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Volume 11 No. 2, April-June 2008
I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods. Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup. ~Wendell Berry
Millions of people are “switching to raw” and “going holistic” with their animals, feeding real, organic whole food diets, both cooked and raw, instead of processed foods, and going to holistic vets (also called integrated or alternative vets) for the treatment of their animals. I started doing this in 1991 when one of my dogs had a horrible recurring case of itching and red welts due to grass allergies. I was advised to put him on Benadryl for life. Instead, I switched from a “natural” dry and wet commercial food to a raw diet. Within four days his welts went away, he stopped scratching, and his hair grew back. It also helped clear up his arthritis. That dog was part Irish wolfhound and weighed about 85 pounds. He lived to be 15 and was running up hills the day before he died from a tumor on his heart that burst. From the time I started him on the raw diet at age eight until the day before he died at 15 he was healthy and active. Dr. Billinghurst, the vet who started the raw diet craze with his book, Feed Your Dog a Bone, says that healthy ranch dogs in Australia can live into their 20s.
I didn’t give up my regular vet. I still work with her for routine care, lab testing, teeth cleaning, and surgeries (when absolutely necessary). I have just shifted my focus on treatment to things like acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutritional supplements, chiropractic, massage, and homeopathy. I’m doing that for my own health care too. By switching to a holistic diet and care my animals are living longer and staying healthier. My brindle cat Jenny lived to be 26 and my cat Hazel, who died at 24 last year, was climbing trees the week before she died. They both died from kidney failure.
Sad to report to all of you who knew her, my dog Brydie died this March. She made it to 18, which is not bad for a Border collie/Dalmatian mix.  And again up until the last two weeks of her life she was running and playing like a youngster. Brydie was such a good teacher to so many people Even in her death she taught me lessons: how to accept the inevitability of death, recognize the signs of cancer, connect after death, and deal with the guilt the left-living always feel of not having done enough. I miss her presence in my life, but I have a peace about her death knowing that I helped her live a long healthy happy life. Although my dogs are still getting cancers they are living longer, healthier lives and the dying part is over quickly. That may be as good as it gets.
I am going holistic with my horses too and getting good results. I eliminated laminitis and founder in one horse, and controlled Cushing’s syndrome in two others. If you want to explore the idea of going holistic with your animals, check my suggested reading section and my links page for information and resources on animal health and switching to a real food diet. If you want to talk in depth about resources for going holistic, we can set up a consultation.
 A client, Teri Costin called to ask me to talk with a rescue dog who was not doing well in foster care. She wrote:
“Maria is her name. The vet says she is about 7-8 years old and weighs about 12-13 pounds. She has issues about being picked up. She will let you pet her, rub her belly, scratch all over her, she is fine with all of this, but when you go to pick her up --she freaks!!! Also she is attacking her foster mom's little dog who just wants to be her friend. I don't have another foster home for her and I think this foster is about at her wits end. Maria is also having potty issues. Although she is being turned out very often-- lots of times the house door is left open so she can go in and out of the house into the back yard as she pleases--she will go in her crate and potty.
“We know that she came into the kill shelter here with a group of 5-7 other terrier dogs. They were all very timid, didn't want to look people in the face, heads just hung all the way to the floor. But none of the other ones had issues with being picked up or issues with getting along with other dogs. I want her to know that we want to help her, to love her and give her a good home and life from here on out. I am very, very sorry about what got her to this point but she must give us a chance to help her. There is a lady who is interested in her that would like to meet her in the next couple of weeks. This would be a good forever home for her. But she must give us a chance.
I talked to Maria at length using many of the techniques I explain in my new book. I also told Teri how to work with Maria from a distance using these techniques. Here was the result:
“I have been meaning to update you for quite some time about the foster dog that you helped me with. The week after we talked, Maria went to her new home. Her new family adores her. When the woman came to meet her, neither she nor her sister could pick Maria up. They took her anyway and that afternoon their little grandson came over all excited to meet Maria. He walked right up to her, picked her up, held her and loved her for a few minutes and they have had no trouble picking her up since then. The first night they had her they started getting ready for bed and started going around the house doing their nightly routine. They got to looking for Maria and couldn't find her, the husband decided to go on to bed. When he got to the bedroom she was sitting in the middle of the bed waiting for them looking like 'What's taking you guys so long??'They adore her.”
