcome to watch or snooze through film showings at the Long Drive-In, in Long Prairie.</p>
<p class="pullquote">Dogs eat grass, roll in it and walk on it. Pesticides on feet and fur walk into the house. One of the top three pesticides sold in the U.S., known as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, or 2,4-D, is used for golf courses, landscaping and public areas. Popular products containing 2,4-D include:<br>
<br>
• Bayer Advanced All-in-One Lawn Weed and Crabgrass Killer<br>
• Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max<br>
• Scotts Liquid Turf Builder<br>
• Scotts Snap Pac Weed & Feed<br>
• Sta-Green Phosphorus-Free Weed & Feed<br>
<br>
<em>Source: <a href="http://HealthyPets.Mercola.com">HealthyPets.Mercola.com</a></em>
</p>
<p>Birgit and Jim Walker, authors of <em>Keep Your Paws on the Road: A Practical Guide to Traveling with Dogs</em>, travel by RV in summer with their three dogs to favorite stops like Tombstone, Arizona. “Some tourist areas don’t welcome dogs, but in Tombstone, dogs can go for stagecoach rides and down into a mine with you,” she says.</p>
<p>Kim Salerno, president and founder of <a href="http://TripsWithPets.com">TripsWithPets.com</a>, in Wake Forest, North Carolina, recommends Kimpton or Aloft hotels. “Kimpton accepts any pet, any size, weight, breed or species. Amenities include a bed, treats, a water bowl and toys with no additional pet fee,” she says.</p>
<p>Salerno continues, “In Asheville, dogs are allowed on the grounds of the Biltmore Estate. The Ernest Hemingway House, in Key West, Florida, allows small, cat-friendly dogs. Boutiques, feed stores, wineries and art galleries may say yes to pets. Ask first and make sure your pet is well-behaved.”</p>
<p>Whether at home or traveling, families can enjoy many opportunities to share new experiences with pets. Just be sure they mind their manners to have a good time.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>Top 10 Cities for Dogs</strong></h3>
<p><img alt="Stefaniya Gutovska/Shutterstock.com" class="photo-caption" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574528/Dog-City-Living.png"></p>
<p><strong>San Francisco</strong>—dog parks, walkability and friendly restaurants</p>
<p><strong>Albuquerque</strong>—only 28 rainy days a year, plus affordable housing</p>
<p><strong>Tucson</strong>—50 welcoming restaurants and sunny weather</p>
<p><strong>San Diego</strong>—200 restaurants, plus a dogs-welcome beach</p>
<p><strong>Denver</strong>—posted solid scores in all categories</p>
<p><strong>Las Vegas</strong>—dog parks favored by dry, sunny weather</p>
<p><strong>New York City</strong>—high on walkability, especially in good weather</p>
<p><strong>Sacramento</strong>—affordable housing and lots of green space</p>
<p><strong>Phoenix</strong>—friendly restaurants and shops, plus sunny days</p>
<p><strong>Chicago</strong>—great walking; bundle up against lake breezes</p>
<p><em>Top 10 list by SmartAsset.com. Find a different, 100 best list at <a href="http://Wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562">Wallethub.com/edu/most-pet-friendly-cities/5562</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the </em><em>June 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:3d0e110a-ee6b-4827-a5fd-7be25229c4452019-08-16T00:13:47-04:002019-08-16T00:13:47-04:00Five Reasons to Love a Cat: They Bring Health and Happiness Home2018-04-30 11:42:22 -0400Sandra Murphy<p><span class="dropcap">A</span>s beloved and compatible pets, indoor cats provide emotional, mental and physical benefits.</p>
<h3>Companionship</h3>
<p>Loneliness is never a problem with a cat around. “Cats need to be fed, have litter changed and be brushed,” says Lisa Bahar, a therapist and clinical counselor at Lisa Bahar Marriage and Family Therapy, in Newport Beach, California. “Being comforted by a cat helps with depression and isolation.”</p>
<p>While at Indiana University Bloomington Media School, Jessica Gall Myrick, Ph.D., now associate professor at Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University, in University Park, discovered watching cat videos isn’t just fun, but a way to feel more energetic and positive. With some 94 million YouTube tales of cat adventures online, there’s no lack of available mood boosters.</p>
<h3>Exercise</h3>
<p>Some cats enjoy leashed walks, presenting opportunities to mindfully enjoy nature and make friends. At home, a cat’s hunting skill and human creativity can be tapped using do-it-yourself treat dispensers and toys or inventive games.</p>
<h3>Improved Health</h3>
<p>Talking to kitty can make a bad day better. A lap cat prompts enforced timeouts and excuses to nap. Petting reduces tension and stress. Aimee Gilbreath, executive director of the Michelson Found Animals Foundation, in Los Angeles, points to a study from Life Sciences Research Institute, in Pretoria, South Africa, showing, “Simply petting a cat can reduce stress-related cortisol, while increasing serotonin and oxytocin.”</p>
<p class="pullquote">Time spent with cats is never wasted.<br>
~Sigmund Freud</p>
<p>The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up concluded that having a cat lowers risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and cardiovascular disease including strokes, making cats a novel path to a healthier heart.</p>
<p><img alt="Zen Cat" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574142/Zen-Cat.png" class="image-align-right">When researchers reporting in the <em>Journal of the Acoustical Society of America</em> measured the purring sound of domestic cat purrs, they discovered these resonate at 25 and 50 Hertz (Hz), the two low frequencies that best promote bone growth and fracture healing. Purrs also have a strong harmonic near 100 Hz, a level some orthopedic doctors and physical therapists use for ultrasound therapy.</p>
