Vital Animal News: August 25, 2024
Social Media Scares Vets; TikTok Dog Dies; Your Stress/Your Dog; Hot Spot Fix and MORE
Is Social Media Risky to Pet Health?
Dog “Influencer” Dies. But Why?
Are You Making Your Dog Pessimistic?
Tasty Tips: Hot Spot Quick Fix
Along the Natural Path
Vets Concerned re: Social media
Probably no surprise here, but conventional vets are concerned with your social media consumption.
Especially when it comes to making food choices for your pets.
The AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief featured this article in “Parade Pets” (??), oddly pointing to yet another article by a pet probiotics company. A vet at that company appears to be currying favor from conventional veterinarians (a far larger market than, you know, the “holistic vet” one):
Dr Ronan Fitzgerald, one of the veterinarians at Protexin Pet, explains, "Those who are opposed to the feeding of raw and home-made diets note that raw meat carries infectious agents that may be harmful, and potentially fatal, to at-risk pets and people. The caution also comes from experiences with dogs who have contracted serious illnesses and even died from eating raw foods, as well as owners who have contracted serious infections from handling raw ingredients.”
Yawn. The old “nasties in raw food” crew, trying to scare you away from feeding your dog’s inner wolf.
And then there’s those doggone nutritional imbalances.
But Dr. Fitz has made sure to help the readers of this piece (wink, wink):
…make sure their diet is properly balanced—if their diet is heavily meat- and fat-based, there’s a risk that your dog could end up lacking the fiber they need, as well as being deficient in essential minerals and vitamins, which can even lead to medical problems. Adding a supplement, such as Gut+Wellness, not only supports healthy gut bacteria but also contains vitamins A, B, D3, and E."
Da Big Question?
USA today weighs in as well asking the question, “Can dogs eat raw meat?”
Oh, my. Seriously? This doesn’t sound rhetorical, does it?
With thousands of dogs world wide eating raw food every day, is that really a valid question worthy of a nationwide publication?
Are thousands of dogs dying of malnutrition? Or infections? Or are thousands of owners in the hospital because of salmonella or E. Coli from handling raw meat?
They of course cite the TikTok “influencers” who are sharing pics of bowls of raw goodies, including “carefully placed quail eggs, chicken feet and raw beef.”
Then they cautiously answer their own question:
Yes, technically, dogs can eat raw meat.
Animals, especially wild ones, have stronger stomach acid than humans, which can help them break down raw meat and bones and kill off bacteria, New Scientist reports. Before dogs were domesticated (and even in the early days of domestication) their diet contained raw meat like most animals.
But that doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy for them.”
Oh oh.
Could it be bad? Have our domesticated dogs evolved namby pamby digestive systems now that no longer can handle raw meat and its potential bacteria load?
I mean, your cute lil Maltese sure doesn’t look like a wolf now, does she?
Of course not.
But, all we’ve really done to dogs is genetically select for appearance since we took them over from their wolf ancestors.
Floppy ears? Crooked legs? Curly coats? Newborn human baby shaped heads? We’ve got you covered!
But that powerful digestive system that could make do with carrion when prey was scarce?
It’s still there. The genetic call of the wild still resounds:
“Where’s the Prey?!”
Of course those who align with Big Pet Food would rather have you buying the byproduct laden, grossly over processed dry food like particles called kibble.
Because, you know, profits malnutrition.
There it is again.
How can you, without a nutrition degree and chemistry department, put together a food that’s balanced?
Look at any commercial pet food label. Could you expect to duplicate that in your kitchen?
That’s the very old argument that still keeps you scared if you haven’t stepped into the world of raw feeding. Yet.
(Of course, wolves do just fine ignoring those labels…)
And: No Research!
USA Today adds the modern day coups de grace,
According to a study from the University of California, Davis, there is little to no scientific support in favor of the raw diet. Research suggests canned diets and kibble, as well as home-cooked meals, are beneficial to your pet’s nutritional intake. In this case, the risks far outweigh any potential benefits of a raw meat diet.”
