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GRAYTHERAPY

It's a Wild Wild West . . .
Articles Posted: 33  Links Seeded: 18
Member Since: 10/2010  Last Seen: 5/15/2012

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What is it, and does your fur ball need it?

Mon Feb 6, 2012 1:49 PM EST
health, pets, wellness, holistic
By GrayTherapy
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Yes, our pets deserve the best care we can give them.  Often we are contented with simply loving our pets, petting them, giving them treats (often from our own plates), and simply letting them have their own way - displaying any attitude they desire.  We tend to forget that our pets are only equal to the intelligence of a fourth grader, are you smarter than a fifth grader?  So now we can assume that we are smarter than our pets!

It appears that most people sit around watching TV, over eating (maybe only 40% of us), and do little to nothing to take proper care of ourselves.  I started this group, the Holistic Wellness and Health group, hoping that NV members might share articles, seeds, and comments concerning holistic approaches to help individuals become and maintain wellness.  However, we should also keep our fur balls in mind just as well as ourselves. 

From time to time I will post an article with our pets in mind.  Well, this is the first.  You might need to do some personal research to gain a sound knowledge of information on holistic wellness and your pet, but it will be well worth it.  Educating yourself will allow you to make positive decision for yourself and you loved one, your pet(s).

At this point please read the following short article:  Holistic Tips by Dr. Jane  http://www.holisticpetjournal.com/?x=entry:entry110422-225520#readmore-entry110422-225520

If you want your loved one (not your spouse, or your child, your pet) to have a holisticly well and healthy life, start a holistic approach when they are young, or start today!

There are holistic approaches for training your dog (other pets as well).  Thus allowing you and your dog to experience life as one would expect.  Socilization is important for many reasons, but for now lets look at a holistic approach to training your dog.  I don't agree completely with the information of Dr. Sarah (video) contained in the below, attached article.  I believe an older dog can also be holisticly trained to socialize properly.  It takes more time, and a lot of patience.  Enjoy the below information:

The video on socialization is included in this article:  Socialization    http://www.holisticpetjournal.com/?x=entry:entry110910-170628

Remember that one of the key properties of holistic wellness is often referred to as alternative natural health.  When one is well ones condition of health is considered to be in optimum health, in a state of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.  We should apply this concept to our fur balls as well as to ourselves.

 

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  • Public Discussion (33)
GrayTherapy

It is important that our pets enjoy a healthy and well planned life, as much as we can give them.

  • 5 votes
Reply#1 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 1:55 PM EST
Vlad's dog

Good idea GT.

I rub my dog and cat with strong herbs like rosemary to help with fleas. it seems to help keep them flea resistant during the summer months.

You can also make a herb collar for them to wear but you must replace it often to keep the herbs smell fresh.

It makes them smell nice too.

  • 3 votes
#1.1 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:22 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Vlad, did you have a chance to check the two links? Another member stated he couldn't view them? However, I was able to view them from one of the groups I posted to.

Rosemary, you are so correct, does keep fleas at bay.

Thanks for swinging by.

  • 2 votes
#1.2 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:27 PM EST
Vlad's dog

I was unable to view the link but I am having a few other bug issues with the vine the last three days.

  • 2 votes
#1.3 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:29 PM EST
Steven of Coulterville

Vlad, if Rosemary really works, that'd save me a bundle of cash. Using drops or pills to keep those nasty bugs under control [for six cats] is a bit too expensive...and they don't smell all that great. Does it help with ticks, as well?

  • 1 vote
#1.4 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 7:59 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Vlad and Steven, I'm interesting to know if it works on ticks as well. Sounds to good to be true!

  • 1 vote
#1.5 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:08 PM EST
kjpxxx

GT ,et al speaking to Rosemary and herbs to resist fleas. I think of the animal as a whole entity. We must remember their olfactory sense is thousands of time keener than ours. I would [and do] think of the torment that strong a scent would present to the dog or cat. You might say,well they might walk through that herb and get it on themselves. Well yes they might...or they might go around it. Either way, the scent would only be on them for a short duration, not day in and day out with humans reapplying it over and over. I bought some repellent at my holistic Vet. and that thought occurred to me , as it has a herbal base. so I only apply it to the feet and legs, but not for long.

As soon as our weather clears a bit I will spray my backyard and front yard rendering them flealess for 6 months or better I keep my animals out of the yard I sprayed for one week and then do the other yard rotating the pets on the 7th day to the first sprayed yard. I KNOW it is a pesticide, BUT it is sprayed only on the grass minimally, no poison has to be applied directly to my animal, and the sprinkler and rain wash it into the ground lower than the grass and the pads of their feet.

