Animal Holistic Health Care

Animal Holistic Health Care
Nicola Grobe

　

Prologue

On July 7, 2012, a panel of prominent International neuroscientists, cognitive neuroscientists, neuropharmacologists, neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists and computational neuroscientists gathered at the University of Cambridge, U.K. to reassess the neurobiological substrates of conscious experience and related behaviors in animals and humans and they signed their Declaration on Consciousness at the Francis Crick Memorial Conference of Consciousness in Human and Non Human Animals in the presence of Dr. Stephen Hawking.

They found that, although non human animals as well as developmentally impaired humans have problems to communicate brain processes to others, the neural substrates of emotions do not appear to be confined to cortical structures. The same subcortical neural networks aroused during affective states in humans are also critically important for generating emotional behaviors in animals. Artificial arousal of the same brain regions generates corresponding behavior and feeling states in both animals and humans. Instinctual emotional behaviors in animals and humans can bypass the neo cortical processing stages and still function well on their own. Instincts are indeed part of our decision making processes as well as part of our emotions as well as part of our cognitive functions. Instincts are therefore not just robotically mechanistic behavior motivators as believed in the 50s. Subcortical function as observed in animals with much less neo cortex mass applies not only to the automatic nervous system functions like sleep, eating, drinking, fight and flight, but also to some decision making like in nursing infants. These observations lead scientists to conclude that those primal survival mechanisms (and not only those for the survival of one individual but also for the survival of the other as in caretaking) have already existed in animals like early cephalopod mollusks like octopus and other prevertebrate animals. Octopus are much more evolved today with very large brains and complex decision making. Octopus evolved parallel to the animals on land. Birds also developed parallel to mammals while never leaving the bird- or premammal stage of evolutionary development. Therefore some birds have developed more complex brains with larger neo cortices, as seen in African Grey Parrots who are able to learn sign language like primates. Magpie birds who are related to Jays, Crows and Zebra Finches have neuronal sleep patterns including REM sleep similar to those in mammals. Magpies show complex social conduct like self recognition in mirrors equal to elephants, dolphins, whales and primates. Self recognition is a sign of higher cognitive understanding.

The International panel of scientists gathered at The University of Cambridge came to this unanimous conclusion:

"We declare the following: The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that nonhuman animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates."

Every person who has ever lived with animals would have already noticed for millennia that the nonhuman land animals are just like humans, they feel the same way, they act very much like them and they communicate similarly through a universal body language, the one that humans also have always used (throughout their pre homo sapiens stages as well). Whales and dolphins have developed a much more complex language than the human languages. According to recent research Humpback whales are more evolved than humans. They have higher cognitive functions and higher ethical understanding than humans have. Dr. Jack Kassewitz is currently developing a bridge language system in order to learn the whale language and be able to communicate back to the whales. When they will be able to understand much of what the whales and dolphins are saying then humans can learn from the cetaceans.

Dogs, pigs and horses for example also have this ability to love unconditionally and help each other as well as help other species.

Hierarchical human systems throughout history have ordered animals under humans out of greed. The animals were not able to defend themselves against their enslavement. The same hierarchical power systems then utilized superstition and religion to manipulate the populous body and to facilitate their self made hierarchies further and dictate them to society.

Most human societies today have surpassed those stone age states of social development. Today we have the opportunity to make further progress by acknowledging that the matters on Earth are not only the matters of the humans but instead they are the matters of all Earthians. This Declaration on Consciousness can therefore be seen as an official stage setting for the new era of love and kindness for all living beings equally.

　

　

Animal Holistic Health Care

Animals and humans can heal old wounds through a loving environment, through being understood, being respected, through never being left alone for any length of time, and through loving care. Dogs who had been abused and were rescued by loving persons will heal their physical and emotional wounds through unconditional love. It is very important to be extremely patient when rescuing dogs who are hiding somewhere. Always stay with them or near them until they begin to trust you more and accept food and water. Then you can gently put a leash on them and lead them to the hospital, shelter or your home so that they can begin the healing process.

I highly recommend to people to rescue a dog, cat or other animal from a shelter, because all of those homeless animals are desperately waiting for a good person to bring them home, protect and love them. Many of the animals in shelters are euthanized in order for the shelter staff to take in more suffering animals. A painfree death is better than suffering, this is a very critical priority. But we can rescue the dogs on death row from having their lives ended too soon. If all humans adopted dogs from shelters then the euthanasia of healthy dogs waiting for a home would not be necessary any longer. I recommend to have not more than 4 dogs or 4 cats at home because too many animals in a home is overwhelming for the animals as well as for the caregivers. It depends on the size of the home and on whether you have employees to help you. If you got a large house and a staff then you can adopt more animals if you like. Important is that the animals are happy and healthy. Wild animals belong into the wild places or sanctuaries which are very large territories of hundreds of acres.

Dogs evolved from wolves around 100 000 years ago according to current scientific data. Neanderthals became extinct somewhere around 32 000 years ago according to the latest discoveries of Neanderthal bones found in Europe and Asia. It is likely that both, the Cro Magnon from Africa and the Neanderthal from Europe had a symbiotic relationship with wolves through hunting together, sharing food together, and nursing puppies and babies together. Human babies have been nursed by wolves and wolf babies have been nursed by humans.

Dogs in warmhearted households have nothing to fear today and out of this ideal situation grows the Buddha nature, their signature character, the infinite love they have for us humans and all other animals. Therefore hierarchy is disappearing among dogs. My dog Kenny for example willingly shared his food with Carmen who was rescued in Mexico, and Carmen shared the food with him. It touched me deeply when I watched them eat together.

Horses in the wild places are happy and they should be left alone. Horses who live with loving humans have it good, too and probably even better because they are totally protected. Horses need 10 acres of land at least when they are a group of up to 5. If they are more than 5 then they need much more land to graze and roam on. All animals (dogs, wolves, coyotes, foxes, cats, horses, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, ground animals, rabbits, birds, even reptiles and fish and many more) need to be together with other animals all the time. Every animal should have a friend or friends to socialize with and it does not matter if the friends are other species.