Well, that settles it, right?
I mean, if there’s no research supporting something thousands are doing at home, with (shudder) social media as their main support, seeing whiter teeth, sweet breath, amazing stools, gleaming coats, and amazing energy…
It can’t be real, right?
No science.
And we’re urged to “trust the science…” Yeah, that went over big in the masks don’t work/mask up! Stand 6 feet apart, stay home, shut down businesses and hide in your house to “flatten the curve” in a couple of weeks, right?
Scientists lied to us big time on Covid. If you need help understanding that, check out this interview between Dr. Rand Paul and RFKJr.
Turning the Tables
Before we leave this silliness, I’d love to have you join me on a mini take down of the USA Today article, which boldly tells us,
domesticated dogs today can handle a more varied diet than their wolf ancestors, an analysis published in Nature found. Researchers found dogs have "coevolved with humans and their diet" and are much better at digesting starch.”
Okay, so dogs can now digest starch. Great.
But let’s turn that argument around. Fair play, right?
Hey USA T folks:
But is that starch good for them?
It’s evident that dogs with diabetes are now all too common. It was extremely rare when I went through vet school in the 70’s.
Think any wolf or coyote or dingo ever suffers that disease?
I can assure you: they do not. It, like all the chronic diseases, is 100% manmade.
Starch is a string of sugars, loosely hung together.
It’s what keeps the food like particles in the bag from falling apart.
It’s in most treats.
If you feed enough carbs like starch, your pet will become obese, insulin resistant, and quite possibly join the growing stats of diabetic pets.
As always, we have a great example in Mother Nature, so when ever articles like this pop up, you can always ask: WWWD?
“What would a wolf do?”
If you follow that dictum, you’ll never be steered wrong or have cause to worry for your pet’s well being.
Clueless on TikTok
While we’re talking social media, TikTok in particular (which, I confess, I’ve never seen, it’s actually banned here in India) there is something to the idea that brainlessness could be pervasive there.
With pets and I’m sure many other areas.
Here’s a sad but revealing story of a dog named Woofy, who had, wait for it, 508,000 followers on said platform.
It seems Woofy passed away at age six, euthanized due to IMHA (which Parade Pets called IHMA, but oh never mind).
This is autoimmune disease, Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia, so my bells and whistles went off as soon as I happened on this.
In simple terms, it means Woofy’s immune system, designed for millennia by Mom Nature to defend her from all the baddies, like viruses, bacterial pathogens, and even tumor cells, had now turned against her own red blood cells!
Bad news, right?
Hang on
But wait. No one’s asking WHY this disease befell poor Woofy.
They are rather gushing over how she was put to “sleep” in the loving arms of her mommy and how her fans are racing to help pay the enormous vet bills with a GoFundMe campaign. (Goal: $50K. Yep, expensive disease with a 50:50 chance of survival after all the heroics in the ER)
Even People magazine rushed in to interview her surviving owner.
There’s a link to a UK vet service who tiptoes into the possible cause:
IMHA in dogs and cats can be triggered by different factors including infectious organisms, tumours and even drugs.…When a cause is not found, the disease is designated idiopathic (aka primary) IMHA; this means that without an obvious underlying trigger, your pet’s immune system has started destroying its own red blood cells.”
Oh, there’s that pesky term “idiopathic” once again. Meaning, “Beats me! No clue!”
We discussed it in regards to epilepsy back in this issue (and blew its cover there…)
A Likely Cause No One’s Gonna Mention
Wait, did you include “drugs,” Doc?
Would we be able to stretch that definition to include, erm… vaccines?
Technically, they are biologicals, but let’s do include them, as even though most vets won’t own this, vaccination certainly can and has caused autoimmune disease.
Here’s a cat patient of mine who succumbed to "just a rabies vaccine," same disease, same final outcome.
We don’t know, but a six year old, presumably healthy dog, suddenly going autoimmune and being euthanized…
…I’d be willing to bet this dog got another (unnecessary) vaccine, perhaps rabies or worse, a combo wombo of several vaccines.
