From the beginning  of life free radicals in the form of airborne, food and water toxins begin to destroy healthy cells and tissues.     Providing healthy air,  food and water  may require extra work but will greatly reduce toxin and free radical damage.    The most healthy diets are free of toxins,  provide nutrients that support  liver function and detoxification, and avoid nutrients that lead to a leaky gut syndrome.      Broadly speaking dogs and cats should be fed a homemade, rare/raw  meat, no grain diet.     Ideally, the meat should be organic and grass fed while veggies should b e organic, colorful and steamed or grated.   If homemade diets are not an option for you then  feed a high quality commercial diet that is over 40% meat by dry weight and contains a minimum of grain.    It is impossible, even for a veterinarian,  to determine the percent meat in a commercial diet by simply looking at the bag.      You must call the company and ask the nutritionist this question,  “On a dry matter basis, what percent of the food is meat protein”.    Understand that grains and veggies also have protein so the percent protein on the bag does not tell you how much is meat protein.     Finally, adding supplemental digestive enzymes, probiotics, trace minerals and omega fatty acids to either a commercial or homemade diet will plug many of the nutritional holes resulting from poor farming practices and commercial processing of food.  Regretfully, because of space limitations we can not go into all of the other factors that must be considered when choosing the optimal commercial diet.    Therefore, you may want to go to my website Doc4pets.com and click on  the nutrition heading for a much more comprehensive write up on pet diets.

Next to good nutrition regular dental hygiene is the most important thing owners  can perform  in order to provide their  dog or cat a longer healthier life.   Because tartar  is a breeding ground for bacteria, by keeping tartar to a minimum fewer bacterial toxins will get into the blood stream and damage the liver and kidneys.    Daily home dental care combined with a yearly professional dental prophylaxis will make a hug difference in the health of your pet during his or her senior years.  

We all live in a toxic world and as hard as we may try we can’t elimininate them all.   However any effort we make to minimize our pets exposure to environmental toxins will pay off big time in terms of extending their life.   Environmental toxins involve such hazards as household cleaning products, lawn pesticides,  radon, cigarette smoke, paint fumes, fumes from no stick cooking utensils,  automobile fumes, poisonous plants, rat poisons and spilled antifreeze.      Keep in mind that pets are much closer to the ground than we are and therefore more exposed to many environmental  toxins.    Bird owners should know that their feathered friend is much more sensitive to airborne toxins and therefore every effort should be made to keep them away from fumes resulting from paint, no stick cook ware, tobacco smoke,  house hold deodorizers and even fireplace fumes.     If you must apply weed and insect killer to your lawn try to use organic products keeping in mind that if you apply non organic chemicals  than pets that get outside will walk through the grass and then lick the residual chemicals off their feet or ingest these toxin  when they nibble on the grass.   There are now a number of companies that manufacture non toxic home cleaning products that can replace those toxic products you many now be using.   Once again space restraints limit this discussion on environmental toxins so if you have further interest to learn more please visit my website Doc4pets.com  and go to my blog and look through the archive of articles till you find the ones involving environmental  toxins and detoxification.

Avoiding toxins is one thing but getting rid of them once already in the body is a whole different issue.    Toxins accumulate in our pets body slowly and without producing symptoms until the concentration of toxins destroys enough tissue to produce outward disease.   Of course the idea is to be proactive and get rid of these toxins before symptoms become obvious.      The process of detoxification can be accomplished in several ways ie. homeopathy, herbal, and nutritional.      I recommend all my patient go through a homeopathic detox twice yearly.     Most toxins are also free radicals that steel electrons and damage vital tissue.   Adding a number of antioxidants to the daily diet will help neutralize these free radicals, prevent cellular damage and  provide additional years of normal function for important organ systems.     Vitamin C,  Vitamin E,  Selenium, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and resveratrol  are examples of nutritional antioxidants.   Milk Thistle,  Burdock  root,  and            are herbal anti oxidants.

The process of detoxification is enhanced by supporting those organs which are most instrumental in removing toxins from the body.    Of those organs the liver is the most important.     Dimethylglycine, SAM-E, MSM, Detox Kit and liver glandular are a few examples of  nutraceutical which support the liver.

Constant emotional stress can steel years from Excessive emotional stress is truly a toxin in that stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous  system which inturn causes inflammation, tissue damage and free radical damage..   Early obedience training will go along way in reducing emotional stress  because a well behaved dog   is a contribution family whereas a dog that misbehaves, bitesl, barks excessivel or destroys family property  will result in repeated reprimands and in family upsets and discontentment.     If behavior training has failed we can provide homeopathic, herbal , and  nutraceutical s that will calm the dog hopeful end unacceptable behavior.  

Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining good health because it not only helps to main a slim muscular appearance it also relieves boredom and allows the pet to get rid of pent up energy that otherwise might be vented by destructive behavior such as chewing on shoes, furniture or lamp cords.   Walking or jogging with your dog is great for both of you.     Playing fetch the ball or Frizbee  are other  fun activities.   Agility training, hunting and visits to the dog park are additional approachs to getting rid of energy and reducing unwanted behavior.   Exercising with your pet is a great way to strengthen the human animal bond

Chiropractic care is something most pet owners never consider until their pet is lame or injured.    However   semi annual  proactive spinal adjustments are important not only in maintaining a healthy neuromuscular skeletal system but is also very effective in keeping internal organs functioning properly.

Woodside Animal Clinic  sees pets from all over the greater Detroit Michigan area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson,  Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Clarkston, Waterford, Union Lake,  Rochester,  Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica,   Romeo,  Windsor, White lake and Toledo, Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County

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We need to accept unfortunate truth that we and our pets live in a toxic world that is constantly trying to steal a little bit of our health .     The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the psychologically stressful  nature of our lives continually threatens our health and that of our pet.     Consequently,  none of us are healthy as we might believe.   We are all carrying a toxic load in the form of both chemicals and psychological stress.     On top of this, as a result of poor farming practices, and food processing techniques,  the food that we and our pets eat  is almost always deficient in essential nutrients  like trace minerals, essential  fatty acids, digestive enzymes, and antioxidants.    Unfortunately, these deficient nutrients are essential in helping our pet’s body mount an attack to remove these toxins and cleanse our bodies.    The point is that we are all toxic to some degree and probably becoming more toxic every day.     The problems is insidious and each day little by little  our health is being stolen from us.    Since it is impossible to totally avoid toxins in our day to day life,  what we can do is  slow down the toxic degeneration of our bodies by minimizing exposure and following a program of detoxification.   In the following paragraph I will briefy  mention the important steps a pet caregiver can take to help their pet live a longer and healthier life.   I apologize for not having the space to go in to much detail but  If you are interested in a greater depth of understanding you may visit my website  Doc4pets and then click on my blog.    

Maximizing nutrition and minimizing toxins in your pet’s food can be accomplish best by feeding your dog or cat a homemade, meat based diet either raw/rare or lightly cooks .      Of course organic ingredients and grass fed meat are best for your pet  if you can afford them.    Whether homemade of commercial,  diets should contain at least 40% meat by dry weight.  Avoid grains and feed colorful steamed (not raw) veggies which contain lots of antioxidants.     Grains tend to be hard for carnivores to digest and promote the development of a “Leaky Gut Syndrome”  which  allows intestinal toxins to leak into blood stream  and  overwhelm the livers ability to cleanse the blood.    Soaking food ingredients in hydrogen peroxide or  grapefruit seed extract will help reduce external toxins that might be present in the food.    Adding digestive enzymes supplements to the pet food will maximize availability of the nutrients while at the same time  minimize the likelihood of  food allergies.

Next in importance is minimizing house hold and yard toxins that your pet could be exposed to .    Because our pets are closer to the ground than we are they are more exposed to toxic  chemicals.  Non toxic  home cleaning supplies are now easy to obtain..   If  pesticides are used  in the house or yard make sure they  are non toxic to your pet.    Check you garage and basement for chemicals your pet can ingest.   Have your basement tested for Radon.     If you have a bird don’t cook with non stick utensils as these items can be toxic to them.     Don’t smoke inside your house and don’t jog with your pet by busy streets where car fumes are more likely to be inhaled.

Routine dental care is extremely important in reducing your  pets toxic exposure.    Dental tartar is a great breeding ground for bacteria and bacterial toxins which are easily absorbed into the general circulation and which then damage the liver, kidney, heart and lungs.   The importance of  home dental care and a yearly professional  dental exam, cleaning and polishing is next, only to good nutrition in its importance to  your pet’s good health.

Finally,  see your veterinarian at least once yearly.   Senior pets should be seen twice yearly.    He or she can advise you on how  to prevent contagious viral and bacterial toxins.    Early detection of intestinal parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, hookworms and tapeworm can minimize damage done by these parasites.    They can also detect blood parasites such a heartworm disease and recommend ways to prevent these intestinal and blood parasites.     Blood and urine testing can help detect disease before and symptoms  become apparent.   At Woodside we are now carrying a homeotoxicologic “Detox Kit” which contains remedies to be placed in the pets drinking water and is used for one month twice yearly.  

