By Ann Brightman, Animal Wellness Magazine 

As carnivores and predators, cats are natural hunters. Unlike his wild counterparts, our kitty doesn’t need to kill other critters in order to survive, but that hunting instinct is still a strong part of his makeup. How do you satisfy that instinct without letting your cat go outside to kill wildlife? Luckily, there are lots of ways to cater to your kitty’s inner hunter without harming songbirds, butterflies and other wild species that are important to our eco-systems.

1. If your cat doesn’t like staying indoors all the time, there are ways to get him outside while keeping local wildlife safe. An outdoor cat enclosure with a fine mesh covering will give him some fresh air and opportunities to watch birds and butterflies without catching and hurting them.
2. Another alternative is to train him to a harness and leash (this is most successful with a kitten or young cat) and take him for “walks”. Be sure to supervise him at all times when he’s outdoors. Never tether a cat to a tree or post and leave him in the yard alone – he could hang himself from his leash, or be at the mercy of a neighborhood dog or other larger carnivore.
3. Situate a bird feeder within easy viewing distance of one of your cat’s favorite windows. This will give him the chance to at least partly satisfy his desire to hunt by watching the birds from indoors (while making that signature “chattering” sound that cats make when they’re stalking!).
4. Some cats enjoy watching birds, fish, and other small animals on the TV or computer screen. You can get DVDs, or download apps for your tablet or other mobile deice, and let your cat stalk and “chase” the images.
5. Interactive play that allows your cat to chase and catch toys is also important. They key word here is “interactive.” Cats like things that move and soon get bored with objects that just lie there. Feather toys are a particular favorite, as you can use them to mimic bird behavior. The traditional catnip mouse is another good standby – tie it to a string or ribbon and pull it around the house so your cat can chase it. Add challenge and variety to interactive play by going around corners and up and down stairs, or by having the toy “hide” in a box or under a chair. Be sure to let your cat actually catch the toy from time to time, to give him the satisfaction of a “kill.” Buy quality products, and keep in mind that soft toy surfaces give the cat a chance to sink his claws and teeth into his “prey.”
6. When you can’t be around, leave out toys that will encourage self-play. A puzzle toy or interactive feeder with some healthy treats inside will prompt your cat to “hunt” for something to eat.
7. Give your cat access to high places in the house (or his outdoor enclosure). Being up high not only gives him a sense of security, but also helps to satisfy his inner hunter by giving him a wide “birds-eye” view of his environment.
8. Cats love knocking things off tables and shelves, not just because they’re trying to get your attention, but also because the objects move rapidly as they fall to the floor. If the object bounces or rolls after it hits the floor, that’s even better; you’ll notice that many cats will jump down after knocking something over to investigate its movement. Again, this activity goes some way to satisfying feline hunting instincts. Rather than discouraging this behavior, keep valuable or breakable items out of reach, and put some of his toys on a shelf or table, so that he can knock those down instead. 

A happy cat is one who has the scope to satisfy some of his natural instincts, and hunting is one of the big ones. Taking steps to appease your kitty’s inner hunter, without harming local wildlife, is easier than you think!

 

A new year means a new resolution for many of us. As you’re thinking of ways to better yourself, you should also consider the life and wellbeing of your pet. Would you feed a different food? Would you give your dog more exercised attention? Here are the top five steps to improve your dog’s health in one year, from Dogs Naturally Magazine:

1. Feed a Raw Diet

One of the best ways to immediately improve your dog’s health is to toss that bag of kibble in the trash and begin feeding a fresh, raw diet. There’s nothing magical about what’s in the raw diet, but more importantly is what’s not in it.

Kibble needs to contain at least 30% starchy carbohydrates to hold together. Some kibbles contain as much as 60% starch, and kibble manufacturers aren’t required to say how much is in the food. Starch is a problem for a few important reasons:

1. Mycotoxins – Starch is a breeding ground for molds, which produce a by-product called mycotoxin. Mycotoxin can contaminate crops before they’re harvested or after your dog’s food is made. Mycotoxins are extremely harmful to your dog and one mycotoxin in particular, aflatoxin, is the most potent carcinogen (cancer-causing compound) found in nature. A 2015 study in Animal Feed Science & Technology found that nearly all pet foods were contaminated with mycotoxins.
2. Antinutrients – Antinutrients are naturally occurring or man-made substances in food that can interfere with the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and with digestive enzymes. The most common sources of antinutrients include grains, beans, legumes, and nuts.
3. Glycemic Load – The glycemic load of foods is an indication of how quickly it raises the blood sugar. A small, steady amount of carbs or starch in the diet is fairly harmless, but when large amounts are added, this can cause obesity and insulin resistance. Over time, your dog will become less sensitive to insulin and his pancreas will have to work harder to produce more insulin and can become exhausted, which can lead to pancreatitis and diabetes. Insulin resistance can also increase the risk of thyroid disease, obesity, and some types of cancer.

