PLEASE SUPORT HR 5092, WTF is up with supreme court removing ban on animal torture videos??

ok, i have just about had it with the bs regression of this sociopathic race and the damn ramifications animals have suffered from our most callous, and despicably horrendous hands...
Monday's Supreme Court ruling has me sick to my very gut. They lifted 1999 ban that prohibits 'crush videos' which is fodder for the sickest of sexual deviants who take pleasure in watching torture of animals.
i am thoroughly ashamed to be part of the human race. WTF???
Please support HR5092 as a countermeasure to stop this sick trafficking of animal torture videos.
please sign this...
https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4555&pagename=homepage

The ABYSMAL COMMERCIAL PET FOOD INDUSTRY & the EVILS of SCIENCE DIET, FRISKIES, ALPO, PEDIGREE, WHISKAS, PURINA ETC...

Let’s face it, upon examining the horrific ingredients used in actual product for commercial pet food we discover we have been grossly misinformed and blindly led like sheep to slaughter with our domestic pets being the sacrifice. Fillers, binders, MSG, dyes, chemical additives, and preservatives. Over two decades ago, Prevention magazine published an article where do the millions of dog and cat carcasses at city shelters end up? You got it - in Buddy's dinner.
The other meat processed is not fit for human consumption - take a look at our horrendous factory farms and monumental suffering of livestock confined in a space of their own shit. The tumors and diseased parts of these animals along with ligaments and parts humans do not consume end up in your pet's dinner.

The marketing of poor quality diet we are inundated with advertising such as Purina, Friskies, Alpo, Pedigree we are being blindly driven to believe is “nutritionally adequate” is a gross deception of corporate greed.
Some vets and I have worked for a few will absolutely inform you of the terrible product, but with a healthy diet you will have a healthy pet and our local veterinarians will be out of business.

Consider this, veterinary school requires one nutrition class in the four years of study. This course covers livestock, horses, rabbits, rodents, small animals, our winged friends, and your basic feline and canine. Would we put our trust in having these individuals recommend diet for our animals if there is inadequate training in nutrition?

Now also consider, foods such as Science Diet has a commission given for each product sold. Read the ingredients and decide if you think these are nutritionally superior?
Chicken liver flavor, corn meal, corn gluten, chicken by product meal preserved with BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin.

We are somehow led to believe dry high glycemic index diets with garbage bulk and fiber will make our overweight pets leaner.
Inadequate diet and lack of exercise is what is making our pets obese. We are not feeding them adequate nutrition. This makes them hungry they are trying to find the nutrition and minerals they are lacking so this leads to constant hunger. Inadequate nutrition leads to lethargy and inactivity because common sense tells you the body is not provided with the adequate reserves for energy to basically be created. I have seen twenty recent labs at the animal shelter all with mild or moderate anemia. Red blood cells of our felines are not surviving on this crappy diet.

And do we really believe dry food is better for our pets because the vet says it keeps dental tartar to a minimum? Give your dog bone, that will keep tartar to a minimum.
Dry food is comparable to desiccated camping food. Could you exist on a diet like this for 15 years twice a day? Clearly not, you will develop nutritional deficiencies which will clearly show in your complexion like it shows in our canine’s coats and itchy skin. High glycemic index diets keeps us hungry by spiking our insulin and blood sugar levels. The more insulin raised in the body the more this leads to a pro-inflammatory state in the body and higher level C reactive protein or CRP. CRP has been linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia and also depression in clinical studies. When our blood sugar increases it also promotes a free radical oxidative process in the body. Free radicals can incite inflammation, (think arthritis) damage DNA and could cause cancer. This is one side of dry food’s detriment whether a superior brand or local supermarket chain garbage.

When considering dry food, although extremely convenient, and this being a poor example think of the difference in the glycemic index of eating fresh apricots compared to a diet of dried apricots. Sugar spike of which choice?

Consider who owns these pet food companies and make your decisions, Colgate Palmolive, Nestle and Proctor and Gamble to name a few. Colgate stock went through the roof many years ago, when Chairman of the company had a dentist promoting Colgate toothpaste in advertising. They now have veterinarians promoting their petfood.

The mostly unregulated pet food industry in 2006 grossed 12 billion annually and had export with one billion.
Profit is motive here.
And these are the individuals we are not skeptically questioning about our beloved Fido and Fluffy?
The brands that put there money into product and not advertising are the ones to consider feeding your beloved pets.
I will make a future commentary on Raw vs Cooked for out Pets. Lets think and explore, not just jump on the "holistic bandwagon." Are crowded factory farmed animals standing in shit, slaughterhouses and rendering markets meant to process food for raw consumption? Is this diet really close to "their ancestors diet"? umm, clearly blood, life force and the kill itself is missing amongst other things to be discussed. Are the ancestors of canines and felines the same animal as our blanket indulged house pet?
Is it not a blanket statement and very ignorant to assume each constitution will benefit from raw?
Think of people's digestive systems, some thrive on a raw diet of veggies, other not so much. Which animals would benefit from raw and which will benefit from cooked?
Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats is a good read for some more info.

Holistic Approach to Ringworm

QUESTION: Hello,
I have a 2 month old persian kitten. Yesterday she was diagnosed with ringworm and cat flu. As per Vet's advice we have shaved her completely and are giving her medicines. Vet also advised us to keep her in small area like toilet which is easy to clean. We tried to keep her in bathroom but she was meowing and crying so we had to give up. Yesterday we kept her out of our bedroom but she was crying and meowing alot. I understand that she is not well and needs me near her but I dont want ringworm. Please advise..

ANSWER: Hello,

Would you please tell me how the vet diagnosed it? Did he use a woods lamp or do a DTM culture? The woods lamp has 40% accuracy and glows for things other than ringworm. The DTM culture takes up to two weeks. and is the only definitive diagnosis. Are you using a topical? Just avoid touching the area where she has it.

Please dont panic, many kittens get upper respiratory infection and due to not having a very strong immune system also ringworm. It is a self limiting fungus that is highly contagious. I have treated it with apple cider vinegar applications applies directly to avoid further break down of the kitty's immune system. It's not that big of a deal, the only thing is its contagious. Some people get it, some don't.
Some are immune to ringworm. There are ringworm spores that become ambient so a good cleaning is required. Toni's Kitty Rescue ran a ringworm ward in San Francisco and there were many volunteers. We wore gloves and protective gear. Wash with soap and water thoroughly after handling and out clothes in hot wash cycle. You can wear latex gloves when handling her as well,if you like as well. But try not to panic.
If you decide to keep her in bathroom, you are going to have to try to be strong and leave her in there. She will of course cry and meow if she is lonely. Every time she cries and you open the door she is getting the understanding that crying opens the door and you appear. It is only for a short time.
Try keeping an outer layer of protective clothes/gown/robe in there so that every time you enter you put them over the clothes you have and remove afterward. Keep lots of toys to entertain her and fluffy stuffed animals in there for her that you can discard or put in hot laundry cycle later.
Ringworm has spores and is ambient but all that would happen would be a circular fungal rash.
I would add collostrum found at your health food store to her diet to help build her immune system. You can open capsules and put powder over the food. I would also do the same with Probiotics because I imagine the vet has given you antibiotics.
What did he give you to treat the ringworm? There are very liver toxic drugs that vets use. She has a cold so I would not recommend the lime sulphur dips at this point.
Again, i was able to get rid of it with one cat with topical apple cider vinegar compresses applied directly to areas affected, I also gave immune building food and supplements.
Apple cider vinegar is an ANTI-FUNGAL and contrary to what some think it is ALKALINE. It will not burn kitty's skin.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello,

Thanks for the quick reply. Vet checked her with UV light and detected 3 areas where she has ringworm. Vet gave us following medicines for her.

For ringworm
-itrafungol (oral 0.25 twice a day)
-Miconaz cream (apply twice a day)
-Medicated shampoo (use every 3rd day)

For URI
- Alfasan Eye Ointment (twice a day for her eyes)
- Antiboitic oral
Also I am cleaning the area around her everday and washing the clothes she is using everyday in hot water and Dettol.
For my protection, I am holding her with the cloth only and talking bath with dettol once daily. Currently, I am feeding her Royal Canin's Babycat Instictive 10 and Lara fitness's biscuits (soften in hot water).
Please advise if I have to do anything extra to protect her.

