For Dogs Without Boundaries - Dogs Naturally Magazine

For Dogs Without Boundaries 

Volume 1 

Issue 1 

January 2010 

www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com

Volume 1 Number 1 January/February 2010 

Contents 

Dogs...Naturally! 

Editor in Chief: Erika Phillips 

erika@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

Editor: Dana Scott 

dana@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

Publisher: Intuition 

dana@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

Advertising Inquiries: 

advertising@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

NRBA Founder: Jeannie Thomason VND 

nrbreedersassociation@gmail.com 

_______________________________________________ 

Published by Intuition 

5065 10th Line RR2 

New Tecumseth, Ontario L0G 1A0 

_______________________________________________ 

Contents of this publication are copyrighted 

and may be reproduced only with 

the permission of the editor. The views of 

the writers and advertisers do not necessarily 

reflect those of the publisher. 

Contributions in the form of articles, 

artwork or money are always welcome. 

We do not pay money for artwork or 

articles: these are considered to be contributed 

gratis for publication. We reserve 

the right to edit articles, but it is our policy 

to make as few changes as possible in the 

material that is sent to us. In sending an 

article for publication, the author represents 

that he/she is the sole owner of the 

rights therein. Copyright and ownership 

of articles submitted remain with the 

author, except we would like to retain the 

first magazine publication rights for both 

print and electronic publication. 

The deadline for submission for the next 

issue of Dogs...Naturally is March 30th, 

2010. 

Columns 

3 Editorials 

5 Ten Minute Trainer 

6 Show & Tell 

30 Teacher Dogs 

32 Training & Behavior 

35 Reader Submission 

45 Spotlight Dogs 

47 Puppies...Naturally!! 

48 Dear Abby 

49 True to Form 

Features 

8 10 TIPS FOR CHANGING ANY PROBLEM BEHAVIOR 

by Chris Puls 

10 A QUICK GUIDE TO HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES 

by Erika Phillips 

14 DOGA 

by Brenda Bryan 

16 VACCINATIONS IN VETERINARY MEDICINE 

by Don Hamilton DVM 

22 BETA-HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS 


24 CANCER IN OUR PET POPULATION 

by Patricia Jordan DVM 

36 THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND DISEASE RESISTANCE 

On the Cover: 

CH Liska’s The Wandering Minstrel 

CDX 

“Bailey” 

Owned by Barb McKee 

Behaven Shelties 

by Jean Dodds DVM 

46 RENAL DISEASE IN CANINES 


50 THE HISTORY OF HOMEOPATHY 

By Erika Phillips 


January/February 2010 | 2

Editorials 

My dogs are my friends and they are my teachers. The warmth of their body when they lie beside 

me and the feeling of their heartbeat at my feet grounds me. It is an immense privilege to be invited 

into their pack, to love and in return to be loved with a profound and limitless love. It is a 

secret society that we share and I rejoice in knowing this small part of their world. I provide my 

dogs with some food, love, daily opportunities to explore our world. In return they teach me about 

humility, honesty and the art of finding joy in every situation. 

My small pack is one of many and our packs are all connected by the bond that we share. We are in 

the unenviable position of making choices for our dogs and we all struggle to find the right answers. 

As I work to make the right choices for my dogs, I find strength in the support of other 

breeders and owners who share in the same goals and ideals. This group of teachers works tirelessly 

to help people make the right choices for their dogs and I also rejoice in being a part of this 

secret society. It can be a daunting task to swim endlessly against the current and we need to bolster 

ourselves with strength and knowledge and try not to let fear determine our path. It is comforting 

to feel that we can ride on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and it is empowering 

to know that we are no longer pioneers; that we are a large group and we are a strong group 

and we stand firmly on convictions and on sound science. 

Our dogs are our teachers and all we need to do is to watch and to listen and with a little help we will know the answers. I am honoured 

to be a small part of your journey. 

Dana Scott 

Co-Editor 

We have been on a journey for a very long time. A Journey of enlightenment, of meaning, 

of understanding.. Sometimes I lose my way. Sometimes I get jaded. Sometimes I feel 

frustrated, humiliated, angry, depressed. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, underappreciated, 

exhausted and taken advantage of. Sometimes I am arrogant, snooty, rude, and just 

plain difficult. After all I am only human, a mere figure of a being put upon this great 

planet to experience this thing called life. Through my ever changing attitudes and moods, 

I am never less than amazed by the complexities of our ever changing world. While my 

human failings are many and my ability to rise above the pettiness is sometimes much to 

be desired, I find I am constantly working to be a better person. A person that my dog can 

be proud of. a person without conceit, without malice, without humility, without greed, 

without guilt, without impatience, without annoyances. 

Where would we be as a nation without our dogs Our dogs as teachers, as guardians, as moral enforcers and conscienscious reminders 

of what true happiness should be. If only everyone could embrace what we see through their eyes. 

We have come a long way in the last 20 years. Many of us realize that dogs are carnivores, that vaccinations are redundant and dangerous, 

and that dogs are family members and they have complex emotional states just like us. We still have a lot to learn though and we 

are being taught everyday. There is so much information available and I am so excited to find it and publish it here! This is our very 

first edition of what will be a long standing publication. A publication that will be in the forefront of modern and advanced information. 

This magazine will not be afraid to publish important information and we will not shy away from controversy. Rest assured that 

what you read will be interesting, insightful and the truth. We will not be driven by advertisers, Big Pharma, pet food manufactures or 

anything else that dictates what can and cannot be said. 

Ultimately this is YOUR publication. There would be no point to this endeavour without you: without your input we are lost. I am 

humbled to be a part of this magnificent group and I hope I do you proud. May this new year bring prosperity, conviction, excitement, 

new smells, new friends, and may we learn many more things together. 

Erika Phillips 

Co-Editor 

www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com January/February 2010 | 3

Dogs...Naturally! January/February 2010 | 4

Teaching Puppies Bite Inhibition 

Biting is a normal behavior in puppies 

which is often mistakenly rewarded by 

owners. In order to teach bite inhibition 

you need to control the amount of 

pressure your puppy exerts when he 

play bites . You can accomplish this by 

delivering time-outs as soon as he exerts 

anything but gentle pressure on 

your skin. A time-out should mean no 

fun for puppy for 30-60 seconds. Think 

of it like a penalty in hockey. There are 

various ways to carry out a time-out… 

over to return to him. Once your puppy 

learns to only deliver gentle bites, then 

you can increase your standards to no 

bites at all. 

It is important that you start by teaching 

him gentle bites only so that he 

learns to control his mouth. If you only 

teach no bite, your puppy will not learn 

how to control his jaws. An adult dog 

who does not understand how to control 

his bite is a potentially dangerous 

dog so we must teach them as puppies. 

It will help to speed things along if you 

treat your puppy gently and do not 

play wrestle with him. It is also important 

that you allow him to only gently 

bite your hands: biting of hair and 

clothing should be strictly off limits 

and should result in an immediate time 

-out. You will also do well to have a 

large variety of toys around so that 

puppy has something ‘legal’ to chew 

on. 

Like children, puppies must learn limits 

and self control. Giving him the appropriate 

feedback while he is still 

young will encourage bite inhibition 

throughout his adult life. 

1- Take the puppy away from the fun 

by immediately escorting him to his 

crate. Remain unemotional: you are 

not angry and he is not “in trouble”. 

Release him after the allotted time and 

carry on. If he re-offends repeat the 

time-out. Make sure there are no toys 

in the crate and only release him from 

the crate if he is quiet for at least a few 

seconds. 

2- Take the fun away from the 

puppy. Get up and leave, taking any 

toys around with you. Leave the room 

if you have to. What you are trying to 

teach your puppy is that no one will 

play with him if he bites hard. 

Another effective way to take the fun 

away from the puppy is to tether him. 

Tie his leash to a doorknob and sit and 

play with him. If he fails to be careful 

with his teeth, say OUCH in a low voice 

and immediately leave the puppy to his 

own devices. If he cries or carries on, 

then he has the point: he is missing the 

fun! Simply wait until the tantrum is 


Show and Tell 

With... 

 

