[nagdu] Natural Remedies

Sun Jul 27 23:31:09 UTC 2014

I actually tend to agree with you Becky. I'
I've stayed out of the conversation because I have strong feelings against
natural remedies for humans, let alone pets. I was born with a juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis. It's an auto immune disease. But as a child, I was
bombarded by the well meaning but insensitive prattle of adults, telling me
the things my parents should do to cure my arthritis. Finally, my parents
had my doctors tell me the truth about my disease. I became a skeptic by
necessity. as an adult, just for the heck of it, I tried a couple natural
things, I think alfalfa tablets once and fish oil capsules once. Of course
neither worked, because they can't fix an auto immune disease. Several years
ago, someone actually told me if I followed a specific diet and used things
like glucosamine, it would regenerate my damaged joints, even the artificial
ones and the fused knee that doesn't have a real knee joint either. So, I
approach natural remedies for dogs with the same innate skepticism. Now, I
do live in Colorado, and we don't have to do flea treatments here, but I do
give my dogs monthly heartworm preventative in the warm weather months, and
I'm not worried about the possible consequences of it, because I'd rather do
that than risk the dog getting heartworm, as the treatment for it is far
more severe than the prevention. I hesitated a long time to give my old
retired dog glucosamine, and though I do it, I'm not at all convinced it
does anything for her either way, but she likes the edible pills, so I'm
okay with her eating them.

Sherry

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Becky
Frankeberger via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 5:12 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: [nagdu] Natural Remedies

You know all I respect your right to do whatever is kind to your dogs. But
most of the natural stuff is not and I repeat not scientifically proven.

They do not do double blind studies. So this vet group is just making lots
of money using our dogs as lab rats. Now granted there are some things that
they can prove that work in double blind studies with different scientists
and vets getting the same results. But they would rather sell you unproven
snake oil.

I know a gal with a master's degree who will not use vets unless nothing she
tries is working. Many of her herbs and sprays do work in part. But her
natural flea spray she does faithfully every day give her at least one bout
of flea infestation a year. I have had one in twenty one years. I live
around cedar trees use cedar beds thus according to the natural vets I
shouldn't have to use the pesticides on my dogs. Got news for the natural
vets, you're wrong again. That one flea infestation was following your
advice by my husband. 

Now do I use the pesticides on my dogs every month, no, as those cedar trees
do give a level of protection. Under all the blond hair is a brain I use
liberally.

Do I think vets and naturalist vets are a good idea, I do. But to throw
western medicine out is just foolish talk. The oil my friend rubs on her
arthritic hands works well for her. Having only hard wood in my friend's
home is keeping her asthma at bay. Using the spray in her dog's mouth she
says is keeping tarter down in her dog's teeth. I have no idea if this spray
works. She doesn't go to vets so I doubt her dog has had their teeth checked
from the last rabies shot. 

I am not into vaccinating every year. This was great to hear from Dr. Hauly

in 07 when I was at Seeing eye.     

Anyway, read everything on the product good and bad that you want to use.

Don't use your $60,000 dog as a lab rat. Look for good studies using many
many dogs. What are the side effects so you can be prepared to act if you
need to. What are the signs to look for? Even natural herbs and stuff has
side effects. Remember marijuana  is a herb. You will poison your dog if he
gets an edible. If he does get an edible marijuana  , take him to the vet
fast. Don't smoke around your dogs.  

Look for only board certified herbalists and Doctors for you and your pup. I
remember buying a herbal supplement from my Chiropracter. I broke out in a
rash. She told me that rash was not one of the side affects she, by the way,
never told me about. I told her add it to the list, as I showed her my
broken out area. She with twenty five years experience selling snake oil, as
she was not Board certified, gasped. I stopped the herb and the horrible
rash went away.  So think about that as you give your dog concocktions of
herbs.  

Just my opinion, never ever meant to hurt anyone's feelings.. 

Just giving another viewpoint, shy smile.

Becky and Jake 

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