HOW DOG-FRIENDLY IS YOUR TOWN?

Here is a list of the 17 most dog-friendly cities in the U. S.

How does YOUR town rate?

Click here to open listing in a separate window and enjoy!

 

FOR THE PET PARENT WHO REFUSES TO SCRIMP

First of all, a quick "thank you!" to "Gail" in Baltimore who's responsible for my waking up this morning to another 5 star book review!  What a great way to start the day, knowing I've touched a stranger's heart :-)

Those of you who've read my book, know that through the years  I used several AZMIRA products for supplementing Buttons' diet to keep her immune system strong and her body alkalized and inflammation-free. MEGA PET DAILY, SEA SUPREME and YUCCA INTENSIVE are the three I've used and shared about most, all with fabulous results.

Please know: I get ABSOLUTELY NO kick-back, promotion, or compensation of any kind from sharing about these products or from your purchasing them. I just know that over the last 30 years, this company has never compromised on quality as seen here.

If an ingredient in one of their formulas is unavailable or not up to their extremely high quality standards, they will suspend or discontinue the product! To me, that is a clear indication that money/profit is NOT their bottom line: YOUR PET'S HEALTH IS!

Bottom line of this post: AZMIRA doesn't scrimp and neither should you. Please research the companies whose products you rely on and make sure they truly have your beloved animal's good health in mind- because that is what is at stake.

Thank you to the good folks at AZMIRA for continuing to hold the high quality standards they always have. It's not easy to go against the norm and do what's right.

Comment Questions: Do you ever research the companies whose products you use? Have you ever called a company and asked questions about their products before purchasing them?

The Illusion of Time

Ten years ago today, my sweet baby Buttons died in my arms. I am sitting here looking out at a beautiful snowfall, crying my heart out. A very wise friend just sent me this: "Yeah. 10 years. 100 years. Yesterday. And right now."
I realize that love is timeless and I guess the illusion of loss is, too.

Sending love to every pet parent out there who knows the feeling. 

ZEN AND THE HEALING ART OF PET PARENTHOOD

Photos fade. 

Love never fades.

A Twitter Thank You!

Congratulations to Whirly Dog Supplies for being our 6,000th follower on Twitter! They will receive an easy-to-read pdf gift copy of The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood with our thanks! To purchase your own pdf copy:  
☚☚☚Just scroll down and click on the 2nd PayPal button- the one that says "BUY NOW" (not "PAY NOW") on the left column BELOW THE AMAZON LINK, and for only $10, have a pdf of the entire book emailed to you for:

• easy reading on your computer, iPad, or eReader!

• Or- using "abobe Reader 7" and "iPod Notes Reader" you can convert it into files that can be read on your iPod!

Enjoy! And as always, thank you for helping spread the word so we can continue helping more and more pets and pet parents!

CLICK HERE to read the AMAZON reviews!

To follow us on Twitter, click HERE

Two Simple Ways to Help Keep Your Pet Healthy

When my adopted daughter Buttons was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with deadly carcinoma and given 6 weeks to live. It was then that I launched a massive personal research campaign into the world of holistic medicine.

I soon came to learn that “holistic” DIDN'T mean symptom treating with natural remedies or herbs in lieu of pharmaceutical drugs. Instead, it meant clearing my home environment of all possible toxins, detoxifying Buttons’ entire system physically and emotionally, and then giving her the proper nutritional support so that Buttons’ body could do what an unburdened, nontoxic body does best: HEAL ITSELF. The story of that journey is part of what The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood is all about. Here are some of the finer details not mentioned in the book:

Your Pet’s Dishes-

Personally, I would only use glass or stainless steel bowls for food and water. Plastics are known to leach and leak chemicals and some pottery glazes can do the same.

Electrical Outlets-
Everyday, there is more and more published about the ill-effects of EMF (electrical magnetic field) on the immune system. I always made sure Buttons’ bedding and bowls were placed at least 4 feet away from any electrical outlet or live appliance.

HEALING THE WORLD: ONE ENEMA AT A TIME

Drugs don't heal disease. Neither do supplements or remedies. THE BODY HEALS ITSELF. This is true for any body: human, canine, or feline. The body is either in a state of health or in a state of disease. It really doesn't matter which disease.

How are you ensuring that your pet's body will maintain perfect health? Are you aware of all the chemicals you're exposing them to via food, treats, toys, cleaners, grooming products, and your personal products?

Matt Monarch and his wife, Angela Stokes-Monarch know and share an enormous amount of good information about achieving and maintaining vigorous health naturally and I encourage you to take a few minutes to enjoy their latest laid-back, informative video explaining cleansing: "You Can't Take Something To Heal".

