Monday, August 22, 2011

Puppy Chronicles -- Part 2

Good morning to my fan club!  
Everyone here keeps calling me D-O-L-L (I don't know what that is).   My new mom says that I am the most well-behaved puppy she's ever seen.    I walk outside with Mom like a real pro; she says she's never seen anything like it!    I'm no longer afraid of thresholds, or subway grating.   Stairs are a whole 'nother matter, and we've been avoiding crowds, but I'll come around.     

I'm adjusting really well to life in Brooklyn!     Mom put me on this new diet.. no more kibble for me!    I ate a huge chicken wing yesterday -- I will have the best teefs!    I have to go to the vet-ri-narian (I think I spelt that right) on Friday so that they can stick needles in me... I'm scared, but I'll get over it.

Now, there's the matter of those Katz.     Vaggio the Terrible is my buddy; he seems to like me!    Sherman just stares me down still, and I only chased him once =)     Benjamin and Sophie are two weasles who didn't come from out of the bed all day yesterday.     We all got something called Flower Essences last night to sooth our nerves, and everyone is a little better today!

This morning, I woke Mom up at 3AM because my tail started wagging and banging against my temporary bedroom (krate?) and she was afraid I was going to wake the neighbors.    So we went out for a stroll.    Now I'm chomping on a bully stick.     I'm so darn cute.

Talk later !

Brandi

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Puppy Chronicles -- Part I.

Hi there..
My name is Brandi.  

I'm new here.    I just arrived from North Carolina last night, and today, I came to live in Brooklyn Heights with Phyllis & her Four Fabulous Felines.  

I've already gone on two long walks.   I walk great for a 4-ish month old puppy, and everyone stops to say hello.   But alas, I'm not crazy about :  (1) thresholds, (2) stairs (3) subway grating, and (4) crowds, even small ones.     But not bad for my first walks out with Mom.

Mom just bought me all sorts of stuff .. I now have a bright red harnss, a matching bright red collar, two Kongs, and bully sticks to chew on.  

I'm going to be a raw fed dog!     Mom stuffed some raw turkey into one of my Kongs, and I think I've died and gone to Heaven!

Now about those Four Fabulous Felines.    Vaggio The Terrible came right out to say hello to me and Johnny, who drove me to Brooklyn Heights.    We *might* get along well !     Sherman has been staring me down for the past half hour.    But Benjamin & Sophie .. they must be here somewhere... Here Kitty Kitty !!     But so far, they haven't emerged from under the bed *sigh*

I'm very tired from my long walk, and Mom has to go kitty sitting, and then off to the butcher to get me stuff to chew on !    YEAH!    I'm happy to be here, and will write more soon.   Maybe after my nap.

Love & licks,
Brandi

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Feeding the Carnivore

The blog post I am Carnivore, Hear Me Roar discussed the topic of carnivore (cat and dog) nutrition. If after reading the article you had an “a-ha moment” and want to venture into feeding your four-legged kids fresh food, you may wonder how to get started.

We need to think about what to feed, taking our own comfort zone into account. There are a number of premade commercial raw products available in pet stores around the city that make it easy for the human who is afraid of missing key nutritional components. Though not perfect (we want to get our carnivores chewing for dental health, and want to control the ingredients that go into their food), it’s a good place to start.

Do you want to feed common meats that humans eat (i.e., chicken or beef)? Or venture out and exactly mirror what cats and dogs would eat in the wild (like rabbit, rodents or quail)? Then it’s time to look for appropriate sources of this new food. Sometimes you can easily put together meals without having to order anything special, but many local providers are getting used to special requests for the four-leggeds in our lives.

There are 54 greenmarkets around New York City (http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket) where 230 small family farms and fishermen offer fresh, healthy, locally grown food. Aside from the wonderful food they sell for two-leggeds’ consumption, they often have a great selection of meats and organs for our four-legged companions.

There are also specialty butchers that can provide species-appropriate meats and organs for our carnivores. Los Paisanos in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (http://www.lospaisanosmeatmarket.com/) has a fine selection of fresh organic and natural common meats, and the largest selection of exotic foods imaginable. Their cases are stocked with a large selection of organ meats that suit our companions well. There are also places like Whole Foods Market (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/). Many high-end natural/organic stores like Whole Foods or local butchers are happy to prepare foods specifically for the carnivores in our lives. Just ask them!
Over the past few years, farms around the country have started to offer quality whole prey and ground foods specifically for dogs and cats. Sometimes we can co-op to share in the order process (and save on shipping costs). The New York Raw Feeders group on yahoo (http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ny_raw_feeders/) provides a place to discuss raw feeding, suppliers and other related topics; there’s also a brand new group on Facebook that will mirror or complement the Yahoo group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_201117679921090&ap=1).

