[nagdu] Allergies and Dog Foods Dog

[S L Johnson]

Hi,

As my vet said, the inaccurate unfounded ravings of a health nut.  This 
natural so called healthy stuff is just an advertising gimmick to try and 
con people into purchasing higher priced items for themselves and their 
pets.  My vet said she has compared the food labels and found many of the so 
called healthier choices to be nutritionally incomplete or unbalanced.  She 
also said that many of them had a calorie count per cup of twice the 
standard foods.  She's seen far too many fat unhealthy dogs whose owners 
were feeding the so called healthier foods.  Remember, just because you read 
it on the internet or in a magazine, that doesn't make it true or accurate. 
I know I will continue to trust the veterinarians because they have many 
years of education and experience to back them up.    I have discussed this 
with many vets in my forty years of working a guide dog and I know my vet is 
totally correct in what she has told me.  I have complete confidence that 
she will do what is best for Eva.  Both vets in the office agree with my 
food and treat choices and Eva's treatment plan.  They treat their own 
allergic dogs the same as they are treating Eva.  Obviously everyone has to 
make their own decisions but, you health nuts please stop condemning the 
rest of us normal folks.  We love our dogs as much as you do and are doing 
what we think is best.  I guess this is one subject where we will have to 
agree to disagree.

Sandra and Eva


-----Original Message----- 
From: Raven Tolliver via nagdu
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2015 5:24 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Raven Tolliver
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Allergies and Dog Foods Dog

the real reason allergies and auto-immune conditions have run rampid
in both people and their pets is because we have strayed from the
foundation of health, which is diet. A good diet creates good health.
We are not unhealthy because of a medication deficiency. We are
unhealthy because of a nutrient deficiency and an increase in
unhealthy substances.
The majority of your immune system is in your gut. Nothing has power
over your gut health like your diet. There is an increasing amount of
research on how the gut microbiome effects the body's overall health.
The microorganisms in your gut effect your skin health, brain health,
heart health, and every area of the body. Your gut controls what
substances are foreign and must be eliminated or isolated, which
nutrients should be absorbed, and determines what your body can and
cannot handle internally.
Allergies are a sign that something is being put into the body that
the body cannot absorb. The allergic reaction is your body attempting
to fight off whatever assailant has arrived on the seen. This could be
a virus, a toxic chemical you've inhaled, or a food you've ingested.
The best way to get rid of allergies is to avoid those factors which
trigger the allergic response.
Unfortunately, people don't recognize what these factors are. This is
how we get doctors and vets blaming environmental issues, when really
it is the food you eat, the soap you use on your skin, and the
chemicals you clean with. We have set up our bodies to be allergic
organisms because we don't support our guts, or our immune systems.
Life would be easier if we didn't have to concern ourselves with what
we put in and on our bodies. But those are the things that make the
most difference.
The best ways to support the immune system are to eat a diet free of
processed foods, to only use skin care products that you can eat, and
to clean with nontoxic chemicals. If you eat or use anything
processed, containing additives, preservatives, and synthetic
nutrients, fragrances, and flavorings, you are consuming products that
are contributing to ill health.
Does it cost more to live a healthier lifestyle. Not always, but
typically, yes. But when you don't pay for quality food, you are
paying for poor health. This is not a moral judgment, this is factual.
It would be easier to blame the environment and to believe you don't
need to make such drastic lifestyle changes. It would be nice to rely
on a pill or a quick fix for all your health problems. But the quick
fix is a Band-Aid over the wound, and like Band-aids, they only cover
up the problem, they don't promote healing.

As someone who has experienced the insanity of a highly allergic dog,
I can empathize with everyone going through this experience. My golden
use to be constantly itching, he had a chronic ear infection, and his
anal glands needed to be expressed every 4-6 weeks. He would scratch
himself so much, he had scabs in his fur.
I wanted so badly to follow my vet's advice. But I couldn't keep going
to the vet, keep dropping random crap in my dog's ears with no
results, keep feeding food that was not helping my dog's body heal
itself, keep watching my dog suffer. So I quit. I quit kibble, quit
using toxic pesticides, and quit following the vet's advice. If they
really knew what they were talking about, my dog would not have
experienced his symptoms for over a year and a half.
Instead, I took my dog's health into my own hands. I don't need a
degree to know that what the vets were doing was not working. I don't
need to be certified in anything to understand that Mother Nature
knows best, and if She doesn't get it wrong, I can't go wrong by doing
what She does. So yes, I went gung-ho,  all-natural. And it worked.
That is all I can tell anyone is that my dog is a living testimony to
the benefits of natural-rearing. You cannot imagine what a relief it
is that I don't have to express my dog's anal glands every other
month, that he doesn't deal with any itchiness, and I only have to
clean his ears about once a month, if that.
If you've read this far, I want you to know that health is achieved
through promoting a healthy immune system, not by preventing and
treating symptoms. If you promote health by properly supporting the
immune system, those external factors from the environment that you
cannot control will have little to no impact on your internal health.
We must understand that allergies are not normal. Common, yes. Normal,
absolutely not. Do not fall into the trap of believing that it's the
external environment. Understand that by eating healthy foods and
using nontoxic body care and household products, you can eliminate or
mitigate the allergies you experience each year, along with other
chronic health conditions. Anyone who tells you differently has not
learned about how to create a healthy body.
-- 
Raven
You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs

