Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (28 page)

Since pure water is so important for your family, including your pets, we strongly recommend use of a good quality water purifier. Though initially costlier than bottled water, it is much cheaper in the long run, costing only pennies a gallon. Take your time to select a good-quality purifier that will do the job well. If you’d like further information,
Nontoxic, Natural and Earthwise
, by Debra Lynn Dadd, has an excellent discussion of the topic.

Also, change your pet’s water daily. Keep the bowl clean and in a place protected from dust and debris. Most of all, make it available, so that your pet will not be as tempted to drink from a contaminated puddle, creek, or pond.

ELECTROMAGNETIC EFFECTS ON HEALTH

Let’s look now at some less familiar but potentially important environmental influences on health. All plants and animals operate by tiny electrochemical pulses that beat at about the same rate as the low frequency energy field of the Earth. Similarly, life has adapted over eons to a spectrum of other natural electromagnetic energies—light from the sun, background radioactivity from the Earth’s crust, and charged air molecules (positive and negative ions). In just a few decades, however, we have blanketed ourselves with an electronic smog of new frequencies created by our house wiring, power lines, appliances—radio, TV, microwave, and cellular phone broadcasts—and radioactive nuclear blasts and leakages. Unaware, we have initiated a dangerous thinning of the ozone layer that shields us from destructive levels of ultraviolet radiation. And at the same time, we have retreated to a more indoor lifestyle, with reduced exposure to beneficial levels of sunlight and ionized air.

How do all these changes affect us? It is difficult to evaluate these effects. Studies have been contradictory; some studies identify subtle damage to immune systems and brain function, while others report they cannot find these effects. It has been suggested that increased childhood leukemia and brain cancer have been observed in those living near high-tension power lines, which emit large fields of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) energies. Other studies have denied such a correlation. It is known that ELF generated by house wiring and appliances can trigger high blood pressure, nervousness, allergies, and impaired sleep. They alter the heartbeats, blood chemistry, and behaviors of lab animals.

Here are some of the effects that have been reported by investigators.

• Proximity to video display terminals on computers is connected to miscarriages among female workers.
  
• Lab studies tie microwave exposure to fatigue, headaches, cataracts, tumors, birth defects, and changes in blood cells, hormones, and signals to the heart.
  
• Increased ultraviolet radiation from the thinning ozone layer is blamed for doubling the world-wide rate of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
  
• Lab animals raised indoors under pink lights had smaller litters and developed behavioral problems, calcium deposits in the heart, and increased tumor rates, plus inflammation and dead tissue on the skin of their tails. Ordinary incandescent light bulbs have more pink rays in them than natural sunlight—a potential effect on housebound pets.
  
• Many people become depressed, tired, and prone to gain weight when deprived of sunlight in winter. Full-spectrum lights provide relief for many who suffer from this Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
  
• Urban dwellers and their pets often experience depleted levels of negative ions in favor of positive ions. This phenomenon can be traced to such factors as paving, smog, synthetic fabrics, and building ductwork. Shortages and imbalances of ions can trigger insomnia, anxiety, depression, headaches, dizziness, tremors, and heart palpitations. Lab animals deprived of all ions died young. It is difficult to know what to do about all this “electronic smog,” especially considering how extensive it is and how unlikely that it will go away.
  

As best I can tell, radiations that might have the most significant health effects (other than from radioactive material) are microwave transmissions, which come from towers installed in many neighborhoods. Stay attentive to plans for installing these near where you live and get involved in the decision. If your pet has become ill with behavioral disorders, immune problems, or anemia, check the possibility that a new tower has been installed close to your home and note if that period corresponds to when your pet became ill. We can’t know for sure that this is the cause, but it might make sense to board your pet with a friend or family member some distance away to see if that helps. I know this isn’t a permanent solution, but it may help to determine whether these effects contribute to the problem you are dealing with.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES OF ILL HEALTH?

It is unfortunate that we don’t have more information and guidance with these issues. It is also unfortunate that many of the studies are paid for by the same companies that produce the products. Perhaps they are conducted in a fair and neutral way, but who can say? We know that unfavorable reports are often “buried,” while those that are liked hit the journals.

On a personal, rather than societal, level, I think there may be too much investment in the use of chemicals in our homes, yards, and farms to really alter the practice in a serious,
life-changing way. It has truly become a way of life.

Modern electronic devices are wonderful as well, and I quite understand their usefulness. I too use a computer with wireless access, a cell phone, microwave, television—all the modern technologies—and quite enjoy them. Still, there is this nagging thought: What if they are causing harm? I wish we could know for sure.

Determining whether any of these environmental hazards are causing chronic health problems for your pet takes some careful detective work and is difficult to confirm. All I can suggest is that you consider it as a possibility. Think about when the problem began and when it’s better or worse to see if there is a relationship to some identifiable environmental factor. Also consider any potential hazards in your home, neighborhood, or region that may be linked with your pet’s symptoms. Test kits and environmental consultants might be able to help you pinpoint dangerous conditions (which may threaten your whole family) and lead you to take corrective actions. Take obvious precautions like not letting your cat sit on the TV while it is on to avoid x-ray exposure from the flyback transformer.