Barb McKee lives in Qualicum Beach, 

Vancouver Island, in B.C., Canada. Barb 

lives with her husband Barry , four shelties 

occasionally sheltie puppies. She 

breeds Shelties under the Behaven prefix 

and practices Natural Rearing Barb 

feeds raw, is vaccine free, uses no pesticides, 

herbicides, topical chemicals, only 

natural cleaning products, and the 

avoidance of electromagnetic fields 

~~~ 

Tell us about your history with 

dogs: what was the first dog you 

owned 

The first dog that I owned was purchased 

by my parents in 1960 as a family 

pet. We lived in Montreal, Quebec. 

This Sheltie, "Toby" was the 

"smartest dog on the planet"! He lived 

to 15 years old & rather healthily I 

might add. He had very little Veterinary 

attention, was fed a mixture of 

"Purina Dog Meal" (which had a shelf 

life & needed to be refrigerated) that 

resembled Zoo food, with little pieces 

of different shapes & colours of meal, 

some of which was dehydrated egg. 

Mom would boil hamburger meat, skim 

off all the fat, add the "gel" back and 

mix this with the Purina Dog Meal, adding 

some ground up veggies on occasion. 

This food was a better quality of 

"Kibble" than what followed in the next 

30+ years. 

We did some obedience classes with 

him to which he excelled & won 

awards. In 1976 Barry & I moved to 

Calgary, Alberta and purchased 

Brandy, another Sheltie from the same 

breeder in Montreal. He was to become 

my "teacher" dog. He had a multitude 

of health issues, all stemming from 

food allergies and vaccinations. He was 

a superb obedience dog that received 

his CD & CDX in glowing style with high 

in classes & in trial! He was trained in 

Utility as well and would have done 

extremely well also had we trialed him, 

however illness set in , extreme cases 

of skin, digestive, eye irritations, you 

name it, he had it! Very sad in hindsight, 

that this was all due to high end 

"Crap" food and vaccinations. This is 

when I made my secret decision to go 

raw/vaccine free. We had purchased 

another Sheltie "Muggins" who was 

also exhibiting major vaccine damage 

and kibble allergies at a younger age. 

He also did well in obedience & conformation, 

however died at 8 years old 

due to kidney failure as well as a host 

of other ailments. He looked extremely 

old at 6 years old, had bizarre traits, 

rotten molars etc. Also a" teacher" dog! 

Oh if we knew then what we do know 

now! My heart aches for them! 

This was the result of listening to the 

"Big Buck" pet food industry and Veterinarians 

& the "Big Buck" pharmaceutical 

industry. Now we KNOW better. 

We trust none of these industries 

and have grown to despise them for 

what they do and stand for! 

We then purchased our sheltie "Bailey" 

from a kibble, vaccine kennel. Had his 

puppy shots & we started raw and no 

more vaccinations. He died at fifteen of 

renal failure. His kids are around today, 

raw/vaccination free! 

Then came "Vegas" vaccinated & kibble 

fed, and severely epileptic. Vegas died 

at two years old of acute pancreatitis 

from ingesting a huge wad of cooked 

fat (by accident) The Epilepsy was definitely 

related to his breeders vaccinating 

him. He was the love of my life! 

Tweed was purchased and bred to Bailey 

& we had beautiful pups that in 

turn have produced beautiful pups and 

third generation raw/vaccination free 

which are on the ground now. Tweed 

died of renal failure at 13+ years old. 

She had epilepsy & hypothyroidism 

also, diagnosed at 8 years old. I 

treated her totally naturally. None of 

her offspring have hypothyroidism or 

epilepsy & some are 12 years old now. 

We have Gabrielle,9 1/2 years old, 

Soda,9 1/2 years old (Now living with a 

dear friend), Nikko (Gabrielle's son), 

Haelley (Gabrielle's grand daughter) 

and Lomu (a young Gabrielle son and a 

Parvo survivor)! We have many coowns 

as well, all raw/vaccination free 

and healthy. 

Haelley's litter of five is now 8 weeks 

old & full of beans! I thank most sincerely 

my co-own folk who are so into 

raw & no vaccinations that help me 

keep my breedings totally natural. 

These people are keeping their dogs 

intact, raw feeding, no vaccinations, 

naturally reared and they are loving it! 

I have access to six intact males and six 

intact females right now, so my all 

natural gene pool grows! I will be keeping 

a female pup and co-owning a male 

from this latest litter as well. 

How did you first begin breeding 

dogs and why did you choose shelties 

I always have had Sheltie companions 

and needed a bigger piece of property 

to consider breeding so when we 

moved from Calgary in 1994 to B.C. on 

three acres, my dream came true, 33 

years from my first Sheltie. We have 

been breeding on a small scale ever 

since. We have been raw/vaccine free 

since 1984. 

What events do you participate in 

with your dogs 

We are involved in Obedience and just 

starting Agility. We will show in Conformation 

only if it is convenient and if 

someone will show for me. I'm not into 

conformation like I used to be, for numerous 

reasons that I do not need to 

bore you with. 


What was the original purpose of 

the breed and do you feel that Shelties 

are still capable of doing it well 

Shelties were an all round crofters dog 

capable of many tasks , herding being 

just one. They are very intelligent, eager 

to please and make a wonderful 

house pet. They love to be near their 

owners at all times if it were up to 

them: at least my shelties do. They 

love agility ,obedience and Rally and do 

well in these venues. Working and 

herding are also tasks that they seem 

to naturally love. 

Are there any other events in which 

shelties really excel 

Sleeping on your bed or couch, walking, 

playing ball, Frisbee chasing, running 

on the beach, meadow, woodland 

paths, hiking and lying by the fire in 

winter. 

What health issues are prevalent in 

the breed 

Sheltie Skin Syndrome, undescended 

testicles, Hypothyroidism, Allergies, 

cleft palates, hip dysplasia, epilepsy. 

Most from years of crap food and over 

vaccinating as with many so called inherited 

or "genetic' illnesses. 

Do you feel these disease are completely 

genetic in nature or do you 

feel that some can be caused by poor 

diet, vaccinations or chemicals 

Most are caused by diet, vaccinations 

and chemicals. The more naturally 

reared generations, the less problems; 

no doubt in my mind. 

When you first made the switch, did 

you find some aspects of NR frightening 

or did you have total faith in 

it 

Knew what did not work, so had total 

faith in a more natural approach and it 

made "sense", common sense! 

Has your faith in NR breeding ever 

been shaken 

Never, even with the epilepsy, Parvo & 

hypothyroidism. If anything it gave me 

more strength to continue natural rearing. 

What are your goals for the future 

To have totally 

healthy 

dogs, free of 

ailments, 

long lived, 

happy into 

the golden 

years. However 

a great 

deal of this 

health is beyond 

our 

control: the 

air we 

breathe, 

chemicals 

others use, 

additives in 

food that we 

are not aware of. Electromagnetic 

fields and radiation to name but a few. 

What advice would you give to new 

breeders or breeders who are just 

starting on the path to NR 

Go with your gut. Mother Nature is our 

greatest teacher. She was there for me 

when I first started and is there for me 

25 years later. She never has failed me.. 

When in doubt, I still close my eyes and 

think like a wolf in the woods in the 

wild and ask myself "what would I do" 

and answers are there! 

Is there anything else you would like 

to share 

Have faith in what nature provides for 

every illness. There is a cure out there 

that is not man made with big bucks 

attached. The native Indians have 

much to offer in their wisdom about 

using nature to heal. They have a circle 

that should never be broken. The ancient 

Kogi people in Columbia have this 

native wisdom that follows "mother 

nature". They are a prime example of 

how to live without the problems of 

our civilization. 

My favourite quote: 

"Heredity Is Nothing But Stored Environment" 

-Luther Burbank 


By Chris Puls of Dog Scouts of America www.DogScouts.org 

If your dog has certain behaviors you want to change, here 

are 10 tips for dealing with and changing any unwanted behaviors. 

Prevent Rehearsal 

Each time the dog does the unwanted behavior, the 

“pathway” in the brain to that behavior gets used and something 

like “muscle memory” is established. These things 

make the behavior a more likely option the dog will turn to 

when presented with similar situations in the future. Not 

all behaviors can be prevented completely, but recognizing 

what triggers the unwanted behavior will help you prevent 

that situation from occurring. You can control your dog’s 

access to his behavior triggers using the leash, crate, baby 

gates, avoidance, etc. 

Train a Substitute Behavior 

If the dog is not doing the undesirable behavior, he is doing 

something else. If he’s being quiet, he’s not barking. If his 

feet are all on the floor, he’s not jumping. When a behavior 

gets a reward (either from you, the environment or the dog 

himself) it will be repeated. You need to be sure that it’s the 

desirable alternative that gets the reward and attention 

from you. Think about what you want the dog TO DO rather 

than what you want to stop. Try to get the dog to do the 

desired behavior in place of the unwanted one. Be sure to 

reward heavily for the desired behavior, especially if the 

dog chooses that behavior on his own. 

Understand Normal Dog Behavior 

Often, a behavior people don’t like is perfectly normal for a 

dog to do (or for the breed of dog to do.) In some cases, 

such as chewing, it’s a behavior the dog NEEDS to do. By 

giving the dog an appropriate outlet for these natural behaviors, 

the dog will be much happier and more relaxed. 

You can use these highly desired behaviors as a reward for 

when the dog does something you like. If your puppy is 

chewing on furniture (then you failed the prevention step) 

but you can ask the pup to sit and then reward that desired 

behavior with a bone he’s allowed to chew on. Often supervision 

and redirecting the dog to an appropriate outlet is 

the best solution for natural dog behaviors. 

Be Consistent 

Dogs learn much faster when the rules remain the same. If 

you sometimes got a pay check for going to work and sometimes 

got it for staying home, but the rules about which was 

which weren’t clear, you would have some stress and confusion. 

People do this to their dogs all the time! Jumping up 

is OK unless I’m wearing nice clothes or your feet are dirty. 

Barking is ok unless the neighbors have been complaining 

or a sleeping baby is visiting. Sometimes it’s ok to get on 

the couch, sometimes it’s not. The problem is compounded 

when more than one person routinely interacts with the 

dog. Make sure all family members understand and enforce 

the same rules. Dogs are often willing to follow the rules 

when the rules are clear and consistent. 


NILIF 

The “Nothing In Life Is Free” program, when implemented 

in a reasonable manner, can greatly help increase the odds 

of good behavior. When the dog learns that the way to get 

what he wants is by doing something you like, your dog will 

start doing what you like more often. This program also 

helps teach the dog the concept of self-control. If mugging 

you for food works, why should he sit politely during 

meals If pulling on the leash works, why should he try to 

keep the leash loose But, if the dog has to sit before he gets 

a treat and has to keep the leash loose before you are willing 

to move a single step, he has more reason to try selfcontrol. 

This program goes hand in hand with helping the 

dog toward an acceptable behavior and then rewarding that 

behavior with something the dog wants. 

Look for the Good 

We are a punishing species. It is a proven fact that when a 

person uses punishment and it gets results, the use of punishment 

is more likely. However, the same can be said of 

using rewarding methods. If you are watching for behaviors 

you can reward (& you reward them) those behaviors 

will become more frequent. This works better than always 

looking for what the dog is doing wrong so you can yell or 

jerk on the leash. The punishment method will cause a dog 

to hide the behavior from you. The reward method will 

cause the dog to bond with you because he wants to figure 

out what you want him to do (so he can get what he wants.) 

For some complex behaviors, you might need to gradually 

“shape” the behavior of the dog to get it closer and closer to 

the desired behavior. You can do this by timing your rewards 

in a way that keeps the dog trying and moving toward 

the desired behavior. 

Be Active 

Most dogs do not get the exercise they require. Many are 

over weight and bored out of their minds. By keeping their 

mind and body active, the dog will have less time to get 

himself into trouble by creating his own fun games- like 

let’s see how many springs are inside the bed. This troop 

website has many suggestions for keeping dogs busy both 

with and without the owner present. 

Don’t Mix Signals 

As humans, we communicate primarily with words. Dogs, 

however, are best at reading non-verbal signals like body 

language and tone of voice. We also tend to use our words 

in a confusing way- saying “down” when we mean “get off” 

and repeating the cue so fast it becomes a new cue ("sit, sit, 

sit".) Now the dog waits to hear “sit-sit-sit” before he responds. 

Our message and tone can be confusing too. Saying 

“come here!” in a ruff and growly voice does not indicate to 

the dog that going toward you will be safe. Dog’s are masters 

at reading our body language. Even subtle changes like 

breathing patterns and raised eye brows are often noticed 

by dogs. Be aware of what you are saying with your tone 

and body to be sure it’s not confusing the dog. If your dog is 

not correctly responding to what you ask, check to make 

sure your body language and tone aren't asking for something 

different (or indicating a bad mood that could make 

the dog hesitant to respond.) 

Train, Train, Train 

Dogs do not come with “good behavior” naturally. In fact, 

most behavior that DOES come naturally to a dog is in direct 

contradiction with what we want. By looking for and 

rewarding the desired behaviors, and redirecting unwanted 

behaviors into ones we can reward, you will be teaching 

your dog what you like and expect. Just as with raising a 

small child, teaching dogs what will make you happy and 

what will upset you is a 24 hour/ 7 days a week job! Dogs 

and children are always learning. You need to make a decision 

to be sure they are learning what you want them to 

learn. 

Love your dog 

When the dog is being 

bad, this is not always 

easy. It is very easy 

to get frustrated with 

them and perhaps 

even want to lash out 

at them. When this 

happens, take a moment 

to take a deep 

breath, then assess 

the situation. What 

can you do to prevent 

it What alternative 

behavior can you try 

to get the dog to do so 

you can reward it Is 

it a natural behavior 

the dog needs an outlet 

for Is anyone else 

allowing the dog to 

practice the unwanted 

behavior 

Can you use the situation to teach the dog self-control 

Does the dog need more exercise Would the dog be doing 

this behavior if he was tired Are your desires being communicated 

clearly to the dog When you answer these 

questions, it is likely that you will have something to work 

with. You’ll have a behavior (or more than one) you can 

watch for and reward. You will understand how to prevent 

the unwanted and reward the good dog. 


A Quick Guide to 

Homeopathic 

Remedies 


The Controversial Canine 

How many of you have been on the edge of trying Alternative 

medicine but are unsure of the way to go about it I 

think most people would choose to use less invasive methods 

of treatment for health problems if given the correct 

information and a useful guide. 

The following article will hopefully help you choose the 

right Homeopathic remedy for your pet in their hour of 

need. I would like to state that I am not a Veterinarian or 

Medical Doctor and that this guide is just that, a guide. 

This is not intended to take the place of professional care 

but rather it is intended to help offer alternatives to 

chemicals and to avoid the side-effects of certain drugs. 

Always seek professional help in Emergencies. 

While the following remedies are effective and can save 

lives, it takes dedication and education to understand the 

dosage and usage of certain herbs and homeopathy. Such 

holistic care should be done in consultation with a holistic 

practitioner or Holistic Veterinarian. It is also important to 

note that not all “holistic” veterinarians are qualified. Some 

Veterinarians take weekend courses only and claim that 

they are Holistic. Most are holistic minded which is fantastic 

yet others are aware of the marketing importance in offering 

such services. The lack of knowledge leaves them 

uncertain in unfamiliar territory and these Vets will lapse 

back into what is comfortable - Allopathy. Veterinary 

medicine is no different than any other business and getting 

customers in the door is a big part of that business. On the 

other hand there are some great Alternative veterinarians 

out there. All that is needed is a little research to find the 

right practitioner for you. 

Dosage and Potency 

There seems to be a very big contradiction with these two 

subjects. First of all, dry dosing is a widely practiced application 

and is completely acceptable. A medicinal solution is 

simply the dissolving the remedy in water and alcohol, 

which is then administered by a dropper or pipette. This is 

not the same as commercially made stock bottles of liquid 

remedies or Mother Tinctures. In order to make a remedy 

go further or last longer when used consistently for chronic 

treatment, pellets can be dissolved in a solution of water 

and alcohol in an amber bottle with a glass pipette and 

given orally. There is a very important process that must 

accompany this and that is potentizing/dimatization by 

succussing the remedy solution. This process puts the energy 

or imprint of the remedy in the water. 

In Homeopathy the more diluted a substance is the more 

potent it is. X potencies are diluted by 10 and are the closest 

to the crude substance. C, K, and CH potencies have 

been diluted by 100 times. 30C potencies are middle of the 

road and are quite safe to use. 

200C potencies have a large emotional component and 

should not be used without a good grasp of the understanding 

of homeopathy. M potencies are X 1000 and CM potencies 

are X 100 000 and so on. 

There are literally thousands of remedies available and 

multiple ones for each disease or presentation of disease. It 

is important to understand that there are specific symptom 

pictures for each remedy. The reason why there are ten 

different remedies for Diarrhea, for example, is because of 

the many different ways diarrhea can be present. I.e., 

green, yellow, white, black, gray, voluntary, involuntary, 

soupy, watery, thick, tarry, and so on. The remedy of choice 

is dependant on the presentation of symptoms that best fit 

the description of the remedy. You must find a remedy that 

is the closest fit for the symptom picture. 

Following is a list symptoms and the corresponding herbs 

and Homeopathic remedies that you should have on hand 

for emergencies. It is important to note that they are to be 


used for acute care only. All remedies 

unless otherwise indicated are in the 

30C potency. Herbals are indicated 

with an (h). 

Bleeding - Yarrow (h), in the dried 

crushed form and all parts including 

the flower and stem. 

Open wounds - Yarrow (h), Aconite, 

Aloe (h), Juniper (h), Calendula 

Closed wounds – Arnica, Burdock (h) 

Contusions/Blunt Trauma – Arnica 

Montana used externally in herb form. 

Or used internally in Homeopathic 

form. 

Nerve Damage – Hypericum 

Insect bites – Cantharis 

Bee stings – Apis 

Bites (dog/cat) – Ledum, Hypericum 

(punctures) Lachesis (spider or scorpion) 

DCM (Dilated Cardio Myopathy) – 

Hawthorn (h) 

Liver – Milk Thistle (h) Berberis Barberry 

(h) Chelidonium 

Kidneys – Chelidonium, Uva Ursi (h), 

Barberry (h), Utica Urens, 

Bloat – Colocynthis 

Plaque – Fragaria 

Ear infections – Carbo Veg., 

Mercury Sol., Kreosotum, 

Hepar Sulphur 

Skin - Sulfur, Psorinum, Urtica 

Urens, Rhus tox., Nat. 

muraticum, Cantharis, Goldenseal 

(h), Lavender oil, 

Lemon juice, 

Eyes – (Cataracts, blindness, 

trauma, scratches, conjunctivitis) 

Apis, Cantharis, Argentia 

Nit., Nat. Muraticum, 

Symphanitum, Urtica Urens , 

Goldenseal (h) Euphrasia, 

Eyebright (h) 

Conjunctivitis/ Pinkeye – 

Euphrasia, Eyebright (h) 

Pancreatic problems, fatty degenerations 

- Chelidonium, Berberis 

Fever – Belladonna, Aconite, Gelsenium 

Trauma- Aconite, Staphasagria, 

Opium, 

Carsickness – Aconite 

Birthing – Uterine oozing – Carbo Veg., 

Lachesis, Sepia 

Mastitis – Bryonia, Chamomile, Hepar 

sulphur, Pulsatilla, Belladonna 

Eclampsia – Belladonna, Calc Phos. 

Inertia – Caulophylum 

Milk production – Fennel (h) , Fenugreek 

(h) 

Reduction – Sage (h) 

Separation anxiety – Phosphorus, 

Aconite, Valerian (h), Phospericum 

acidum 

Aggression – Hydrophobium, Staphasagria 

Broken bones – Symphytum 

Internal injuries- Arnica 

Poisoning – Nux Vomica, Arsenicum 

alb. 

Fear/ submission- Arnica, Aconite, 

Gelsenium 

Involuntary urination - Phos. Acidum 

Leaking/incontinence – Phosphorus, 

Phos. Acidum 

Cystitis – Aconite, Cantharis, Apis, 

Camphora, Causticum, Uva Ursi, 

Acute Diarrhea – Aconite, Nux 

Vomica, Arsenicum Alb., Chamomile 

(h), Slippery Elm (h), Pure Pumpkin, 

Diatomaceous Earth, fasting 