I did not use Matt's exact suggested method (see video here) to cleanse Buttons' body and trigger its natural healing response (though I follow his protocol for my own health). But I DID give her oral liquids and herbs to achieve similar results and help her liver and intestines dump toxins.

Those of you who've read The Healing Art of Pet Parenthood know that I studied under Dr. Rich Anderson who has been one of the world's pioneers in the arena of the body's ability to maintain vibrant health through intestinal cleansing and nutritional support.

As the book describes, his information and cleansing programs were absolutely foundational in my helping Buttons heal from cancer without chemo, radiation, or amputation when she was diagnosed (biopsy done twice to ensure accuracy) and given 6 weeks to live.

YES: within 4 months of implementing a "clear/cleanse/build" protocol Buttons was cancer-free.

YES: she remained cancer-free for 11 vibrant years to the age of 19.

NO: I never gave her a drug or natural remedy to cure her cancer or to fight her cancer.

YES: I gave her remedies to help cleanse and build her body so IT COULD HEAL ITSELF, which it DID!

YES: via my consultations, I can help you learn how to stack the odds against your pet ever developing a disease such as cancer and how to easily do all that you can to help them maintain a strong immune system.

WHY: would you want to wait until your pet is ill to schedule a consultation?!?!?!?

A QUICK REMINDER THAT COULD SAVE A LIFE

Holistic care means viewing "the whole" as in: the entire body as a connected, cellular-communicating organism. It is not about symptom-treating with natural remedies. It is not about fighting the disease. It is about cleansing the body and then supporting it nutritionally so it can heal itself...or maintain its vibrant health.

You cannot truly heal the body of one ailment (symptom/disease) and have it continue to suffer from a second or third one. The body is either healed or unhealed. Healthy or unhealthy. This is true whether the body is human, canine or feline.

This is a totally different paradigm than the one held by mainstream western, allopathic, big pharma medicine- which generates billions of dollars more than maintaining a toxic-free, well-nourished, self-healing body can.

Charlotte Gerson (founder of the Gerson Institute-see documentary for free here ) says this same thing in the brilliant documentary, Food Matters.

For the sake of your body, and that of your pets', I encourage you to consider investigating this view (the one I used to heal my dog's body of cancer...and everything else) by watching these forthright, informative and empowering documentaries. It will only take a couple of hours of your time... less than you've probably spent in the last year sitting in your doctor's or vet's waiting room.

A GIFT OF HEALTH: HAPPY LEAP YEAR!

In honor of today (and maybe tomorrow, too ;-) a first time ever special:

Buy one 60-minute holistic phone consultation ($65)
and receive a second consultation FREE to gift to a friend!

WHY YOU WANT A CONSULTATION:
Because you don't ever want to hear your vet say the words, "We got the results, and I'm so sorry to have to tell you this..."
especially knowing that there are things we can easily and inexpensively do to help stack the odds against your pet ever developing a disease such as cancer.

Don't have regrets. If you schedule your consultation today, not only will you know you are doing everything you can for your pet's well-being, but a consultation (especially in-home) is fun, interesting and informative, and will leave you feeling confident, assured and empowered.

HOLISTIC CONSULTATION: It's all about prevention, pet parents! What our pets are exposed to regularly has a HUGE impact on their health. We are all what we eat, breathe, and absorb through our skin. Our pets' bodies metabolize everything so much faster than ours: what everyday chemicals may take 40 or 50 years of exposure to create disease in our bodies, may only take 3-6 years of exposure to create disease in theirs.

In our one-on-one personalized consultation, we'll discuss your choice of food, treats, toys, home and personal products- thoroughly examining everything you currently expose your pet to- including insidious things you are not even aware of! After explaining why some of those things may be extremely harmful to your pet, I'll share some simple, easily attainable alternatives that I myself use and help guide you into creating the safest, healthiest environment possible in your home.

Just scroll down and read the left side of
this page for details.
Happy health...happy leap year!

(you will automatically receive a second, free consultation when we schedule the original- you'll only need to give me the name of the pet parent you're gifting it to and then have them email me to schedule)

IN LIVING MEMORY...

Two dear friends of mine have had to start that painful journey this month, of transitioning from a physical/spiritual connection with their beloved dog to a purely spiritual one.


It can take a lot of work to lean into that wrenching pain instead of away from it, and allow ourselves to find that sacred space inside of us where the agony and ecstasy merge; where love and connection lives and can never, ever die.

Thanks to Gretchen Kuhns for this lovely poem by Henry Van Dyke, which was written on the beautiful memorial cards she sent out for her heart dog, Biskit.

To our boys, Frisbee and Biskit- we bless you in your transitions. We bless your pet parents. May your souls soar free while always staying connected to those you loved most.

“I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad
shout;
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.”

