Make a Difference...

This past year was full of many challenging events, conflicts, and frustrations regarding the degeneration and degradation of our planet Earth, its resources, plants, and animals. It all can feel so over-whelming!

You can make a difference in your own little community, if not the whole world, by addressing the following issues which affect animal health and well being, and the environment.

Animal abuse
Although we Americans pride our selves as intelligent and compassionate human beings, some of “our species” abuse animals in many ways, including exploiting and killing animals for body parts (bears and snakes for gall bladders to make medicine), puppy mills, animal cruelty and dog fighting.

Lobby your politicians for stricter laws against animal abuse, and dog fighting!

See this story:
http://starbulletin.com/2007/12/19/news/story02.html

According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Hawaii has shed its ominous distinction of being the nation's "best state to be an animal abuser".   The Animal Legal Defense Fund, which in 2006 ranked Hawaii as the worst state for protecting animals, announced last week in a written statement that the Aloha State has since added teeth to its animal cruelty laws. Making cruelty to certain animals a felony and providing help for animal shelters, enabled Hawaii to leapfrog past the bottom five doghouse states -- Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Dakota and Utah.

Overpopulation problem
We have more cats and dogs than homes for them. 5-7 million pet animals are euthanized at humane societies every year. Please do your part to keep the population down with these recommendations:

• Do not Support Puppy mills by buying puppies from chain pet stores, and back yard breeders
• Do not buy or import animals from other countries
• Adopt a dog or cat from your local humane society, or from someone who cannot care for the pet properly and wants to find a great home
• Spay and Neuter your dogs and cats
• Don’t breed dogs as a “business”

Animal Neglect
In the “land of plenty”, we have plenty of neglected dogs, cats, and horses.  Whether it is due to lack of education, drug addiction, lack of money or time, animals suffer needlessly throughout the USA.
                  

• Work in your community by joining programs that teach children animal care and responsibility in the classrooms.
• Support your local county Humane Society with money and volunteer hours
• Lobby your politicians to create better laws against animal abuse, and allocate appropriate funds for education
• Support Private Animal Rescue Organizations with money and volunteer hours
• Enlist your veterinarians into speaking at your schools on how to care for pets

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Videos of the Year

1. Interviews with Wholistic Veterinarians at www.DrDoMore.com. Do you know the difference between your conventional veterinarian and a wholistically trained veterinarian?  What is Natural medicine?  If you want to know more about veterinarians who practice acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and energy medicine, this video is for you!

2. Do you believe that vaccines are safe? This video is for you! Merck drug company admits injecting cancer, AIDS/HIV/Virus into vaccines. This stunning censored interview conducted by medical historian Edward Shorter for WGBH public television (Boston) and Blackwell Science was cut from The Health Century due to its huge liability. Watch it here: http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message470057/pg1

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Questions from Cyberspace
This question came from someone who listens to my radio show Pets People & Paradise (listen online at www.kkcr.org every Saturday from 9-10 AM Hawaii Standard Time).

Q:”If dogs are descendents of wolves, why don’t we just feed them a 100% diet of meat?”

A: Dogs are not wolves and do not live in social circles such as the wolf, but have been instead, domesticated for over 10,000 years eating different foods based upon the climate and location, and the kind of people they lived with.

The modern dog is a descendent of the wolf, which crossed with the ancient Aureus dog in many different climates, conditions and parts of the world. The evolutionary transition from the wolf to the Chihuahua, is due to selective breeding and selective feeding. It’s hard to imagine a pack of Chihuahuas bringing down caribou in the wilds of Canada. In fact, the Chihuahua was a sacred dog to the Toltecs and Mayans that were fed “people food”: vegetables, corn, and a little meat.

Isn’t it common sense that a Chihuahua is going to eat a different diet than a German Shepherd or other “wolf-type” dog?

German Shepherds would need more meat or protein than a Chihuahua......or any dog in between. A rule of thumb for proteins, using morphology and historical evolution is:  the bigger and stronger the jaws and the teeth.......the more a dog would naturally need more meat and protein in their diets.

Did you know that the Mastiff’s ancient diet was raw meat…….human meat! Because they were frequently used in war, these dogs evolved into the large sizes we see today because they ate a 100% raw meat (BARF) diet. Of course with any “game” type animal, the intestines which contained digested vegetables and grains were also eaten by these dogs. In reality, there is no such a thing as an all meat diet in the wild.