People who have horses can build horse groups by sharing their meadows with other horse owners. Two or more horse owners can bring their horses to the same meadow so that the horses can be living as a family. It is very efficient to allow the horses to graze on one meadow while the other meadows are recovering and growing new grass. That way the horses can be brought to a fresh meadow with new and high grass after the last meadow had been grazed short. Horses are herd animals and highly social. They like to be together with other horses. They like to eat together, run together and they like to groom each other. Ask your neighbors with horses if they would like to form a horse community. If you can't find anyone else who has a horse, you can ask someone with other herd animals like cows, goats, sheep or pigs to let them graze together with your horse. It will make your horse feel so much better to have another animal to socialize with and it will make the pig, cow, sheep or goat feel good to be brought to your horse who is a new friend for them. No animal should ever be lonely. All animals need friends.

Guinea pigs living in the wild places in South America are very nervous because of hawks and other predators hunting them. Guinea pigs move forward in very abrupt, jerky, jolted movements, they are terrified when they leave their underground caves. Are they happy? I don't think so. Happier than in a laboratory for certain. But not happy like they should be. Every being on Earth deserves to be happy. I had 3 guinea pigs at different times, each living with me in my bedroom when I still lived with my parents. I spent a lot of time with each guinea pig, kissing them, cuddling them, and letting them sleep next to me under the blanket which they loved, that gave them the feeling of a cave. Each guinea pig would make happy sounds when sitting on my chest, or in bed next to me, they would chirp like a bird, they would whistle, they would sing to me songs of love. And my guinea pigs did not move in jerky movements. Instead they walked curiously around the room and sometimes they would jump out of happiness. They were totally relaxed, they grew up with love and knew nothing else. That is the paradise which I am talking about. Every being on Earth or in the eternal universe deserves to live in a paradise free from fear, receiving unconditional love and lots of gentle physical touch.

Guinea pigs need regular nail trimming. Take the Guinea pig to the veterinarian for nail trimming and learn how to trim the nails yourself as well. Black nails don't show where the blood vessels begin. You have to be very careful and cut only a very short piece from the top of the nail. The same applies to dogs' toenails. Some dogs are scared of having their toenails clipped. We sit with our dog, one holds him by the collar and gently pets him and gently talks to him while the other person trims the nails with a nail clipper for dogs, always paying close attention to the blood vessels inside the toenails and not to cut into the capillaries or nerve endings. I recommend to always cut only the very tip of the toenail off with the right size nail clipper according to the size of the toenails.

The best material for the pets’ living territory and litter box is dried and finely shredded and soft greenery material like tree twigs and leaves from your garden. You can ask an arborist (tree specialist), if you can have shredded greenery material for free, or you can trade him something for it, or pay a small amount. The arborist has a shredding machine. I recommend this material from people's gardens, because it has not been treated with any chemicals.

Rabbits and guinea pigs are vegan and love to eat carrots, lettuce, apples, alfalfa hay and pellets, pears, raw cucumbers, parsley, rhubarb, horseradish, etc. They like to have a tree branch to chew on, a salt stone and a fresh water bottle with a drinking tube. Have a water bowl for your pet as well just in case the drinking tube of the bottle is clogged. Pets should never be given sweets, meat or dairy products, because it can make them sick. Rabbits learn quite fast to use a litter box as a toilet. Guinea pigs and rats can not be potty trained. Build them a large territory to live in. But also let them out on the lawn sometimes during the summer time and only during the day when its warm and safe. Give them a place where there is the option for shade as well. It is not healthy for them to be exposed to sun light for too long, they should always be able to retreat to an area that is protected from the sun. Generally have them live in the warm and safe house with you.

If you want to buy a dog, please do not buy the dog from a pet store, because pet stores get their dogs from puppy mills, where they are bred and raised under inhumane conditions. Puppy mills only care about money and not about their dogs. Puppy mill dogs have to live in unsanitary surroundings, are fed poorly, are never handled or petted, and they have insufficient room to move around. A lot of the dogs from puppy mills are neurotic and traumatized and their mother dogs are kept in small cages. A puppy mill is like a factory farm where animals are treated more like merchandise than living animals.

You can rescue an animal from an animal shelter which is always the best solution. If you buy a dog from a breeder then make sure that he has only a few dogs living in his home. Make sure that the breeder gives the mother dogs several years of recovery time after each litter and that he does not breed them more than 3 times during her life time. Let the breeder show you the parents, so you can judge for yourself how their offspring will most likely act and look like. Choose only kindhearted and mellow dog families. Talk to the breeder on the phone. The breeders who are not in a rush and who are patient and who answer all of your questions with a warm, welcoming and friendly voice and who don't use the words "sir" or "maam" are the better breeders. Drive to the breeder with your car in order to pick up your puppy. I recommend Not to have the puppy flown in by air plane in a box because it terrifies the dogs and it is cruel. Many dogs have been physically and emotionally injured through being transported in air planes. Some of them have died. Therefore it should be outlawed to transport dogs in air plane cargo areas. Instead the air lines should have specific flights with dogs where the dogs can be together with the human passengers in the passenger areas and where they have large grass planters as dog toilets, where they have water and food for them and where they can be petted during the flight so that they don't have to be afraid.

For travelling in general I don’t recommend bringing pets along in commercial air planes. Small pets can be transported in the passenger areas, but even this is very stressful for the animals. I highly advise people to not confine animals in cages or crates for any length of time. Cages cause trauma.

Adjust your travelling to your pet’s needs. As long as you have animals which depend on you like dogs in particular, choose pet safe travelling like travelling by car, RV, yacht, private air plane or helicopter. Some kennels and pet hotels can be very stressful, traumatic, and can spread diseases. Therefore if you for some reason can not bring the animal along, I highly recommend close relatives or very good friends who love your animals, to baby sit for them.

To transport your small animal, you can use a cardboard carrier made for cats or a soft baglike cat carrier. When you transport any animal, large or small, in a car, truck, SUV, or RV, make sure the temperature in your vehicle does not exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Animals are a lot more sensitive to heat than people are. They can overheat easily. Install a digital thermometer in your vehicle and monitor the temperature. Leave at least 2 windows half open for ventilation. Have a water bowl filled with water accessible for your animal. Make sure that the pet does not wait too long for you in your vehicle. I don’t recommend letting your dog wait for more than 1 hour while shopping. Avoid bringing your dog along in the car during excessively hot temperatures.

I know someone whose dog was once stolen while he was shopping. The people cut open the mosquito screen of the motorhome window and pulled his dog out. He was looking for the dog and someone told him where the dog was, he went to their door and kicked against it, two children opened the door and his dog was tied to a butcher table. He saved his dog in the nick of time. Because of those risks it is better to travel with another human who can stay with the animals in the RV or car while one is shopping. Those cultures who still to this modern day and age eat dogs, need to abandon this habit right away. This is the same as eating humans. I personally find eating mammals in general abhorrent because I deeply care about all beings. I also care about birds, reptiles and amphibians. No animal should suffer in order to be put on someone's dish. I like what Dr. Schulze says "Don't eat anything that has a face", and face means any organism that has at least a mouth opening. Dr. Schulze points out that eating animal proteins is dangerous for our health because it can clog up the arteries and cause heart attacks.

