"They" are definitely promoting spaying as cancer-prevention.
Not so serious, but I remember taking my border collie with double dew claws on her back legs, to a vet who recommended removing the claws because they might get caught in something. I pointed out that I might very well get my fingernails caught in something yet I didn't want them removed and didn't think the risk of anesthesia was worth it. He seemed taken aback. By the way, she lived to be about 12 and NEVER caught a dew claw in anything!
I started my career at 15 in a no kill shelter. We were taught to repeat the mantra spay and neuter prevents cancer in general. Mammary cancer in females and testicular cancer in males. As well as pyometra. I went into veterinary nursing (allopathic) and this was message was repeated in school and by every doctor I knew. When I switched over to natural medicine ~14 yrs ago I learned there was no scientific evidence to back it up. It was simply a tactic for population control and maybe a profit motive at this point.
There was however evidence by then of the enormous harm altering the hormones of an animal does to their health long term. Contributing to the rise in cancer and joint disease.
Altering God’s perfect design never worked out well for anyone.
There are many large dog breeders who won’t guarantee a dogs long term hip, spine and other health outcomes if you spay or neuter your dog prior to 18 months. I’ve read elsewhere that fixing any sooner will deprive the animal of vital hormones necessary to fully mature the skeletal and immune systems and we have followed this rule for our own dogs (although both are less than 30 lbs). If I’d have known leaving the testes was smarter I would have done so! Does the same rule apply to females? Obviously they are at higher risk of unintended pregnancy but they need their body parts too!
Yes, it does, next issue I’ll present some data on females. This page also has some concerning findings: http://vitalanimal.com/neutering/ And good for those breeders! Though guaranteeing any health outcome seems fraught. So many variables in raising animals and the choices people have before them…
So good to see your journey into natural medicine! Music to the ears.
Some frustrations though abound however. When a dog gets a pyo, all vets hear is the same refrain of, "we have no money for vet care." This is especially concerning in a closed pyo scenario. Nor do most have pet insurance. Vets are blamed for not taking payments yet we did that years ago and never got paid and this had a significant impact on small general practices. Hopefully people can qualify for Care Credit and Scratch Pay now for the sake of their pets. And sadly, there is a pet population control issue:{.
I've cured a couple of pyos (100% of my pyos, have to say, as I only had two!) with constitutional homeopathy. But that's also not free, it's careful work aimed at the individual and their unique response to the disease.
This is a true problem. I do not speak of keeping them intact to people that cannot be responsible owners in the other areas, to be honest.
I find it all the more vital to teach the foundational principles of healthier living/care first. Almost all of the people who I help are coming to me because they want to do this. Starting with diet, no (or less) vaccines, and alternative methods of prevention.
Do dogs do better on raw or cooked food? I have seen arguments on both sides: 1) raw is best because that’s how dogs in the wild eat; and 2) dogs do well on cooked food because they have evolved with humans for tens of thousands of years and have successfully adapted (evolved?) to cooked food.
My second question is about a tiny kitten who wandered into our yard and is now living under our shed until we can coax her out and bring her into the house. What does one feed cats? I’m sure that kibble is junk food for cats. But how does canned food stack up? What should I be feeding this kitten? Thanks in advance for any advice.
We’ve not selected for dogs’ digestive systems, only for appearance, so the voice within still cries, “Yo! Where’s the prey?” Some say they can digest starch now. Yeah, so? Does that mean it’s good for them? Hell no. The only exception for cooked food are some of the seniors who seem to no longer have their digestive fire in order. For them cooked food makes sense, but everyone else it doesn’t.
Mary- canned food is better than dry food for any animal, but especially for a cat. After that, I would learn about raw food because a raw food diet for a cat is best and it has to be one that gives all the nutrients that a cat needs -once you learn it it’s easy! Good luck!
We have put in a supply of canned cat food for our little one. And we’re giving her water and another bowl of cream that contains no additives. She’s just old enough to have stopped nursing. Thanks for your advice! We feed our dogs salmon, ground beef, veal, lamb, and eggs. We could easily feed the kitten that same food.
