Vital Animal News: February 25, 2024
Shots "up to date?" Grrrr…
SUE the bastards
Teeth and life span
Your cat's cousins
Distemper: Fear or opportunity?
Tasty Tips: Bad food remedy
Along the Natural Path
[Well, I’m here sooner than I expected with my newsletter! My normal email service provider is having trouble with my newsletter template. If you’re used to the my newsletter in the past, I’ll have a poll at the end to see how you like it here.]
Let's define "up to date"
A smart reader recently commented on my blog post called Duration of Immunity and Rabies Vaccination:
I’m so glad I found this community! I’m seeking advice or insight for my 6 year old husky. She received her last rabies in 2020 when I had to fly with her (before I was conscious of the dangers of over immunization) and I currently would like to fly with her again from California to Washington. Unfortunately they require “up to date rabies”. Is there any way I can get around this and still fly with her?
My dog is above the law in this case and I will not jeopardize her health for an unnecessary rabies vaccine. Is there a vet who can help with this paperwork so we can fly together? She is a very healthy dog, raw diet, plenty of exercise, no dog parks or boarding facilities for her, and no off leash in the wilderness either. What can I do? I’m so sad about this 💔 I appreciate any insight”
Between airlines and apartment management, let alone kennels and doggie day care and groomers, this idea of “up to date on vaccines” is regularly impacting far too many of you.
And their demands are inherently wrong-headed and dangerous.
Who should define “up to date?”
We’ve got some artificial guidelines on vaccines with no real basis in immunology.
The most egregious is annual vaccination. Fire any vet shoving that your way!
There’s absolutely no science showing immunity runs out at day 365.
And vet immunologists have called out this fallacy since at least 1992, when I started waking up to vaccine damage during my homeopathic training.
Some years down from their published opinions, the toothless vet associations like AAHA and AVMA, fearing they’d step on too many veterinarian toes, came up with an equally inane recommendation to replace annual vaccines:
How about we say every 3 years? It’s better, but maybe it’ll keep our membership rolls intact and save us from too much scorn. All in favor…”
Again: no science verified immunity had run out at Year 3, Day 365.
In fact, the people who study your animals’ immune systems, the immunologists (who, by the way, don’t sell vaccines), have long held that virus immunity lasts for “years, if not the life of the animal.”
Those demanding “up to date” shots…
Are they immunologists?
Nope.
They are people merely mouthing what most of my profession has also gotten wrong.
And they are blissfully unaware of the damage such demands can cause.
Ditto for the complete lack of efficacy of repeated vaccines. Clueless.
And, I’ll take a wild guess here:
When your animal becomes chronically ill as a result of “one shot over the line,” they aren’t going to take responsibility and help you out with the lifelong vet bills that follow.
Are you with me here?
So, it's definition time
Most likely, you've vaccinated your beast at some point earlier in her life.
If that's true, "up to date" you are, see you not?
Because science, Yoda.
Because duration of immunity.
And, if you've been more adventurous and avoided vaccines in favor of building natural immunity (a free report on how I recommend doing that awaits your click), odds are your animal is also "up to date," i.e. IMMUNE.
Even more powerfully immune than vaccines could ever hope for, thanks to your efforts with controlled natural exposure, nosodes, and powerful immune boosting.
How to present your stance to the numbskulls?
In a word, gently. Non-abrasively.
They honestly think they're doing the best for all involved.
Getting your flying, grooming, or kenneling needs met usually falls flat with angry confrontation.
For a deeper dive, listen to my Vital Animal Podcast, Episode #35 How to Get Your Vet Needs Met.
You've got this. Don't let ignorant rule makers ruin your animal's health.
All LIES: Grain Free and Heart Disease
That’s the claim from a class action suit being brought now by Ketonatural Pet Foods, Inc.
You might recall the 2018 pet food fiasco that had the FDA trying desperately (and unable) to connect “grain free, exotic ingredient, and boutique” pet foods to DCM, dilated cardiomyopathy.
It looks like that was perpetrated by crooks, both corporate and veterinary.
Who was behind this?
It appears a chief driver of this phony campaign to discredit and smear small pet food companies was none other than Hill’s and the Morris Animal Foundation.