　

All animals need exercise just like humans. They need to be able to run, stretch out, play and have fresh air. Dogs like to hike for miles in nature. Make sure your pet has pure water to drink at all times on walks and at home. Water sources are sometimes polluted with chemicals. That’s why it is important to run the water through a good water filter. Allowing the animals to sleep as much as they want to is important for their health. Animals who sleep more live much longer. Same applies to humans.

It is important to keep your home, your pet’s litter box, bed, etc., clean and sanitary. I recommend natural cleaners and detergents. Cleaning agents containing chlorine bleach, ammonia or other sythetic solvents are toxic for pets, humans and the environment. Chlorine pollutes the groundwater and the ocean and kills any kind of living cell including skin cells. Ammonia and other synthetic solvents can break open cell walls in living organisms.

Health food stores and some regular grocery stores offer alternative and safe bleach made with oxygen based ingredients, sodium bicarbonate, salts and enzymes. Dishwashing liquids, toilet cleaners, bath tub cleaners, and laundry detergents which contain only plant based, biodegradable cleaning agents are safe for your pet and your children, they are safe for the environment and they smell good.

All pesticides are hazardous. I strongly recommend to everyone to Never buy any kind of pesticide whether it is a home or gardening product or flee and tick repellent. Pesticides encompass several different chemical categories: Herbicides (used to kills weeds), insecticides (used to kill insects), fungicides (used to control molds and fungi), and rodenticides (used to kill rodents). All pesticides including flea collars and liquid flea and tick repelling agents are toxic and can cause serious life threatening illnesses in animals and humans.

Recent scientific studies involving laboratory animals show that many pesticides damage the developing brain and nervous system. Scientists have discovered that some pesticides have the ability to mimic or compete with those hormones involved with development and functioning. Pesticides affect the hypothalamic catecholamine systems, which are the pathways critical for the control of movement (nigrostriatal dopaminergic systems) and for complex cognitive functions (mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic systems). Neurodegenerative dysfunctions caused by pesticides and associated with these systems include Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder, ADD.

The insect repelling agent DEET, which is very common on the market today, has been proven to be toxic and unsafe to use. The Pesticide Information Project of Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and University of California at Davis, reports that laboratory rats killed by DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methyl-benzamide or N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) with applied dosages in the LD50 range showed lacrimation, chromodacryorrhea, depression, prostration, tremors, and asphyxial convulsions. Respiratory failure usually preceded cardiac failure.

Laboratory rabbits died from an intravenous dosage of 75 mg/kg. Animals topically exposed to DEET have developed dermal and ocular reactions including erythema, desquamation and scarring in rabbits and profuse sweating, irritation and exfoliation in horses. Ocular application of either diluted (30 or 40 percent DEET) or undiluted DEET in rabbits has produced edema, eye infection, pus and clouding in the eyes.

Soldiers who applied solutions containing 50% to 75% DEET on to their skin, reported large painful blisters and permanent scarring of skin at the crease of the elbow. DEET causes a variety of reactions in humans including rashes, irritation of skin/mucous membranes, and encephalopathy. A 3 year old girl developed encephalopathy after exposure to a solution containing 15% DEET, sprayed on her bedding every night for 2 weeks. Symptoms of encephalopathy caused by DEET are agitation, weakness, disorientation, ataxia, seizures, coma, and in three cases resulted in death. Autopsies conducted on two fatalities indicated edema of the brain, with one case presenting necrotic lesions in the cerebellum and spinal cord and an enlarged liver accompanied by microscopic changes.

Exposure to DEET has also caused psychosis characterized by aggressive behavior, delusions and hyperactivity in human adults. DEET in laboratory animals’ systems affects the reproductive organs, it increases mutation in offspring, causes organ toxicity, and increases the risk of tumor growth. Studies by oncologists Dr. Lennart Hardell and Mikail Eriksson of Sweden have determined clear links between the herbicide glyphosate to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer. Glyphosate is commonly known as >Roundup<. A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute revealed that dog owners who treat their lawns with weed killers containing 2,4-D, double and triple the probability of their pet to develop cancer. Glyphosate has therefore been taken off the market and made illegal to use in many European countries including Germany.

It is illegal in California and Oregon to burn trash items like plastics, metals, and hazardous waste. Open burning of garbage poses health risks to those exposed to the smoke. It especially affects animals and humans with sensitive respiratory systems, as well as children and the elderly. In the short term, exposure to smoke can cause headaches, nausea, and rashes. Over time, it can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Some of the pollutants contained in the smoke from burning of garbage can include Dioxins, Furans, Arsenic, Mercury, PCBs, Lead, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen oxides, Sulphur oxides, and Hydrochloric acid. Many of those listed chemicals are being released through burning of plastics, metals and hazardous waste including wood and tree materials which had been treated with pesticides like glyphosate and other highly carcinogenic toxins.

It is not necessary to treat bark beatle infestations with glyphosate injections or other applications. The treatment will not prevent bark beatle infestations from being reduced. Burning of wood treated with glyphosate will not eliminate the problems and instead will increase them through spreading mold spores and other pathogens from the infected trees as well as contaminating the air even further with toxic chemicals and affect not only plants but also animal and human health. The drastic pesticide increase since 1950 has created an increase of cancers including testicular cancer by over 300 percent. (Cancer Research UK, and other websites around the world).

What causes the insect infestations, fungus and other infections in trees and other plants? A healthy tree or other plant has a highly functioning immune system and it can defend itself against any type of pathogen or insect. The problem occurs when the tree or other plant is permanently exposed to environmental pollutants like automobile exhaust from gasoline, coal burning, radiation, and toxic dust particles and gases. Over time, ususally over long term exposure for decades, certain plant species will become overwhelmed with the permanent exposure to toxic air and their immune systems will not be able to keep up with the defense against the toxins. When that happens the plant will not be able to keep itself free from mold and fungus infections. When the fungus spreads inside of the plant then the plant will not be able to defend itself against parasitic invasions like bark beetles and other pest insects. This is the last stage of a plant's immune dysfunction. Much has to happen before this takes place. When a plant is very sick its visible for us humans but then its often too late for the plant or even the entire plant species. For example Port Orford Cedar trees have been infected along the entire North West coast. Many plant species do not have the genetic disposition to handle pollution.

