WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series, 12 - 1 pm Nutrition & Supplements

Nutrition & Supplements
Because feeding right is the single most important thing we can do for our dogs & cats--ok after love and play--we're going to start the WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series with a discussion of Nutrition & Supplements.

Each dog is different
Bring your pet's food and let's read the ingredients. Is this an ideal food for your particular pet? Did you know Labradors and Staffys don't have the same getetics and don't have the same nutritional demands. Did you know that Yorkies should eat differently than Goldens?

Let's discuss kibble, raw diets, canned and dehydrated foods. What's right for your pet? How about home-cooked diets? How difficult is it to keep a pet healthy using what you have in your refrigerator?

Supplements
What does your pet need? Who makes the best? Does it matter where you purchase your dogs joint meds? Your cat's fish oil? Let's discuss supplements, suppliers, and what's best for your particular dog and cat.

Come
Saturday, July 2, from 12 to 1 pm
to
WaterWorkz 3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
604 435 0022

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WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series

Every Saturday in July & August, there’s a discussion of incredibly useful pet information. Everyone is welcome. These discussions are as free as the sunshine and just as likely to make you grow.



at Waterworkz, 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC
www.WaterWorkzPawSpa.com
604 435 0002
from 12 to 1 pm

The discussions cover the following topics:

July 2 Nutrition & Supplements
Are you feeding your pet right? Bring what you’re feeding and let’s see whether it's healthy or making your pet sick.

July 9 Dogs on Board Your Boat
What to take to make your dog safe on a cruise. Medications. Pet rescue & safety practicss. Dogs going camping will benefit from this too. Won't it feel good to know you can travel safely on land or water.

July 16 Behavior Tips with George Halpern
Guided behavior techniques based on the indidividual dog. George is bringing Lucy to demonstrate his behavior tips, discuss the importance of exercise. You'll learn how leash walking strengthens your relationship with your dog.

July 23 Swimming Dogs, Benefits of Warm Salt Water
Having fun & getting healthy! Warm salt water therapy benfits dogs with arthritis, disc disease, ACL tears. We can strengthen muscles and increase range of motion, and most importantly, DECREASE PAIN.

July 30 Tellington TTouch with Catherine Stewart
Calming techniques that make it possible to relax your dog. Learn how to increase trust and deepen your relationship with your pet. Catherine will fill you with the knowledge and faith in yourself that makes it possible for you to bond ever more deeply with your pet.

Aug 6 Is it an Emergency?
How to tell if your pet is really sick. What signs to look for that mean it must go to the vet without delay? What signs mean you need to visit the vet but can wait a day or too? How to handle your pet while you're waiting for your vet appointment.

Aug 13 Pet Nutrition
Not all pets should eat fish. Not all pets should eat tomatoes, or avocados, or beef. We'll discuss which breeds normally do well on which foods. Knowing what's genetically right for your pet will help you choose food that makes your pet as healthy as it can be.

Aug 20 Pet Massage with Jolena Kusec
Dogs and cats love being massaged. Jolena will discuss how she does it and what it does for your pet. She'll discuss massaging pets in a lap and while swimming in salt water. AHHH.

Aug 27 Saving Money on Vet Bills
How can you give your pet great care and save money on vet bills? Come discuss how often pets need vaccines, titers, special diets, and routine care. Learn when you should ask for blood tests and when are they unnecessary.

We look forward to answering your questions and providing you with useful information. You'll get advice from Dr. Pollen, a holistic veterinarian, Tanya the owner of WaterWorka, Jolena the WaterWorkz massage therapist, George Halpern and Catherine Stewart. It's going to be a beautiful summer.

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Treating Golden Retrievers with Cancer, Using TCM Herbal Formulas

Golden Retrievers develop a high rate of cancer and many benefit from conventional therapy including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. For Goldens receiving conventional therapies and for Goldens whose families choose not to use conventional approach to tumors, I recommend change in diet, use of supplements and herbs.

In previous Caring for Pets blog entries we’ve discussed diet (no simple carbohydrates, give complex carbs in deeply pigmented vegetables, oils from fish & ground flax, and organic meats to avoid hormone-enriched meats. We’ve also discussed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas to support pets before cancer develops.

If cancer develops the TCM formula will be chose based on the individual pet. Among those that might be prescribed are

• Bu Gan Tang
• Chai Hu Shu Gan San
• Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
• Gui Pi Tang
• Liu Jun Zi Tang
• Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
• Si Miao San, Xiao Yao San
• Xue Fu Zhu Ye Tang

Each formula has herbal ingredients that make it specific for different problems. We consider the whole pet, including tongue and pulse, blood tests, and tumor type to choose the best TCM formula.