YES, I'M ASKING: WHO CUT THE CHEESE?!?

Ahhh, cheese.
Delicious, creamy, convenient, tasty, easy, wonderful cheese!

• Full of salt.

• Full of steroids and hormones (eg: Bovine Somatotropin: synthesized growth hormones injected into cows for more milk production).

• A mucous-forming nightmare to the immune system (stop eating it for a week and notice how much less nasal you sound and how you're not blowing your nose as much).

• Even Dr. Oz's wife, Lisa, has tweeted about the addictive chemicals in cheese and her difficulty and determination to stop eating it forever.

I saw an online recipe today for "natural" home-made dog treats. It had 3 ingredients and one of them was cheese.

Please, pet parents- DO NOT give your beloved pets cheese in any form for any reason. Or sugar. Those things are slow-acting poisons and are far more harmful to our pets than to us because their life spans are so much shorter.

They really aren't going to love you more because you feed them ingredients that are tasty and unhealthy. They have no choice but to eat the things YOU CHOOSE to give them. Why not make sure those things are only healthy ones?

If you want to make your dog really happy, take him on an extra walk this week instead of showing your love with unhealthy food.

In other words, go ahead and continue to blame the dog for cutting the cheese, but please don't feed him/her cheese anymore. Like me- commit yourself to bad puns instead of bad ingredients.

2012

Loved getting this from a local pet sitter and happy to pass it on to you all:

May you have as much fun in 2012 as you can before someone makes you stop!

A SPECIAL VET'S HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Dr. Gloria Dodd is an amazing long-time holistic vet and researcher in northern California. Her articles and research are cutting edge- she's the vet I mention in my book who helped me discover the highly toxic amounts of aluminum in barley- and her homeopathic remedies are ones I used with Buttons in her senior years. I just got an email announcing her 25% off holiday sale on everything from remedies to anti-radiation devices. Definitely worth a look in my opinion :-) http://www.holisticvetpetcare.net/index.htm

HOW TO TREAT ALLERGIES, KIDNEY DISEASE & CANCER

Pet parents are always asking me how to treat their pets with specific diseases and conditions. What I came to understand with extreme clarity when helping Buttons heal from cancer, is that most every disease and condition is a symptom, not a cause.

They are symptoms of the body, which is created as a self-healing organism, losing its ability (for the time being) to maintain vibrant health. So- NO MATTER WHAT THE CONDITION OR DISEASE, my answer is always the same: "clear/cleanse/build".

The first step is to remove the CAUSES- the things that are burdening the body and sapping its self-healing ability! Some of these things include nutritionally empty food, chemical additives, chemical-laden drinking water, toxic chemicals in the form of cleaners, grooming supplies, air fresheners, stain removers, flea treatments, and toxic bowls, toys, and treats.

Of course, as I talk about in my book, I know there are times when circumstances call for immediate pharmaceutical or surgical action, but when I say that, I'm talking about things like when Buttons had a stroke at the age of 17 and we gave her a steroid shot to reduce the swelling in her brain and bring her far enough away from danger so I could then employ more natural support. This is not the same as 9 years earlier when the lab diagnosed cancer and the vet gave her 6 weeks to live. I knew 6 weeks was enough time to kick start her body's own natural healing response, so I said no to the surgery and chemotherapy that the vet insisted she needed to stay alive.

Next, the body must be cleansed of all residual toxins. The liver is the main storehouse of these immune-burdening chemicals. The proper use of diet, herbs and homeopathic remedies can effectively and safely cleanse the internal organs and tissue.

"Build" is the final step- supporting the body nutritionally with clean, simple, NON PROCESSED organic food, along with megadosing certain vitamins like ascorbic acid. Bodies are amazingly resilient when causes are removed and proper nutrition is introduced. When I think about the toxic, chemical soup most people (and their pets!) live in due to cleaners, air fresheners and laundry products, combined with consuming things like sugar, hormones and antibiotics in meat and dairy products, and drugs like caffeine on a daily basis, not only am I amazed at the body's ability to withstand abuse, but I'm surprised even MORE people and pets aren't developing devastating disease.

Here is a book and a film that I personally have found invaluable in more fully understanding this truly holistic paradigm of "clear/cleanse/build" versus fighting the disease and symptom-squelching:

3 Simple Steps to healthy Pets and Food Matters which is also available to stream via Netflix

I get no compensation for directing people towards either the book or the film- I just want you to stay informed and healthy! It's a different way of looking at healing, but one worth investigating, in my experience. May you and your pets have long, vibrant lives!

THE CHICAGO PET SHOW

Here's s little help for Chicagoland pet parents and shelters.
Please feel free to download and print for yourself and anyone you know who's able to attend. I will be speaking several times at the St. Charles weekend on both pet loss and preventing canine cancer. My book will also be available for purchase and I'll be happy to sign and endorse it for you.
Looking forward to seeing you there and helping some shelters!