<p>A child under a year old living with a cat is only half as likely to develop allergies to pets, ragweed, grass and dust mites, much as inoculations guard against disease and boost immune systems. The study, published in <em>Clinical & Experimental Allergy</em>, followed children from infancy to age 18.</p>
<p>French researchers discovered autistic children age 5 and older that had a cat were more willing to share, offer comfort to others and show empathy. Sharing cat responsibilities tightened family bonds.</p>
<p>Cats like routine, especially for meals, making them good pets for Alzheimer’s patients that may lose track of time.</p>
<p class="pullquote">I have lived with several Zen masters—all of them cats.<br>
~Eckhart Tolle</p>
<p>Many people like the added warmth of a nearby sleeping cat at night. Fifteen minutes of exercise, followed by a snack, will put kitty on the owner’s sleep schedule.</p>
<h3>Cats are Low-Maintenance</h3>
<p>Overall, cats are self-sufficient animals, requiring only love, food and a spotless litter box. Self-cleaning, most cats don’t require regular trips to the groomer for haircuts and a bath. Scratching posts keep nails short. A snack, playtime or welcoming puddle of sunshine persuades kitty that it’s naptime.</p>
<p><img alt="Pet Cat" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574143/White-Cat.png" class="image-align-left">“In rescue, we say dogs are toddlers and cats are teenagers. Cats live without constant oversight,” says jme Thomas, co-founder of Motley Zoo Animal Rescue, in Redmond, Washington. “They’re good pets for busy people. Adopt two at the same time so they bond and aren’t lonely.”</p>
<h3>Cats are Eco-Friendly</h3>
<p>A New Zealand study reports that cats have a lower carbon footprint than dogs, comparing dogs to a Hummer and cats to a Volkswagen Golf. Dogs eat more beef, incurring red meat’s huge footprint. “Because cats eat less than most dogs overall, it saves money, too,” says Gilbreath.</p>
<p>Everyone needs someone to care for and love. With about 77 million cats living in U.S. households and more in shelters or rescues, there’s plenty of people- and planet-friendly love to be found.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the May 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:3a09ba91-703f-40d2-a615-6e3d0d0c58f92019-08-16T00:57:51-04:002019-08-16T00:57:51-04:00Nature’s Remedies: How Animals Self-Medicate2018-03-30 12:57:57 -0400Anonymous<p>Every species embodies a solution to some environmental challenge, and some of these solutions are breathtaking in their elegance.</p>
<p>~Linda Bender, <em>Animal Wisdom: Learning from the Spiritual Lives of Animals</em><br>
</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">F</span>rom birds and elephants to dolphins, animals, whether by instinct or learned behavior, have discovered ways to cope with parasites, pests, aches and pains. This science of self-medication is called zoopharmacognosy (<em>zoo</em> for animal, <em>pharma</em> for drug and <em>cognosy</em> for knowing). At home, a dog or cat that eats grass is practicing it to eliminate parasites or hairballs.</p>
<p>Donald Brightsmith, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University, directs the Tambopata Macaw Project in the lowlands of southeastern Peru, studying the many macaws and other parrots that gather clay to eat as a supplement. First thought to help remove toxins from their bodies, clay adds needed sodium to their diet, researchers now believe.</p>
<p>A pregnant elephant in Kenya’s Tsavo Park was observed by ecologist Holly Dublin, Ph.D., to travel miles to find a tree not normally eaten. Four days later, the elephant gave birth. Dublin discovered that Kenyan women make a drink from the same leaves and bark to induce labor.</p>
<p>While studying Bornean orangutans (<em>Pongo pygmaeus</em>) in the Sabangau peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, primatologist Helen Morrogh-Bernard, Ph.D., of the University of Exeter, UK, observed an orangutan chew the leaves of a plant that were not part of its usual diet until it formed a lather. The orangutan spit out the leaves and used the lather much like humans apply a topical pain reliever.</p>
<p>While animals have been known to eat certain plants when ill, hers may be the first sighting of an animal creating a salve. Nearby villagers grind the leaves to make a balm for sore muscles and inflammation. Morrogh-Bernard believes humans learned this topical application from apes and passed it down through the generations.</p>
<p>In the Red Sea, bottlenose dolphins rub against bush-like gorgonian corals covered by an outer layer of antimicrobial mucus that may protect them from infection, according to dolphin researcher Angela Ziltener, of the University of Zürich, Switzerland.</p>
<p>“It’s amazing how much we’ve learned, but forgotten,” says Ira Pastor, CEO at Bioquark Inc., in Philadelphia, a life sciences company developing biologic products to regenerate and repair human organs and tissues. “We live with other organisms which from a health and wellness perspective are much further advanced than humans. No other species tries to cure with any single solution. Nature employs multiple options. We’re not appropriately imitating nature yet. We need to do more.”</p>
<p class="pullquote">We feel the answers for the future will be found in the past, not in chemical factories.<br>
~Ira Pastor</p>
<p>Cindy Engel, Ph.D., of Suffolk, England, author of <em>Wild Health: Lessons in Natural Wellness from the Animal Kingdom</em>, says, “Animals rely on plants to provide them with the essentials of life, making their health intimately dependent on plant chemistry to provide everything they need to grow, repair damage and reproduce.”</p>
<p>She continues, “Wild animals carry diseases that affect livestock and humans. It’s sensible to explore why they’re successful in fending off the worst effects in order to find ways to improve our own health, instead of just trying to eradicate the disease. We can learn from behavioral self-help strategies animals employ.” Accomplishing this is more difficult than ever, she believes, because today’s severely shrinking habitat makes it hard to find truly wild animals and plants.</p>