I feed my dogs and cats the same raw diet, with no carbs or veggies added. The dogs like to eat dry roasted peanuts which we give to the horses as treats, and they also eat horse poop so they are eating some vegetable master on their own terms, but cats generally don't choose carbs and veggies, although I have a friend whose cat steals bread at every opportunity, so go figure. Although it was kibble and canned fed and died at 10 of cancer...
I had one cat who loved cooked (soft) green beans, and another (her daughter actually) who "sat pretty" like a dog (unprompted) and begged for raisins way back when I ate raisin bran cereal. A male ocicat who was a junk food junkie, not by my hand but by my partner's, who couldn't say no despite me telling him not to feed the cat cheetos and such. He unfortunately died of a digestive disorder at only 13 years old. 😡
Cats cannot digest cream. Water is good. Regarding your raw -you cannot just feed protein when you design a raw diet. Look into how to do it so it is nutritionally complete. 🩷
Another great issue! I'm so grateful to you for making this available. I share your info with my animal loving friends all the time. I breed naturally reared Schipperke dogs on occasion, and your newsletter and podcast are a tremendous resource to share with my puppy people as well. Thank you again!
Another excellent newsletter. Thank you. I may have to take your homeopathy short course soon. I tried arnica gel once on my hip after hitting it hard. I was sure there was going to be a big bruise so I rubbed the gel on frequently. I was disappointed that the bruise came, got purple and dark and the gel never seemed to work. That is my one time experience with arnica. But I did use your protocol for pre dosing my dogs before a rabies shot. Everything seemed to go well and I intend never to vaccinate them again. I had to do it as we traveled on holiday to Canada from USA and I needed rabies certificates to cross the border.
Any topical homeopathic medicine will always be second best or more distant. Touching the vital force with that oral pellet will always beat it. Were they checking your papers pretty closely at the border?
No. They could care less about my 2 dogs rabies papers. They did want to see my horse travel papers. It was easy crossing the border, but the border agents in Canada are asses. Another story.
I used topical arnica cream when I slipped off a ladder and hit my shin, scraping it as I went down, on the edge of a metal trough. It bruised horribly over the course of a couple days, up to my knee and even down into my toes, but went through the stages quickly, and was never painful to walk on. I won't be without the stuff! I'll keep some homeopathic arnica on hand as well now that I know it works even better that the topical!
With the oral pellets, if it ever happens again, you’ll probably miss the bruising part as well. Hope you never need it, but it’ll be good to have on hand.
my dog used to have short bouts of diarrhea. First vet advized probiotics, which worked well, but then she retired. The new vet is fair, but not as good. Then a friend advized me to stop giving her chicken, as obviously lots of dogs are allergic to chicken! who would have thought - but it worked.
I think it has more to do with how industrialized chicken raising has become just like the dairy industry. I suspect those animals would do fine on backyard chickens.
1. Mac (German Shepherd mix) Died at 16-1/2 of kidney failure. Intact. He was a stray at college. Brought him from Michigan to Wisconsin. Shots at one year only. (I didn't know anything then.) Thankfully, we were too "cheap" to get additional shots.
We moved from Wisconsin to the mountains of North Carolina.
2. Molly (Yellow Lab) 14, intact. Airborne Express killed her right beside our house. She wasn't wandering. She was in excellent health with no known issues. Both of these dogs ate Lamaderm kibble with additions. Shots unknown as she came to us at age 2. No shots after.
3. Morgan (their intentional progeny - male - looked totally like a yellow lab) 16-1/2. Intact. Despite being incontinent for a couple of years, we made it work for him to be largely in the house with a washable therma-rest pad and cotton bath mats. I hosed the soiled mats outside and they baked in the sun before laundering. Ate raw. Six months before we finally let him go, he was neutered. He was chewing it off. I figured it might be cancerous. During the last 2 years, he had difficulty moving around, but he still loved food, life, and car rides with his head hanging out the window. My husband stood in a frigid, clean river in NC up near the Appalachian Trail, holding onto his leash without tension while Morgan easily treaded water for 20-30 minutes. When he exited, Morgan was very, very frisky. Pretending to race around. Zero shots.
