Wheatgrass is a oxygen-filled super food

My dog just turned me on to one of nature’s most beneficial food sources for humans (and dogs and cats): wheatgrass. We’ve all heard of wheatgrass juice and yes, this is the same stuff. Now unpucker your face and read on!

It all started because my dog Katie loves to eat grass. At first this habit concerned me because I’d only heard that dogs eat grass when they’re sick. True, but then I did some research and it turns out that some dogs just enjoy grass and are often looking for something to replace the nutrients their diet is missing.  Oh, so grass has nutrients…duh, yeah like most things we are surrounded by; grass has been overlooked and at best relegated to the “ornamental” category. Most grass belongs there, but not wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is different. Anyway as providence would have it, my next issue of Dog Fancy magazine featured a one-pager on growing pet grass and suggested it was a good way to ensure that the grass my dog was eating was in fact nutrient-rich, organic and clean. So I went on line in search of organic hard red winter wheat berries to purchase and germinate for Katie.

I easily found the wheat berries I needed at a very reasonable price. I also found an enormous amount of information about wheatgrass and I soon began to understand that I would be growing this wheatgrass for my dog AND for me. In fact, I wondered why more people didn’t use wheatgrass in their diet as it seems to be one of the earth’s super foods – let me tell you a little bit of the info I found about wheatgrass:

Let’s start with chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is the “blood” of plants. Virtually identical to our own hemoglobin (both substances carry oxygen to cells), chlorophyll is oxygen and nutrient rich and is easily absorbed into our blood making nutrient delivery efficient. Chlorophyll is what makes plants green. It is critical for photosynthesis which allows the plant to literally absorb sunshine and turn it into energy.

Here are some great things I learned about the benefits of wheatgrass chlorophyll from the folks at WheatGrassKits.com:

• Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.

• Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll.  The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.

• Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer. (think wheatgrass pulp)

• Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility.  (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)

• Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.

• Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.

• Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.

• Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.

• In the American Journal of Surgery (1940), Benjamin Gruskin, M.D. recommends chlorophyll for its antiseptic benefits. The article suggests the following clinical uses for chlorophyll: to clear up foul smelling odors, neutralize Strep infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure chronic sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation and infection, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers, eliminate impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal sores, successfully treat inflammation of the uterine cervix, get rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever, and cure advanced pyorrhea in many cases.

• Dr. Birscher, a research scientist, called chlorophyll “concentrated sun power.” He said, “chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs.”

• According to Dr. Birscher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.

Hard to argue with the benefits of chlorophyll or that wheatgrass is a great way to get chlorophyll.

Wheatgrass as survival food

As stated above, wheatgrass has over 100 elements needed by man for bodily survival. Wheatgrass contains the entire range of necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential amino acids, and nutrients (including beta carotene, folic acid and vitamin C) that we need to survive.

Wheatgrass is a complete protein. So basically if all you had to eat was wheatgrass, you could make it for quite a while and be quite healthy too.

Wheatberries (wheatgrass seeds) can keep for years (like 50+) as long as you store them in a cool, dry space and in an airtight container.

Wheatgrass in daily diet

Taking into account what I’ve already shared re: benefits of wheatgrass chlorophyll, fresh, high quality wheatgrass juice has also been said to be useful in:

• Detoxing the organs

• Strengthening the immune system

• Boosting the body’s PH levels, reducing food cravings (weight loss/control)

• Improving eye sight and night vision

• Enhancing gum health

• Rejuvenating tissue

• Reversing the aging process, including eliminating gray hair (I know, right?!)

So what’s bad about wheatgrass?

While there’s nothing truly “bad” about wheatgrass and it is not toxic in any way even if you consume high quantities, there can be adverse effects to consuming too much wheatgrass juice. Keep in mind that wheatgrass is an excellent detoxifier, but detoxifying is never something you want to do too much or too fast.

If you’re new to wheatgrass you should limit your intake to 1 oz of wheatgrass juice per day, max. Keep to this for at least the first week. After that you can build to 2 oz per day, but even then the safest way is to take 1 oz in the morning and 1 oz in the evening. This stuff is potent!

Drink wheatgrass on an empty stomach or you may experience nausea. Wait at least half an hour before eating.

