Vital Animal News: March 8, 2026
What your vet reads about nutrition / Update on saRNA Rabies vaccine (shedding) / Chicago rabies case closure / Tumors: To cut or not to cut? / Tip: Select your NR breeder carefully and MORE.
Board Certified Nutrition Vet? Oh oh.
The New NXT Rabies Vaccine: Likely to Shed
Chicago Rabid Dog Wrap Up
Tumor Surgery: Not a Slam Dunk
Tasty Tip: NR Breeders
Along the Natural Path
“Experts” on Vet Nutrition?
This article just appeared in a vet journal, entitled “The fresh pet food movement.” Oh, my head.
The author is a vet nutritionist, who cautions vets that they’ll be asked about feeding pets. And they gotta know about this trend away from kibble and cans to something more, you know, human like.
Real food, in other words.
Unfortunately, it appears she sees the trends but doesn’t have enough data to judge whether this move to fresh food from kibble and cans is beneficial.
I guess she’s not seeing these amazing animals in day to day practice. Or believes all reality depends on published, peer reviewed research, perhaps?
There is currently a paucity of research evaluating the impacts of feeding different diets to dogs or cats throughout their lifetime.”
When I had patients make the switch to fresh, they rarely if ever needed treatment, they were so healthy!
The most rewarding ones came to me on a diet of the usual over processed crap and made the switch to raw balanced feedings.
Their coats got shiny, their eyes lost the gunk and gained a new sparkle, their breath was a pleasure to be near, and most if not all of their symptoms went away.
My most startling in the early days was the ADR cat (“ain’t doing right”) who I couldn’t get in for homeopathy soon, as I was too full of patients.
After recommending a switch to raw Cornish game hens from kibble, when I finally did have an opening, her awestruck owner thanked me profusely, adding that Texas Ray no longer needed my help!
Let’s tease apart some concerns from this professional’s view of the movement towards fresh though, as it may help you navigate a vet visit or two.
Low fat/low salt?
From her article:
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 emphasize choosing “nutrient-dense foods” that contain vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components with minimal added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. These are whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans, peas and lentils, unsalted nuts and seeds, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry.”
Umm, we finally admitted the Ancel Keyes-induced US food pyramid based on cherry picked data blaming fat as the inducer of heart attacks was wrong. The resulting “low fat” craze lead us to the current obesity and diabetes epidemic in the West.
And salt is not a cause of high blood pressure of any note. Insulin resistance, a result of all those low fat/high carb foods we were told were “healthy choices” was and remains the chief elevator of those numbers. (And low salt diets push insulin resistance… whoops!)
The Covid Mess Changed Things
The author sees those dark years of the plandemic as perhaps a key in more people moving to fresh food for their pets, but she missed the key point:
We learned we can no longer trust (most) doctors!
And that would include nutrition advice, of course, because neither veterinarians nor MDs receive any significant education in this area.
In four years of vet school, we got two afternoons of “nutrition training” from a Hills pet food rep!
Got a cat with crystals blocking the urine outflow? Feed C/D, problem solved!
Prone to diarrhea or constipation? I/D will take care of those wayward intestines!
Pet on the ropes with kidney failure? We got you: feed K/D.
And so on. My head still spins, seeing this for what it could have been and what I had to learn years later after discovering just how bad kibble was.
Admitting Some Benefit
While concerned there’s not enough research (is there ever for some people?), she does cite some showing benefits of fresh food feeding.
An example of her “analysis paralysis” at work:
In several studies, the digestibility of less-processed diets compared to more processed commercial kibble or canned foods was found to be higher but the long-term effects of consuming a diet with higher digestibility on health, disease, and longevity of dogs and cats are unknown.”
Wait. We need long term data to prove increased digestibility is a good thing??
Imbalance Concerns
She cites the movement to human grade foods is significant.
A 2019 study found that the proportion of pets exclusively fed “conventional” diets (commercially available, heat-processed products, typically kibble or canned foods) decreased from 65 to 13 percent in dogs, and from 85 to 32 percent in cats, indicating that pet owners are increasingly interested in feeding their pets other food forms.”
But also cites a study done on 200 home prepared recipes and finding deficiencies, including most frequently calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
I’d also be concerned if those deficiencies were a result of “mono diet” recipe following.