Take the time , ideally once weekly, to give your pet a health evaluation which includes a home physical exam and careful observation of the animals breathing, urinating, and defecating.    When you look at your pet check for a bright energetic personality,  a good weight for the breed, a shiny hair coat, an absence of odor,  a good appetite, a firm daily stool,   effortless breathing, defecating, and urinating.

In conclusion don’t assume your dog or cat is perfectly healthy just because your pet is not displaying obvious symptoms.      Toxins are constantly  undermining your pet’s  health and damage may develop slowly and unnoticed until enough injury occurs to cause organ failure.    Therefore, be vigilant, proactive  and never take your pets good health for granite.

Woodside Animal Clinic  sees pets from all over the greater Detroit Michigan area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson,  Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Clarkston, Waterford, Union Lake,  Rochester,  Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica,   Romeo,  Windsor, White lake and Toledo, Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County

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If your pet has a recurrent or chronic disease that has not responded to the best efforts of conventional medicine why not give alternative medicine chance to show what it can do.   Recurrent ear infection, skin allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and osteo arthritis are just a few of the many chronic diseases that have conventionally required continual drug therapy to suppress symptoms which have been reducing the pets quality of life.  These drugs may be temporarily successful at reducing symptoms but their long term use often results in side effects that may make use of these drugs of questionable value.

Because alternative medicine takes a more holistic view point in its quest for healing it may  focus on an organ system that appears to have no relationship to the symptoms that are being addressed.   Since alternative medicine sees  all organ systems as connected  its therapy is often geared to using modalities that affect the organism as a whole rather than a drug geared to treat a symptom or the organ system where the symptoms occur.

 When alternative medicine feels it must directly address symptoms the use of herbs, homeopathic remedies, specific nutrients, and plant produced hormones will accomplish the task with minimal side effects.    Keep in mind that many of our most celebrated drugs were originally isolated from plants but then were concentrated and/or synthesized in laboratories.   The extraction of active ingredient from the plant and the isolation of it from the other synergistic balancing chemicals found in the intact herb is what makes a drug more likely to produce side effects.  Because drug production isolates and concentrates what it  believes to be the “active ingredient” it looses the safety net that is present when using the whole herb with its less concentrated, better balanced mix of chemicals.

 Alternative health care professionals believe that the pet owner should play an integral part in the healing of their pet.  The practitioner believes that a partnership with the pet owner is necessary for the most rapid and successful healing to occur.  In order for the pet owner to serve as an effective member of this healing partnership they must thoroughly understand their pets problem and the plan for healing.   Consequently the holistic practition must schedule longer appointments to allow for client education and to answer all the pet owners questions. 

 Alternative vets believe that inflammation resulting from nutritional and environmental toxicity in combination with nutritional deficiencies is one of the very basic causes for ill health.   Minimizing toxin intake and maximizing toxin excretion is the foundation for health and healing.  

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  Dr. Simon is the owner of the Woodside Animal Clinic in Royal Oak Michigan where he has been treating dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, ferrets, rodents, and iguanas with both alternative and conventional medicine for over 30 years.  Dr. Simon is the author of 4 pet care books and writes a monthly column for the Mirror newspaper.

Woodside services the Oakland  and Wayne County  area including the cities of  Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Madison Heights, Hazel Park, Southfield, Birmingham, Troy, Warren, Clawson, Sterling Heights and Farmington Hills. 

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 Next, be aware that our food supply whether plant or animal has become polluted by food production practices that add toxins to both our pets and  our own already nutrient deficient food supply.  These toxins get into both our food and our pet’s food in the form plant insecticides, plant fungicides and as hormones, antibiotics and parasites that are fed to our food animals.  To add  insult to injury manufacturers then add other potentially dangerous chemicals to our food in the form of coloring dyes, chemical flavorings and preservative.   Finally, commercial pet diets that sit too long in the warehouse develop toxins in the form of rancid fat.   Water pollution is a source of additional toxins that result from industry contamination and attempts at water purification.    The air our pets breath and the soil our pets walk on are sources of additional toxins.  Airborne toxins can be a result of car and industry exhaust, cigarette smoke, out gasing from new carpeting or photocopiers.  Plant, grass, weed, tree pollens, and biting insects can also be classified as toxins.   The pets yard may become  another source of  toxins if lawn chemicals are used.  Worm eggs, fleas, ticks and dangerous bacteria are somewhat different types of toxins that can be found in the yard  or dog parks.  Finally, we should not forget about household toxins such as those found in the trash can, garage floor, under the sink, or in the basement.  Even drugs and vaccines may be consider a source of toxins if the pet is over immunized or develops a reaction to a medication.  