How to get wheatgrass into your diet

There are many ways to get wheatgrass into your daily diet, but keep in mind that fresh, organic wheatgrass juice is best. You can buy it flash-frozen and here are some links for you to consider in that regard:

For most of us, that means growing and juicing our own. So here are some tips on that:

Growing your own wheatgrass

Organic Hard Red Wheat Berries

You can certainly buy wheatgrass growing kits and for the beginner that may be the easiest route at first. But growing wheatgrass is really easy and if you want to go it alone, you’ll need:

• Organic hard red wheat berries
• Fine mesh strainer
• Cup or jar
• Plastic sprouting tray
• Organic potting soil
• Paper towels
• Plate or draining saucer

Instructions:

• Using the strainer, rinse berries well under pure running water
• Pour the berries into the cup or jar and fill with water, just covering the berries
• Soak the berries for 8 to 12 hours (shorter in the summer, longer in the winter)
• Fill your plastic tray with potting mix and place the tray on the plate or saucer
• Drain the berries using the strainer, rinsing gently and spread them evenly over the soil
• Layer 2-3 paper towels over the berries and water over the towels. Do this every day for 3 days, making sure the paper towels stay moist
• In 3 days time you should have grass shoots, so remove the paper towels and put the tray in a sunny location
• When the grass is 6-7 inches tall, it is ready for juicing and eating

Stuff to help you grow your own:

Organic Wheatgrass Growing Kit – Grow & Juice Wheat Grass: Trays, Seed, Soil, Instructions & More	Organic Wheatgrass Growing Kit w/ Hurricane Stainless Steel Wheat Grass Juicer- Everything to Grow & Juice Wheatgrass	Certified Organic Hard Red Wheat – 5 Lbs – For Growing Wheatgrass to Juice, Sprouting Seed, Grinding to Make Flour & Bread, Growing Ornamental Wheat Grass & More. Makes Excellent Food Storage. Outstanding Germination Rate.

Juicing your wheatgrass

You’ll definitely need a juicer for this process. Blenders don’t really work. Some find luck using a mortar and pestle. Either way, here are some tips:

• Cut the grass ½ “above the soil surface with scissors
• If using a juicer, follow instructions in the juicer manual
• If using mortal and pestle, first chop up the grass. Then, while adding a little water at a time, grind it into a fine paste. Use a clean muslin cloth to strain the juice into a cup. Repeat the process using the same leaves until the grass turns white (this means all the chlorophyll has been extracted)

Here are some additional links that may be of help to you:

Wheatgrass Juice 90 Caps	Wheatgrass Deep Cleansing Shampoo 12 Oz	Wheatgrass Sprouting Seed Cert. Organic (Agropyron elongatum; Tall Wheatgrass) 1 lb: C	Wheatgrass Nature’s Finest Medicine

Wheatgrass	The Wheatgrass Book	Starwest Botanicals Organic Wheatgrass Powder, 1 lbs	Healthy Juicer - Manual Hand Powered Wheatgrass Juicer - Wheat grass juicer

Resources:

Adamson, Eve (2011). “Grow Pet Grass”, Dog Fancy, August 2011

Stewart, Christopher. “Wheatgrass Exposed”, WheatgrassKits.com, 2009, http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/issue3.htm

“Benefits of Wheat Grass”, AmazingGrass.com, accessed August 2011,  http://www.amazinggrass.com/benefits-of-wheat-grass.html

“What Are Wheat Grass and Wheatgrass Juice?”, DynamicGreens.com, accessed August 2011, http://www.dynamicgreens.com/wheatgrass-benefits-of-wheatgrass.html

“Side Effects Of Wheatgrass”, WheatGrass.me, access August 2011, http://www.wheatgrass.me/side-effects-wheatgrass

“How much wheatgrass juice should I drink?”, HappyJuicer.com, access August 2011, http://www.happyjuicer.com/wheatgrass/how-much-wheatgrass.aspx

In the worst case scenario, it results in a fatal worm infestation in the heart and blood vessels of an infected dog.

Fortunately, heartworm disease can be prevented. It can also be successfully treated when caught in time.

The American Heartworm Society (AHS), an organization that studies the disease, its treatment and prevention, recommends yearly heartworm testing for all dogs. The AHS also recommends year-round chemical preventives for every dog over the age of eight weeks, regardless of where the dog lives.

Sources:

• Examiner.com April 26, 2010

Dr. Becker’s Comments:

The American Heartworm Society has three “platinum” sponsors and five “bronze” sponsors. All eight are major pharmaceutical manufacturers.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the AHS recommends year-round, birth-to-death heartworm prevention drugs – no matter where you live, the time of year, the age of your dog, his size or health status.