<p>“Over the last 100 years, we’ve done a horrible disservice to all life by destroying habitat and exploring only a small percentage of what nature has to offer,” agrees Pastor. “As patents expire, pharma has to change. It’s important to develop botanicals. We’re advised to vary our diet and exercise, yet take the same dose of the same pill daily. We’ve studied dead organisms under microscopes, but living organisms, even as small as microbes, can communicate helpful positive reactions.”</p>
<p>Western medicine has strayed from what nature offers to keep us healthy. Now is the time to take care of both the planet and all living beings on it. “We’ve discarded thousands of years of evidence,” says Pastor. “We cannot destroy the bounty of possibilities.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the April 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:f2965454-9087-4a3a-9673-522b5d0da2082019-08-16T00:30:41-04:002019-11-03T12:44:34-05:00Sprouts for Pets: Crunchy Nutrition Animals Will Love2018-02-28 12:24:28 -0500Sandra Murphy<p><span class="dropcap">D</span>espite their small size, sprouts pack a nutritional wallop with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and protein. Dogs, birds, horses and even cats enjoy the crunch, as well as the health benefits.</p>
<h3>Cats</h3>
<p>Notorious for being picky eaters, cats might balk at sprouts being added to their regular diet. Rather than upsetting the status quo, grow sprouts like alfalfa or barley on a handy windowsill for grazing. “My cats prefer self-serve,” observes veterinarian Carol Osborne, owner of the Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic, in Ohio. “Now they leave my house plants alone.” Both cats and dogs may show improved gastric intestinal health as a result.</p>
<h3>Dogs</h3>
<p>Dogs are more accepting of new content in their food bowl. “Add just a few sprouts so a dog gets used to the slightly bitter taste. Once acclimated, one-eighth to one-quarter cup daily per 20 pounds of the pet’s weight is the rule of thumb,” says Osborne.</p>
<p class="pullquote">Instead of sprouting one kind of seed per jar, consider creating a mix.</p>
<p>She counsels against serving Fido onion, garlic, corn or mushroom sprouts. Peas, sunflowers, radishes, alfalfa and clover are suggested; they are all tasty and easy to grow.</p>
<h3>Birds</h3>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="Tracy Starr/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574470/Pet-Bird.png"><div class="small">Tracy Starr/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>“We encourage people to make their own sprouts. It’s easy to get quality seeds for legumes or grains from Whole Foods, <a href="http://BobsRedMill.com">BobsRedMill.com</a> or <a href="http://Nuts.com">Nuts.com</a>,” says Ann Brooks, president of the all-volunteer Phoenix Landing Foundation, in Asheville, North Carolina. They provide educational activities and facilitate adoption of birds, from parakeets to macaws. Sprouts from the store can be risky, because of bacteria, she cautions. “If not growing your own, the only one I recommend is the organic crunchy mix from <a href="http://SunnyCreekFarm.com">SunnyCreekFarm.com</a>. Be sure to get the freshest date possible.”
<p>“One of my favorite sprouts is mung beans, because they appear in two days or less. Birds like the crunch,” says Brooks. “Sprouts are safe to leave in the cage all day because they are live foods.”</p>
<h3>Horses</h3>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-left">
<img alt="marijonas/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574471/Horse.png"><div class="small">marijonas/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>When adding sprouts to a horse’s regular diet, it’s important to balance the intake. “A lot of barns feed forage three times a day. I know of a couple that feed one meal of sprouts and the other two of hay,” says Clair Thunes, Ph.D., a consulting equine nutritionist with Summit Equine Nutrition in Sacramento, California. “Several companies sell systems for large-scale growing.” The sprouts grow with matted roots in what is called a biscuit, weighing about 18 pounds. Difficult to mix with other feed, the biscuits are fed separately, roots and all.
<p>“Because of sporadic drought conditions, the idea of growing your own fodder became more popular, thinking it might make forage supply more dependable and possibly cheaper after initial startup costs,” Thunes explains. “Owners have a sense of control over what the horse eats, there’s less reliance on a supplier and the seeds are less expensive than hay. Due to moisture and nutritional differences, you can’t swap sprouts and hay pound for pound. It’s best to consult a veterinarian or nutritionist.” Sprouts contain a lot of moisture and have an inverted calcium phosphorus ratio that has to be accounted for she says.</p>
<p>Horses enjoy barley, sunflower and flax sprouts for variety. The high moisture content may help reduce the risk of intestinal impaction and resulting colic.</p>
<h3>Good for All</h3>
<p>“Sprouts are a healthy form of nutrition and a hip way for both pets and people to enjoy greens,” says Osborne. “They’re a great go-to powerhouse of nutrition, often more nutritious than the adult plant.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>Sprouting Tips</strong></h3>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="Benoit Daoust/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574472/Sprouts-for-Pets.png"><div class="small">Benoit Daoust/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>• Always use organic seeds. <a href="http://SproutHouse.com">SproutHouse.com</a> and <a href="http://Rareseeds.com">Rareseeds.com</a> are additional sources.