Thanks,
Hemali

Answer: Hi Hemali!

Thank you for all the details! You are a very caring person and your kitty is very lucky!
One thing i would recommend is ask for a DTM culture to confirm if it is indeed ringworm. That lamp only has a 40% accuracy rate. The ears are a pretty common place for it though.

I also do not like itrafungol, I am not a vet but it is so extremely TOXIC and potentially damaging to the kitty's liver. I wouldn't use it ever. Ringworm is not life threatening, why treat it with life endangering drugs? It also may NOT work on the ringworm. It is way too risky. Consider stopping or finding a holistic vet.

Are you washing every third day? Be careful as she is sick already, you dont want her to get pneumonia. Every three days is a lot. Keep her warm and dry immediately after shampoo. If you are comfortable with washing and drying quickly, i recommend a lime/sulpur dip, its stinky but not toxic. It will also temporarily yellow her fur. But I would be extremely careful with a sick cat or a cold climate or drafty home.
Use probiotics on her foods, add collostrum, brewer's yeast, lecithin and cod liver oil and if you are interested in cooking for her to help her immune system I would suggest reading
Dr Pitcairn's Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.
There are great recipes in there and proper dosages for all the supplements I suggested.
I am not a huge fan of Royal Canin I think there are much better formulas. If you need to feed commercial brands then here are a few names: Avoderm, Wellness, BFF, Petguard, Wysong, Instinct. I am not sure who supplies to your country, but they are not loaded with byproducts and fillers. I would also look online for these names. Some cats thrive on raw and each cat is specific. If we were to determine with Chinese medicine principles that she is excellent for raw food, then Primal is a good brand, but I cannot determine this without complete intake.

If it were me I would use alkaline apple cider vinegar (its an antifungal) topical 2-3x's daily compresses with q-tips or cotton pads. I would use lime/sulphur dip once every 5-7days. And give her the supplements I mentioned. Again, I am not a vet, but i would never compromise a cat's already stressed growing immune system with toxic potentially lethal, liver damaging drugs.
If she is excessive with green or yellow mucous then antibiotics will help. if it is a virus they are useless. Antibiotics are so overused and i do not agree with how often they are administered, however, kittens can decline very rapidly with upper respiratory infection. Please make sure she is eating. Make sure to keep an eye on her activity level as well. Please monitor her very closely especially if you continue Itrafungol - if lethargy starts, or she stops eating, or she starts to develop yellow skin noticeable around her ears, she needs urgent care. I would highly recommend you stop Itrafungol immediately.
Please feel free to keep me updated on her progress.


Best of luck,
Shanti

It Takes a Community of Unsung Heroes to get a Stray Cat Home....

I pulled my car into Potrero Hill Center in San Francisco, to make a bank deposit and noticed a man and a woman sitting in the baking sun, eating lunch with an Animal Care and Control (ACC) cardboard adoption crate on the sidewalk next to them.

Unable to peek into the concealed box, I immediately, pondered approaching the couple. I wanted to inquire if there was a cat or rabbit in the concealed take home crate. My concern being -it was an awfully warm April for an animal to be placed in direct sunlight for an unknown time.

I decided to make my deposit and if the individuals were still present after of my errand, I’d softly inquire.

Several minutes later I did investigate, the box was vacant, and a very friendly, attractive brunette, Dana and her Latino neighbor Jose, both self proclaimed good Samaritans, were on their way to ACC to redeem a cat for their neighbor. They asked me if I knew of the charges and asked if they thought they could be waived, as it wasn’t their cat and they were attempting to be outstanding citizens and neighbors, but both were painfully broke to pay any redemption fees.

I asked what was happening with the cat's guardian. I was told - Esmerelda, a Mexican born native, who did not speak a lick of English was unfortunately preparing for her husband’s impending demise as his life was seized by a brain tumor. His survival was uncertain, but prognosis was not good.

I mentioned the kitty would be in room 208, the "holding zone" for felines. Cats enter the system as stray or abandoned and are held until their fate is determined. Formerly, this legal period of time was 5 days under the Hayden bill, which was then shortened to 3, only to become obsolete in the past few weeks.
However, even with debilitating budget cuts and the escalating, superfluous amount of animals callously discarded by the public, the shelter still valiantly upholds a five day policy. Animals are also 'discarded' by the public due to the economy’s downfall and numerous foreclosures, death of a guardian, individuals trapping feral cats or trapping the poor gallivanting indoor/outdoor cat, there is also the well-intentioned (but ill advised) individual that takes a kitty that appeared in his yard to the pound, (common sense says the cat would of jumped the fence to go back home), or in one horrendous case two cats seized by PD due to arrest of a child pornographer. Recently, the SFPD made an unforgivable idiotic mistake, they brought unspayed and unneutered cats to their warehouse storage site near the Naval Shipyard of SF, building 606, to control the mice population only to have them breed and subsequently seized by ACC to be evaluated and put on the "unadoptable list" all except for one black kitten. I think employing felines for their natural instincts as a green method to keep the mice at bay is a wonderful idea but DO NOT DISCARD THEM AFTER YOU HAVE NO USE FOR THEM, and ABSOLUTELY HAVE THEM ALTERED BEFORE THEIR EMPLOYMENT.

The numbers of lives that come through ACC are endless. ACC has a large pool of misunderstood animal loving folks needing to follow a very paranoid bureaucratic structure very concerned with liability. There are bleeding hearts and not so bleeding hearts that make up this shelter world.

About 40 minutes after meeting Dana, I proceeded to 'Orange Card' the “owner surrendered animals” in 208 for a unique group of volunteers to socialize. The 'orange volunteer program helps socialize felines, alleviate kitty anxieties, and get them ready for their behavior test that will deem them “adoptable” or not adoptable.

Shortly thereafter, Dana entered 208 escorted by animal care attendant, Joy. She pointed out Tito, - a big, proud, slightly boisterous looking black and white tom that meowed to us. He teemed with anticipation as she told me the front desk would not allow her to take the kitty home because she was not the registered guardian. Fees to redeem him were at a whopping $180 at the three day mark.

Dana departed mentioning that this was Tito's second impound which escalated the redemption fees. It’s $25 daily, plus vaccinations, plus who knows what.Each day, the fee gets higher.

Apparently, another neighbor ignorantly assumed they were accomplishing a good deed by scooping up Tito and driving him to the pound I could only conclude had an ongoing spat or probably witnessed a neglected cat. My opinion is this person’s efforts is frankly impulsively ‘dumb’ and clearly has not addressed ramifications. Risk a cat’s life to prove a point? Take the cat and feed him yourself or give them the affection they crave. I thought how awful and self centered as a man lay dying to take away the cat to to an unknown future. Ok, I understand if the concern is for the welfare of the cat as I would put my life on the line for a feline any day and maybe not for a human, but truth be told, Tito is not any better off a cat for his dismal days in confinement.

I followed Dana out and gave her my number and told if by chance he couldn’t be redeemed I would see if I could help.

Brainstorming with Toni from Toni’s kitty Rescue and speaking to orange volunteer and cat advocate Karen, who agreed to split the bill if we had to, Toni suggested consulting Mary Ann from Feral/Fix to see if she could be of assistance.

Days past, and little Tito was a bit grumpy, an occasional hiss, an attempt to swat, he desperately wanted out. Surrounded by so many other cats made him edgy, and he was showing a propensity for overstimulation.

I thought due to this being Tito’s second impound perhaps this indicated irresponsibility of the owners, and due to my overwhelming schedule questioned how deeply would I want to get involved. I had a client schedule, new living arrangements in the mix, and a host of life’s duties waiting to be tackled. There were literally scores of other cases I was following and concerned with at the shelter in the last month alone, hundreds in the last two months, how much time and energy can be allotted to each cat is never a matter of choice but I try to be smart with my time... I had a room of custody cats of which I was still the only volunteer approved to actively spend time with. These animals are lonely beasts. For 9 years, the custody cats and I have been allotted less than a handful of months from another volunteer to help keep the animals from deteriorating as their confinement days are two lonely weeks of longer.

Anecdotes of the lives of felines and small and exotic animals from the "custody cases room" to come later... castro lovers' bloody murder and suicide with four surviving pets, PG&E workers fornicating with chickens on Van Ness ave, drug dealers being evicted, disenfranchised serving lock down time, to the death of lonely elderly persons living in SRO's (single residence occupancy) in the seedy Tenderloin, to the current child pornographer to name a handful of cases end up in the custody room....