Need help with your feline or canine?     Find us at http://www.poochandkitty.net.

I am Carnivore, Hear me Roar!

There is a high level of awareness about the food we (humans) put into our bodies.    We read labels at the supermarket.    We look at fat and carbohydrates.   We’re concerned about where food comes from, and whether it's organically produced.    We look at overall health considerations.  
  
As a cat and dog sitter with literally hundreds of customers, I often ask myself why the same consideration is not given to our 4-legged kids.  

When it comes to the health of our animal companions, we have no control over genetic predispositions and environmental factors; but diet choices are completely within our control.     Feeding a species-appropriate diet is the single most important thing we can do for our 4-legged partners, and pays off in spades over the course of their lifetime.   The negative impacts of an inferior, species-inappropriate diet range from a multitude of chronic illnesses, to weight control issues from an excess of grains and fillers, to a poor quality coat, dental problems, urinary issues (which could be life threatening), compromised immune systems… the list goes on and on.   

I never paid much attention to what my four-legged friends ate until 2007.   I ASSUMED I was giving them “the best” there was (because that’s what the label said!).      The past 4 years have been eye-opening for me, and there’s no going back.   

Marketing hype and veterinarians with little training in nutrition are of no help to the average consumer.    Big Business controls the pet food industry and plays a major part in influencing vets throughout their education.     So we need to help ourselves and our companion animals.    Knowledge is power. 

The best way to think about optimal nutrition for a cat or dog is to look at what a wild feline (yes, a lion or a tiger) or canine (wolf, fox) eats.    Domestic animals are not very different than their wild ancestors when it comes to nutrition.  Dogs are carnivores.    Felines are obligate carnivores and have even stricter requirements for meat than dogs and other animals.  While it may be beyond our comfort zone to imagine, wild cats and dogs generally eat rodents, small birds (not chicken or turkey -- but quail and song birds), and rabbit.    Rodents, quail, and rabbits are generally comprised of around 80% meat, up to 10% bone, and 10% organs (of which around 5% is the liver).    Mirroring that composition to the best of our ability is the most basic rule of optimal nutrition.    Of course, there’s more to it than that, but the 80-10-10 rule is the foundation.   

Note the absence of carbohydrates (especially grains) in the paragraph above.      The production of dry kibble requires around 40% carbohydrate in order to produce the correct consistency.   That’s 40% carbs for an animal that should have zero carbs.       Is that species-appropriate?

There are no ovens in the wild.    Mother Nature does not cook.   All food is consumed raw.     Now some of you are thinking, what about salmonella?   Carnivores have short digestive tracts, which makes them fairly tolerant to bacteria in their food, which is why healthy animals are at very little risk of suffering from salmonella or other threats.    Of course you ALWAYS want to consider the sources of food.  
Raw feeding is not for everyone.   But there is a hierarchy of food choices for cats, which looks something like this (from best to worst):
  • Raw, whole-prey
  • Raw, whole-prey, ground
  • Home-made, cooked
  • Premium canned
  • Dry food (kibble)
I worry about home-made, cooked diets.    Cooking changes the composition of food; vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes are altered or destroyed during the cooking process.    So “getting it right” becomes extremely difficult.    The positive side of home cooking is that you get to add your own ingredients, and leave out some of the undesirable things that are found in the best of commercial foods.    But why cook at all?

Everything about dry kibble is inappropriate to the species.  Aside from being cooked at extraordinarily high temperatures, it contains inferior sources of protein, and is way too high in carbohydrates (often grains, which are a huge issue for the feline and sometimes for the canine).   There’s nothing redeeming about it, and for cats, its outright dangerous over the long-run.   A lot of caregivers think they are feeding “high quality” dry kibble.    The reality is that there’s no such thing as quality kibble.    Lisa Pierson, DVM, does a great job explaining this on her website http://www.catinfo.org.
So many cats I care for in my pet care business eat dry food for years.    Then the heartache comes when these same animals are rushed to the emergency vet for very serious issues such as urinary blockages and diabetes.    I hear about these issues all the time.

