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I. Healing stories
From a Holistic Actions report on a member's journey.
Meet Darwin, a beloved 14-year-old cat.
He was facing significant health
challenges—chronic pancreatitis, suspected renal disease, and a rapidly declining energy level. His guardian felt helpless, watching him fade as conventional treatments offered little relief. That’s when they turned to a holistic approach.
With personalized nutrition, homeopathic remedies, and devoted care, Darwin’s health began to improve. His energy returned, his appetite grew stronger, and soon, he was back to
exploring his home.
He even joined his family on a 25-day motorhome adventure—something they never thought possible!
Though Darwin’s journey had its ups and downs, the focus was always on quality of life, love, and connection. When he passed peacefully at 16, his guardian felt immense gratitude for the joy and
richness this holistic journey had brought to both their lives for the last 2 years of Darwin's life.
While wishing they had discovered fresh food and homeopathy earlier, the owners realized it is never too late, even with seemingly end stage, incurable diseases like Darwin's multiple liver masses and cysts there can be many more years of quality life.
To find a homeopath for humans, the National Center for Homeopathy has good search page (and some veterinarians are there too).
To find a veterinary homeopath, and other modalities as well, read this
article with lots of links.
II. Tips for the Month
Peanut Butter
Many dog and cat parents use peanut butter as
treats for dogs. You know Xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats and probably have your favorite brands. At least one popular brand is now using Xylitol and many others may as well. Read your peanut butter label carefully, even if organic. The best would be if your store has a “grind it yourself” station – then you know there are no additives. A quiz – Do peanuts grow on trees?
Microbiome
More and more research is being done on our many microbiomes.
From JAHVMA Fall 2024 – Dr. Odette Suter, in the fall 2024 issue of the JAHVMA reminds us that there are beneficial microbes in the lungs, urinary bladder, brain, placenta and blood – not just the gut,
mouth and skin.
Here are some benefits of loving your bacteria. Holistic actions had a month of webinars on the microbiome to help build health and maybe avoid serious problems like epilepsy.
Let’s all go roll in the dirt!!
Epilepsy
Nine dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy and behavioral issues were given a fecal transplant with stool from a dog with epilepsy but normal behavior, which had fully responded to phenobarbital and remained seizure-free long-term. After one treatment, researchers reported “improvement in ADHD-like behavior, fear- and anxiety-like behavior, and quality
of life.” Read more here.
Here are a few things that would make your and your pets' bacteria happy that could prevent or even resolve
many problems and will never cause any harm:
- Feed them well: a diverse, fresh diet. If you are feeding commercial raw or lightly cooked, give a lot of treats, especially ones with bacteria (kefir, raw goat’s milk, etc)
- Skip the harsh chemicals & baths: Even with a wound, clean, but rarely a need for an anti-biotic (remember we do not want to kill most bacteria). After bathing, rinse with a tea solution to add bacteria back. Bathe very rarely. I wonder about the dry
shampoos – would they be better – stay tuned.
- Stay hydrated: A well-hydrated environment is key for bacteria to function optimally. Not just water, but fresh foods, melons, juicy things.
- Spend time outdoors: Exposure to different environments introduces a wider variety of bacteria, which helps strengthen the microbiome’s diversity
Holly Ganz of AnimalBiome emphasizes this, saying, “The core microbiome in healthy dogs is influenced by factors like diet, geographic region, body weight and age. A balanced gut is one of the keys to long-term
health.
One company I respect, Adored Beast, has many protocols to support gut health, especially their soil & sea
microbiome product.
Worth repeating from prior issues, try the many holistic alternatives for arthritis before considering Solensia or Librela . There is risk of neurological damage. And many holistic veterinarians are seeing other problems as well. Call me for a consult if you are considering it.