Vomiting/nausea - Arsenicum Alb., 

Nux Vomica, Chamomile (h), Phosphorus, 

Nat Muraticum 

Wounds - Yarrow (h) 

Foreign objects- Silicea 

Natural de-wormers – Cina, Garlic (h), 

DE, Clay, Pumpkin Seeds, Wormwood 

(h), Black walnut hulls* (h), Aspidium 

(h) 

Flea/ Tick/Mosquito repellent – 

Neem (h), Garlic (h), Peppermint (h), 

Marigold (h), Yarrow (h), DE, various 

Essential Oils; such as Eucalyptus, Cedar, 

Thuja, Orange, and so on. (Check 

the safety of EO for cats) 

Septicemia – blood poisoning - Colocynthis, 

Echinacea, Pyrogen, 

*can be toxic, especially to horses. Should not be 

used without Milk Thistle Seed to protect the 

liver 


Bladder inflammation – Cantharis, Pao D’arco (h), Utica 

Urens, Apis, Nettle (h) 

Heatstroke – Severe – Aconite 

Heatstroke with Sunburn – Belladonna 

Minor sunburn - Cantharis 

Sprains/Strains - Arnica, Rhus Toxidendron, Ruta Grav. 

Shock – Arnica, Aconite, Carbo Veg. also Bach Rescue Remedy 

Seizures - Belladonna, Chamomile (h), Gelsenium, Ignatia, 

Mercury, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Bromine, Bufo, Stramonium, 

Hyoscyamus, Absinthum. 

You will notice that there are several remedies that are 

listed in almost all of the disease categories above. These 

remedies are called poly-crests, meaning that many remedies 

have many symptom pictures and therefore have multiple 

uses. 

In subsequent issues we will dissect individual remedies and discuss 

their uses. 

Erika Phillips is a practicing homeopath and animal behavior consultant. 

She breeds Italian Greyhounds and is active in conformation, obedience, 

agility, field and herding. 

Erika is currently attending school to finish her Doctorate in Veterinary 

Naturopathy. 

She offers consultations in behavior, competitive obedience, homeopathy, 

herbs and nutrition. She is active in all breed rescue and has a small dairy 

goat farm. 

She lives in Miles City, Montana with her husband, 3 kids, 19 dogs of various 

breeds, 11 horses, many chickens, several ducks and many goats. 

You can reach Erika through her web-site 

www.thecontroversialcanine.com or e-mail lephillips@rangeweb.net. 

You can also see her Italian Greyhounds at www.shaedenigs.com 


CERF -Clear 

BAER - Normal Hearing Bilaterally 

Cardiac - Normal 

DNA tested by AHT - HJC - Result: Clear (non-carrier) 

(Shown below are Joey’s first champion get – Left to right: CH JeanE’s Treasures Of Darkness, CH Tam-Ra Sez I’m The One, CH KC’s Midnite Rambler) 

Congratulates his champion puppies and wishes all the best for his puppies that are pointed and those that will 

begin showing in 2010! 

“Joey” is producing healthy puppies with correct structure, beautiful heads and wonderful temperaments. 

Fresh Cooled Shipped Semen available to approved bitches 

Owned and Adored by Dr Jeannie (Jeanette) Thomason 

JeanE’s Boston Terriers – Naturally Reared for Health & Longevity Since 1986 

www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com January/February 2010 | 13 

www.jeanesbostons.com 

jeanesbostons@thewholedog.org

Fitness for Fido 

Doga 

By Brenda Bryan 

Yoga with your dog Doga How does it work This is 

definitely one of the FAQ’s I get about teaching doga. It’s 

a good question because I guess until you experience it, 

the idea of doing yoga with your dog can be a little hard 

to imagine. One way to understand how it works is to 

understand how it benefits our dogs and us. 

Here’s how it works; Barking Buddha Doga takes classic 

yoga poses and adapts them to include our dogs, or 

dogis as we call them in doga. The poses benefit the 

dogis through stretches and massage. Massage and 

stretching for our dogs increases circulation, range of 

motion and encourages relaxation. When we learn to do 

these things in doga we can get to know our dogs better 

physically, their range of motion joint stiffness and tension, 

even if they have ticklish ears. They also learn to 

trust us as we stretch, lift and massage them. The humans 

get similar benefits from the stretches and dog 

people know that quality time spent with our dogs is 

always time well spent. The practice of doga is still new 

so I’m always learning and it’s great when students report 

back positive results, like their dog is calmer after 

class or an older dog seems less stiff. In addition to the 

physical advantages of the class, I’ve noticed the benefits 

of doga can go beyond the physical. 

When I first began developing Barking Buddha Doga, I 

didn’t think of it as something beyond a fun activity to 

do with your dog. My dogs, Honey and Gus enjoyed the 

attention and I enjoyed spending quality time with them. 

I also really loved watching the sweet interactions between 

the humans and dogs who attended the classes. 

But what I’ve really noticed is how the dogs have taught 

me to go with the flow, be more patient and not to cling 

to how I think things should be. We’re working with 

dogs here, there are always surprises, some pleasant, 

some not so much. But whatever the situation, whether 

it is a dog whining or barking through class, or the 

young energetic dog making a “dogic” breakthrough and 

becoming zen on the mat, the dogs make me a better 

human through my experiences with them on the yoga 

mat and in everyday life. 

Dogs with their naturally open hearts and healing nature 

make the perfect yoga partners. The word yoga means 

union and dogs being pack animals are all about union. 

Union in yoga means to connect to the divinity within. 

Basically this means connecting to your most perfect, 

wonderful self and then feeling that same connection to 

those around you. Our dogs are naturally without ego 

and all about love so they can help us discover the connection 

to our wonderful selves by first connecting to 

the love we have for them. In doga as we benefit from 

the poses physically we can also learn from our dogs. 


As we deepen our connection and our relationship with our 

dogs, we can benefit from our dogi’s open hearted nature to 

open our own hearts and then maybe bring a little more love 

into the world around us. 

In the next issue of Dogs...Naturally!, I’ll bring you some 

poses you can do at home with your dog. You can also check 

out my book, Barking Buddha Doga; Simple Soul Stretches 

for Yogi and Dogi. 

Brenda Bryan is a yoga instructor and licensed massage therapist. While honing her skills as a yoga teacher, she began 

to study animal massage and found a way to combine her two great loves-dogs and yoga. 

Brenda teaches Hatha yoga and "Barking Buddha Doga" classes at her new studio, Westside Yoga and Doga in Seattle, 

Washington. 

She lives with her husband, and their three dogs, Honey, Gus and Nelson. 


Don Hamilton DVM 

Vaccinations 

in Veterinary Medicine 

A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is 

annual re-vaccinations. Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for 

annual revaccinations. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful 

vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains 

for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response 

when exposed to virulent organisms. Only the immune response to toxins requires boosters 

(e.g. tetanus toxin booster, in humans, is recommended once every 7-10 years). And no toxin 

vaccines are currently used for dogs and cats. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines 

fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing 

antibody (similar to maternal antibody interference). The practice of annual vaccination 

in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to 

provide an annual physical examination or is required by law (i.e., certain states require annual 

revaccination for rabies). 

Summary: Yearly "boosters" are unnecessary, provide 

no benefit if given (will not increase immunity). Thus 

boosters are either a legal issue (Rabies) or a manipulation 

issue (inducing clients to come in for examination 

rather than directly suggesting an examination). 

The issue of initial vaccination is less clear than that of 

boosters. Many clinicians feel that without vaccination they 

would see outbreaks of disease, particularly canine parvovirus 

disease. This can be a difficult issue to resolve. A fundamental 

dilemma is that vaccination in effect leads to weakening 

of the gene pool, and thus the overall health of a given 

population. One way this occurs is by allowing individuals 

to live that would otherwise succumb to disease, such disease 

being a natural means to "cleanse" and thus strengthen 

that population. This naturally presents an ethical quandary 

these days (our understanding of native or aboriginal thinking 

suggests that letting weak individuals die was implicitly 

understood to be not only acceptable but proper). Western 

society values the individual's right to be, therefore we 

make efforts to save all individuals. Any answer to this 

question naturally lies with the individual(s) involved. 

The second and more compelling theory of the mechanism 

of Interaction between a vaccine and the body suggests 

that vaccines "protect" against the acute disease 

not by preventing the disease but by changing the form 

of the disease to a chronic disease. 2 For example, the 

panleukopenia virus of cats induces an intense, rapidly 

progressive malfunction in the digestive tract, leading to 

vomiting and/or diarrhea. In adult vaccinated animals 

this translates into a chronic state of diarrhea and sometimes 

vomiting. This disease is known as inflammatory 

bowel disease (IBD), an autoimmune disease of the intestines. 

IBD has been occurring at near epidemic levels 

over the past several years; no other reasonable explanation 

has been proposed for the proliferation of cases of 

the disease. Vaccinations are known to be a major 

trigger of other autoimmune processes in susceptible 


individuals, 3 so it is reasonable to suspect vaccines as 

a trigger for IBD. 

Another aspect of panleukopenia virus infection, implied 

by the name of the virus, is vastly lowered numbers 

of white blood cells and corresponding immune 

deficiency. Could the appearance of Feline Leukemia 

virus disease and later Feline Immunodeficiency virus 

disease be related to vaccination for Panleukopenia 

during the previous two decades The logicality 

of this theory does not allow easy dismissal of a 

relationship, most likely cause and effect. Both of the 

latter diseases produce low white blood cell counts 

and immunodeficiency as part of their symptom 

complexes. Similar connections have been proposed 

between Canine Distemper virus disease and both 

kennel cough and Canine Parvovirus diseases as 

"distemper" includes a pneumonia component as 

well as severe diarrhea. Chronic coughing is characteristic 

of kennel cough; parvovirus disease affects 

the intestines, producing severe diarrhea and vomiting. 

Additionally, the incidence of inflammatory 

bowel disease in dogs appears to be on the increase 

in the past year or two. Vaccination of dogs for Canine 

Parvovirus has been in effect for fifteen years, 

contrasted with the much longer history of parvovirus 

vaccination in cats (Feline Panleukopenia virus is 

a member of the parvovirus family). This portends a 

frightening future for dogs if the connection is indeed 

correct. 

even the initial vaccinations, but no risk of contracting 

the acute disease once the animal is immunized 

by these first vaccines. See below for duration of immunity 

to the various diseases for which vaccines are 

available. Secondly, all vaccines should be administered 

as single antigens. (An antigen is something 

that is capable of eliciting an immune response, in 

this case a viral or bacterial organism from which a 

vaccine is produced.) This means not using the polyvalent 

vaccines which have become so common these 

days. Natural exposure to diseases is usually one at a 

time, and the body is probably more successful at 

responding to only one antigen and producing immunity 

without adverse effects, rather than responding 

to a complex of antigens. Therefore, rather than giving 

a group of antigens together at three to four week 

intervals, individual components should be given 

using an alternating schedule with a minimum of 

repetition. Thirdly, only immunize for diseases which 

meet all of the following criteria: 

Finally, connections are proposed between vaccination 

for Rabies and increasing numbers of fearful, 

aggressive animals. Behavioral problems of the extent 

seen today are a recent occurrence, being rare 

only two to three decades ago. Their emergence is 

coincident with the practice of repeated adult vaccination, 

suggesting the need to examine that relationship. 

Aggressive behavior has been observed in dogs 

for several days following vaccination for rabies, 

even with non-infectious [killed] vaccines. 5, 6 

As practitioners sharing responsibility for the well 

being of patients, veterinarians are faced with a challenge 

when dealing with acute diseases. Vaccinations 

may prevent these acute diseases, but if the exchange 

is for a lifetime of chronic disease, is that a viable 

option (Viable is from the French vie, meaning life, 

so the question is will the patient live and flourish or 

simply exist.) First, remembering that booster vaccines 

are unnecessary, we can stop all vaccination 

after one year of age for virtually all diseases. (cf. 

below; Rabies is required by law so we need to work 

to change the laws so that they are in accordance 

with the fact rather than fear.) As repetition naturally 

increases the likelihood of problems, we can reduce 

side effects tremendously with no additional risk to 

the patient, simply by stopping adult boosters. Of 

course, there will still be some risk involved with 


1. The disease is serious, even life threatening. 

2. The animal is or will be exposed to the disease. 

3. The vaccine for the disease is known to be effective. 

4. The vaccine for the disease is considered safe. 

Let us take Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV) disease as an 

example. An indoor only cat will not be exposed as this 

requires direct, intimate, cat-to-cat contact. Many veterinarians 

recommend immunizing indoor cats against 

this disease. I feel this is unethical. This disease does 

not fit criteria number three or four anyway in my experience, 

so vaccination is unwarranted in most if not 

all circumstances. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) 

virus disease is another disease which fits neither 

three or four. FIP vaccine has generally been found 

ineffective and has produced severe side effects. 

Among the side effects I have observed with both FIP 

and FeLV is induction of the clinical disease they were 

intended to prevent. In dogs, Canine Hepatitis (CH) 

virus is almost nonexistent (the vaccine virus to prevent 

CH is Adenovirus-2). Leptospirosis is extremely 

rare and often not the same serotype used in the vaccine 

7 and the bacterin for "lepto" is very prone to side 

effects. 

Coronavirus disease was never a serious threat except 

to dog companions' bank accounts, the same being 

true for Lyme disease except possibly in very small 

regions. Kennel cough disease is generally not serious 

(criteria one), and one study showed immunization to 

be ineffective or even counterproductive. 8 Immunization 

should be limited to high risk circumstances, if at 

all. A similar situation exists with the feline upper respiratory 

diseases; most are not serious except in very 

young kittens who contract the disease before vaccines 

are typically administered. Rabies is another disease 

for which indoor cats and well confined dogs have no 

exposure, so the vaccine is clinically unnecessary although 

required by law. Fourth, vaccines should 

NEVER be given to unhealthy animals. This is a practice 

that is gaining popularity among veterinarians for 

some strange reason, and it goes against the recommendations 

in all vaccine inserts as well as those of 

virtually all immunologists. This is malpractice in my 

opinion. 

A bolder option is to refuse immunizations entirely, 

recognizing the inherent risk in administration of even 

one vaccine into the body, and being willing to accept 

the risk of not immunizing. While risk does exist if animals 

are unvaccinated, it can be moderated significantly 

by feeding better quality foods (home prepared, 

including fresh, raw meats) and by limiting exposure 

until the animals are six to eight months of age. An unvaccinated 

animal will be significantly less likely to 

suffer from allergies and many health problems. Skin 

allergic reactions have been associated with vaccine 

administration, 9 and tremendous numbers of dogs and 

cats have skin allergies today. Some other diseases for 

which links to vaccines are known or suspected include 

epilepsy, thyroid disorders 10 (hyper- and hypothyroidism), 

chronic hepatitis, renal failure, cystitis or 

lower urinary tract disease (particularly in cats), autoimmune 

hemolytic anemia, 11 neurological diseases 

such as confusion and inability to be “present", asthma, 

and so on. In humans sudden infant death syndrome is 

strongly linked to DPT vaccination, 12 as are attention 

deficit disease/hyperactivity and autism, 13 among 

many others including severe brain damage. 

Why are vaccines worse than natural exposure Probably 

the major factors are the artificial means by which 

exposure is created with vaccines and the repetition. 

With few exceptions (primarily rabies and occasionally 

Feline Leukemia virus or Feline Immunodeficiency 

virus), infectious organisms are transmitted via oral 

and nasal exposure, and this response begins at the 

oral/nasal level with recognition of a foreign material 

or organism, followed by initial non-specific destruction 

and elimination of the organism at the local site of 

exposure as well as within the blood stream whence an 

organism may not even reach the interior to cause 

deep illness, but may be successfully repelled at the 

periphery. In other cases the body would have a lag 

time of several hours or even days to begin mounting a 

response before the "invader" reaches interior organs. 

As a consequence, deeper pathology may be minimized 

or even averted. This interior organ pathology may be 

a direct result of the organism, or it may be an indirect 

result, manifested through antigen-antibody complexes 

or other immune system components. These 

components may inadvertently damage body tissues 

as "innocent bystanders", or may directly attack or 

invade tissues due to recognition problems 

(autoimmune diseases). The latter may happen because 

of similarity between organism structures and 

host tissues; often this involves the nucleoproteins 

(DNA or RNA), molecules that are important for controlling 

activity at a cellular level. 


When a vaccine is administered, the organism is injected 

directly into body tissues, bypassing the local 

immune responses. When this happens, much of the 

immune system is rendered useless. The body then 

must compensate by increasing the activity of the balance 

of the system, and the defenses begin in a compromised 

state, with the organism already in the blood 

stream. Within the blood stream, the primary aspects 

of the immune system are antibodies, proteins which 

attach to the organism and assist in its destruction. 

Although normally only a part of the defenses, these 

antibodies become heavily responsible in a vaccine 

(injected) induced invasion, thereby initiating a hyperactive 

(increased) response. Additionally, the preparation 

of vaccines often breaks down the integral structure 

of the virus or bacteria, exposing internal strictures 

such as viral DNA or RNA (depending on the virus) 

to the immune system, leading to heavy antibody 

production against these nucleoproteins. Since nucleoproteins 

are relatively similar in all life forms, the 

host antibodies may lose the induced hyperactivity of 

antibody production. The result may be antibody mediated 

destruction of host tissue, and autoimmune disease. 

In a natural exposure, antibodies would be directed 

more at external structures, which are less similar 

to host tissues thus less likely to induce cross reactions. 

Incidentally, autoimmune diseases are occurring 

more frequently than ever; could this be a reason 

• He supports the use of combination vaccines and I 

strongly do not. 

• He thus recommends in cats to combine panleukopenia 

(FPL), Calicivrus (FC), and Rhinotracheitis (FVR) 

in one schedule; I have recommended to use FVR-FC 

intranasal vaccine only if needed, and separately from 

FPL. 

• In dogs he would combine Distemper (CD), Parvo 

(CPV), and Hepatitis, and possibly Corona and 

Parainfluenza. I would recommend CD and CPV 

only, and not combined. 

Aside from the above considerations, vaccines commonly 

contain materials other than the organism to 

which immunity is desired. These materials may be 

added as preservatives, adjuvants (materials to 

stimulate immune response, usually added to noninfectious 

[killed] vaccines), or antibiotics. Preservatives 

and adjuvants include such toxins and carcinogens 

as aluminum (alum), mercury (thimersol), and 

formaldehyde. Also, many foreign proteins are included 

if the organism was grown on foreign tissue 

such as chicken or duck embryos. Even more frightening, 

nonintended organisms are sometimes accidentally 

incorporated as contaminant "stowaways". In 

1995 The Washington Post reported that MMR vaccine 

produced by Merck & Co. along with some influenza 

and yellow fever vaccines, contained an enzyme 

known as reverse transcriptase. This enzyme is associated 

with retroviruses such as FeLV, FIV, and HIV, and 

has the capability to alter genetic information, leading 

to serious diseases such as leukemia and other cancers. 

These diseases may take years to manifest, so correlation 

with vaccination may be impossible, masking a 