All because her vet claimed Woofy was “due.”
Heartworm meds can cause this as well, and this was in New York state, and it’s summertime, so there’s another possibility.
Ever notice your dog seeming “off” around the first of every month?
And when do you give that monthly pesticide to kill HW larvae (that may or may not be present?) Hmmm…
Okay, I realize I’ve been a bit hard on this case, and there was an unfortunate death.
I’m just troubled and a bit incensed when I know over imposed “prevention” was the likely cause.
It’s my sincere wish that people will wake up to this over reaching medical madness and stop the damage it’s causing.
Including the loss of canine internet “influencers.”
Your Stress, Your Dog
The UK is out on yet another bender, it appears.
In addition to arresting people for social media posts, they are now concerned that your stress will make your dog “pessimistic.”
I really wish I was making this up.
This appeared in Science Daily and it’s stretching the definition of pessimism, in my mind.
Bristol Veterinary School did the, ahem, scientific research. <cough>
18 dogs quickly learned the location of two bowls, one that always had a food reward, and one that never did.
They got faster in their discernment as the trial went on.
Duh. So far, nothing too surprising, right?
But.
Enter the Stress
When those trained dogs smelled owner stress… (owners taking arithmetic tests)
…and they were faced with a bowl placed in an “ambiguous location” between the two known bowl locations…
They approached that third bowl slowly.
And the researchers labeled that behavior “pessimistic” vs the dogs who were treated to happy smells of their owners (who’d been listening to “soundscapes”) who approached the “ambiguously located” bowl rapidly.
Researchers suggest this 'pessimistic' response reflects a negative emotional state and could possibly be a way for the dog to conserve energy and avoid disappointment.”
God only knows how much tax payer money funded this important research…
But wait, there’s more.
And it makes stress look kinda good:
The team also found that dogs continued to improve their learning about the presence or absence of food in the two trained bowl locations and that they improved faster when the stress smell was present.” [Emphasis you-know-whose]
This work was done by a PhD student in the vet school.
Maybe a DEI hire?
Probably best if she stays in academia, as vet visits with her at the helm could be difficult and prolonged.
“Mrs. Jones, have you considered that you may be retarding your dog’s life experience by being stressed out so often? Sadie looks pretty pessimistic to me today!”
Tasty Tips: Hot Spot Fix
In the last issue we talked about fasting for a day a week and feeding once a day, picking the food up between meals.
Benefits are resting the digestive system’s work load and helping the blood glucose remain stable. Humans call it OMAD (one meal a day), one of several forms of intermittent fasting.
But today, a trick when you’re in a hot mess with your pet’s skin.
Mostly a dog disease, the vets call this “acute moist dermatitis” but it’s common name is “hot spot.”
Odds are, you’ve seen these at some point if you’ve had dogs in your life for some years.
Usually an angry red bare spot that your dog can’t seem to leave alone. It’s itchy!
And wet, as the name indicates, with some oozing serum along with the saliva from near constant licking.
Often hot spots show up on the rump, but they can appear elsewhere.
Conventional treatment
I plead ignorance as to modern treatments, but in my earlier incarnation as Dr. WhiteCoat, steroids were the drug of choice.
Immediate suppression of inflammation, one of steroids’ chief effects.
I’d submit that there are better ways than chemically burying a symptom like steroids are so adept at doing.
Fasting to the rescue!
As soon as you notice one of these red, oozing spots that your dog can’t lick enough, the surest way of buying some relief is a 48 hour fast.
I was reminded of this in my Vital Animal Alpha study group, when on our live monthly meeting in July, Jan asked for help with a fresh hot spot.
My 1 1/2 year old golden has developed a hotspot. We've been working with a classical homeopathic vet, so I don't want to interfere w/ that treatment. Wondering about giving acute remedies in this situation.
I also didn’t want to give another remedy, as Jan’s dog was under the deeper constitutional treatment by a colleague, so I suggested a 48 hour water fast.
Jan had concerns.