Therefore green wise, is it better to torture our pets with volatile herb oil OR put poison on their neck to wash into their system in a huge dose, OR use a flea killer on our grass water it in and have only minimal exposure to the pads of their feet.?

The pet age thing..that is only speaking to intelligence on a IQ scale that does not address species difference and then reassign a IQ scale species to species. One does not account for intelligence to be measures in that way. We might fare much lower if we took into account that animals function on many other levels of

  • 2 votes
#1.6 - Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:21 PM EST
kjpxxx

sorry I must make this point.....

intelligence that we do not even have or use in trouble shooting a problem...so it is not fair to use only HUMAN IQ scale to speak to animal intelligence...we might fair very poorly in their world [in the wild or not] given our set of skills and intelligence...

clearly I am not intelligent enough to keep the Vine box from cutting me off and wham bam thank you Mam... cut me off and no spell check either you stupid human [computer speak]

  • 2 votes
#1.7 - Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:30 PM EST
GrayTherapy

kjpxxx - it would not surprise me that my IQ would zero out if I was evaluated from my dog's point of view.

But the Rosemary spice. I'm going to run a test with me dogs in a couple of weeks and will try to remember and post what happens. :)

Actually I've also treated my yards on many occasions, and may not hesitate to do it this year, but only after I try the Rosemary!

  • 2 votes
#1.8 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:01 PM EST
kjpxxx

GT ...I think it all about Balance...and everything in moderation..I just had visions of folks going out and buying Rosemary oil and dipping Fido in it...some people go with the theory that "if a little bit is good, then a lot is better".....The fleas here this year are over the top..warm winters for the last 4 years...Raccoons and Opossum taking a short cut through my yard to check on my Koi to see if they are big enough yet for a Koi Feast.... dropping fleas as the stroll..so I am doing my guarrenteed drill...first thing in the Spring I spray the front and back, get one dose of Advantage per/year for both the cat and Fido's and everything seems to mello out. One year moving into a new house ,with a basement I sent my daughter to the basement with the first box for down there and when she came up she was ALIVE with fleas, literally BLACK, covered head to toe....that is how BAD fleas are here...very bad.

  • 2 votes
#1.9 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:33 PM EST
GrayTherapy

I'm out in the middle of a desert, small town, hardly no pests to talk about; quail, snakes, scorpians, lizards, hummingbirds, doves, owls, the neighbors, and loads of peace and quite.

Yes, I also believe in everything in moderation. Allways telling my girlfriend to only drink a little and let me make up the difference, this helps in keeping it balanced.

Well, don't think I'll be dipping my doggies, but will check out their reactions to the smell. :)

  • 2 votes
#1.10 - Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:09 AM EST
kjpxxx

you are a funny man GT....[esp. the neighbors] haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

  • 2 votes
#1.11 - Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:53 PM EST
GrayTherapy

I've thought about shooting most of my neighbors, but who would feed my dogs!

  • 2 votes
#1.12 - Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:39 PM EST
kjpxxx

Boy have I ever been there..we had a 10 year war here in my neighborhood,until it was established the real villain was a old bat down the street, not even close to anyone we all were pointing our fingers at....go figure! I always lived in the country until now, everyone was so far away the only way one could argue was to shoot a rifle across the field. Here in town everyone is crazy, I think like all caged animals in capitivity ,when we are crowded, we go crazy...

  • 2 votes
#1.13 - Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:24 PM EST
Reply
Dale95

Ooops! No article... no seed either???

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:20 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Dale95, please try again. I posted (linked) the article on a couple of group pages, and even viewed them on one of the sites. I had just edited the article as your note came in . . . might have been the problem.

  • 2 votes
#2.1 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:24 PM EST
Reply
Dale95

There it is. Good read and I love the topic... but... I've got an issue with something.

("We tend to forget that our pets are only equal to the intelligence of a fourth grader,")

If you've ever spent any time in their world... you would know---that they, out-smart us in survival-skills and abilities, by a long shot. But... they can't do geometry at all... and I feel so superior. LOL

Take them for frequent walks… long walks…, and very soon, good-health, socialization, and bonding will take place.

