Mid-Atlantic Hound Association

Building Healthy Canine Companions
"Building Healthy Canine Companions" is the title of a seminar given by Dr. Adele C. Monroe, Holistic Veterinarian. Dr. Monroe is also certified in Animal Chiropractic. In her presentation, Dr. Monroe condensed some of the topics covered in much greater depth in her  "Building Healthy Canine Companions" seminar.
MAHA was honored to host Dr. Monroe as our speaker at the July meeting. After introducing herself, Dr. Monroe informed us that she wasn’t really a proponent of holistic veterinary medicine when she graduated from veterinary school in 1988. Her eyes were opened as she observed the successful holistic treatment of a dog with autoimmune platelet disease who belonged to another veterinarian. This dog had exhausted all conventional medical options and was experiencing uncontrollable complications from the immunosuppressive drugs she needed to control the autoimmune disease when the veterinarian-owner began exploring holistic treatment options. In 1990 Dr. Monroe read her first book on homeopathy, which totally changed her perspective of health and healing. Two years ago Dr. Monroe read "Give Your Dog A Bone" which persuaded her that grain-rich heat processed commercial foods are not biologically appropriate for dogs and cannot support optimal health.
The two topics of the afternoon were some easy dietary changes that can improve the nutritional value of your dog's diet and the rationale for stopping the practice of yearly vaccine boosters.
Heat processing of commercial pet foods destroys vitamins, antioxidant enzymes, and essential fatty acids. Therefore, two very important dietary supplements for dogs fed heat-processed dry or canned diets are antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA). Free radicals are molecules that are highly reactive and can damage cell membranes and the DNA of cells. Free radicals are produced during normal metabolic processes and when cells and tissues are injured or inflamed. Each type of free radical is neutralized by a specific antioxidant. Antioxidants are normally produced by the body and can be supplied in the diet. At least two scientific journals are dedicated to the study of free radicals, the mechanisms by which they cause damage, and the mechanisms by which free radicals themselves are neutralized.
Antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage.
One potential consequence of free-radical damage to DNA is cancer. In addition, free radical damage is responsible for many of the degenerative changes that we typically associate with the "normal" aging process. Since antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage, increasing dietary antioxidants can do wonders in terms of delaying aging changes. Several studies have shown that diets high in certain antioxidants can reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
Two key antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
A good maintenance dose for Vitamin C is 8 to 10 mg/lb./day. Powdered sodium ascorbate is easy to administer and cost-effective. ¼ teaspoon has 1000 mg. Nature’s Farmacy sells sodium ascorbate powder at some dog shows and by mail order. (See list of sources following this article.) A maintenance dose for Vitamin E is 6 to 7 units/lb./daily. Always use all natural d-alpha-tocophorol. Synthetic Vitamin E, the L form, is not available for use in the body. All-natural Vitamin E also has other related tocophorols, which are also very good anti-oxidants. Vitamin E can be given every day, or, because Vitamin E is fat soluble, it can be given on alternate days or once or twice weekly to achieve the proper "daily" dose. Excellent sources of a broad spectrum of antioxidants are various whole food or "green" supplements. These include Solid Gold SeaMeal, Nu Pet Wafers and Granular Greens by Noah’s Ark, and Source seaweed meal for horses. Another highly recommended choice is Spirulina, a type of blue-green algae. Because each type of free radical is neutralized by a specific type of antioxidant, providing a wide range of antioxidants in the diet is very important. If you add nothing else to commercial food, Dr. Monroe recommends adding Spirulina. However, Beware, Spirulina can increase energy level and endurance! For performance dogs, during summer coursing season, definitely consider Spirulina. The recommended dosage would be 1/8 teaspoon per 25 to 35 lbs. of body weight. Begin supplementation slowly, with just a pinch. For tablets, the dose is approximately 500 mg/50 lbs. For dedicated grass grazers it is possible that the addition of a little alfalfa to their diet might help reduce this behavior. For her personal use Dr. Monroe makes up a green powder consisting of Source for horses (a seaweed meal with 19 different types of seaweed, none of which are kelp), Kelp, alfalfa powder, lemon peel powder, garlic, bee pollen, and Spirulina. It is also a good idea to rotate whole food antioxidant supplements. Perhaps use Green Powder for a while, then Spirulina for awhile, followed by Noah's Ark Granular Greens, and maybe Solid Gold SeaMeal or Source for horses for awhile. Very rarely, some dogs will have a detoxification reaction when introduced to Spirulina and vomit after it is given. This is why starting with a pinch and building up gradually is recommended. This is especially likely if the dog is a middle aged or older or if it has a lot of medical therapy; that is, its liver has had to deal with a lot of medications. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (O3FA) - These are critically important for normal function of the immune system and of the nervous system. Dr. Monroe stated that the nervous system link to O3FA in the diet has been vastly overlooked. A little-known fact is that FA deficiencies are cumulative over the generations. One study showed that, after three generations of being fed a diet deficient in specific essential fatty acids, rat pups had fewer cells in their brains. (Smart Fats: How Dietary Fats and Oils Affect Mental, Physical and Emotional Intelligence, by Michael A. Schmidt, page 6) Omega 3 Fatty Acids are very heat sensitive so they are going to be one of the first ingredients destroyed when dry food is made. Think about how many generations of dogs have been fed heat processed commercial foods. This may be one component of the increase in behavior problems seen in all breeds in recent years. When you look at the breeds that have the worst behavior problems, they are the ones that have been puppy-milled for many generations due to popularity. Generations raised on O3FA deficient diets, and all that deficiency is cumulative. There has to be a balance between Omega 6 FA and Omega 3 FA. The Omega 3 Fatty Acids are anti-inflammatory, whereas many Omega 6’s are pro-inflammatory. If the diet contains too many Omega 6's compared to the Omega 3's, the body becomes primed to respond to stimuli with inflammation. This is the mechanism by which fatty acid imbalance contributes to allergies and autoimmune diseases, and the explanation for the improvement in these conditions that is often observed with Omega 3 supplementation.
The two best sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids are flax seed oil and fish body oil.
Flax seed oil is the best plant source and very cost-effective in most situations. The Flax seed oil should be organic, cold-pressed oil purchased from the refrigerated section of a health food store. It should always be kept refrigerated. The shelf life of unrefrigerated flax seed oil is only two months. In the distribution chain, it may take 2 months for processed flax seed oil to travel from the processing plant to the shelf of the store; so you always want refrigerated flax seed oil. Give 1 tsp./50 lbs. a day. If you have a dog with a history of pancreatitis you might want to start very gradually. The other option is fish body oil. Body oil, NOT cod liver oil. Fish body oil is the best choice during pregnancy or if there is any kind of a chronic medical condition or a behavioral problem. The omega-3 fatty acid DHA, not to be confused with the hormone DHEA, is the fatty acid that is critical to brain function and to the retina of the eye. DHA is found in fish oil. The O3 in flax seed is converted to DHA in the body. In the pregnant bitch, or the animal with a chronic medical condition or behavior problem, you want to give the fish body oil so the dog does not have to make the conversion. Fish body oil provides enough DHA directly. If the dam's diet or body is deficient in DHA, the puppy’s nervous systems cannot develop normally. DHA is critically important to development of the brain and nervous system. A good maintenance dose is 1mg DHA/lb. body weight/day. Fish oil is usually found as capsules, which prevent oxygen exposure and thus stabilize the oil. Depending on the size of the dog, you may give fish oil capsules only once or twice a week to achieve the appropriate daily dose. Purchase capsules for which the label indicates much DHA is supplied in each capsule. Many pharmacies and health food stores carry fish body oil.
Vaccinations
Dr. Ronald Schultz is head of pathology at the veterinary school at the U. of Wisconsin and he has spent probably 20 years studying vaccinations and the response of the immune system to vaccinations. He co-authored an article that was published in a 1992 veterinary monograph. A direct quote from that monograph:
"A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual re-vaccinations."
