Inflammation in dogs fed kibble diets - The research is here

Non-specific diet driven inflammation is of increasing concern in 2019. Highly processed foods, especially high glycemic index and low omega 3 containing diets can trigger high blood glucose spikes after eating that can contribute to high insulin levels and vascular damage. There is a great study out of the University of Helsinki that demonstrated inflammatory markers like homocysteine elevated in dogs on highly processed food like kibble. Click here to review the independent study

Non-specific diet driven inflammation is of increasing concern in 2019. Highly processed foods, especially high glycemic index and low omega 3 containing diets can trigger high blood glucose spikes after eating that can contribute to high insulin levels and vascular damage. There is a great study out of the University of Helsinki that demonstrated inflammatory markers like homocysteine elevated in dogs on highly processed food like kibble.

The role of inflammation in many diseases is significant, especially in pets that aren't receiving a high amount of dietary antioxidants.  

It is increasingly clear that inflammation drives much cancer and the use of techniques to dampen inflammation in the body is at the forefront of chemo-protection research (preventing cancer)

Inflammation can manifest as a host of inflammatory diseases (gut disturbances, heat intolerance, obesity/weight loss, gingivitis) but of more concern; inflammation can remain silent, quietly damaging tissue in the body including the liver and kidney.

Problems here are only recognised on routine blood and urine screening, perhaps once later in the disease process, increasing the bio-marker C reactive protein (CRP) is used for upstream identification of at risk pets. 

Global inflammation around the body is best treated holistically and by addressing the root causes. Nutritional therapy using lower glycemic minimally processed wholefood diets rich in omega 3 and antioxidants can have a huge impact. Weight loss is associated with reversal of tendencies toward accumulation of inflammatory mediators, insulin-sensitising and adaptogenic herbs may accelerate this process

While antibiotics and medical anti-inflammatory medicines can be effective in the short-term to address inflammatory conditions, their use in the longer term can be counterproductive resulting in high side effect rates, micro-circulatory damage, microbiome/superbug resistance issues. It is an exciting time for anti-inflammatory diets, immuno-nutrition and herbal medicine ("phytomedicine") with a wide range of anti-inflammatory natural medicines gaining more  scientific evidence, standouts include Boswellia, Turmeric, Green Lipped Sea Mussel, Cannibidiol and Withania. 

While antibiotics and medical anti-inflammatory medicines can be effective in the short-term to address inflammatory conditions, their use in the longer term can be counterproductive resulting in high side effect rates, micro-circulatory damage, microbiome/superbug resistance issues. It is an exciting time for anti-inflammatory diets, immuno-nutrition and herbal medicine ("phytomedicine") with a wide range of anti-inflammatory natural medicines gaining more  scientific evidence, standouts include Boswellia, Turmeric, Green Lipped Sea Mussel, Cannibidiol and Withania. 

You can be strategic without being anti. One Integrative Vet's Perspective About Vaccines

With all the recent hype around vaccines causing health problems I decided it was time to give you an update on vaccines from my perspective. If you are confused about whether or not your pet really should undergo vaccination for distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus, I have a fairly simple, reliable solution for you. (For the record canine neurodiversity, such as autism, is currently inadequately researched for any true links to be established). While I know work in urban holistic medicine, I have seen and treating deadly parvovirus epidemics in rural Australia.

As a ‘strategic vaccinator’ I focus on 2 important questions before proceeding with vaccination;

1. Does your pet really need a vaccine? Answering this question efficiently means you can avoid unnecessary vaccinations. The easiest way to establish if you pet needs a vaccine is to perform a vaccine titre test, if the results come back higher than 1:80, then your pet definitely doesn’t need a vaccine, or even a repeat titre for some time.