I speculated Tito's behavior exam, and imagine him being declined as "adoptable" by both ACC and SPCA. As a gentle, cat savvy person not trying to provoke him, what behavior would he indeed exhibit for his aggression-provoking-behavior test? For sure, I anticipated him on the euthanasia list. I thought does Give Me Shelter, the local cat rescue really need another cat to save? ummm.. No.

I phoned Dana and told her of my concerns, and said I will try to help.

Karen, a very beautiful and skilled cat handler (I never use the word “cat handler” as most people I feel do not have very good feline skills but Karen is a cat handler) elected to talk to the deputy director, Kat, about Titos’ plight. I remained in the background, as I am familiar with the endless pitfalls of getting involved with public cases. I know of enough failed cases. Sometimes it does not work to an animal’s benefit to return them home, and I decided to linger in the background until I was summoned.

Toni from Toni's Kitty Rescue, Karen, an "orange program volunteer," Kat , the deputy director of ACC, Deb, the volunteer coordinator, and Vicky all consulted.They graciously agreed to waive fees and send poor Tito home to this grieving woman, and family that was about to lose one of their most treasured members. Jose was consulted and agreed to pick Tito up that afternoon... But … he didn’t. All of the neighbors agreed to help Tito, which was a glorious thing and I wondered about the unintentional malicious neighbor who surrendered Tito as a stray to an uncertain future and the subsequent remorse, as Tito’s human dad awaited the visit of the Grim Reaper.

We waited... and waited. Gregarious Tito’s behavior seemed to be showing more frustration as he was used to roaming the outdoors, visiting neighbors. The little guy attempted to reign in a very big personality inside a 2x3 stainless steel cage, but that was proving too difficult a task.

Several days later, Tito still remained at ACC. Later that afternoon, I received a text message from neighbor Dana, stating Esmerelda and her daughter attempted to redeem him, but the front desk staff would not release frustrated Tito. Upon many, subsequent phone calls and further investigation, we learned grieving, Spanish-tongued, Esmerelda did not have his identification number to redeem him. What I gather is- she went to the municipal shelter assuming everyone knew her plight and were ready to return her long awaited feline. Esmerelda patiently sat in the waiting room for two hours awaiting an employee that was not even scheduled to work that day. Noone knew why she was there.

Kat did not believe the story as there were no documentations which must be done by staff concerning an animal. I further inquired. Bottom line is Esmerelda is not from this country, she has never been informed of the bureaucratic happenings and protocols that are strictly adhered to. It was a failed attempt but she did attempt.

I consulted with Toni, emailed Deb and Vicky, phoned Karen, and left message for Kat. I wondered with all the 3^rd party communication and language barrier how much information was Esmerelda really getting? Dana and I texted. Karen offered to drive Tito home.

The next morning I turned my sometimes dreaded, but modern day necessity cellphone on to find a text message from Dana

saying Esmerelda and her daughter are attempting yet again to redeem Tito.

Attempt #3 sigh...

Shelter doors were closed, public hours start at 11am for animal redemption. Christ, I thought, I completely understand how it would be overlooked as most government run facilities are open 9am.

Again, massive calls, texts, communications to Karen, Toni, front desk staff,Deb Vicky and Kat. I text messaged Dana saying please have her call acc , as kennels opened 11am. My heart sank, as this is the story of one stray kitty trying to find his way home and the endless mistakes, pitfalls, attempts, failed attempts, of humans and human behavior, protocols, fees, and despite dedicated commitment of several people circumstance was prohibiting returning an animal to his home.

Perhaps, at this point as it was sure that the husband lay on his deathbed I wondered, would the preoccupied family throw in the towel? Would Tito be one the endless statistics of another cat to be placed in a rescue if he was lucky, and/or sent to kitty heaven to control the overpopulation issue??

How frustrating for all of us, yet so gracious of the Animal Control employees to make an exception in a very specific case when a family was really in a time of need left me with mixed and conflicting emotions.

How much time does one spend correcting the mistakes and carelessness of others? The good intentioned folks that ignorantly do painful acts that cause many others harm. Currently, we were all suffering for these people and racked with anguish for Tito .

I was never sure if he came from a good home, but what kind of person impounds an animal to a potential euthanasia from a neighbor’s home if there is serious illness in the family? Difficult to comment, because I also had some reservations not knowing the full circumstances of his home environment.

I felt my common disillusionment for humanity, yet also witnessed the very loving spirits of some dedicated people including myself who never met a woman, or her family, yet went to bat for her and were making it possible to get a kitty back home. My frustration was monumental. It is amazing how many factors and variables can effect and bear weight on a situation that in reality should be so simple.

I ruminated... does it take more than a community of people to correct a mishap? to get a cat home?...This is one story and there are millions of others, millions in the US alone annually.

Two hours later, my cellphone chimed, it was a text message from Dana,“You will be happy to know Tito is home, Thank you for all of your help!”

I phoned Karen, we were both relieved, one more cat saved, the rest to go….

Kitty Gets "aggressive" with Company

I have a very dominant male cat. It is so bad that anytime I have people over he is aggressive with them. For example I had my dad over recently. While my dad was seated, the cat was fine. But when my dad stood up, the cat ran at him and hissed. How can I help my cat behave better?

Answer:

Hi Anna, I am not seeing this as dominant but rather the kitty is uncomfortable and fearful. What is he doing other than hissing? Did he come to you as an undersocialized cat? or kitten? did he have exposure to people when he was growing or when he first came to your home? This could all effect how he behaves in unfamiliar territory. Generally, I see the kitty take off if not acclimated so this raises many questions for me as to his behavior, some of which i will ask... How long have you had him? Is this a new behavior? Was he exposed to people coming over when he was a younger cat? Do you know his history? Is he ordinarily a good cat outside of this issue? Has he been checked for any medical issues? I would have a good kind holistic vet do a home visit and rule this out. If it is not medical i would begin a ginger process of desensitizing and acclimating him to unfamiliar stimuli. DO NOT punish him because you will make his behavior worse. Keep him separate from company but in a place where he can safely observe. (behind a glass door or window or something) Do you notice if this is just directed towards males or both males and females? Only adults? kids? Have you diverted/discouraged the behavior and nipped the stalking posture the moment you saw it ORIGINATE? Until he is assured keep him in his "safe place" where he can witness but not be with company. When after many times he is settled and comfortable while watching company from another safe area ...and when company is occupied and if he is relaxed enough (which will be shown by if he does indeed play) you can wave a wand toy or string to keep him focused on something else and to build positive association with company. Good things happen when company comes, he gets treats and gets played with by you. Eventually, you build the understanding, that company is safe to be around and he relaxes. The next two paragraphs are cut and paste from vet.cornell edu on fear aggression in felines: ******My ordinarily nice cat gets very agitated whenever anyone new comes into the house; she has even attacked some visitors. These are signs of fear aggression a defensive behavior toward unfamiliar stimuli, like people, animals, and noises. Unpleasant experiences, like a trip to the veterinarian's office, may also trigger fear aggression. A cat displaying this sort of aggression hisses, bares her teeth, and crouches low with her tail and legs tucked under her body. Her ears are flat against her head, her pupils are dilated, and her fur stands on end. The management of this problem involves identification and, if possible, avoidance of fear-eliciting stimuli. You can attempt a gradual desensitization program, in which your cat is exposed to such stimuli a safe distance away for short periods of time, then rewarded with food treats for non-aggressive behavior. For example, if your cat has a fear of men, a man might stand at a distance that does not trigger aggressive behavior in your cat. Your cat gets a treat for her calm demeanor. With each session, the man moves closer, and gradually, the cat learns to associate the man's presence with a tasty treat*********** Back to my words.... I would recommend trying this and be gentle with him it is fearful behavior, not dominant behavior. On a side note with a cat that was aggressive: I once had a client that couldn't understand why her cat would growl when anyone got close, but I quickly learned he was pretty awfully treated by her very young brother as a young cat who would corner the cat and hit him continually on the head with a wand toy and newspaper and not let the cat escape. If the cat did escape the teenager would chase him and pull him out of his hiding place. It was really disturbing among other things he did. This would be a different reason as to why he later became "aggressive." I hope this information helps you and good luck with the process. Shanti