Her dog was a bit hyper and Jan didn’t think either of them could handle that much time with no food.
I advised lots of exercise and Rescue Remedy when ever stress seemed to be a big deal (for either dog or human ;-) )
In our August Alpha meeting last week, this happy report came in:
This is a follow-up of my dog with hotspots and we did 48 hours of fasting. It cleared right up!
So, you can do this as well in a similar situation. I’ve had it happen with several patients over the years.
And, if Rescue Remedy (or Bach Flower remedies in general) is unfamiliar to you, be sure you take my free Bach Flower Remedies for Animals course, part of the library you get access to when you join the Vital Animal Pack (also free). If you’re already a Pack member, simply login where your courses live.
Yet another benefit of fasting: drug free hot spot resolution!
Along the Natural Path
My morning exercise routine is a 3-5 mile bike ride, sometimes under threat of showers. It’s a chance to bathe my eyes in Nature’s greenery while also pushing back on my insulin resistance and building a bit of muscle.
(I’m often fasting from lunch the day before, so I’ve switched to fat burning by this time instead of glucose.)
The locals I pass variously stare, ignore me, or greet me with “Radhey Radhey,” knowing I’ll respond in kind with a smile.
As the monsoons have kept the ground pretty saturated, it’s not uncommon to find some mammalian relatives in the middle of the road. Off in the distance, there’s a pea hen and some white egrets foraging for bugs.
Traffic, no matter how busy, honks or simply goes around or both, as neither cows nor buffalo pay a horn much heed.
Their road presence means I have to circumnavigate manure piles along with the puddles and animals.
As happens every year at this time, school kids come by for a free backpack full of school supplies. Several thousands file through and their teachers receive a gift as well.
Where ever you find yourself on this amazing globe, I hope you’re getting out for fresh air, greenery, and exercise.
[“Use it or loose it” became apparent to me last year after a couple bedridden sick days, as my body could no longer straighten up without great pain. Adding back my morning yoga routine was the slow fix.]
And, as always, keep those animals close and keep on making wise choices on their behalf.
Till next time,
Will Falconer, DVM
I took in a feral cat recently and my niece expressed interest in taking him. I was thrilled and let her know all about him - including the fact that he is from a colony that has a lot of FIV+ cats (technically one but... I haven't tested them all ; ). So, I told her it'd be best to avoid the vet, including all vaccines, unless it's absolutely necessary. Guess what? He's still with me. She's 28 and completely indoctrinated by all things society has to sell. Ah well, Phil is a good addition to my home.
Seems to me the real takeaway from the pessimistic dog study is don't do math in front of your dog.
Here's my two cents on raw diets: they're great for most cats and dogs but not all. I have a cat who is absolutely thriving on a raw homemade diet. On the flip side, I have a now very senior dog who has never been able to handle raw meat, even as a kibble topper. In trying to help him eat a fresh diet and not sh!t his brains out, I've appreciated the comparatively nuanced guidance from Judy Morgan, Pitcairn's books, and especially the information about food energetics in Cheryl Schwartz's book Four Paws, Five Directions. Kibble is a "hot" food, and cooked meat is warm compared to its uncooked analogue. For a weakened animal without a lot of "fire", it is sometimes all they can handle.
Is this a symptom of underlying chronic disease? Almost certainly. He came to me as a very sick young adult and I can only imagine what happened before I knew him. I've thrown good money after bad trying to get to the bottom of it with a variety of conventional, "holistic" and "homeopathic" vets all to no avail. At this point in his life, my attitude is he does not have enough time on the clock to reverse whatever the underlying problem is, and can eat whatever he wants.
One final thought: Dogs are domesticated wolves just as much as humans are domesticated apes. Just as our diet has drifted toward the carnivorous, so has theirs drifted toward the vegetarian. One can argue that this hasn't been so great for either species, but it is, nonetheless, the reality of our collective and respective situations.
You are spot on about avoiding unnecessary pharmaceuticals and especially vaccines and "preventatives". I think this is the single most important thing we can do.