SAVE THE DATE!

I am thrilled to have been invited to be a part of this wonderful Chicagoland event Saturday and Sunday, October 29th and 30th.

http://www.chicagopetshow.com/

Besides the scheduled talks I will be giving on holistic care, preventing canine cancer and pet bereavement, I will also be available for meet, greet and book signing at the St. Charles location. Looking forward to this great event and meeting you and your pets there! For discount coupons, please click here.

YOUR PET WANTS YOU TO WATCH THIS FILM!

Some of my readers know that last summer I did a 92-day green juice fast/feast ("feast" meaning LOTS- up to a gallon a day- of fresh green juice so one is never physically hungry). It was very difficult for me psychologically for the first 4 days (my MIND wanted food- and not fruits and veggies!), but then for the most part, the rest was smooth sailing.

This was not my first juice fast. I started out years ago doing 3-4 days of only fresh juice. The summer before, I did a 7 and a 19-day juice fast. All my research told me it's important to work your body into it so as to not overload the liver, gallbladder, etc. with an onslaught of toxins that your body releases during a fast.

In each fast I experienced a lot of cleansing and healing on many different levels. During the 92-day fast, age marks, liver spots, skin tags, hip pain, shoulder pain, depression, hormone fluctuation and migraines disappeared. Energy level skyrocketed and clothes I hadn't been able to wear in decades were not only back in style, but fit comfortably.

Just like the "clear/cleanse/build" protocol I used to trigger the healing response in Buttons' body when she developed cancer is often challenging for people to embrace because it flies in the face of western medicine's much more radical, painful, and money-making, chemo/radiation/surgery, people are often skeptical about juice fasting.

If you know me at all, you know I'm a firm believer in gathering lots of information and then experiencing the things I'm drawn to that make sense to me- the ones that somehow ring true for me in my mind.

Well, here's a delightful little film (available for instant-watch streaming or dvd on Netflix) which can help you wrap your mind around the whole concept of juicing. It is fun, interesting, inspiring, and informational.

If you are experiencing any kind of physical or emotional pain or discomfort, and especially if you are managing a condition with side-effect causing pharmaceutical medications, I encourage you to take 90 minutes to watch this film. It might very well save your life. It will at least give you something interesting to think about.


*Thanks to HiimRawn for his daily inspiration and for passing along the info about this film!

TOP 3 THINGS I WOULD NEVER USE AROUND MY PET

"But they're sold in my favorite store, how can they be bad?" I hear this all the time in consults.


Truth is, many commonly used chemicals have been shown through government studies to produce respiratory problems, tumor growth and brain damage in laboratory animals. And yes, they find their way into household products and into the organ tissue of our 2 and 4-legged loved ones anyway. Why? Because manufacturers put profit before well-being.


Therefore, it is up to us to be informed and vigilant. You've got a computer- it's easy to do a little research. Start googling and substituting. Things like fresh lemons and white vinegar can effectively replace many chemical-laden products. So far, I doubt lemons have ever caused tumor growth or brain damage.


That said, I would never use:

1. Fabric softener
2. Dryer sheets
3. Most carpet stain remover and a fourth bonus one:
4. Plug-in air freshener

What substitutions have you made recently to ensure a safer environment for your pet? (no product names, please)

Whole Lotta Fun!

Thanks to everyone who made it to my Wednesday evening class at Whole Foods Evanston/South. Your questions were wonderful. For those who weren't able to attend, we discussed some new toxic-free cleaning products (along with oldie but goodie ones like fresh lemons) and the use of Bach Flower Remedies.

Specifically, one of the attendees was concerned about the negative behavior her dog was exhibiting of late. Turns out it was her brother's dog whom she adopted recently when her brother passed away. Surely the dog, along with everyone in the family, is grieving and traumatized. In my experience, Bach Flower remedies are incredible for clearing trauma and upset from the emotional body, which in turn affects the physical body, not to mention behavior. Scroll down this page to see all the different remedies available and the conditions they address.

Hopefully I'll get a progress report from that attendee to share with you soon. Will also be posting some photos from the event in a future post. I'm looking forward to doing many more events in the Chicagoland area and meeting those of you who are local.

If you HAVE an event in the Chicago area you'd like me to be a part of, please email me at the link on the top left of this page. I love helping pet parents learn how to give their pets longer, healthier lives and will take every opportunity to do so.

FOR CHICAGOLAND PET PARENTS

Hope to see you there!
Wednesday July 13th- 6:30pm
Whole Foods 1111 Chicago Avenue Evanston, Il
Call 847.475.9492 for more info