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Having watched animals and their illnesses for the last twenty-odd years of practice, I am seeing a disturbing trend. Have you noticed it, too? When illness strikes our pets, it is long term, chronic, and difficult to cure. The best that conventional medicine seems able to do is to (barely or briefly) control symptoms, but these poor creatures never get back to a normal, enthusiastic level of health. We've all seen these animals: they are allergic to something and itch a lot; they have thyroid problems and lose their hair or their body weight (depending on whether they have too little or too much thyroid function); they have stiffness and pain in their joints; or their teeth get filthy regularly, and don't stay clean with our best efforts at dental hygiene. There are many other symptoms and names of chronic disease, but you get the idea. Why is chronic illness becoming so common? When I look at it carefully, it's apparent that we are not raising healthy pets. Oh, we try, we follow the veterinary line that says we should vaccinate every one every year, we should feed only one kind of food from a bag or can, we should brush teeth regularly, control fleas with the latest chemicals, and give more chemicals to keep the heartworm at bay, but where is this getting us and our four-footed companions? The cats are telling a story about this that I want to share with you.
Back twenty some years ago, dogs were the most popular pet in America. Cats were less popular, and, therefore, had less likelihood of being brought to the vet. As the years went on, more people lived in smaller spaces, led busier lives, and had less time to care for a dog, but wanted that special companionship that a pet can bring, so cats grew in popularity, until, by the mid-'80's, they overtook dogs in numbers owned per capita. And where did the conscientious pet owners get their advice on raising the healthiest cats they could? From their local veterinarian, of course. What was the definition of giving the best care? Vaccinating annually, feeding Science Diet, brushing teeth, treating for fleas, etc. Just like it had been for years before with the canine population.
Interestingly enough, the diseases that are quite common in cats now were virtually unknown in the late '70's when I was in veterinary school. (This was coincidentally also when cats were living outside of the conventional medical world, for the most part). We had two donated diabetic beagle siblings who lived in the teaching hospital and taught us about this strange disease. Diabetes was something we never saw in cats, and it was pretty uncommon in dogs, for that matter. We learned of hypothyroidism from several canine cases, but cats didn't have thyroid problems, and hyperthyroidism was not in the books or the exam rooms. We saw horrible skin allergies in dogs, with crusts and scabs and red feet and unending itchiness, but we didn't see cats with this disease, either. And we saw and treated dogs with heartworms. Not cats.
Well, if you've been observant in recent years, you know that these chronic diseases are fairly commonplace now in the feline population. As are asthma, kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease, dental calculus and decay, heart disease, and cancer. Why? Could it be that the cat is now following the same road that the dog has gone down? I think so, and what's more, I think we need to redefine what is the best way to raise a healthy animal. More veterinary care in the usual preventative way has backfired, and I think we are actually causing these chronic diseases to become more prevalent. While prevention is still most important, it's not best done by annual vaccines, toxic food, and topical flea poisons (that warn us not to get them on our skin).
And guess what? Wild cats like the lynx and bobcat are not experiencing these chronic degenerative diseases. Wolves don't die of heartworm disease or have dirty teeth. And nobody is dropping them heartworm pills monthly nor brushing their teeth. Might we do better to follow their example (fresh, healthy food, no/minimal vaccines, no toxic chemicals)? I think we will all be happier and see less disease in all species when we do.
I know this holistic approach works. Experience has borne it out in daily practice on hundreds of animals over the last many years. Most of my clients do not use heartworm pills, yet when we test their animals, they are negative for the parasite. Many are feeding diets that include raw meat, and if the conventional vet hears of it, they warn about dangerous digestive upsets and bacterial poisoning from such a radical practice. But none have had this happen! Why is a vaccine given annually to a dog or cat, but we don't receive yearly reminders from our physicians that WE need another round of polio or smallpox vaccination? Let's look at the big picture. Question the norm! Don't raise an average animal in the common way. Chronic disease is the risk you take; it's now the common and average illness, and the type that conventional medicine cannot cure.
The cats are talking. Are you listening? |
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Dr. Will Falconer is a homeopathic veterinarian practicing globally from Austin, Texas. His web site is www.Alt4Animals.com |
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