Dr. Doug Knueven Weekend Part 3: Animal Chiropratic, Massage, Accupressure & Vaccinations April 5, 2009
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: animal accupressure, animal chiropratic, animal massage, dog accupressure, dog massage, dog vaccinations, dog vaccines, Dr. Doug Knueven, holistic dog care, holistic vet, holistic Veterinarian, pet accupressure, pet massage, pet vaccinations, pet vaccines, titer test
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Dr. Doug demonstrating accupressure points on Holly
My favorite part of Dr. Doug Knueven’s pet holistic care weekend was the accupressure demo. Since I’m a patient of Dr. Doug’s and our Aunt Jennifer helped put the whole weekend together, I was invited to be a demo dog. Dr. Doug started off with a talk on animal chiropractic. He suggested looking for a vet that has the AVCA certification. Dr. Doug believes in having chiropractic treatments even when your pet is well as a preventative to keeping good health. He told us that you should see an improvement in your ailment within 3 treatments or chiropractic may not really help. Dr. Doug uses x-rays as part of his treatment to tell him where not to adjust.
Dr. Knueven then moved on to pet massage. Massage has many benefits including relieving muscle spasms and pain, enhancing range of motion, reducing stress, helping with disease detection, stimulating circulation, and strengthening your bond with your pet. All good stuff! He told us to always stroke toward the heart. Do not massage an open wound, skin infections, insect bites, over a fracture, or if the pet has a fever or cancer.
The second day we spent on animal acupressure. Dr. Doug used me and several other dogs to demonstrate how to find acupressure points. Sometimes because of all my fur, it was a bit hard to find some of the points on me. It felt great.
Dr. Doug Knueven demonstrating accupressure
Dr. Doug wrapped up his pet holistic care weekend with some very interesting and alarming comments on animal vaccines. He told us that animals are having more immune system problems, cancer, chronic infections, and allergies. Many in the vet health care industry believe that over vaccination of pets is one cause of many of these problems. Dr. Doug stated specifically that vaccine doses are the same for a 5 lbs dog as a 150 lbs dog. Common sense would tell you this doesn’t make sense. Another problem is the number of antigens in the vaccine being given at one time. He recommended that you give rabies shots several weeks before or after any other vaccinations. He also told us that vaccines are only tested for duration of immunity for one year by vaccine producers. I’m sure it’s a great money maker for them if vaccines are given every year, but they really are not necessary that frequently. Dr. Doug recommended having titer tests to check for the body’s immunity levels. A titer test is a simple blood test that your vet can give your pet to help tell you if another round of vaccinations is really necessary or if your pet’s body has the immunity levels it needs to fight off a disease. Rabies vaccines still have to be given every 3 years by law. There is a titer for rabies but unfortunately our government won’t recognize it. Maybe the Obama’s new puppy can talk to someone about that. Dr. Doug also told us to only vaccinate a healthy pet. If your pet is sick or had an injury of some type, this is not the time to vaccinate, even if its convenient since you are at the vet. I had that problem myself when I had to have stitches for an injury. Kim didn’t know at that point to tell the vet I was seeing that we would come back after my injury healed. Instead they gave me vaccines that day.
