There is not a single kibble on the market today that is"healthy" to feed your dog or cat. 

No, I haven't evaluated every single kibble out there. But such a task is completely unnecessary in order to state that none of them offer optimal nutrition.  It's the way in which kibble is made that is the big problem. Even if you  start with the most nutritious ingredients - the kibble that you end up with is not providing the nourishment needed for your pet to thrive.

The first problem is that kibble cannot be made without including a high amount of starch. It won't form into pellets without starch. Of course "grain free" pet foods have become very popular because pet owners realize that their dogs and cats A do not require carbs and B they are being used as cheap fillers so the pet food companies can make more profits. Dogs and cats gain no benefits by eating carbs, quite the contrary actually.

Cat's and dogs may love their toys, but many are made using cheap materials that can be quite harmful to our pets health. Sadly there aren't any standards to keep toxins out of pet toys.

It's up to the consumer to investigate the safety of a toy before giving it to their animal to play with.

Think about how your pet might carry their toys around in their mouth, lick them, lay on them, chew them and even sometimes swallow them - or pieces they have chewed off. If that toy contained a toxic substance then they are certainly getting exposed to it.

Anyone who has been reading my blog or Facebook page can see that I am an advocate for raising animals naturally. I have reached this standpoint because of many personal experiences and much questioning, research, evaluation and critical thinking. There are certainly many benefits to feeding raw, skipping the antibiotics, chemical flea preventatives and vaccines. But what is so important to understand is WHY these choices make such a difference in the health of our animals. 

So what I want to delve into today is how we perceive the means by which our pet's maintain their health and also identify the mechanisms that allow them to regain their health after illness. The truth of the matter is possibly quite different than what you currently believe. 

Cleaning is supposed to be all about maintaining a healthy home by removing allergens & bacteria and preventing pests. Plus having a clean home just makes us feel good!

​But if the products you are using to clean with are full of toxic chemicals you are defeating the purpose altogether! You may have noticed hazard symbols on some of your cleaning products. These symbols warn of acute health hazards that can occur from a single exposure.But there are no requirements for warnings about long term health effects. Researchers in the U.S.identified 133 unique volatile organic compounds emitted from a small sample of consumer products, including six cleaning products.

Unfortunately even the products labelled "green" and "eco-friendly" cannot be assumed to be safe to use. There is little regulation of cleaning products and virtually no labelling requirements. The only way to avoid all these nasty chemicals is by using simple and effective natural products to keep your home clean! Another bonus is the cost savings you will see by making your own cleaning products.

Here are my favourite DIY cleaning products:

Oh the joys of laundry! Do you know what is in your laundry soap, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and stain removal products? Are you aware these products could be compromising your family’s health, including your pets? We should be concerned with what is used to clean our fabrics as they directly contact our skin all day. We provide our pets with comfy beds and blankets to lay on without maybe realizing that what we chose to clean them with could be harmful to them.

Unfortunately, few of the chemicals used in laundry products have been thoroughly tested, particularly in combination with other chemicals, and some chemicals that have been shown to be harmful are still widely used.

Humans are intelligent, civilized (well mostly), and possess advanced technology, yet remain challenged to replicate the conditions that promote health for captive and domesticated animals.

Our domesticated cats and dogs suffer from many of the same ailments as their human caretakers. Similar types of animals that are left to fend for themselves do not develop the same problems. Wild species of dogs and cats do not have allergies, skin issues, chronic digestive problems, hot spots, hip dysplasia, cystitis, etc. How is it that animals not receiving any medical care, finding their own food and shelter do not develop the same conditions as our pets who receive extensive veterinary care, scientifically formulated food, shelter from the elements and so on? Is is possible that the living conditions of our modern pets has something to do with their health issues? I want you to think about that...really think about it.

Wild canines and felines face much harsher living conditions than their domesticated cousins. Yet they have thrived in spite of the dangers they must face daily. Our domesticated animals have replaced the harsh conditions of a life in nature to living with humans where we provide for all their requirements as we see fit. Our pets generally live longer than their wild kin, but they suffer terribly from chronic  physical and mental problems.

The laws of nature are immutable. When these laws are defied poor health will be the result...without fail. On the positive side, a return to nature's tenets will equally always result in health benefits.

Today's medicine is "sick care" not health care. Are you ready to unlearn and step away from all of the false medical indoctrination and re-establish your connection with nature?

For general learning on natural pet health I recommend Total Wellness for Pets, an online class offered by The American Council of Animal Naturopathy.

For a personalized plan for your pet visit our consultation page and begin your animal's journey back to health.

All living organisms need fuel. Each organism thrives consuming the types of food best suited to it. Dogs, cats, horses, trees and humans attain the highest standard of health when they are provided with the most suitable food for their individual species.

Can a deficient diet be overcome by supplying the specific deficient elements in the form of supplements?

Would you be surprised to learn that there are no regulations controlling or even monitoring the ingredients of tattoo ink? The FDA currently does not regulate tattoo inks.

Most if not all of the pigments used in tattoo inks are manufactured for industrial use such as in printer ink and paint. Pigment manufacturers base their safety information on the assumption that the pigments are used for industrial purposes, not for tattoos.

A 2009 study analyzed 13 inks from a single supplier and found the heavy metals cadmium, cobalt, chromium and nickel in all of them. Most of the inks also contained mercury.

A 2010 analysis of black inks based on carbon found that most of them contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are known to be carcinogenic.

If you own a pet you will at some point be faced with the decision whether to spay or neuter. One facet of being a responsible pet owner is to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The message to pet owners in North America has been to get their pet spayed or neutered. With the rise of the humane animal movement in the 1950’s it gradually became commonplace to have pets surgically sterilized.  Beginning in the 1960’s animal rescue groups began instituting policies that all pets would be spayed or neutered prior to adoption. In the 1970’s juvenile kittens and puppies started regularly being spayed/neutered. The driving force behind spay/neuter campaigns has been to reduce the number of animals in shelters by preventing unwanted or unplanned pregnancies. Our intentions were well meaning, but unfortunately our actions have played a role in the development of health conditions in our pets. It’s time to take a look at the facts of this issue and explore all the options for preventing unwanted pregnancies while promoting health in our pets.

The AVMA recommends with regards to spaying/neutering “pets should be considered individually, with the understanding that for these pets, population control is a less important concern than is health of each animal.” However, it has been my experience that few veterinarians are evaluating animals as individuals when considering a spay/neuter surgery.  

Ovariohysterectomy is a surgical procedure where the uterus and ovaries are removed from the body and orchietomy consists of surgically removing the testes. The sexual organs have functions that impact the whole of the animal, not just the capability to reproduce. In reviewing a multitude of studies on the subject it becomes obvious that there are numerous negative consequences observed in spayed/neutered companion animals.