2. Replace Dewormers With Herbs

For most dog owners, tapeworms, whipworms or other parasites can mean a trip to the vet. Conventional chemical dewormers contain really harmful ingredients that can have dangerous side effects. Here are some of the most common:

• Fenbendazole – can cause vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, diarrhea, inflammation, even death
• Pyrantel – can cause vomiting, weight loss, depression, even death
• Prazinquantel – can cause lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, even death

Many of the most widely prescribed dewormers contain these ingredients in combination with other drugs, often making them even more risky. As a part of your plan to improve your dog’s health, you can skip these and replace them with herbs and other natural dewormers. Hopefully you’ll find a good holistic vet to help you out, but you can try these on your own to get started:

• Diatomaceous Earth (DE) – Food grade DE can reduce the number of worms in your dog. Feed small dogs a teaspoon per day and dogs over 55 pounds up to a tablespoon per day. Make sure it’s well mixed in his food, as inhaling DE can irritate your dog’s lungs. You can pick up DE at your nearest Brookside Barkery.
• Oregon Grape – Oregon grape is an anti-parasitic, so it’s a perfect natural dewormer. Give it as a tincture, using 12 drops per 20 pounds. It’s also an effective antibiotic and liver tonic. Note: Don’t give this herb to dogs with liver disease or to pregnant dogs.
• Chamomile – Chamomile is great for preventing and getting rid of roundworms and whipworms. In glycerin tincture form, give 0.25 ml to .50 ml per 20 lbs of body weight twice daily, placed in your dog’s mouth or added to water.

Along with herbs, there are many foods you can give to prevent and get rid of worms. Remember that a healthy gut is unattractive to worms, so a raw food diet is a really good start in preventing them. Fermented veggies, pimpkin seeds, pineapple, papaya, grated carrots, watercress, fennel, and cucumber are all great ways to help your dog fight worms.

3. Replace Fish Oils with Healthier Oils

Although fish oils are loaded with healthy fats, fat is where fish and other animals store toxins… and oceans are becoming more and more polluted by the minute. Heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury can end up in fish oil, along with toxic compounds like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins and furans. These can cause nervous system disorders, cancers, liver and kidney damage, and skin problems.

Instead of fish oil, try hemp oil. It’s a good Omega-3 oil if you feed your dog a diet made primarily of meat from ruminants (like beef, goat, lamb, bison, venison). To add help oil to your dog’s diet, give 1 tsp of hemp oil for every 1-1.25 lbs of food.

If you’re feeding poultry, hemp oil can lead to too much polyunsaturated fat in the diet, so you should choose something different. Options include flaxseed oil or chia seed oil plus canned sardines (in water or olive oil). Add 1 tsp of oil along with 1/4 can of sardines for every 1-1.25 pounds of lean chicken, turkey, or duck you feed.

Phytoplankton is also an excellent source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, along with important trace minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Phytoplankton is absorbed by the body as soon as it gets in your dog’s mouth, so it delivers key nutrients without your dog having to digest first.

Coconut oil is another healthy oil to add to your dog’s diet. It’s not an omega-3, but a medium chain fatty acid and has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It’s a good idea to rotate into your dog’s diet to help with skin issues, allergies, and immune support. We recommend giving up to 1 tsp per 10 pounds of body weight.

4. Feed the Gut (Not the Dog)

Bacteria that live in your dog’s gut form 80% of his immune system. These friendly bacteria also produce your dog’s vitamins, help him digest food and more. But these friendly little bugs can easily be damaged by starchy carbohydrates, which feed the harmful bacteria in the gut and crowd out the friendly bacteria colonies. Here’s how you can replace the friendly bacteria in your dog’s gut:

• Feed Probiotics
  You can boost the number of good bacteria in your dog’s gut by adding a probiotic supplement, or adding probiotic foods such as fermented vegetables, raw goat milk, or kefir. Probiotics assist in digestive help by keeping the gut healthy and full of good bacteria.

Remember, when you introduce probiotics to your dog’s diet, it’s best to do it slowly. If your dog is new to probiotics, they can cause a die-off of the harmful bacteria, which could cause gas, loose stools, and stomach rumblings. Go slow if your dog has a history of digestive upset.

5. Avoid All Unnecessary Vaccines

Here’s an important tip. Most vaccines your dog gets are unnecessary!

Over-vaccination costs you more than just money, it can seriously harm your dog. Vaccine reactions are more common than you think, and they’re well documented. Vaccine damage can range from minor reactions (lethargy, hair loss) to moderate (chronic allergies, lameness, respiratory diseases), to severe (seizures, myocarditis, death).

And there’s actually no need to put your dog’s health at risk…

Research shows that core vaccines (parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus) your dog gets as a puppy protect him for at least 7 to 1 years. That means he’s covered for most, or probably all of his life after his puppy vaccination. It also means that anything more than those first puppy shots is overkill, which means your dog is getting all of the risk and none of the benefit.

Even though your vet wants you to vaccinate your dog every year or every three years, there’s no research showing this is necessary. Nearly every dog who’s vaccinated at or after 16 weeks of age has been shown to be protected for life.

If you’re worried about skipping your dog’s vaccines this year, you can check to see if he’s protected before vaccinating. Ask your vet for a titer test, which is a blood test that measures the level of protective antibodies your dog has to certain diseases.

Getting a titer test is one of the most important things you can do to stop over-vaccination for your dog. Learn more about titer tests on Dogs Naturally.

Note: Some conventional veterinarians may charge much more than a vaccine cost for a titer test. Stop in the Barkery for information about affordable titer testing before paying hundreds of dollars for this simple blood test!

AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) vaccine guidelines have been updated to say a positive titer can replace vaccination for the core vaccines, so if your vet presses you to vaccinate, you can refer to these guidelines. Don’t just give in and vaccinate, your dog’s life might rely on that decision!

Start the year off right with these five simple changes. We can virtually guarantee they will seriously improve your dog’s health and reduce risk of disease!