Save the Claws!

It is best if you do not declaw your cat. If tigers can be trained to jump through hoops of fire then surely we can teach our domestic cats to use scratching posts instead of destroying our homes. However, as in the case of the tigers, training a cat does take effort. The first thing […]

Three Ways Your Vet May Be Led Astray

There is currently a trend in veterinary medicine toward what is called Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). The idea is that we veterinarians should only treat pets with scientifically proven therapies. This process is intended to eliminate the doctor’s personal bias and therapies that are ineffective or possibly harmful. With EBM there is a hierarchy of evidence […]

Lessons from the “War on Fat”

A recent Time Magazine cover story about America’s “War on Fat” is very instructive about both human and pet nutrition. The title of the article, “Don’t Blame the Fat” says it all. In the late 1970’s it was determined that dietary fat and cholesterol were responsible for the high incidence of heart disease in America. […]

Do You have a Pet Connection?

For most of us pet caregivers these days, our animals are not possessions but rather members of the family with whom we share our homes, our beds, and our lives. All living beings have in common the same life force or Spirit. It is very common for people to form strong energetic bonds with their […]

The Truth About Vaccines

Some in the holistic community are against all vaccines. I am not one of them. I worked at a humane society for five years and witnessed firsthand the deadly consequences when animals were not vaccinated properly. Vaccinations are an important part of pet healthcare. The incidence of certain deadly diseases such as distemper, parvovirus, and […]

Poor Puppy

The recent sale of some of P&G’s pet food brands to Mars brought out the “experts.” In a news article, here’s what one pet food authority had to say: “Ninety percent of pets live on the cheapest pet food and survive,” says Nestle, co-author of “Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your […]

Sometimes the Tail Wags the Dogma

The word “dogma” has been defined as “a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted.” This word is usually reserved for religious doctrine but is also used in the area of biology. The so called “central dogma” refers to the idea that the […]

Learn to PETitate

Meditation is an integral part of a holistic lifestyle for people. Many scientific studies now show that the regular practice of meditation can improve brain function, benefit the immune system, promote healthy sleep patterns, and even increase cancer survival. If you are interested in learning how to meditate, here is a free online course. I […]