Based upon the history of the breed or breeds that make up the kind of dog you may have, I can help you formulate a diet that works for your pet. The amount and the kind of protein you feed depend upon many other factors.

As your dog ages and becomes less active, it is better to reduce protein. A 20-30% protein range (by volume) would be ideal for an older dog 8 years and up. Aging dogs require better quality proteins with high biologic values (which do not stress the kidneys) such as: eggs, fermented dairy products, organ meats, fresh tuna, chicken breast and lamb, along with an assortment of cooked grains and vegetables.

The activity level of your dog, condition, age, breed, and the climate of where you live would be some of the factors to consider when formulating a diet for any animal.  

Feeding less meat protein will make dogs less aggressive.  Protein is needed to restore body cells, facilitate healing and help regenerate the biggest organs of the body, the muscles. IF the muscles are not utilized through exercise, they atrophy. Need for protein decreases.

Traditional Oriental Herbal Medicine treats food just as it does herbs: as medicine.  When weather is cold, damp, and windy, the diet needs to be adjusted to improve resistance to infections, improve digestion and metabolism, to cope with the adversity.

Warming foods are recommended to eat during times of cold, windy and wet winter weather. Some of these foods include:

• Lamb
• Chicken
• Shrimp
• Ginger, basil, cayenne
• Oats
• Parsnip, parsley, green beans

How can you learn more about dog diets?

I am almost finished working on my Book: Fresh Food & Ancient Wisdom: Preparing Healthy Balanced Diets For your Dogs. It will be available first through my website in about 3months.

How can you learn more about the evolution of the Dog? Read these great books:

• The Domestic dog: It’s Evolution, Behavior, and Interactions with People by James Serpell
• A History of Dogs in the Early Americas by Marion Schwartz
• Dogs: A Historical Journey. The Human/Dog Connection Through the Centuries by Lloyd M. Wendt
• Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

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Miss Kitty's Little Shrimp Balls

Ingredients:
½ cup ground lamb, beef, chicken or combination
½ tsp shrimp paste (see Asian food section of grocery)
¼ cup shelled and minced shrimp (washed in hot water)
½ tsp catnip
                             
Directions:
Mix shrimp paste with the catnip and then hand work it into the hamburger. Then add minced shrimp to the ground meat mix and form into little meat balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425F degrees for 10-20 minutes.

(Note: if you cat doesn’t eat these, your friends certainly will. They go well with beer)

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Fido’s Cheesy Meat Balls

 Ingredients:
1 cup ground lamb
½ cup ground beef
1 raw egg
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp brewer’s yeast
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
¼ cup bread crumbs

Directions:
Mix brewer’s yeast and parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs and set aside. Scramble the egg with the water and add to the bread crumb mixture and mix well. Mix and blend the raw ground meats together and add to the bread crumb mixture. Make into bite-size meatballs, place them on a cooking sheet, and heat them at 425F degrees for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let them cool in the oven.

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Hearty Party Leftovers (Doggie Recipe)
After a party, there is always food you can’t eat that gets thrown away. Recycle instead!

Ingredients (scrounged from a party):
1 cup raw salad greens
½ cup baked potato or cooked rice
1 cup leftover chicken or turkey meat (bones removed)
¼ cup avocado
¼ cup broccoli
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic

Directions:
Heat oil and garlic in a wok or frying pan on medium heat until garlic turns golden brown. Add broccoli and sauté until tender. Add remaining ingredients except avocado.  Cook gently until heated through.  Allow to cool, add avocado and serve.

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Pumpkin Pork Stew 

Ingredients:
4 cups pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 clove garlic
1 cup chopped pork liver (or chicken livers)
2 cups ground pork
½ tsp black pepper
1 small piece ginger root
1 tsp. Sea salt
8 cups water (add more if necessary)
½ cup pearl barley
½ cup brown rice
1 cup chicken stock or soup (without MSG please)

Directions:
Put all the above ingredients into a large pot, (a crock pot is perfect) mix well and set on low or slow cook). Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately one hour or so, adding more liquid if necessary. Stir occasionally.  (Use a heavy copper-bottomed pot if you have one)

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Christmas Turkey Jubilee  

Ingredients:
1 cup turkey meat scraps (leftovers)
2 eggs scrambled
1 baked sweet or white potato, diced
½ cup shrimp, washed and chopped (leave shells on)
½ cup chopped spinach or leafy greens
½ cup stewed tomatoes
1 tsp nori or kelp powder
1 clove garlic
4 tbsp turkey fat, or coconut or olive oil

Directions:
Heat the turkey fat or oil in a wok or large saucepan. Add chopped garlic and turkey meat and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes or so. Add diced potato, green, leafy vegetables, and stewed tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in scrambled eggs, kelp powder and shrimp, cover and simmer for 10 minutes more.