  • 1 vote
Reply#3 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:33 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Was attempting to add some humor. In many ways our pets have higher levels of intelligence which we never had, or lost somewhere throughout the years. Was attending to make jest of the television show (we watch TV), Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader. Very few ever win, indicating that they are not as smart as a fifth grader, and yet we like to think of ourselves as being smarter than our pets, thus placing them in a grade below us . . . like the fourth grade. :)

You are very holistic in your response of frequent & long walks leading to good-health, and yes the bonding takes place quickly, and socialization comes quickly on the walks as people remark, "oh what a pretty baby," "what type of a dog is it," and many wanting to pet your pet.

NV, must be going through some melt-down. I just viewed and I'm commenting from the Animal Lover's group. Everything so far appears to be working. Everything worked on the Reigning Cats and Dogs group site as well. Now heading over to the Holistic Wellness and Health group.

Thanks for your attention, will always be appreciated.

  • 2 votes
#3.1 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 2:47 PM EST
ryoushi12

Well, cats maybe. I was watching the new show they have on Animal Planet, with the cat "whisperer" dude, and one factoid they had was cats have TWICE as many brain cells as dogs do, which certainly explains a lot of their behaviors and attitudes to me.

On a more serious note though, the same episode showed how easy it is to train a cat to do basic commands, in this case to sit on command. The owners only needed a couple of weeks to get the cat to respond using the clicker treat method.

  • 1 vote
#3.2 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 3:41 PM EST
GrayTherapy

ryoushi12, really interesting about cats. Have had some cats in the past and they were very neat pets, did seem very intelligent. I kid you not, while living in Oklahoma I purchased an old home and thought it was haunted. Had lived in the home for over a year, then one day the light in the dinning room would just come on by itself, and sometimes it would just go out by itself. Had me nervous. Turned out that my cat had been watching me turn the light on and off at different times. He (the cat) had started jumping up on a ledge that was close to the light switch . . . you've got it, the cat would jump on the ledge, take his front paws and either push up on the light switch, or pull down on the switch.

Thanks for sharing again!

  • 1 vote
#3.3 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 5:51 PM EST
Steven of Coulterville

Cats really are pretty smart. They'll watch as you do something, and if they're interested, they'll repeat it. My male cats, Livingstone and Puff, can actually open the front door all on their own (I've got lever-type door handles inside and out), but, and this is the part I don't care for, they don't bother to close it once it's open. Both of those guys are big enough to reach, from the floor, and I'm glad they're the only ones!

None of my cats will get up on the table to steal food, but if it's a meat dish, I will occassionally put some in the kitty bowls; the Vet said it was okay, but to be careful.

  • 2 votes
#3.4 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 8:08 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Steven, used to have a cat that would jump up on a ledge in the dinning room, he would then turn on or off the lights, whichever pleased him. When he first started turning the lights on or off he would jump off the ledge and run around the corner. After several times I finally saw him doing it.

  • 2 votes
#3.5 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:13 PM EST
Reply
Stop The Hypocrisy

Bad practice to give your pets treats from your plate. Human food is just that, not pet food. Please resist the temptation - some things we eat without a second thought can be harmful to your critters.

  • 1 vote
Reply#4 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 3:31 PM EST
ryoushi12

Quite true, ESPECIALLY for cats - a lot of foods we can eat are toxic to them even in small doses. Dogs fare better, after all until fairly recently dogs were routinely fed table scraps going back to the first friendly wolves. However, feeding table scraps teaches bad habits to dogs, and can give older dogs unbalanced diets.

  • 1 vote
#4.1 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 3:36 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Stop the Hypocrisy and ryoushi12, allow me to thank both of you for coming by and sharing your thoughts. I agree 100% with both of you. This is exactly what I attempted to convey in the first paragraph. Assuming that we are smarter than our pets, we need to control what they eat, and not simply let them have their own way . . . such as eating off our plates.

ryoushi12, I know very little about cats, basicly nothing. Have had a couple of great cats for pets. Can you share some of the foods that we can eat that are toxic to them? Isn't there even some plants that cats are attracted to, plants that they tend to bite, that are also poisonous to them?

Again thanks for visiting and sharing.

  • 2 votes
#4.2 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 3:50 PM EST
northern girl

My vet, who takes a fairly holistic approach to treatments compared to most vets, says that if the food is good for you, it is, with a few exceptions, good for your dog. My German Shepherd loves raw and cooked veggies, including lettuce. Fruits, also. By the time I am done peeling an orange, there is a big puddle of drool under her. She doesnt beg, but as soon as she smells it, the drooling starts. We dont give her anything starchy or sugary, but the vet said small amounts of raw meat scraps are good too. Of course, her regular food gets adjusted accordingly. We dont want her getting fat and having back or hip problems. The only problem has been with her trying to raid the garden, and eating all the berries if we take her picking with us.