Well, that wraps up my series on holistic pet care and Dr. Doug Knueven. If you are interested in more information, be sure and get a copy of Dr. Doug’s book, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog (Terra-Nova Series)
Dr. Doug Knueven Weekend Part 2: Herbal Medicine & Homeopathy for Pets March 29, 2009
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: animal homeopathy, dog homeopathy, herbal medicine for dogs, herbal medicine for pets, herbs for pets, homeopathy for dogs, homeopathy for pets, pet homeopathy
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Dr. Doug Knueven & Holly The Newf
Dr. Doug Knueven’s talk on herbal medicine was quite interesting. Zoopharmacognosy is the study of how animals use herbs medicinally. The idea is that if an animal has a specific problem, the animal would chew on a specific plant to cure the problem instinctively. Herbal medicine has been used all over the world for thousands of years. Dr. Doug explained how to use Clark’s Rule to figure out the dosage for a pet. Take the weight of your pet divided by 150 (average weight of an adult human – 150 lbs.) and this equals the fraction of a human dose to use in herbal medicine. Certain herbs can be potentially toxic. Pennyroyal, tea tree oil, white willow bark, ma huang, comfrey, dandelion, parsley, motherwart, hawthorn, goldenscal, barberry, echinacca, reishi, maitake, and astragalus can all have varying degrees of toxicity in pets. Dr. Doug warned us to be careful if you have your dog on an herb that would promote bleeding before the dog has surgery. Then Dr. Doug went through a list of his favorite herbs for dealing with different kinds of problems. St. John’s Wort has a calming effect that can be used for separation anxiety or any kind of nerve injury. Chamomile can be used for excessive barking since it has a calming effect. You can use chamomile tea as an ear flush. If your animal has a hot spot, cook oatmeal in chamomile tea, put it on the animal’s hot spot for 10 to 15 minutes and then let the animal eat it. Chamomile can cause a skin irritation if your pet has a ragweed allergy. Licorice can be used as an anti-inflammatory for gi tract and respiratory. It can help with cough, dermatitis, ulcers, IBD, cancer, infections, and arthritis. Watch using Licorice in animals with liver, kidney or heart problems since long term use can cause sodium retention. Milk Thistle can be used as an antioxidant in protecting and restoring the liver. Oregon Grape is an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and digestive aid that is good for infections and sluggish digestion. Use Oregon Grape with caution in a pet with liver disease.
Then Dr. Doug moved into Kim’s favorite subject, homeopathy for pets. Homeopathy is based on the principle that “like cures like.” Symptoms of disease are the body’s natural defense mechanism (such as nasal discharge or a cough) and are not meant to be controlled, managed or eliminated since this suppresses the disease as opposed to allowing the body to cure itself. In homeopathy, the whole patient is treated as opposed to allopathic medicine where symptoms are treated. Dr. Doug recommended Arnica for trauma, crushing injuries, bruising, and after surgery. In our own home, we had great success with Arnica when my kitten, Mr. Kitten Britches, had to be spayed. Kim asked her local vet to put two pellets of Arnica 30C on Mr. K’s tongue immediately after surgery and every four hours after surgery until we picked him up. In a few hours after the surgery, Mr. K’s swelling was completely gone and his appetite and energy level had returned. In fact, Kim’s husband Jim had to have knee surgery several weeks later. Kim used Arnica 200C alternated with Hypernicum 200C every two hours after Jim’s surgery for 2 days. He didn’t have to take any of the nasty pain killers the hospital sent him home with. Dr. Doug also suggested Apis for insect bites and stings, Ledum for puncture wounds, Nux Vomica for hairballs, Aconitum for sudden fright and panic, Lachesis for jealousy, Caulophyllum for labor difficulties, and Thuja for symptoms resulting from vaccination. Dr. Doug recommended the best way to give a homeopathic treatment to a pet is to use the 30C potency in pellet form, give 2 to 10 pellets(the number is not important), dump them onto a folded piece of paper and then into the mouth, and don’t touch them with your hands.
In the next installment of my Dr. Doug Knueven Holistic Pet Care Seminar blog series, I’ll be talking about the benefits of animal chiropractic and pet massage.
Dr. Doug Knueven Weekend Part 1: Nutrition & Supplements March 23, 2009
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: commercial pet food, dog food, dog nutrition, Dr. Doug Knueven, nutritional supplements for dogs, nutritional supplements for pets, pet nutrition, pet supplements, raw dog food, raw feed, raw food diet for dogs, vitamin supplements for dogs
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Dr. Doug Knueven shows accupressure points on Holly The Newf
I had the most marvelous time this weekend with my family at Dr. Doug Knueven’s Pet Holistic Health Care Seminar in Mebane, NC. Kim’s sister, Jenn, of Blue Dog K-9, helped arrange the seminar at the APS of Orange County. We learned so much, I can’t cover it all in one blog. So I decided to put together a series of blogs about our very informative weekend. Dr. Doug spent day one talking about homeopathy, accupuncture and accupressure, raw diets and natural nutrition, massage, herbal medicine, chiropractic, vaccinations, and other forms of holistic pet health care. Dr. Doug has been very successful at integrating Western medicine with Eastern practices and philosophies.