potentially causative relationship. 

The recommended schedules (age to vaccinate) are 

from Dr. Schultz, with a few changes as follows: 


I generally support the use of killed (non-infectious) 

vaccines, as I feel they have less likelihood for long 

term damage, but Dr. Schultz presents a strong case for 

the use of modified live vaccines (MLV) as repetition 

can be necessary with non-infectious vaccines. With 

MLV, one dose can have high efficacy. This primarily 

applies to DC and CPV as non-infectious [killed] Rabies 

and FP are as effective as MLV. 

1 T.R. Phillips, T.R., DVM and Ron Schultz, PhD, Canine and Feline 

Vaccinations in Current Veterinary Therapy, Volume XI Robert Kirk, 

DVM and John Bonagura, DVM, eds., 1992 

2 Pitcairn, Richard, DVM, PhD, A New Look at the Vaccine Questions. 

Proceedings of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, 

1993. 

3 Dodds, W. Jean, DVM, More Bumps on the Vaccine Road, Proceedings 

of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, 1995. 

4 Young, Arthur, DVM, Personal communication. 

5 Blanco, B. Dee, DVM, Personal communication. 

6 Hamilton, Don, DVM, Personal observation. 

7 Schultz, Ronald D., PhD, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association 

Annual Conference, 1995. 

8 Day, Christopher, E.I., MRCVS Isopathic Prevention of Kennel Cough - 

Is Vaccination Justified International Journal of Veterinary Homeopathy, 

Vol. 2, number 2, 1987. Page 7 of 7 

9 Scheibner, Viera, PhD, Vaccination: The Medical Assault on the Immune 

System, Australian Print Group, Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, 

1993, p. 21. 

10 Dodds, 1995. 

11 Ibid. 

12 Scheibner 1993. 

13 Coulter, Harris, PhD, Vaccination, Social Violence and Criminality, 

North Atlantic Books, 1990. 

Dr. Schultz' one dose-95% (one dose of vaccine at a 

given age will successfully immunize 95% of animals) 

suggestions are as follows: 

• Canine Distemper (MLV) 10-12 weeks 

• Canine Parvovirus (MLV) 12-14 weeks 

• Feline Panleukopenia (non-inf. [killed] ) 10-12 

weeks 

Finally, a comment about vaccinations and choice. 

While the concept of 'owning' an animal is one with 

which I am uncomfortable, I do recognize that this is 

how the human-animal relationship is viewed from a 

legal perspective. Otherwise we certainly can be said 

to be guardians of our companion animals. Within this 

framework the choice about vaccination rests with the 

human who has accepted responsible guardianship. It 

does not rest with the veterinarian. Another trend of 

the past few years is coercion of guardians into procedures 

such as vaccination. This coercion may be blatant, 

such as refusal to provide services, even emergency 

care, unless the animal is 'current' on vaccines. 

Sometimes even critically ill animals are vaccinated 

upon admission for treatment. More subtle means include 

induction of fear and/or guilt by asserting (as an 

authority figure) that companion animals are at risk if 

not vaccinated yearly, and that failure to comply is evidence 

of lack of caring. Tactics such as this can create 

feelings of guilt in the guardian, leading to a fear based 

decision to vaccinate an animal that is not at risk. This 

is unethical if not outright malpractice and refusal is 

an acceptable response. As has been stated above, rabies 

vaccination is legally compulsive at one to three 

year intervals, so refusal is a legal risk. Fighting to 

change these laws, however, is appropriate. 

Promoting and Providing Natural Dog Care 

Through A Practical Understanding 

The Whole Dog was founded out of Dr Jeannie's passion for 

dogs and her desire to see them live longer, healthier lives. 

Her desire is to raise awareness and share with dog owners, 

and caregivers everywhere; helpful, effective information 

and education on natural, holistic, preventative health care 

to help extend the lives of our canine companions. 

www.thewholedog.org 


JeanE’s Bostons presents our Newest Champion! 

CERF – Clear 

BAER – Normal Hearing 

Cardiac – Normal 

AHT – HJC – Pending 

Sire: CH KC’s Son Of A Gun For JeanE Dam: CH ChriMaso & JeanE’s Tried Gold 

“KC” finished in just 4 months with limited showing. Judges commented on his gorgeous head and fluid movement. 

Fresh Cooled Shipped Semen available to approved bitches 

KC’s first puppies will be in the ring in 2010, watch for them at shows in Northern California! 

Bred and Owned by: Dr Jeannie (Jeanette) Thomason 

JeanE’s Boston Terriers - Naturally Reared for Health & Longevity Since 1986 

www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com January/February 2010 | 21 

www.jeanesbostons.com 

jeanesbostons@thewholedog.org

Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus 


The Controversial Canine 

There is a possible unknown epidemic currently developing in 

domestic dogs. This is a fairly unknown bacteria becoming more 

and more prevalent in breeding dogs and in breeding facilities. 

The Streptococcus bacteria are passed from the dam to the puppies 

via the birth canal. The Bitch may possibly contract the disease 

initially from an infected male. Type A Strep can be transmitted 

between human and animal but is very rarely an issue. 

The following excerpts are from an article published in the Journal 

of Zoo Animal Medicine in 1978 and I thought the similarities 

were striking with some of the issues we have been seeing of 

late within our natural rearing community. You will notice that 

the symptoms seem to be very common to those of what many of 

us have either experienced ourselves or have heard about 

through the experience of others. 

BETA- HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS ASSOCIATED 

WITH ENTERITIS IN A MALAYAN TAPIR 

J.M Jensen DVM 

This case describes a peracute death of a juvenile Malayan Tapir 

at the Oklahoma City Zoo. After months of optimal growth, this 

animal succumbed to acute bacterial enteritis. Beta hemolytic 

Streptococcus, klebsiella and E. Coli were the major organisms 

involved in this infection. 

The only other enteric issue this animal experienced was a case of 

strongyle type nematodes 5 months prior to its death. This was 

“successfully” treated with Thiabendazole 2 weeks apart. 

At 7 months of age this 158-pound Tapir appeared in peak health. 

However the following day the Tapir developed watery diarrhea, 

which was observed in the animal’s indoor swimming pool. Defecation 

usually happens in water but the change in consistency was 

noticed by one of the keepers. The animal was examined and 

found to be slightly hypothermic and lethargic. A Fecal sample 

was obtained but no parasites were found. The animal was 

treated for enteritis with neomycin and because of a lack of appetite; 

the animal was also given an injection of B vitamins and 

drenched with 1 part Karo Syrup and 3 parts water. The Tapir 

was kept out of the water and placed under a heat lamp. 

The next morning found the Tapir dead. The animal was necropsied. 

The animal had excellent flesh and good muscle mass. The 

lungs were inflamed showing gross signs of interstitial edema and 

the liver was congested showing fatty infiltration. 

The most striking post mortem observation, however, was in the 

gastrointestinal tract. Though the stomach and its contents 

looked normal, the intestinal tract from the duodenum to the 

cecum was severely hyperemic (engorged) the cecum mucosa was 

hyperemic and friable. Small amounts of watery feces filled the 

entire tract. The mesenteric blood vessels were markedly engorged 

and the mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged and pale. 

Bacterial cultures were taken from the lymph nodes duodenum, 

jejunum and cecum. E. Coli, Klebsiella grew in all the cultures. 

Group C Beta hemolytic strep. grew in the cecum and was the predominant 

bacteria cultured from the lymph node. 

My personal experience with Streptococcus was in 2003 in a Flat 

-coated retriever bitch and her 2 week old litter of 8 puppies. 

This litter presented symptoms slightly different than those of 

the tapir in that the puppies also had severe skin conditions. 

The skin was in such a terrible state that conventional Veterinarians 

had suggested that the puppies would be dead in a few 

days if very aggressive antibiotics were not administered immediately. 

Naturally (pun intended) we opted for other treatment 

options. We were very lucky at the time to have found a fantastic 

product called PLEOFORT/PLEONOT these are non-invasive 

homeopathic antibiotics that have saved the lives of hundreds of 

puppies since. 

Canine Streptococcus or S. Canis presentation can have a variety 

of symptom pictures. Strep is similar to staph infection but 

much more severe. Adults very rarely show outward signs of 

being infected. The Strep bacterium harbors in the vaginal tract 

and reproductive organs and is relatively harmless until the 

bitch is bred. Conception is difficult and usually ends in absorption 

of the fetuses or stillbirths if carried closer to term. If the 

bitch manages to gestate and have a relatively uneventful pregnancy, 

live puppies will exhibit mild to severe cases of wet eczematous 

sores. These boil like sores become infected and 

spread throughout the body. 

While sores are developing and spreading we also notice that 

the digestive tract digresses. Diarrhea is present in most if not 

all puppies and physical development is affected. 


In severe cases there are skeletal deformities such as in a 

litter of Great Danes that were born without tails or partial 

tails and another case of Chihuahuas that were also born 

without tails, a Dogue De Bordeaux litter where one single 

puppy was born with a deformed foot. None of these cases 

were identical in their symptom pictures. 

As with the Flat coat bitch, many cases treated homeopathically 

have very high success rates. Bathing of puppies in a 

concoction of lavender oil, calendula oil and lemon juice 

twice daily have also been successful. It is important NOT 

to allow the sores to mature and erupt on their own, as this 

is where the infection lies. Strep is highly contagious. The 

idea is to dry the sores out, this can be done simply by dabbing 

the infected sore with peroxide and then using the oils 

suggested above to heal them. In some instances Sulphur or 

Psorinum were successful. A remedy made from the Strep 

bacterium is also available. 

Puppies that do not have skin lesions but do have parvo like 

symptoms, such as diarrhea, will rarely survive without the 

understanding and subsequent treatment of the bacterial 

infection. 

Veterinarians often have very little knowledge of the disease 

and do not test for it. In fact most vets are unaware 

that Strep exists in domestic canines so knowledge of the 

necessary lab work is non-existent. 

So far the only positive test was done by a state Veterinary 

office in Arizona who generally only offers testing for diseases 

in large animals. 

Strep can be present if your dog has any problems or issues 

in any of the following areas; skin infections, wounds, subcutaneous 

infections, otitis externia, GU, genitourinary, repertory 

tract, skeletal, joints, bone marrow, teeth, peritoneal 

and others such as eyes, blood, viscera, oral cavities. 

After speaking to another breeder and homeopath about 

the incidence of Strep infections in Canines, Mary Marlow 

suggested that there appears to be a relationship between 

streptococcal infection and Vitamin A deficiency. This may 

be due to the considerable shortage or organ meats* in 

many raw diets. 

*It is not recommended to feed organ meats to puppies 

that are experiencing diarrhea, as organ meats will simply 

exasperate the issue. It is preferable to fed plenty of 

organ meats to the bitch prior to conception. 

Part II will explore Vitamin A deficiency in greater detail. 





Naturopathy. 



goat farm. 





You can also see her Italian Greyhounds at www.shaedenigs.com 


Cancer 

in our 

Pet Population 

Why is it on the rise 

Patricia Jordan 

DVM, CVA, CTCVH & Herbology 

Cancer in our pet population, why is it 

on the rise 

There are no requirements for veterinary 

medical doctors to collect and to 

report statistics of the different companion 

animal cancers. However, a review 

of the pet insurance records did 

show that of the four most common 

cancer in humans-breast, lung, prostate 

and colon, only breast cancer was common 

in dogs. Breast cancer occurs in 

cats less frequently than in dogs but 

when it does is > 90% malignant adenocarcinoma. 

For animals the most common tumors 

are soft tissue sarcomas, for example, 

in muscles, joint tissues and nerves. 

While the most common cancer in our 

companion animals, soft tissue sarcomas 

are found in less than 1 % of the 

human cancer patients. So, what are 

the differences between people and 

their pets 

If for discussion purposes we were to 

consider the later findings of the pet 

insurance records; that the most common 

tumors of companion animals are 

the soft tissue sarcomas. We could 

query as to why this fact occurs. 

We can agree that the lifespan of the 

companion animal is much less than 

the average life span of the human 

caretaker. In such, ten generations of a 

companion animal’s family line could 

possibly be experienced in the length 

of one generation of the human caretaker. 

In this way, generations of genetic 

damage can be acquired over a 

relatively short period of time. 

Not only do companion animals live a 

shorter lifespan, if they develop a malignant 

cancer the doubling time of the 

cancer mass is much shorter. Therefore, 

a malignant tumor can run the full 

course of cancer in a much shorter 

time. 

In many discussions, the cause of any 

cancer is unknown, as in human breast 

cancer. In 95% of human breast cancer 

cases the etiology or cause of the cancer 

remains unknown. However, the 

cause of soft tissue sarcomas in animals 

is now, well studied and now understood. 

The resultant findings of the 

Feline Vaccine Sarcoma Task Force 

show a clear correlation to vaccine administration 

and cancer formation. 

In l999 the WHO named the veterinary 

vaccine adjuvant a grade 3 out of 4 carcinogen, 

with 4 being the most carcinogenic. 

The adjuvant identified is aluminum 

hydroxide, a component of most 

of the currently used veterinary vaccines. 

An adjuvant used also in human 

vaccines. 

Adjuvant is not the only way to transmutate 

a body’s genome. Environmental 

poisons and toxins, viral oncogenes, 

proteins, drugs, nutritional deficiencies, 

hormones or mimickers and 

disruptors of hormones, geophysical 

forces, ultraviolet radiation, electromagnetic 

forces, we are finding out 

thousands of ways to cause genetic 

mutation. Protecting one’s DNA from 

transmutation is a current topic of 

health interest. Reversing damage done 

to the DNA an ongoing source of research 

funding 

What the research tells us is in animals 

is that adjuvant, in this case aluminum 

hydroxide, stimulates an inflammatory 

reaction and therefore creates oxidative 

stress that results in a mutation of 

the p53 suppressor gene. The p53 suppressor 

gene is supposed to help the 

body stop malignancies by suppressing 

tumor growth. When p53 is doing its 

correct job, it is a nuclear transcription 

regulator. The integrity of the genome 

is guarded by many policemen. However 

in this case, the result is a loss in 

translation so to speak. When a mutation 

of p53 occurs, malignant tumors 

results 

Not understanding gene theory and 

that the genetics of any individual is 

constantly up for change by the very 

nutrition we ingest and every stressors 

we are exposed to leads one to 

have a misunderstanding that it is 

difficult to mistune the genome of an 

weakened immune system……… even 

after birth. In this case there is no 

question as to the causation and effect; 

aluminum hydroxide often leaves its 

calling card in the biopsy specimens 

the telltale blue grey foreign body. The 

mark of the beast so to speak also 

claims the cancer as the result of the 

intrusion of this foreign substance. 


Now, this one example leads to the 

question and then the realization that 

not only the cat but other animals, the 

ferret and the dog all get vaccine injection 

site soft tissue sarcomas. Studies 

have shown the vaccine to have caused 

the sarcoma in the dog and the ferret. 

Cancers are found in injection sites that 

resulted from the vaccine, as well in 

other areas not directly the vicinity of 

the injection site. Not only are the soft 

tissue sarcomas from the vaccines, so 

are most of the other tumors as well. 

Documented cases of lymphoma have 

resulted in patients developing vaccine 

injection site fibrosarcomas. 

Once it is understood that the 

integrity of the genome has been 

compromised via immunosuppression, 

inflammation, adjuvant, 

modified live viruses, protein 

incorporation, poison or 

neurotoxin injection all , I repeat 

all of which occurs via the hypodermic 

inoculation at the time of 

vaccine administration, you 

must question the reason why 

vaccines are used so frequently 

if at all. 

Vaccination as we all are now 

aware is lacking in any scientific 

evidence for long term safety or 

studies that it does not produce 

chronic disease as a trade off for 

the missing acute disease. For 

that matter, we have no proof 

that the vaccines do not cause 

the bulk of every haywire out of 

control cancer cell growth that 

goes by unsuppressed. In this 

case we find the proof that vaccines 

can and do cause malignant 

cancer. 

The yearly administration of the 

“mumbo jumbo” that vaccine 

based veterinary practices all 

over the United States have 

made a custom and a burden to 

the companion owning public 

was never scientific nor even an 

evidence based medical procedure. 

In fact, the custom, because 

that is all this has turned 

out to be, was the unscientific, 

unresearched and unwarranted 

musings of a roundtable discussion 

among veterinarian members of the 

AVMA. We have no information what if 

any role the pharmaceutical companies 

manufacturing the vaccines may have 

played in those “musings”. 

This medical hubris and the consequences 

have yet to be fully realized. 

The unforeseen collateral damages 

done to our patients as of yet unacknowledged. 

Lacking any scientific validation, the 

veterinary medical institutions of our 

great nation essentially turned out veterinary 

doctors to work as needle jockeys. 

“Vaccination has 

proved to be a big 

business for the veterinary 

medical doctor 

and insures job security 

for the needle 

jockeys. Big Pharma 

and the vaccine makers 

also benefit, cancer 

treatment is big 


usiness. “ 

Many practices still use this cancer 

causing medical procedure even now, 

with recommendations to not vaccinate 

needlessly coming from the 

AVMA, AAHA and the AAFP. Without 

informed consent and without full disclosure, 

veterinary medical doctors in 

every state continue to burden the client 

with vaccination reminders and the 

patient with immune assault. Culpable 

responsibility against the veterinary 

medical doctor needs to be litigated. 

Medical hubris does not excuse the 

veterinary medical doctor whom vaccinates 

the patient presenting for some 

symptom or illness and is in fact a direct 

violation of the FDA regulations on 

the very use of biologic products. 

” you can’t always wait 

to have irrefutable scientific 

evidence before 

you have to take some 

sort of action, the vaccine 

associated sarcoma 

is a real phenomena 

and the cost 

of waiting and doing 

nothing is much 

greater than the cost 

of acting now” 

The consequential research preformed 

from our major veterinary vaccine researchers 

has proven the in vivo 

mutagenicity of vaccines, the generation 

of auto anti-bodies and autoimmune 

disease, the degenerative diseases, 

the endocrine diseases, neurotoxicity 

and seizures of vaccine administration, 

allergies, asthma and the continued 

evidence of cancer . All of the 

internal medicine cases we see are well 

described vaccine induced disease. 

Vaccination has proved to be a big 

business for the veterinary medical 

doctor and insures job security for the 

needle jockeys. Big Pharma and the 

vaccine makers also benefit, cancer 

treatment is big business. Having a diagnosis 

of cancer means expensive 

drugs, possibly surgery and chemotherapy 

if treated via conventional 

medicine. Don’t forget the surgeons, 

there has been over a 150% increase in 

young women diagnosed with breast 

cancer choosing bilateral mastectomies, 

the more surgically aggressive 

therapy. 

Now would be a good time to introduce 

the not so shocking recent admission of 

a Pharmaceutical CEO that any pharmaceutical 

or drug has at best 35% 

efficacy in the general population due 

to the genetic diversity within the human 

population. 35% effect is near 

placebo effect! Dr. Candace Pert in her 

CD “Your Body Is Your Subconscious 

Mind” will explain how no drug is effective 

long term and how the down regulation 

of the receptor of that drug has 

ultimately more serious consequences. 

An important paper published in the 

Journal of Clinical Oncology performs a 

met analysis entitled “The Contribution 

of Cytotoxic Chemotherapy in 5 year 

Survival in Adult Malignancies”. The 

objective of the paper was to accurately 

quantify and assess the actual 

benefit conferred by chemotherapy in 

the treatment of adults with the most 

common malignant cancers. All three 

of the authors are oncologists. One of 

the authors is also on an official body 

that advises the government in Australia 

on the suitability and efficacy of 

drugs that can be listed in the national 

Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule 

(roughly the equivalent of the United 

States FDA, Food and Drug Administration). 

The meticulous study determined 

that in Australia chemotherapy 