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Three things, specifically:

1. Huge conflict of interest potential. Heartworm prevention through the overuse of potentially toxic medications sold by pharmaceutical giants like Bayer Healthcare, Merial and Pfizer, is a virtual money machine for drug manufacturers, online retailers, testing laboratories, veterinarians and any other entity that can find a way to cash in.When there’s money on the table – in this case billions of dollars – your pet’s health and quality of life can quickly become a secondary concern.Note also that the ASH recommendation for year-round dosing is not because your pet needs it year-round in every state, but because it’s assumed dog owners will forget to re-start the medication when the weather warms up.And by the way – heartworm “preventives” don’t actually prevent your pet from getting worms. What they do is poison the larvae at the microfilaria (L1-L2) stage of development, causing them to die.
2. Relatively low actual incidence of life-threatening infection. Heartworm disease is more difficult to acquire – and less lethal – than the dire warnings and marketing claims for chemical preventives would have you believe.In order for heartworm disease to take hold, a precise sequence of events must occur involving the right climate, the right temperature for the right amount of time, the right species and sex of mosquito, and your dog’s less-than-optimal immune system function.This information is not intended to minimize the need to protect your dog, but only to point out the actual potential for heartworm disease is less than you’ve been led to believe by financially-motivated marketing campaigns designed to scare pet owners into buying 12 doses of preventive, year in and year out, regardless of where you live!
3. The existence of less toxic recommendations. There are less harmful protocols to prevent heartworm in your dog than a lifetime of once-monthly, year-round doses of toxic drugs.

How Heartworm Disease Happens

Heartworms are a variety of roundworm with the clinical name dirofilaria immitis. They are spread by mosquitoes.

Dogs can only get heartworm disease through infected mosquitoes. They can’t get it from other dogs or other types of animals, from dog feces, or from their mothers while in the womb or through nursing.

Only certain mosquitoes can transmit heartworm to your dog. These mosquitoes must meet certain precise criteria, including:

• They must be female.
• They must be of a species that allows development of the worms in the cells of the body (not all species do).
• They must be of a species that feeds on mammals (not all do).
• They must have bitten an animal infected with stage 1 (L1) heartworms about two weeks prior, since approximately 14 days are necessary for the larvae from the other animal to develop to stage 3 (L3) inside the transmitting mosquito.

This mosquito must then bite your dog. When the larvae reach stage L4-L5, which takes three to four months, under

the right conditions they can travel via your dog’s bloodstream to the lungs and heart.

If your dog’s immune system doesn’t destroy these invaders, they will reach maturity (L6), the adult stage, in which males can grow to six inches in length and females to 12.

Two other critically important features in the transmission of heartworm are:

1. The right temperature. During the time the heartworm larvae are developing from L1 to L3 inside an infected mosquito, which is approximately a two-week period, the temperature must not dip below 57°F at any point in time. If it does, the maturation cycle is halted. According to Washington State University heartworm report from 2006, full development of the larvae requires “the equivalent of a steady 24-hour daily temperature in excess of 64°F (18°C) for approximately one month.”
2. Humidity and standing water. Mosquitoes are a rarity in dry climates.

As you can see, in order for your dog to develop heartworm disease, a number of things have to happen with near-perfect timing under a precise set of circumstances.

Information on how many cases of canine heartworm disease occur each year in the U.S. is scarce. The AHS provides a heartworm incidence map for the years 2001, 2004 and 2007 which you might find helpful. Keep in mind it is a very general guideline and shouldn’t be viewed as the only decision-making tool at your disposal.

Assessing Your Dog’s Risk

There are only a few areas in the U.S. in which giving a nine month to year-round heartworm preventive might be advisable – those areas are in south Texas, south Florida, and a few other locations along the Gulf coast. The rest of the U.S. ranges from three to seven months of high exposure risk. The majority of states are at six months or less.

Given that heartworm preventives are insecticides designed to kill heartworm larvae inside your animal, and therefore have the potential for short and long-term side effects damaging to your pet’s health, the first bit of information you need is your dog’s actual risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes.

I recommend you talk to a holistic veterinarian in your area to get this question answered. If you don’t have a holistic vet, you can find a directory at www.ahvma.org. Many holistic vets do phone consultations, which can be an alternative if there are no doctors practicing in your immediate area.