And c’mon, if you’re feeding bones and raw liver regularly, those top nutrients shouldn’t be an issue.
Most deficiencies in a “recipe” would be covered by varying the diet.
Remember: no wolf or puma follows a recipe. They eat prey, and it varies with seasons and prey population fluctuations.
It’s Costly
This one brings a grin to those of us who see through this.
The good doctor recognizes how cheap kibble is compared to fresh food, whether homemade or purchased.
No, umm kidding, Sherlock!
Cheap grains and byproducts from the meat world are bound to be cheap. The US government subsidizes corn, wheat, and soybeans so that a small regenerative farmer could never grow those crops profitably.
Not to mention, most of those crops are now GMO, so come with a side of glyphosate!
And 4D cows and pigs (dead, diseased, dying, or disabled)? Probably zero cost except the labor to render into “meal.”
Here’s a timely glimpse into the actual cost of ingredients from Susan Thixton, as she reveals some foods are still showing steak on their label.
But we well know where these cheaper foods become exceedingly costly, don’t we?
Vet expenses!
“Garbage in, garbage out” applies not only to computers but to biological systems as well.
It’s no coincidence that pet obesity and diabetes have shot up right alongside the humans plagued with these metabolic disasters.
The common thread is cheap food.
Listen to Those Who’ve Done It
Rather than take the advice of board certified veterinary nutritionists (who likely rarely encounter the healthy raw fed pets we in holistic med see and applaud), listen to and talk to those who’ve actually chosen to feed real food to their pets.
Better yet, get your hands on some of those animals, pull up an upper lip and look for the gleaming white, and take a whiff of what real dog breath smells like.
A homeopathic colleague from decades back used to say,
Those who say it can’t be done need to get out of the way of those who are DOING IT!” — Stephen Blake, DVM
That’s a recommendation you can take to the bank.
Merck’s NXT Rabies Vaccine: Shedding
When I expressed my concerns about the newest rabies “vaccine” to enter the market, based on RNA tech, I was most concerned with safety studies being short and done “in house” as opposed to a year of following the vaccinated by an independent research group.
In case you missed the opening shot across the bow:
That vaccine and another couple are now USDA approved (meaning: “Profitable! Cha ching!”), and it’s time to be on the lookout and enquire if your vet plans to use them.
Here are their names, at least in the US (they are also out in Canada):
-Nobivac NXT Feline‑1 Rabies
-Nobivac NXT Feline‑3 Rabies, and
-Nobivac NXT Canine‑1 Rabies
[Yes, as of now, USDA has not yet approved a Canine-3 Rabies, meaning a 3 year label. Probably still in the pipeline and I’d expect to see it. If it’s like other “3 year rabies vaccines,” you can put a solid bet on it being identical to the one-year version, just studied longer and so labeled.]
Besides rabies, the following are also out in circulation and actively being sold to pet owners:
-Nobivac NXT FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus, which has never been a disease you could vaccinate away, it just indicates chronic disease is present, and upon getting your cat healthy, it quietly leaves).
-NXT Canine Flu H3N2 (another silly disease to even consider vaccinating against. No dog dies of the flu unless they are already seriously ill (remember “co-morbidities?” Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about here).
My second post laid out how to avoid these products, but in both, I was a bit hesitant to say a concern would be “shedding.” I didn’t feel we had enough data yet.
Shedding is Real
The data are now in, from what I consider a trustworthy source, A Midwestern Doctor, publishing here on Substack:
The title itself should have you sitting up and paying attention, but as this author is often long winded, I’ll abbreviate a bit so it’s easier to grasp.
By way of introduction, here’s some of the opening:
•After the COVID-19 vaccines hit the market, stories began emerging of unvaccinated individuals becoming ill after being in proximity to recently vaccinated individuals. This confused many, as the mRNA technology in theory should not be able to “shed.”
•After seeing countless patient cases which can only be explained by COVID vaccine shedding, a year ago, I initiated multiple widely seen calls for individuals to share suspected shedding experiences.
•From those 1,500 reports, clear and replicable patterns have emerged which collectively prove “shedding” is a real and predictable phenomenon that can be explained by known mechanisms unique to the mRNA technology.”
The effects of Covid jab shedding run the spectrum from bothersome to debilitating and affect not only super sensitive people but average ones as well.