4. Mindy (yellow lab puppy from Humane Society) They required spay but at least I waited one year to benefit his endocrine system and bone structure. I WISH I HAD WAITED TO SEE IF THEY CHECKED - BEFORE DOING THE SPAY. THEY NEVER CHECKED. I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SPAY AND THE SHOT!! AND MOST LIKELY THE CANCER, AS THE CHANCE OF CANCER FOR SPAYED LABS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN UNSPAYED!! And, the risk of hemangiosarcoma is higher than mammary gland tumors - in a SPAYED labrador.
She died at 7 years of hemangiosarcoma. Ate raw. One shot, rabies, from a cat vax vial, required prior to surgery. The vet agreed to give as little as possible to qualify for surgery. I feared the Humane Society would come and take her if I failed to spay. That was so DUMB. I could have agreed to it if they'd shown up to check. RATS!! I could cry about that!! Ate raw.
5. Gracie (yellow lab) Died at 10 of hemangiosarcoma. Intact. Ate raw. Zero shots.
6. Daisy (yellow lab) Is 2+ years old. Zero shots. Raw fed. She is so good around free-ranging chickens that I can leave her loose when I go away. She never leaves the yard. Gracie didn't either. Of course, though, no neighbors are close by. But deer etc.
In the early days (1979---) our first dog, Mac, ran 15 miles 3x / week with my husband. Now he does sprints / jogging without a dog. FYI, it can be very harmful for dog joints to run at one same speed, tethered to a leash. Especially for PUPPIES.
All dogs went on loose daily hikes in the National Forest or swimming in that clear mountain river. Zero chemicals and zero scents at our home inside and out. We built a nontoxic house 31 years ago. We were exposed to out-of-our-control fire retardant chemicals in 1998 and have been very chemically sensitive since. All dogs have had on-demand access to outdoors and indoors. On protected couch, but not our bed. =) Daisy has wool dog beds.
I believe that if dogs are taken away from home for daily adventures - where they can "read the newspaper" and run at "dog-speed" as Dr. F calls it - are more likely to be content, staying at home.
Thank you to Dr. Falconer for everything I've learned. That knowledge has not only positively impacted the lives of our own dogs, but the lives of other dogs in my sphere!!!
You’ve clearly had several outlive their expected “norms”, Kathy, so bravo! Carry on, you’re doing so much for these lucky creatures who find their way to you.
I am a bit late to this 'party', but I would like to share my experience with my Great Danes. Male / female littermates. Against my better judgement, had female spayed before 12 months (long story) My male I left intact. Had to put my precious Missy down at age 7.5. My jacques made it to almost 11 before we had to make the tough choice. And the only reason then was due to a cervical vertebrae deformity he was born with. Had that treated by a TCM Chiropractic vet that helped him immensely. Yea, don't mess with God's perfect design! Oh, and the only shots they had was one rabies shot each after puppy shots, due to local rabies law (Which we all know is soooo wrong & moronic!) The only reason they had puppy shots was that I did not own them yet....Love to all.....
Diarrhea Drug - Metronidazole - Please refer to this FDA warning. Shortly after they issued this to human prescribers, pHARMa began marketing it as a cure-all antibiotic to unsuspecting veterinarians, many of whom will challenge the information without ever actually looking at it. I had one vet tell me it was "debatable". When I told her I would be happy to have that debate, she walked away. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/018890s052lbl.pdf
Great newsletter as usual. After taking your HSC I used Arnica after surgery instead of the opiate based pain killers given and the medicine to stop the constipation they would have caused. Worked a treat!
Brilliant, Deb! So cool when you've not only seen the effects of a proper remedy, but you can compare those effects to what you know is the best allopathy can offer (a clearly lesser experience, eh?). Arnica FTW!
My favorite part was reading about your life in Wisconsin. As a lifelong Minnesotan, I get wistful thinking about how bucolic these parts of the world were, not all that long ago in terms of my lifetime. Where I live, in a western Minneapolis suburb, it's almost rural. It has been untouched for decades, but as the old timers disappear, the acres large suburban lots that have been in the family for generations, do, too.
