When it comes to your pet's health, do you want to follow facts or fears?  We have all heard "Garlic is bad for your dogs!" "You should never feed garlic to your pets!"   So why have we been told this?  This would be due to garlic being a close cousin of the onion. Onion contains high concentrations of thiosulphate which will trigger haemolytic or "Heinz factor" anaemia, where circulating red blood cells burst. 
Garlic does contain thiosulphate but NOT in the same concentrations.  Thiosulphate is barely traceable.  These amounts cannot cause "Heinz factor" anaemia. 
Over the centuries, as long as humans have been using herbs, garlic has been a commonly used remedy. Over this period of time people have also been feeding it to their animal companions. Its properties have proven far reaching, easy on the body and safe to use.  The use of garlic is beneficial for many conditions and comes highly recommended as a disease preventative.  In my many years of garlic use with my own pets and patients, I have never encountered negative side effects, except the inherited strong smell!
At this point, garlic has truly not been proven to have negative effects on our pets. Follow hundreds of years of proven use rather than recent suspicions in regards to this miracle herb, as garlic is known to be.
As with any herb, always use correct and safe doses.  Always contact your herbal practitioner when in doubt.
Jacqueline Rudan
Animal Naturopath
Veterinary Naturopathic Solutions

Use and Abuse of Antibiotics on our pets

Kidney Disease in Cats - Renal Failure

How do you treat an inflammatory joint condition?

Understanding diabetic complications

Reversing time with Resveratrol

There is high - level evidence and biological plausibility to support the benefits of fish oil for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms. Fish oil has been shown to reduce joint tenderness and decrease the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in long standing RA. Additionally, fish oil has an NASAID sparing effect and confers benefits to the cardiovascular system which is often compromised in RA patients.
Despite fish oil ticking all the boxes for RA symptom management, it is not routinely prescribed in RA patients by their medical practitioners. The authors of this review as the question "Why?" and conclude that not enough pharmaceutical marketing exposure is placed on this promising RA therapy compared to other more commonly prescribed therapies.

Vitamin D3 more potent than Vitamin D2
A single blinded, randomised trial has shown Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to be approximately 87% more potent in raising and maintaining serum vitamin D concentrations compared to vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Vitamin D3 also produces 2 - 3 fold greater storage of vitamin D than does eqimolar vitamin D2.
The study supports vitamin D3 as the preferred choice for correcting vitamin D deficiency.

Calcium, is there a difference?

Poor gut function leads to 'dis-ease'

Many natural health practitioners initially assess the gastrointestinal function of their patients at their first consultation due to the belief that poor gut health is at the root of many frequent presentations. The intestines, the small intestines in particular are the primary sites of nutrient absorption and thus any condition affecting the function or structure of this area may ultimately contribute to the development of a malabsorption process and consequently nutritional deficiency. As integrative nutritional practitioners, we understand that long term deficiencies in essential nutrients will have devastating impacts upon optimal health and lead to further complications in other body systems. This is why first and foremost, we must treat the cause of the 'dis-ease' as opposed to merely the symptoms alone in order to reach optimal health or homeostasis.

What is leaky gut?

The small intestine has the paradoxical twofold function of being the major digestive/absorptive organ as well as a protective mucosal barrier to bacteria, endotoxins and other toxic metabolites. Numerous studies have demonstrated that an inflamed gut is more permeable to partially digested foods, endotoxins and bacterial fragments. For example lipid polysaccharides from bacterial breakdown, induce the excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) which then contributes to a reduction of ATP synthesis in the gut and enhanced peroxidation of cell membranes. Consequently, this increase in permeability ultimately results in an inflammatory cascade in various tissues and toxic insult to the liver. Depending on the individual and their ability to detoxify these hazardous metabolites, a number of symptoms may arise such as mood changes, memory loss, irritable bowel, cancer, fatigue, reduced immunity, malnutrition and arthritis to name but a few.

The epithelial cells of the mucosa are held together by tight junctions and the mucous layer of glycosaminoglycans which make up a protective intestinal barrier. The gut is also involved in providing immune support through secretory IgA which offers protection from bacterial pathogens. When the integrity of these protective mechanisms is compromised; permeability of the mucosal membrane may increase. This allows pathogens, antigens, proteins and toxins to pass through the intestinal wall and migrate to other parts of the body with detrimental effects.

There are numerous factors which may play a role in increasing the permeability of the gut such as;

University Study Shows OptiMSM® Slows Development of Osteoarthritis
New animal model study further validates OptiMSM's anti-inflammatory effects and protective action of osteoarthritis of the knee.

SAN DIEGO, CA. April 8, 2008--A new study presented today at the Experimental Biology 2008 Annual Meeting, by researchers from the University of California, San Diego, revealed a protective effect of OptiMSM upon the development of osteoarthritis of the knee in an animal model. OptiMSM is an ultra high purity form of the naturally occurring dietary ingredient, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). Several published clinical trials, with MSM alone or in combination with other natural dietary ingredients, have shown a positive effect upon supporting joint function among persons living with osteoarthritis.