<p>• Seeds sprout in water or soil. Avoid direct sunlight.</p>
<p>• Practice good hygiene to avoid bacteria. Rinse seeds several times a day to prevent mold. Once the sprouts show a bit of green, dry them to remove excess moisture before refrigerating.</p>
<p>• Refrigerate for up to a week for peak freshness, but no longer.</p>
<p>• Use a mix of seeds or one kind at a time. Discard any seeds that don’t sprout with the rest.</p>
<p>• Sunflower seeds produce a particularly high volume of sprouts.</p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the March 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:4b6d2334-e978-42d4-b342-bb76e8667f2b2019-08-16T00:03:06-04:002019-08-16T00:03:06-04:00Do-Good Dogs Do Almost Anything: Service Animals Train to Help People in Need2018-01-31 13:03:30 -0500Sandra Murphy<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>ervice dogs help an aging population live full lives in spite of limitations, no matter the size, age or breed of dog. Plus, hundreds of thousands of canines make living with disabilities both possible and more pleasant.</p>
<h3>The Rules</h3>
<p>“Service dogs don’t eat on duty, and should be on the floor, not put in a handbag or shopping cart,” advises Maggie Sims, project manager for the Rocky Mountain Americans with Disabilities Act Center, in Colorado Springs. “If the dog disrupts business, the person can be asked to remove the animal and then return. Emotional-support dogs are not provided for by the disabilities act, because the dog does not perform a specific task.</p>
<p>“We get calls from people concerned about fake service dogs when owners try to bring them into places where pets generally aren’t allowed. Usually, they’re the ones that behave badly,” Sims says. Service animals are not required to wear a special vest or have documentation.</p>
<h3>Educating the Public</h3>
<p>A motorcycle accident left Matthew Smith dependent on using a wheelchair or crutches. An administrator at Comcast Cable, in Baltimore, Maryland, Smith relies on his pit bull, Jericho, to fetch dropped items, open doors and help him maintain balance. “Gravity is my specialty,” he jokes. “If I fall, he braces me so I can get up. Moving about stresses my shoulders, so Jericho pulls the wheelchair on days when I’m in pain.”</p>
<p>Although working service dogs should not be petted or approached, Smith tells Jericho, “Go say ‘Hi,’” if someone asks to approach him. “Pit bulls have an undeserved bad reputation, so I’ll take a minute to let people meet him to change that perception. When Jericho is the subject of conversation, it also takes the spotlight off of me,” he says.</p>
<p>Jericho was trained by Apryl Lea, a certified assistance dog trainer for the Animal Farm Foundation’s Assistance Dog Program, in Kingston, New York. She explains, “The pit bulls I train are from shelters, and must be good with people and other animals and be comfortable in social settings that match the person’s lifestyle.”</p>
<h3>Overcoming Obstacles</h3>
<p>“When a counter is too high, a service dog can pass money to the cashier. Dogs will pull a rope to open a heavy door. In the event of seizures or fainting, our dogs react based on location; at home, they find another family member, but in public, will stay with their person,” Lea says.</p>
<p class="pullquote">When someone brings a dog into a place of business, we can legally ask only two short questions: “Is this animal needed for a disability?” and “What tasks has the animal been trained to do in relation to the disability?”</p>
<p>The muscles of a patient with Parkinson’s disease may freeze while walking. Dogs brace against a resulting fall or touch the person to help unfreeze the muscles. Tethered to an autistic child, the dog provides distraction from repetitive behaviors like flapping hands or crying, while keeping the child in a safe area. Some dogs are trained to track the child, as well, in case of escape. Likewise, dogs can give Alzheimer’s disease patients a bit of freedom without getting lost.</p>
<h3>Sounding Alerts</h3>
<p>Hearing dogs alert their hearing-impaired person to the sound of a doorbell or ringing phone. In the car, they’ll nudge the driver with a paw if they hear a siren.</p>
<p>Riley the Chihuahua’s job is caring for Jennifer Wise, an aromatherapist and owner of Enchanted Essence, in Toledo, Ohio. Wise has a neurological disease that affects her legs and makes her prone to falls. “Riley’s trained to bark for help if I am unable to get up,” she explains. “If barking fails, he’ll grab someone’s pant leg or shoelaces and pull in my direction. He’s small, but determined.”</p>
<p>Michelle Renard, a stay-at-home mom in Woodstock, Georgia, relies on Mossy, a goldendoodle trained by Canine Assistants, in nearby Alpharetta, to detect high- and low-blood sugar levels. “She’s never wrong,” says Renard.</p>
<h3>Comfort and Joy</h3>
<p>Linda Blick, president and co-founder of Tails of Hope Foundation, in Orange County, New York, observes, “A veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder may not show outward symptoms, but have anxiety. Dogs are trained to turn on the lights, lick their person’s face or apply reassuring pressure by lying across their person’s chest to bring them out of night tremors.</p>
<p>“One of our veterans was so uncomfortable in public, it was difficult for him to even speak to the veterinarian about his dog’s torn knee ligament,” Blick explains. “For the sake of the dog, he managed to discuss care, a big step for him.” </p>
<p>As Sims states, “True service dogs literally give people with disabilities their lives back.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>Service Dog Resources</strong></h3>
<p><strong>TO CONTACT AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT CENTERS:</strong><br>
Ten centers serve the U.S. and calls are directed to the one closest to the caller. Call 800-949-4232 or visit <a href="http://adata.org">adata.org</a>.</p>
<p><strong>TO SUPPORT THE TAILS OF HOPE FOUNDATION:</strong><br>
This nonprofit provides critical and life-saving help to veterans, first responders and search-and-rescue teams. Operating on donations, it covers the cost of purchasing a trained dog, as well as lifetime veterinary care when necessary. <a href="http://TailsOfHope.org">TailsOfHope.org</a></p>
<p><strong>LEARN ABOUT DOGS TRAINED FOR SPECIAL CONDITIONS:</strong><br>
Parkinson’s disease – Davis Phinney Foundation at <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/HelpingPawForParkinsons">Tinyurl.com/HelpingPawForParkinsons</a><br>
Disabled children – <a href="http://4PawsForAbility.org">4PawsForAbility.org</a><br>
Alzheimer’s disease/dementia – <a href="http://Rover.com/canine-caregivers-dementia-alzheimers">Rover.com/canine-caregivers-dementia-alzheimers</a><br>
Sight-impaired – <a href="http://GuideDogs.org">GuideDogs.org</a></p>
<p><strong>SAMPLE SERVICE-DOG VIDEOS:</strong><br>
A pit bull-lab mix that saves a veteran having a seizure: <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/DogSavesVeteran">Tinyurl.com/DogSavesVeteran</a><br>