I adopted two littermate male rottweiler mixes at 5 weeks old (they had already been removed from their mother.) I started feeding them raw immediately. They had had no vetting at all, which was one reason I wanted them (no shots, no docked tails or mutilated ears.) They only had rabies shots at one year old to meet our local licensing requirements, and it was a brand without thimerosol, or at least with less, I forget which, that a holistic vet gave them. I'd read that keeping them intact would allow them to grow properly with all the appropriate hormones doing what they should. I planned to leave them intact until they were two years old for the growth, and beyond that if they did not get aggressive. Well a few months shy of two years old one began getting territorial and fighting with the other one over things there was plenty of to go around. I jumped through hoops to keep them from harming each other until they turned two, then had them neutered because it was a real hassle trying to safely keep two 80 lb. dogs from fighting. (Oddly, the one who was more aggressive never humped, but the other one humped off and on from the time he was a little puppy, and still does occasionally over two years after being neutered!) After the testosterone worked its way out of their systems, they gradually settled back into the routine of their younger days, sleeping cuddled up together in cool weather and eating within sight of each other without fighting. They still have issues with high value treats, even when each of them gets one, so I simply give them way less often, and the dominant dog gets his first. So, from my experience, male dogs (in close quarters anyway) can absolutely get aggressive if not neutered. (They were not aggressive with humans, only each other.) I don't know what I could have done differently aside from not adopting two male dogs. 🤷♀️
Interesting. Perhaps breed related, but I also wonder if having a single pup would have been a different story. I’ll be presenting some data on Rottweilers in the next issue related to just this.
If there had been only one, we probably would not have noticed it as there would not have been another male dog to compete with for status in the pack, or for high value things. I only would have noticed it on the rare occasions I take the dogs out with us to the few big box stores in the area that allow and encourage them.
We got two pups from the same litter (50% rottie, both parents were mixed with unknown other breeds) so they would have a playmate with the same energy level, as we are an older couple and not inclined to long bouts of active playtime. (We watched for an adult to adopt or rescue, but were never in time before they were snatched up.) And we got two males for the obvious reason, since I didn't want to neuter early and didn't have the space to isolate them during a heat (assuming I even caught it in time.) There was only one female in the litter, and we wanted larger dogs for security reasons. These guys are good watch dogs with nice deep voices... although we do have to maintain adequate fencing to keep them away from our chickens. I think they may be mixed with German Shepherd and some kind of hound dog, based on pics I saw of the parents, and the not-quite-rottie appearance of the less aggressive pup.
It's possible, but then after they were neutered they should have stayed at the same aggression level if it was the shot. Plus it likely would have manifested closer to the time they got the shot.
Closer to the time of the shot, not necessarily. When it's close, it's more obvious, but I've seen vaccinosis symptoms arise much later.
Age brings about symptoms that were lurking, from inherited chronic disease to vaccinosis. But you were lucky the neutering didn't create worse aggression, as that link I provided demonstrated is quite possible.
Volunteering in our local shelter I’ve come to see the importance of spay/neuter. European pet owners are far more responsible with their pets than Americans. Our shelter has seen a 33% drop in intake since all adoptions require spay/neuter. That’s hundreds of animals each year that don’t have to be rehomed or euthanized. There are only so many we can house in a safe, healthy manner, and we are the entire animal control for our county. We’ve also cut down on the feral cat population with our catch/neuter or spay/release program. Everyone always says their dogs won’t be exposed to the opposite sex, but gates are left open and pets escape through open doors. Those in our poorer communities don’t even have fences. We have hundreds of puppies and kittens surrendered every year starting in the spring. Often they’ve been dumped beside a backroad—as if puppies could fend for themselves. They are brought in full of worms, fleas and ticks.
"They" are definitely promoting spaying as cancer-prevention.
Not so serious, but I remember taking my border collie with double dew claws on her back legs, to a vet who recommended removing the claws because they might get caught in something. I pointed out that I might very well get my fingernails caught in something yet I didn't want them removed and didn't think the risk of anesthesia was worth it. He seemed taken aback. By the way, she lived to be about 12 and NEVER caught a dew claw in anything!
I started my career at 15 in a no kill shelter. We were taught to repeat the mantra spay and neuter prevents cancer in general. Mammary cancer in females and testicular cancer in males. As well as pyometra. I went into veterinary nursing (allopathic) and this was message was repeated in school and by every doctor I knew. When I switched over to natural medicine ~14 yrs ago I learned there was no scientific evidence to back it up. It was simply a tactic for population control and maybe a profit motive at this point.