Psychological and physical stress can be looked at as a different form of toxin. .  Excessive stress suppresses the animal immune system and can exhaust the adrenal glands. Psychological stress can result from abuse and punishment, lack of human companionship, and lack of  training resulting  in an adversary relationship with their owner.  Stress also results from  loud noises such as fireworks, lack of sunlight, lack of shade and ventilation with heat stress as a possible outcome, and lack of warm housing during the winter.   Asking a dog to hold its urine for an excessively time is very stressful.  It may surprise you that not providing your pet an opportunity for exercise is also a form of stress.

The final cause of disease is a genetic defect which can show up as physical birth defects, congenital organ  disease, allergies, immune deficiencies and autoimmune disease to name just a few.  The health of our genes and immune system determines how successful our pets will be at dealing with nutritional and environmental toxins and with stress.

                                  ****************************************************

Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique very personal one doctor practice where, for 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine.  Dr.  Simon is the author  of 4 pet care books and he writes a monthly pet care column in the Mirror newspaper.

 Woodside Animal Clinic sees pets from all over the greater Detroit area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson,  Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Waterford,  Ortonville, Union Lake,  Rochester,  Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica,   Romeo and Flint.

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Let us start by considering the source of dietary inadequacies. Poor farming practices rape our soil depleting it of the essential minerals we, our pets, and our food animals need to live healthy lives. Consequently, even when we provide our pets what appear to be a balanced diet some very important ingredients are often missing. To add to the problem most commercial dog and cat pet foods are what I term “grain based”. They are inappropriate for carnivores and difficult for them to digest. Feeding such grained based diets will result in a “leaky gut” that over and extended time results in such chronic diseases as arthritis, allergy, auto immune disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. Furthermore, the processing of commercial pet diets tends to destroy many of the nutrients originally present and eventually leads to a nutritional deficiency unless supplements are provided .

Next, be aware that our food supply whether plant or animal has become polluted by food production practices that add toxins to both our pets and our own already nutrient deficient food supply. These toxins get into both our food and our pet’s food in the form plant insecticides, plant fungicides and as hormones, antibiotics and parasites that are fed to our food animals. To add insult to injury manufacturers then add other potentially dangerous chemicals to our food in the form of coloring dyes, chemical flavorings and preservative. Finally, commercial pet diets that sit too long in the warehouse develop toxins in the form of rancid fat. Water pollution is a source of additional toxins that result from industry contamination and attempts at water purification. The air our pets breath and the soil our pets walk on are sources of additional toxins. Airborne toxins can be a result of car and industry exhaust, cigarette smoke, out gassing from new carpeting or photocopiers. Plant, grass, weed, tree pollens, and biting insects can also be classified as toxins. The pets yard may become another source of toxins if lawn chemicals are used.

Worm eggs, fleas, ticks and dangerous bacteria are somewhat different types of toxins that can be found in the yard or dog parks. Finally, we should not forget about household toxins such as those found in the trash can, garage floor, under the sink, or in the basement. Even drugs and vaccines may be consider a source of toxins if the pet is over immunized or develops a reaction to a medication.

Psychological and physical stress can be looked at as a different form of toxin. . Excessive stress suppresses the animal immune system and can exhaust the adrenal glands. Psychological stress can result from abuse and punishment, lack of human companionship, and lack of training resulting in an adversary relationship with their owner. Stress also results from loud noises such as fireworks, lack of sunlight, lack of shade and ventilation with heat stress as a possible outcome, and lack of warm housing during the winter. Asking a dog to hold its urine for an excessively time is very stressful. It may surprise you that not providing your pet an opportunity for exercise is also a form of stress.

The final cause of disease is a genetic defect which can show up as physical birth defects, congenital organ disease, allergies, immune deficiencies and autoimmune disease to name just a few. The health of our genes and immune system determines how successful our pets will be at dealing with nutritional and environmental toxins and with stress.

                                  ****************************************************

Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique, very personal,  one doctor practice where, for over 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine.  Dr.  Simon is the author  of 4 pet care books and he writes a monthly pet care column in the Mirror newspaper.

Woodside Animal Clinic sees pets from all over the greater Detroit area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson,  Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Waterford, Union Lake,  Rochester,  Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica,   Romeo and Flint.

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