A holistic vet will be knowledgeable not only about the risk of heartworm disease in your location, but also potential side effects of chemical preventives, and alternatives to over treating with these products, as well as suggesting detox options.

And if the vet you consult has already seen or treated your dog, he or she will also be able to assess the risks and benefits for your particular situation.

First Things first

The next consideration is how to best protect your dog from heartworm disease with the least amount of impact to her overall health, including:

• Feed a balanced, species-appropriate diet. The healthier your dog is, the less attractive she’ll be to all types of pests and parasites, and the better able her immune system will be to fight off invaders. Parasites are more attracted to weak animals.
• And speaking of keeping her immune system healthy, take care not to allow your pet to be overloaded with toxins through unnecessary vaccinations and repeated courses of antibiotic or steroid therapy – two of the most overprescribed drugs in veterinary medicine.
• Control mosquitoes. Use a non-toxic insect barrier in your yard and around the outside of your home. Don’t take your dog around standing water. Stay indoors at dawn and dusk. Make liberal use of a safe, effective bug spray.

Safe and Sane Heartworm Prevention

If you live in a region of the U.S. where mosquitoes are prevalent and you’ve determined your dog’s risk of exposure to heartworm disease is high, my recommendations are:

• Go the natural route — using heartworm nosodes and/or other homeopathic treatments and/or herbal/dietary supplements — under the guidance of a holistic veterinarian, with heartworm testing every three to four months (checking more frequently is critical as all natural heartworm prevention doesn’t guarantee your pet will never contract the disease).
• Providing your dog is healthy with good kidney and liver function, go with a chemical preventive at the lowest effective dosage (compounded if necessary for dogs that weigh at the low end of dosing instructions), at six (not four) week intervals, for the minimum time necessary during mosquito season.
• Don’t use ‘silver bullet’ all-in-one products that prevent against every known GI worm and external parasite. If you use traditional heartworm preventives, the goal is to use the least amount of drug that successfully prevents heartworm. Using the heartworm ‘plus’ products, which unnecessarily deworm your pet monthly for GI parasites she doesn’t have, are more drugs your pet doesn’t automatically need.
• Follow up treatment with natural liver detox agents like milk thistle and SAMe, again with guidance from your pet’s holistic vet. And don’t add to your dog’s toxic load by administering chemical flea or tick preventives during the same week.
• Calculate the month you need to begin (and discontinue) prevention based on temperatures in your area. See the charts below for guidelines:
  
• Always have your vet do a heartworm test before beginning any preventive protocol.

Pets on Car Trips

These tips hold for long trips as well as for running around town with your pet.

ALWAYS confine your pet when in the car. I know, I know. This is a tough one for me too, but in the end it is the smartest thing you can do for your pet when in the car.

Think about what may happen if you get into an accident? Even a bumper thumper or simply braking hard can send your pet and other loose objects in your car sailing through the air and ending up injured or worse. Imagine what a big accident could do.

Also, pets should never be allowed to ride with their heads out the window of your car. Doing so makes them vulnerable for getting hit by flying road debris, for getting injured should you need to brake hard, and while the rushing air may feel good to the animal, it will ultimately dry out their eyes and noses.

I have a harness for my dog that attaches to the back seat belt. It is covered in sheepskin and I think it is very comfortable for my pup. Of course she hates it! But if she had her way, she’d be driving the car! Cats on the other hand probably wouldn’t do well confined with a seat belt.

Another option in the car is a crate or carrier. Depending on the size of your dog and the size of your car, this may be one of the best options. If you have more than one dog, you may consider a crate in the car. For cats, a carrier is the best idea. This gives them a range of movement, yet still keeps them secure.

You can find carriers and crates for cats and dogs at Amazon.com.

You can also find more automotive pet safety gear and pet restraints at Amazon.com.

When you embark on your road trip, remember to bring plenty of water for your pet and a bowl to drink it out of. Also remember snacks and food, but for most pets you don’t want to overfeed them on the road as they may experience car sickness. To help prevent car sickness, feed your pet a light meal four to six hours before departing. Do not give an animal food or water in a moving vehicle.

Another good idea is to take some short, practice road trips – especially if your dog doesn’t normally spend much time in the car.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER

Never travel with your pets – secured or unsecured – in the open bed of a pickup truck. This practice accounts for more pet travel deaths than any other.