So how did we get hooked into this practice of giving shots every year? One aspect is that the drug companies are required by the USDA to label vaccinations and to include the recommended revaccination interval on their labeling. The vaccine manufacturers are required to document, through testing, that immunity lasts as least as long as their recommended vaccination interval. You can imagine that there is absolutely no economic incentive for a vaccine manufacturer to go out and prove that immunity following use of their vaccination lasts 3 years or 5 years or however long. Remember your dog's immunity does not expire 12 months after it gets a shot just because that is the labeled vaccination interval. Immunity from vaccination for viruses like Parvo - Distemper - Hepatitis can last for life after the puppy series. One of the reasons that annual vaccinations became quite popular is because vaccines have, in the past, been viewed as very harmless treatments, except for the rare, severe reaction that occurs. So annual vaccinations became a really easy way to build up a veterinary practice and make sure that clients keep coming back in the door. Studies that have shown that in some veterinary practices vaccinations account for 70% of the income. Veterinarians are finally beginning to recognize that there are problems caused by vaccinations; more so than just the acute reaction. In the early 1990’s they discovered that cats tend to produce tumors, typically aggressive fibrosarcomas, at the site of vaccine injections. If removed surgically, they typically grow back. Actual vaccine components have been isolated from the centers of these tumors. Dr. Jean Dodds, is a veterinary hematologist whose specialties are autoimmune blood disorders and canine thyroid disease. As a result of her specialty, she has been consulted by clinicians dealing with autoimmune diseases in dogs for the past 20 years. By requesting historical information from consulting clinicians about events preceding the onset of disease, she identified agents that she considered to be the factors triggering the autoimmune disease. Dr. Dodds found that, time after time, the onset of disease was preceded by vaccinations and/or exposure to certain medications. Consequently, she developed a "hit list" of medications and vaccines that, in her opinion, have triggered autoimmune diseases in susceptible animals. Dr. Dodds considers autoimmune conditions to be an interaction between an underlying genetic susceptibility and an environmental trigger. She was highly criticized by academic veterinarians because her conclusions were based on an series of clinical cases and not on controlled scientifi studies. Then, in the fall of 1996, the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine–a very prestigious journal read by veterinary internal medicine specialists around the world–published an article titled: "Vaccine-Associated Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia In The Dog". Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a condition in which the immune system targets and destroys red blood cells. This is a life threatening condition. About one third of the dogs that develop autoimmune hemolytic anemia crash and burn and die. Nothing can be done to stabilize them. A very small proportion are on immunosuppressive drugs for a time and can be gradually weaned off. The majority of those who survive the initial crisis remain on immunosuppressive therapy for life. Finally, academic medicine has a controlled study with findings that support what Dr. Dodds has known for sometime. It is perhaps unfortunate that this study was published in a specialty journal and not in a journal received by a high proportion of practicing veterinarians. Word of the link between vaccines and autoimmune disease has been slow to spread to general practitioners. However, Dr. Monroe reported that, for the past three years or so, at least one speaker at every continuing education seminar she attended has referred to the need to rethink the strategies used to keep clients bringing their pets in for check-ups. The veterinary profession is discussing the need to stop relying on vaccinations for income and to focus on wellness exams. The most progressive veterinarians have already adopted a three year vaccination booster schedule or a rotation schedule where they may give rabies one year, and the next year they will give a parvo/distemper and the third year they may just say come in for a health check-up. Homeopathic physicians have recognized the link between vaccines and chronic disease since the 1800’s. The first book published on the homeopathic treatment of vaccine-induced health problems was published in the 1850’s. For 150 years there has been a class of medicine that has recognized chronic disease problems caused by vaccinations. So, what are the options? It is important to realize that Distemper and Parvo are the only two life-threatening viral diseases in dogs that are still commonly found in the environment. These are the only two viruses that are really