Unlike dogs, cats have little natural thirst drive.   They have evolved to get water from their food.    There’s almost no water in kibble (10% of kibble is water vs. around 75-80% water in canned food).    A cat that eats a dry diet is chronically dehydrated, and it is impossible for them to make up for the water deficiency no matter how much they drink.     If you are lucky enough to live with a cat that gets into their upper teen years, their demise is often from kidney disease.     So does a chronic state of dehydration lead to kidney disease in later year?   I think so.

There’s the “but dry food is better for the teeth argument”.   Watch how the cat or dog's mouth works; they are not chewing the kibble – they are simply shattering it into smaller pieces.    The tiny pieces are often lodged in their teeth (think: carbohydrates) which actually CAUSE dental issues.     If dry food is so good for teeth, then they should never need a dental cleaning (a surgical procedure), right?

My Pet Peeve (excuse the pun).  Why do so many caregivers think their cats need to have food available 24 hours a day?     We don’t do this for dogs, and certainly not for people…so why do we do it for cats?   Trust me, no cat ever starved to death from not eating for 2-3 hours.

I think I’ve made my point about dry food.

I sincerely hope that raw feeding becomes mainstream some day, but I’m realistic.   For most caregivers, the answer is going to be to feed a high-quality commercial canned food.    Most times, high-quality is going to come from the smaller (not Big Business) pet food companies (though mergers & acquisitions are in the air).  

Learn to read food labels.     This is a subject for a future article, but briefly, ingredients are listed in order of weight, so generally speaking, the first few ingredients are the most important.    A named meat (i.e., “chicken”, NOT “poultry”) should be the first ingredient.   If there are carbohydrates in the food, they should be far down the ingredients list (not one of the first 5 ingredients).      Avoid grains, particularly anything with corn or wheat; avoid soy and gluten.   Limit fish intake; aside from mercury, pollutants, etc, fish is linked to thyroid disease later in life, and is also a common allergen.   Avoid sugars, natural or artificial, and artificial colors.

I am not a veterinarian; I am not a scientist, nor am I formally trained in animal nutrition.    I have read a ton on this topic, and it all makes sense to me.    For a more technical and complete overview of feline nutrition, here is a good website:  http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm.    

I am owned by four cats.    They are raw-fed.   They have beautiful coats, clear eyes, high energy, good weight, and nearly odorless litter-boxes.     I compare them to cats I watch for my business, and I am proud of my four fabulous felines.

Need help with your felines or canines?    We will feed raw during our pet sits; find us at http://www.poochandkitty.net

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Adventures In Alternative Medicine for Animals

By Phyllis Klein
Pooch & Kitty Companion Animal Care
http://www.poochandkitty.net/

Animals bring tremendous value to our lives, and yet ask for very little in return.   They ask for love, entertainment, and a safe environment.   They don't ask for, but need, good health, including the best in medical care when it is required.  


I lost my darling companion Cory in 2006.    Lord knows how he lived to be 18 and a half years old... I (unknowingly) fed him bad food, vaccinated annually, and put blind faith in my vets.   When Cory died, Sophie and Benjamin came into my life immediately.   Sherman came along a month later, and Vaggio came to live with us in 2009.


Early in my cats' lives, I unintentionally embarked on a journey to learn about what's really important in animal health.    I learned about nutrition (which is a whole 'nother topic), vaccinations, and medical treatments.   Many people will hear my soapbox lectures on these topics.    But my first wakeup call was when 6-month old Benjamin developed a hairball-like cough that was not going away.    The vet pounded on his table "ASTHMA!" and administered a steroid shot.   How was I to know about the dangers of steroids... my vet was looking out for me, right?    A few weeks later, Sophie had the same symptoms!   Can two cats possibly develop asthma just two weeks apart?      A lightbulb went off in my head, and both cats was brought to a new vet... who said it was NOT asthma, but that both cats had simple upper respiratory infections.     A round of antibiotics for everyone.


Fast forward to June 2009.    Benjamin again has a hairball-like cough, and is escorted to the vet.   This time, a chest x-ray indicates that he does have asthma, or bronchitis... pretty serious, but just one attack.   Then came the first battle with the vet.     It is very hard to determine whether bronchitis is infectious or allergic.   But I knew it was allergic, as the attack was directly tied to an air purifier being taken out of commission... the air purifier went back on, and poof, the attack stopped.    So why-oh-why was she telling me to start him on a course of antibiotics?    Antibiotics are not candy... there are consequences to every drug.    After a few debates with the vet, she finally admitted that he did not need antibiotics.    Benjamin was "fine", but I felt in my heart that his issue was not over... and it wasn't.