2. Should your pet really have a vaccine (even if it is “necessary”)? Answering this question can sometimes be a little more complex… we need to compile a pros and cons list for your individual pet, what is known scientifically as a “risk-benefit analysis”. Now, Did you know that the vaccine manufacturer label instructions say for vets to “only give to healthy pets”? If your pet has never had a vaccine, or has a titre that has come back very low, i.e. < 1:5, then they probably should go ahead with a vaccine (but at a time when they are well), however, what if your pet has previously had pancreatitis, or perhaps has a beef intolerance diagnosed using a food elimination trial, maybe had a low grade (phew!) mast cell tumour completely removed surgically 2 years ago. Is your pet healthy enough to undergo vaccine? Hmmm, as I said it’s complex and unfortunately some vet’s are not as ultra-conservative as others when it comes to establishing what is a healthy pet. What about if they have generalised anxiety disorder or osteoarthritis? What about if they have dry eye or get anal sacculitis? What about if they had a cytokine storm or got a swelling from their puppy vaccination? What if they have Cushing’s Syndrome? All of these conditions have the potential to be disrupted by the vaccine’s effect on the immune system. There is a lot of fierce debate about the possibility that vaccines do have effects on the immune system and contribute to inflammation, however, there appears to be gaps in the research. I am not here to answer all the what-ifs, and say adamantly that vaccines are safe or dangerous, I am here to point out that with titre testing you can avoid a complex risk:benefit analysis, because from our 15 years of testing at All Natural Vet Care, Australia, we have found that provided dogs have had one vaccines after 10 weeks of age while well, the results are far more likely to be adequate versus inadequate. Some people may disagree with the science behind titre testing, but I look to human medicine and organisations as meticulous as the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS)... If they accept titre to keep Australia Rabies Free then I think we can rely on titre testing to keep our pets free from over-vaccination.

Feel confident to just wing it, this is not a reasonable strategy, vaccination have their place in humanity and have had some tremendous wins in reducing some major life-threatening diseases for both humans and animals. It is our responsibility to protect our pets from disease, we shouldn’t become complacent that diseases such as distemper are rare these days, it may rear its head again, as such its important to monitor that our pet populations do not become inadequately protected. In the age of information, we have the ability to be more strategic than ever with regards to how we engage with science and health-care.

And before you go calling me an anti-vaxxer, I would like to share an article where I was strategically encouraging pets to undergo vaccination based on risk:benefit analysis.

It is time for considered individualised medicine for our pets. Blanket recommendations are great on a population level, but with a thorough, well-thought out preventive health strategy our pets can live their best lives.

For more information regarding vaccines and immunology I recommend reviewing the opinion of Dr Jean Dodds here

Please Share if you found this article helpful, and leave your comments below, I am open to healthy respectful debate.

Aim big for your pet's quality life

Check out our animal loving hero Rodney Habib in action in the video below.

We totally support his views and the research he is mentioned.

Our aim is to empower families to improve their pet's healthspan paying particular attention to stress management, nutrition and environment. We have seen some amazing results with animals exceeding their healthspans (quality lifespans) with minimal medication intervention.

Today when we meet puppies and kittens, we are thinking in terms of 20 to 35 of quality life (with a pinch of good luck). Just look at the improvements in human longevity!

We genuinely hope that in 30 years time we can look back on this period of veterinary medicine with much pride that we enabled positive change and maximised the life of the wonderful animals we live alongside, who in turn, make our lives so enjoyable.

For more information on how wellness medicine can help your pet post your questions in the comments section below.

What is holistic care and why your pet's wants you to know about it

Having spent most of the last decade explaining to families why a more holistic approach to their pet's care may produce more positive results, it is time to ramp up collaborations with more like minded healthcare providers and help spread the word about the options that are accessible to animal lovers. 

I recently wrote a guest blog for Lyka Pet Foods about what is Holistic Vet Care, otherwise known as Integrative Veterinary Medicine, or Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Click here to check it out

Please note, holism is a continuum or spectrum, many vets, and other healthcare practitioners may see their approach as holistic, so it is important to remain respectful to all. 

Not all medicine educations are created equally, people bring their own life experiences and interests to medical or veterinary school. Science is evolving and practitioners are becoming increasingly specialised or developing expert knowledge of specific areas, modalities and disciplines.

About Life Collab and key issues in Animal Wellness in 2018

I was recently asked by a major news outlet to give some insights into the About Life x All Natural Vet Care instore wellness popup event at About Life in Rozelle, Sydney.  