There was however evidence by then of the enormous harm altering the hormones of an animal does to their health long term. Contributing to the rise in cancer and joint disease.
Altering God’s perfect design never worked out well for anyone.
Agreed. Those hormones are so critical. More coming soon.
There are many large dog breeders who won’t guarantee a dogs long term hip, spine and other health outcomes if you spay or neuter your dog prior to 18 months. I’ve read elsewhere that fixing any sooner will deprive the animal of vital hormones necessary to fully mature the skeletal and immune systems and we have followed this rule for our own dogs (although both are less than 30 lbs). If I’d have known leaving the testes was smarter I would have done so! Does the same rule apply to females? Obviously they are at higher risk of unintended pregnancy but they need their body parts too!
Yes, it does, next issue I’ll present some data on females. This page also has some concerning findings: http://vitalanimal.com/neutering/ And good for those breeders! Though guaranteeing any health outcome seems fraught. So many variables in raising animals and the choices people have before them…
Ovary Sparing Spays and vasectomies for dogs are something to consider as they leave hormones intact.
Bingo! That's the way to keep animals from breeding unwanted litters and still keeping their all important hormone factories intact.
So good to see your journey into natural medicine! Music to the ears.
Some frustrations though abound however. When a dog gets a pyo, all vets hear is the same refrain of, "we have no money for vet care." This is especially concerning in a closed pyo scenario. Nor do most have pet insurance. Vets are blamed for not taking payments yet we did that years ago and never got paid and this had a significant impact on small general practices. Hopefully people can qualify for Care Credit and Scratch Pay now for the sake of their pets. And sadly, there is a pet population control issue:{.
I've cured a couple of pyos (100% of my pyos, have to say, as I only had two!) with constitutional homeopathy. But that's also not free, it's careful work aimed at the individual and their unique response to the disease.
This is a true problem. I do not speak of keeping them intact to people that cannot be responsible owners in the other areas, to be honest.
I find it all the more vital to teach the foundational principles of healthier living/care first. Almost all of the people who I help are coming to me because they want to do this. Starting with diet, no (or less) vaccines, and alternative methods of prevention.
Booyah!
I adopted a female cat who had been spayed, and she died of mammary cancer several years later.
I am sorry for this loss Donna.
Thank you. 💗
Do dogs do better on raw or cooked food? I have seen arguments on both sides: 1) raw is best because that’s how dogs in the wild eat; and 2) dogs do well on cooked food because they have evolved with humans for tens of thousands of years and have successfully adapted (evolved?) to cooked food.
My second question is about a tiny kitten who wandered into our yard and is now living under our shed until we can coax her out and bring her into the house. What does one feed cats? I’m sure that kibble is junk food for cats. But how does canned food stack up? What should I be feeding this kitten? Thanks in advance for any advice.
We’ve not selected for dogs’ digestive systems, only for appearance, so the voice within still cries, “Yo! Where’s the prey?” Some say they can digest starch now. Yeah, so? Does that mean it’s good for them? Hell no. The only exception for cooked food are some of the seniors who seem to no longer have their digestive fire in order. For them cooked food makes sense, but everyone else it doesn’t.
Mary- canned food is better than dry food for any animal, but especially for a cat. After that, I would learn about raw food because a raw food diet for a cat is best and it has to be one that gives all the nutrients that a cat needs -once you learn it it’s easy! Good luck!
We have put in a supply of canned cat food for our little one. And we’re giving her water and another bowl of cream that contains no additives. She’s just old enough to have stopped nursing. Thanks for your advice! We feed our dogs salmon, ground beef, veal, lamb, and eggs. We could easily feed the kitten that same food.
I feed my dogs and cats the same raw diet, with no carbs or veggies added. The dogs like to eat dry roasted peanuts which we give to the horses as treats, and they also eat horse poop so they are eating some vegetable master on their own terms, but cats generally don't choose carbs and veggies, although I have a friend whose cat steals bread at every opportunity, so go figure. Although it was kibble and canned fed and died at 10 of cancer...