In August 2009, I discovered alternative medicine veterinarians, so foreign to me.   Many operate on a remote basis, and never actually meet the animals they are treating.     


A vet was recommended to me that specialized in homeopathy for animals.   He has written books and is well-known in his field.    And he was really dangerous. 


Benjamin was given a homeopathic remedy to reverse the possible harm caused by vaccinations.   This was supposed to be the first step toward peeling the onion and fixing Benjamin.    Besides Vaggio who was rescued last year, the three cats that share my life have not been vaccinated since they were kittens.    Yet, the kitten (or puppy) series is apparently enough to cause harm.   Vaccinations also stay in the DNA for around 6 generations.. so vaccinations given to the parents, or grandparents, or great grandparents, can still cause issues. 


But Benjamin had a terrible reaction to the remedy (or "aggravation" in homeopathy lingo).    


Purist homeopaths believe that we need to avoid suppressing symptoms of disease, and also believe that aggravations should be allowed to take their course.     Without going into a dissertation of the schools of homeopathy and why they think as they do, this vet did not want to suppress Benjamin's symptoms, even though his reaction included breathing problems.    But the aggravation passed; this was supposed to be stage 1 in a 3-dose homeopathic "cure".


November 2009 was stage 2.    And a complete replay of what happened during stage 1, with worse problems breathing.     Long story short, in spite of the fact that the vet wanted to continue on, I was DONE.   If he wants to live with an animal that cannot breathe, all the power to him.


But the story continues.      As many 2-legged allergy sufferers know, we had an early onset to allergy season in New York in the spring of 2010.    Asthma in cats and humans is similar -- it is almost always a result of either allergies or stress.     And Benjamin had a severe asthma attack in April.    This time, I brought him to a homeopathic vet in Manhattan.     I handed over a ton of cash for homeopathic treatments, but based on what happened to Benjamin in 2009, I couldn't bring myself to continue the treatment.    


Instead, he went back to to the original vet, got another chest xray (result of which was horrendous), and went on inhaled medication.    Based on his lung damage, the vet gave Benjamin a very gloomy prognosis.     When I asked about a specialist I could talk to, her answer was "there really isn't anyone else to talk to".


In our lives, many of us will have one special animal that becomes part of our soul.     When I am on my deathbed, thinking back on the animals I have loved, the one that will bond with my soul will likely be Benjamin.    So imagine how upset I was with the gloomy prognosis and the "there reallly isn't anyone else to talk to" answer.    My heart was shattered, but I was not going to give up on Benjamin.


Next:  on to Vet #4.    This was a holistic vet (also practicing from a distance) who works with a number of different modalities outside of what I was used to dealing with.    One thing she specializes in is non-invasive allergy elimination.    Testing is done from a fur sample, and treatment is done using a technique similar to acupressure.     Did it work?    I honestly don't know.   Remember, Benjamin's issues appear to be seasonal.. and he is on inhaled suppressive drugs.    Too risky to me to take him off the drugs, particularly when the vet is far away.      I also couldn't get my arms around a long-term treatment plan with this vet... so again, I chose to move on.


Between Vets, there have been non-veterinary consultations and treatments.   Distance-Reiki, Animal Communicators, Flower Essences... we've done them all.     


Currently, we are working with Vet #5.    This vet is a specialist in Traditional Chinese Medicine (herbs & acupuncture).     While its hard to assess results with Benjamin, and since he is on a long-term treatment plan, we have to wait and see.     We will also consult with a conventional respiratory specialist soon, so will have the benefit of an altmed veterinarian and a conventional practitioner (they know each other, which should help).


I've also researched supplements (to death).   All of the vets I've worked with love the regimen I have put together for Benjamin.   Do they help?   I think they can.   Can I stop using the inhaler?   I don't know.   But I feel so much more optimistic than I did in April.   


Benjamin woke me up this morning running zoomies over my head.     To look at this cat, you'd never in a million years think there is anything wrong with him.    Every day with him is a gift.      Remember the original vet who said "there really isn't anyone else to talk to"?     That is hardly the case.     "There's nothing that can be done" usually means "there's nothing that *I* can do".    There are so many things that can happen to Benjamin in the future: his condition can certainly degrade.    Or it can stay the same.   Or he can be rid of his symptoms forever.   But my point is that if you love... really love ... an animal enough, there are always alternatives to consider, which may mean bringing in people with ways of thinking that are completely foreign to us.