 Read on to hear more about animal wellness in 2018 and where we are heading, we are very excited to announce some more collaborations with brands that align with our philosophy and ethics, so watch this space (and subscribe to our newsletter)

1) When we talk about a holistic approach to pet care what is involved? Does it rely on all-natural remedies, or is it broader than that?  

A holistic approach or Integrative Medicine embraces the best of both conventional medicine and natural medicine. While a diagnosis is important, the focus is on optimising health through attention to diet, minimising drug and chemical use and promoting a healthy lifestyle and environment to reduce stress and the risk of disease. A holistic approach takes an individualised evidence-based approach to pet care.  So its broader and includes conventional medicine.

2) Who's idea was it to organise the holistic puppy workshop? Was it All Natural Vet Care or About Life?

Indicating the time is now for an animal wellness revolution we had independently reached out to each other at the same time.

We wanted the family pet to be able to access the same wellness philosophy About Life champion.

There is a great synergy in our approach to education and empowerment surrounding wellness.

3) Are there any health issues associated with desexing, beyond the obvious risks of anaesthetic and infection?

Generally desexing reduces the risk of breast cancer and testicular cancer and other reproductive tract diseases as well as overpopulation and flow-on animal welfare issues.

Veterinary medicine is an evolving science, it is unwise we take for granted what we think is right. Vets, and pet guardians, must be regularly asking, is the current approach still the best approach?

There is increasing research and debate on the impact of the time of desexing in dogs, and in some instances where desexing may not be ideal at all.

Some of the research findings that are challenging routine recommendations to desex pets include:

Females dogs desexed before 1 year of age have a bone cancer incidence rate more than three times greater than the rate in entire females, for males the risk is almost four times greater.

The prevalence of cruciate rupture is most common in early-desexed dogs, while entire animals have only half of the risk

Desexed cats are 3.4 times more likely to become obese than entire cats and also have a 2 to 9 fold increased risk of developing diabetes than entire cats

In cats, spontaneous fractures of leg bones have been suggested to be a result of delayed bone closure related to early desexing

Hip Dysplasia is twice as common in early-desexed males than entire males

Behaviour can be affected with delayed desexing associated with fewer reports of fear and aggression in male dogs

Although recent publications have suggested desexing is associated with negative health and behavioural consequences in some individuals, population level evidence supports desexed dogs having a longer lifespan, what has not been fully elucidated is whether quality of life indicators are maintained throughout the longer lives, nor the impact pet guardian responsibility has in these population level studies (i.e. escaping, wandering and subsequent injury may be now less common with modern urbanisation)

4) Do you believe that people should always desex their pets?

Current research shows there is compelling reasons to desex female dogs for future health risks, for males the reasons may not be as compelling.

For most pets it is still generally beneficial, but timing appears important for some individuals.

Delayed desexing in large breed dogs has been suggested based on research surrounding risks of musculoskeletal diseases and cancer.

Delaying or declining desexing in normally behaving male dogs could be of benefit. The application of the new research is yet to be evaluated.

The health benefits for individual pets not undergoing desexing must be viewed within the framework of society; namely the impact of other pets and people via dog bites as well as the current pet overpopulation problem we have in Australia.

New systematic reviews of the current science is required as the lists of pros and cons become increasingly complex and, at times, contradictory.

Decisions to delay or decline desexing are reserved for pet guardians who can absolutely guarantee their pet will not breed and contribute to Australia’s overpopulation problem, and where desexing is not recommended as a treatment for a medical or behavioural reason.

Effective contraception methods are now available.

It is important to recognise there are countries who have had great success in tackling pet overpopulation that take a different approach to desexing, notably Norway, Sweden Denmark and The Netherlands.

Decisions about desexing are best made after an individualised discussion of risks and benefits with your veterinarian taking into account breed, genetics, behaviour and lifestyle.

5) Can I ask, what does a holistic vaccination approach look like?

We use strategic vaccination, which is assessing risks and benefits for the individual pet. We believe all animals should be vaccinated as long as they are healthy, but then monitored with validated titre tests. There are animals with health problems that should not be revaccinated.

6) Are there any risks associated with pharmaceutical vaccinations?