These are just a few examples of TCM herbal formulas used for Golden Retrievers or other pets with cancer. In addition, there is Hoxsey formula, which is based on North American & European herbs.

A holistic veterinarian will assess your pet and prescribe the best formula.

I wish we could say these formulas performed miracles—they do not. What they do is help bring the body into balance so the body can do its job of fixing itself.

Using TCM formulas, good nutrition, prayer and play that brings joie de vivre to your pet offers it the best opportunity to heal itself. Golden Retrievers and all dogs are worthy of this level of care if they have cancer.

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Golden Retrievers, Using Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal Formulas to Help Prevent Cancer

When we love dogs, it’s heartbreaking to have them develop cancer. Among the dog breeds that we love deeply and have a high rate of cancer are the Golden Retrievers.

Goldens are ideal companions because of their temperament, intelligence, and beauty. They are great with kids and make good therapy and assistance dogs for the handicapped.

With such a remarkable breed, it’s devastating to see about 50% develop cancer. Knowing the rate is so high, I encourage families with Goldens to start early in the pet’s life to support a healthy immune system.
The white blood cells of the immune system are naturally equipped to sense and eliminate cancer cells. Among the steps we can take to support a healthy immune system are feeding well, using herbs, and providing herbal support when cancer develops.

Feeding to prevent cancer
The single most important thing we can do to support the immune system and help prevent cancer is to feed Goldens correctly. This does not mean kibble. Dogs cannot be healthy eating only packaged food. For suggestions on what and how to feed, check previous Caring for Pets blog entries because they’re full of tips on using deeply pigmented fruits & vegetables, Omega 3 Fatty acids from fish and flax to provide optimum nutrition.

Using herbs to prevent cancer
After feeding correctly to support health, we can use herbs to keep Goldens healthy. The herbal formulas that have been perfected for thousands of years—not just 10 or 20 years like many herbal formulations, but literally hundreds of hundreds of years, are the Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formulas. These formulas are ideal to help Goldens, and to help Goldens immune systems so cancer doesn’t develop.

What is cancer from a TCM point of view
If we look at cancer from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view, cancer occurs when material collects as sludge in the body. This sludge or “phlegm” starts out as a rather ephemeral substance and thickens over time. Without a change in lifestyle & diet, a physically visible mass will become evident. The mass can be small and multiple like multicentric lymphoma or it can be a large and singular like hemangiosarcoma.

Best herbal formula for each pet
To help prevent Golden Retrievers from developing large or small masses, I recommend using herbs that nourish blood & keep liver & spleen healthy. Because each Golden is different, an in-depth consultation is necessary so that we can choose the best formula for the individual dog.

Gui Pi Tang
For example, we might use Gui Pi Tang to nourish blood and “tonify” the body. Gui Pi Tang in a Golden that is anxious or obsessive. The Golden that benefits from Gui Pi Tang may have frequent dreams and be tired during the day because it doesn’t get restful sleep. The blood may be anaemic with a low hematocrit. The blood may lack clotting factors (thrombocytopenia) so that they bruise easily. The stools may be soft and their appetites lackluster. Using Gui Pi Tang helps restore harmony to the body and will help bring about changes that keep immune system flourishing and able to do its job.

One of the companies that makes Gui Pi Tang in Canada is Natural Path. Natural Path has given this TCM formula an easier name, Restore the Spleen.

Bu Gan Tang
For a Golden with different predisposing problems, for example, a Golden that is noise sensitive and timid, has fear aggression or thunder phobia, and tight muscles or muscle spasms, Bu Gan Tang is a good formula. This TCM formula also helps nourish itchy or greasy skin, supports the liver and lowers elevated blood enzymes, such as ALP and ALT. Bu Gan Tang (called Nourish the Liver Decoction by Natural Path) is especially helpful for Goldens that have seizures.

Correct herbal formula brings balance
By choosing the correct herbal formula to help each dog come into balance and have optimum health, we support the dog’s immune system. When each pet has the formula that addresses its health challenges, the pet is less likely to become one of those developing cancer.

Herbs to treat cancer
What do we do if cancer has already developed? The two formulas discussed here can be used before cancer occurs, but for some pets it will also be the formula best for them after cancer is diagnosed. In addition, there are several formulas that are more specific for cancer and I’ll discuss them in an upcoming Caring for Pets blog.