You pretty much have to consider all this on your own. Realize that very few veterinarians will think of these environmental factors in treating health problems in your animal. There is a very strong veterinary bias towards assuming “infections” and therefore treating health problems with antibiotics—or if that is not effective, suppressing symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs. Think of your own experiences. Has your veterinarian ever inquired about the possibility of exposure to formaldehyde in your home (was new furniture brought in?), exposure to pressure-treated wood (new fence or dog kennel, arsenic poisoning?), or perhaps fluoride poisoning from the high levels in processed foods? I am not saying this to criticize the veterinary profession. They do the best they can. The problem is that the
training
received in school does not consider these factors as significant—and if your veterinarian has never been informed, how could he or she even know about the possibility?

Meanwhile, the best medicine is prevention. Do what you can to follow the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” (
view
). A great deal of the contamination in our homes comes from what we deliberately bring into them. Think about this the next time you are at the store.

Environmental pollution and disturbances are a fact of modern life. Perhaps we will adapt to many of them eventually. Meanwhile, it’s wise to use the many sensible ways available to make our homes healthier for both our pets and ourselves. Along the way, we can take a lesson from the animals. They can teach us how to feel our connection with nature and do what we can to care for our larger home, the Earth.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PET FROM ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION: A CHECKLIST OF DO’S AND DON’TS

DO

• Brush and bathe your animal frequently to remove toxic particles from its fur.
  
• Use natural and least toxic methods of flea control instead of dangerous insecticides.
  
• Feed a fresh diet featuring organic foods whenever possible.
  
• Reduce pollutants by using low-meat recipes and minimizing liver, tuna, and animal fats in the diet.
  
• Include these pollution protectors in the diet: Vitamins A, E and C, calcium and zinc.
  
• Use a water filter or bottled water for your pet’s (and your own) drinking water. Change the water daily and keep the bowl away from dusty areas.
  
• Use natural fibers for pet bedding (organic cotton, wool, kapok, and so forth).
  
• Vacuum and dust frequently.
  
• Remove shoes at the door, especially in homes that are near dusty industrial, high-traffic, or farm areas.
  
• Avoid shag and deep-pile rugs; if you already have them, vacuum and steam clean often.
  
• Ventilate your house well to reduce indoor air pollution or install whole-house ventilation.
  
• Let your pet outdoors in moderation or provide sunny, open windows with screens; otherwise, purchase a full-spectrum light for the animal’s usual daytime rest area.
  
• Close your windows and keep your pet inside on smoggy days or when pesticides are being sprayed nearby. Use air filters if you live in a polluted area.
  
• Reduce indoor air pollution by removing outdated and unwanted toxic chemicals, and store others in ventilated areas away from pets and living space. Use nontoxic alternative products.
  
• Grow houseplants that filter the air, such as philodendrons, spider plants, aloe vera, chrysanthemums, and gerbera daisies.
  
• Keep pets from chewing on poisonous plants and their fruits.
  
• Guard against pets encountering solvents, paints, drugs and other chemicals, and the dust from remodeling projects.
  
• Test your home and take recommended actions if radon gas is a risk in your area.
  
• Consider using a negative ion generator if you live in a large building with central heating ducts, in a heavily paved city, or in an area often subject to hot, dry winds or smog.
  

DON’T

• Pet your animal with dirty hands.
  
• Confine your pet to a garage, basement, or shed that contains household chemicals or lacks natural light.
  
• Keep your pet outside if you live by a busy roadway.
  
• Exercise your pet on smoggy days or along busy streets.
  
• Carry your pet in the back of a pickup truck.
  
• Allow your pet to roam near a toxic dump, old landfill, or industrial/commercial area.
  
• Let your pet drink from or play in puddles or other contaminated waters.
  
• Apply or dump anything in your yard that you would not want to enter the water, food, or air you consume—motor oil or paint, for example.
  
• Allow smoking inside your home.
  
• Let your pet sleep near or under house foundations that may have been treated with poison for termites.
  
• Use pesticides unless absolutely necessary.
  
• Let your pet sleep on or near an operating TV, microwave, computer monitor, electric blanket or heater, clock-radio, or plug-in electric clock.
  
• Use medical x-rays unless needed.
  
• Overexpose your animal to the sun, especially if you live in an ozone-depleted area. 
  

CHAPTER 9

CHOOSING A HEALTHY ANIMAL

S
electing a pet with good genetic characteristics is one of the most important steps you can take to increase the chances that your animal will have a healthy, happy life. For one thing, that means overriding the temptation to decide on a particular breed just because you like its looks—or to pick out the most pitiful-looking pup in the litter because it elicits your sympathy. But it’s not quite as simple as picking out the liveliest, friendliest, and most inquisitive one you find, either.

Every type of dog or cat (pure or mixed breed) has physical characteristics—face, build, relative body proportions—that invite
predictions about its potential wellbeing. Different breed types also have different behavioral tendencies. In this chapter you’ll learn more about these indicators and how to use them to select a quality companion animal. If you plan to breed a dog or cat, you’ll also learn how to help prevent congenital problems and birth defects.

My work as a veterinarian has often led me to ponder these issues. For instance, one day someone brought a lost miniature poodle to a clinic where I used to work. The poor dog was covered from head to foot with burrs, foxtails, and tangled hair. One eye was closed and discharging pus, and the areas between his toes were red and swollen. Clearly, he was a victim of the “foxtail season.”