Yes, there are recognised risks. Minor ones include sensitivity and pain at the site of injection to triggering autoimmune conditions and even anaphylaxis.

7) In your opinion, should people be using pharmaceutical vaccinations for their pets?

Yes, but strategically, in line with WSAVA guidelines; not every year, and depending on their health status and risks.

8)  What is the ideal holistic diet a puppy or dog should be eating?

One that is supervised by a veterinarian, as different size dogs have different risks, especially large breed puppies. The diet might include minimally-processed commercial or home prepared diets that are low in starch carbohydrates, and dense in other nutrients like protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids sourced from quality fresh or frozen wholefoods. The diet must be complete and balanced in nutrients for the individual pet.

9) Vegan diets for dogs and cats are on the rise, do you advocate for or against this?

Vegan diets do not reflect a biologically appropriate diet for dogs and cats so I do not currently recommend them for optimal nutrition. They may survive on vegan diets, but they are not likely to thrive.

While improving pet’s eco-pawprint is ethical, there are concerns a vegan diet may jeopardize animal welfare.

A compromise can be made and many of our vegan clients provide a mainly vegetable based diet with the addition of some ethically-sourced animal-based proteins and omega 3.

Nutritional Insights from a global cancer care thought-leader, Dr Erin Bannick

With recent media concerns re-igniting the debate regarding risks and benefits of different feeding styles for our beloved pets, I felt that while potential hazards to raw foods and home cooked foods have recently attracted attention, particularly, raw chicken, campylobacter and a link to acute polyradiculoneuritis (APN) I would like to share the perspective of Dr Erin Bannick, a Board Certified Veterinary Oncologist (Cancer Specialist) and Certified Herbalist and Acupuncturist. 

Along with the likes of Dr Karen Becker, Rodney Habib, Dr Barbara Fougere, Dr Steve Marsden, Dr Jean Dodds, Dr Karen Goldrick, Dr Emma Styles, Dr Elaine Cebuliak, Dr Edward Bassingwaite, Dr Richard Allport, Elizabeth Whiter, Dr Joseph Mercola MD,  Dr Andrew Weil MD, Dr Lyssa Rankin MD, Dr Ian Billinghurst, Dr Bruce Symes, Dr Nick Thompson, Quentin Strauli and Louise Hay, Dr Erin Bannick is one of our wellness heros. 

Cancer is an epidemic in Veterinary Medicine and concerns regarding disease processes in our pets must be weighed up;

Is, in 2018, your pet more at risk of Cancer or APN?

Dr Erin is a global leader in Integrative Veterinary Cancer Care, and her recent project, Metta Pets, is a considered and invaluable resource for animal lovers. I recommend you subscribe to her blog for more information. 

We follow her expertise and some of her cancer care protocols at our Integrative Hospital, All Natural Vet Care, with some impressive results, see Pernod's story below for an example. 

Click here to read her insights - Grains! Whats the big deal? 

Happy 10th Birthday Pernod!

I met Pernod a few months back when he visited my Integrative Practice in Sydney, Australia.

His dedicated family were looking for more medical options for him after a malignant hemangiosarcoma diagnosis and poor prognosis.

His family were quite medically literate and were not wanting false hope. I presented them with the available evidence and the knowledge base from world pioneers in Nutrition, Veterinary Oncology and Herbal Medicine, like Dr Steve Marsden, Dr Erin Bannink, Dr Jean Dodds and Dr Barbara Fougere.

We discussed that more research was required but there were herbs and supplements that were emerging in western biomedical science that might just give Pernod a chance for a healthy lifespan. We were all clear that the natural approach we were taking may not be effective, but the conventional standards of care did not have much to offer for him.

We spent hours consulting getting to know Pernod's medical history and personality and what his family wanted for him. 

We designed a sustainable and achievable care plan that encompassed nutrition, nutritional supplements, traditional chinese herbs and western herbs. We discussed stress management and environmental medicine, cleaning his environment of toxins. We agreed to factors of his quality of life which we would continue to monitor and evaluate as his health care team. 