Cats are a little bit different. Their bodies arent designed to handle carbs. One of my cats has a really bad time with carbs (more so than most cats) and his body doesnt burn them off, causing him to always feel hungry and gain a lot of weight. My vet suggested a raw meat diet (we ended up going with chicken livers mainly) and it worked wonders. His weight came down and he was much happier. Most commercial cat food is loaded with carbs. In nature, a cat only gets about 2% of its calories from carbs, and its usually by eating rodents, since cats will eat the stomach and everything.

  • 3 votes
#4.3 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 4:36 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Here you have good material for an article. Northern Girl, I did not know for certain what food problems a cat might have. We should all understand that one of the main ingredients of both cat and dog food is flower. Starch comes from flower. This just sort of clears up your statement. Poor guy, your cat, but bet he does love that liver! :) Very interesting! Thanks for sharing and coming by.

Ah!, can't let you go yet. Now you have material for a second article. There appears to be two sides, two different views to feeding dogs. I give in to my two best friends (my two dogs), and know I probably shouldn't . . . I sneak them small bites of my food. One of my vets basically said the same as your vet. However, I do avoid salty food. When I asked my vet about the harm of chocolate he stated that none of his dogs have had any liver problems, and they haven't died. Had a friend who had a german sheppard who was given a halve of a snicker bar as a treat for doing tricks. The dog lived to be an old age, and snicker candy bars all the time. By the way, my vet added that the harm from chocolate was an urban lengend. Don't know if that's true either, and never did any research on it.

  • 3 votes
#4.4 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 6:07 PM EST
northern girl

I think its dark chocolate that dogs have a problem with, more so than milk chocolate, but I dont think its as big of a deal for big dogs as it is for little ones. My previous GSD ate almost a 1/2lb of fudge one time with no ill effects. She lived to be 17.

All three of my babies (1 dog, 2 cats) go in next month for their check-ups. I'll ask my vet a few more questions about diet dos and donts, just to make sure I dont mis-state anything. Once Im sure all my info is correct, I'd love to do an article. BTW- He is the vet for the International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/index.asp

http://www.bear.org/website/

  • 4 votes
#4.5 - Mon Feb 6, 2012 6:50 PM EST
GrayTherapy

Please keep us informed on the chocolate. Thanks.

  • 2 votes
#4.6 - Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:15 PM EST
kjpxxx

GT and N.girl, my Vet told me it is quite safe to feed my animals human food if I am on top of their dietary needs { Vits, minerals and such] which I am. ] Bella was bought to show at first and her handler would only take them if all the dogs were on the same diet. So she was fed a combo of Natural Balance Sweet potato and Lamb, and1/2 C raw hamburger...and some high end supplements....She eats everything , fruits, vegetable, and of course dessert....[which is only given, when I am weak and she is strong] I also give her garlic as I am Italian and everything I eat has garlic and it is a natural flea repellent...they do not like how she smells. I have fed garlic to all my dogs and it has never so much as caused a burp...why the new invented wheel says "no garlic" I do not know, but mine eat garlic in food....

  • 4 votes
#4.7 - Thu Feb 16, 2012 12:41 PM EST
northern girl

I might have to try the garlic thing. If nothing else, it may cover up the fish oil smell when she burps in my face!

  • 1 vote
#4.8 - Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:45 AM EST
Reply
GrayTherapy

kjpxxx and northern girl, I take my dogs to two outstanding vets. One of the vets is a well aged individual, older than me, and the other is a very young guy. We enjoy getting together once in awhile and of course we almost always talk dog talk, you should here us barking.

They always hold firm in their belief that a lot of "urban legends" float around that someone has simply made up, that it sounds believable, and a bunch of idiots take it as gospel.

I's just a layman when it comes to knowledge on my buddies, but they claim; dogs can eat human food (keep the salt intake down), they can eat garlic (keep the garlic intake down), and yes, they can eat chocolate.

First I heard people saying, "don't feed your dog chocolate, it will kill them." Then people were saying, "don't feed little dogs chocolate, it will kill them." And now I hear people saying, "don't feed your dog dark chocolate, it will kill them." Does anyone know of any research based articles that give credit. Not talking about an article that says Dr. So And So says this. I would enjoy reading an article that states that out of 60 dogs tested . . . and not that the test was performed by Purina, or Old Roy. :)

  • 1 vote
Reply#5 - Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:22 AM EST
GrayTherapy

Karen, those in the zoo are a little crazy, sad, but true.

  • 1 vote
Reply#6 - Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:10 PM EST
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