Suspicions began when un-jabbed women started having abnormal menses after being near their vaccinated sisters.
I’ll let you read the good doctor’s findings, amassed over a few years time, with some others like Pierre Kory weighing in on their own clinical experiences.
The Nutshell Version
Some high points of the “how:”
The favored messenger is exosomes, little cell packets of RNA, protein, etc. that regularly bud off from cells.
These can move by air or direct contact to others.
This is entirely natural, and part of how we gain immunity, for example against the latest flu virus challenge “going around.”
Here’s where it gets concerning, however.
When tinkering takes place in the lab, especially at the level of genetic material, and mass produced self replicating RNA enters the picture without adequate safeguards, we get the possibility of negative consequences.
Hence, we see these people getting sick with Covid symptoms who’ve never had the disease or the injection.
So Covid mRNA shedding is happening. Read some of the thousands of reports the good doctor used to come to this conclusion. They are eye opening.
And I’d expect this line of RNA products for pets to spread to others not vaccinated in a similar fashion as the Covid jabs did.
What to Take Away
As is common when profits drive production of meds or biologics, safeguards are often skirted and caution thrown to the wind.
To reiterate my earlier recommendation, I’d not allow these to be used in your animals. Ask to see a label if you choose to allow a vaccine.
And have that non-NXT vaccine pulled into a syringe in front of you before you let your pet be injected.
But dog flu? Or FeLV?
No way a vaccine of any kind for these diseases is in your animals’ best interest.
Get them healthy, see the free report on dog flu remedies I’ve included in your Vital Animal Pack library, and build their resistance. Never fear the germ. Not yet a free Pack member? Jump in here.
And get a homeopath on board as well as a raw diet if your cat is not well or your dog seems to be surviving but not thriving.
Then, you’ll start to see that glow that stops people in their tracks to exclaim,
OMG!! How did you get her looking this AMAZING?”
Chicago Rabies Case Wrap
Just to wrap this up, though not as neatly as I’d like.
I wrote about the Chicago dog euthanized with a positive fluorescent antibody test for rabies some issues back:
And, while the CDC promised their testing would reveal which subvariant of the virus was involved (skunk, raccoon, bat, etc.), the last word reported by PAWS, (the large, long‑established no‑kill animal shelter and veterinary nonprofit where the dog was from) was:
“Inconclusive.”
As that event was in December and this is now March, I think that’s all we’re likely to hear, folks.
Oddly, the dog was vaccinated against rabies and still became rabid months later (June to December 2025). USDA tested the vaccine lot…
And, the envelope please?
Nada. Nothing published or made public.
Not apparently a “bad lot” or other incidents like this pup, and the littermates are all fine, though they were quarantined for a spell, likely at home, to be sure they weren’t also starting to act weird.
So, is that odd case enough to scare you into rushing out to re-vaccinate your charges for rabies?
It needn’t be, unless you live in a high risk area with a free roaming pet likely to try to eat a downed bat or fight a raccoon or skunk.
And even then, if your pet was vaccinated earlier against this deadly disease, you’ll want to review the concept of “duration of immunity.”
Tumors, Surgeons, and Balance
An email came in, asking about alternatives to tumor surgery:
Female poodle dog has a tumor on tit outside of her body 2 1/2 inches in diameter hanging down 4 inches.what can I do other than surgery costing $1,500 dollars . Scheduled in 7 days.”
It got me reaching back to a couple cases on large benign tumors, one that got surgery (and the serious consequences that followed that) and another, whose owner listened to my concern and held out against society’s strong suggestions to “Just get it taken OFF, Already!”
I thought the post I shared with this person might be of interest to you, even if you’re not facing social pressures to get thee to a surgeon for a cosmetic issue.
Here’s a deeper dive on not only those pressures, but the not uncommon outcome of suppression, the only way to categorize surgery when the surgeon’s goal is removing an offending bunch of tissue.
Surgeons as Heroes?
I used to be in awe of surgeons going through vet school. I mean, it was pretty cool to bring a troubled animal to a state of anesthesia, open them up, fix the wrong, and sew them back up all the better for the effort.
That viewpoint changed during my homeopathic training in the early 90’s, where we learned the only three possible outcomes of any medical intervention, including those from the natural modalities (including homeopathy…):
Cure
Palliation
Suppression
And, it turned out that, unless the surgeon was mending broken bones, or like me in my early days in large animal practice, bringing a calf to the world that Bossie couldn’t manage or untwisting a stomach, the rest was suppression.