What can be done about this problem of plants dying from illness? Each person can do their part to reduce the risks of trees and other plants dying. Driving less, bicycling more, walking more when possible, more passengers in one car to get from A to B, local shopping, local business, trading more like trading work for food or services, less energy consumption, clean energy use, electric motorvehicle use, no trash burning at any time and any place, recycling, composting, no use of pesticides nor chemical fertilizers, making your own healthy soil from compost, less material consumption, less packaging, reusing items, buying eco friendly products, using only plant based soaps for household, only plant based shampoos, no glitter items because they end up in the ocean and inside of ocean animals causing them health problems, no bleach use, natural hair conditioners only, plant based hair coloring only, growing plants that are native to local area, growing different plant species side by side with others to ensure healthy diversity and a reduced risk of infestations, less meat comsumption because life stock animals are a major cause of pollution, vegetarian food is great and vegan food is the best and the healthiest, use of recycled paper and cardboard, use of cloth shopping bags instead of paper and plastic bags, never cutting trees because each tree ensures the health of the air and eco system, plants are natural air detoxifyers but they are overwhelmed when exposed to too many toxins for too long.

There are alternative insect repelling agents like herbal flee collars and other safe products on the market which you can find in health food stores and sometimes in regular grocery stores. Many herbs repel flees, ticks and mosquitoes. Among the most popular ones are Rosemary, Clove, Peppermint, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Sage, and Cedar. Make sure that you read the ingredients on the product container and buy products which contain only plant based ingredients.

Gardening is possible without pesticides. A variety of plants cultivated side by side balance the soil. Marigold and tomato planted in between your plants help to repel insects. Ladybugs eat small invasive insects. A blend of water, biodegradable soap, hot peppers like cayenne, garlic, onions, olive oil, marigold, vinegar, whole grain flour, peppermint leaves- or oil and tomato sprinkled on the plants and soil repels insects and snails. This blend can be diluted with up to 80% water. Build a compost area and let the worms transform decomposable material into rich soil for your plants. This healthy soil will boost your plants’ immune system. Your plants will be much stronger to fend off insects and molds. The key for a healthy garden and healthy animals living in the garden is a balanced eco system. To balance the flora and fauna we have to keep everything the way nature works by itself without mixing in synthetic particles of any kind. Any time artificial things have been applied to natural systems, problems have occurred in some form or another and that's why it is critical to leave systems free from anything unnatural whether its your garden, your dog or yourself.

People who have septic tanks will never have to hire a sewer pump service when they allow the worms in the septic tank to stay healthy. The worms decompose everything biodegradable in the septic tank in a short time. Never use chlorine bleach on anything, never bleach hair with conventional hair coloring or bleach, never use ammonia solvents, never use anything that is toxic for life forms. Live healthy and without drugs of any sort if possible. Use alternative hair coloring solutions like Henna which comes in all colors. Use chamomille, sodium bicarbonate and hydrogenperoxide for bleaching hair, those are safer chemicals. But I recommend not to bleach hair, its still hard on the worm-, hair- and skin cells. Henna is the safest. Use plant perfumes instead of synthetic chemical perfumes. Use fluoride free herbal toothpaste like the one made by Weleda. You can buy them on the Internet. Wash dogs with sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water. For a gallon of water all is needed are about 5 tea spoons of sodium bicarbonate powder mixed into the water. Shower dog with warm water, pour the solution on whole dog, gently massage into fur, then rinse.

Going green, clean and holistic is the solution. Problems are only solved through lots of researching on the Internet, in libraries, or schools. There is always a safe solution out there which does not harm any life form. I recommend reading herbology books to learn about the vast abundance of locally and wild growing plants which offer not only remedies to everything but real solid medical healing solutions, gardening solutions, and life style solutions.

　

There are two dog breeds which are unhealthy: The Basset Hound and the English Bulldog. The Basset Hound has back problems because of the long and heavy back. The English Bulldog has breathing difficulties because of the set back nose. I don't recommend supporting the breeding of these 2 breeds. There are rescue organizations for specific breeds which can tell you where you can adopt the dog of your choice.

In general I don't recommend buying dogs from breeders because this supports the cycle of continued breeding of unhealthy breeds, overpopulation and too much suffering. If at all, breeding Great Danes with Mastino Neapolitanos would make the set back muzzle longer in Mastinos and it would shorten the long legs of the Great Danes. The outcome will certainly be a healthier and sturdier dog.

I highly recommend that a female dog does not give birth more than 3 times in her life time and that she has several years in between the litters. Animal saftey comes first. Business second. Breeding animals should never be regarded as an income producing business. It should be viewed as art and beauty instead. I always recommend for the animals to have real sex with their partner and not to be inseminated through in vitro sperm. Animals have feelings and needs just like humans have and we have the responsibility to make sure that they live their lives happily and wholesomely. Only people who have lots of time should at all consider breeding dogs or other animals. When you have a busy schedule you should absolutely spay and neuter your pets. Pets are happy when they are spayed and neutered. Their sexual desires will be dissolved and they will not suffer nor run off needing a mate.

　

If you have a puppy and want to potty train him, take him to a lawn or garden frequently and praise him with gentle words, petting and treats when he made poopoo or pipi. If he made inside the house, don't punish him. Don't talk harshly to him, do not put his nose into his eliminations (this old school technique does not work), and do not hit him, don't do any form of physical and psychological punishment. All that scares him very much and can traumatize him. Dogs know when someone says mean things, they are very sensitive to bad energies and it makes them depressed just like it makes humans depressed. Take him outside quickly without being mad. Walk around with him whether he goes or not and bring the droppings (which he had made in the house) outside so that he can learn where the poop is supposed to be. Praise him every time he eliminates outside. Always wait a while until he made pee or poo outside and to make sure that he is finished before going back into the house. Then he will learn that he can make pee and poo only outside, he will learn to wait until walking into the garden and he will not need to go so soon again once he is back in the house. It's good to walk the puppy around the garden or park about every hour. This is often not easy if you are working. You can take turns with your friends or family to walk the puppy outdoors. If you are alone, make sure you don't have anything else to do so you can really concentrate on giving your puppy the training she or he needs. It may take a couple of weeks.

