Information regarding Holistic Animal Therapy Treatment Options

 INTRODUCTION:  We have put this information sheet together to bring awareness to the different alternative modalities and therapies available to help our animal friends.  These therapies/modalities can help with many issues facing our animal companions throughout their lives, from health issues to behavioral issues or as basic preventative.  None of the therapies replace traditional veterinary medicine or veterinary advice, they are only alternative methods of care and you should always speak with your veterinarian before proceeding with or using any form of therapy.  Also, it is advised to speak with someone educated in the therapy of your choice before working on your animal friend.

 MASSAGE:  Sports Massage Therapy helps our friends through the many wonderful effects it has on the body.  Sports Massage affects the muscles, the lympathic system, the cardiovascular system as well as assists in respiration, digestion and elimination.It not only feels great but is beneficial in decreasing recovery time, increasing range of motion and muscle tone, relaxation and detoxification. 

 HIGH TOUCH JIN SHIN ACUPRESSURE:  The self healing art of Jin Shin acupressure is an ancient tradition of natural medicine from Japan.  Jin Shin is a gentle and non-invasive art known as the art of “healing and helping myself”.  Jin Shin shares many similar concepts with acupuncture; however, there are no needles involved.  The practitioner performs an energetic pulse assessment to find areas of imbalance that are not necessarily obvious.  The practitioner then works on certain meridians or acupressure points to rebalance the body’s energy.

 BOWEN THERAPY:  Bowen therapy aims to balance and empower the body’s own healing resources.  It aims to help the structural, functional and over-all wellbeing of the animal.  Sessions embrace physical, emotional and chemical aspects while creating deep relaxation and homeostasis at a cellular level.  Specific movements over muscle, nerve, tendon and connective tissue resetting the autonomic nervous system and giving the body the freedom to rebalance itself and return to its natural state.

 REFLEXOLOGY:Reflexology is a natural healing art that stimulates the reflexes throughout the body.  Reflex areas throughout the body correspond with different parts of the body. It is great for starting the natural healing responses of the body and restoring balance and normal function.

 REIKI:This therapy is a very gentle, well known form of body energy work.  It aims to relieve the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies of “blockages”.  Practitioners work with the chakra systems, the auric field and the body’s meridians to clear and restore the body, giving back its ability to properly facilitate much of its own healing.

 IRIDOLOGY: Iridology uses the eye as a map for existing imbalances in the body.  The eye itself is a map of the zones of the body and each zone represents a part/system and function.  The practitioner reads the markings in the iris to get a picture of the integrity of the body.

 CHIROPRACTICS:Chiropractics is another holistic approach to aid in the well-being of our animal friends.  Chiropractics involves the manipulation of the spine to return misaligned bones/vertebrae to their correct position.  There are many different techniques and each are used to restore the body to natural movement and position.

 STONE/CRYSTAL THERAPIES: The energy and healing properties of the stone/crystals are used to aid in the bodies healing.  The stones/crystals are used for many different aspects of healing, both physical and emotional.

 EMOTIONAL FREEDOM RELEASE TECHNIQUE (EFT): Emotional Freedom Release Technique is a sequence of tapping certain acupressure/acupuncture points to free the emotion from the body and get the body’s meridians flowing freely again.  We all know animals have emotions. Negative emotional balance can and will affect the mental and  physical state of an animal, causing the bodies energy to be unbalanced.  It can be used for many emotional issues (nervousness etc) as well as physical.

 The list of therapies and alternative modalities is endless, and these are but a few.  There is also Homeopathy, Herbology, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs/Medicine, Bach Flower Remedies and Flower essences, many, many therapies worth researching and speaking with veterinarians, practitioners and therapists.  There are many people out there trying to help improve the well-being and lives of animals and to each we say “Thank you”.

WHY FEED GRAIN-FREE?
View our selection of grain-free pet foods....
Recommended reading
18 page pdf regarding the Biological Food Concept and Dietary Needs of Domestic Dogs & Cats

Dogs and cats did not evolve to eat grains... so why include grains in pet food?