Some of the big players in his holistic care include Coriolus Versicolor (an Asian mushroom) with some preliminary evidence from Washington State University, Yunnan Bai Yao, a chinese herbal blend, again with some anti-cancer activity demonstrated against canine haemangiosarcoma cell lines in the laboratory, bilberry extract, a high omega, anti-inflammatory diet, and a customised chinese herbal formula (containing Bupleurum and Curcumin) designed to meet his individual herbal energetics. 

Pernod is exceeding expectations and is an ambassador for change to how we can bridge the gap between science and tradition and incorporate plant based therapies (phytotherapy) into standards of western medical care. 

There is much work to be done and I am excited to be involved. I am constantly inspired by both the simplicity and complexity of nature. While statisticians and clinicians alike would say Pernod is one case (n = 1, not statistically significant), he is also another case, building on the evidence and knowledge base for some of the substances above. Most importantly, he is a loved family member. He gives me hope and motivation to continue exploring and learning about medicine, and how, as health care providers, we can provide more options.

To read more about Pernod from the perspective of his dedicated family please click here for a link to his wonderful blog, I hope you enjoyed your Sashimi, and proud of you for sharing with your little sister, Anise. 

“223 days ago, on the 16 February, my world crumbled. I received the worst possible news a pet owner can get. My wonderful little bichon Pernod had a 5cm tumour on his spleen which he was haemorrhaging in to and he had the brutally aggressive haemangiosarcoma. They had made the decision while he was under for the biosopy to remove his spleen and the tumour. Even with chemo, his predicted life span was a couple of months.”

— Pernod's Dedicated Mum, L.J 17/11/2017

I dedicate this blog to all the wonderful families, like Pernod's I have met and worked with as an Integrative Veterinarian, your generosity, selflessness and insights are priceless. Thank you all for allowing me to be part of your families. 

Note: There is no one sizes fits all approach to holistic medicine; I find it works best when tailored to the individual patient, based on their families philosophy and resources. If you think your pet would benefit from a holistic second opinion contact my practice, All Natural Vet Care, we may be able to consult with you, or if further afield find a more local integrative/holistic practitioner through our global network of veterinarians.  

Supporting a gentle, effective medical philosophy

Help support a holistic approach by voting for my Integrative Veterinary Hospital; All Natural Vet Care who is a finalist in the Pet Plan Vet Practice of The Year 2017!

I am totally convinced that a thorough, natural approach with a large focus on nutrition, stress minimisation and immune system functioning can greatly benefit the long term health and vitality of animals. 

If you have experienced my approach, or, the approaches of my colleagues at All Natural Vet Care, your support via voting would be very much appreciated. CLICK HERE to VOTE.

If you haven't experienced how holistic medicine can help your pet's life, leave any queries and comments below, or get in touch, to schedule a holistic second opinion and integrative care plan.

Thank you for your ongoing support, 

Best Wishes,

Matt

Dr Matthew J Muir BVSc/BVetBiol (Hons) MRCVS

Integrative Veterinarian 

Wellness for our wild cousins

I am super excited to announce the launch of PLANET DECENT.org

It is a animal conservation project that Achieve Animal Wellness has been a part of for a few years. 

Like Achieve Animal Wellness, Planet Decent has been designed using eco-health (or one-health) principles.

It is a multi-disciplinary global project that encompasses environment conservation, public health, capacity building, sustainable development to product eco-innovative outcomes that benefit the greater eco-system. 

We are very excited to be a part of this. We would love for our community of animal lover's to click here get involved in any way you can. 

Join and Engage in our community of animal lovers

For up to date information and inspiration on holistic veterinary care check out our social pages. Feel free to follow to join and please don't hesitate to ask questions, give feedback or request information on specific animal health issues

Should we be exploring alternative options to feeding our pets - Absolutely!

I was recently asked to speak to Today Tonight about whether we should be exploring a new paradigm to feeding our pets.

Nutrition is an evolving science. We do not know everything there is to know about feeding dogs & cats. As an integrative veterinarian and natural feeding advocate (including BARF raw feeding with the right candidates) I am convinced many animals do better on a natural diet versus the highly-refined, high starch, mallaird-reaction product containing diets that many pet's in the Western World are fed. 