If the dog is older or was already trained for a while, but made in the house again, just repeat the gentle training by taking her outside and showing her where she is supposed to go. Female puppies generally learn housetraining faster than male puppies. Be always patient and systematic in this loving housetraining. Every day spent with your puppy going out every hour will be worth the effort. Your puppy will have learned and he will be thankful to you that you were so patient with him. Some breeds learn faster than others.

Find out what breed works best for your circumstances. Allow the dog the time she needs to learn. We trained a deaf dog and the training time was much longer than it would be with normal hearing dogs. When dogs have no hearing we have to communicate with them through sign language which also has to be taught at the same time which makes a whole lot more learning material. Deaf dogs are also more scared than hearing dogs.

We noticed that Kenny was more frightened of the dark outside in the garden each time after receiving a vaccination. We know that vaccinations contain mercury which is the second most toxic substance on the planet. Statistics show that there might likely be a connection between mercury intake and autism. Mercury is a component of amalgam dental fillings and pharma medication. (I always request the white mercury free composite fillings). Vaccines can contain: Ethylmercury which is a component in the preservative Thimerosal, this is the most toxic substance in vaccines; Aluminum; MSG which stands for Monosodium Glutamate; 2-phenoxy-ethanol. All of those chemicals are unsafe for use. Mercury causes neurodegenerative diseases. Aluminum can cause Alzheimer's Disease. MSG is processed free glutamic acid which can damage the intestinal lining of animals and people who are gluten intolerant. 2-phenoxy-ethanol has caused cell mutation in laboratory animals and led to reproductive dysfunctions.

　

Someone has to be there with the puppy all the time to train him and be there as the human surrogate mother. Puppies must never be left alone, not even for a short time just like human babies. Dogs need your company at all times and suffer when you leave them alone. It is like having human babies, and the dogs never mature in the way humans do. It is a big responsibility to bring a dog into one's life. Make sure that this form of motherhood will be compatible with your life style, work, housing, travels, or plans for the future.

Dogs, cats and all other house pets must always live with you inside your home, because they are social beings just like humans and they need to be close to you. Pets need to be kept warm in the winter time. Short haired animals need the home extra warm. Check their ears, if the ears are cold they need a warmer room temperature. Cover them with a blanket at night. Give your rabbit, cat or dog a warm, padded and soft bed to sleep on. The bed needs to be large so that the animal can stretch out. Puppies need to sleep about 95% of the day time and all of the night time. Allow dogs to have a safe, quiet and shaded room and soft bed to sleep in at all times. Give them much space, time and privacy and don't disturb their sleep because the sleep is the foundation of their health. Same applies to animals and humans.

Dogs in particular like to sleep near you. The closer you are physically to your dog the better the dog feels. According to statistical evaluations done in recent years by different scientific studies, humans who sleep in bed with their dogs are much healthier than those who don't sleep with dogs. (This is often misunderstood and that is why I have to clarify this information: Sleeping in bed with another living being does not mean sex. It only means physical closeness for well being.)

In the article >The Power of Petting< on the website TheCatSite.com, Brad Kollus writes: "Dr. Johannes Odendaal, Research Professor of the Life Sciences Research Institute, and author of Pets and Our Mental Health, along with his colleagues conducted experiments taking blood from humans and dogs, both while the person petted the dog and before. They measured the change in several neurochemcials found in the brain including; Dopamine, Oxytocin, Prolactin, Beta-endorphin, and Norepinehrine all of which directly influence such feelings and emotions of exhilaration, positive excitement, pleasurable experiences, social bonding, sense of well-being and contentment, and feelings of comfort and security. In addition, they measured another chemical, Cortisol, which increases during stress and can have a negative effect upon the immune system, leaving the body open the illnesses. Their results were amazing. They found statistically significant increases in all the positive brain chemicals, in both the human and the dog, while the person petted the dog, as well as a decrease in the chemical Cortisol. Would petting a cat reveal the same results? "The answer is yes. In the context of petting a cat where blood pressure decreases, it is expected that the same neurochemical changes in the brain would have taken place - not because of the decreased blood pressure, but as part of the complex physiological processes taking place during positive interaction," said Dr. Odendaal."

In a paper written by Coppola, Grandin and Enns about >Human interaction and cortisol: Can human contact reduce stress for shelter dogs?<, on March 30, 2006, at the Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA, the scientists are stating: "Animal shelters are an extremely stressful environment for a dog, most specifically due to social isolation and novel surroundings. The stress response of dogs housed in this environment may be alleviated through human interaction shortly after arrival. During their second day in a public animal shelter, adult stray dogs were either engaged in a human contact session or not. The session involved taking the dog into an outdoor enclosure, playing with the dog, grooming, petting and reviewing basic obedience commands. Each dog interacted with a human for approximately 45 min. Salivary cortisol levels were examined from each dog on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 9th day of housing. Animals that engaged in a human contact session had lower cortisol levels on day 3 than animals that did not. Breed type, sex and age did not have an effect on cortisol levels on any day measured. A human interaction session can be beneficial to both animal welfare and adoption procedures. The current study not only utilized the human contact session as a treatment to reduce stress but also as a resource for individual temperament/personality information that could be later used to facilitate compatible adoptions. Human interaction may be an effective means of reducing the cortisol response of dogs in the aversive shelter environment."

　

All animals love to be petted and cuddled. Gentle touch is absolutely crucial for the survival of all animals. Always pet them gently, never pat or scratch them hard and never drum on them. Teach your children to be very gentle with the animals. Don't allow your children to be rough with them.

Research has proven that mammal babies can die without the mother's touch and embrace. Harry Harlow conducted unethical studies with Rhesus monkeys in the 50s and 60s in which many monkey babies died because of isolation. All animals get very depressed if they are deprived of adequate social interaction.

"Dogs (like people) are social animals, yet more than 200,000 dogs live empty lives chained or tethered outdoors. Tied-up outside, dogs become lonely, bored, and anxious, and they can develop aggressive behaviors. Bring a dog inside (or help a chained dog in your neighborhood) and you’ll keep everyone safer." (Humane Society of the United States).

Allow animals to take their time to explore their surroundings and let them interact with other animals. Animals are very sensitive and can become easily frightened by people fighting or shouting. Speak gently with animals and around them.