Grains first appeared in pet foods about 70 years ago when consumers wanted the convenience of pet food in a bag and manufacturers wanted to reduce costs with inexpensive calories from grains. Although grains such as rice or wheat provide low-cost calories, their high carbohydrate content contributes to obesity, diabetes, kidney stones/struvite crystals, behaviour problems, allergies, skin/coat problems and a host of other health problems in cats and dogs.

Cats and dogs are simply not evolved to eat processed cereal grains, which is why grain-free, reduced-carbohydrate diets based on human-grade meat, vegetables and fruits most closely matches the diet nature intended for your dog or cat.

Indeed, veterinarians are increasingly citing grains and carbohydrates as primary causes of health problems common to dogs and cats. In addition, as we all sadly know, the majority of pet food recalls over the past 10 years have been due to contaminated grain products: glutens, corn, wheat & rice.

And although it overlooks the most fundamental purpose of pet food (to provide nourishment) the “grain-and-carbohydrate” approach to pet nutrition is still widely practiced due to the lower cost, ready availability and long shelf life that grains provide. Unfortunately, dogs and cats suffer as a result of this. We believe that you should spend your money on your pet, not your vet.

What is ash?  Should I be concerned about the ash content in pet food?
First of all, ash is the inorganic mineral portion of any substance.  When referring to dog and cat food, "ash content" is the mineral matter, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and copper.  The ash analysis does not reveal the percentage of each mineral, therefore it does not tell much about the food.It also does not tell much about the food's contribution to urinary tract infections, such as Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS).  The latest findings show that urinary tract trouble occurs when the urine becomes too alkaline.  So, some commercial foods now add extra acid or reduce magnesium.  There are side effects from use of these acid formulations or from insufficient magnesium, and all they do is cover up the problem instead of curing it.

If ash isn't the problem, then what is?  How do I prevent urinary tract problems?
There is much proof that feeding an obligate carnivore primarily a grain-based dry diet can contribute more to a urinary stone problem than any other single factor.  The long-term dehydration that occurs causes concentrated urine and places considerable strain on the kidneys. Feeding poor-quality food to pets (including those containing corn as a protein instead of meat) results in toxicity and an excessive elimination load on the lining of the urinary system.
By contrast, a diet of meat, bones, and organs contains a mineral content - or ash content - that is not synthetic or artificial.  When a whole food substance is ingested, the animal has a very slim chance of developing a mineral imbalance.  Taking in nutrients as they occur in their natural state or as a whole food source will prevent the animal from concentrating minerals or vitamins, thus causing health issues.

Important information regarding Urinary–Bladder Infections/Struvite Crystals/Kidney Stones in Dogs & Cats in relation to Grains, Carbohydrates and Magnesium levels in pet Food 
Scroll to bottom of page to view holistic remedies to treat
Kidney Stones, Struvite Crystals and Urinary issues

• Foods made with grains (corn/wheat/rice etc) can cause alkaline urine in dogs and cats.
• Magnesium reacts with alkaline urine to cause crystals.
• Most “Prescription/dissolution/preventative” clinic diets take out the magnesium to prevent this reaction, even though magnesium is essential, especially for the nervous system.
• Reducing magnesium may cause a host of other negative health issues.

 It is far more important and beneficial to prevent alkaline urine by feeding a high protein/grain-free/low carbohydrate diet in order to minimize the risk of crystals.

• Grain- based foods may also lead to kidney failure, which often cannot be detected until there is over 75% damage done.
• Protein from muscle meat creates an optimal acid urine -Magnesium does not react in acid urine, thereby significantly reducing the risk of crystal formation.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that "prescription/low magnesium" diets are the solution, nor are they healthy. High protein/low carbohydrate/grain free foods are the optimum diet for dogs and cats with or without crystals, for both prevention of, and recovery from, crystals.

