Warning! Our dog's immune systems are under attack! Insufficient or excessive immune responses are causing itching, inflammation and infection at an alarming rate. We are overexposing our dogs, and ourselves, to chemicals like vaccines, antibiotics, steroids, poisons, pesticides, herbicides and cleansers. These chemicals can weaken or over stimulate the immune system leading to itching, infection and/or inflammation of the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, lymphatic, endocrine, musculoskeletal, reproductive and/or nervous systems.
Strengthening the immune system can help prevent many immune mediated illnesses, and can minimize or even treat others. Diets, supplements and detoxifying are a nutritional and more natural way to begin supporting your fur-kids immune system.
Feeding the Body Well. At the very least, consider a raw diet. Raw food is the archetypical diet for the lupines living in our homes. Have you ever seen a wolf cooking over a campfire? Raw diets preserve theintegrity of naturally occurring enzymes, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals while maintaining the acidic pH of the entire digestive tract. Pre-made raw diets are as efficient as canned or dry.
Most pre-made raw diets are high in meat, bone and organ, with few vegetables and fruits (for their additional vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and prebiotic properties) and no grains. (In the wild, you will not see our canine fur-kids wild ancestors chewing corn off a cob, rummaging through a wheat field or swimming in a rice patty.) You can even find a selection of raw diets free from chemically-synthesized vitamins, minerals and trace elements, which is difficult with canned and kibbled diets.
If raw food diets are genuinely not an option, foods free of glutens or chemically-synthesized minerals are proving to be great alternatives. These diets use potato, tapioca or millet as a binder and have a reduced-carbohydrate content. (Don't forget, nearly every pet food recall in the last 10 years has been due to grains, including the 2007 recall, thelargest pet food recall in history) At all costs, avoid foods and treats with any form of by-product, soy, digests, BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, unidentified proteins and fats and anything artificial.
You may also opt to make your own homemade diets. Once again, it is recommended to keep it grain free, while adding organ and bone, and be sure that any vegetables or fruits are pureed or juiced and make up no more than 10 percent by weight of the diet. Avoid cured meats. Find a good whole food supplement to cover your bases. Making a homemade diet is not rocket science, contrary to what the pet food companies would like you to believe.
No matter how you choose to feed, offer variety and make filtered water available at all times.
Supplementing the Diet Well. Adding beneficial pro-biotic, prebiotics and enzymes to your fur-children's diet will help the immune system remain healthy or help it recover. When the good intestinal bacteria are healthy and plentiful, it helps keep pathogenic bacteria in check.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are naturally occurring in the intestinal tract. They stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, have natural antibiotic properties, help regulate hormones, help nutrient assimilation, inhibit bad bacterial overgrowth and enhance immune function.
Prebiotics are hardy sugars called oligosaccharides and they are food for probiotics. These are imperative to add to the diet. Even when colonies of probiotics are low within the intestinal tract, prebiotics will nourish them back to quantity.
Enzymes are the life-force of all living things. Without enzymes, life would not exist - they are responsible for digestion and absorption of food, and thousands of other biochemical functions in the body.
Cleansing the Body and Environment Well. One last natural systemic remedy is detoxification. Once excessive toxins are in the body, excretory organs and the blood stream, they need assistance in leaving. Cleansing or detoxifying helps give the body a cleaner slate to get itself healthy. Products containing milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion have detoxification effects.
To treat some of the external symptoms associated with disease, raw apple cider vinegar is a must have on hand. By diluting it 50/50 with filtered water (keep refrigerated), you can use it to clean ears, dip paws, sponge faces and rinse your dog's body. It can sting for a moment, but it will immediately relieve itching. It is simple, cheap and effective.
Unfortunately environmental sources can contribute to difficulties with your pet, as well. These are much harder to control, though there are a few pro-active steps you can take. Don't use pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers in your own yard. Keep your canine fur-child away from city parks and green spaces. They are notorious for using an abundance of chemicals. Clean your home with natural products like distilled white vinegar for natural stone and wood surfaces, carpets, glass, toilets and sinks. Use an aluminum foil ball in your dryer in place of softeners. And for scrubbing, mix vinegar and baking soda!
For more information: LoriLeigh Moreland, Owner Pet Empawrium & Spaw 12393 W. 64th Ave. Arvada, CO 80004 (303) 467-7777 www.petempawrium.com