A pug that helps a veteran with post-traumatic stress: <a href="http://Tinyurl.com/DogCalmsPTSD">Tinyurl.com/DogCalmsPTSD</a></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the February 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:6b602799-99f4-4968-b748-ca40530597072019-08-16T00:01:09-04:002019-08-16T00:01:09-04:00Don’t Overfeed Fido: Plus Other Tips to Keep a Dog Cancer-Free2017-12-29 13:10:26 -0500Karen Becker<p><span class="dropcap">C</span>ancer is the leading cause of canine fatalities in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Often diagnosed too late, the risks, heartache and expense of aggressive traditional treatments have many people searching for healthy alternatives. Although the causes are not well understood, we can give our companion the best possible chance of prevention.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">1</span> <strong>Avoid Pet Obesity</strong><br>
In studies across species, caloric restriction has been shown to help prevent tumor development and progression. Obesity is strongly linked to increased cancer risk in humans and is assumed so in dogs. For people, cancer is also connected with excessive glucose, increased insulin sensitivity, inflammation and oxidative stress. Overfeeding a dog is not a loving thing to do.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">2</span> <strong>Choose an Anti-Inflammatory Diet</strong><br>
Creating or promoting inflammation raises cancer risk by facilitating abnormal cells to proliferate. Current research suggests cancer is actually a chronic, inflammatory disease. Because cancer cells require the glucose in carbohydrates as an energy source, limit or eliminate carbs present in processed grains, fruits with fructose and starchy vegetables. Cancer cells generally can’t use dietary fats for energy, so appropriate amounts of good-quality fats are nutritionally healthy.</p>
<p>Another major contributor to inflammation is poor-quality, processed pet food, which is typically high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3. Omega-6s increase inflammation; omega-3s do the reverse.</p>
<p>A healthy, moist dog diet contains real, whole, organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) foods, preferably raw—also plenty of high-quality protein, including muscle meat, organs and bone; moderate amounts of animal fat; high levels</p>
<p>Consider adding both vitamin/mineral and other supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes, medicinal mushrooms and super green foods. Work with a holistic or integrative veterinarian to determine the best regime.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">3</span> <strong>Reduce Exposure to Toxins</strong><br>
Harmful toxins include chemical pesticides like flea and tick preventives, lawn chemicals, tobacco smoke, flame retardants and all common household cleaners. A six-year study by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, at Tufts University, showed that exposure to lawn pesticides, specifically those applied by lawn care companies, raised the risk of canine malignant lymphoma up to 70 percent.</p>
<p>Conventional flea and tick preventives are pesticides, whether spot-on treatments, pills, dips, solutions, shampoos or collars. Chemical spot-on products attracted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency attention based on reports of 40,000 adverse events in 2008, including 600 animal deaths.</p>
<p>Because avoiding all toxins is nearly impossible, consider periodic detoxification based on a vet’s recommendation. For a dog with constant exposure to toxic chemicals all summer, a daily oral detox protocol is sound. If the only source is a monthly dose of a flea and tick product, limit a detox to the week after each pill or topical treatment.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">4</span> <strong>Refuse Unnecessary Vaccinations</strong><br>
To properly maintain a dog’s first line of defense—the immune system—don’t overstimulate it with vaccines. Tailor vaccine protocols to minimize risk and maximize protection, considering the dog’s breed, background, nutritional status and overall vitality.</p>
<p>A good protocol with healthy puppies is to provide a single parvovirus and distemper vaccine at or before 12 weeks of age, and a second set after 14 weeks. Cautious vets then order a titer test (at a lab that uses the immunofluorescence assay method) two weeks after the last set of vaccines. If the dog has been successfully immunized, it’s protected for life.</p>
<p>If titer tests indicate low vaccine levels (unlikely), try a booster for only the specific viruses that titered low, and only those to which the animal has a real risk of exposure. Combination vaccines (four to eight viruses in one injection), a standard booster at many veterinary practices, is not recommended.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">5</span> <strong>Maintain Physical Integrity Until at Least 18 to 24 Months of Age</strong><br>
Studies from Purdue University, the University of California, Davis, and others show a clear link between spaying/neutering and increased cancer rates in dogs, especially large breeds. These include increased risk of osteosarcoma in Rottweilers neutered or spayed before their first birthday; double the risk of bone cancer in neutered or spayed large, purebred dogs versus intact (not neutered) dogs; and three to four times the cancer rates for spayed female golden retrievers versus intact females. Opting for ovary-sparing spays (hysterectomy) is another option that preserves sex hormones while rendering the animal sterile.</p>
<p>Applying these five suggestions in caring for a dog throughout its life offers a pet a good chance for a cancer-free and overall healthy, high-quality life.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Karen Becker, a doctor of veterinary medicine, is a proactive, integrative practitioner who consults internationally and writes for <a href="http://HealthyPets.Mercola.com">Mercola Healthy Pets</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the January 2018 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:be3f306f-2c4e-419e-823f-4b0297d53ffe2019-08-16T00:03:55-04:002021-03-22T14:45:59-04:00Pets Love Music: Each Species Grooves to Its Own Beat2017-11-30 17:14:12 -0500Sandra Murphy<p>Just as dogs’ and cats’ noses are more efficient than ours, they also have better hearing, reacting to a broader and higher range of frequencies and vibrations.</p>
<p>“We sense our world from where our ears are. Our plane is generally five to six feet high; animals closer to the ground hear things differently,” says Janet Marlow, founder and CEO of Pet Acoustics, in Washington Depot, Connecticut. The internationally renowned musician, composer and sound behaviorist has invented species-specific music based on her 30 years of research.</p>
<p>Humans hear up to 23,000 Hertz (Hz), which differs substantially from that of many other creatures (<a href="http://lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html">lsu.edu/deafness/HearingRange.html</a>). A Hertz is a standard unit of frequency set at one cycle per second.</p>
<h3>Horses Hear Up to 33,500 Hz</h3>
<p>Marlow found that horses prefer rhythmic pieces matching their natural movements. “When a Tennessee walking horse breeder played music during a birth, the foal and mother recovered faster than usual.” After that, “The horses ran to the barn upon hearing the same music.”</p>
<p>Sally Morgan, a physical therapist and advanced certified Tellington TTouch practitioner in Northampton, Massachusetts, who has enjoyed freestyle performance riding, says, “I liked to play our songs in the barn. Five CD players can keep horses relaxed most of the day. They don’t like country-western music; it’s often sad and in the wrong cadence. Classical music like Bach is calming. When I played Pachelbel’s<em> Canon in D</em> on my flute, my Morgan gelding, Ten Penny Moonshine, listened for hours.”</p>