You know, the makers of Science Diet and umteen "prescriptions diets."
They had a couple of veterinary shills doing the quasi-scientific research and broadcasting cherry picked results to social media and the FDA, demanding they study it.
These vets, named in the suit, were some board certified <cough> veterinary nutritionists, including Dr. Lisa Freeman, who had a large Facebook page that acted as a clearing house for concerned pet owners.
Only problem with her presence on social media: anyone posting a comment that ran counter to her position (DCM was caused by these exotic small food manufacturers) was blatantly censored.
Sound familiar? We’ve just gone through a few years of this around COVID-19, in case your memory has dimmed from the overload that was.
What did they do?
Susan Thixton’s recent post on Truth About Pet Food has all the deets.
According to the suit,
Using the tools of professional science and Hill’s vast veterinary influence network, the goal of the scheme was to persuade American pet-owners that grain-free diets weren’t just “fad diets” but actually dangerous for dogs—an argument that, if successful, had the potential to eradicate the entire grain-free sector of the pet food market.
They have been carrying out this wide ranging scheme ever since and it has been, by any measure, a breathtaking (if unlawful) success.”
That “vast veterinary influence?"
I was trained in the late 70’s, U. of Missouri vet school, and guess who taught us nutrition?
None other than Hill’s “nutritionists!”
In four years of study, we had two afternoons of time dedicated to this foundational, all important world of how food affects health.
By the same company that donated food to our teaching hospital!
What did they teach us?
“If you’ve got kidney disease, we’ve got the answer: feed them K/D (dry or canned, doesn’t matter)."
Heart disease? Feed H/D
Crystals in cat urine? C/D
Derm issues? D/D, etc, etc
I wish I was making this up…
I’ve gleaned that Big Pet Food influence has only grown since I graduated, now with free food to those vet students who have pets while in school.
Why, Oh Why?
Follow the money, honey, as usual.
It seems Hill’s was losing ground, profits were on the ropes, something had to be done.
Brilliant idea: paint those small pet foods (whose sales were growing exponentially as Hill’s were declining) as downright injurious. They cause heart disease!
The logical solution they sought to provide, through faux science and bankrolled vet experts?
Stick to the well established, smartest guys in the pet food world!
Science Knows Best!
But now, the truth is out.
Shame on them and their deception.
And more shame on boarded vets twisting the truth for personal and corporate profit.
Pay Attention to Teeth
February is officially National Pet Dental Health month.
The AVMA and I are on the same page when it comes to teeth.
Well, sort of.
Their point is that bad teeth can cause a host of other problems, and I fully agree.
Bad ones can shorten life, true. Even set your pet up for cancer…
It’s why I strongly suggest getting the bad ones pulled.
Where we differ is the how of prevention.
As expected, they view prevention as tooth brushing.
Oh, my.
And they rightly point out that your cat will probably not tolerate that whacky, human-origin experience.
Right on, kitty.
Do you suppose the lions have tooth decay?
Or even tartar or plaque?
Not in your dreams.
Their diet of fresh prey (including bones, of course) keeps those pearly whites gleaming.
Could a diet of kibble, aka crunchy, carb-laden food like particles work the same way?
A hard no, right?
It’s the carbs that hold kibble together, whether grain or grain substitutes like tapioca, potato, sweet potato, etc.
And those same carbs feed the decay producing bacteria in all of our mouths.
So, besides ditching the kibble (for cats AND dogs), you’ll want to employ the same “natural toothbrush” the ancestors and wild cousins have depended on for millennia.
That link will give you some great pointers on how to use these amazing, age old food brushes.
And if the check up says, “some of those are so bad, they’re best extracted for your pet’s sake,” don’t fear.
Get it done.
Anesthesia is pretty darn safe today compared to the old days when I graduated.
Who ARE you, Kitty?
If you’ve not thought about it, here’s an award winning wildlife photographer’s reminder that your “domestic” cat (ha!) has a whole lot in common with these lions, lovingly grooming their cub after a hunting foray.
Same barbed tongue, made for lashing meat from bone.
Same sharp, tearing teeth (that were never intended to crunch dry food).
Ideally, you’re feeding a diet in line with these close cousins, yes?