The same applies to police dogs. Police dogs who have been petted, socialized, never punished, and who live always with their caregivers in their homes are not afraid, have higher intelligence, are not dangerous, have more courage, and are functioning better in their profession as police dogs. All animals should be used only for services which they enjoy doing, they should never be forced to do something which they are afraid of and which puts them at risk or makes them aggressive. Scientific research has come to the conclusion today that service dogs of all sorts including police dogs are doing much better when they have been loved and cared for their entire lives living inside the house with people. Dogs should never be working in war zones nor in detention camps anywhere around the planet. The training of dogs for intimidating prisoners of war is unethical for the dogs and humans involved. The artist Fernando Botero was so shocked and sad when he saw the photos taken by a journalist in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in which they used dogs to scare the prisoners during interrogations, that he made a series of large wall size paintings of those images that he saw in the photos in order to bring this information to the public and shed light onto those atrocities.

　

I mentioned in my prologue that whales and dolphins are highly intelligent animals, many of them are more intelligent than the most intelligent human. Their language is more complex than any language on land. Dolphins and whales should never live in swimming pools of any size and they should never be held captive in any type of pool neither an artificial pool nor a natural pool or lagoon. Dolphins and whales need to swim with high speed each day for hundreds of miles in the wide ocean in order to stay healthy physically and mentally. Capturing them is extremely cruel and each person can help them by Not supporting amusement parks where they are held captive and made to perform for audiences. Many of the animals have become crazy and depressed to the point where they committed suicide or killed trainers out of total despair.

Marine mammals need to be allowed to sleep without being disturbed by spectators with their cameras. We have seen people go way too close to the sea lions when they are sleeping on the docks. We have seen people throw things at them. I heard today that a dolphin died after people lifted him out of the water for their own amusement. This is extreme cruelty. People need to know that marine mammals are not fish, they are mammals who give birth and nurse just like dogs, wolves, humans and horses. Dolphins are highly sensitive animals, they can go into a shock state where they stop breathing. Never do anything like that to dolphins. They should be left in peace. And when a dolphin comes up to us that is a huge honor and we should treat her with utmost respect, gentle care and love.

If you see a marine mammal with a fishing net band embedded in her neck you can call the Marine Mammal Centers and ask them to rescue the animal.

　

Please spay and neuter your cats and dogs. Every animal species has their own age limit for spaying and neutering. Check on Google to find the information about what the ideal age is to neuter or spay your animal. They have to be healthy and have normal weight to have surgeries done.

Any surgery on animals is traumatic. Please do not have your dog's or cat's ears, tails or dewclaws (thumbs) cut off. Surgery causes a shock to the animal's system. It is cruel. Cosmetic surgery on animals is against the law in several countries. It has been against the law in Germany for many years. Dog shows world wide do not require ear and tail cropping any longer because of the countries which don't accept it and because of the activism for the animals. Ethics comes before fashion.

If dogs and cats breed out of control their kittens and puppies end up on the streets hungry, neglected, full of parasites, dirty, lonely and sick. They fill the animal shelters where veterinarians have to give them lethal injections because they can not accommodate so many stray, neglected and lost cats and dogs. Spaying female dogs reduces stress and discomfort, eliminates the risk of uterine cancer, and greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Neutering male dogs decreases their urge to roam and fight, and it prevents prostrate enlargements, prostrate cancer, and testicular cancer. I recommend sitting with the pet at the veterianary clinic during and after surgery to make sure that the animal feels safe.

Sterilizations are more dangerous for small pets than for larger ones, so it would be better to avoid the operations for hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other small pets except for rats. Pet rats can interbreed with wild rats and that causes overpopulation of rats. So it might be a good idea to spay and neuter rats. In general its great to let vegan pets live together with others of their own gender. If you get 2 rabbits, make sure they are both either female or both male to prevent them from having babies, because they can multiply fast and then it becomes a problem for the animals and the caretakers. Animals are happier and healthier when they are not crowded. The best is to keep a rabbit and a guinea pig in the same territory regardless of their gender because they can not interbreed and they make good friends. Rats can be a bit aggressive and rape guinea pigs, I have seen it, so rats and guinea pigs are not good together. Hamsters might be better suited for living with rats but its good to monitor them to see how they are getting along. If the rat is too rambunctious then its better to separate them. I recommend to never buy a pet for your child for Christmas for example if the kid thinks its just a toy to play with. The child has to be willing to take good care of the animal whether its a dog, rabbit or rat for example. Mothers and fathers have to adopt the animal into their households not as their kid's toy but as a family member and equal to their own child. Adopting animals is just like adopting another human being. They have the same feelings, needs and nervous systems.

Always train your animal gently. When you walk your dog, always speak gently to her and keep the leash shorter when other dogs approach or people with children, or when you and your dog cross a street. Always make sure no car is coming. Keep yourself between your dog and the street to protect her when you walk her on the side walk. Train your dog to walk steadily next to you through short intermittent and gentle tugging on the leash to get the dog's attention. Quick tugs on the leash is better communication than long and hard pulling. Short tugging on the leash is less harsh on the neck and alerts the dog to stop when she is pulling fast or wants to wander off. Have a little slack in the leash for the dog to know that he is walking well and always praise him with gentle words when he is doing what you asked him to do. Giving dog treats when they are walking well also makes the dogs feel better and it makes them more motivated.

Dogs don't understand why a person is mad at them. They will have a "guilty" look on their faces because they are worried about the person being mad at them and not because they know that they did something wrong. All they know is that the situation they are in has caused the person to be angry before, so they are worried that they will be punished. Never ever beat or yell at your dogs. They don't understand what you want from them. Teach your dog through gentle and motivating techniques like with a treat or gentle words and gentle petting. Never laugh about your dog and never ridicule your dog. Dogs can feel it when they are being ridiculed. Always respect your dogs, always love them and always be kind to them. Anyone who develops a negative attitude or is overwhelmed with the situation should right away give the dog to someone who really wants to live with a dog, or give the dog to the local animal shelter. Living with dogs requires a full commitment, infinite love and patience.

　

Choke chain collars of any kind are cruel, because they poke into dogs’ necks. I don't recommend collars with inside nor outside spikes. Outside beads that are rounded are ok. Good dog collars are either harnesses which go around the chest and also head harnesses which prevent the dog from pulling. The pulling pressure would be on top of the muzzle and it works like the halter for a horse without a mouth piece. I use only halters without a mouth piece for horses because its not necessary for the horse to have a metal piece in his mouth. The halter or harness which fits snug but loose enough to be comfortable, is perfect by itself for communication with the horse. In general for dog neck collars I recommend very wide collars. All collars have to fit loosely enough to be comfortable. Four fingers should fit easily under the collar or harness. I recommend collars, harnesses, halters and leashes made out of nylon material or nylon coated with an imitation leather. This material is strong, lasts for a long time and is not made from animal skins.