<h3>Rabbits Hear Up to 42,000 Hz</h3>
<p>“Rescued rabbits like long tones, common in music accompanying yoga or reiki,” Morgan relates. “Long tones hold a chord with layers of notes on top.”</p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="Roman PyshchykShutterstockcom" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/573978/Rabbit-Head-Phones.png"><div class="small">Roman Pyshchyk/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>
<h3>Dogs Hear Up to 45,000 Hz</h3>
<p>“People hear in stereo, animals in mono,” says Marlow. It’s why dogs tilt their heads left to right—to allow more sound waves into their ears—collecting information from various angles.</p>
<p>Sound frequency and intensity keeps an animal alive in nature; they learn to flee in another direction, not analyze. Separation anxiety is often due to a sound the dog doesn’t recognize, Marlow explains. Sound triggers behavior, whether good or bad, as dogs relax or are stressed. Music releases tension from their being ever-vigilant as seen in their posture. To understand what a dog hears, sit or crawl on the floor. Electronic speakers are usually positioned at heights conducive for our ears, not theirs.</p>
<p>“For the holidays, my dogs and horses like <em>We Three Kings</em>, <em>The Holly and the Ivy</em> and especially <em>Greensleeves</em> for their baroque roots and repeating patterns,” notes Morgan.</p>
<h3>Cats Hear Up to 64,000 Hz</h3>
<p>Marlow credits her cat, Osborn, with inspiring her interest in music for animals. When Osborn was injured, she visited the veterinary hospital and sang to him to keep him calm. Her home state’s Litchfield Veterinary Hospital became her initial testing ground for species-specific music.</p>
<p>“We use Pet Acoustics music boxes in the cat ward, recovery rooms and exam rooms,” says Heather Florkowski, a certified technician at the facility. “In our experience, stress inhibits the healing process. Like people, animals are anxious when ill and visiting the doctor’s office. Music helps ease their stress. At home, when I move the music box to another room, my dog follows it.”</p>
<p>He could tell by the way animals walked that they were keeping time to some kind of music. Maybe it was the song in their own hearts that they walked to.<br>
~Laura Adams Armer</p>
<p>“During a TTouch session, cats are completely relaxed when I play New Age music for them,” says Morgan. “Pick music that fits the cat’s personality. You can tell what they like from their body language; it’s not always what you’d expect.”</p>
<h3>Aquarium Fish Hear Up to 3,000 Hz</h3>
<p>“Fish are frantic animals that must always anticipate their next meal,” says Sam Williamson, a former marine biologist in Edinburgh, Scotland. “When I started playing classical music at feeding time, I noticed my three betas became calmer. A piece by Benjamin Britten, started two minutes before feeding, led to them expect food only when the music played.”</p>
<h3>Domesticated Birds Hear Up to 8,500 Hz</h3>
<p>In the wild, birds are part of a flock. At home, they’re often solitary. “Birds are the most musical and communicative of all animals,” remarks Marlow. “Without companionship, birds can get neurotic and pull their feathers out. Provide a sense of the outdoors by including nature sounds in played music.”</p>
<p>“Animals need us to be aware of their hearing,” Marlow advises. “Holistic pet people have addressed improved diet and medical procedures. Understanding how music supports their well-being also enables us to better care for them.”</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><br>
<em>This article appears in the December 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:800cc5af-d09b-4294-ab9c-3205463e96602019-08-16T00:27:17-04:002019-08-16T00:27:17-04:00DIY First-Aid for Dogs: Seven Natural Home Remedies2017-10-31 12:55:10 -0400Karen Becker<p><span class="dropcap">M</span>any pet parents check their kitchen cabinets first when treating their canine companion’s minor health issues. Three helpful basics are canned, 100 percent pumpkin, povidone iodine antiseptic and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, plus apple cider vinegar and coconut oil.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">1</span> <strong>Constipation, Diarrhea and Other Minor Digestive Issues</strong><br>
<strong>Solution: Canned pumpkin.</strong> For occasional mild tummy upsets, give a teaspoon of pumpkin for every 10 pounds of body weight, one to two times a day, either in food or as a treat, for non-allergic dogs. Pumpkin’s soluble fiber can ease diarrhea and constipation.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">2</span><strong> Minor Skin Abrasions, Cuts, Infections or Hot Spots</strong><br>
<strong>Solution: Povidone iodine.</strong> The gentle Betadine brand can allay staph, yeast and most common bacteria. It’s safe if a pet licks it.</p>
<p>Dilute the povidone iodine until it looks like iced tea, soak a clean cloth and gently wipe infected skin areas. Rinse the cloth, wipe the skin, and then pat dry. Repeat twice daily for a minor issue.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">3</span> <strong>Itchy, Irritated Paws</strong><br>
<strong>Solution: Footbaths.</strong> About 50 percent of a dog’s foot licking and chewing can be alleviated by simply rinsing off allergens and other irritants from its paws. For large dogs, soak one foot at a time in a bucket. Stand small dogs in a sink or tub, or dunk one paw at a time in a small container of solution.</p>
<p>Dilute povidone iodine to the color of iced tea and add to the footbath. Swish it around while the dog stands in it for two to five minutes. Talk soothingly and offer treats as needed.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">4</span> <strong>Fleas<br>
Solution: Apple cider vinegar (ACV).</strong> It doesn’t kill fleas, but helps deter them. Put a solution of equal parts raw, organic ACV and water in a spray bottle and spritz the pet before they head outdoors plus dog bedding. Consider adding it to a dog’sfood as well; one teaspoon for every 20 pounds of pooch.</p>
<p>During baths, pour diluted ACV of one cup of vinegar to one gallon of water over a freshly bathed dog (avoid the head) for a flea-preventive rinse. Massage the ACV solution into their coat and towel dry. Don’t rinse. Alternatively, add about two cups of apple cider vinegar to their bathwater.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">5</span> <strong>Crusty Skin and Nail<br>
Solution: Coconut oil.</strong> Skin treatments using 100 percent organic, cold-pressed, human-grade coconut oil can reduce flaking and improve skin quality, especially for seniors with crusty patches of skin and funky nails.</p>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="Ewais/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574404/Dog-Stethoscope.png"><div class="small">Ewais/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>Bathe the dog, and then rub the oil into the skin all over their body, especially on dry areas. Let it absorb for about five minutes. Follow with another bath (not much lather) and a very light rinse. Also, dab it directly on hotspots, eruptions and rashes after disinfecting.