protocols were 2.3% effective and in 

the United States they were found to be 

2.1% effective. 

Chemotherapy is cell poisoning, but 

isn’t that already accomplished with 

the injection of the vaccine No the 

vaccine transmutates the genome and 

assaults the immune system. The treatment 

for this disease is often worse 

that the disease itself. A study took 

place among the pet owning clients of 

cancer victims, the “quantity” of time 

left for the cancer patient was not as 

important as the “quality”. Chemotherapy 

gives you neither. 

One veterinary medical doctor in Norway, 

using a one acupoint acupuncture 

technique to treat malignant breast 

cancer with over 75% success, has 

found that recovered cancer patients 

have approximately 12 substances in 

their blood, peptides that was not 

found in the blood of non recovered 

patients. His passion to follow this 

treatment option out met with little 

interest from the pharmaceutical companies. 

He had to self finance the testing 

of the substances. The substances 

are more effective in stopping growth 

in even in the Tamoxifen resistant 

breast cell cultures. How much money 

could be made off the use of the acupuncturist 

administering a one needle 

technique The substances in the blood 


of the woman receiving the acupuncture 

treatment are of great scientific 

importance; after all we are talking 

about the successful treatment of malignant 

cancer! 

If vaccines were not dangerous with 

adverse reactions and devastating 

health consequences, then they would 

not have originated a National Vaccine 

Injury Compensation Act. This is available 

for humans harmed by vaccines. 

The Veterinary Vaccine Injury Compensation 

Act has been called for by a pathologist 

at Colorado’s Veterinary 

Medical School. The same oncologist 

that sat on the Feline Injection Site Sarcoma 

Task Force and one whom has 

witnessed these sarcomas and the difficult 

and unsuccessful they are attempted 

to be treated. 

What needs to happen is that not only 

vaccine injury needs to be recognized 

and acknowledged, it needs to be reported. 

The owner has to be the proactive 

one for their pet’s benefit; it doesn’t 

look good for the profession carrying 

that banner. The medical hubris of 

both the medical and the veterinary 

profession needs to be done away with. 

Conventional treatment in not claiming 

victory for health, but perhaps that is 

the goal of conventional medicine, of 

whose foundation is in the business of 

drugs and vaccines and surgery. 

The treatment of cancer is not likely to 

be found in conventional medicine. The 

multilevel multifactorial causation 

made complex by the medical industrial 

complex will not find the answer. 

Conventional wisdom will not allow 

conventional medicine to find an answer 

to cancer because it would not be 

profitable to do so. As said by Albert 

Einstein “We can’t solve problems with 

the same thinking that created the 

problems”. Of course, we have to get 

the medical community to see the 

problem first. Getting everyone to see 

that the emperor is not wearing any 

clothes is a feat in itself. Getting medical 

doctors to stop a practice that feeds 

their wallet, well that it is what it is. 

Tearing at the profession who claims to 

be the “compassionate profession” may 

only be heard if there is another way to 

still get paid while enacting compassion. 

The privilege that comes with a 

license to practice medicine obviously 

comes with the right to cause harm and 

with no consequence when it is the 

standard of care within the profession. 

A wholistic approach is needed in order 

to address the disease in the 

“whole” population. TCM and Homeopathy 

are two important medical systems 

that attest to the presentation of 

the “individual”. Using an Integrative 

approach is also necessary. Only integrative 

practitioners integrate the being 

back into the mind-body-spirit trilogy 

of its personal picture and therefore 

it’s individual expression of this 

biological conflict. 

In closing, I would have the following 

words for the naysayer that they could 

have possibility been a part of this 

medical conspiracy to push the agenda 

of Big Pharma and have single handedly 

ruined the health of those very 

patient’s of whom were entrusted into 

their care 


Dr. Phillip Kass, at the Discussion 

among other Feline Injection Site Sarcoma 

Task Force, presented these 

words of wisdom from Sir Austin Bradford 

Hill from the l965 Proceedings of 

the Royal Society of Medicine 

” Finally in passing from association to 

causation I believe in “real life” we 

shall have to consider what flows from 

that decision. On scientific grounds we 

should no such thing but in another 

more practical sense we may surely 

ask what is involved in our decision. All 

scientific work is incomplete, whether 

it is observational or experimental. All 

scientific work is liable to be upset or 

modified by advancing knowledge. 

That does not confer on us a freedom 

to ignore the knowledge we already 

have or to postpone the action that it 

appears to demand at a given 

time”……… 

Dr. Phillip Kass continues with,.” you 

can’t always wait to have irrefutable 

scientific evidence before you have to 

take some sort of action, the vaccine 

associated sarcoma is a real phenomena 

and the cost of waiting and doing 

nothing is much greater than the cost 

of acting now.” 

As far as the need for action now, I 

point out one of the references from 

the Fallacy of Vaccination paper by 

Jonathan Pitcairn, 

Forty-Five Years of Registration Statistics, 

Proving Vaccination to Be both Useless 

and Dangerous, by Alfred R. Wallace. 

LL.D., second edition, London, 

1889, p. 38, Third Report of the [British] 

Royal Commission appointed to inquire 

into the subject of Vaccination, Minutes 

of Evidence, Government Publication, 

London, 1890, p. 34, q. 7713 

Well, that is the medical profession of 

whom I am not brethren. The veterinary 

profession can and needs to make 

the right directional move on this vac- 

cine debacle. To ignore this issue is to 

commit malpractice. If a member of the 

profession does not understand this, 

let him honor the Hippocratic Oath, 

adopted by the AVMA, 

The veterinary Hippocratic Oath upon 

most of our profession was sworn into 

the profession, professes 

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary 

medicine, I solemnly swear to 

use my scientific knowledge and skills 

for the benefit of society through the 

protection of animal health, the relief of 

animal suffering, the conservation of 

animal resources, the promotion of public 

health, and the advancement of medical 

knowledge. 

I will practice my profession conscientiously, 

with dignity, and in keeping with 

the principles of veterinary medical ethics. 

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual 

improvement of my professional 

knowledge and competence. 



Teacher Dogs 

Teacher Dogs is dedicated to the dogs that have brought 

us to this point in our lives, the turning point to natural 

rearing and raising of our beloved pets. These pets may 

have been with us only a short period but the lessons 

they brought last a lifetime. We want your stories. We 

will feature a special story in each edition of our 


Mustang 

I started looking for my second purebred when I was 19 

years old. (I had bought a beautiful little Yorkie earlier) As 

soon as I had finished college and knew that I was moving 

to a rental property that had over 100 acres. I had always 

had little mutts growing up and was so excited to be able to 

purchase my first LARGE dog. I spent a short period talking 

to Rottweiler breeders and then Bernese Mountain Dogs 

and Belgian Shepherds but my true love was the German 

Shepherd Dog. I visited hundreds of breeders in my area 

and some not so in my area. Eventually I found my breeder 

and settled in for the wait. The bitch that I decided on was 

spectacular, she was the daughter of a famous German dog 

that was number one in Europe two years in a row for 

Schutzhund competitions. I knew nothing about this type of 

training and competition but was extremely impressed although 

I was more impressed with the structure of the dog 

than anything else. Finally the litter was born and a little 

female was picked for me and home came “Mustang”. My 

awesome girl! We went everywhere together, did everything 

together. We started training in tracking, obedience, 

agility, and free style. Mustang was my window to behavior 

and training and she made it so enjoyable that I decided to 

pursue it on a professional level. She led me to a second 

education in animal behavior. She came with me to school 

and we taught each other positive reinforcement, we threw 

away choke collars together, we investigated jackpots. She 

hid under chairs in restaurants, hid behind doors in the 

cafeteria, hid under books and my jacket in the library and 

we loved every moment or our time together. While we 

were learning communication and respect for each other 

we were also learning about nutrition and health. She 

opened doors for people to tell me about ethoxyquin and 

BHA and BHT. We started attending seminars and lectures 

on the pet food scams and the problems with vaccines. As 

time went on we became well known in our part of the dog 

world for great things, like our therapy work, school programs, 

obedience demos and not so great things, like when 

Mustang decided to eat my pet duck and I thought she was a 

“killer” and I couldn’t understand why she would do such a 

thing! After all this was our pet duck! 

Mustang had her evil moments, like running over to the 

neighbor’s farm and playing with her pal Mickey. Mickey 

was a German shepherd also and not so dissimilar to Mustang, 

black and tan but with a thicker coat than Mustang. 

Unfortunately Mickey’s life was much less fulfilling than 

Mustangs. She spent most of her life tied to a chain in front 

of her house. She suffered from epilepsy, probably as result 

from being hit so many times by the cars she chased. Mustang 

went over on occasion to play with her and I am sure I 

could see the concern in Mustang’s eyes for her friend. 

On one particular occasion we had just come back from a 4- 

day camping trip. We pulled into the driveway and when I 

opened up the back of the van Mustang hopped out and 

looked up at me as if to say “ Can I go see how Mickey is” 

and at which I replied, “Okay go see Mickey”. So off she ran 

across the road to the neighbors. 

I finished unloading the van and came to the edge of the 

drive to call Mustang. We lived on a little dirt road with 

only our farm and the neighbor’s farm and so traffic was 

practically non-existent, well usually…As I called for Mustang; 

a blue truck pulling a matching boat started coming 

down our little dirt road going much faster than he should 

be. As I saw the truck coming I also saw Mustang coming 

down her “friend’s drive. I stood paralyzed. I couldn’t yell 

for Mustang to stop and I couldn’t move my body to run to 

her. I stood completely and absolutely paralyzed. I 

watched both Mustang running down the driveway and I 

watched the truck making a straight line towards her. Neither 

could see the other. In what seemed like an entire lifetime 

took only a few seconds. Mustang had hit the side of 

that truck and she was killed instantly. I was crushed. My 

life had been sucked out of my very own body. The truck 

kept on driving and there my little girl lay. I was in shock; I 

slumped over her body and lay beside her in the middle of 

the road for nearly 2 hours before I could find the strength 

to lift myself up. I wandered blurry-eyed back to the house. 

I ended up running as fast as I could because I didn’t want 

to leave her alone. I got a wheelbarrow and a blanket; I 

gingerly picked her up and gently placed her in the wheelbarrow 

and slowly brought her home, watching every bump 

to make sure as to not disturb her. All the while not ONE 


single car drove down that road!! I put her in the garage 

and waited for her to wake up. I was stupefied, devastated, 

I was in another world, words cannot explain. I did not 

leave her that night; I wanted to be there when she came to. 

Even though part of me knew she was dead, there was a 

very different part of me that just could not believe it. It 

was very surreal. 

She was my first tragic loss; human or animal. 

The next morning I wrapped her in a blanket and drove her 

to the local vet. I had her cremated. When I picked her up 

in her new “home” I heard her bones rattling inside the urn 

and I asked if they had put pennies inside it! I had no idea 

that there would be anything other than ashes. 

I live thousands of miles from that little country road now 

but for many years after I left I would visit, I could never 

travel down that road without breaking down in the most 

profound way. Even as I am telling this story my heart 

aches and tears roll down my cheeks. 

Mustang taught me to appreciate what you have and never 

take things for granted. She taught me not to be judgemental 

and that accidents can and do happen even to the 

most cautious and conscientious of people. ( I once turned 

away a puppy buyer because they told me they lost a dog is 

a traffic accident!) Mustang taught me about Karma and my 

higher self. I experienced things with her that I never experienced 

with any other dog before or since. 

She taught me about loyalty, devotion and commitment. 

RIP Mustang you will be greatly missed 

Animals Taught Me That is an encouraging 

memoir and detailed account of how veterinary 

naturopath Dr. Kim Bloomer 

learned all the most important lessons life 

has for us through the love and friendship 

of God’s creatures. 

From her earliest childhood memories 

with animals to her current beloved dog, 

Shadrach the Neo Mastiff, Dr. Kim shares 

with her readers how God has used His 

creatures to teach her the life lessons we 

need to grow in character and integrity. 

To learn more about the book please visit 

www.AnimalsTaughtMeThat.com 

Submitted by Erika Phillips 

To purchase the book please visit 

www.AnimalsTaughtMeThat.net 

Please submit your Teacher Dogs articles to 

teacherdogs@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 


Training and Behavior 

Choosing a Training Curriculum 

By Lynne Peeples, Scienceline 

No more crying wolf 

JonBee jumps up at Cesar Millan, his 

sharp teeth snapping repeatedly. 

Millan calmly yanks on the leash and 

pulls the wolf-like Korean Jindo 

away. This continues for over a minute, 

with Millan’s face remaining undisturbed 

and JonBee’s owners gasping 

on the other side of the living 

room. Finally, the dog shows a moment 

of weakness. Millan quickly 

pins him to the floor and rolls him 

onto his side. Millan’s calmness 

seems to be reflected in the dog now 

lying frozen in submission. 

Every Friday night, troubled American 

dogs undergo a seemingly miraculous 

transformation on national 

television. The magician is Cesar Millan, 

better known as the “Dog Whisperer.” 

He is the current face of dog 

training, and he has brought 

“dominance theory,” an age-old 

training technique, back into canine 

conversation and practice. 

To understand how to control a dog’s 

behavior, according to Millan, one 

needs to look at the hierarchy of wolf 

packs. Domestic dog owners must 

confidently carry the title of “pack 

leader” and assume power over their 

pets. 

But many dog trainers and behavior 

experts criticize the show, advocating 

a gentler approach to training 

that replaces coercion and physical 

behavior corrections with food rewards 

and other forms of positive 

reinforcement. They point to new 

studies that have placed the two 

popular dog-training methods headto-head 

and almost universally 

shown positive training to be more 

successful than punitive methods in 

reducing aggression and disobedience. 

Millan may have the ratings, they 

argue, but purely positive trainers 

have the science. 

Millan’s concept of dominance is 

based on an old understanding of the 

behavior of wolves. In the 1960s, 

researchers observed that wolves 

formed large packs in which certain 

individuals beat out others to earn 

“top dog” status. These were called 

“alphas.” Millan contends that a dog 

displaying aggression is trying to 

establish dominance and attain alpha 

status, much like its ancestors. He 

advises humans to take on this position 

themselves, forcefully if necessary, 

to keep the dog in a submissive 

role. 

Dog trainers whose practices are 

grounded in these concepts, such as 

the late Bill Koehler and Captain Arthur 

Haggerty, have dominated the 

business for most of the past halfcentury. 

But as David Mech, an expert 

on wolf behavior at the University 

of Minnesota, points out, the 

early wolf research — much of it his 

own — was done on animals living in 

captivity. 

Mech has been studying wolves for 

50 years now, yet only over the past 

decade has he gotten a clear picture 

of these animals in their natural 

habitats. And what he’s found is far 

from the domineering behavior 

popularized by Millan. “In the wild it 

works just like it does in the human 

family,” says Mech. “They don’t have 

to fight to get to the top. When they 

mature and find a mate they are at 

the top.” In other words, wolves 

don't need to play the “alpha” game 

to win. 

In the 1980s, around the same time 

that our understanding of wolves 

began to change, positive dogtraining 

methods slowly emerged 

from the fringes and grew in popularity. 

A tug-of-war continues today 

between dog trainers practicing predominantly 

positive reinforcement 

and those using punishment-based 

techniques. 

Nicholas Dodman, director of the 

Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University, 

is one of the leading proponents 

of positive training methods. 

He believes the source of most bad 

behavior, especially owner-directed 

aggression, is mistrust and recommends 

rebuilding a dog’s trust by 

“making sure that the dog understands 

that all good things in life 

come only and obviously from you.” 

To get those things — whether food 

or basic attention — the dog must 

learn to please you first. 

But others see these techniques as 

little more than pampering borne out 

of lax and inappropriate attitudes 

toward pets that have recently come 

into vogue. “In the last ten to fifteen 

years it’s become, ‘don’t ever say ‘No’ 

to your dog; don’t ever punish dogs,’” 

says Babette Haggerty, who is carrying 

on her father’s dominance-based 

teaching at Haggerty’s School for 

Dogs in Manhattan. “I think people 

are coddling dogs more than ever 

before.” 

But in 2004, “The Dog Whisperer” — 

Millan's doggy psych 101 — premiered 

on the National Geographic 

Channel, and the momentum mount- 


ing in the positive direction was stymied. 

“In America, we [had begun] 

using human psychology on dogs,” 

Millan says in an email. “What was 

needed was for humans to learn dog 

psychology.” 

Perils of punishment 

Many veterinary behaviorists believe 

punishment-based techniques, like 

those seen on the show, could come 

back to bite dog owners. The National 

Geographic Channel even 

posts a warning on the screen during 

each episode: “Do not attempt these 

techniques yourself without consulting 

a professional.” 

According to a paper in the May 

2009 issue of the Journal of Veterinary 

Behavior: Clinical Applications 

and Research, attempts to assert 

dominance over a dog can increase a 

dog’s aggression. Researchers from 

the University of Bristol in the United 

Kingdom studied dogs in a shelter 

for six months, while also reanalyzing 

data from previous studies of 

feral dogs. Their findings support 

those of the Mech at the University of 

Minnesota: dogs don’t fight to get to 

the top of a “pack.” Rather, violence 

appears to be copycat behavior — 

something borne of nurture, not nature. 

“If your timing is lousy 

using positive 

reinforcement, the worst 

thing that happens is you 

get a fat dog.” 

In another recent study, around 25 

percent of owners using confrontational 

training techniques reported 

aggressive responses from their 

dogs. “The source of dog aggression 

has nothing to do with social hierarchy, 

but it does, in fact, have to do 

with fear,” says Meghan Herron, a 

veterinarian at The Ohio State University 

and lead author of the study 

published in the January 2009 issue 

of Applied Animal Behavior Science. 

“These dogs are acting aggressively 

as a response to fear.” 

Dogs react physiologically to stress 

and fear in the same way people do, 

with hormones. Two 2008 studies 

out of Hungary and Japan showed, 

respectively, that concentrations of 

the stress hormone cortisol increased 

in dogs that were strictly 

disciplined and that levels were 

linked to elevation of aggressive behavior. 

What’s more, an Irish study 

found that physically or verbally reprimanding 

a dog with a history of 

biting people was one of the significant 

predictors of a subsequent bite. 

The results were published in April 

2008 in Applied Animal Behavior Science. 

“[All these studies] confirm what 

many of us have said for a long time,” 

says Pat Miller, owner of Peaceable 

Paws dog and puppy training in 

Hagerstown, Maryland. “If you use 

aggression in training your dog, 

you’re likely to elicit aggression 

back.” 

Paybacks of positive reinforcement 

Before practicing professionally as a 

dog trainer, Jolanta Benal of Brooklyn, 

New York, learned the difference 

between positive and punitive methods 

personally. 

Her dog, Mugsy, had an attraction to 

men in uniform. Whether they were 

wearing UPS brown or U.S. Postal 

Service blue, Benal's bulldog would 

lunge at them on the street. So she 

hired a highly recommended dog 

trainer to try to correct this behavior. 

