I often tell my clients that the best way we can respect our equine friends is to honor how they’re made. Horses (and other equines) are unlike any other creature on this planet. Sure, they resemble cows and goats (and other ruminants) because they graze and eat hay, but that’s where the similarity ends.  Horses are “trickle feeders.”  This means that they require a continuous supply of small amounts of forage all day long. Horses in their natural setting will graze virtually all day, while taking approximately 2 hours each day to rest (though not at all one time). This is a very important concept to understand because a horse’s digestive system needs to have food in it most of the time, in order to avoid health problems.

Chewing produces saliva, which acts as a natural antacid, so if a horse has no hay or pasture, he will chew on anything he can to create saliva; some horses will start to eat their own manure. Furthermore, not eating is very stressful for horses, which results in the secretion of stress-related hormones. These hormones promote fat storage. So, putting an overweight horse on a “diet” by reducing hay consumption actually works in reverse – it promotes more weight gain. In addition, the reduced forage availability will make his metabolic rate slow down, causing calories to be burned at a slower rate. This, too, results in weight gain.
Horses are capable of self-regulating their intake when given the chance. If they are only offered a set amount of hay at a time, they will likely eat it very quickly and will be anxious for more. But if given all they want, they will overeat at first (for a week or less) and then, once they see that they can walk away and relax and the hay will still be there when they return, they will calm down and eat only what they need to maintain a healthy weight. If your horse is stalled at night, the only way to know whether he has enough hay for this self-regulation to take place is for some hay to be left over in the morning.  The key is not feeding more hay; the key is feeding enough so your horse never runs out of hay. Then, and only then, will he reduce his intake to just enough to meet his needs.

Take a look at the list below… these are problems and conditions that can and do occur with horses that are not fed in sync with the way nature designed them:

• Ulcers, both in the stomach and anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract

• Colic, because the intestines are made of muscles and without forage, they will not move

• Diarrhea, due to the inflammation caused by acid reaching the hindgut

• Negative behaviors, in an effort to chew, or exhibit pain, stress, and discomfort

• Weight problems, both underweight (from malnutrition) and overweight (from stress)

• Accelerated aging, because of stress and loss of condition

• Slow recovery from exercise, since joints and muscles need to repair themselves after a workout

• Depressed immune function from stress, making them more susceptible to allergies, infections, and illness

• Laminitis, both from hindgut microbial destruction, and from elevated insulin levels caused by stress

Come join me in talking about your horses. I’ll help you understand how feeding correctly naturally leads to improved, and even glowing health.  I’ll give you information to help you decide which, if any, supplements are needed and how to protect your horse against nutrient overlaps that often occur when too many supplements and fortified feeds are mixed together. 
My goal is to give you a foundation from which you can respect your horse, mini, donkey, mule, pony, or even a zebra (all are equines) to give them a vibrant lifetime of health.

10 Ways to Eliminate Unnecessary Dog Shots
© 2010 Jan Rasmusen

When vaccinating dogs, most of us rely on our vets, hoping their advice is current and not biased by economic concerns. Unfortunately, unless vets study veterinary journals, and are willing to make big changes in their practices, their advice may lag more than a decade behind what experts have learned.

Don’t believe it? 13 years after experts found H. pylori bacterium caused human ulcers, only 5% of patients were being treated with antibiotics! Even now, 27 years later, many people still believe ulcers are caused by stress and rich food. 

So how do you know if you’re giving your dog too many shots? And how do you cut back without endangering your dog’s health? Here are 10 ways to eliminate unnecessary shots.

1. Always consider locale, lifestyle, risk and effectiveness. Bordetella (kennel cough) is for dogs in poorly-ventilated close quarters (like kennels), not pets sometimes playing with others. Leptospirosis is a disease of wetlands and woodlands, and the vaccine may not protect against the actual disease in your area. Lyme is only for dogs in areas with Lyme disease. Each of these shots has dangerous side effects and their efficacy is questionable. Don’t give them without proven benefit.
   