He started the day by going through information on the inadequacy of nutrition training in veterinary schools today and the inferior quality of continuing education on nutrition. He told us these programs and the resources they use are paid for by the big commercial pet food companies. Gee…do you think there is any biases in what they are teaching in nutrition class? He told us that many commercial pet foods are high in carbohydrates with can contribute to obesity and cancer. Many of the commercial pet foods are filled with ingredients that are inferior (dead, decaying or diseased meat sources when processed) and not of human grade for consumption, filled with artificial flavoring and coloring (what dog needs to eat red pieces of kibble that looks like meat?), and processed to the point of having the potency of the nutrients destroyed.
Jenn has told us many times of all the dogs she sees in her practice that have terrible behavior problems, of which many are due to poor diets where commercial pet food with corn is used. I myself used to eat a dog food with corn in it. (Before my humans knew better!) I was very nervous, had skin problems and hot spots, and left very large piles around the yard. Dr. Doug suggests a natural diet, like I eat now, that consists of raw meat, bones, shredded vegetables, and organ meat. My hot spots and skin problems have disappeared and I don’t litter up the yard as much.
Dr. Doug reminded us that in a natural diet, 2-14% would be grains vs. most commercial dog kibble which is 50-90% grain. He also talked about how feeding a commercial kibble for the life of your dog and not adding variety to your dog’s diet can be a factor in your dog developing food allergies. Dr. Doug spoke about the fact that dogs evolved eating raw meat, bones, organs, and shredded veggies from the stomach of their kill. Commercial diets have only been popular in the past 50 years or so. You will not mimic the natural percentages of diet with commercial kibble.
Dr. Doug then recommended his five essential supplements that he feels every dog should have: a natural multi-vitamin, fish oil, digestive enzymes, and glucosamine/chondroitin. He also recommends a probiotic for 2 to 3 weeks at the change of the seasons or if the dog has had diaherria or been on any antibiotics. Dr. Doug prefers natural sources vs synthetic in the supplements he uses. When we were informed of all the really bad things that can be in commercial pet food such as aflatoxin (a toxin created by mold that grows on grain), Pentobartbital (a drug used to uthenize dogs), melamine, or even bone meal from other dogs and cats (yikes!)…it just makes good sense to do your home work about what your pet is eating.
There are good commercial dog foods available if you are not in a position to feed a totally natural diet. The Whole Dog Journal rates the 10 best every year. I use Flint River Ranch when I’m traveling. I know that Solid Gold and Wellness are high on the list. Dr. Doug told us that even if you can’t do a totally natural diet, any step that you can make to improve your dog’s diet or add natural components to it is better than 100% commerical kibble.
In the next installment of my Dr. Doug Knueven Weekend blog report, I’ll be talking about herbal medicine and homeopathy.
Diarrhea..Not so pretty in a Big Dog! February 22, 2009
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: animal homeopathy, diarrhea, diarrhea in dogs, dog homeopathy, gelsemium sempervirens, homeopathic remedy for diarrhea, natural pet care, pet homeopathy
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Homeopathic Remedies for Dogs by Geoffrey Llewellyn
Diarrhea is not a word that anyone likes to associate with their dog, particularly a big dog. Last week we had a very bad wind storm where I live. In fact, I’ve never heard the wind so loud. It really made me nervous and I spent most of the night panting on the bathroom floor. The next morning I woke up with diarrhea. Yuck! Kim had a feeling I was upset from the wind the night before (she’s so smart). Since I had not had a change in what I was eating that day, she decided a homeopathic treatment was in order. Kim uses homeopathy on our whole family..humans, dog, cat..even the guinea pigs. She got out one of her favorite books for dogs, Homeopathic Remedies for Dogs (Gb-046)
, which is to be used when diarrhea is associated with fear or excitement. She gave me a human dose of 30c. She also fed me about a cup of plain white rice at my next meal. She repeated the dose of Gelsemium the next day. Diarrhea gone! There are many homeopathic remedies for diarrhea, depending on what symptoms your dog is exhibiting. Diarrhea can be very serious and if it continues, a trip to the vet may be necessary. For health matters that are not life threatening, Kim usually likes to try homeopathy first. Another great book for homeopathy with dogs is Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
Raw Food Diet for Dogs January 12, 2009
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: Anitra Frazier, barf diet, Dr. Doug Knueven, dr. pitcairn, kymythe schultze, raw dog food, raw feed, raw food diet for dogs