“He would set Mugsy up to do offending 

behavior, and then throw a 

can full of pennies at the dog,” she 

says. “It was a traditional old school 

technique. And it worked to suppress 

the problem behavior — at least in 

the moment.” Mugsy’s unhealthy 

obsession with the postal workers, 

however, did not go away. Even if he 

didn’t always jump at the UPS guy on 

a walk-by, says Benal, he wasn’t 

happy to see him either. 

Benal then traded in for a new 

trainer that brought chicken instead 

of coins. As the man in uniform approached, 

Benal was now instructed 

to distract Mugsy by giving him the 

treat. And it worked. After several 

times, the dog would look to her in 

expectation, rather than towards the 

uniform-clad men in alarm. “For the 

last year of his life, he was an angel,” 

says Benal. “It was amazing the 

changes it brought.” 

Millan argues that using food to coax 

dogs may be impractical: “It can result 

in an addiction to treats or an 

overweight dog,” he says in an email. 

However, Dodman of Tufts University 

explains that trainers only give 

food at the beginning of training. 

After a period of time, owners should 

reward intermittently, reinforcing 

the response. “If every time you 

played the lottery you won money, 

then the excitement wouldn’t be 

there anymore,” says Dodman. “The 


thrill for the dog is ‘Will I get a treat 

this time’” Back-aches from stooping 

low to feed a dog, or the added 

cost of extra chicken or doggy treats, 

he believes, are far less dreadful than 

the anxiety and altered relationships 

caused by the punitive alternative. 

Dodman has some data to back him 

up. In February 2004, a paper in 

Animal Welfare by Elly Hiby and colleagues 

at the University of Bristol 

compared the relative effectiveness 

of the positive and punitive methods 

for the first time. The dogs became 

more obedient the more they were 

trained using rewards. When they 

were punished, on the other hand, 

the only significant change was a 

corresponding rise in the number of 

bad behaviors. 

A series of more recent papers also 

support Dodman’s theory and Hiby’s 

results. A study published in the October 

2008 issue of Journal of Veterinary 

Behavior found that positive 

reinforcement led to the lowest average 

scores for fear and attentionseeking 

behaviors, while aggression 

scores were higher in dogs of owners 

who used punishment. Another 2008 

study, this one published in Applied 

Animal Behavior Science, found that 

positive training methods resulted in 

better performances than punishment 

for Belgian military dog handlers. 

Bridging the differences in dogma 

It’s hard to argue that the slow, patient 

techniques used in positive reinforcement 

would elicit the same 

dramatic moments seen on Cesar 

Millan’s show. “There’s a big difference 

between looking at behavior as 

a ‘Stop that’ versus a ‘Here’s what I 

want,’” says Bruce Blumberg, a professor 

of dog psychology at the Harvard 

Extension School. “Positive reinforcement 

is a different mindset. 

And it’s one that doesn’t work quite 

as well on TV.” 

Dodman is one of many people who 

have asked the National Geographic 

Channel to discontinue “The Dog 

Whisperer,” consistently one of the 

highest-rated shows on the network. 

The American Humane Association 

issued a press statement in 2006 

asking for a cancellation because of 

what they suggested were abusive 

techniques used by Millan. More recently, 

the American Veterinary Society 

of Animal Behavior issued a position 

statement in which it expresses 

concern “with the recent reemergence 

of dominance theory and forcing 

dogs and other animals into submission 

as a means of preventing 

and correcting behaviors.” 

Millan defends his methods, asserting 

they “use the minimum force 

necessary to prevent or correct a 

problem.” According to the dog rehabilitator, 

he can “redirect the behavior 

of most of my pack with just my 

body language, eye contact and energy.” 

He points to the “thousands 

upon thousands of letters” he receives 

from viewers touting 

“miracles” of restored relationships 

and saved dogs. “All I want is 

what is best for the animal,” Millan 

says. 

Despite the controversy, there is a 

lot that everyone agrees on. Both 

sides of the training spectrum teach 

that a lack of discipline or structure 

is not conducive to a well-behaved 

dog. “Dogs need direction and 

boundaries, just like human relationships,” 

says Haggerty, the trainer 

from the School for Dogs in Manhattan, 

which uses dominance theory. 

“If dogs don’t know what the 

boundaries are, they will wreak 

havoc.” 

How a dog owner projects those 

boundaries is also important. “You 

have to be calm, you have to be clear, 

you have to be consistent, and you 

have to make sure you meet your 

pet’s needs for other things: exercise, 

play, social interaction,” says Herron 

of The Ohio State University. 

So what does an owner do when a 

calm and structured environment 

still breeds a misfit pup like JonBee 

Should it be the leash and hand that 

redirects the dog, or poultry and patience 

Current science favors the 

chicken flavor. But whichever strategy 

you choose, everyone agrees that 

the timing must be precise. It is very 

difficult for a dog to make an appropriate 

association and learn from the 

reprimand or reward otherwise. 

Of course, if you take Blumberg’s 

Harvard class, he'll tell you, “If your 

timing is lousy using positive reinforcement, 

the worst thing that happens 

is you get a fat dog.” 

This article is provided by Scienceline, a 

project of New York University's Science, 

Health and Environmental Reporting Program. 

Lynne Peeples (www.lynnepeeples.com) 

lives in New York City, and has written for 

Scientific American online and Audubon 

Magazine. 


Submitted by Roberta Jamieson 

Lepus Perm. Reg’d Whippets (1976) & Italian Greyhounds (1991) 

When you have a litter on its way, or just born, be sure to 

have the following on hand as soon as possible: 

Several bags of Lactated Ringers solution for giving Sub- 

Cutaneous fluids (Sub Q fluids). If the pups are large 

breed and if it is a large litter I would say at least ten 

bags, but for toy breeds , 3 or 4 bags total should do for a 

couple days. Included with this you will need at least 

two to three lines and many #20 or 22 gauge sharps (I 

prefer the #20 to #22, as the fluid will enter under the 

skin faster). You can inject the ringers via syringe, if you 

can’t get the IV type line from your vet. Remember that 

if you are giving sub Q fluids the bag must be warmed 

to body temperature: this is extremely important. Do 

this by placing the bag in a bowl of hot tap water for a 

few minutes until the bag fluids feel warm to the touch; 

and remember if you are using an IV type line, that the 

bag must be hung higher than the puppy laying in your 

lap for good flow. The fluid will slightly cool on its way 

down the line, so warming the bag slightly higher than 

body temp is a good idea. Cold sub Q Fluids could make 

a pup go into shock, especially when you are trying to 

keep sick puppies warm. 

Have lots of syringes or large eyedroppers to give oral 

fluids. 

Plain Pedialyte (available at most pharmacies) 

Colloidal Silver (available from most health food stores, 

although it's best to buy a CS maker to make your own.) 

Herbal tinctures: oregon grape tincture, astragalus, ecchinacea 

( I mix the Pedialyte half and half with colloidal 

silver, and I add about 4 drops of each of oregon grape 

tincture, astragalus tincture & echinacea tincture) This 

is given orally. I will give the 50:50 Pedialyte/CS mix as 

an enema if the puppy is not keeping the fluids down 

well. If they don't keep the enema in, then I immediately 

start sub Q fluids with the above ringers solution. You 

can also use oil of oregano, however it is not taken well 

by sick puppies (it is very strong and may interfere with 

homeopathy if you choose to use it). 

Keep aconite 30c and Australian Bush Flower Emergency 

Essence (aka ABFE Emergency Essence) on 

hand. Aconite is to be given to all pups the minute you 

suspect the first puppy is sick. My rule of thumb is that if 

one is acting a little off (sleepier than normal) with some 

foamy vomit or diarrhea, assume it is parvo. After the 

aconite is used, you should use the ABFE Emergency 

Essence two to 3 times a day for mildly sick pups. If the 

puppies become very ill and are in need of Sub Q fluids 

(i.e. they will not take or hold oral/enema fluids), then 

increase the ABFE Emergency Essence to every hour or 

two dosing. 

It is important that all affected puppies are kept separate 

from the litter in a secure area (such as an X-pen). The 

puppies must be near a heat source and their enclosure 

must prevent drafts. 

Some of those things are more important to have on hand 

than others (i.e. some people prefer to treat straight homeopathically 

rather than with herbal tincture, CS or the 

like). The main thing is to prevent the pups from having 

shock, dehydration and pain. The ABFE Emergency Essence 

is for shock and pain, and the aconite is for the initial body 

shock of the illness, and can help prepare and prevent the 

rest of the litter from getting very ill once the first puppy 

starts showing signs of illness. The extremely important 

things to have on hand (and to know how to use/give) are 

the lactated ringers, syringes or eyedroppers, Pedialyte, the 

aconite 30C or ABFE Emergency Essence (or a homeopathy 

kit and knowledge on how/when to use) and a draft free 

and warm location for the puppies. 

If you would like to contribute to Reader Submissions, please send your 

article to readersubmission@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 


The Immune System and Disease Resistance 

By W. Jean Dodds, DVM* 

Reprinted with permission 

Hemopet, 938 Stanford Street, Santa 

Monica, California 90403 

This article discusses the essential role 

of the immune system in maintaining 

the body's overall general health and 

resistance to disease. The focus will be 

on environmental factors or events 

which may cause or trigger immune 

dysfunction leading to either immune 

deficiency or immune stimulation 

(reactive or autoimmunity). Related to 

these events is the development of 

cancer which is a disruption of cell 

growth control. 

Overview of the Immune System 

Immune competence is provided and 

maintained by two cellular systems 

which involve lymphocytes. Lymphocytes 

are cells produced by the body's 

primary (bone marrow and thymus) 

and secondary (lymph nodes and 

spleen) lymphatic organs. They are 

descendants of the 

bone marrow's 

pool of stem cells, 

and produce a circulating 

or humoral 

immune system 

derived from B- 

cells (bursadependent 

or bone 

marrow derived), 

and a cellular or 

cell-mediated immune 

system that 

derives from T-cells 

(thymus dependent). 

such as IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE. 

These antibodies provide an important 

defense mechanism against disease in 

healthy individuals but can become 

hyperactive or hypoactive in a variety 

of disease states. Hyperactive or increased 

levels of immunoglobulins can 

occur in two ways: acutely, as a reaction 

to disease or inflammatory insult 

("acute phase" reaction); or chronically, 

as in autoimmune or immunemediated 

diseases, chronic infections, 

and certain types of bone marrow and 

organ cancers. Hypoactive or decreased 

levels of immunoglobulins can 

result from rare genetically based 

immunodeficiency states such as 

agammaglobulinemia or hypogammaglobulinemia, 

and from the immune 

suppression associated with 

chronic viral, bacterial, or parasitic 

infection, cancers, aging, malnutrition, 

drugs, toxins, pregnancy, lactation, 

and stress. 

T-cell Immunity 

T-cell, or cell-mediated immunity is the 

cellular mechanism whereby T-cells act 

as coordinators and effectors of the 

immune system. Cell-mediated immunity 

involves the lymph nodes, thymus, 

spleen, intestine (gut-associated lymphoid 

tissue), tonsils, and a mucosal 

secretary immunity conveyed by IgA. 

The major classes of T-cells are designated 

as helper, cytotoxic, and suppressor 

cells. The helper cells "help" 

coordinate the immune response 

whereas the cytotoxic cells comprise 

the effector network that participates 

in removing virus-infected cells from 

the body. The third class of suppressor 

T-cells is important in dampening the 

immune response when it becomes 

overactive or out of regulatory control. 

Finally, cooperation between the various 

T-cell classes and between T- and 

B-cells is an important component of 

the normal humoral and cellular immune 

response. Hyperactive cellular 

immune responses produce autoimmune 

and other immune-mediated 

diseases while hypoactive cellmediated 

immunity causes immune 

B-Cell Immunity 

B-cell immunity 

includes the circulating 

antibodies or 

immunoglobulins 


suppression and incompetence. Classical 

examples of this latter situation 

occur with retroviral infection such as 

human AIDS or the animal equivalents 

(e.g. feline immunodeficiency 

virus, feline leukemia virus, bovine 

leukemia virus, equine infectious 

anemia). 

Introduction to Autoimmune Diseases 

The term "autoimmunity" literally 

means immunity against self and is 

caused by an immune-mediated reaction 

to self-antigens (i.e. failure of selftolerance). 

Susceptibility to autoimmune 

disease has a genetic basis in 

humans and animals. Numerous viruses, 

bacteria, chemicals, toxins, and 

drugs have been implicated as the triggering 

environmental agents in susceptible 

individuals. This mechanism 

operates by a process of molecular 

mimicry and/or non-specific inflammation. 

The resultant autoimmune diseases 

reflect the sum of the genetic 

and environmental factors involved. 

Autoimmunity is most often mediated 

by T-cells or their dysfunction. As 

stated in a recent review, "perhaps the 

biggest challenge in the future will be 

the search for the environmental 

events that trigger self-activity" (Sinha, 

Lopez and McDevitt; Science, 248: 

1380, 1990). Table 1 lists factors commonly 

associated with autoimmune 

diseases. 

The four main causative factors of 

autoimmune disease have been stated 

to be: Genetic predisposition; Hormonal 

influences, especially of sex hormones; 

Infections, especially of viruses; 

and Stress. 

Immune-Suppressant Viruses 

Immune-suppressant viruses of the 

retrovirus and parvovirus classes have 

recently been implicated as causes of 

bone marrow failure, immunemediated 

blood diseases, hematologic 

malignancies (lymphoma and leukemia), 

dysregulation of humoral and cell 

-mediated immunity, organ failure 

(liver, kidney), and autoimmune endocrine 

disorders especially of the thyroid 

gland (thyroiditis), adrenal gland 

(Addison's disease), and pancreas 

(diabetes). Viral disease and recent 

vaccination with single or combination 

modified live-virus vaccines, especially 

those containing distemper, adenovirus 

1 or 2, and parvo virus are increasingly 

recognized contributors to immune-mediated 

blood disease, bone 

marrow failure, and organ dysfunction. 

Genetic predisposition to these 

disorders in humans has been linked to 

the leucocyte antigen D-related gene 

locus of tile major histocompatibility 

complex, and is likely to have parallel 

associations in domestic animals. 

Drugs associated with aggravating immune 

and blood disorders include the 

potentiated sulfonamides 

(trimethoprim-sulfa and ormetoprimsulfa 

antibiotics), the newer combination 

or monthly heartworm preventives, 

and anticonvulsants, although 

any drug has the potential to cause 

side-effects in susceptible individuals. 

Immune Deficiency Diseases 

Immune deficiency diseases sire a 

group of disorders in which normal 

host defenses against disease are impaired. 

These include disruption of the 

body's mechanical barriers to invasion 

(e.g. normal bacterial flora; the eye 

and skin; respiratory tract cilia); defects 

in non-specific host defenses 

(e.g. complement deficiency; functional 

white blood cell disorders), and 

defects in specific host defenses (e.g. 

immunosuppression caused by pathogenic 

bacteria, viruses and parasites; 

combined immune deficiency; IgA deficiency; 

growth hormone deficiency). 

Thyroid Disease and the Immune System 

Thyroid dysfunction is the most frequently 

recognized endocrine disorder 

of the dog. The most common form of 

canine thyroid disease is autoimmune 

thyroiditis (equivalent to Hashimoto's 

disease of humans), which is a familial 

autoimmune disease of inherited predisposition. 

As the thyroid gland regulates 

metabolism of all body cellular 

functions, reduction of thyroid function 

leading to hypothyroidism can 

produce a wide range of clinical manifestations 

(Table 2). 

Because so many of the clinical signs of 

thyroid dysfunction mimic symptoms 

resulting from other causes, it is difficult 

to make an accurate diagnosis of 

thyroid-related illness without appropriate 

veterinary laboratory tests combined 

with an experienced professional 

interpretation of the test results. 

More specific details about the 

accurate diagnosis of thyroid disease 

can be found in the literature cited at 


the end of this article. 

Genetic Screening for Thyroid Disease 

Complete baseline thyroid panels and 

thyroid antibody tests can be used for 

genetic screening of apparently healthy 

animals to evaluate their fitness for 

breeding. Any dog having circulating antithyroid 

auto antibodies can eventually 

develop clinical symptoms of thyroid 

disease or be susceptible to other autoimmune 

diseases because their immune 

system is l breeding stock. 

Thyroid testing for genetic screening 

purposes is unlikely to be meaningful 

before puberty. Screening is initiated, 

therefore, once healthy dogs and bitches 

have reached sexual maturity (between 

10-14 months in males and during the 

first anestrous period for females following 

their maiden heat). Anestrus is a 

time when the female sexual cycle is 

quiescent thereby removing any influence 

of sex hormones on baseline thyroid 

function. This period generally begins 

12 weeks from the onset of the previous 

heat and lasts 1 month or longer. 

The interpretation of results from baseline 

thyroid profiles in intact females is 

more reliable when they are tested in 

anestrus. Thus, testing for health screening 

is best performed at 12-16 weeks 

following the onset of the previous heat. 

Screening of intact females for other 

parameters like vWD, hip dysplasia, inherited 

eye disease, and wellness or reproductive 

checkups should also he 

scheduled in anestrus. 

Once the initial thyroid profiles are obtained, 

dogs and bitches should be rechecked 

on an annual basis to assess 

their thyroid and overall health. Annual 

results provide comparisons for early 

recognition of developing thyroid dysfunction. 

This permits treatment intervention, 

where indicated, to avoid the 

appearance or advancement of clinical 

signs associated with hypothyroidism. 

For optimal health, young dogs under 

15-18 months of age should have 

thyroid baseline levels in the upper half 

of the adult normal ranges. This is because 

puppies and adolescent dogs require 

higher levels of thyroid hormones 

as they are still growing and maturing. 

Similarly, older animals beyond 8 or 9 

years of age have slower metabolisms 

and so baseline thyroid levels of normal 

(euthyroid) dogs may be slightly below 

midrange. For optimum thyroid function 

of breeding stock, levels should be close 

to the midpoint of the laboratory normal 

ranges, because lower levels may be indicative 

of the tarry stages of thyroiditis 

among relatives of dog families previously 

documented to have thyroid disease. 

The difficulty in accurately diagnosing 

early thyroid disease is compounded by 

the fact that some patients with typical 

clinical signs of hypothyroidism have 

circulating thyroid levels within the normal 

range. A significant number of these 

patients will improve clinically when 

given thyroid medication. In such cases, 

blood levels of the hormones can be normal 

but tissue levels are inadequate to 

maintain health, and so, the patient 

shows clinical signs of hypothyroidism. 

This situation pertains in selenium deficiency 

(discussed below). While animals 

in this category should respond well to 

thyroid medication, only experienced 

clinicians are likely to recognize the need 

to place these dogs on a 6-8 week clinical 

trial of thyroid supplementation. This 

approach is safe and clinically appropriate, 

but it requires rechecking blood levels 

of thyroid hormones towards the end 

of the 6-8 week period to assure that the 

patient is receiving the correct dose of 

medication. 

Other Factors Influencing Thyroid Metabolism 

Because animals with autoimmune thyroid 

disease have generalized metabolic 

imbalance and often have associated 

immunological dysfunction, it is advisable 

to minimize their exposures to unnecessary 

drugs, toxins, and chemicals, 

and to optimize their nutritional status 

with healthy balanced diets. Wholesome 

nutrition is a key component of maintaining 

a healthy immune system. In our 

experience, families of dogs susceptible 

to thyroid and other autoimmune diseases 

show generalized improvement in 

health and vigor when fed premium cereal-based 

diets preserved naturally with 

vitamins E and C (without the addition of 

chemical antioxidant preservatives such 

as BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin). Fresh 

home-cooked vegetables with herbs, 

low fat dairy products, and meats such 

as lamb, chicken, and turkey can he 

added as supplements. Challenging the 

immune system of animals susceptible 

to these disorders with polyvalent modified-live 