Doberman Skin Issues

Doberman skin issues
Question:	My female is 6 years old and has always been a bit nervous. I have gone through a divorce and we (the dogs and I) are staying with a friend while I look for a house. I know that stress is a big factor for my female... when I was married I wasn't working and was home most of the time with the dogs. I have had to go to work full time and they spend a lot of time alone in the house. I don't have children, and the dogs are my life and my babies. Unfortunately my financial situation has changed and stress has increased. She has a lick granuloma that is a new thing since my divorce. I have been putting wet green tea bags on it in the morning with a wrap and again in the eve. She is really good with that and it seems to have reduced in size. I also give them the drops of Rescue Remedy in their water and I massage it into their ears in the morning and at night. My mom gave me some liquid Bentonite and I alternate putting that on a cotton ball (and make a poltice) with the green tea bags. I feel like it looks better and is less inflamed. She seems to be leaving it alone more....although I don't know what she does during the day. I feel guilty because I feel like the stress of a new place and a new situation is causing them stress. Thank you, Stacy
Answer:	Hi Stacy! Thank you for caring for you dobermans so much. You are clearly very astute and tuned into your dogs. And i am sorry to hear for you loss :( I understand the female is nervous. Has it been established that there is no arthritis, or fungus, demodex, nerve issue under the granuloma site? Great job on using green tea bags. It could absolutely be of psychogenic origins and the change in her pack status and new home. My question for you is how much is she/are they getting cardiovascular exercise? I dont mean in the yard or walks. I mean open field, off leash beach or park where they RUN RUN RUN and play and chase each other or a ball daily? I dont know the leash laws in your area but it will help her dramatically it will drain all the nervous energy, rain, or shine. Even in snow, just protect their paws and give them a sweater. A beach is great that allows dogs or a park provided your male isnt allergic to grass. The neurosis that goes into chewing will have an outlet to drain, this should be every day for at least 1 full hour on top of her little nightly dog walk. Great using the green tea bags, I might also split open vitamin e capsules to help assist with healing. Is it infected? then a daily wash with a betadyne solution. How long is she alone? and is she crated when you are not home? This can all contribute to lick granulomas. But if it is either of these, and/or the grieving of the loss of your spouse and absolutely not a medical issue then fresh air sunshine, play socialization with other dogs, ocean breezes or trees and earth (if you arent near an ocean) with cardio, heart pumping, blood pumping exercise will help. If for some reason leash laws are tough take up running with them it will help clear your mind and might help heal some of your anxieties as well! Can you get a responsible dog walker that will take them out with a well behaved pack to the beach or park daily if you have a 10 hour day? Its worth the expense, and the person must make sure they are getting cardiovascular exercise, always under supervision and have complete command of the packp. So get someone who has training in dog behavior if you can. Shanti

Introduction: Agent ProvaCATeur's DOGged Determination, What this Blog is About

I think the public is grossly misinformed on pet care from "no kill" shelters, to the corporate monopoly of disease causing, unhealthy petfood industry, to the archaic principles of veterinary medicine. This is not a criticism of the many caring, loving veterinarians that adore animals and do their best, but rather the
aspect of the blog is rather a commentary on the medical paradigm that is so unbelievably frustrating and futile for overall health care.
Our traditional veterinary model is based on this allopathic model mimicking our Cartesian health care system which is a monopoly giant of corporate greed and seeks its validation from torturing innocent lives in laboratory research. Hmmm, go figure...
"Clearly a medicine based on the torture of innocent lives is clearly a medicine that does not heal." my quote...
The United States medical model ranks #1 in emergency care, and a lousy #37 for chronic disease. ABYSMAL! Good news if your animal is in an accident, (not really) dreadful news if you are dealing with the common ailments of canines and felines of which I truly believe is brought on my another gross monopoly of greed - the commercial pet food business. This blogspot will address the commercial pet food industry as well. PARADIGMS OF NEGLECT, CORPORATE GREED AND DOMINION.
I have had the pleasure of working for/with/under or in affiliation with some GIANTS in the vet field. Pioneers of medicine with the traditional training but with the brilliance to fit the whole picture of each individual case and treat on a case by case basis with an arsenal of skills from homeopathy, natural diet to Chinese Medicine.
Not the classic steroid and antibiotic route for 'diseases of the epidermis' approach (yawn and outlandish!) Let's just suppress the immune system (yes makes sense to a certain degree if allergic response) to subject your animal to greater health risks to alleviate some bumps for six weeks. Blasphemy!
I have spent two decades in animal employment from private business to working vet hospitals to internships in holistic medicine for animals to animal rights to graduate studies in holistic medicine and psychology. I trained in Shamanic studies, monastic and ashram studies. I have traveled to the Himalayas on pilgrimage to seek advice from Tibetan refugees and Lamas on how to console animals inevitably slated for euthansia that I cannot save (although i never stop trying) to tattooing Tibetan and Sanskrit scripts resurrected and reorganized as prayers to LIBERATE ALL ANIMALS FROM SUFFERING. I have lived a life of endless self cultivation and this helps me communicate with the animals ever more succinctly and to tune into their deeper inner selves often missed by the untrained eye.
I volunteered 10 years of my life at the local San Francisco Animal Care and Control of which many of these stories will come.
There are thousands of unique, heartwrenching, unforgettable stories that come from there. Some have a happy ending, others not so happy. There is a pool of UNSUNG HEROES of which you will hear about, both volunteers and employees.
The volunteers are many of the Unsung Heroes. Without the efforts of the dedicated volunteers many animals would be put to death. I am an unsung hero, i always have been, i have always been anti-establishment but I learn my facts, i empathize with all parties, mindsets and truly seek to understand all sides, and then I continue my vision and sole purpose for being on this planet of joys and sorrows.

I dedicate countless hours seven days a week, via at home with email and calls to three days weekly at the animal with no compensation, no acknowledgment, not much gratitude, but with the deep seated satisfaction that comes from knowing I saved the life of a feline or I comforted them in their tremendous anxiety and in their final hours, I was one of the last persons to cuddle them, kiss them, cry in their fur and offer them a
tasty meal.
I will share stories such as :
After busting my ass on a little neurological, behavior dog with raging itching and miliary dermatitis I conclude after countless hours, and hundreds if not thousands of dollars saved from veterinary bills, I solve the problem. I have the overall vision of a hawk, the aggressive determination of a badger and the gentleness of a deer when I work with a client's pet. I assess medical history, current environment, constitution, vaccine history, diet, capabilities of guardian, propensities of the breed, exercise allowance, and every single clue of minutia in that animal's life to come up with a health plan specifically tailored to all the idiosyncratic issues of that animal's life.
And yes, I will solve that skin problem or that behavior issue. I am tactful to a point, but also blatantly and sometimes brutally honest enough to alert owner to their part in exacerbating, if not creating the problem.

The suffering at the animal shelters endured by sensitive souls feels such as myself does feel inconsolable at times, but I know that is self centered to be absorbed in what the Buddha would say is my own "mind stuff," because the suffering of these animals is greater than mine. So I push through, because every waking breath is to help them as best as I can. I weep for the sorrows of the world, get overwhelmed, fall down then pick myself up to live to help another day.
At times, I feel like Sisyphus, with each step fighting bureaucracy, ignorance and endless obstacles, and I do lose hope yet I must push through with DOGged determination so not one life has been forgotten or lived in vain.

The purpose of this blogpsot is to :
1)educate you on your options about pet care
2) inform you of the monumental, unceasing efforts to save the lives of many animals callously discarded by society and how this must be navigated in a world of bureaucracy.
3) educate on the evils of monopoly from pet food to medicine and how it seeks to become the downfall of our beloved pets

My website is: www.thenatureofthebeast.org
I consult for www.allexperts.com for feline behavior and holistic medicine for animals

Cat Leaves Poop Trails...