I had one cat who loved cooked (soft) green beans, and another (her daughter actually) who "sat pretty" like a dog (unprompted) and begged for raisins way back when I ate raisin bran cereal. A male ocicat who was a junk food junkie, not by my hand but by my partner's, who couldn't say no despite me telling him not to feed the cat cheetos and such. He unfortunately died of a digestive disorder at only 13 years old. 😡
Cats cannot digest cream. Water is good. Regarding your raw -you cannot just feed protein when you design a raw diet. Look into how to do it so it is nutritionally complete. 🩷
Another great issue! I'm so grateful to you for making this available. I share your info with my animal loving friends all the time. I breed naturally reared Schipperke dogs on occasion, and your newsletter and podcast are a tremendous resource to share with my puppy people as well. Thank you again!
Another excellent newsletter. Thank you. I may have to take your homeopathy short course soon. I tried arnica gel once on my hip after hitting it hard. I was sure there was going to be a big bruise so I rubbed the gel on frequently. I was disappointed that the bruise came, got purple and dark and the gel never seemed to work. That is my one time experience with arnica. But I did use your protocol for pre dosing my dogs before a rabies shot. Everything seemed to go well and I intend never to vaccinate them again. I had to do it as we traveled on holiday to Canada from USA and I needed rabies certificates to cross the border.
Any topical homeopathic medicine will always be second best or more distant. Touching the vital force with that oral pellet will always beat it. Were they checking your papers pretty closely at the border?
No. They could care less about my 2 dogs rabies papers. They did want to see my horse travel papers. It was easy crossing the border, but the border agents in Canada are asses. Another story.
Wow! Did they ask to see your rabies papers?
I used topical arnica cream when I slipped off a ladder and hit my shin, scraping it as I went down, on the edge of a metal trough. It bruised horribly over the course of a couple days, up to my knee and even down into my toes, but went through the stages quickly, and was never painful to walk on. I won't be without the stuff! I'll keep some homeopathic arnica on hand as well now that I know it works even better that the topical!
With the oral pellets, if it ever happens again, you’ll probably miss the bruising part as well. Hope you never need it, but it’ll be good to have on hand.
my dog used to have short bouts of diarrhea. First vet advized probiotics, which worked well, but then she retired. The new vet is fair, but not as good. Then a friend advized me to stop giving her chicken, as obviously lots of dogs are allergic to chicken! who would have thought - but it worked.
I think it has more to do with how industrialized chicken raising has become just like the dairy industry. I suspect those animals would do fine on backyard chickens.
To clarify my post below.... the dogs are under close supervision or not loose during their 3-week heat season. =))
Here are the lifespans of all our dogs:
1. Mac (German Shepherd mix) Died at 16-1/2 of kidney failure. Intact. He was a stray at college. Brought him from Michigan to Wisconsin. Shots at one year only. (I didn't know anything then.) Thankfully, we were too "cheap" to get additional shots.
We moved from Wisconsin to the mountains of North Carolina.
2. Molly (Yellow Lab) 14, intact. Airborne Express killed her right beside our house. She wasn't wandering. She was in excellent health with no known issues. Both of these dogs ate Lamaderm kibble with additions. Shots unknown as she came to us at age 2. No shots after.
3. Morgan (their intentional progeny - male - looked totally like a yellow lab) 16-1/2. Intact. Despite being incontinent for a couple of years, we made it work for him to be largely in the house with a washable therma-rest pad and cotton bath mats. I hosed the soiled mats outside and they baked in the sun before laundering. Ate raw. Six months before we finally let him go, he was neutered. He was chewing it off. I figured it might be cancerous. During the last 2 years, he had difficulty moving around, but he still loved food, life, and car rides with his head hanging out the window. My husband stood in a frigid, clean river in NC up near the Appalachian Trail, holding onto his leash without tension while Morgan easily treaded water for 20-30 minutes. When he exited, Morgan was very, very frisky. Pretending to race around. Zero shots.