vaccines has been associated 

with adverse effects in some cases. 

Table 1 lists other agents that should be 

avoided in susceptible or affected animals. 

Nutritional influences can have a profound 

effect on thyroid metabolism. For 

example, iodine deficiency in areas 


where cereal grain crops are grown on 

iodine-deficient soil will impair thyroid 

metabolism because this mineral is essential 

for formation of thyroid hormones. 

Recently an important link has been 

shown between selenium deficiency and 

hypothyroidism. Again, cereal grain 

crops grown on selenium-deficient soil 

will contain relatively low levels of selenium. 

While commercial pet food manufacturers 

compensate for variations in 

basal ingredients by adding vitamin and 

mineral supplements, it is difficult to 

determine optimum levels for so many 

different breeds of dogs having varying 

genetic backgrounds and metabolic 

needs. The selenium-thyroid connection 

has significant clinical relevance, because 

blood levels of total and free T4 rise with 

selenium deficiency. However, this effect 

does not get transmitted to the tissues 

as evidenced by the fact that blood levels 

of the regulatory thyroid stimulating 

hormone (TSH) are also elevated or unchanged. 

Thus, selenium-deficient individuals 

showing clinical signs of hypothyroidism 

could be overlooked on the basis 

that blood levels of T4 hormones appeared 

normal. The selenium issue is 

further complicated because chemical 

antioxidants can impair the bioavailability 

of vitamin A, vitamin E and selenium 

and alter cellular metabolism by inducing 

or lowering cytochrome p-450, glutathione 

peroxidase (a seleniumdependent 

enzyme), and prostaglandin 

levels. As manufacturers of many premium 

pet foods began adding the synthetic 

antioxidant, ethoxyquin, in the late 

1980's, its effects along with those of 

other chemical preservatives (BHA. BHT), 

are surely detrimental over the long 

term. The way to avoid this problem is to 

use foods preserved with natural antioxidants 

such as vitamin E and vitamin C. 

Immunological Effects of Vaccines 

Combining viral antigens, especially 

those of modified live virus (MLV) type 

which multiply in the host, elicits a 

stronger antigenic challenge to the animal. 

This is often viewed as desirable 

because a more potent immunogen presumably 

mounts a more effective and 

sustained immune response. However, 

it can also overwhelm the immunocompromised 

or even a healthy host that is 

continually bombarded with other environmental 

stimuli and has a genetic predisposition 

that promotes adverse response 

to viral challenge. This scenario 

may have a significant effect on the recently 

weaned young puppy that is 

placed in a new environment. 

Furthermore, while the frequency of 

vaccinations is usually spaced 2-3 weeks 

span, some veterinarians have advocated 

vaccination once a week in stressful 

situations. To me, this practice 

makes no sense from a scientific or medical 

perspective. While young puppies 

exposed this frequently to vaccine antigens 

may not demonstrate overt adverse 


effects, their relatively immature immune 

systems may he temporarily or 

more permanently harmed from such 

antigenic challenges. Consequences in 

later life may be the increased susceptibility 

to chronic debilitating diseases. 

Some veterinarians trace the increasing 

current problems with allergic and immunological 

diseases to the introduction 

of MLV vaccines some 20 years ago. 

While other environmental factors no 

doubt have a contributing role, the introduction 

of these vaccine antigens and 

their environmental shedding may provide 

the final insult that exceeds the immunological 

tolerance threshold of some 

individuals in the pet population 

Vaccine Dosage 

Manufacturers of MLV combination vaccines 

recommend using the same dose 

for animals of all ages and different 

sizes. It has never made any sense to 

vaccinate toy and giant breed puppies (to 

choose two extremes) with the same 

vaccine dosage. While these products 

provide sufficient excess of antigen for 

the average sized animal, it is likely to be 

either too much for the toy breeds or 

too little for the giant breeds. In addition, 

combining certain specific viral antigens 

such as distemper with adenovirus 2 

(hepatitis) has been shown to influence 

the immune system by reducing lymphocyte 

numbers and responsiveness. 

Hormonal State During Vaccination 

Relatively little attention has been paid 

to the hormonal status of the patient at 

the time of vaccination. While veterinarians 

and vaccine manufacturers are 

aware of the general rule not to vaccinate 

animals during any period of illness, 

the same principle should apply to times 

of physiological hormonal change. This 

is particularly important because of the 

known role of hormonal change alone 

with infectious agents in triggering autoimmune 

disease. Therefore, vaccinating 

animals at the beginning of, during, or 

immediately after an estrous cycle is 

unwise, as would he vaccinating animals 

during pregnancy or lactation. In this 

latter situation, adverse effects can accrue 

not only to the dam but also because 

a newborn litter is exposed to shed 

vaccine virus. One can even question the 

wisdom of using MLV vaccines on adult 

animals in the same household because 

of exposure of the mother and her litter 

to shed virus. 

Recent studies with MLV heroes virus 

vaccines in cattle have shown them to 

induce necrotic changes in the ovaries of 

heifers that were vaccinated during estrus. 

The vaccine strain of this virus was 

also isolated from control heifers that 

apparently became infected by sharing 

the same pasture with the vaccinates. 

Furthermore, vaccine strains of these 

viral agents are known to be causes of 

abortion and infertility following herd 

vaccination programs. If one extrapolates 

these findings from cattle to the dog, the 

implications are obvious. 

Killed Versus Modified Live Vaccines 

Most single and combination canine 

vaccines available today are of MLV origin. 

This is based primarily on economic 

reasons and the belief that they produce 

more sustained protection. A longstanding 

question remains, however, 

concerning the comparative safety and 

efficacy of MLV versus killed 

(inactivated) virus vaccines. A recent 

examination of the risks posed by MLV 

vaccines concluded that they are intrinsically 

more hazardous than inactivated 

products. 

The residual virulence and environmental 


for high-risk exposure situations. Vaccines, 

while necessary and generally safe 

and efficacious, can be harmful or ineffective 

in selected situations. 

contamination resulting from the shedding 

of vaccine virus is a serious concern. 

More importantly, the ability of 

new infective agents to develop and 

spread poses a threat to both wild and 

domestic animal populations. The controversy 

in weighing the risks and benefits 

of MLV versus killed vaccines is building. 

Vaccine manufacturers seek to 

achieve minimal virulence (infectivity) 

while retaining maximal immunogenicity 

(protection). This desired balance may 

he relatively easy to achieve in clinically 

normal, healthy animals but may be 

problematic for those with even minor 

immunologic deficit. The stress associated 

with weaning, transportation, surgery, 

subclinical illness, and a new home 

can also compromise immune function. 

Furthermore, the common viral infections 

of dogs cause significant immunosuppression. 

Dogs harboring latent viral 

infections may not be able to withstand 

the additional immunological challenge 

induced by MLV vaccines. The increase in 

vaccine-associated distemper and parvovirus 

diseases are but two examples of 

this potential. So -- why are we causing 

disease by weakening the immune system 

with frequent use of combination 

vaccine products After all vaccines are 

intended to protect against disease. It 

is well-recognized by experts in the field 

that a properly constituted killed vaccine 

is always preferable to one of MLV 

origin. Killed vaccines do not replicate in 

the vaccinated animal, do not carry the 

risk of residual virulence and do not shed 

attenuated viruses into the environment. 

On the other hand, MLV vaccines 

are capable of stimulating a more sustained 

protective response. So what does 

the future hold here Veterinarians, 

scientists, breeders and owners need to 

voice their concern and discontent with 

the present industrial vaccine practices. 

We need to urge manufacturers to seek 

alternatives. Even if killed vaccines are 

proven to be somewhat less efficacious 

(produce lower levels or less sustained 

protection) than MLV products, they are 

more safe. All killed vaccines on the market 

today have passed current efficacy 

and safety standards in order to be licensed 

for use by the USDA. The issue 

is to what extent being more effective 

elicits a benefit rather than a risk. The 

future will evolve new approaches to 

vaccination including sub-unit vaccines, 

recombinant vaccines using DNA technology, 

and killed products with new 

adjuvants to boost and prolong protection. 

These are not simple solutions to a 

problem, however, because early data 

from recombinant vaccines against some 

human and mouse viruses have shown 

potentially dangerous side-effects by 

damaging T-lymphocytes. Contributing 

factors were shown to be the genetic 

background of the host, the time or dose 

of infection, and the makeup of the vaccine. 

We are obviously still a long way 

from producing a new generation of improved 

and safe vaccines. In the meantime, 

we need to return to using killed 

products whenever they are available 

and should consider giving them more 

often (twice yearly rather than annually) 

Cancer and Immunity 

Proper regulation of cellular activity and 

metabolism is essential to normal body 

function. Cell division is a process under 

tight regulatory control. The essential 

difference between normal and tumor 

or cancerous cells is a loss of growth control 

over the process of cell division. This 

can result from various stimuli such as 

exposure to certain chemicals, viral infection, 

and mutations, which cause cells to 

escape from the constraints that normally 

regulate cell division. Proliferation 

of a cell or group of cells in an uncontrolled 

fashion eventually gives rise to a 

growing tumor or neoplasm. Of course, 

tumors can he both benign (a localized 

mass that does not spread) or malignant 

(cancerous), in which the tumor grows 

and metastasizes to many different sites 

via the blood or lymph. 

Tumor cells also express a variety of proteins 

called "neoantigens" on their surface, 

and many of these are different 

from antigens found on normal cells. 

These new or altered proteins are recognized 

as foreign by the immune system, 

and so trigger an immunological 

attack. There are a large number of 

them known as tumor-specific or tissuespecific 

antigens, whereas others recognize 

the blood group systems, histocompatibility 

complex, and viruses. The 

situation in cancer is complex because 

not only can immunologically compromised 

individuals become more susceptible 

to the effects of cancer-producing 

viral agents and other chemical carcinogens, 

the cancer itself can be profoundly 

immunosuppressive. The form of immunosuppression 

usually varies with the 

tumor type. For example, lymphoid tumors 

(lymphomas and leukemia) tend to 

suppress antibody formation, whereas 

tumors of T-cell origin generally suppress 

cell-mediated immunity. In chemically 

induced tumors, immunosuppression is 

usually due to factors released from the 

tumor cells or associated tissues. The 


presence of actively growing tumor cells 

presents a severe protein drain on an 

individual which may also impair the immune 

response. Blocking factors pre-sent 

in the serum of affected animals exist 

which can cause enhancement of tumor 

growth. Additionally, immunosuppression 

in tumor-bearing animals can be due 

to the development of suppressor cells. 

The body also contains a group of complimentary 

factors that provide a protective 

effect against tumors and other immunologic 

or inflammatory stresses. 

These are mixtures of proteins produced 

by T-cells and are referred to as 

"cytokines." Cytokines include the interleukins, 

interferons, tumor-necrosis 

factors, and lymphocyte-derived growth 

factors. Recent studies have shown 

that normal levels of zinc are important 

to protect the body against the damaging 

effects of the specific cytokine, tumor 

-necrosis factor (TNF). Inadequate levels 

of zinc have been shown to promote the 

effect of TNF in disrupting the normal 

endothelial barrier of blood vessels. This 

could have a significant effect in promoting 

the metastasis of tumor cells to 

different sites, thereby hastening the 

spread and growth of a particular cancer. 

Currently shout 15% of human tumors 

are known to have viral causes or enhancement. 

Viruses also cause a number 

of tumors in animals and no doubt the 

number of viruses involved will increase 

as techniques to isolate them improve. 

The T-cell leukemias of humans and 

animals are examples of those associated 

with retroviral infections. This same class 

of viruses has been associated with the 

production of autoimmunity and the 

immunodeficiency diseases. The recent 

isolation of a retrovirus from a German 

Shepherd with T-cell leukemia exemplifies 

the potential role of these agents in 

producing leukemia and lymphomas in 

the dog. 

The increased prevalence of leukemia 

and lymphomas in the Golden Retriever 

and several other breeds is a case in 

point. Similarly, there has been an increase 

in the prevalence of hemangiosarcomas 

(malignant tumors of the vascular 

endothelium) primarily in the spleen, but 

also in the heart, liver and skin. They 

occur most often in middle age or older 

dogs of medium to large breeds. The 

German Shepherd dog is the breed at 

highest risk, but other breeds including 

the Golden Retriever and Vizsla have 

shown a significantly increased incidence 

especially in certain families. This suggests 

that genetic and environmental 

factors play a role. 

It is tempting to speculate that environmental 

factors that promote immune 

suppression or dysregulation contribute 

to failure of immune surveillance mechanisms. 

These protect the body against 

the infectious and environmental agents 

which induce carcinogenesis and neoplastic 

change. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Dodds W.J. Autoimmune thyroid disease. 

Dog World, 77 (4): 3640, 1992. 

Dodds W.J. Unraveling the autoimmune 

mystery. Dog World, 77 (5): 4448, 1992. 

Dodds W.J. Genetically based immune disorders: 

Autoimmune diseases. Parts 1-3. 

Veterinary Practice STAFF 4 (1, 2, and 3): 8- 

10, 1, 26-31, 35-37, 2. 

Veterinary Practice STAFF, 4 (5): 19-21, 

1992. 

Dodds W.J. Vaccine safety and efficacy revisited. 

Veterinary Forum, May: 68-71. 

1983. 

Berry M.J. Larsen P.R. The role of selenium 

in thyroid hormone action. Endocrine Reviews, 

13 (2): 207-219, 1992. 

Ackerman L. Tile benefits of enzyme therapy 

Veterinary Forum, October: 4, 5, and 6, 

1993. 

Tizard I. Veterinary Immunology: An Introduction, 

4th Ed. W Saunders Company, 

Philadelphia. 1992, pp. 498. 

Dodds W.J., Donoghue S. Interactions of 

clinical nutrition with genetics. Chapter 8. 

In: The Waltham Book of Clinical Nutrition 

of the Dog and Cat. Pergamon Press Ltd., 

Oxford, 1993 (In Press). 

Cargill J. Thorpe-Vargas S. Feed that dog. 

Parts IV-VI. Dog World, 78 (10-12): 36-42, 

28-31, 36-41, 1993. 

Whole Health for Happy Dogs 

authored by veterinary naturopath 

Dr. Kim Bloomer and homeopathic 

veterinarian Dr. Jill Elliot, is a complete 

reference guide to help you understand 

what it takes for your dog to 

be at optimal health. 

From what you should feed to how to 

protect your dog from pesky pests, 

Whole Health for Happy Dogs offers 

everything you need to know to care 

for your dog naturally, and keep him 

tail waggin’ happy! 

Please visit 

www.thebloomingdogs.com 

to purchase your copy today! 

 

 

The oldest reliable age recorded 

for a dog is 29 years, 5 

months for a Queensland 

'heeler' called Bluey in Victoria, 

Australia. The average dog 

lives to around 15 years of age. 


TABLE I FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE 

Sex (2:1 females) 

Genetic or familial history 

increasing frequency 

Pregnancy 

stunted fetal growth 

congenital malformations 

Stress 

environmental 

emotional 

physiological 

Hormonal Irregularities 

polyglandular autoimmunity (endocrinopathy) 

pituitary-thyroid axis dysfunction 

reproductive failure 

abnormal heat cycles 

pyometra 

false pregnancy 

hypogonadism 

oliogospermia 

aspermia 

anestrus 

Nutritional Influences 

deficiency or imbalances 

trace minerals 

nutrients 

vitamins 

Chemical preservatives 

toxins in feeds 

chemical or drug residues 

spoiled feeds 

Adverse Drug Reactions 

trimethoprim-sulfas 

ormetoprim sulfa 

nitrofurans 

butazolidin 

phenobarbital 

primidone 

diethylcarbamazine-oxybendazole 

ivermectin 

milbemycin oxime 

Viral Infection 

parvovirus 

retroviruses 

cytomegalovirus 

measles and distemper viruses 

hepatitis viruses 

Frequent or Recent Use of MLV Vaccines 

parvovirus 

distemper 

hepatitis 

Lyme (vaccines alone or in combination) 

bordetella 

rabies 

Underlying or Concomitant Disease 

lymphoma or leukemia (retrovirus infections) 

bone marrow failure (low red and white cells, plate 

immune dysregulation 

humoral - cellular (immunodeficiency ) 

chronic infections 

bacterial 

viral 

parasitic 

fungal 

Other Autoimmune Disorders 

Hashimoto's thyroiditis 

Addison's disease 

rheumatoid arthritis 

lupus crythematosus 

idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura 

hemolytic anemia 

chronic active hepatitis 

diabetes mellitus 

lets) 

hypogonadism 

myasthenia gravis 

hypoparathyroidism 

Seizures and Other Neurologic Manifestations 

Uveitis and Other Immunologic Eye Diseases 

TABLE 2. CLINICAL SIGNS OF CANINE HYPOTHYROIDISM 

Alterations in Cellular Metabolism 

lethargy 

mental dullness 

exercise intolerance 

neurologic signs 

polyneuropathy 

seizures 

weight gain 

cold intolerance 

mood swings 

hyperexcitability 

stunted growth 

chronic infections 

Neuromuscular Problems 

weakness 

stiffness 

laryngeal paralysis 

facial paralysis 

"tragic" expression 

knuckling or dragging feet 

muscle wasting 

megaesophagus 

head tilt 

drooping eyelids 

Dermatologic Diseases 

dry, scaly skin and dandruff 

coarse, dull coat 

bilaterally symmetrical hair loss 

"rat tail"; "puppy coat" 

hyperpigmentation 

seborrhea or greasy skin 

pyoderma or skin infections 

myxedema 

chronic offensive skin odor 

Reproductive Disorders 

infertility 

lack of libido 

testicular atrophy 

hypospermia 

aspermia 

prolonged interestrus interval 

absence of heat cycles 

silent heats 

pseudopregnancy 

weak, dying or stillborn pups 

Cardiac Abnormalities 

slow heart rate (bradycardia) 

cardiac arrhythmias 

cardiomyopathy 

Gastrointestinal Disorders 

constipation 

diarrhea 

vomiting 

Hematologic Disorders 

bleeding 

bone marrow failure 


low - red blood cells (anemia), white 

blood cells, platelets 

Ocular Diseases 

corneal lipid deposits 

corneal ulceration 

uveitis 

keratoconjunctivitis sicca or "dry eye" 

infections of eyelid glands 

(Meibomian gland) 

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome 

Other Associated Disorders 

IgA deficiency 

loss of smell (dysosmia) 

loss of taste 

glycosuria 

chronic active hepatitis 

other endocrinopathies 

adrenal 

pancreatic 

Parathyroid 

Animal Talk Naturally is a live internet radio show that airs LIVE, every Wednesday at 2:30 PM Eastern on Blog- 

Talk Radio. Each week, listeners tune in to hear the latest in natural animal health, learn about the true nature 

of animals and the human/animal bond with hosts veterinary naturopaths Dr. Jeannie Thomason and Dr. Kim 

Bloomer. Whether you have a dog, a bird, a horse, or a cat, Animal Talk Naturally is the place for exciting, educational, 

engaging, one of a kind shows. 

Please visit www.AnimalTalkNaturally.com to find out more! 


BIS UCh. Lepus Sabe Of Naboo 

'Boo' 

Roberta Jamieson 

Lepus Perm Reg'd 

Klondike n' Lamars Dion 

'Dede' 

BOB both days to give her back to back majors 


Shaeden IGs 

Rhamah Euphoria 

Finished her AKC championship breeder/owner handled 

September 3, 2009 in Raleigh, NC 

Mary Marlowe 

Rhamah IGs 

Hampton Fallriver Cherry Bomb 

“Alice” 

Best Puppy In Group 

Dana Scott 

Fallriver Labrador Retrievers 

Do you have a show or trial brag you would like to submit to 

Dogs...Naturally 

Spotlight Dogs submissions are free. Simply email a small 

photo and pertinent information to: 

spotlightdogs@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

Lamars Dr. No 

“Doc” 

Winners Dog all 3 days in Colorado and 3 days in Utah 


Shaeden IGs 


Chronic renal disease appears in more 

than 20% of pet dogs, with the mortality 

rate of more than 5%, kidney disease 

is the second most common cause 

of death with Cancer being the first. 

Kidneys are made up of tiny structures 

(glomerulus and tubule) called 

nephrones. These nephrones filter and 

cleanse the blood and remove waste 

products from the body. The kidneys 

help control sodium, potassium, chloride, 

bicarbonate, PH, Phosphate and 

magnesium. Eventually over time 

these nephrones break down and literally 

wear out, which is a natural part of 

aging. However sometimes the ageing 

process is artificially stimulated by 

environmental factors. Most premature 

ageing associated with kidney disease 

is either directly or indirectly associated 

with inappropriate and artificial 