Obligate carnivores, the entire cat family, and don’t talk to me about vegan cats, please.
And, are you providing your cat with exercise?
These lionesses were on the hunt for hours. All night in fact.
Hard to duplicate that with Thang on a Strang, but as my feline homeopathic colleague pointed out in this episode of Vital Animal Podcast, it’s important to get your own "house lions" regular exercise.
And, I hope I don’t need to tell you dogs on walks beats “letting Sadie out” in the fenced yard all to hell.
Mental health, physical health, and hey: your OWN health are all benefitted.
Get out there!
Here’s the link to view the other top wildlife photos from a recent competition.
Enjoy.
Distemper Outbreak: Good news!
[That’s a high five! Can’t find how to make a caption…]
The local news in Shreveport, LA reports a raccoon distemper outbreak.
Same virus that dogs get, and it’s a nasty one, no real treatment, like all viruses, and it can be very deadly.
As expected, the article (too full of link bait to share, sorry) recommends “current vaccines” as the best protection.
[Scroll up in case you've already forgotten what "current" means…]
But: for puppy owners in the area, this could be a boon, if your goal is lifetime immunity, far better than any vaccine could ever provide.
You just have to be smart about how you make this work.
Luckily, my smart colleague Dr. Rosemary Manziano worked with her own local raccoon distemper outbreak in New Jersey years ago, and established a carefully controlled natural exposure protocol for us.
It resulted in stout immunity, as measured by titer testing, and zero sick pups.
But, the HOW of this is all important.
Dr. M has it worked out, and I’ve embellished her technique slightly with homeopathic nosodes and the best immune support I know.
You can download my free report on how to take advantage of this rare outbreak here.
And, even if distemper isn’t in the news near you (while not reportable like rabies, it often hits the news because dogs die when it’s breaking out), this report will still get you covered if your goal is natural immunity w/o vaccines.
Tasty Tips: Poison Pet Food Fix
This is for you if you are feeding ANY commercially prepared food, including but perhaps not limited to the following, the latest list of problematic foods:
[Above dated 21 Feb 2024]
Two things:
1. If you see sickness after eating commercial food, especially a new purchase, STOP feeding that food. Immediately.
You might see food refusal. DON’T “doctor it up” in the hopes that Sadie will consume it.
She’s talking to you. Please listen.
2. Put this homeopathy to work
The chief symptoms in most following ingestion of one of these suspect foods appears to be:
Vomiting. Sometimes that’s bloody.
Sometimes there’s diarrhea, which is also bloody in some.
Either or both are often preceded by refusal to eat.
Some of those affected have rapidly sickened to death, others, once the food stopped, recovered.
As liver enzymes were elevated in at least one reported case, something toxic is suspected.
Testing continues, but labs are slow to get results.
In the meantime, this remedy is likely to help, if your dog or cat falls sick with symptoms like those above:
Arsenicum album.
[Brand is not important, nor are directions on the tube]
It’s a homeopathic remedy, so you’ll easily find a 30C potency, that number following the name.
If your local health food store no longer carries remedies (looking at you, Whole Foods…), try another source.
If nothing local, a homeopathic pharmacy online will send it to you, like HomeopathyOvernight or similar. The brand doesn’t matter, many homeopathic pharmacies will carry this.
Overnight delivery is wise if you can’t get it locally and you have a sick animal from eating commercial food. Time may be of the essence.
How to use Arsenicum for food poisoning
Ignore the generic label on the tube, and give one pellet as a dose. It works as well as 3 or 5 pellets, that’s homeopathy for you.
For easy admin, pour a pellet into the vial's cap, take your pet's nose skyward with one hand, drop the jaw, and fire that pellet into the yawning mouth. Go deep.
If your animal is acutely ill (just happened, vomit and/or diarrhea, +/- blood), repeat that pellet down the throat every 15 minutes until you’ve given 3 doses.
If your animal has been sick for a day or more, stretch those doses out: once every hour for three doses.
Then, you assess your animal, over the next few hours, without more doses:
A1: (assessment) Sadie’s coming around? Feeling better, more herself, vomiting or loose stools are resolving?
P: (plan) Watch & wait. Sadie is on her way, and more remedy won’t speed that up.