4. Mindy (yellow lab puppy from Humane Society) They required spay but at least I waited one year to benefit his endocrine system and bone structure. I WISH I HAD WAITED TO SEE IF THEY CHECKED - BEFORE DOING THE SPAY. THEY NEVER CHECKED. I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SPAY AND THE SHOT!! AND MOST LIKELY THE CANCER, AS THE CHANCE OF CANCER FOR SPAYED LABS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN UNSPAYED!! And, the risk of hemangiosarcoma is higher than mammary gland tumors - in a SPAYED labrador.
https://search.brave.com/search
She died at 7 years of hemangiosarcoma. Ate raw. One shot, rabies, from a cat vax vial, required prior to surgery. The vet agreed to give as little as possible to qualify for surgery. I feared the Humane Society would come and take her if I failed to spay. That was so DUMB. I could have agreed to it if they'd shown up to check. RATS!! I could cry about that!! Ate raw.
5. Gracie (yellow lab) Died at 10 of hemangiosarcoma. Intact. Ate raw. Zero shots.
6. Daisy (yellow lab) Is 2+ years old. Zero shots. Raw fed. She is so good around free-ranging chickens that I can leave her loose when I go away. She never leaves the yard. Gracie didn't either. Of course, though, no neighbors are close by. But deer etc.
In the early days (1979---) our first dog, Mac, ran 15 miles 3x / week with my husband. Now he does sprints / jogging without a dog. FYI, it can be very harmful for dog joints to run at one same speed, tethered to a leash. Especially for PUPPIES.
All dogs went on loose daily hikes in the National Forest or swimming in that clear mountain river. Zero chemicals and zero scents at our home inside and out. We built a nontoxic house 31 years ago. We were exposed to out-of-our-control fire retardant chemicals in 1998 and have been very chemically sensitive since. All dogs have had on-demand access to outdoors and indoors. On protected couch, but not our bed. =) Daisy has wool dog beds.
I believe that if dogs are taken away from home for daily adventures - where they can "read the newspaper" and run at "dog-speed" as Dr. F calls it - are more likely to be content, staying at home.
Thank you to Dr. Falconer for everything I've learned. That knowledge has not only positively impacted the lives of our own dogs, but the lives of other dogs in my sphere!!!
You’ve clearly had several outlive their expected “norms”, Kathy, so bravo! Carry on, you’re doing so much for these lucky creatures who find their way to you.
I am a bit late to this 'party', but I would like to share my experience with my Great Danes. Male / female littermates. Against my better judgement, had female spayed before 12 months (long story) My male I left intact. Had to put my precious Missy down at age 7.5. My jacques made it to almost 11 before we had to make the tough choice. And the only reason then was due to a cervical vertebrae deformity he was born with. Had that treated by a TCM Chiropractic vet that helped him immensely. Yea, don't mess with God's perfect design! Oh, and the only shots they had was one rabies shot each after puppy shots, due to local rabies law (Which we all know is soooo wrong & moronic!) The only reason they had puppy shots was that I did not own them yet....Love to all.....
Diarrhea Drug - Metronidazole - Please refer to this FDA warning. Shortly after they issued this to human prescribers, pHARMa began marketing it as a cure-all antibiotic to unsuspecting veterinarians, many of whom will challenge the information without ever actually looking at it. I had one vet tell me it was "debatable". When I told her I would be happy to have that debate, she walked away. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/018890s052lbl.pdf
Great newsletter as usual. After taking your HSC I used Arnica after surgery instead of the opiate based pain killers given and the medicine to stop the constipation they would have caused. Worked a treat!
Brilliant, Deb! So cool when you've not only seen the effects of a proper remedy, but you can compare those effects to what you know is the best allopathy can offer (a clearly lesser experience, eh?). Arnica FTW!
My favorite part was reading about your life in Wisconsin. As a lifelong Minnesotan, I get wistful thinking about how bucolic these parts of the world were, not all that long ago in terms of my lifetime. Where I live, in a western Minneapolis suburb, it's almost rural. It has been untouched for decades, but as the old timers disappear, the acres large suburban lots that have been in the family for generations, do, too.
Ah, a Minnesotan. So, you'll appreciate this story from my dairy vet days: https://vitalanimal.com/cow-vet-blizzard/
Hello
I have a 13? Year old 15 lb. Rescue who is probably a chihuahua miniature boxer mix.
I got him from a deplorable situation. He isn’t fixed and was trying to mount their unfixed female chihuahua.