In the current study, cartilage biologist and Professor David Amiel, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, and colleagues used a research-validated model mimicking the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. Five weeks after the surgery that induced progressive osteoarthritis, the animals had a mini pump implanted in their thighs, to deliver OptiMSM or a placebo solution, for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks the animals receiving OptiMSM showed significantly lower expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator, TNF-alpha, in both cartilage and synovial tissues. The synovium is the tissue that lines the cartilage-free surfaces of the joints. Additionally, the Outerbridge score, a validated classification to grade the degree of cartilage damage, indicated a preservation of the cartilage matrix and joint surface smoothness relative to the placebo group.

"The anti-inflammatory effects of MSM in this animal model of osteoarthritis were notable," offered Dr. Amiel. "We used a small number of animals in this pilot study but the results suggest that MSM could delay the progression of osteoarthritis, perhaps through an anti-inflammatory effect. These results also align with our in vitro study performed on human knee joints, published last December in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal. Collectively, they offer a mechanistic insight that may partly explain the efficacy seen with MSM in placebo-controlled clinical trials," he added.

"We are pleased with these findings, which reinforce our commitment to sponsoring both pre-clinical and clinical research," said Tony Keller, President of Bergstrom Nutrition, the manufacturers and marketers of OptiMSM and the sponsor of the study. Our clinical research program for 2008-2009 will expand upon the work of Dr. Amiel's laboratory, and prior clinical trials we have sponsored. We will also be exploring innovative directions that will illuminate new uses for OptiMSM," he concluded.

Natural Animal Solutions has a purified MSM in our Joint & Ligament Support formula. This is the best quality MSM available.

How many of you watch your beloved dog chronically scratch, bite, gnaw and lick all day? It's heart breaking.  How many take our beloved to the vet for cortisone shots, tablet, antibiotics or all of the above, only to find it is a temporary fix and the problem is getting worse?
Deep down we know the use of cortisone and antibiotics is not a great idea for our pets, but most feel there isn't any other option.  Luckily there are many other options and they don't require expensive allergy tests or allergies shots.
Firstly we need to understand the allergy.  Allergies can be air borne or food related.  What many don't realize is it can also be what your pets sleep, play or walk on.  I have seen every type of allergy come through my clinic.  Finding out which is the problem is the trick.  What happens when you do find the offending allergen and your dog keeps itching?  Is there another allergy?  Have we discovered the correct allergen?  Was an allergen the problem in the first place?  Is stress involved?
Treating an itchy dog isn't an easy task as no two dogs are the same.  When a dog has suffered with allergy symptoms for a long period of time and has had multiple courses of antibiotics and cortisone, other complications can begin to arise. 
The first step to treating a dog with itchy skin is to have a close look at their diet.  I very rarely have dogs on natural diets come in with skin problems.  99% of my itchy patients are on processed dog food.  A natural diet does not consist of packaged food with the word natural or holistic on it.  This includes Supercoats "natural" food, Nature's Gift and Eagle Pack amongst a few.  If it doesn't look like real food, than it isn't.   
A true natural diet consists of real "raw" meat and "blended" raw or semi cooked fruit and vegetables.  Always avoid beef and lamb as these meats can cause further irritation.  Meats I recommend are kangaroo, chicken, pork (must be frozen for 2 weeks before eating) and turkey.  Vegetables: Beans, silver beet, carrots, snow peas, cauliflower, celery, broccoli, cucumber, asparagus, pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, bean sprouts, capsicum, spinach and sweet potato *All green vegetables *No tomato, onion, leeks, white potatoes. Fruit: Banana, apple, pear and seasonal fruits *No citrus.

AND NO RICE OR PASTA! Dogs require only 5% carbohydrate in their diets. They obtain their energy requirements from animal fat (which should be raw). Rice, pasta and processed dog foods are too high in carbohydrates. These foods not only cause obesity and metabolic disorders but contribute to skin diseases.
For a natural diet to be successful, it is important to add the correct nutrients. Omega 3, 6, & 9 is of extreme importance. Most will say I've tried fish oil capsules and flax oil but it didn't work. Omega oils must be fed for 4 weeks before it begins to absorb in the body at full capacity. Animals with any form of illness must take Omega Oil in therapeutic doses. This means larger than the standard dose advised on the packaging. Most over the counter Omega oils have very low potencies and some even at large doses may not be enough. We must choose the correct Omega Oil blend for our dogs and feed the correct doses. I will prescribe approximately 1 tablespoon per 10 kilo's of body weight of Natural Animal Solutions Omega 3, 6 & 9 for Dogs. 

I then recommend adding a complete multivitamin and multi-mineral. I use DigestaVite Plus.
My final recommendation is to add a high potency Vitamin C with antioxidants. A good vitamin C works as a natural antihistamine. Dogs suffering with allergies will benefit significantly from Vitamin C as it will reduce their excessive histamine levels, reducing their itching.
From experience most itchy dogs and cats will significantly improve on a natural diet and the correct supplementation. More serious cases will need further assistance and guidance from an animal naturopath that is able to prescribe naturopathic medications.
Further assistance and information for your dog is available at Natural Animal Solutions.