<p><span class="dropcap">6</span> <strong>Skunk Encounter<br>
Solution: Skunk rinse.</strong> In a pail, mix one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, one-quarter cup of baking soda and two teaspoons dishwashing liquid. For a large dog, double, triple or quadruple the mixture, based on their size and coat.</p>
<p>Apply the mixture to the dog’s dry coat, taking care to avoid the eyes. Massage the mixture into the coat and skin for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate. Use a sponge to apply the solution to the chin, cheeks, forehead and ears. Rinse thoroughly. When rinsing the head, tilt the dog’s chin upward to protect the eyes. It may be necessary to repeat the entire process up to three times. Rinse off the solution completely.</p>
<p><span class="dropcap">7</span> <strong>Toxin Ingestion<br>
Solution: Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.</strong> Use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and give one teaspoon for every 10 pounds of dog weight. Add a little vanilla ice cream or honey to encourage swallowing, or simply syringe it down their throat, if necessary.</p>
<p>Walk the dog for a few minutes—movement helps the hydrogen peroxide work—which typically occurs within 15 minutes. If the dog doesn’t vomit in 15 minutes, give a second dose. If after another 15 minutes they still haven’t vomited, call a veterinarian.</p>
<p>Don’t induce vomiting if the dog is throwing up already, has lost consciousness or can’t stand, or it’s been more than two hours since they ingested the toxin. Harsh chemicals can cause burning both as they are swallowed and come back up. For these problems, seek veterinary care immediately.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative veterinarian in the Chicago area, consults internationally and writes <a href="http://HealthyPets.Mercola.com">Mercola Healthy Pets</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the November 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:83a13747-a440-4f53-b200-62015bdd6c042019-08-16T00:04:37-04:002019-08-16T00:04:37-04:00Feline Workforce: Why a Job is the Cat’s Meow2017-09-29 20:53:11 -0400Sandra Murphy<p><span class="dropcap">S</span>ome cats started their careers in barns with minimal job opportunities. With updated skills, they now boost office morale, encourage reading, promote products and provide therapy. Community cats even work in private security.</p>
<h3>In the Office</h3>
<p>Millennials, now comprising a third of this country’s stressed-out labor force, according to the Pew Research Center and American Psychological Association, are among those that can benefit from having a cat around. Lowered blood pressure is one result, according to research by psychologist Karen Allen, Ph.D., conducted at the University at Buffalo. Even when comfort breaks are hard to schedule, insistent cats cannot be ignored.</p>
<p>“Pompous Albert, a rejected show cat, works at SafeWise, in Salt Lake City,” relates Sage Singleton, who handles Albert’s Instagram account. “He boosts morale, reduces stress and provides entertainment.”</p>
<p>Carlos, a former rescue kitten, greets employees at PetNovations, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, each morning. He’s the star of the corporate Instagram account and blog, and promotes the company’s eco-friendly Cat Genie litterless cat box.</p>
<p>Smith’s Ace Hardware and Housewares, in Princeton, New Jersey, has Dusty patrol its 18,000-square-foot facility, often escorting customers along the aisles.</p>
<p>At St. Augustine Health Ministries, in Cleveland, the furry receptionist is Oreo. This black-and-white stray claimed the job by installing herself at the front desk to welcome guests and visit with residents that miss having their own pet.</p>
<h3>Therapists</h3>
<p>At the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, Duke Ellington Morris visits with patients while nurses check vital signs; he’s part of an animal-assisted therapy program through the city’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.</p>
<p>With the help of his humans, Jessica and Eric Hagan, of Pennsylvania’s Wolf Creek Township, Draven was certified through a local Love on a Leash chapter that qualifies pet-provided therapy animals. He showed <em>My Cat From Hell host</em> Jackson Galaxy his hospital routine for a segment called “My Cat From Heaven.” Draven regularly visits the Grove City Medical Center, in Pine Township, local nursing homes and service groups.</p>
<h3>Literacy Aids</h3>
<p>“At 18, Cleo, my small, gray cat, retired from therapy visits and missed the attention,” says Michelle Cardosi, a retail clerk in Silt, Colorado. “Kids reading to her at the school library provided a solution that satisfied everyone.”</p>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="FotoYakov/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/573989/Cats-at-Work.png"><div class="small">FotoYakov/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>In 2010, the public library in White Settlement, Texas, adopted Browser to remedy a rodent problem. Five years later, the city council cited pending renovations and a potential impact on allergies in backing a motion to oust Browser. Supporters, pointing out that the cat brought children through the doors, successfully petitioned to keep the four-legged employee.