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Raw food diet for dogs
Kim finally got her act together and started to feed me a raw diet. Her sister Jenn has been raw feeding her three dogs for two years. Jenn has told Kim of all the health benefits associated with raw feeding. Kim went to a local butcher and bought all his leftover chicken necks and chicken frames. The frame is the left over part of the chicken that people don’t eat. Dogs, however, love the chicken frames. Kim bought 120 lbs. of meat. I was so excited, I licked one of the boxes when she brought it home. She even bought me a few pigs feet as a treat. Jenn says her dogs love pigs feet. Jenn suggested several books for Kim to read on the subject of raw feeding your pet. She suggested Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats
by Kymythy Schultze, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog (Terra-Nova Series)
by Dr. Doug Knueven DVM. There are also books written for cats. Kim’s favorite is The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners
A Visit to Dr. Doug Knueven, DVM December 31, 2008
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: APDT, APS of Orange County, Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Beaver Animal Clinic, Blue Dog Creature Coaching, Dr. Doug Knueven, holistic animal care, holistic dog care, holistic vet, holistic Veterinarian, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog
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Dr. Doug Knueven, DVM
Today Big Sandy and I went to our holistic vet appointments at the Beaver Animal Clinic in Beaver, PA, with Dr. Doug Knueven. Kim’s sister Jenn of Blue Dog Creature Coaching saw Dr. Doug speak at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Convention in October. Jenn was very impressed with Dr. Doug and his holistic philosophies in pet health care. In the past few months I have had a problem with hot spots. They hurt and make me miserable. Jenn has suggested that the dog food I was eating could have a lot to do with it and she suggested that we all go see Dr. Doug together. Jenn’s dog Big Sandy only has three legs and is starting to get old. Jenn took Big Sandy for Dr. Doug’s suggestions for keeping her comfortable and vibrant in her older years. Dr. Doug spent three hours with us. He started our appointment with a general exam. Then he reviewed our complete medical records. Years worth! In my case, Dr. Doug suggested that Kim switch me to a raw diet. Dr. Doug believes very strongly in raw feeding. YEAH!!! I am so thrilled. I finally get to eat all that yummy stuff Kim has been feeding Mr. Kitten Britches. Dr. Doug also suggested several supplements be added to my diet, including fish oil, Standard Process Catalyn, Dr. Pitcairn’s Healthy Powder, and glucosomine and chryodroiton. He also told Kim to give me a probiotic for two to three weeks now and for two to three weeks when the seasons change. He also prescribed a Chinese Herb – Shou Wu. Dr. Doug is also a strong advocate of not over vaccinating animals. He told Kim that rabies shots should only be done every 3 years and that I have had enough Distemper and Parvo vaccinations. He told Kim my right ear was infected and she should flush it with green tea. Dr. Doug will also work with my local vet so I can keep my trips to Beaver at a minimum. Jenn has scheduled Dr. Doug to give a Holistic Care workshop on March 21 and 22 at the APS of Orange County in the Chapel Hill, NC area. Kim and I are going and I get to be one of the demo dogs. If you would like to read more about Dr. Doug, I would highly suggest his book The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog (Terra-Nova Series)
A Holistic Vet for Holly The Newf December 30, 2008
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: animal homeopathy, Beaver Animal Clinic, dog acupuncture, dog homeopathy, Dr. Doug Knueven, holistic animal care, holistic dog care, holistic vet, holistic Veterinarian, Natural Dog Health Care
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The Holistic Health Guide by Dr. Doug Knueven, DVM
Tomorrow Kim and I are going to see Dr. Doug Knueven at the Beaver Animal Clinic in Beaver, PA. Dr. Knueven is a holistic vet that has written a book called, The Holistic Health Guide: Natural Care for the Whole Dog
. He practices homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractic, and regular vet services. Dr. Knueven is a big supporter of feeding raw diets. Maybe he can finally convince Kim to raw feed me like she does Mr. Kitten Britches. I certainly do like the taste of his food. (I steal it when no one is looking.) Kim’s sister Jenn came all the way from Chapel Hill, NC, with her dog, Big Sandy, to see Dr. Knueven. Big Sandy only has three legs and is suffering from a spine disorder that is common in older dogs. Jenn is hoping Dr. Knueven came help Big Sandy with pain management to make her more comfortable. Time for bed…we have to get up at 4:30 AM to be at Dr. Knueven’s on time. Yawn!