	Male cat leaving trails of poop all over house
Question:	QUESTION: My 8 month old male cat has been leaving little trails of poop all over my house for the last month. I have to clean up after him at least 6-7 times a day. He does it on the carpet, vynol floor, on the counter, and right outside the litter box. But he does poop in the box. It's almost like he's having "wet farts". I've spend lots of money on carpet cleaner and 409. I bought special cleaner that said it would help him from pooping in the same spot twice, but so far that hasn't worked. I've taken him to the vet and they gave him medicine. he was fine the week he was on the medicine and the week after but then went back to leaving the trails. the stool is really loose. I've tried changing his food and I'm constantly cleaning his box out. I'm at my wits end! Do you have any advice? I really don't know what to do! Thanks! ANSWER: Hi Erica, First and foremost i must ask in a situation like this is did your vet do a fecal? Was it checked for coccidia? Did your vet do a giardia snap? What was the diagnosis? If not, find a more astute vet that will do fecal and giardia snap. Perhaps one dose did not get rid of the oocycsts and did not eliminate the problem. So further treatment would be required. Is this an indoor/outdoor kitten? Is it multiple animal home? What were the meds he was on? From the preliminary sounds of your email this does not sound behavioral but health related esp with the loose stool. Intestinal parasites are very common and nothing to be alarmed about. It could be easily solved but i need more information. Please let me know diagnoses and meds administered? Shanti ---------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- QUESTION: Hi Shanti, Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Here are the answers to your questions: First and foremost i must ask in a situation like this is did your vet do a fecal? Yes he did. Was it checked for coccidia? Yes he was. And they did find that my cat had coccidia. Did your vet do a giardia snap? I looked at the vet records and this was not on there. So I'm going to say no. What was the diagnosis? My vet said that Brutus did have coccidia and they put him on 2 medicines plus a special food for his G.I. Track. Is this an indoor/outdoor kitten? Brutus is a strictly indoor cat. And very spoiled might I add. :-) Is it multiple animal home? Yes. We had a female kitten before we got him. We got him so our first cat would have someone to play with and keep her company when we were at work. What were the meds he was on? He was on Albon Oral Susp. 250 MG/5 ML, Carafate Suspension LG/10 ML, and Forti Flora packets for his food as well. I gave him 1 CC of the Carafate an hour before I gave him his other medicine (Albon-once daily 1 1/2 cc) and his food, which had the Forti Flora on it. (He ate twice a day. I had always let him eat whenever he wanted to before he was on the medicine and I went back to doing that when he was out of the medicine) I hope I gave you the information you needed. I hope it helps!
Answer:	Hi Erica, Being that there are two cats, they might both need to be treated. They could be passing the coccidia between themselves. It sounds as if it was not gotten rid of completely. Check her stool too. Both stool samples less than two hours old if possible should be checked again. It is also possible that perhaps due to stress or not having an immune system that is super strong it could be isolated to just Brutus. Did you mention to your vet that there is another kitty? also, ask vet to do a giardia snap as well. Has there been any stresses for him? Stress is thought to play a big role with coccidia. Keep up with probiotics, add collostrum and nutritionally superior food to his diet. Dr Pitcairn's Natural Health for Dogs and Cats have nice immune building formula recipes. I always say if you dont want to cook specifically designed feline natural diet add good alaskan salmon, organic chicken, beef if they like it and if they eat greens (some cats do) pumpkin, squash to their food. You can sprinkle with nutritional yeast sprinkles to his food and add a nice quality organic yogurt with plenty of healthful bacteria. Many holistic people like to use garlic and black walnut for parasites but there are potential toxicity issues and too much can cause things like Heinz anemia. But you can boil some organic chicken and add a crushed garlic clove to water and a pinch of salt. To that you can add some olive oil. This can be supplemental to his diet and added to his food. Some cats take up to 3 weeks to get rid of coccidia and while he is on albon, add the probiotics, collostrum, natural organic food to build immunity (always keep good quality food in their diet), consult vet about if you need to treat both cats. Always monitor for dehydration and your vet can show you how to tell by his skin turgor. Keep stress to a minimum for them as stress seems to make coccidia worse. Make sure they don't keep reinfecting themselves by if necessary treating both and sanitizing litterboxes, and lots of love for the little guy, for both. He wouldn't be pooping out of the box if it wasnt for this, thank you for asking and confirming. I really do wish vets were diligent enough to follow up with their clients but i assume their thinking is if the problem wasn't resolved you would phone them. So please take fecal sample for both of them (stool as fresh as possible)and ask is it also possible to check for giardia. Good luck and your carpets and floors will certainly be clean again as soon as this is resolved!! Shanti

Overgrooming Bald Kitty

Cat pulling chunks of his own fur out
Question:	Hi we have a 10 year old ginger cat who has a habit of pulling tufts of his own fur out. He does this when he is licking himself and then will pull out four or five tufts of fur - what could be causing this? He is regularly de-wormed and de-flead.
Answer:	Hi Rachel, Thank you for inquiring. Before we discuss several reasons that make a kitty itchy (biting is often associated with an "itchiness") or things that cause a kitty to over-groom i must tell you from a holistic perspective practitioners do not believe in regular "flea treatments" as this is a toxin that is filtered through blood, liver and kidneys and monthly uses surely breaks down immunity. A traditionally trained vet or multi billion dollar company that promotes monthly use will not tell you this though. Fleas prey on sick animals so keep kitty healthy with optimal nutrition and diet and fleas shouldn't be a problem. Regularly de-worming is also detrimental to intestines, so only when you see signs of worms should you de-worm. I am not sure if you mean tapeworm/droncit or what exactly you are giving your kitty? Now, there are several things that should be ruled out in itchy skin and pulling out hair. One is fleas, which you are already treating. Other reasons would be mites, lice, allergies . potential immune mediated disorders, self-soothing which becomes obsessive compulsive from over grooming. There is also psychogenic alopecia but all health issues should be ruled out before this is determined. I only believe in a holistic vet, and holistic only. A holistic trained person can help you with investigative skills to determine underlying cause. Are there bumps or spots on your kitty? Itchiness is also very often correlated to food allergies, commercial cat food with chemicals and preservatives, coloring, grains, meat by-products and definitely the dry food, too. For preparing natural nutrition specific for kitty's needs read Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. If there is a miliary dermatitis absolutely suspect kitty's diet. Any supermarket brand will lead to problems. Over-vaccinating (meaning vaccinating every year or when not needed and the body already has sufficient antibodies and vaccines is overkill(has also been traced to skin disorders and itchiness. I am not quite clear if your cat is with a dermatitis or just overgrooming. If health issues are all ruled out and it is an emotional/psychological issue then stress is the biggest factor. Things that attribute to stress is stressful environment, being bullied or challenged by another cat, innocent kids just being sweet loud kids jumping and yelling, running make sensitive, nervous nellie cats uneasy, inadequate outlet for exercise or pent up energies, also an owner that is very stressed or people in the home that carry a lot of stress. Cats/animals are very sensitive and attuned to our moods and anxieties, just like our children are. A nice kitty treat with L-theanine that i like isPet Naturals Of Vermont Calming for Cats Soft Chews. For me a healthy cat means optimally balanced human food prepared for feline needs and nutritional requirments, loving, tender affection, shelter, calm environment, stability, play and mental stimulation, sunshine, adequate fresh air, grass and earth underfoot. Good luck investigating! I hope this has maybe given you some questions that can help direct you in solving the pulling out fur issue. Shanti

Cat Pooping Outside of the Box

have two 3 year old cats, 1 male & 1 female(neutered and spayed at 6 months). They are from the same litter and came home with me at the same time at age 6 to 8 weeks (unsure of exact age, previous owner was not a very responsible pet owner). They got along great as kittens but as they have aged they play less and less. They have always shared a food and water dish as well as 2 litter boxes. Lately, for about 4 months, the female has been defecating in inappropriate places (not the litter box). When she finds a spot, she seems to keep going back to that spot. We are not disciplining the behavior because we have not caught her in the act, just leaving the "scene of the crime". I am not finding any unrine outside of the box. I am not sure what to do. No matter where I put the litter boxes, both cats will have access to them. We love both cats very much. I don't know how long we can tolerate this issue, though. Any advise?