<h3>Private Security</h3>
<p>Less socially developed feral felines can provide needed services. The Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats rescues such cats from Los Angeles shelters. Each is vetted, spayed/neutered and microchipped. “When they’re adopted out in threes, community cats are more likely to stay on the job,” notes founder and headmistress Shawn Simons.</p>
<p>“In Southern California, working cats are employed as assistants to brewmasters at the Monkish Brewery to protect the grain and hops and at Saluti Cellars as vintner support in charge of gopher population control,” says Simons. “More traditionally, cats at the Portuguese Bend Riding Club barn discourage mice and make friends with horses and riders.”</p>
<p>The school’s Working Cat Program partners with area recycling centers, golf courses, warehouses and industrial parks that could otherwise lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually due to vermin-related structural damage, including gnawed wiring and other potential fire hazards. “Businesses get an all-natural, safe and effective way to control pests and cats live life naturally,” says Simons.</p>
<p>Working cats of many stripes are becoming increasingly common. For a business, it’s a money-saver; for a cat, it’s a lifesaver.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Connect with freelance writer Sandra Murphy at <a href="mailto:StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com">StLouisFreelanceWriter@mindspring.com</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the October 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>urn:uuid:86052725-b9eb-49c5-9d6a-64315faf91aa2019-08-16T00:29:08-04:002019-08-16T00:29:08-04:00Fluoride Alert: Excess in Food and Tap Water Harms Pets2017-08-31 12:45:00 -0400Karen Becker<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>n 2009, an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study found that bone meal and animal byproducts in eight of 10 major national dog food brands contain fluoride in amounts between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended maximum dose in drinking water. Some fluoride from tap water used in the manufacturing of pet food contributes to this.</p>
<p>Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., lead researcher of the study, remarks, “A failed regulatory system and suspect practices by some in the pet food industry puts countless dogs at risk of ingesting excessive fluoride.”</p>
<p>Fluoride occurs naturally in rocks, soil and thus some food plants and water supplies. More enters food via use of fluoride-based pesticides and commercial processing facilities. The EWG advises that two-thirds of all Americans, along with pets and farm animals, are exposed to artificially fluoridated tap water.</p>
<h3>Fluoride Dangers to Humans</h3>
<p>While fluoride exposure hasn’t been studied in dogs or cats, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, ample research points to the dangers of fluoride to human health, including:</p>
<p>• Arthritis<br>
• Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)<br>
• Bone fractures<br>
• Brain damage and lowered IQ<br>
• Damaged sperm and increased infertility<br>
• Deactivation of 62 enzymes<br>
• Dementia<br>
• Disrupted immune system<br>
• Disrupted synthesis of collagen n Genetic damage and cell death<br>
• Hyperactivity and/or lethargy<br>
• Impaired sleep (inhibits melatonin produced by the pineal gland)<br>
• Increased lead absorption<br>
• Increased tumor and cancer rate<br>
• Inhibited formation of antibodies<br>
• Lowered thyroid function<br>
• Muscle disorders</p>
<h3>Fluoride Dangers to Canines</h3>
<p>Dogs are at substantial long-term risk for exposure to unacceptably high levels of fluoride. They are, for example, at significantly higher probability for bone cancer than humans, with more than 8,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U.S., compared with about 900 human cases.</p>
<p>According to the EWG, a dog drinking normal amounts of tap water would be exposed to 0.05 to 0.1 milligram (mg) of fluoride per kilogram (kg) of body weight daily. A 10-pound puppy that daily eats about a cup of dog food would ingest approximately 0.25 mg fluoride per kg body weight a day, based on average fluoride content in the eight contaminated brands it tested. Altogether, the puppy could be exposed to 3.5 times more fluoride than the EPA allows in drinking water. Large breed puppies may be exposed to even more fluoride due to higher water intake.</p>
<p class="pullquote">
<strong>Fluoride-Free Feeding Tips</strong><br>
• In homemade food preparation, avoid Teflon-coated pans, which may increase the fluoride levels in food.<br>
• Avoid cooking with fluoridated water, which concentrates fluoride in the food.<br>
• Avoid toothpaste or oral rinses intended for humans, to brush canine teeth. Dental health products made for pets are fluoride-free.</p>
<p>Whatever the size and the appetite of a dog, combined fluoride exposure from food and water can easily become unsafe. Eating the same food every day, they may be constantly consuming more fluoride than is healthy for normal growth, leading to health problems and higher veterinary bills later in life.</p>
<h3>Prevent High Ingestion of Fluoride</h3>
<p>The EWG recommends owners purchase pet foods free of bone meal and other meals made from animal byproducts. It also suggests that government set fluoride limits in pet food that protect both puppies and large breeds most at risk for bone cancer.</p>
<p></p><div class="image-with-caption image-align-right">
<img alt="Javier Brosch/Shutterstock.com" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/574444/Dog-Water-Bowl.png"><div class="small">Javier Brosch/Shutterstock.com</div>
</div>Dr. Michael W. Fox, an internationally recognized veterinarian and former vice president of the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, recommends providing pets with fluoride-free water; spring water or reverse osmosis filtered water also works well.
<p>In preparing homemade food for a pet, make sure any added bone meal is free of fluoride and lead. Ethical bone meal producers will test for these contaminants; verify with the source.</p>
<p>Fox suggests a good bone meal substitute might be fossilized oyster shell, dolomite or a synthesized or refined calcium supplement like calcium citrate, ascorbate, stearate or gluconate. Or, consider a pure tricalcium and dicalcium phosphate, blended with magnesium.</p>
<p>Fox attests that bones from longer-lived food animals such as dairy cows, laying hens and breeding stock likely contain higher levels of fluoride than shorterlived animals like chickens, calves and lambs. In his article “Fluoride in Pet Food: A Serious Health Risk for Both Dogs and Cats?” he writes: “Fluorides accumulate in farmed animals over time from phosphate fertilizers, phosphate supplements, bone meal and fish meal supplements and pesticide and industrial-pollution-contaminated pastures and animal feed. The bones, fins, gills and scales of fish are often high in fluoride.” He recommends raw food diets that avoid ground bone from older animals like beef cattle and adult sheep.</p>
<p><br>
<em>Dr. Karen Becker is a proactive and integrative veterinarian in the Chicago area, consults internationally and writes <a href="http://HealthyPets.Mercola.com">Mercola Healthy Pets</a>.</em></p>
<p class="fineprint"><br>
<em>This article appears in the September 2017 issue of </em>Natural Awakenings.</p>
<hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.naturalawakenings.com">Natural Awakenings National</a></small></p>