Sunday, October 16, 2016

Age...just a number?



One of my favourite things is seeing someone asking for help to enhance
their 'older' pet's life. Society so often dictates to us what aging looks like, and that it is something to be feared. With our pets, we are conditioned to believe that as they get older, they are destined to suffer from various conditions and diseases. But what is older?


If you ask the average person what the lifespan of a cat is, they say 15; some push it to 20. A cat living over the age of 20 is shocking to people. With dogs, they say 15 is a ripe old age for a little dog, while many large breeds are only given 10 years before being considered at the end of their life. 

Although attaching these life expectancies to pets helps the average human understand the level of commitment they are signing on for, these numbers create a mind set that is not healthy for your pet. 

If you think your cat is old and dying at 15 years old, you are attaching that energy to your pet. When their health starts to deteriorate, you think "well, Fluffy is old now, so it is to be expected". In contrast, if you believe your cat can easily live to 30, you are expecting longevity and health. Your actions reflect this energy and often more is done to promote whole health. 

So instead of expecting your pet to live for 10-15 years, expect 30, and ask how your pet can achieve this age in grace and health. They may not live to 30, but maybe they will live past their 'life expectancy', or at least age in grace. It's never too late to make a difference! 

Friday, October 7, 2016

Adventure Pets

Zeddie 'working' at The Dundas Cactus Festival
When people think of whole health for their pets, the first thing that comes to mind is food. After all, health starts from the inside out, right? It's true, food is a major part, if not the most important part, to keeping a healthy pet. There are; however, many, many other factors that play a part in keeping your furry, feathered, or scaled buddy around as long as possible. 

Balance is extremely important. We know it for our lives, and the same is true for the critters we care for. As crazy as it sounds, little bits of stress is good for us...and our pets! It isn't uncommon to see dogs getting outside of their comfort zone. Many people choose to travel with their dog, take them out for the day, go to parks, and include them in as many activities as possible. But what about the rest of the critters?

I love to take my Savannah cat, Zeddie places. I leash trained her when she was a kitten. Her first trip was when she was 5 months old, and we went to Ottawa. She goes to pet stores, out for walks, chooses her treats and food, has gone to various cottages, ridden in boats, and even went on a very short ATV ride (it was up to a cottage and she was in my lap safe and sound). By exposing her at a young age, I made sure that whatever happened, Zeddie was ready for it. 
In comparison, I got my second Savannah, Jimmy, when he was a little over a year. At home, Jimmy seems like he's up for anything. He loves visitors and is a complete clown. Outside of the house, though, Jimmy is a big baby, and just wants his mommy to take him home. Little bits of exposure have helped him feel more confident outside of the house, but he prefers his adventures to be at home. 

These trips are an excellent way for cats (and other critters) to stay safe, get mental stimulation, and exercise. Little bits of stress also help reduce large amounts of stress when some things happen that maybe weren't a part of the plan. My cats feel confident going to stay with their auntie when I go away and can't take them with me. They are calm in car rides, and a breeze to take to the vets. As an added bonus, environmental exposure helps ensure a healthy immune system.

What adventures do you take your pet on? 

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Can You Hear Me?

Have you ever wondered if your dog can hear what you're thinking? You think that it might be time to go outside to play ball, and before you even move a muscle, your dog is bounding to the door. Most people shrug it off, or think it is a coincidence. This is actually animal communication in it's most basic form.

Some animals are more sensitive to receiving information then others, and some have 'selective hearing'. When I first started learning animal communication, I wasn't convinced my pets could 'hear' what I was sending them. Thankfully, I have an African Grey parrot who was happy to help out. She would often whistle songs I was singing in my head, or we would say the same thing at the same time. It is easier to know they can hear you when they speak English too!

It can be a little bit tougher with other types of animals. One day, I decided to try a little experiment with my Savannah cat, Zeddie. Ever since Zeddie was little, we would play hide and seek. I would chase her to a room, then turn around and hide quickly. She would then come to find me, which never took her long. On this day, I decided to hide in the stairwell, just a few feet from where Zeddie was, while picturing myself hiding in our shower. I closed my eyes and mentally conveyed the image I would see if I were to hide in the shower...the mirror, seeing Zeddie exit the room to look for me, the anticipation.... 
Sure enough, when Zeddie came to find me, she walked right past my actual hiding spot of the stairwell and hopped into the shower looking for me! 

Even if you have a pet with 'selective hearing', try making it into a game, and see if they are picking up on mental cues from you! 
One of Zeddie's favorite hiding spots

Monday, February 1, 2016

Can Kibble be 'Holistic'?

With the cold weather upon much of the world, there have been a lot of questions regarding dogs and cats with dry skin. To my surprise, many of the recommendations to combat this 'issue' in various 'holistic' Facebook groups, included incorporating grain free kibble.

In order to understand if kibble can be 'holistic' it is important to go over it's definition.

"incorporating the concept of holismor the idea that the whole is more than merely 
the sum of its parts, in theory or practice" 

This means that instead of treating single areas of a being's life, attention is paid to all aspects of the mind body and soul, with an emphasis on treating any underlying condition. That being said, is kibble holistic? 

 It has been widely accepted that nutrition plays a large role into whole health for both humans and animals. When eating mass amounts of biologically inappropriate food, the body has to work harder to maintain homeostasis, which can result in various health problems as time goes on.   

It should come as no surprise that cats and dogs are carnivores. This means their natural diet is meant to be meat. 

All kibble, whether 'holistic' and grain free or not, need carbohydrates in order to obtain the hard, pellet like consistency. The amount of carbohydrates used is variable, but many manufacturers use starches such as potato, sweet potato, and peas. These have an added bonus for the company of increasing the protein that is found in the guaranteed analysis on the bag of food. 

The amount of pure meat used in kibble is also variable upon the manufacturer, but there are tricks that are employed in order to make sure that meat becomes the first ingredient on their packaging. This includes protein splitting of carbohydrates and weighing the meat prior to cooking. The result is a higher amount of carbohydrate to meat than the consumer is led to believe. 

The process of creating kibble involves cooking the ingredients, which effectively removes all of the nutrients. A synthetic vitamin supplement is added to replace all the lost nutrients as the food itself is not nutritionally sufficient. 

Aside from the ingredients used to create kibble is the fact that kibble has a moisture content of just 10%. In cats this is often detrimental as they have a very low thirst drive. Both dogs and cats are naturally developed to consume whole prey, which is about 80% moisture. That being said, the lack of moisture in kibble is very dehydrating to an animal's body, which in itself can cause various health conditions, with dry skin being very common. 

Focusing back on the original comments on dry skin,the problems which cause this can often relate back to dietary sensitivities, a lack of essential fatty acids in the diet, and dehydration. All three of these issues can be tricky to eliminate with kibble of any type because all kibbles contain many of the same ingredients, with the lack of moisture being only one aspect. A dietary sensitivity is not limited to the meat protein added, and can stem from any carbohydrate used, not to mention the additives and preservatives used to keep the food from going bad.

Overall, a biologically appropriate, balanced raw diet makes it much simpler to track down sensitivities. It also contains the amount of moisture necessary for good health, and is free of unnecessary fillers.

If your dog or cat is suffering from dry skin, take a look at what you are feeding as the food itself may be contributing to the issue. 

It is always a good idea to consult a natural health practitioner when making large changes for your animal companion.