2. Eliminate vaccines on the “not recommended” list of the American Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force as well as most veterinary organizations and schools. These include Giardia and Coronavirus (found in most combination shots).
   

3. Never give combination shots.  Combo shots (with names like DHLPPC) assault your dog’s immune system with five or seven vaccines at once. Given for economy and convenience rather than health, combos are linked to autoimmune disease and other major health problems. They invariably contain unnecessary and even dangerous vaccines. 
   

4. Don’t vaccinate puppies too early.  Vaccinating pups who still have maternal immunity is unnecessary and ineffective. Most vets suggest waiting until at least 8 weeks of age. Top experts suggest waiting until 3-4 months, keeping pups away from public places and strange dogs until immunity is proven by strong titers.
   

5. Stop vaccinating against diseases for which your dog may already have immunity.  Blood studies show that parvovirus vaccines given to dogs over 15-16 weeks of age generally give at least 7 years of immunity, as does the Rockborn distemper strain. (The Onderstepoort strain gives 5 years.) Ask your vet which vaccine your dog received.
   

6. Don’t allow your vet, kennel owner or groomer to intimidate you into giving unnecessary shots.  Suggest titer testing for parvovirus or distemper -- or go elsewhere.  Your dog’s lifelong health is at stake.
   

7. Test immunity; don’t automatically re-vaccinate.  Titer tests (pronounced TIGHT er) are blood tests measuring antibodies to disease. Renowned pet vaccination expert Dr. Ron Schultz believes that titer tests yielding strong titers for parvovirus and distemper means not vaccinating against these diseases for years and maybe life. (Note: Don’t expect everyone will accept test results in lieu of vaccination. This subject is complicated, and we are programmed to think of vaccination as “the gold standard.” Also, the absence of strong titers does not necessarily mean that a dog needs a “booster.”) 

8. Never vaccinate sick dogs. Vaccine labels say to vaccinate only “healthy pets,” but don’t define “healthy.” Too many vets vaccinate sick pets, even dying housebound pets. The shot will probably cause an adverse reaction and may well not provide immunity. Chronically ill or immune-compromised pets may get an exemption from rabies vaccination for a specified period or life. Your veterinarian must apply for the exemption and provide documentation. Do not allow your vet to tell you this isn’t possible unless local law specifically forbids it. License fees will probably still be due.
   

9. Insist that your vet documents any adverse vaccine reactions in detail. You may want to someday apply for rabies vaccine exemption.  
   

10.  Make copies of dog licenses and vet files and store them in a safe place. Vets lose records, go out of business, leave town, etc. Without your dog’s records, you may have vaccinate sooner than necessary because of lost or missing records.

Ready to make a change? Carefully check credentials before taking anyone’s advice, including mine! There’s a lot of bad information out there. Best case, find a vet concerned about over-vaccinating to advise you.  

Declawing Alternatives
By Jean Hofve, DVM

All reasons for non-medical declawing have non-surgical alternatives. There are many humane choices will still protect both human and feline health, as well as sofas and Persian rugs:

1. Scratching posts, mats, corrugated cardboard, logs, softwood boards, sisal rope

2. Training (yes, cats CAN be trained!)

3. Regular claw-trimming

4. Rotary sanders (Peticure, Dremel)

5. Nail caps (SoftPaws, Soft Claws)

6. Emery scratching boards (Emerycat)

7. Double-sided sticky tape (Sticky Paws)

8. Non-stick furniture protectors (Corner Savers, Fresh Kitty Furniture Protectors)

9. Pet repellent sprays

10. Access restriction (upside-down vinyl rug runner)

11. Remote aversive devices (ScatMat, Ssscat)

12. Phermones (Feliway)

13. Furniture covers (blankets, towels—anything loose will not be appealing to your cat!)

14. Those who absolutely insist that no cat of theirs will have claws, can adopt an already-declawed cat (there are many of them in shelters and rescues).
    

With a little effort, patience, and time, one or more of these alternatives will work for any cat; making it unnecessary and inhumane to use a radical, irreversible surgery to solve a behavior problem.