There is no one size fits all approach to animal nutrition however I believe it is very important to focus on species appropriateness, tailored to the individual constitution of the animal (including health status, vitality). 

Nutritional Counselling is an important part of the holistic approach to preventive veterinary care and healing from chronic diseases. I recommend that any pet guardian who is caring for an animal who has been unwell for some time (for example, chronic pancreatitis, chronic gut issues, ear infections, skin issues, anxiety) consider exploring a diet transition under the supervision of a Veterinary, ideally, one with a special interest and further training in nutritional therapies.

You can always ask your primary care veterinarian for a referral to a nutritionist or integrative/holistic veterinary, or see if they can get their input on your behalf. 

See video here for the story and leave comments below for further insights. I offer Holistic Consultations at All Natural Vet Care in Sydney, as well as distance Telemedicine.

Regular Kitty Vomits Can Be An Early Sign Of Serious Problems

We believe healthy cats should not bring up furballs more than a couple of times per year. 

A landmark study, outlined by Dr Jean Dodd's in this article here supports this.

Check out Dr Jean Dodd's IBD prevention tips focused on nutrition. 

We support her philosophy on feline nutrition and often conduct Nutrascan Food Sensitivies and Intolerance Testing and have had great outcomes when implementing the results into our consult at All Natural Vet Care. 

Article available here 

5 Reasons your pet may thrive on a natural diet

We all have a wonderful opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle and access a variety of great food. With all the wholefood emporiums and superfood smoothies on offer for humans, it may be time to focus more attention to how nutrient dense, high quality and "free from bad stuff" your pet's meals are.

Natural diets for pet’s are based on species appropriate fresh ingredients & reflects what our pet’s wild cousins would be eating. Natural diets can be home prepared, (raw or minimally processed) or commercially available. 

The best diet for your pet is one that your pet enjoys to eat, that is balanced and complete in it’s nutrient profile. It is also important to note that wild felids and canids consume large amounts of water through their diets. 

5 great reasons why your Pet may thrive on a natural diet

1: Get up and go - Your pet's zest for life may increase. Remarkably, our clients report back they have a new dog! A natural diet that is biologically appropriate, nutrient and enzyme rich, chemical additive free and easy to digest may reduce the energy it takes for them to extract nutrients from their meals, which may mean less food comas and lethargy and more walkies.

2: Free from disease risks. Take a deep breath - You can be confident that you are offering a diet free from nasty additives. In order for commercial pet foods to withstand extended shelf lives they delete are heated. A byproduct of this processing is the production of acrylamides. These occur in all canned and dry food.  Consumption of acrylamides has been linked directly to cancer in humans and rats. There have been no long term studies on the effects of acrylamides on cats and dogs but we know they exist in high quantities in processed pet foods. Many processed pet foods may also contain artificial preservatives, colorants, flavour enhancers, salt and sugar which, just like us, may contribute to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, dermatitis and hyperactivity. 

3 : Kissable - Food affects saliva acid levels and may lead to infected gums. Certain foods may be ruining your attempts to keep your pet's teeth from tartar. Diets high in processed (finely ground) carbohydrate alter the natural defence mechanisms of the saliva therefore leading to accelerated progression of dental tartar and subsequent gum inflammation. 

4: Beach Bod - Natural diets may make it easier to normalise or maintain healthy weight. Natural diets may promote healthy hormone function and metabolism. This may be through supplying health sources of micronutrients such as iodine, which supports healthy thyroid function, it may also by controlling the level of endocrine disrupters such as BPA/BHA preservatives which may be found in commercial pet foods or pet food packaging. Natural diets tend to be higher in high biological protein and lower in simple carbohydrates which can help your pet avoid the occurrence of the "middle age spread".

5: Chilled out - Has your pet been on a sugar rollercoaster? Balanced protein rich diets can promote relaxation in your pets. Natural diets can be naturally high in mood stabilisers such as tryptophan, and as mentioned above are free from artificial preservatives and grain sugars that may cause hyperactivity or anxiety in your pets similar to the effect they have on some children. A natural diet is what your pet is meant to eat and as such they benefit from real foods based on meat, fish and poultry and vegetables, foods that enhance health and wellbeing and do not contain ingredients that can be harmful.