Flea Bath Day December 16, 2008
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: Booster Bath, Bug Off Garlic, cat fleas, dog fleas, flea, flea and tick control, flea bath, flea control, flea infestation, flea repellent, fleas, holistic flea control, natural flea repellent, rosemary for flea control, Rosemary for fleas
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Holly The Newf in her Booster Bath
Today was flea bath day for both Mr. Kitten Britches and I. Kim put me in my Paws for Thought Booster Bath ()
to give me a bath to get rid of any fleas that may be hanging around. This is a great way to give dogs a bath and Kim and I highly recommend it. It was really cold out, so Jim helped us out. When we were all done, Kim and Jim soaked me down in a Rosemary rinse that will help keep the fleas off. Kim added 1 tsp of dried rosemary or 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary to a pint of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. After it cooled, she poured 14 pints of Rosemary rinse over me and let me shake it off. It made me smell wonderful. She did the same to Mr.Kitten Britches (1 pint covered him). I think he was less fond of getting wet than I was. My boy took me for a walk after my bath.
Holly The Newf with icicles
By the time we got back, I had icicles hanging from me. Kim washed all our bedding again, mopped the wood floors, and vacuumed all the carpet and furniture while I dried off in my pen. Kim got a super duper dryer to help in the long drying process for Newfoundlands. Today went pretty quick. It was very dry out. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of the fleas. I’m continuing to take my Bug Off Garlic and so is Mr. Kitten Britches. I’ll keep you posted.
Fleas! Oh No! December 15, 2008
Posted by hollythenewfcom in Natural Dog Health Care.Tags: animal flea control, cat fleas, dog fleas, flea, flea and tick control, flea control, flea infestation, flea repellent, fleas, holistic flea control, natural flea control, natural flea repellent
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flea
Mr. Kitten Britches has fleas! If he has fleas…I probably have them too! This is not a good thing for a large, black, very hairy dog. Not only do we have fleas, but it appears we may have passed them along to Jenn’s dog Royal when he was here playing over Thanksgiving. Now their whole family has fleas too. This is quite embarassing. I feel horrible about the whole thing. They could be all over my house! Fleas carry tapeworms. Yuck! Kim started doing research when she found fleas on Mr. Kitten Britches. She doesn’t want to use Frontline or any harsh chemical products because of all the negative health effects on not only animals but people too. I’ve been taking Springtime Bug-Off Garlic for over a year. I’ve never had a problem with fleas or ticks. Kim emailed the folks at Springtime and they said you could give Bug-Off Garlic to cats too. Kim started giving Mr. Kitten Britches garlic today. Kim really liked the information she found on WikiHow To Kill or Repel Fleas Naturally. She’s been using a Finishing Touch Flea Comb for Dogs () on Mr. Kitten Britches to find the fleas. She always has a glass of warm soapy water nearby when she combs him. Fleas will die in soapy water so she sticks the comb in the glass after each brush through his coat. It gets the live fleas off, but doesn’t do anything for the flea eggs. She is washing all our cat and dog bedding several times a week in the washing machine on the hot setting. That kills all the fleas and flea eggs. She just has to be careful not to shake any of the bedding out on the way to the washing machine. She also read that sprinkling Rosemary on our bedding helps repel fleas and it smells great. She is also using her Dyson Absolute DC17 Animal Upright Vacuum . Kim says it’s the absolute best vaccum she has ever used. Vaccums are an important part of flea control. Kim says that vaccuming daily will catch not only any fleas that may be in the carpet, but also flea eggs. Kim found out that regular table salt will kill flea eggs and fleas by drying them out. She sprinkled salt over all our carpet and furniture, let it sit overnight, then vaccumed it up. With the Dyson, she can empty the canister outside, so no fleas get deposited anywhere else in the house. I think Mr. Kitten Britches and I are scheduled for baths tomorrow. Check back to see how our natural flea fight is going.
