You might be shortening your pet's life by doing these ten things:
- By treating all illnesses with medications and drugs to cover up the symptoms, you do not address the underlying issue that is causing the illness.
- Buying poor quality food filled with toxins like GMO's, aflatoxins, potato alkaloids, and heavy metals can lead to cancer and a host of inflammatory diseases.
- Feeding treats that may have originated in China (package labels do not have to state origin of ingredients, so "Made in the USA" might not mean what you think it does!).
- Giving vaccinations that are not necessary. Most core vaccines last 5 to 7 years, or longer. Vaccines contain heavy metals and preservatives. They stimulate the immune system, causing immune dysfunction when given too often or too many at one time. Injection site cancers are becoming more common, especially in cats.
- The use of toxic chemicals to "prevent" fleas and ticks taxes your pet's liver and kidneys, which must detoxify the chemicals. Some chemicals stay in the body for the LIFE of your pet. Many chemicals affect the nervous system, causing permanent nerve damage. Many of the chemicals are neurotoxins for insects and ticks, but they can also be neurotoxic to your pet.
- By giving heartworm preventative all year round in cold climates, you are administering unnecessary chemicals. These can also affect the nervous system, along with the liver, kidneys, and immune system. These drugs can cause severe reactions and death when administered along with flea and tick prevention chemicals.
- Toxic herbicides like Roundup and insecticides like ant and roach killers remain in the environment for long periods. Your pets walk on the lawns and gardens where these products are used, followed by licking their feet during grooming. The chemicals can remain inside your pet for long periods and contribute to cancer. Pets commonly graze on grass and lawns treated with chemicals.
- Toxins in kitty litter include silica gel, which may be carcinogenic and may contribute to respiratory disease and asthma.
- You skip the annual or semi-annual examinations by your veterinarian. A complete physical examination (NOT a cursory quick look before jabbing with vaccinations!) can give you early warning for impending disease or cancer. You ignore the veterinarian's advice to provide dental care for your pet. Dental disease is present in over 80% of dogs and cats and can lead to infection, heart disease and kidney disease. An easy way to improve your pet's dental health includes daily application of dental drops.
- You skip the annual blood tests that tell you what is going on inside your pet. Early elevations in markers for liver and kidney disease give you the opportunity to be pro-active with diet and supplement choices to cure the problem before it becomes life-threatening. I have recently seen quite a few senior pets that have received no medical care for years. They are suddenly presented in my office with a laundry list of problems and owners who "don't want to spend any money on an old pet". If these pets had been seen for annual examinations and testing, the problems would not have become so severe and the treatments would not have cost an arm and a leg. And the pets would not have suffered for years with untreated maladies.
Be kind to your pets. Feed high quality species-appropriate diets. Skip the vaccines, but don't skip the veterinary examinations. Use non-toxic, non-chemical insecticides and herbicides if you need to use anything. Your pets will liver longer, happier, healthier lives and you'll get to share the love for many more years.
