Animal Communication Series: Sydney Woo

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is attend various pet related trade shows. I am often accompanied by my spotted helper, Zeddie. We always meet so many people and animals!

Back in July, I attended an event that mixed wine and dogs (does it get any better?) 
One of the readings I did from that show was with a beautiful pug, Sydney Woo, who had passed away suddenly 3 years prior. Her mom wanted her to know how much they love her and miss her, and wanted her to know that they did everything they could to make her better. 

*Please note that I am not a veterinarian, and everything that is mentioned in this connection was strictly intuition. I always recommend that veterinary help is sought out with medical conditions*

This was my connection with Sydney Woo:

"I connected with Sydney Woo. She feels like she was a feisty girl! Very protective over you and your family. It took her a few minutes to warm up to me...I think she wanted to make sure that that I wasn't going to upset you <3

I asked Sydney Woo about her life with you. She shows me a toy, it looks like it is a small stuffie with a little squeaker...I want to say blue? and she shows me that this was something she liked to carry around in her mouth. Then she shows me that after her passing, this toy became a favorite of another dog...I think Quinnie? 

I told her your message, and she wants you to know that she knows you did everything you could for her. Did her passing have something to do with labored breathing? She shows me an oxygen tank, and I feel that she was having difficulty getting air in. I also feel that this was not an avoidable condition. I feel that this had something to do with her genetics, and that no matter what you did, the outcome would have been the same. 

She knows that she was well loved, and she wanted me to tell you that she couldn't have picked a better family. When you met her, did she make it clear that she wanted you as her family? She says that she was given a lot of love in life, and she still feels it now. She says she still watches over you and she wants to keep you safe, and she wants you to feel her love. She shows me that she visits you in dreams, and she wants you to know that this is her way of making sure you know that she is still right there with you. 

Thank you for the opportunity to connect with Sydney Woo! She clearly loves you so very much <3 That kind of love is eternal <3"

Sydney Woo's mom sent me this in response:

"Kristin, thank you, a million times over, for the reading.  I miss my girl so much.  She was a feisty girl!  And yes, she was VERY protective, she took care of us more than I think she ever realized.  There is a stuffed toy called Poopie that she suckled on every night in bed.  We kept it from Quinnie for a bit because we were afraid that she would try to tear him apart with her puppy antics, but whenever Quinnie has Poopie in her mouth, she is so gentle with him, I think she knows that it belonged to Sydney Woo.  Our baby did have to be intubated with a breathing tube right before she died and we are both certain that she was born with something that we could just never figure out, no matter what type of specialist we brought her to see.  Syd made it so clear to us when we met her that she wanted to be with us, I remember her running out into the hallway to meet us, and the way she slept in our arms all the way home.  I have had many dreams of her and songs will come on the radio that we played once she passed away.

Again, thank you so much Kristin.  It is so amazing to know that our girl is still around us, we have felt her around us, but to have someone communicate with her is wonderful.

I hope that you are having a wonderful day..............you just made mine even better."

Several months later, I received another email from Sydney Woo's mom, which said,
"I think of the connection every day and you have no idea how much it has helped.  Because of you, I feel at peace.  Thank you again."

I feel so lucky that I am able to help bring peace to people, and help them understand their pets. 

If you are interested in a reading of your pet, please email me at kristin@healthy-hearts.ca. For more information on Animal Communication, visit www.healthy-hearts.ca

Interested in learning how to communicate with animals? "Like" my Facebook page for upcoming workshops! 

https://www.facebook.com/healthyheartsanimalwellness/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel 

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 holism, or 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. 

Wally's Story

After writing Amadeus's story, I thought it would be nice to get another perspective. Wally is my cousin's American Eskimo puppy. He is 4 months old, and was brought home at about 10 weeks old. I asked him if we would mind telling a story for this blog, and he agreed. 

"I was born in a *big* litter of puppies. I loved playing with my siblings. We would jump on each other and nip each other's toes. It was so much fun. They all started leaving and I stayed. I didn't know where they were going, and that made me sad. I didn't want to be the only one left. I shouldn't have worried because I was picked up by my human parents. They brought me home, but home was already occupied by cats! The cats didn't play like the puppies did. They hit me instead of nipping at my toes. They hissed instead of barking. They confused me a lot, but after awhile I realized they were pretty cool. Plus, my human mommy loves them. 

Sometimes I have accidents inside. It is hard being a puppy, and learning to be a big boy. My mom is very patient with me, and that is nice. She takes me outside and makes me feel special when I potty like a big boy. My dad hangs out with me during the day. I never feel lonely.

I love to play. It is hard to play with the cats, so instead I play with their toys. That makes my mom angry. She says I have lots of puppy toys to play with, but I want to play with the cats! If I steal their toys, maybe they will play with me. Sometimes my mom will take me on walks. The best are the ones where I get to run. Running is so much fun. There is nothing like feeling the wind against my fur as I race to catch up with the big dogs. Sometimes it gets slippery, but that just makes it more fun! Sliding is great! I wish I could run like that all the time, but I know that it is hard for mom to do things like that with me. She doesn't have fur, so she gets cold. If she ran, she would be warm but she can't run as fast as me, so I understand why she doesn't bother. She does her best, and that is what matters.

She wants me to grow up to be a gentleman. We are going to a place where a lady tells us to do things. She makes me sit and lay down. It seems silly to me, but I know it makes my mom happy so I do it. Sometimes the lady gives me treats for doing fun things. I like that. I hope the lady turns me into a gentleman. I know it would make my mom very happy. That is what is important.

I love my mom very much. I am with her to give her strength and unconditional love. The cats love her too, but I can go places with her. We love to do things together. I will always be a sounding board for my mom. I am a great listener and I won't tell anything that she doesn't want told. She can trust me always."