 Patty Engman wrote me this story about her horse Miles with whom I have done a few sessions.
I have come to the conclusion that Miles picked me. I went to see him and didn’t even ride him, but he stuck in my mind. I rode other horses and was about to make a decision but I couldn’t get Miles out of my mind. I went back and rode him and decided to take him home the same day. Miles always tells me when he needs something. First he started to refuse the bit and I felt he was trying to tell me something because he had always been good about the bit up to then. That’s what led me to you. After our first chat he said his mouth "hurt hurt hurt" and you told me to check his top upper teeth behind his k'9s on the left side. I followed up with a dental check up even though he had just had one four months, prior and sure enough the vet used almost the exact same words as you had told me.I have it on her bill, he had ulcers and sharp points and he was very painful in that exact area. Ok he was telling me something. The next profound thing is he bucked me off at the end of a lovely two hour ride. I called again and you said he was in pain and to get a bodyworker which I did. This person said Miles was a mess - his back and ribs were out. His words were "I actually would give Miles a pass on bucking you off" OK, again I get it.
The next incident occurred one day as I was working with Miles in the arena on ground work and playing. I said out loud, “I think I will call Marta and we can have a conversation.” I got the feeling that Miles reacted to that. So I sent him by thought only, the words, If you want me to do that come and touch the bottom of my shoe.’ I was sitting on a mounting block with my legs crossed. He walked over and touched my shoe then wandered off again. I was in shock. I asked again mentally, Miles if you really want me to call her come and touch my right shoulder. He came back from across the pen and nudged my shoulder. I almost fell over. I told him I would call you and at that point I noticed an indentation above his hip area towards the back end of his back. I could actually feel it, and I put a call into the bodyworker to come on out and re check him. When I called you the next day the first thing you said was that he told you his back was funny about 3/4 of the way back and it seems to be an indentation not like a swelling or bump....WOW again I am blown away.
Later that day I went out to fiddle with Miles after talking to you. One of the things you told me was he wanted to graze more on the grass area I usually take him to. Miles has been afraid and slow to load on a trailer. The trailer was right there so I decided to practice more on loading. He started off the same way- slow and hesitant and I said to him, “I will let you graze for 15 minutes on the grass if you will just go in and stand. We will go right out. We are just practicing. We aren't going anywhere.” Miles almost knocked me down to get to the trailer. He walked right in, we stood there, I turned him around and we left. Then we went to go graze as promised. I really felt like he heard me and I am so pleased.
- Have you seen the you tube of an elephant painting a self-portrait? If not you have to…Elephant artist
- Here’s another one, amazing and really sweet…Baby
These two guys reared this lion from a baby in England but the authorities
would not allow them to keep it once it reached maturity so they were
forced to give it up, they took it back to Africa and placed it in a
wildlife sanctuary, a year later they went to see it and were told it would
not remember them, true love never dies.
The Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act made it on the Nov 08 ballot for California. To help get the vote out on this initiative go to the campaign website.
Call your representatives and congress people and urge them to put a control in place to prevent Bush from bombing Iran, and tell them you want them to support the immediate impeachment of Bush and Cheney. Call Congressman Conyers’ office too. He is the one who has the power to start the impeachment proceedings. Tell him that if we wait until Bush bombs Iran it will too late.
Whoever emerges as the democratic candidate should get our support because McCain is even more of a war monger than Bush. He has already promised us that there will be more wars (???? Oh thanks!). We can’t let this madness continue. Here are 10 things you should know about McCain but won’t hear from Fox News. Pass it on!
This is a wonderful book about Africa and wildlife seen from the view of someone living in the wild. Bookey attended my classes in Australia last year. She is a delightful person and an exquisite writer. You will love these stories of the wildlife she and her family rescued and released at the Stone Hills sanctuary in Zimbabwe, in particular the story of Poombi, a very self-assured warthog.
Find out more.
Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.
~Rachel Carson
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