1/31/2012 Tuesday
Yesterday I was reading an article regarding the use, or rather the misuse, of home remedies. I posted the article to Facebook. It talked about how someone used motor oil to get rid of mange. The good news about the article was that the people realized them messed up and took the animal to the veterinarian. Since the article was written by a veterinarian, I perceived the article to say home remedies should not be used. I know that there are some that were once used on dogs, that now sound outrages. For example, it was thought that giving a dog turpentine would rid the dog of parasites. Giving any animal turpentine is pretty outrageous. However, I do know that giving a dog or cat food grade Diatomaceous Earth will take care of intestinal parasites and I have read it will take care of heartworm. Other home remedies that I have used with success are parsley for incontinence, golden seal for infection, and essential oils for flea control to name a few. I must caution anyone reading this that you can not use essential oils on cats. Here are a few more safe home remedies - put a drop of lemon juice in the water to help with yeast, using coconut oil which has been shown to help with the brain, rinse your dog with half apple cider vinegar and water to kill fleas, and use peppermint soap to control fleas. I must add that I am not a veterinarian and I do not treat, diagnose, manipulate any deformity, disease, or injury and it is necessary to consult a veterinarian.
1/27/2012 Friday
Yesterday I was reading an article regarding the use, or rather the misuse, of home remedies. I posted the article to Facebook. It talked about how someone used motor oil to get rid of mange. The good news about the article was that the people realized them messed up and took the animal to the veterinarian. Since the article was written by a veterinarian, I perceived the article to say home remedies should not be used. I know that there are some that were once used on dogs, that now sound outrages. For example, it was thought that giving a dog turpentine would rid the dog of parasites. Giving any animal turpentine is pretty outrageous. However, I do know that giving a dog or cat food grade Diatomaceous Earth will take care of intestinal parasites and I have read it will take care of heartworm. Other home remedies that I have used with success are parsley for incontinence, golden seal for infection, and essential oils for flea control to name a few. I must caution anyone reading this that you can not use essential oils on cats. Here are a few more safe home remedies - put a drop of lemon juice in the water to help with yeast, using coconut oil which has been shown to help with the brain, rinse your dog with half apple cider vinegar and water to kill fleas, and use peppermint soap to control fleas. I must add that I am not a veterinarian and I do not treat, diagnose, manipulate any deformity, disease, or injury and it is necessary to consult a veterinarian.
1/27/2012 Friday
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has new "Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership." They also have included a paragraph regarding the term "ownership," which is problematic versus "guardianship." The more accurate term is guardianship, which describes the relationship most of us have with our companion animals. It's an interesting article. Let me know what you think about it. Do you consider yourself an owner or a guardian? I consider myself a guardian. It is an honor and a privilege to care for the animals that have chosen to live with me.
I have found myself doing more pet sitting. Most of the clients I have are clients through communication. I really love pet sitting. It's a chance to really get to know the animals better and to have a sweet relationship. I find that this is the good news and the bad news. Recently I was caring for Jake, an Australian Shepherd mix. I would take him on daily walks with my boys and then let him and my dog Ziggy play for a couple of hours. Jake and Ziggy had a great time! Jake's mom had two other dogs, but Jake had a little too much energy for them. Jake's mom found him a really great home on a ranch, which is great for Jake. For me, it is bittersweet. I am sad that Jake left, but happy that he is now at a place that is better for him. This brings up another point and that is picking a dog that is suitable for your life style. Jake was saved from a high kill shelter, so it is totally understandable. However, I get calls from people who went out and got a dog, then found out that the dog they got did not really fit their life style. If at all possible, research before getting any animal. The more you can find out about a breed the better. If you plan on rescuing a dog you can still do your homework. Mix breeds will have some of the characteristics of the breed that is a part of them. For example, Ziggy is a Chihuahua and Basenji mix. He has characteristics of both. In the woods he is like an African bush dog, which is the Basenji, and in the house he can bring out those characteristics of a Chihuahua, some not so endearing! Pit Bulls are a mix of terrier and bulldogs. Pit Bulls make great dogs, but I'll save that for another time! So just make sure you know what your are getting before you get the dog. Remember that even if you research and know what breed or breeds you want or get, rescue dogs can come with issues, but they are still the best! Please opt to adopt from a shelter or rescue group!
Ziggy & Jake after play
1/25/2012 Wednesday
I'm going to attempt to blog! Since I don't consider myself much of a writer, this could be a bit of a challenge. I would like this page to provide information for the reader and insights that I have had along the way as a pet psychologist. I notice that I would really like to get away from the term "animal communicator" because I don't feel it fits what I do. What I do, and have been doing now for almost 15 years, is connect with the Spirit that is in all of us. I go on the basis that there isn't any separation. I believe that I have guides that assist me to bring forth the information that will assist the person I am talking with. The way I view it, the guides are the interpreters. They "tell" me what to say. Now for some, this may sound really strange. I'm sure I'm not the only person in the world that doesn't hear voices! Your voice may be one of judging you or others. You may have heard your inner voice tell you not to do something and you still did it and things didn't turn out too well. That is basically what I am doing, listening to that voice that knows all. So is it coming from the animal? To be very honest, I don't know. The thing I do know is that I have helped a lot of people and their animals through the voices I hear and then pass that information to the person. Besides the voices, I also have been gifted as being empathetic. I am able to feel the emotions of the animal. Now this I know most of the time this is coming from the animal. At times, it is coming from the person. I will pick up on the emotion of the human especially if the animal is really sick and there is a lot of sadness. If the animal has experienced a death of another companion animal or human, I will get those emotions if they are there. I will, at times, see images. There have been times when an animal is really sick and I will see a tumor or abscess. There was one time a person called me to check in with their dog and see if the dog was ready to pass on into the spirit world. I got very clearly that the dog had an abscess behind the stomach area and that they needed to take the dog to the vet and get treatment. They did and the dog survived. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I won't get clear information for whatever reason. It may be that there is something else to be learned by the experience.
*"I do not in any way diagnose, treat, correct, change, manipulate, relieve, or prevent disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical condition in animals. It is necessary to consult with a licensed Veterinarian."