Remote training collars which use electric shocks traumatize the dogs’ neck areas. Dogs can develop a high sensitivity in the neck areas and a light touch on their necks can make them twitch heavily.

There are remote training collars which only use sound and vibrations. Those are ok and its worth trying to teach the dogs with those collars if you are going to the beach and letting your dogs run loose. That way they can learn to come back when you wave them towards you.

　

Buy snacks designed for the pet you have. The American Veterinary Medical Association states that chocolate and Xylitol are toxic for dogs. Canine ingestion of Xylitol, a sweetener found in certain sugar free chewing gums, candies, baked goods and other products, promotes the release of insulin and causes hypoglycemia, also called sugar crash. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center cautions animal owners that Xylitol can cause serious and even life threatening problems for pets. According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs ingesting Xylitol develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Liver damage has been linked with Xylitol. Even small doses of Xylitol have caused health problems in dogs. Please keep candy, gum or other foods containing Xylitol as well as all other toxic substances out of the reach of pets. Candy and raisins can also cause illness in dogs. White sugar and white flour is unhealthy for animals and people. Be careful during the Halloween time because of candy and parties. Tell your children not to give animals candy or cookies.

Buy dry dog food in pellet form containing vegetables, fish, chicken and turkey. It is healthier than canned dog food. Canned food causes tartar sediments on your dog's teeth and sometimes digestive problems. Be careful when you choose your dog food in general because most cheap dog food contains mainly genetically modified corn and the meat in most dry dog foods consists mainly of animal byproducts as well as meat and bonemeal which come from the slaughter industry. It may also come from rendering plants where dead animals like euthanized pets, dead wild animals, and road kill are being recycled into different products.

BSE, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also called mad cow disease, is caused by animals eating meat products made out of animals which also have been fed animal meat products in a perpetuated cycle. Cows are vegan animals and they are given pellets made out of dead animals which is particularly dangerous because cows have not evolved to digest meat properly. This cycle of rendered animal protein ingestion produced a protein called Prion which docks onto the molecules of neurons causing the neurons to become dysfunctional and eventually necrotic. The Prion protein destroys the animals' brains and the animals begin to fall over and can not walk any longer which causes severe suffering. This disease can affect all mammals including humans. Its imperative to read the list of ingredients on the label of the dog food bags. If it says meat byproducts or meat and bonemeal one should not buy it.

Dogs need calcium, vitamin D, the amino acids L-carnitine and taurine, vitamin A, and cats also need arachidonic acid. Make sure and buy only dog and cat food which is safe for your pet and which had not been tested through cruel animal metabolic tests. Check out the Anti Iams Campaign by PETA. Iams, Eukanuba and Menu Foods conduct cruel metabolic tests on dogs and cats in laboratories which are also totally unnecessary.

Safe dry dog food contains only natural ingredients and no bonemeal or meat byproducts, no wheat gluten, no corn, no GMO products, no chemicals, no artificial coloring, no artificial flavors and no artificial vitamins. Safe dog food contains lots of vegetables like carrots, peas, potatoes, whole grains and generally whole foods. Some dogs have sensitive digestive systems and require probiotics which can be added to the food. Some dog foods already contain probiotics like yoghurt or fermented soy products with live acidophilus, bifidus and other probiotic good bacteria. Those are the bacteria which are naturally in our digestive systems and which help to digest the food. PETA has a list of safe and ethical dog food brands available on their website.

In addition to healthy dry dog food you can grind up raw carrots, beets, apples or use the pulp from juicers to mix into your dog’s food. You can add cooked rice, millet, quinoa and many other grains. Rye, barley and wheat contain gluten. Not all dogs and humans are gluten intolerant, but gluten intolerant dogs and humans should avoid any grains to be safe, because factories processing rye, barley and wheat can't avoid those particles from entering into the products of other grains.

Raw organic garlic heals all kinds of health problems that's why it is called Russian Penicillin. Garlic can be eaten every day like every other food. It is important to buy organically grown produce because it is pure and grown without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Farmers markets offer a lot of organic food for a reasonable price. Raw organic vegetables are good for all animals including humans. Kenny eats Purina One Sensitive Systems and Nutrish by Rachael Ray (which are gluten free). Those foods are perfect for dogs with celiac disease which is a severe gluten intolerance. Celiac is a dangerous disease if the dog or human continued to eat gluten products. They can't eat the smallest crumb of gluten, because it can tear off the intestinal lining and cause internal bleeding.

For celiac or gluten intolerant dogs I recommend dental sticks to chew on for teeth cleaning which does not contain any type of gluten grain.

　

All animals including humans, are unhappy and can get sick in cages, crates, kennels, prisons, isolated rooms and other confinements. Build them a large territory in your house. But also let them out on the lawn sometimes. They all like to roam free in house and garden as often as possible. Animals should never be chained or tied on ropes or chains. Chained dogs (and other chained animals) are often unable to reach shelter, food and water and can become aggressive out of fear, hunger, thirst, frustration and loneliness.

It is now illegal to chain dogs in California for longer than 3 hours in a 24 hour time span. In a wonderful group effort together with many activists we helped to bring this proposition to Arnold Schwarzenegger and he signed it into law. We succeeded with a similar new bill for Oregon signed by Governor John Kitzhaber. Signing petitions (on the Internet) and writing letters to legislators helps very much to bring those urgent requests to the politicians.

Someone we met had a coyote puppy who was badly traumatized probably because her mother was shot by a hunter. The person kept many of her animals in small crates where they could barely turn around themselves. The coyote puppy, a wild animal not used to being caged at all, became crazy and began to bite her own legs and slashed herself up so that the person had to have her euthanized. All animals suffer when living in narrow confinement and particularly wild animals suffer. When an animal feels like he has no way out of a traumatic situation he begins to hurt himself. Its an act of total despair. Unethical scientific studies done on monkeys have shown that when a monkey is being shocked with electricity in certain areas of the floor he will escape and go to those areas where there is no shock given. When all areas give out shocks the monkey begins to bite himself. This behavior has been observed in many different situations in laboratories as well as in other places where the animals, and in some occasions humans as well, have become so unempowered and afraid that they began to hurt themselves. Animals and humans should never ever be living in narrow confinement. There are always solutions out there which avoid such suffering.