*You can serve this by itself or add to brown rice, pasta or a natural, high-quality brand of dog-food.

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“Incredible” Cinnamon, Pumpkin, & Blueberry Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
¼ tsp salt
½ cinnamon stick
¼ cup preserved pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling
¼ cup fresh or dried blueberries

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Stir in the oats, salt and cinnamon stick. Reduce heat slightly and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stir frequently until oatmeal thickens. (If you are using dried blueberries, add them now) Stir pumpkin into oatmeal and divide between 4 warm bowls – top each serving with fresh blueberries or toasted slivered almonds.
*Makes 4 servings.

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Holiday Kitchen Counter Spray and Bug Repellent   
Finally, to add a festive scent to your kitchen and/or bathroom while repelling pesky ants and cockroaches: 

Place all the ingredients into an empty, clean, 16 oz. spray bottle. 
Shake well and use often.
8 oz. rubbing alcohol
8 oz white vinegar
1 tsp each, of the following essential oils:
Cinnamon; Clove; Orange; Rosemary

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NEW YEAR’S EVE = FIREWORKS

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, many pet owners are fearful for their pet's sake. Fireworks can stress animals enough to cause fear, disorientation and precipitate illness. The noise from the fireworks stimulates a "fright-flight” reaction and panic causing many dogs and cats to run away from home, seeking a safe place to hide. Unfortunately, they may become lost, hit by automobiles, or become injured by other animals. Here are some tips that may help you get through this holiday without a lot of stress.

1.) Keep all your pets indoors / even if you have fenced-in yards.

2.) Find a room in the house that has few windows and can be made comfortable for your cat or dog. A bathroom works well….fill it with toys, snacks, a radio with music playing, water, litter box, bed, etc.

3.) Make sure all pets have name tags with your address and phone number, and if possible, micro-chipped….just in case they do get lost.

4.) Cats and dogs can be calmed by petting and talking softly to them, reassuring them.

5.) Supplements that can take the "edge" off of their stress can be given safely and include vitamins, herbs, and minerals:

a. Magnesium: is a calming agent with no side-effects. You can find it in a health food store. Dosage: 100mg -200mg three times daily for cats and small dogs. It may cause a laxative effect, so don't be surprised if soft stools occur.

b. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is also calming to the nervous system. Dosage: 1-5 mg for small cats or dogs / 5-10mg for medium sized dogs / 25-50 mg for large dogs.

c. Tryptophan / 5-HTP (although this essential amino acid is found in many foods we eat (turkey), some controversy occurred 10 years ago when it was mistakenly implicated in causing a few deaths in people. Later, it was found that a toxic contaminant was in the tryptophan product, and it was not the tryptophan that caused the problems but this toxin. In high amounts, this amino acid will make one sleepy and more relaxed. Dosage: 100-200mg for cats and small dogs twice daily / 250 -500mg for medium dogs twice daily / 500-750mg for large dogs twice daily.

d. Calms Forte Homeopathic remedy that can be bought over the counter in health food stores and pharmacies….works well for small animals such as birds, bunnies, and kittens. Dosage: 1 tablet per 2 oz of water for small birds such as parakeets and canaries / 2 -5 tablets per 2 oz of water for larger birds such as parrots, bunnies, and kittens.

e. Melatonin: a brain hormone that is also an antioxidant can be used with magnesium and Vitamin B1, can be given safely. Dosage: 0.5 -1mg for cats and small dogs twice daily/ 1 -3 mg for medium sized dogs / 3-5 mg for large dogs twice daily.

f. RESOURCES/GENESIS: " Anxiety & Stress Formula" (www.genesispets.com / 1-877-P-E-T-S-4-L-I-F) contains 16 essential minerals, vitamins and herbs to promote brain health and relaxation.
All supplements should be started a few days before New Year’s Eve. They take more time to reach blood levels and produce an effect than drugs.
You can ask your veterinarian for tranquilizers, but most will lower blood pressure and can cause serious problems in geriatric and young animals. I do not recommend using drugs for most pets because they need to be supervised by someone at home that understands how to feel the pulse and monitor heart and respirations. It would be better and safer to just board your cat or dog at the veterinarians' or a reputable kennel that is sound-proofed.

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