A2: Sadie was clearly better but, oops, she’s getting worse again. It worked but Sadie needs it again.
P: Repeat a round of Arsenicum as above
A3: Nothing improved after Ars.
P: Try the remedy Phosphorus 30C, same protocol as above. This may be the more indicated remedy if BLOOD is a chief symptom, though Ars can have hemorrhage in its symptom picture as well.
Between these remedies, you should see betterment. If the first doesn’t help, move on to the second. That’s what any good homeopath would do.
And, of course, if poor Sadie is really crashed, bring her to your local vet for fluids and supportive care.
If antibiotics are offered, politely refuse them.
This is not an infectious disease, it’s a poisoning. Antibiotics will merely plunge her immune system into chaos, not helpful at this point.
Finally, if you have Venzeo on hand, the gentle but effective daily detox made by my sister company, Venjenz, do use this at a full label dose, but 3-4x/day.
Okay?
Okay.
Along the Natural Path
Spring gets an early start in No. India, and the yellows of mustard fields will be turning tan and rattling with seeds before we know it.
Then, hot weather will follow. We don't wait for July, oh no. End of March, it'll be in the 90's and hinting at 100º. We're all trying to appreciate the moderate temps and clear skies before they dissolve into Summer waves of heat.
When it hits, the all black buffalo will be hoping to get into the river to cool down in the hot evenings.
I have learned to be a bit more choosy about where my morning biking takes place. Here in UP, the village habit is to wake with the sun, grab your fave water bottle or small can, and head out the dump trail.
By dump, I mean the toilet trail. Contrary to Prime Minister Modi's assurance some years back that outdoor defecation had officially ceased in India, the villagers here missed the memo.
Probably better to stick with evenings for the longer rides…
The other major difference between cold weather and hot here is insects. Ants, in particular, cross what ever threshold it takes to get into our rooms and search for food.
They haven't shown up yet but I'm dreading their open season on my kitchen.
Zip lock bags in India are notoriously poorly designed. And if, in closing one over say, my bag of almonds, if there's the tiniest bit of unhinged zip, the ants will make their way in. As they are tiny and silent, I may not discover the hollowed out almond skins until many are lost.
Ants keep us on our toes for cleanliness though. They will tirelessly search for the tiniest drop of anything close to food, and move in to feed on it. You learn quickly to be thorough in mopping up spills with encouragement like the ants bring.
A sure sign of spring: mango flowers
As the ants take, so the mango trees give.
When these flowers turn to fruits, the giant trees are just hanging with green and later yellow globes, each a tasty storehouse of vitamin A and sweet refreshment.
one fine spring morning on the back roads…
Misty waterway, bringing Ganges water to the fields
Well, that's it for this issue.
As you may have noticed, Tasty Tips came a bit early, thanks to my newly hatched presence on Substack.
It's a platform that's got a lot of seriously good writers on it, with a wide variety of subjects. It's got some nice distribution/sharing features that I hope will help get the word out on raising Vital Animals more widely, so I'm kicking the tires there now.
If you need perspectives on what main stream media is missing (lots!), you can start at my page and branch out from there. No censorship, so you'll be able to read candid reports on all manner of things, Covid included. You can choose any number of rabbit holes to explore.
In the meantime, what ever weather you've got in your corner of the world, be sure to get out with those animals in tow, and take in the fresh air and good flora.
And, as always, keep on making wise decisions for those innocents in your care.
See you in two weeks,
Will Falconer, DVM
p.s. Sharing this newsletter is the only way to turn others on to it. It's not published on my blog. How to share? Hit the FORWARD button on your email, drop in the address of a friend who might find value, and out goes another ripple.
If you'd like your own delivered fresh to your inbox whenever a new issue comes out (fortnightly of late), join our free Vital Animal Pack and get some free courses and reports to help you help your animals.
I have been reading your newsletter quite some time now. I have even taken your rabies course several years back. I like that you talk to we non-vet people on our level so we can understand the ends and outs of what is wrong with our pets. Thank your for that.
I just wanted to add a site that may be a source for homeopathic medicine. I use them when I have bought the Boiron products. It is vitacost.com They have people and pet products to sell at a good price.
Thank for being an amazing advocate for our pets!