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Golden Retrievers & Cancer

Golden Retrievers are one of the breeds most likely to die of cancer. Research shows about 50 % of Goldens develop some form of cancer. So, what can we do to protect our Goldens? Let’s discuss using nutrition, herbs, happiness & vaccines in a way that will help limit development of cancer in the next few Caring for Pet entries.

Nutrition
To help prevent cancer, feed optimally. And what does that mean? It means feeding food that still has enough healing energy that you can tell what it is. Kibble cannot bring health

Feed deeply pigmented veggies: carrots, green beans, broccoli, bok choy, pumpkin, & kale. Steam and puree vegetables as  Gloldens don’t have as long a large intestine as we humans do and they aren't able to absorb vegetable nutrients very well when served raw. Sure offer some raw veggies, but that’s for the teeth. Give the majority of vegetables pre-digested by your blender. Veggies can make up about 1/3 of total diet. Start slowly and gradually increase what you're offering. You'll eat better too. And, much as we push deeply pigmented veggies, cauliflower is ok, too.

Feed deeply pigmented fruits: blueberries, blackberries, watermelon & cantaloupe. Go slowly. Some Goldens are allergic to food, and if so, they’re more likely to react to strawberries than to watermelon, so try watermelon first.

Feed Omega 3 fatty acids from fish: sardines in water, salmon skin, and oily fish. Tuna has had oil processed out of it and that’s why canned tuna is more “dry” than canned salmon. Give Nordic Natural’s cod liver oil or Omega 3 Pet. You can purchase it on line Nordic Naturals or from your holistic veterinarian.

Feed Omega 3 fatty acids from flax: Nothing beats Missing Link. Missing Link Vet is a great product for dogs because it provides lignin in the flax, which helps decrease cancer. Flax oil is ok, but it doesn’t have a high concentration of lignin. There are some new products on the market that are lignin enriched, but they’re expensive and don’t have years of research behind them yet. For safety's sake, stick with a product with a good track record, Missing Link. You can purchase it on line Missing Link or from your holistic veterinarian.

In our next entry, we’ll cover Goldens, cancer, and how herbs can help.

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What diseases kill dogs?

Having looked at 20 years (1984-2004) of data that included almost 75,000 dogs, researchers find that different breeds of dogs have inherited genetic tendencies to die of different diseases. The most commonly inherited tendency is the genetic predisposition to develop cancer. Other fatal diseases that dogs inherit affect the
• heart
• stomach & intestines (GI tract problems such as bloat)
• brain & spinal column (neurologic disease)
• bones & muscles (musculoskeletal disease)
• lungs (respiratory disease
Knowing what disease characteristics your dog inherited is helpful because your holistic veterinarian can recommend steps to take to decrease the likelihood it will occur or steps that delay the age at which it will occur. For example, if a client with a border collie comes for a holistic visit, we’ll discuss diet & supplements to support healthy brain as the incidence of seizures is increasing in border collies.

When you read the list below and realize so many illnesses are inherited do not feel your pet is doomed to develop them. Instead, work with your holistic vet to prevent them.

Cancer affects nearly 50% of Golden Retrievers, Boxers and Bouvier de Flanders.

Heart disease affects about 20% of Chihuahuas and Fox terriers . Other breeds commonly dying of heart disease include Newfoundlands, Maltese, & Doberman Pinschers.

GI diseases such as bloat (GDV or gastro-dilatation volvulus) are the most common cause of death in Great Danes, Akitas, Gordon Setters, Shar peis and Weimaraners.

Neurologic disease is the most common cause of death in Doxys, Pugs, Min Pins and Boston Terriers.

Musculoskeletal disease kills Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes & Greyhounds.

Respiratory disease kills Bulldogs, Borzoi, Yorkies, and Afghan hounds.

While the above mentioned diseases develop with age, some dogs are born with diseases (congenital) that lead to their death. Breeds with a high incidence of congenital disease inclues Newfies, Bulldogs, Yorkies, Akita and Maltese.

The saddest fact is that all our pets will die, but knowing what might affect our pets we can do our best to protect them.

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Swimming Cats & Swimming Dogs Together

Wonder of Wonders, we're swimming cats and dogs together at Waterworkz. Here, Tanya and Jolena are swimming the calico cat, Carmen, and the standard poodle, Beau.

Carmen & Beau are housemates and both enjoy holistic veterinary care. Both have arthritis and receive Adequan injections and acupuncture, but warm water swimming has made a real difference in their joie de vivre.

After swimming, pets are especially receptive of acupuncture as they are deeply relaxed. We have more profound effects when pets are relaxed so swimming and acupuncture together are a great combination.

If your cat or dog are candidates for warm water swimming, come visit us at Waterworkz.

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