If you need help implementing a natural diet, whether it involves use of commercially designed diets, a home prepared diet or a combination click here to access nutritional counselling  

For examples of healthy natural commercial diets explore here 

Promoting Wellness

Implementing sound preventative medicine strategies will help avoid your animal becoming unwell. 

Promoting immune system balance, sound mental health and ideal body weight through nutrition, activity and careful breed selection (to meet your lifestyle) make a huge difference to the health and longevity of your pet. 

Stay tuned for innovative strategies, backed by scientific evidence, that can release your pet's full potential 

Please note: Our position statement on Deer Antler Dental Chews for teeth is they are not appropriate, and are anecdotally responsible for fractured teeth. The British Veterinary Dental Association has reservations (science evidence proving a causative link between antlers and fractures has not been demonstrated statistically) and we err on the side of caution. Check out ournutritional recommendations for promoting optimum dental hygiene and watch this space for a total dental home care plan for your pets. 

Choosing a Veterinary Team

Find a veterinary team that wants to spend time with you and one that focuses on prevention. Nutritional advice is often overlooked. Find a vet that your pet feels comfortable with. Pets are often reluctant to be examined at a vets to begin with. 

Ask your vet about positive reinforcement visits, if your pet is anxious at the vet's, it is likely to get worse without positive reinforcement and desensitisation. If pets are unable to be examined due to fear aggression it can greatly diminish the care that can be provided and also stress is counterproductive to healing. Do not let your pet's fear jeopardise its health. Visit your vets more regularly and reward positive behaviour.

Pet Care Ethics

We believe it is important to think very carefully before deciding to introduce a new member to your family. Research and thought needs to be thorough and lead to sound decisions regarding the type of pet that will suit your lifestyle (pet selection insights)

As a pet owner or prospective pet owner we encourage you to realise you are responsible for giving your pet an AMAZING QUALITY OF LIFE. 

Before deciding what pet to get it imperative to gain awareness as to the impacts have on the environment. 

Why do we have pets? 

Pets are great for our health. They connect us to nature and are great companions. Dogs encourage us to walk, and being out in nature has been demonstrated to be good for our health. A cat on your lap drops your heart rate because it's purr is meditative and sends good vibrations through your body (well that may not be totally scientific, but delegates of the American Stroke Associations agree it does something good for our stress levels). The same delegates also say owning a dog could be stressful so best to know how to keep them healthywith minimal fuss. 

Your pets eco paw-print

The concept of an ecological paw-print is based on the human model proposed by Professor William Rees whereby human's ecological footprint was used as a quantitative tool in the assessment of human impact on the environment. 

While quantitative analysis is complicated and involves numbers and statistics the first step is to be aware of it. Awareness of what impact your pet has on the environment is the first step in implementing ways to reduce it (remember the purpose of this website is too improve the health of your pets through innovative strategies that benefit the greater ecosystem). 

There is a great book called 'Time To Eat The Dog?' by Brenda and Robert Vale, that explores the sustainability of pet ownership. We learnt a great deal from this resource (in all aspects of modern living). 

Pets are a privilege. It is essential to realise that our pets are contributing to modern living and thus the impact we are having on the planet. 

One important and potentially shocking perspective is that if you were to, say, have a Labrador Retriever and lived in London there is every chance that 'Bob' demanded more natural capital than two human citizens in the countryside, and most certainly a family of 4 in Bangladesh. Check out these statistics

I recommend reading this interesting article about some aspects of why we all need to be more aware of the ethics associated with owning pets (also it will introduce you to some concepts discussed on animal nutrition). It reveals a nice introduction to the concept of ecological paw print. 

Veterinary intervention

Expectations regarding your pet's life and how much intervention you want is a personal and philosophical decision. This is often overlooked and something I encourage all pet owners to explore. Concepts like euthanasia and when to stop veterinary intervention are difficult and worth contemplation and family discussion. We are here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us for guidance or information about veterinary intervention ethics.