Air Travel with Pets

Most airlines will transport your pet for a fee. You will definitely need a hard-sided travel crate for airline travel – in fact you may need a specific type of carrier. Medium and large animals will have to ride in the baggage area of the plane. There are some problems with this which you may want to consider before buying your pet a ticket.

First off, many airlines do not pressure control or temperature control the baggage area of the plan. This can put your pet in real peril. Most airlines will not ship pets as checked baggage during extreme hot and cold weather. Some airlines have special programs that allow you to ship your pets as cargo, during the times of the day when the temperatures are the most moderate.

Check with your airline to see how they handle transporting pets. Good ones will send you a list of rules that are designed to ensure the safe arrival of your pets. If you don’t get this information from an airline or if they don’t have any real rules, you may want to travel on an alternate carrier.

You may want to read the Department of Transportation monthly air travel consumer report that has specific info on animal “mishaps” aboard domestic carriers before making a final decision. You can find that report here: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm

No matter how you choose to travel with your pet use common sense and always consider what is best for your pet. You may find that the best thing you can do for your pet is to leave them home or board them locally while you are away.

Dog anal glands are a smelly, messy subject. Yet if you’re like me and have a dog with anal gland issues it is also an unavoidable subject. I’ve been dealing with my pup’s glands since she came to me over two years ago. Before then, I didn’t even know what an anal gland was…ah, ignorance is bliss.

Over the past two years I’ve become more than acquainted with dog anal gland problems. What exactly is the problem? Some dogs cannot naturally express their anal glands for one or more reasons. The gland fluid then builds up and must be manually expressed by you, your vet or your groomer.

There are many schools of thought regarding the manual expression of anal gland fluid. Bottom line is that the glands MUST be expressed regularly – one way or the other – or it can cause infections and other major problems for your pup.

A Little Background

Dogs have anal glands that ideally release their fluid whenever the dog relieves him/her self. This fluid is a marker of sorts; it identifies the dog to other animals that come sniffing around later. When dogs ran wild, they used this fluid to mark their territory. While nowadays most domesticated dogs no longer need this marker, the glands are still present and they still produce fluid. Most dogs naturally express their. But some dogs don’t.

Why Do Some Dogs Express & Others Not

Good question, but there’s no real answer. It could be several things, including:

• Glands ill-positioned. They’re just not in the right place and therefore cannot be expressed naturally.
• Stool not firm enough. A firm stool could get the job done in some cases. As the stool is excreted it pushes against the glands squeezing out fluid.
• Allergies. Dog is susceptible to food, seasonal or environmental allergies that cause anal fluid to build up more quickly than the dog can naturally secrete it.

Solving The Anal Gland Problem

Most veterinarians will tell you – there’s not much to be done. One thing that seems to be true is that how you deal with it and which method is best can and does vary from dog to dog. There’s been some research but no one has discovered why this problem occurs or what to do about it long term. In the short term, there are a variety of options.

Less invasive options include:

• Increase stool firmness and frequency of bowel movements. You can add flax seed meal or cooked pumpkin to your dog’s food (ask your vet to suggest how much) or choose a high fiber dog food.
• Increase frequency of walks. Some dogs may need extra time to express naturally.
• Buy better food. Cheaper dog foods have lots of fillers and some believe this is the cause of some dog’s anal issues. Buying a higher grade food is a good idea in any case as fillers have little to no nutritional value and can trigger dog allergies.

On the more invasive side:

• Surgery. Actually removing the glands, but in only the most serious cases should this even be considered. On some dogs it’s not even possible. This is an option that you should talk over with your vet and think about very, very carefully. Surgery is expensive and is always a risk to your dog’s life.
• Manual expression. This is the most common choice. It is a simple procedure that can be carried out by your vet, many groomers or even yourself. Normally manual expression needs to happen about once per month, however with some dogs you’ll find it has to be done more frequently and with others, less so.

How It Is Done Manually – External vs Internal

There are two ways most vets and groomers express dog anal glands manually. Keep in mind that the gland fluid is highly unpleasant to smell, and can spray out unexpectedly during expression. Expressing in a tub or outdoors allows you to control the mess and odor better.

Glands are located at approximately 5 and 7 o’clock around the anus. Using the “exterior” squeeze method, feel for the glands with your thumb and forefinger under the anal opening. Glands are about the size of a kidney bean, but may be enlarged if impacted or infected.