He is very mellow guy but once in a while will mount his dog bed snd hump it while screaming. I interpret this as extreme frustration.
Should I be getting him fixed? Is it safe?
Hard call, David. If it’s rare and he can be distracted with, say a nice walk or run, you’ll be ahead, healthwise to leave him intact.
Sprouts (grocery) sells all Boiron products.
I adopted two littermate male rottweiler mixes at 5 weeks old (they had already been removed from their mother.) I started feeding them raw immediately. They had had no vetting at all, which was one reason I wanted them (no shots, no docked tails or mutilated ears.) They only had rabies shots at one year old to meet our local licensing requirements, and it was a brand without thimerosol, or at least with less, I forget which, that a holistic vet gave them. I'd read that keeping them intact would allow them to grow properly with all the appropriate hormones doing what they should. I planned to leave them intact until they were two years old for the growth, and beyond that if they did not get aggressive. Well a few months shy of two years old one began getting territorial and fighting with the other one over things there was plenty of to go around. I jumped through hoops to keep them from harming each other until they turned two, then had them neutered because it was a real hassle trying to safely keep two 80 lb. dogs from fighting. (Oddly, the one who was more aggressive never humped, but the other one humped off and on from the time he was a little puppy, and still does occasionally over two years after being neutered!) After the testosterone worked its way out of their systems, they gradually settled back into the routine of their younger days, sleeping cuddled up together in cool weather and eating within sight of each other without fighting. They still have issues with high value treats, even when each of them gets one, so I simply give them way less often, and the dominant dog gets his first. So, from my experience, male dogs (in close quarters anyway) can absolutely get aggressive if not neutered. (They were not aggressive with humans, only each other.) I don't know what I could have done differently aside from not adopting two male dogs. 🤷♀️
Interesting. Perhaps breed related, but I also wonder if having a single pup would have been a different story. I’ll be presenting some data on Rottweilers in the next issue related to just this.
If there had been only one, we probably would not have noticed it as there would not have been another male dog to compete with for status in the pack, or for high value things. I only would have noticed it on the rare occasions I take the dogs out with us to the few big box stores in the area that allow and encourage them.
We got two pups from the same litter (50% rottie, both parents were mixed with unknown other breeds) so they would have a playmate with the same energy level, as we are an older couple and not inclined to long bouts of active playtime. (We watched for an adult to adopt or rescue, but were never in time before they were snatched up.) And we got two males for the obvious reason, since I didn't want to neuter early and didn't have the space to isolate them during a heat (assuming I even caught it in time.) There was only one female in the litter, and we wanted larger dogs for security reasons. These guys are good watch dogs with nice deep voices... although we do have to maintain adequate fencing to keep them away from our chickens. I think they may be mixed with German Shepherd and some kind of hound dog, based on pics I saw of the parents, and the not-quite-rottie appearance of the less aggressive pup.
Looking forward to your next issue!
Is it possible that the behaviors were a result of the rabies vaccine?
Good catch. Certainly possible, even though the timing took nearly a year to manifest.
It's possible, but then after they were neutered they should have stayed at the same aggression level if it was the shot. Plus it likely would have manifested closer to the time they got the shot.
Closer to the time of the shot, not necessarily. When it's close, it's more obvious, but I've seen vaccinosis symptoms arise much later.
Age brings about symptoms that were lurking, from inherited chronic disease to vaccinosis. But you were lucky the neutering didn't create worse aggression, as that link I provided demonstrated is quite possible.
Volunteering in our local shelter I’ve come to see the importance of spay/neuter. European pet owners are far more responsible with their pets than Americans. Our shelter has seen a 33% drop in intake since all adoptions require spay/neuter. That’s hundreds of animals each year that don’t have to be rehomed or euthanized. There are only so many we can house in a safe, healthy manner, and we are the entire animal control for our county. We’ve also cut down on the feral cat population with our catch/neuter or spay/release program. Everyone always says their dogs won’t be exposed to the opposite sex, but gates are left open and pets escape through open doors. Those in our poorer communities don’t even have fences. We have hundreds of puppies and kittens surrendered every year starting in the spring. Often they’ve been dumped beside a backroad—as if puppies could fend for themselves. They are brought in full of worms, fleas and ticks.