From the latest Dog World Points to ponder by Eileen Geeson email: eileengeeson@btinternet Consider changing your dog’s diet JOAN AND PAUL CLARK email: “We really hope you will be able to help us with our Mini Dachshund ‘Eve’. We got her at three years old, she had two litters and was spayed then put up for sale. Her coat was very thin at the sides and every autumn it gets worse until late spring. She was diagnosed with follicle displacer. Not long after she became completely paralysed in the lower half of her body. She had to have a back operation (we don’t have her on a health plan). It’s been a long struggle to keep her coat and skin in good condition and at the moment she has an ear infection and the vet said it’s because she now has eczema. It’s her tummy and legs that look moth eaten; her back is shiny. He’s given her Surolan for her ear and antibiotic tablets, but she licks and nibbles her legs constantly. She is fed three small meals a day: (James Wellbeloved) carrots, watercress, and spinach for lunch with a little fresh fish. She has one Dorwest garlic and fenugreek tablet, also keepers mix. The vet said she should be injected for Parvovirus, but I don’t think she should be done at her age, booster or other injections. “We prefer natural products for ourselves and pets if possible. We live in a city and like to walk in the country, but are worried in case the rough grass and prickly plants make her condition worse. We wonder if Demagel would help her to stop itching her legs. Any advice would be so much appreciated. We did give her raw food last year but thought it much to rich for her. Hope you can advise us.” Lovely to hear from readers, but sorry when they and their dogs are suffering. It is difficult for me to give advice as I am not legally allowed to tell people what to do. I can only say what I would do given the circumstances. First, vaccines can cause skin problems. It might be a good idea to read Shock to the System by Catherine O’Driscoll and to get the DVD In Search of the Truth About Dogs; email [email protected]. Personally I do not give boosters. The general belief is that vaccines are for life. After much chatter in recent PTPs on vaccines, I will leave the subject there, apart from perhaps suggesting people look more into it before allowing needles to be shoved into their dogs for no good reason. Sulphur tablets are good for the skin, as is garlic. Spinach has proved excellent, also a bath in saline or Exmarid. Exmarid cream is great for rubbing on itchy parts. Ear problems go hand in hand with skin problems. In her book The Complete Herbal Handbook (page 290) the great healer Juliette de Bairacli Levy states: “Vaccination (Distemper) has an insidious effect on general canine health...It is one of the causes of chronic skin disease, especially of the mange form” (my italics). Raw diet Diet has a major effect on the skin and general health of any dog, but critically so on some. However, it may take six weeks of the change to see a significant change or improvement. I know people that have changed the diet and rubbished it after a week; this is hardly a fair time. I can never see how a raw diet can be too rich – unless of course the meat is liver, hearts or kidney in too much of a concentrated form. Over many years and with the advice of some very good breeders and writers I have stuck to my regime except for one which I call dumb brainwashing. Was I really doing the best for my dogs by refusing to use these ‘posh’ pricey all-in-ones that advocate no dog could look this good without the complete manufactured so called essential balance? I quickly learned my lesson. In fact, the only time I fed this newfangled convenience way was the most trouble I have ever had with mum and her litter. The puppies, I just couldn’t believe, from day two of weaning onto this complete food started to attack each other and for over week were trying to kill each other – until it suddenly occurred to me that after years of the sweetest tempered pups I had to be doing something wrong to cause this craziness. The only change was the diet. Without waiting to question myself further I changed the puppies to basic tripe and nothing else for a week. What a difference. Once everything had calmed down I included raw bones for them to chew on and other essential foods like eggs and shredded veg. The result was no more trouble and mum’s condition improved. Chatting to a breeder friend at a recent show, it was interesting to discover that with a recent litter “The importance of the diet can have a significant effect, probably more than some breeders think.” she had experienced the same problem of ferocious fighting within the young litter of pups, something she had not experienced before and was not a common occurrence in the breed. This breeder had made a change to the normal way of feeding for this pregnancy and weaning the pups. She wondered if this was why and we compared notes, which seemed to be more than a coincidence. Worryingly, feeding these high protein unnatural diets could spark temperament issues in older dogs. The importance of the diet can have a significant effect, probably more than some breeders think. Because we all want to do the very best for our pups, and all our animals, it is easy to be brainwashed or sucked in by clever advertising and be intimidated or made to feel we are not doing good enough. Natural feeding Interestingly, a reader has recently asked if we could do something about helping young or inexperienced dog owners on how to go about natural feeding. Something registers that we sometimes get lost in the progress of dog involvement and can forget that not everybody knows what we are talking about. Of course, if we are to listen to some so-called experts we may get in a complete and utter muddle. How often do we see scientists or geneticists, etc spouting their expertise in complete disagreement to fellow eggheads? If they can’t agree or take note of what is happening, how are we menials supposed to work it out? Tell me, why is it we have all this fuss about immune medicated and other malfunctioning aspects of the body, which are blamed for every damn thing, when the very thing we are being sold down the line can be a contributing factor to the illness? Why do vets vaccinate old dogs? Why are all skin problems blamed on the breeder when the vaccine may have been a catalyst? Some vets will not believe vaccines can cause damage. We all take on board that some vaccination may well be the saviour of the human race, but it comes with a warning. As to feeding, are we too far gone to be able to reverse the procedure? Probably. The simple answer when feeding naturally is to not use any food that comes out of a tin or packet. However, that may not be as helpful as a novice dog owner would like. During my time I try to remind myself that dogs can’t cook and use that as a guideline. If readers would like to share their natural diets and vaccine regime please let me know.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:40:09 +0000
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