Press in and squeeze with your finger and thumb in an upward motion. Use firm pressure, but not so firm that you hurt or otherwise cause discomfort to your dog. This works best with a warm washcloth covering the anus to prevent the secretions from spraying. Repeat this until no fluid comes out. When you’re sure they are empty, wash the anal area with mild soap and warm water.

Internal expression method involves inserting a finger in your dog’s anus and squeezing each gland between the thumb and finger. Before you embark on this particular mission, have your vet show you exactly how it is done. You don’t want to inadvertently hurt your buddy.

Another Idea on Manual Expression

Dealing with this issue has made me a sort of amateur anal gland sleuth. I’ve investigated many solutions to the dog anal gland problem and tried several of them (barring surgery which I won’t even consider). I continue to be open to suggestions! And continue to research the issue hoping someone out there will come up with an idea to end the issue completely. Until then, I go the manual expression route. This gets expensive – vets charge approximately $20, but do a good job. Groomers who use the external method are cheaper at around $8-10, but often the exterior method is not as thorough and may need to be repeated often.

I’ve tried both manual styles personally with poor results. So we come to my alternative method, discovered accidentally.

My Alternative Dog Anal Gland Expression Method

This simple method takes more time and patience, but I feel it ultimately offers a calmer, less traumatic experience for you and for your dog.

1. Have your dog lay down on his/her side on a comfortable surface.
2. IMPORTANT: Place a big, thick towel under your dog’s behind.
3. Wear rubber gloves.
4. Gently stroke and talk soothingly your dog until he/she relaxes completely.
5. Lift the dog’s tail so that it is up and away from the anus. If the dog resists the tail lift, continue to stroke and talk until the dog relaxes and allows you to lift the tail.
6. Apply gentle pressure with two fingers around the outside of the anus. At first you may not see anything come out, but continue to apply GENTLE pressure.
7. Once the fluid starts coming out, continue applying pressure until no more fluid comes out.
8. Now from the other side of the anus, begin applying gentle pressure. This will get the second gland. Continue until no more fluid comes out.
9. Be careful, as the fluid can spurt out – that’s why you need a big towel.

The only real downside to this method is that it takes a little more time. Usually takes me about 20 minutes. But in that 20 minutes you’re giving your dog gentle, calming attention at the same time that you’re getting this done.

The upside is that it is YOU doing the job. Your dog feels much more comfortable with you touching him/her than a stranger. Another plus is that it is a calmer, less tense and less stressful method for the dog. And lastly, it will save you some money. The only cost is laundering the big towel and buying the gloves.

I’ve never seen this method described anywhere, but it works. As long as you can get your dog relaxed, you can do this.

In no way does this idea supplant any advice from your veterinarian. There may be occurrences when this method does not work and you’ll need to revert to one or more of the other methods. Bottom line – always do what is right for your dog.

Good luck!

Unlock the Power – The Benefits of Carrots

1. Carrots need no description; they have been around for thousands of years and are a part of the diet in every culture of the world. Their texture and sweetness has also attracted our canine friends as well.
2. Many use carrots as a treat for their dogs but few understand all the benefits of carrots for both dogs and cats (while few use fresh carrots as a treat for cats, there are many benefits of using carrots in a balanced natural feline diet).
3. Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidants and phytonutrients, which are thought to help protect the heart and reduce the risk of cancer.
4. Our mothers encouraged us to eat carrots for good vision. They are the richest source of beta-carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A, which is essential for good vision, especially night vision. Adequate Vitamin A also helps protect humans from macular degeneration and could have the same benefit for our pets.
5. Foods high in carotenoids are thought to be beneficial for blood sugar regulation. They may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

The benefits of carrots are many, however, one must keep in mind that too much of a good thing is not always best. Carrots have calories and too many carrots in the diet as snacks can encourage weight gain. “Everything in moderation” is the key.

*source: Holistic Select Blog, http://www.holisticselect.com/blog/index.php/pet-nutrition/carrots/, 1/26/2010

Women’s Health Magazine (July/August 2010) recently published an article about some of the really bad stuff found in our drinking water these days. It was good info, so here is a summary of their findings.

Here are just a few of the things most of us in the USA can expect to find in our tap water.

Chlorine

No surprise here. I know personally that I can smell the chlorine in my water the second the tap starts running. Water treatment plants add chlorine to water to kill parasites and viruses found in fresh water sources. This is the reason you shouldn’t drink, nor allow your pets to drink, from streams, rivers, lakes or creeks without purifying the water first. Even crystal-clear streams usually contain microorganisms that can make you sick. Fresh water contaminants like protozoa, bacteria and viruses, can cause serious illness.