 Urinary PH levels are optimized by avoiding grains, therefore preventing the risk of alkaline/magnesium reactions.
Grain-free/low carb diets also support healthy kidney function, amongst the many other health benefits of feeding a high protein diet to your pet.

 Urinary Tract/Bladder Infections 

The most common cause of Urinary Tract/Bladder Infections is stress, or bacteria as a result of many possible causes like contamination from diarrhea, unclean litter box, or dust/particles from cat litter. Urinary Tract/Bladder Infections are rarely food related and can be easily treated with prescribed antibiotics, homeopathics, and natural herbal antibiotics.  (although not common, an undersized badder/urinary tract system, or deformity may also be the cause).

NOTE: Hydrangea-a flower essence, helps to naturally dissolve stones. A safe, natural alternative treatment, to be used in conjunction with a grain-free diet for pets. Available at Creature Comfort Pet Emporium-where your pet's health is our priority!

 Pets with a compromised immune system as a result of poor diet, over-immunization, exposure to harmful chemicals/preservatives in commercial foods, excessive environmental stress (more common in outdoor pets), or a history of disease, may be more prone to  suffering chronic infections as a result of their weakened immune system.

 Kidney stones may also cause urinary infections –another possible side affect resulting from a grain-based/lower protein/high carb diet.

Did you know...dogs and cats, especially those who suffer from allergies, gastro sensitivity, urinary illness, hotspots, ear infections, paw biting, skin itching, or hairballs, should never be fed food containing corn & wheat! Be an informed pet owner, read and understand the ingredients in pet food before you make a decision on what to feed your pet. Their health depends on you.

  HOW TO RATE YOUR PET FOOD      THE TRUTH ABOUT PET FOOD

What to feed when you can't feed raw:  WE RECOMMEND FEEDING:

N-R-G (Nutrition Research Group) is a different company making unique pet foods. Through our research and dedication to wholesome nutrition for your pet, we bring you a refreshing concept; an All Life Stage balanced blend of whole ingredients, with the nutrients preserved by our unique dehydration process. Canadian Human-Grade Ingredients: Farm fresh, cooked: range fed, hormone-free beef, buffalo or chicken. Cooked: naked oats, grade A eggs and turkey liver.   Natural source lactobacillus.   Fresh raw: carrots, broccoli crowns, grapefruit, cranberries and papaya.   Goats milk yogurt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, parsley flowerets, ground flax seed and kelp powder.

Our meats, fruits and vegetables are all purchased fresh. Fresh chicken and beef are purchased in the Okanagan Valley B.C. and fresh buffalo is purchased from Alberta; all selected to meet our exacting standards. Our oats are grown for us on the Canadian prairies. All ingredients are 100% TABLE-QUALITY. N-R-G does NOT add any vitamin or mineral premix, as the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and enzymes are not destroyed by dehydrating the ingredients. No chemicals or preservatives are added. N-R-G has developed a diet that provides optimum, balanced nutrition with only whole ingredients, preserved by the ancient method of dehydration. Our unique method of combining and mixing our ingredients naturally ensures your pet gets all the best Mother Nature has to offer. Fresh meats and eggs supply muscle building protein, raw fresh vegetables ensure an abundance of phyto nutrients. A blend of naked oats (grown especially for N-R-G on the Canadian Prairie) and flax seed provides your pet with the optimum balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids and soluble and insoluble fiber. Just what are table-quality ingredients? They are the same quality of food you buy for the rest of your family. If we wouldn't put it on our table we won't put it in our Canine Blend. N-R-G can also be used as a palatability enhancer for dog kibble.

Copyright © 2003-2007 Creature Comfort Canada. All Rights Reserved.
Easy-Reach Raised Pet Bowls, Wall-Mount Raised Feeders , Canine Comfort, & Pawsitively Purrfect are exclusive
products & trade marks of Creature Comfort Canada. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.