And suppressing a disease always comes back to bite you.
Have a read at the article above and see what you think. While Caleb’s owner decided against surgery, another patient had a predictable disaster a month or two after a hubby put his foot down and a tumor hit the trash can.
My heroes are no longer surgeons.
They are the skilled homeopaths who bring miracles to the suffering with tiny doses of substances, some of which were poisons before they underwent ultra-dilution and succussion.
This method is safe in skilled hands, and very effective in curing chronic disease, though this a process by definition, and takes patience and attention to details in order to work.
[In proof reading this, I’m only now noticing a word I missed in that email until now: “tit.” So, this may not be the benign type of tumor I wrote about. Mammary cancer can be malignant in half to two thirds of cases.
That’s not to say removal is a given, still. Work with a homeopathic vet who sees a lot of cancer cases, clean up any dietary deficiencies, stop all pesticide use and make an informed choice whether removal is best as the patient progresses under treatment.]
Tasty Tip: Vet Your NR Breeder
One of my Alpha students who’s been there from the beginning (10 years ago!) went on a search for a naturally reared (NR) pup in her favorite breed, the German Shepherd.
Years prior, while helping me with a course, the NR Roadmap, Joyce had done extensive research on this topic, so I knew she’d ask some hard questions and not taken answers at face value.
What is NR?
Ideally, this natural rearing breeder label means the pup you’re about to purchase comes from unvaccinated parents. And ideally, their parents and grandparents and a few to several generations before them were also free of vaccines.
Why is that important?
Learn about vaccinosis [You Want to Detox a Vaccine?] and how it’s passed down to offspring who may never have been vaccinated.
Included in that NR designation is breeding stock who are raw fed, avoid flea and heartworm pesticides, and obviously, don’t vaccinate their pups before they go to their new home.
These pups, when truly raised this way, are exceptional. They are starting out life way less likely to bring in ancestral illness and you can raise them from there, making all the best decisions to ensure that healthy state continues into old age.
The Trouble with “NR”
Here’s the rub: “NR breeder” is a self-assigned label.
Like “holistic vet,” where anything might go.
Joyce uncovered several that claimed no vaccines in the pups they sold but, with a bit of deeper digging, found just the opposite.
Ten years back, one of my students bought a Boxer pup who clearly suffered inherited chronic disease, even though sold as “NR.”
Only later was it revealed that the breeder used frozen semen from a stud dog. The problem with that? He was routinely vaccinated, and so his offspring were paying the price.
So, once again, it pays to “buyer beware” and ask hard questions before you plunk down a (usually) higher fee for an NR pup.
Those breeders who are solid will speak honestly with you and have been in the NR movement for a long time. Choose wisely and you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts.
Along the Natural Path
For the past 8 days, we’ve been immersed in extra devotion, culminating in our yearly celebration of Holi here in our ashram in No. India.
It’s a most joyous day, with a deep, divine history.
We are most fortunate to celebrate with my guru’s divine family, and you can catch a glimpse of the deep joy imparted by them as they cover us with freshly petaled flowers.
Bird’s eye view:
After the flowers are exhausted, the water comes showering down… with a hint of rose… and even more love imbued in it.
By the time it’s all over, almost an hour has passed, the sun is up, and no one can wipe the smiles off their faces. while excited stories are shared about individual experiences.
So, that’s a taste of the day that crowned our sadhana program here in UP, India, which hundreds flew in to attend.
Where ever you find yourself on this spinning earth ship, remember you can continue to make wise decisions for those innocents in your care. You know, the ones who look to you with loving eyes and accept what ever you say goes.
See you next time,
Will Falconer, DVM
Why do we need data to show that dogs and cats can eat actual meat throughout their lifetime?
I do not need a study showing a P<.05 that dogs and cats do better eating more like how their cousins in the wild eat.
Some things are just not rocket science.
Always, good information. Have a questions Doc.... so many animals in shelters and would rather adopt a rescue than buy from a breeder. Knowing they are "fixed" (LOL) and giving vaccines any advice on how to proceed?
We have had two and gone the more natural route (well except for rabies which we would do now) by getting titers but anything else you can recommend??