　

Never use glue traps or poison bait for wild rats, mice or other small mammals. Glue traps are extremely cruel and the animals die slowly. I also don't recommend any type of poison like rodenticides because it causes a dangerous pollution chain reaction in the environment where scavenger animals like your own dog and other pet animals as well as wild animals eat the poisoned rats. Dogs have died from eating poisoned rats and poisoned bait. The poison also enters into the watersheds where it poisons aquatic life and other life forms and ends up in our own drinking water as well. Never use any type of poison, pesticide, chemical fertilizer, or other artificial spray or solvent. There are such excellent plant based formulae on the market which work better for everything and are safe for your animals' and your health.


For trapping animals like rats, mice and squirrels I recommend Haveaheart live traps, they have them in different sizes. We already trapped several rats and one large rat like animal, I believe that it is a Squirrel Rat because she ate only hazelnuts and other vegetarian food. She had been collecting hazelnuts from a nearby hazelnut tree and stored all of the hazelnuts in Paul's bicycle paraphernalia storage container. Paul always drove the animals to a nice place where there is a water source and much nature. They are always grateful to be alive and often looked at Paul with an amazed look on their faces before running off. It's recommended to bring the animal into a natural surrounding that has freshwater creeks or lakes, about 4 or 5 miles away from your house.

　

Take your animal to the veterinarian for physical examinations about once a year to make sure that the animal is healthy. When the animal is sick, consult the veterinarian immediately and ask for holistic medicine first. For joint pain and arthritis I recommend Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM. Glucosamine worked best for our dog Samantha. The dog supplements were not strong enough since we have Great Danes but the human supplements worked and they are cheaper than the dog supplements. Cranberry, Echinacea, Uva Ursi Leaf, Juniper Berry, Horsetail Herb, Burdock Root, Corn Silk, Parsley Root and other herbs heal bladder infections. Those have to be taken for 4 weeks every day 3 times a day. In general, those herbs can also be good as preventive medicine in lower doses.

For joint pain, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, overactive immune function I recommend the following holistic remedies:
Diatomaceous Earth Clay (one table spoon a day is good for overall health also as a preventive medicine). Calcium Bentonite is good as supplement (one table spoon a day), this makes very good tooth paste which is all natural for gentle teeth cleaning. Blackberry leaves, Raspberry leaves, Salmonberry leaves, Blueberry leaves, Cherry leaves, Burdock leaves are all highly potent and safe substances for inflamed joints and pain. Crushed flax seeds (only for constipation), Turmeric, Black pepper leaves, ginger, nettles to make tea with (contains vitamin B complex for strong bones), licorice/ anise/ fennel (in very small amounts), English Laurel, Bay Laurel (they are also anticarcinogenic, sedative and heal ear aches), Feverfew, Butterfly Bush also called Buddleia Officinalis (also strengthens mucous membranes and heals lung problems), Hydrangea (also heals diabetes, eczema and multiple sclerosis), Ivy leaves (the berries are toxic). Ivy also heals gallbladder, liver, spleen and kidneys, it heals tuberculosis, headaches and tinnitus. It is antifungal and gets rid of parasites. Yoga is great and gentle stretching of body is great for arthritis, lots of walking every day, and pure water available at all times. For liver, gallbladder and detox I recommend making tea from Oregon Grape, Milk Thistle, Daisy and Dandelion.

The dosis depends on the size of the dog or cat. A Great Dane would need the human dosis, half the size dog would need about half as much and small dogs need about a quarter of it. When the dog has pus coming out of the urinary tract but is able to urinate normally without problems he might have a bladder infection which can be healed with the herbs. If the dog squats down to urinate but stops again and again then the infection might be severe and I recommend for him to see a veterinarian right away. Only people who have read a lot about herbology might try to treat serious infections with the plants. There are powerful plants which heal bladder infections. I recommend for all people to study those plants thoroughly on the Internet or at universities in order to know which plant to harvest or buy, and which dosis to administer.

Bladder infections, flus, pneumonia and arthritis can be prevented by keeping the individuals warm and having warm and soft beds or couches available for them at all times. We cover Kenny with fleece blankets when its below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Optimal room temperature for short haired dogs and cats would be around 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and not lower than 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

A great supplier of nutrition and supplements is Dr. Richard Schulze, his website is herbdoc.com. He makes Superfood which comes in pills or powder. Dr. Schulze's dogs catch the Superfood tablets in the air and eat them while other dogs might not like them, but you can wrap the tablets into a treat. Halo dog food might have pill server treats which have a pouch for pills.

If the animal is in much pain he would need pain medicine as well as diagnostic and medical treatment. There are plants growing in every region which are strongly analgesic.

In case of severe illness, and if the medicine does not work any longer, it is better to have the veterinarian euthanize the animal. It is much better than suffering. Many animals need this help from us because a lot of illnesses and old age cause prolonged living in pain. Never attempt to euthanize the animal yourself. We heard horrible reports about dogs surviving being shot and suffering horrendously. If the animals have to be euthanized, please always bring them to the veterinarian to let the veterinarian administer the IV and chemical safely. Always ask for the human anesthesia before all surgeries and also before euthanasia. Human anesthesia protects the animal from feeling any pain. Other drugs may only immobilize the animal, but they can still feel pain. Ask the veterinarian if you can be there with your animal. It is very important for your animal that you are there next to him. I recommend holding your pet firmly during the entire euthanasia procedure to make her or him feel safe. Every person I know who had their arms around the animal lying on the floor with him during euthanasia, knew it was the right thing to do.

If you have an albino dog for example who is deaf or has vision problems, or if you have any animal who is disabled, and you and your family are unable to take care of him or her, please do not abandon the animal and do not kill him or her. There are several incidents of people who shot their dogs who were found later on still alive and suffering, and dogs who have been starved in garages or alone in the wild who have been found and rescued. Many animals have not been rescued. All of them suffered horribly. Bring the animal to the next animal shelter because they can try to adopt the animal out to someone who has the time and experience to take care of a disabled animal. If they can not find a person who can adopt the animal then the people at the animal shelter or rescue organization will have a veterinarian safely euthanize the animal free from pain and fear.

If you see a person killing, torturing or neglecting an animal, please call PETA at 757-622-7382, HSUS, ASPCA, or 911 immediately. If you see animals suffering like farm animals in confinement for example or if you see cruelty to animals promoted on the internet, please send PETA an email to report the situation, you can find their email addresses at PETA’s web site: peta.org and their web pages >action center< and >online cruelty<.