important to think about when immunizing your dogs. Dr. Jean Dodds has just come out with a revised protocol and she is recommending distemper/parvo only. Intervet makes Progard® vaccines, which are very high quality vaccines. There is a Progard® combination that contains only distemper/parvo. Dr. Dodds recommends that vaccine at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. That’s it. If you know your puppy is going to be exposed to distemper - say an environment where distemper has occurred - you can give a distemper/measles vaccine at 6 weeks of age. Dr. Ronald Schultz, in an article published in March of 1988, described the protocol he and his family had been using on their pets since 1974. Between 12 and 14 weeks of age they give one DHPP to puppies and one FVRCP to kittens. He gives rabies vaccine as required by Wisconsin state law. Since he instituted this regime in 1974, not one animal under this protocol has experienced any problems. Even though Lyme disease is endemic in Wisconsin, Dr. Schultz does not vaccinate his personal animals for Lyme disease. Antibody titer testing, although not universally accepted by training centers and boarding kennels in lieu of vaccines, is gaining in acceptance as proof of protection against viral diseases. In order for antibody titer tests to be used as proof of viral protection have your veterinarian draw a blood sample and send it to Cornell. Dr. Monroe strongly recommends sending the blood sample to Cornell. The report from Cornell indicates, for each virus, the titer level below which booster vaccination is recommended. This report from Cornell is clear documentation that your pet responded to prior vaccination and still has levels of antibodies considered to represent protective immunity. As such, a copy of the Cornell report should be acceptable to training centers and boarding kennels. Kennel cough is another can of worms entirely. Kennel cough is an aggravation. It is not a life-threatening disease unless an animal has an underlying heart or respiratory condition. However no kennel owner wants a whole weekend's worth of clients going home with coughing dogs, as they are unlikely to return. However, kennel cough does respond well to treatment with homeopathic medicines. Multiple organisms are associated with kennel cough. The two most common viral agents -parainfluenza and adenovirus - are included in the standard DHPP or DA2PP vaccine. Bordatella bronchiseptica is the other organism that everyone is worried about; it's a bacterium. It is really tough to make a vaccine against a bacterium, or other complex organisms. The organisms associated with Lyme disease, leptospirosis, and giardiasis are all complex organisms. Typically immunity to such organisms only lasts 6 or 7 months following vaccination. Thus the 6 months revaccination interval required by some veterinary facilities and boarding kennels. Dr. Monroe has approached a few boarding facilities, asking if they will accept dogs without kennel cough vaccinations, whose owners are willing to put a "waiver" letter in the facilities files. The waiver letter states that the owner has chosen not to vaccinate the dog for kennel cough, understands that unvaccinated dogs may develop kennel cough when boarded, and that the owner accepts full responsibility for any episode of kennel cough that the dog experiences as a result of being boarded. The owner further agrees to pay all medical costs incurred if the boarding kennel personnel seek veterinary care for the dog while it's in their care, and identifies the veterinary facility to be contacted. One such facility is Camp K9 in Cary. The study mentioned previously found that autoimmune hemolytic anemia had been triggered by all types of vaccines, and all types of vaccines when given alone, that is, not at the same time as other vaccines. Also, the number of components present in a combination vaccine was not associated with the risk of autoimmune disease in this study. In short, any vaccine has the potential to trigger autoimmune disease in susceptible animals. In summary, an animal who is well supported nutritionally, with an optimally functioning immune system, will not be very susceptible to kennel cough, or other infectious diseases, for that matter. It's important to realize that dog's don't get kennel cough because they are exposed to one of the organisms associated with kennel cough. They get kennel cough because they are exposed AND STRESSED by being boarded. The key component is stress, emotional or physiological. Stress is immunosuppressive. If you are in a position where you must vaccinate against kennel cough in order to board your dog, give the vaccine two to four weeks before they are boarded, not every 6 months whether they "need it or not."
Bottom line: If you use antibody titers to document protection against parvo and distemper, get rabies vaccines every 3 years as required by law, and only get kennel cough vaccine when needed to board your dog, you will dramatically reduce the number of vaccines your dog receives during its life.