nutrition. 

There are generally 4 stages of renal 

disease; 

1) Loss of Renal reserve – this phase 

has no clinical signs and therefore is 

difficult to detect. 

2) Renal insufficiency is also difficult 

to diagnose, as clinical signs are 

hard to spot. 

3) Azotemia – Signs become more 

apparent but may still go undetected. 

4) Uremia – this phase is when all 

clinical signs are noticeable. 

Chronic Renal Failure can occur in dogs 

of all ages but is more common in older 

dogs. In a study conducted at the university 

of California the average age of 

Azotemia onset was 11.34 years and 

progressed to death in a little less than 

two years. 

Most Veterinary text will suggest put 

ting affected dogs 

on lower protein 

diets. Some of 

these diets have less meat, more carbohydrates 

and high amounts of fiber. 

These texts are based on their belief 

that dogs are omnivores. This is a sad 

conclusion, as it does not address the 

real problem. The oversight of dogs 

being carnivores has been disastrous. 

It isn’t the amount of protein that is the 

problem but the TYPE of protein. 

Waste products such as vegetables, 

grains, carbohydrates and high 

amounts of fiber are what age the kidneys. 

Waste products are turned to 

nitrogenic waste, which is in turn is 

converted to urea and eliminated 

through the kidneys. The more waste, 

the harder the kidneys must work. 

There are several other aspects of kidney 

disease such as acute renal failure, 

chronic interstitial nephritis, chronic 

progressive renal failure, congenital 

renal failure, familial nephropathy, 

glomerular capillary hypertension, 

Glomerular hyperfiltration, glomerulopathy, 

hypertension, metabolic acidosis, 

nephrocalcinosis, proteinuria, renal 

osteodystrophy, renal secondary hyperparathyroidism 

and uremia/uremic 

syndrome are the most common terms 

used in kidney disease. 

Glomerular Diseases are those that 

attack the blood filtering system of the 

kidneys. Diabetes and hypertension 

are two leading diseases that cause 

damage to the glomeruli. This type of 

disease causes more cases of chronic 

kidney failure than any other. Often 

Glomerular disease is triggered by an 

abnormal reaction of the immune system. 

The body turns on itself and mistakes 

the kidney as a foreign object and 

launches an attack. These attacks may 

also be triggered after an infection such 

as staph, strep, or other bacterial type 

infection. 

Interstitial Nephritis – Apparently the 

most common form of kidney disease 

in the dog. Acute interstitial Nephritis 

is commonly caused by the Leptospira 

species and is bacterial or viral in nature. 

This is a life threatening disease 

and must be diagnosed and treated 

rapidly to avoid death. 

Clinical signs are anorexia, pain, dehydration, 

increased thirst, vomiting, fever, 

discomfort and pain over the lumbar 

region with decreased amounts of 

urine. 

Pyelonephritis – This disease, which 

is almost entirely associated with 

bitches, is caused by the bacteria corynebacteria 

renale. This organism attaches 

itself in the pelvis area of the 

kidney. Common signs of this disease 

are the presence of pus and blood in 

the urine. It is not uncommon to have 

cystitis as a precursor. 

Nephroses – This is the degeneration 

and eventual necrosis of the tubules 

part of the kidney. This type of kidney 

disease is generally connected to toxic 

and chemical damage from poisons 


oth environmental and infectious. 

Clinical signs are decreased urine output 

from blocked kidneys; there may 

be a complete blockage of urine. 

Urolithiasis – stone formation. This 

type of disease is generally acute and is 

most common in male dogs. 

To slow the progression of kidney disease 

especially that of Chronic Renal 

Failure the animal should be given a 

species appropriate diet. Fresh raw 

meat of various protein sources with 

adequate amounts of bones and organ 

meats will naturally supply and regulate 

phosphates, sodium, PH and all the 

other minerals and vitamins needed to 

keep the kidneys healthy. 

If the sick animal is just coming off a 

kibble diet the addition of herbals can 

help cleanse and strengthen the endocrine 

system and help the kidneys 

function normally. 

Remedies useful in treating various 

forms and types of kidney/bladder 

disease are: 

Chelidonium, Berberis, Cantharis, 

Phosphorus, Apis, Arsen Alb, Aconitum, 

Cannabis Sat, Colchicum to name a few. 

Herbs – Uva Ursi, Pao d’arco, Barberry, 

Nettle, Urtica Urens, are some examples. 

Each individual needs to be assessed 

based on their own symptom picture 

and personality and should be treated 

specific to his/her needs. Please note 

that fear type aggression can be an 

early sign of kidney damage/disease. 

 

Naturally Reared Italian Greyhound puppies 

Born November 23, 2009 at Rhamah 

Contact Mary Marlowe 

Rhamah Italian Greyhounds 

www.rhamah.com 

Marlowe@onlynatural.info 

770-962-9618 

Submit your litter listings to brags@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

All advertised litters advertised must be purebred, naturally reared and have 

clearances suitable for their respective breed. 

Litter submissions are not an endorsement from Dogs..Naturally! Please use 

your best judgement when researching prospective breeders. 

Erika Phillips is a practicing homeopath and 

animal behavior consultant. She breeds Italian 

Greyhounds and is active in conformation, obedience, 


Erika is currently attending school to finish her 

Doctorate in Veterinary Naturopathy. 

She offers consultations in behavior, competitive 

obedience, homeopathy, herbs and nutrition. 

She is active in all breed rescue and has a 

small dairy goat farm. 

She lives in Miles City, Montana with her husband, 

3 kids, 19 dogs of various breeds, 11 

horses, many chickens, several ducks and many 

goats. 



You can also see her Italian Greyhounds at 

www.shaedenigs.com 


Dear Abby, I am an energetic and lively 

four year old male German shepherd. I 

have never had sex and I am a little nervous 

that it may be too late. I am really 

good around other dogs and I am in control 

around females. I still live at home 

(I lost my job when I was two because I 

was unsuitable. Yeah whatever!) My 

mom loved me enough that she said I 

could stay anyway. So here is my 

problem… If I am not going to get it on 

with a female, should I just go ahead 

and get, umm, neutered 

Blue in Biloxi 

Dear Blue – I am sorry to hear of your 

unemployment. It is an all to sad fact 

that many dogs are losing their jobs 

these days. However there is some 

good news; If you are happy then there 

is no need to donate your family jewels 

to the nearest dumpster at your local 

vet clinic! As long as you respect your 

mother and remember your education 

and manners, you never run off and 

terrorize the neighborhood looking for 

cheap one-night stands, which I am assuming, 

that if you haven’t done this 

before now you are going to start. It is 

important to keep up a fairly active and 

vigorous exercise program to keep frustration 

levels down. If you are a happy 

guy that is not prone to aggressive outbursts, 

then I really don’t see any reason 

for you to change. Besides you reduce 

your chances of various types of 

cancer by keeping your various body 

parts. There is some mention of an increase 

in testicular cancer but you can 

discuss that with your caregiver and 

weigh the odds. Good luck! 

* Although Dogs...Naturally! feels that 

neutering or spaying is not natural 

we do not condone irresponsible 

breeding practices. We also feel that 

only responsible and experienced dog 

owners should consider keeping a pet 

intact. 

Dear Abby, I have been an addict now for 

nearly twelve years. Thankfully my new 

family leads a natural life and has been 

talking about putting me in a detox program 

and feeding me only raw meat. My 

question is this because of my age should 

I expect any adverse side effects from the 

switch I am really nervous and afraid. 

Junkie in Jacksonville 

Dear Junkie, yes there will most likely 

be side effects from your switch to raw 

food. GOOD ones. Cleaner teeth, better 

digestion, (No more tasteless gas jokes 

at your expense!) You won’t get that 

horrible bloating feeling that we always 

get after a huge bowl of dry biscuits. No 

more having to get up and go outside to 

pee at night because of all the water you 

have to drink just to wash the stuff 

down. Oh the salt! No more dizziness 

and headaches from the sugar rushes 

and no more mood swings. 

What I would suggest you do in the beginning 

is just to take things slow. Fasting 

once in a while will help detox you 

faster. You should also make note of 

your weight, if you are a fat dog then no 

problem but if you are on the leaner 

side you made want to eat smaller 

meals more often to help regulate the 

fat consumption. Lots of fat at once may 

cause your pancreas to do double time. 

It isn’t used to NOT having to work so 

hard so it may slow down for a short 

time. Don’t be alarmed if you notice 

runny eyes, gunky ears or have a dry 

horrible coat, all of these things are 

signs that the body is eliminating junk, 

Toxic stuff that has been collecting for 

the past twelve years. In a very short 

time the old coat will blow out and a 

brand new shiny coat will appear. Remember 

that your body has its work cut 

out for it. Sit back, relax and watch the 

magic happen! 

Abby is a real live canine. Her Italian 

Greyhound background is rich with education 

in nutrition, homeopathy, behavior, 

conformation, agility and other dog 

sports. Abby’s own life of kibble addiction 

and vaccine overdose gives an experience 

that enables her to delve deep 

within herself to find the answers that 

you are looking for. Abby uses her diverse 

canine background to give accurate 

and knowledgeable answers to your important 

questions. Abby has been drug 

free and eating raw food for nearly three 

years. 

Please forward all questions to Abby at 

askabby@dogsnaturallymagazine.com 

 

Dogs, as we know them today, 

first appeared in Eurasia about 

13,000 years ago, and were 

probably a direct descendant of 

a small, grey wolf. 


History 

The Labrador’s origins begin as a fisherman’s 

dog in the harsh cold climate 

of Newfoundland. This St. Johns Dog 

was used by a variety of task including 

retrieving game, pulling the fisherman’s 

nets out of the water and hauling 

wood in the winter. These dogs, 

known locally as ‘Water Dogs’, were 

small and black with short dense coats. 

They were soon recognized by British 

seamen and these intelligent and energetic 

dogs were brought back to England 

in the early 1800’s and sold to 

aristocrats and hunters. The aristocrats 

diligently worked to keep the 

bloodlines pure and it is from these 

aristocrat’s kennels that today’s Labrador 

Retriever is descended. 

Fallriver’s Chikka Boom 

The Labrador Retriever made it’s first 

appearance in British Kennel Club 

events as a ‘Retriever’ (at the turn of 

the century, all retrievers were 

categorized as one) and by 1903, 

the Labrador earned separate 

registration. 

In the following twenty years, 

many influential kennels including 

Lord Knutsford's Munden 

Labradors, and Lady Howe's 

Banchory Labradors were established. 

These kennels are largely 

responsible for the dog we are familiar 

with today and the versatility of 

their dogs was proven with multiple 

Dual Champions that distinguished 

themselves in both field trials and the 

show ring. 

Although the early Water Dogs were 

the foundation for the breed, many 

other breeds were brought into the 

gene pool to provide desired traits. 

Over the years, breeders have brought 

in Pointers, Golden Retrievers, Flat 

Coat Retrievers, and in an effort to produce 

more speed and style, the field 

trial breeders brought in Greyhound 

and even Border Collie. At the turn of 

the century, the Labrador bypassed the 

Flat Coat as the most revered Retriever 

in England. 

Purpose 

The Labrador Retriever today is 

viewed as a versatile dog who excels in 

many venues including retrieving, obedience, 

bomb detection work, service 

dog work and search and rescue. Although 

the breed is valued for it’s versatility, 

it’s function is that of a 

water fowl retriever. A Labrador 

is made to withstand cold 

and wet conditions as he sits 

for hours in a boat or a blind 

waiting to retrieve. He is then 

expected to navigate inhospitable 

marshes and harsh 

thicket to retrieve downed 

birds. 

Breed Standard 

Form follows function and the 

Labrador’s breed standard defines how 

he must be made to perform his job 

easily without injury. 

Of utmost importance is his coat. A 

CH Gaff’s Chili Pepper WC CDX RA 

Labrador will freeze when working in 

harsh conditions if he does not have a 

tight, dense double coat to repel water 

and protect him from cold as well as 

bramble. Part of a proper coat is the 

Labrador’s distinct ‘otter tail’ which 

helps him to navigate waters. Temperament 

is of great importance and is 

the hallmark of the breed. Labradors 

must be kind, biddable and completely 

non aggressive to other dogs and humans. 

The Labrador is a medium built dog 

with a moderate frame. He must have 

a powerful rear and a level top line to 

propel him through water with no 

wasted effort. He must have a well 

angulated front assembly to enable him 

to efficiently pick up birds and carry 

the weight on his well laid shoulders. 

The Labrador should have a kind eye 

and an expression that reflects intelligence 

and a biddable nature. His muzzle 

should be of moderate length so 

that he might carry ducks and geese 

and there should be fair width to that 

muzzle with a scissors bite. 

Labradors may be either black, yellow 

or chocolate (liver). Silver is not a recognized 

colour. 


By Erika Phillips 

For centuries, homeopathy has been shunned, rejected, dismissed, cast out and 

ridiculed. Mostly because it was, and still is, misunderstood. Like anything that 

is misunderstood, it has been placed in a category with other unexplainable 

phenomena and generally regarded as quackery. Even today it is considered a 

complementary therapy. 

Although modern homeopathy was developed in the 1800s 

by a disillusioned medical physician named Samuel Hahnemann, 

the concept has been in existence since 450 BC. Hippocrates, 

“the father of medicine”, recognized the body’s 

natural ability to heal itself. Galen (130–200 AD), who was 

the official physician to the Gladiators in the forum, used 

Homeopathy exclusively. In the Middle Ages it was also 

alive and well, made popular by Dr. Theophastus Vom Bombast, 

also known as Paracelsus, who believed that every 

diseased organ had its corresponding remedy in nature. 

The evolution of homeopathy 

The term homeopathy comes from the Greek words 

“homeo”, which means similar, and “pathos”, which means 

suffering. In the 17th century, Dr. George Stahl, taking up 

the assumptions of Paracelsus, wrote, “To treat with opposite 

acting remedies is the reverse of what it ought to be. I 

am convinced that disease will yield to, and be cured by, 

remedies that produce similar afflictions.” 

Hahnemann’s aversion to the medical practices of his day 

lead him to produce his first history–making experiment, 

which laid the foundation for his new system of medicine– 

now named homeopathy. For the next 180 years, practitioners 

refused to be integrated into orthodox medicine. 

“Orthodox” in the 1800s meant blood–letting, purging, venesection, 

emetics, laxatives, leeches and other strange 

practices. These homeopathic practitioners were physicians 

themselves and graduated from orthodox medical schools, 

but some innate ability made them aware of the senseless 

practices of their day. 

The American Institute of Homeopathy was established in 

1844, two years before the American Medical Association 

(AMA). The two schools have been in opposition ever since. 

Even though most homeopathic practitioners were graduates 

from such schools as Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn 

State. Consultation with these physicians resulted in ostracism 

and expulsion. Sound familiar 

This did not stop the growth of homeopathy, however, and 

it was already popular in the eastern and middle states. 

Even the resistance in the south was a thing of the past, after 

the yellow fever outbreak in 1878, when homeopathy 

proved indispensable and was successful in gaining a 

healthy following of patients and physicians. By 1890 there 

were 14,000 homeopaths to 85,000 “conventional” physicians. 

Eventually the AMA had recognized homeopathy as 

an official threat and was subsequently able to prevent physicians 

from practicing homeopathic medicine. 

With the decline in practitioners throughout the United 

States, it is difficult to remember that the once proven and 

accepted scientific methodology that was put in place hundreds 

of years before is now being questioned. It seems humorous 

that people regard homeopathy as a “new” therapy 

when without the provings of Samuel Hahnemann, modern 

medicine would not have most of its medicinal therapies. 


The difficulty in the induction into mainstream medical 

practices has for the most part been a financial one. While 

homeopathy is a scientifically proven system of healing, 

the administration of the remedy is truly an art. 

Each disease and the person it afflicts is an individual case. 

Information is gathered based on the person’s constitution, 

personality, lifestyle, background, physical attributes 

and so on. The gathering of this information requires the 

practitioner to sit with his/her patient for several hours. 

Without this valuable tool, complete cure is not possible. 

Today’s medical practices do not allow for this type of patient/ 

doctor communication. You are lucky if you get to 

see your doctor for 15 minutes and then being asked questions 

about your emotional or mental state borders on an 

invasion of privacy! 

At the very least it is not financially viable, but then this is 

not entirely accurate as there would be a tremendous savings 

in the cost of diagnostic machinery. 

An holistic approach 

In homeopathy there are four stages of disease. These are 

physical, emotional, mental and sycotic (psychotic). If a 

disease is to be completely cured, then all four stages have 

to be considered. “A totality of symptoms” is necessary to 

find the correct remedy. When the correct remedy is 

found, it stimulates the body into healing. 

Most chronic states are the result of generations of disease 

being passed down from parent to offspring. Damaged or 

mutated genes from vaccinations, poor nutrition, toxic 

substances and other environmental pollutants are the 

major contributors to chronic disease. In order to keep the 

body disease–free we must provide the body with the correct 

environment and allow the body to regain a healthy 

state. 

Most allopathic medicine, such as antibiotics or steroids, 

gives symptomatic relief of a symptom of a disease. This 

means that in Western medicine, the symptom is treated 

and not the disease itself. Eczema, for example, is the skin’s 

way of telling us that there is something wrong. The skin is 

the largest organ in the body, and it will work to protect 

the vital organs by eliminating toxins from the body. When 

we apply steroidal creams to the skin, it acts to suppress 

the symptom not cure the problem. This suppression then 

compromises the entire system and is a complete contradiction 

to our body’s natural ability to heal. Suppression of 

a skin condition may later show up in the form of kidney 

failure or heart disease. 

It is hard to fathom to non–believers that a dog with idiopathic 

aggression, DCM (Dialated Cardio Myopathy), kidney 

failure or EPI could have been started by incorrectly 

treating a skin infection. Animals have such simple emotional 

systems that cure is even less complicated and more 

noticeable. Remedies can be administered for acute situations 

without much consideration to the other stages of 

disease. Some acute disease can be cured based on the 

physical stage alone. For example, bruising, cuts, broken 

bones, trauma, bloat, birthing complications and other first 

aid type injuries. 

While the theory of homeopathy is relative for all things 

that have a vital force–energy which maintains life in the 

individual and is unique from being to being–over the last 

few decades it has become more specialized in the veterinary 

homeopathic community. Today, there are many 

books available that list hundreds of health issues with the 

corresponding remedy. These books are useful in assessing 

and treating acute symptoms of disease. 

With the epidemic of disease prevalent in all breeds of domestic 

dogs today, and with the realization that dogs are 

genetically the same as wolves, we have to ask ourselves 

what is fundamentally different between them. Wolves do 

not suffer from chronic states of disease such as plaque, 

dysplasia, PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), EPI, Cushings, 

Addison’s or myriad other health problems. The answer 

could be simple and quick: Wolves do not eat kibble, 

and wolves do not get vaccinated! 

Without a change in thinking, we will never get a handle on 

chronic debilitating disease. Health testing and breeding 

based on clearances is a generational cure only. It does 

nothing to eliminate these issues permanently from the 

gene pool. Cure must be on a cellular level. 

In the next issue, we will discuss a natural diet for canines 

and why it is imperative to understand proper nutrition for 

this species. Vaccination protocols, vaccinosis and how it 

relates to chronic disease will also be discussed. 





Naturopathy. 



goat farm.

For Dogs Without Boundaries - Dogs Naturally Magazine

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