Answer:

Hello and thank you for inquiring! Please do NOT discipline if you do find her in the act. This can only make matters worse. But if you do see her start to crouch make a sudden popping/clapping sound to startle her somewhat, which will bring her attention elsewhere then pick her up and put her in litter box. Kitty is trying to tell you something. There may be a MEDICAL ISSUE. I dont have enough information to help you with that. A very good holistic vet that could hopefully do a home visit and rule that out. Some examples could be anal sac disease, colitis, parasites, liver issues, but hopefully no medical problem. If this has been ruled out it could be STRESS. What kind of changes have happened in your home since this behavior started? New person living there? Many guests? Children visiting? Fights and stress among house members? Is your home a stressful place at all for you? If so, you can bet it is for kitty. Furniture changes or house improvements bringing lots of loud noises and strange people over?? I would certainly place more boxes around the home and keep them immaculately CLEANED and scooped! CLEAN/scoop twice daily. Try Feliway 48-Milliliter Plug-In Refills, and adjust stress changes if you can. Add Rescue Remedy Pet -Rescue Remedy to her water. Kitties do not like dirty litter boxes. If you are using clumping litter, are you scooping at least once a day, preferably twice? Imagine using a toilet that someone else dosen't flush. Yuck! Kitties feel the same. Also, have you changed to a new litter lately? She may not like it. Try a DIFFERENT LITTER. Try Swheat Scoop Natural Cat Litter,World's Best Cat Litter Extra Strength or paper litter. Some kitties develop strong aversion to those awful perfume smells found in many litters. If you are using just a clay litter I would recommend going to a natural clumping litter.s Some kitties like to use a different box to eliminate and a different one to urinate. She may be that kind of girl. Please keep me posted and i can help as you go along. So in brief. 1. Rule out underlying medical condition. 2. Assess stress level of cat and environment. remove stress/ also use Feliway and Rescue Remedy 3. Keep litter boxes immaculately clean, scoop twice daily, clean plastic boxes weekly. 4. Experiment with different litters and place more boxes around the home. 5. Use enzyme cleaner in areas she has soiled outside of litter box. 6. Good luck investigating! Warm Wishes, Shanti

Cat Suckling Guardian's Hair

My male cat is 4 years old and has had the same habit since he was a kitten. He is obsessed with my hair. He will do anything to be in my hair. Even jump from the ground to my shoulders just so he can nuzzle his face into it, wrap his paws around my neck to fluff my hair and drool. When I'm sitting he sits on me and stuffs his face into my hair, fluffs and drools. He seems extremely relaxed when he does this (it's the only time he'll let me touch his belly). Why is he doing this? Thanks for the help Jen

Answer:

Hi Jen! Sounds like you have a super sweetie on your hands! Lucky you. This sounds like his way of bonding with you. I bet your hair is long and soft and comforting to him as well as the warmth of your neck. My guess is he is having "mother" transference with you. There was a time he suckled his mom and was lost in her soft, enveloping fur which was a very safe, happy, blissful place. This seems to mimic his behavior in this circumstance (getting lost in your hair/fur) and he is "blissing out" - drooling, purring etc. My question for you is does this bother you? Would you like to deter the behavior or are you ok/happy with it? Personally, it sounds delightful to me! Thank you for inquiring! Shanti

Having Trouble with Neighborhood Bully Cat

Bad Neighbor Cat
Question:	I have four indoor-only cats ranging in age from ten to seven. About two years ago, my family I and began noticing an outdoor cat that would attack the windows my cats were sitting in. It would usually happen on a late summer night when the windows were open. It was rare, maybe once or twice a month. Someone in the family would yell at the cat outside and close the window. About five or six months ago, this outdoor cat broke through one of the window screens and attacked one of my cats. Another family member heard the fight, but I found the screen broken, my cat's collar on the ground right outside the window, and several bite wounds on my cat's head and neck. I took her to the vet right away, and we were able to get the wounds cleaned up and avoided abscesses. Because my cats are indoor-only, I did not have them vaccinated for FIV. I never imagined an outdoor cat would break in and bite my indoor cat. They have all since been vaccinated, but the veterinarian advised me to have her tested a few months down the road. That time is quickly approaching, and I am a little worried the test will come back positive. My real question though is how do I keep this cat away from my house? There was another incident tonight with this cat. Nothing had happened since the bite a few months ago. Fortunately, the cold weather meant the window was closed tonight. The only damage was one seriously startled cat. I plan on trying to take a picture of the cat and to go around the neighborhood to try and locate the owner. I do not want this cat on my property anymore. I'm not sure what to do if the owner is not willing to keep the cat indoors. The local shelter is overcrowded, plus the cat obviously isn't the nicest. I would feel bad if I took it there and it was euthanized. The cat looks healthy enough to have an owner, but it won't ever let me come near it. Since the problem area is right by the windows, I don't want to use anything that has a bad scent. Even if it is something that doesn't bother me, I don't want it to bother my cats and keep them from enjoying the window. Keeping the windows closed also isn't an option. Any suggestions?
Answer:	Dear Maureen, Oh I am sorry to hear this! There are several options, I would definitely ring some neighbor's doorbells and ask around, someone may know whose kitty this is. The cat is too aggressive to be outside and possibly very hungry or not well. I once had this experience myself and realized the cat was extremely hungry and was aggressive to get to the food which he could see and smell through the window. I left food for him at the far corner of my yard nightly, but this is not what I will recommend for you. I don't know your property lines or financial situation but options are: installing an electric fence, or installing a "scarecrow sprinkler" by the window. The scarecrow sprinkler might be your best bet, when kitty comes near the window it will be sensed on a motion detector and be blasted with water. This is a humane option. Hopefully, it isn't too cold out because he will get wet and i wouldn't want him to get ill either. There is also a natural product called "Silent Roar" pellets made from lion dung. Handle with gloves and repeat application with rain or adverse weather conditions. I have not heard reviews but you can order on internet! I know you don't want to intimidate your cats with the smell, but perhaps put it along pathway leading to the window outdoors? In the meantime keep windows closed or with secure screens installed! Regarding your kitty's test results. I am not as concerned with FIV, cats can live to twenty with no problem with FIV, especially healthy indoor cats. The cheaper snap test is also not always reliable, there are many false positives. The serum test however which is much more expensive is most reliable. Start with snap, and heaven forbid you get a "positive" order the serum immediately! You will have to wait a couple of days for serum lab results. Remember you can get a false positive on snap test. I do not know if your vet was trained in the eighties but generally in that era there was not enough information about FIV and vets were euthanizing cats that in my opinion did not need to be put down. I am not happy with the FIV vaccine, however you can discuss that with your vet. I have had a very peaceful FIV cat fostered at my house with my healthy cats. They never contracted it. So if all of your kitties get along and are healthy with proper immune building diet then I wouldn't be as concerned. It is transmitted through blood contact. FELV however is a very different story. Please keep me posted as to your kitty's test results and what option you have decided on. Shanti

Cat Spraying or Not Spraying??