On 6/12/15, Daryl Marie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sandra,
> Thanks for the info! I switched Jenny to a grain-free food because she was
> getting pimple-like growths on her face. I never did get them checked out 
> by
> the vet because by the time I could get in, they would accidentally pop. I
> had contemplated switching her food for a while but when she kept getting
> the pimples, I figured it couldn't hurt... since the switch, no more
> pimples!
>
> Jenny thankfully doesn't seem to have the itching in the ears/eyes
> themselves, but more on the skin, particularly the face. Whether allergies
> are the cause or the result of the yeast, I'm not sure, but she's pretty
> uncomfortable.
>
> I figured I would send the list a link to the Omega 3s I am giving her, in
> case anyone would like them. I like them because based on her size, even 
> on
> a therapeutic dose, it's 1 tablet once a day; on a maintenance dose it's 1
> tablet twice a week... no more complicated math! This bottle would last 
> six
> months on the therapeutic dose, and much longer on the maintenance dose :)
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Trusted-Nutrients-Omega-Fishoil-Supplement/dp/B00GMPBTZ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434135974&sr=8-1&keywords=Trusted?????
>
> I think at the end of the day, the important thing is to do what you can,
> research research research, question EVERYTHING, and find out what works 
> for
> you.
> And as for allergy symptoms, here it's so dry that it's hard to tell where
> allergies end and just plain dry skin begins!
>
> Daryl
> ----- Original Message ----- From: S L Johnson via nagdu 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org Cc: S L Johnson <SLJohnson25 at comcast.net> Sent: Fri, 
> 12
> Jun 2015 12:57:00 -0600 (MDT) Subject: [nagdu] Allergies and Dog Foods Dog
> Hello: Yesterday we were discussing allergies. I said Eva would be seeing
> the vet again today. Her yeast infection in both ears looks better but the
> ears are still a bit red and irritated. She will be getting the ear drops
> for another ten days. She is also getting eye drops twice a day. The vet
> could see some irritation in the eyes. She noticed missing hair around the
> eyes from Eva rubbing them. Eva will still take antihistamines twice a 
> day.
> She will continue to take daily omega 3 capsules. The vet said their
> practice is seeing a lot of allergies this year. She said it is the 
> reality
> of living in hot humid central Indiana where all the dogs and humans are
> suffering from allergies. I asked the vet about a regular diet verses a
> grain free diet. The vet said that the grain free trend has not been
> scientifically proven to be effective for pets anymore then it has for
> humans. She said it is just the latest craze with no real benefits to your
> dogâ?Ts health. The vet said any good quality commercial dry food is fine. 
> The
> only time to consider grain free is if the dog has digestive issues due to
> the foods.  She said that changing the diet really doesnâ?Tt effect 
> seasonal
> allergies. With seasonal allergies the dog is reacting to things in the
> environment, not what it is eating. She went on to say that there is a lot
> of hype and misinformation about pet diets just as there is for human 
> diets.
> There is a lot of discussion on this list about foods and supplements. I
> read posts about not using omega 3s sold in stores but insisting on all
> natural. Iâ?Tve read that only natural dog foods should be used. I am not
> knocking those of you who choose to feed very expensive foods or raw diets
> that claim to be better for your dog. However, I do want to reassure those
> who cannot afford this that their dogs will do fine on any of the name 
> brand
> supplements and dog foods sold in grocery, department or pet stores.
> Sometimes people try to make us feel that we are not taking care of our 
> dogs
> if we feed commercial dog foods. The reality is, many of us are on very 
> low
> incomes and cannot afford the fancy trendy foods that are two to three 
> times
> more expensive. A guide dog is an expensive responsibility without putting
> the guilt trip on those with limited incomes. If commercial foods are
> approved by the guide dog schools and most vets, then I feel confident to
> feed them to my dog. I canâ?Tt afford it and , I donâ?Tt jump on the 
> health food
> craze for humans and I donâ?Tt intend on doing it for my dog. It is just 
> the
> current trend and not medically proven to be beneficial. Sandra and Eva
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