Sources below are from Dr. Monroe’s website http://holisticdvm.gloryroad.net/
Natural Health Products for Dogs and Cats
Green Hope Farm Flower Essences 1-603-469-3662 (New Hampshire) green.hope.farm@valley.net Excellent flower essences for animals and humans. The staff at Green Hope Farm is happy to help you find the essences that meet your individual needs. Some of my personal favorites: Arbor Garden: emotional or physical stress Animal Emergency Care: physical stress, fading puppies, recovery from surgery, etc. Bignonia: fading puppies, acute illness or health crisis, low vitality from any cause Chicory: for domineering individuals and those operating "in ego" Indian Pipe: promotes peace, calmness, harmony Summer Snowflake: adapting to changes, including seasonal temperature changes and extremes of heat and cold The Animal Wellness Collection: 22 Essences with descriptions Morrill's New Directions 1-800-368-5057 (Maine) Mail order source of books on natural health care for animals (including Dr. Billinghurst's books), herbal products for flea control, high-qualtiy nutritional supplements, and other excellent products. Nature's Farmacy 1-800-733-4981 (Georgia) Mail order source of Fastrack probiotic supplement, Dog Bloom vitamin/mineral supplements, bulk kelp, powdered sodium ascorbate (non-acidic Vitamin C) and many other health care products for pets. NutriPet Research, Inc. 1-800-360-3300 (New Jersey) Makers of NuPro All-Natural Supplements for dogs and for ferrets. The dog formula contains: Norweigian kelp, ground flaxseed, nutritional yeast, desiccated liver, bee pollen, garlic, steamed bone meal, lecithin, ground borage seed, Lactobacillus acidophilus. Penn Herb 1-800-523-9971 (Pennsylvannia) Source of quality herbs either whole, cut, powdered, or in capsules. The Vitamin Shoppe 1-800-223-1216 (New Jersey) http://beta.vitaminshoppe.com/ Offers a wide range of name-brand and in-house brand vitamins, herbs, books, and other health care products for humans (and some pet products) at a discount off suggested retail. Substantial savings if you purchase such products in quantity. One source of Nutribiotic GSE Liquid and Capsules Plus.
Raw Diets for Dogs and Cats
Example Raw Diet Program The meal plan that Dr. Monroe follows is based on Kymythy Schultze's book and is described in the Health Maintenance Program section of the GraceGift Whippet site. This is just one example of a program that can be used to feed a raw diet. There are many equally successful feeding schedules. Meaty Bones: Hickory Springs Organics, Raleigh, NC An excellent source of hormone-free, antibiotic-free chicken backs (carcasses) and necks is the Hickory Springs Organics store at the Farmer's Market in Raleigh, NC. The store also has organic vegetables and a variety of hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats including duck, rabbit, bison, beef, pork, emu, and turkey in season. Minimum order for bulk chicken backs or necks is 30 pounds. Smaller orders also available. Place order at least 2 or 3 days before pick-up. As of March 2000, days to pick up orders at the store are Thursday and Saturday. Store phone: 1-919-807-1398. (Call for store hours/days, which vary by season.) Processing plant (southwest of Pittsboro) phone/fax: 1-919-742-4583. Ask to speak with Andy or Heather Youngblood. Prepared Raw Food: Nu Dimensions Nutrition, Inc., Raleigh, NC Nu Dimensions Nutrition, Inc. prepares frozen raw food for dogs and cats made from pureed organic vegetables, sushi-grade fish, and hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats. These diets contain no grain. Nu Dimensions Nutrition also sells Balance Diet Supreme-V, a commercial diet that is fermented, not heat-processed, and that contains very little grain. For more information, contact Dee or Jeff at 1-919-848-4071 (fax: 1-919-845-6606) or via email nudimensions@earthlink.net. Nu Dimensions products, including Balance Diet Supreme-V, are stocked at Triangle Nutrition (1-919-847-8498) and at the Hickory Springs Organics store at the Farmer's Market (call first for store hours, which vary by season, 1-919-807-1398). Raw Diet Components: The Cared for Canine, Southern Pines, NC The Cared for Canine provides raw organic vegetables (pureed then frozen) and ground hormone-free, antibiotic-free meaty chicken bones (also frozen) when available. The store also stocks Balance Diet for dogs and for cats and a variety of high-quality supplements. The Cared for Canine has do-it-yourself dog wash facilities and a therapy pool for dogs. Phone: 1-910-693-7875.