My Male Cat is Spraying Things
Question:	QUESTION: My 28 week old male cat has began to spray carpets and furniture. He hasn't been neutered yet because the clinic isn't for another two weeks. Until then is there any way I can get him to stop spraying? ANSWER: Hi Amber, Oh that's a bummer. Are we sure it is spraying and not urinating? If it is urinating I would eliminate a medical problem. Urinating out of the box can indicate a medical problem and could be dangerous for male cats especially. Is he crouching? Or is his posture on all fours with his rear facing furniture then shaking tail and spraying a stream horizontally? If you arent sure and need more help determining I will be happy to help. Just please let me know. If it is spraying.... Can you have surgery done somewhere else sooner? Keep in mind it dosent always stop the behavior immediately as the cat still has hormones in his body after surgery. About 80% stop immediately. Some take a little bit longer. Is this a multi cat household? He can be spraying for several reasons, he is communicating with other cats about territory or that there is an unspayed female he is smelling. Cats can also spray from stress, if he is feeling uncertain about things in the home he may feel the need to mark his zone. Are there any major changes that have happened since behavior started like a new person living there or moving changes? I would identify if any of those are the culprits. For ex, is there another cat who bullies him in the house? Is there a bully cat outside? A neighbor's cat that comes around the yard? Is he spraying nea Kitties can also just do it to mark their territory. There are several products on the market for this. Feliway releases kitty pheromones to help ease kitty anxiety. It sprays friendly pheromones or there is a plug in kind. SSSCat deters a cat from spraying in the same area by emitting a harmless mist to keep kitty away. Wash surfaces well that have been sprayed with laundry detergent that contains enzymes. 50% white vinegar and 50% water in a spray bottle and spray the area well with the vinegar solution to discourage the cat from respraying those areas. The next step is: a recipe for at home natural urine elimination that breaks up enzymes. It uses hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. http://www.catsofaustralia.com/urinestainremoval.htm If you catch him in the act of "posturing" to start spray, distract him suddenly with loud popping noise or clap hands suddenly. And get him focused on something else. This dosen't work after the sprayings just as it is about to start. Be gentle with him, he will learn. Best of luck! Shanti ---------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- QUESTION: When my male cat 'sprays' he crouches like he would in a litter box, so I think he is urinating. He is the only cat I have and, I really clean the litter box every day.He was immediately abandoned by his mother after birth and never nursed from her, he just had kitten formula until he was 8 weeks old(if that has anything to do with it?. ANSWER: Ok, most importantly get him checked for urinary infection ASAP. There are several reasons why a cat can get infection, one is formula in commercial brands is not formulated properly. Get him to vet today. Is he crying? Crouching often? this is sign of pain and irritated bladder. He needs to be treated and possibly diet changed. Rule out medical first, right away. Again, urinary infections/potential bladder stones could develop into a very dangerous situation if kitty becomes blocked. Then if he gets clean bill of health, we can talk about other reasons why cats dont use box. One is aversion to a particular type of litter which is easy to rectify, another is anxiety which is a little bit harder to rectify but not to worry, I can help. Please have kitty checked and then if this is ruled out we can discuss the other options and how to deter if it is not medical issue. Thank you, Shanti ---------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- QUESTION: I immediately took my cat to the vet. They took a urinary sample and, said that there was a slight amount of blood in the urine and that it was most likely caused by inflammation of the bladder. Bladder inflammation was said to be most often caused by stress. What are some causes of stress in cats? My vet thinks that it is the fact that there is only one litter box in my two-story house and, that it is a covered litter box, which can supposedly cause anxiety in kittens. Is there anything I can do to relax my cat?
Answer:	Hi Amber!! Good for you, for checking right away! did the vet find bacteria? I Sometimes these bladder issues stem from different things, with a cat that was not weaned properly this problem may surface more his developmental time without his mom. Environment, stress and often commercial pet food diets can lead to inflamed bladders. The fact that he was an "underage kitty" and was not properly weaned can often potentially effect their "attachment bond" and developmental psychology. I have seen this type of cat grow up to have abandonment issues and have litterbox issues. Try working with a feline behaviorist to help identify the issue. Two easily accessible products i  recommend for stress are: Feliway and Bach Flower Essences Rescue Remedy for cats. Apply Rescue Remedy (several drops) to non metal waterbowl, gumline and inner flap of ear skin 1-2x's daily as needed. You have a big house so Feliway (can get costly) which emits calming hormones might need to be put in a few places. A product for inflamed bladders and FLUTD (feline lower urinart tract disorder) is here for further info: http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/uti-free-cat-dog-urinary-tract-health.html I have also used "Animals' Apawthecary" - Tinkle Tonic. Very calm, soft soothing kitty massage is good as well. Along spinal muscles, and inner part of shoulder at base of neck. Cats like a soft touch, basically almost as if you are petting their fur and barely touching the skin. I have never had a cat reject this, then i move in with a little bit more firmer controlled fingertip with slow kneading of the areas mentioned. If his tail swishes, stop, because that signals he isn't liking it. We never want to push a cat to a point of overstimulation, this leads to behavior problems, and as a side note, many loving well intentioned people i've worked with didn't see that they weren't honoring the cats boundary or body language of when the cat has had enough due to not understanding feline body language. So they didnt see when the swat or bite was coming. This isnt your case, and you sound like a caring loving person, so let's move on... I would definitely add another litter box as well. As far as reasons for stress that have shown up in kitties: Cats are super sensitive beasts and even small amount of change can stress them. Some more than others. I have seen cats become stressed when work is done on the house, remodeling, furniture moving around, relocation to new house, many visitors coming and going if cat isnt use to it, young children just being children playing, jumping, running, and screaming have stressed sensitive cats, new pet in the home, and overly curious dog that cant seem to learn kitty is off limits and owner petting way to roughly for kitty's taste. On the more extreme end, I have unfortunately seen a very loud household with lots of shouting and screaming and things being thrown by heated tempers caused the cat to be very uneasy (as it would anyone of course) and kitty developed urinary problem. I have also seen an owner who sort of forced the cat into belly rubs and the cat would get very stressed. (some kitties love this although that isn't the norm), I have known of a guardian who handled his cat with scruffing (very bad idea!!! kittens are scruffed by mom and several ounces not more than a pound when their skin and muscle separate and cause injury). scruffing to me is a form of abuse and should only be used when vet needs to take blood to help restrain. You sound like a very loving caring person so if i were you would try to pinpoint when the behavior started and trace back as to if something changed. New person living there? I also have to say, I am not a fan of commercial diets and they play a vital role FLUTD. If you are interested in home prepared meal with absolute proper feline nutrition, Dr Pitcairn's Natural Health for Dogs and Cats is wonderful with recipes. Consult with holistic vet if you do decide to prepare his diet because we dont want to progress flutd or start host of other issues with improper mineral nutritional balance. If you do feed commercial food, brands in the past i have liked are BFF, Wysong, Nature's Recipe, Wellness, AVoderm, Innova, Eagle Pack, Instinct. Wet is better than dry due to water concentration. (You can swipe gums gently along gumline to avoid tartar buildup from wet food, paying attention to molars and teeth in the back.) Some cats have one episode, some have recurrent episode of urinary issues. We need to keep his urine acidic with low ph, (can be monitored from time to time with PH strips found at drug store). Less than 6.8 is ideal.

Canine Constipation Cure

Alternative dog laxatives
Question:	At my vet's suggestion I have been giving our Golden Retriever 1 Tbsp of canned pumpkin in the am and pm with his food. This has been working great, but now there is a world-wide pumpkin shortage, and I can't buy pumpkin anywhere. Is there an alternative vegetable that would work like pumpkin?
Answer:	Hi Wanda! Thank you for inquiring. Is it still hard to find canned pumpkin at your grocery store? Well, i don't know details about your Golden Retriever but I will tell you the single largest reason I see constipation in animals is because they are given a diet of dry food. And I usually see this in senior animals. It makes sense, just like elderly people canines and felines fluids dry up making it harder to pass stool. I do not know the details of your dog but I would ask you to consider supplementing his diet with natural nutrition and human food. If you are not wanting to cook a natural diet that meets all the specific canine needs I would ask if you can supplement his diet with salmon,(pretty oily) sweet potatoes, yams, lots of squashes (lots of fiber) steamed kale, collard greens with a spraying of olive oil. (Boiled chicken is not for constipation but you can add with some cold pressed olive oil to his mainstay.) If you are interested in home prepared diet I will give you more information. Canine needs are very specific and we want to make sure we meet all of the them so you can consult with a holistic vet for proper nutrition. A regular allopathic vet will tell you regular dog food. I say no, because if we fed superior nutrition designed for our animals, veterinarians would lose a ton of business. And so would the monopoly of pet food corporations. Natural nutrition dog foods like Prairie, Wellness, Avoderm make a decent canned food. To his diet i would add flax seed oil. I do not know the size of your dog but start with 1 tsp if s/he is constipated twice a day. If no bowel movement you can add a little more. To keep regular you can use small amount daily but it is best to supplement the diet with good clean food that is not processed or desiccated. I dont know if your dog has a weight issue, but be sure to add squashes to his food if anything and then when a bout of constipation comes up, use the flax seed oil! Keep me posted! Shanti My line of thinking is eliminate the reason for constipation, (if elderly or senior, certainly help with declining functions) and that usually has to do with the diet the dog is being fed to start with.