What’s bad about chlorine? In small doses, nothing really. In fact, it is the main reason we are even able to get drinking water from natural sources. But prolonged exposure can lead to bad results in some people, including birth defects or miscarriage.

Best option: Filter it out. Once the chlorine has done its job, there’s no reason to drink it. Inexpensive filters like these can remove the chlorine before it ever gets to your or your children’s lips:

Lead

If you live in a house or building built before 1975, you probably have lead in your water. This is because your pipes contain lead that can leach into your water.

Lead is bad news, even in small amounts. Symptoms of lead poisoning include irritability, anemia, nerve damage, miscarriage and other fetal issues.

Again, some filters on the market such as the Culligan US-EZ-4 EZ-Change Level-4 Under-Sink Drinking Water System can reduce or eliminate the lead in water. But you can also simply run your tap water for two minutes before filling your cup or glass. This will allow any stagnate water to flush out of the pipes. Fresh water flowing through the pipes won’t have the chance to absorb much lead.

Bacteria

Broken pipes ans sewage systems are the cause of most bacteria that we find in our tap water.  Even a small amount of bacteria could make you and your family sick. That “24-hour bug” many people seem to get once in a while? Probably due to bacteria in our drinking water.

Again, water filtration systems like those mentioned above can help eliminate this scary bacteria.

Hormones, Drug By-Products

Most people realize that whatever they put into their bodies – food, drinks, vitamins, prescription and non-prescription drugs, etc. – eventually come out of the body again, one way or another. Urine makes its way back into the our water systems and there is no good way of filtering out most drug by products from that urine-laced water just yet.

Sorry for sounding gross, but this is reality people – at least for those of us that rely on municipal tap water sources. And here is some more truth – while some drugs probably won’t do much harm to us, like aspirin for instance, others – like prescription drugs such as antibiotics and birth control pills – can really screw our bodies up.

There’s not much to be done about this one right now. Most filters won’t help. They say the EPA is on the case trying to figure out a way to remove drug residues from our waters. We’ll have to wait and see how that goes.

Bottled Water?

You might think that this is the easy answer, but studies show that most bottled water is just glorified tap water – some less filtered than if you purchased your own filter and drank your own tap water.

In 1999, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published the results of a four-year study in which researchers tested more than 1,000 samples of 103 brands of bottled water. These researchers found:

“An estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle—sometimes further treated, sometimes not.”

*source: AllAboutWater.com

The Importance of Drinking Clean Water
Water is critical to proper food digestion, kidney health, brain function, blood health, joint functionality, and more. It’s important to make sure that the water you drink is devoid of contaminants.

If you’re interested in more information about water filtration systems, click here to Browse water filtration systems at Amazon.com

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August 21, 2006

Urbana, Ill—The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cautions animal owners that xylitol, a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and other products can potentially cause serious and even life-threatening problems for pets.

“Last year, we managed more than 170 cases involving xylitol-containing products,” says Dana Farbman, CVT and spokesperson for the Center. “This is a significant increase from 2004, when we managed about 70.” Barely halfway into 2006, the Center has already managed about 114 cases. Why the increase? “It’s difficult to say,” Farbman states. “Xylitol products are relatively new to the United States marketplace, so one possibility may be an increase in availability.”

According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. “These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product. Therefore, it is crucial that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately.” Dr. Dunayer also stated that there appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs.

While it was previously thought that only large concentrations of xylitol could result in problems, this appears to no longer be the case. “We seem to be learning new information with each subsequent case we manage,” says Dr. Dunayer. “Our concern used to be mainly with products that contain xylitol as one of the first ingredients. However, we have begun to see problems developing from ingestions of products with lesser amounts of this sweetener.” He also says that with smaller concentrations of xylitol, the onset of clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 hours after ingestion. “Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that even if your pet does not develop signs right away, it does not mean that problems won’t develop later on.”

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center strongly urges pet owners to be especially diligent in keeping candy, gum or other foods containing xylitol out of the reach of pets. As with any potentially toxic substance, should accidental exposures occur, it is important to contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for immediate assistance.

The full ASPCA press release can be found at : http://www.aspca.org/pressroom/press-releases/082106.html

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