One Cat Peeing Outside the Box

QUESTION: I have a 8 year old male cat who has been neutered. He's been a member of our household for the past 6 years. We have a total of 5 cats. He has always been a "good boy" (he's the only male), until recently when he has started peeing outside the litter box. He is very fussy about his litter box so we purchased one of the automatic kind. We changed litters because the TidyCat we were using did not clump fast enough and that seems to be when the peeing outside the box started. . .so we changed back to the TidyCat litter and even put in an additional box (we now have 5 litter boxes around the house)but he still is peeing outside the box. One of his favorite places to do it is in the plastic dustpan I keep in the cat room to clean up the stray litter, so we have had to completely remove that from the room. He's been checked and doesn't have any urinary issues. I've also purchased a Feniway unit and recently moved it to the cat room where the majority of the litter boxes are hoping that will help. Any suggestions? ANSWER: Hi Sandra, Thank you for inquiring. It seems you have taken care of many avenues in trying to figure out what the issue is here. I will reiterate them to be certain that a step hasnt been missed. Have you seen him crouching to urinate? i understand he likes peeing in the dustpan, but Are we sure he isn't marking? A new marking behavior could be from some stress or "threat" to his environment. For ex, a new cat added to home, or cat outdoors on property spraying outside Rule of thumb with cats urinating put of box: Again, it seems like you took care of a lot of the issues but I will reiterate what they are here: 1. Rule out underlying medical condition. (the vet checked, was a urine analysis run? Was he tested for other issues as well?) 2. Assess stress level of cat and environment. remove stress/ also use Feliway and Rescue Remedy (great job adding Feliway! be sure to keep it fresh/replaced as often as recommended on box)) 3. Keep litter boxes immaculately clean, scoop twice daily, clean plastic boxes weekly. Has litter box been moved to new location? 4. Experiment with different litters and place more boxes around the home. (you have) 5. Any chance cat was stressed or somehow traumatized when using box? 6. Use enzyme cleaner in areas she has soiled outside of litter box. 7. Good luck investigating! Great move on adding a litter box! He does not have urinary issues but was he tested for other illnesses? I am not suggesting this is the case here, but as a side note, I have seen very serious health issues cause a kitty to not use litter box. I have also seen end of life issues signify a change in litter box habits. was he felv/fiv tested? and a blood panel run? Any crying while urinating? Is there continual crouching and little drops of urine being squeezed out? You purchased an automatic box, (great idea!) but are the others all being cleaned/scooped at least twice daily? You mentioned he was picky. You tried a new litter, then switched back to Tidy Cat. Many cats do not like high dust perfumed litters (not to mention potential health issues that cold arise from dusty clay clumping litters) Dirty litter boxes are comparable to clogged public toilets with multiple users. Is there a chance Tidy Cat is getting stuck in his paws or if he is long hair attached to his fur and he dosent like it? It does not clump as quickly but i like corn and wheat litters. Also, another HUGE issue I often see overlooked: Any changes in the home? Moving? Relocating? Renovations? New baby? Strange people in the home? New cat or dog added? Roommates leaving? new ones in the home? A new cat hanging outside windows, property or yard? Think back to behavior and when it started and what exactly has occurred that was different than before. I think young children can be shown to be very good with cats but another issue i have also seen is just kids being kids, running, jumping, yelling can stress out a sensitive cat and change litterbox habits. I am not sure of your specific circumstances obviously and it seems like you have done some great investigative work with your kitty. I hope i have perhaps helped in a suggestion that may have been overlooked. Please feel free to inquire further if you have figured anything out! Shanti ---------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- QUESTION: Thanks for your input. We do not have any children (50+ couple) and I am home alot so the cats get lots of attention. We did get a "new" (5 year old Sphynx) a couple of months back but he was fine with her and didn't start the urinating outside the box until a couple of weeks ago. I am wondering if the automatic cat box may have scared him? I have tried and/or am currently using World's Best Cat Litter - which is the one that I put in the automatic box and was in there the first time he peed outside the box so I switched to a wheat based litter. I have Tidy Cat back in the box we just added and am now trying the new Arm and Hammer corn based litter. He doesn't make any sounds or seem to strain when he urinates. Other than having him get another checkup. . .I think he is physically fine.

Answer:

Hi Sandra, Thank you very much for your rating, I wanted to add one more thing.... It is hard to say since i am not there to witness all of the dynamics. And i asked several questions that I am still not clear on, so I can only give possibilities. Are we sure it is urinating and not spraying? What tests was he given? Was it a U/A? Have you caught him in the act? it could be new box, but you do still have the other regular boxes. I know they all get lots of attention, but it could also definitely be the new Sphinx even though the behavior showed up more than a month afterward. Was he your special guy, and now the Sphinx is getting a lot of that attention? I don't suggest you return the Sphynx at all, but establish the hierarchy with resident kitty on top. Make sure to continue to give some extra special TLC if he feels slightly displaced, now and always. I do this by allowing "my kitties" on my bed to sleep at night and the fosters sleep/entertain/have a ball in the living room at night with my extra large dog whom they adore. i feed the ones higher in the order first,lucky for me the two acquiescent sweet "foster cat "males don't mind at all. There is a harmony here and everyone knows their place and they all get special love. I am sure you do the same. Just since your kitty is showing anxiety signs Id give extra special sessions of whatever makes him feel loved continually Are you pretty meticulous about scooping? If he is picky about his box, (although a lot of work with 5 kitties), they would need scooping twice daily. Also, I would look into his diet, some diets exacerbate the propensity of bladder issues. Good luck investigating! S

MAST CELL TUMORS

My Pomeranian has been diagnosed with cancer in his back paw, They would normally do a biopsy except he also has a 4 of heart murmur so they don't and I don't want them to give him general anesthetsia. They are going to check his leg lymph note, but what can I do at home to help his immune system fight this. Thanks, Maria

Answer:

Dear Maria, I am so terribly sorry to hear this. I would consult a vet that works in natural DIET, homeopathy and acupuncture and use both for the dogs. Tumors are sometimes referred to as tangled qi and severe blood and qi stagnation in eastern medicine. There is supplemental care that can be administered with herbs and needles. To determine treatment we must know if malignant and/or stage of tumor. The danger with mast cells is the secondary damage produced by the chemicals they emit. These cancers spread incredibly fast. It sounds like we dont even know if this is benign or malignant due to not having performed a biopsy. How about a needle biposy? What do his labs look like? Does vet think it is localized or is your dog showing signs that it has metastasized. With mast cell tumors you must act fast. I would absolutely overhaul his diet but gingerly and keeping in mind the necessary steps if he has a sensitive stomach, food should be ALLERGY FREE organic, free of pesticides free of all chemicals that are found in dog food or regular human food. Some great recipes can be found in DR PITCAIRN'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH FOR DOGS AND CATS. Mast cells are related to allergies. Mast cells can release several biologically active chemicals when stimulated, among them histamine, heparin, seratonin, prostaglandins and proteolytic enzymes. Although these chemicals are vital to normal bodily function, especially immune response, they can be very damaging to the body when released in chronic excess. This is not "proven" in allopathics but if your dog is repeatedly exposed to what he is allergic to causing the mast cells to respond then they will overemit and the cancer will very quickly spread. However, dogs can be allergic to anything from food, to grass to pollen to mold to dust mites. Also, never again give vaccines, if there is a problem with your state or city with rabies, ask your vet to do titers from here on out. And that will show the level of antibodies in the blood and will suffice for the vaccine. To his natural diet, i would add omega 3's fatty acids, antioxidants, glycoproteins. Regular vets are not up to date on glycoproteins but glycoproteins have shown promising results in stopping metastasizing of cells and help modulate the immune system. To know proper amount with size and weight of your dog you would need to consult with a professional who uses them. Did your vet discuss options? Are you going to do radiation? In my opinion it should be removed due to all the secondary issues mast cell tumors produce, if it is malignant but it is of course very dangerous with level 4 heart murmur. I do not know the size of the tumor but is there any way heavy sedation can be used? A echocardiogram might be worth the expense to get a better idea of the heart murmur and if it can withstand surgery. Does your dog tire quickly after exercise? This would prove the "level 4 murmur." Is there persistent cough? If there isnt I would get immediate second opinion on level of heart murmur to make your decision about the surgery. I am sorry to hear of your dilemma. You would need to know the stage of tumor as to know how to treat. Are there signs of lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, anorexia? It is of utmost importance to get all this diagnosed immediately, confirmation of level of heart murmur and stage of cancer to know exactly how to treat. There are benign mast cell tumors as well. Holistic medicine is used as a preventative, sometimes when it is a malignancy and the proper diet has not been fed earlier and the dog was over vaccinated you must use western medicine to remove tumor and holistic medicine as supportive care. Then once evidence of tumor is gone, the animals' lifestyle can be changed to a holistic one to prevent this showing up again. Mast cell tumors do often come back. If you have more questions you can acess me from my website found on my setting page. Best of luck to you and your pom, Shanti