A Path With Paws

Send me your favorite animal photos and I will post them here. lena@pathwithpaws.com

With the holidays coming up I wanted to add a few more of my all time favorite books!

Animal Dreams

My favorite book, Animal Dreams, is the story of Codi Noline who returns to her home town after a string of failures and finds what it truly means to belong. Through an environmental catastrophe, caring for her dying father, and falling in love Codi is able to see that success is not always about degrees and money but more about how you look at life.

Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you’ve got to live a sweet life.

I highly recommend this book! Did I mention it has one of the sweetest old dogs in literature?

The Color of Distance

A close second to Animal Dreams, The Color of Distance is about a young scientist, Juna, who is left on a distant planet by mistake. She is saved by a race of beings with incredible healing powers, the Tendu. This is an amazing book about healing, love, and how differences between us, no matter what species we are, can be bridged.

My favorite parts of this book are the rich healing experiences that Juna learns and shares not just for the creatures in this world but also for their planet and the balance that is held between all living things.

While not directly about dogs or cats, this book very much touched my heart as someone who lives with companion animals.

Although out of print you can still easily find this book used.

Carl’s Christmas
Who couldn’t love Carl’s Christmas? From the Good Dog Carl books comes the tale of Carl’s Christmas night of babysitting. Who wouldn’t trust their baby with a Rottweiler like Carl? Although without words, the illustrations of this book tell this colorful tale well.

Also see Holiday Books for Cat Lovers

If we are lucky our animal friends only have to go through surgery once, when they are spayed or neutered. However many animals do need to be under anethesia other times either for a dental cleaning, to get sutures, or to have surgery. Whatever the reason, surgery and anethesia are hard on our animal friends. But there are things you can do to help them recover faster and more comfortably.

As always, check with your veterinarian on any supplements you use.

1. Arnica
Arnica is a homeopathic remedy which helps with bruising and trauma. Over the years I have been amazed and impressed at how much difference this very safe remedy can make in healing. I have seen incisions heal in half the time and dogs have very little bruising and swelling in situations you would normally expect to see it.

I always recommend Arnica for all my animal patients who have to undergo surgery or any other procedure that there will be tissue or bone trauma. Because it is a homeopathic remedy it is very safe ever for old and debilitated animals.

I use the Arnica 30c pellets and dose them at 2-3 pellets (usually 2 for cats/small dogs and 3 for dogs) the morning of surgery, the evening after surgery, and then three times a day for three days. Because the pellets are so small they can safely be given the morning of surgery.

Arnica can be bought at most health and supplement stores or by clicking on Arnica.

3.Yunnan Baiyao
While I don’t recommend Yunnan Baiyao (also called Yunnan Paiyao) for all animals undergoing surgery or anethesia, it is still one of my most important herbal formulas. I mainly use it in any procedure or surgery where there is a concern about bleeding. This includes many tumor removal and abdominal surgeries. I have seen this wonderful herbal formula save animal’s lives before.

Please see my article, A Magic Vial of Yunnan Baiyao and the wikipedia article.

I usually dose Yunnan Baiyao at one capsule twice a day for a few days before and after surgery for your average sized dog. Cats and small dogs, I use the powder and put about a 1/8 of a teaspoon in their food twice a day.

Yunnan Baiyao can be bought in most international districts and by clicking on Yunnan Baiyao above.

I hope these simple suggestions are helpful! I know they have helped many of the animals I work with and my own beloved animal companions.

Rose DeDan, a local shaman and healer, wrote a wonderful article today on her blog, The Dance of Life, The endless cycle of birth, death and our relationship to the food we consume. It give new meaning to the saying “you are what you eat.” She talks about the energetics of our food and how the way animals are raised can affect our health. We are all energetic beings and just as we take on the energy of those around us, we can also take on the energy of the animals we consume. If they have been treated well and fairly we end up with nutritious food, if they have not been it can lead to many health problems for us.

The Chinese take this one step further. They also look at the normal energetic characteristics of the animals we eat in determining a proper diet. Many of my clients who have asked about diet for their animals have seen this in action. For example for a flighty nervous dog I would never suggest rabbit or deer because both are nervous animals. An anxious dog would do best on beef or bison which are both large and grounded creatures. On the flip side a very sluggish dog may do better on something light and energetic like a deer or rabbit.

Food also has a temperature and other characteristics in Chinese Medicine. Trout is the hottest meat and a dog who is always cold would do well on it. Seaweed and Cucumber are considered cold and can cool a dog with excess heat. Sweet potato and pumpkin are sweet and help with digestion. Beef is good at tonifying the blood and helping with weakness. Carrots and other root vegetables are very grounding and help an animal be more connected to the earth.

There are many great books on this subject!

For further reading

My favorite book on this subject (although written for people) Prince Wen Hui’s Cook: Chinese Dietary Therapy

Another good book although with more information then the average person needs Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition

One of my favorite books on Chinese Medicine with a great food section in back Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine

From Rose DeDan –

I became interested in Tellington TTouch, a long time ago, but that interest kind of got sidelined while focusing on my shamanic training.

Recently I read some very impressive stories by a long-time animal communicator that fanned that interest back into action, especially since I have wanted some additional assistance for Puma, my wonderful dog companion, as he enters his senior years. And lo, and behold, Shannon Finch’s name crossed my path. So, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing is now hosting a TTouch class in Seattle for the very first time! (And I believe there will be a live demo with said dog, and perhaps one of my cats who is shy of being handled – I may borrow a video camera for that!)

• Do you have a shy or aggressive dog?
• A cat who is getting along in years?
• A bird who squawks incessently?
• Are you interested in enhancing the bond with your animals?

Then this hands-on workshop is for you.

For more information on TTouch see What is TTouch?

When: Saturday, December 5, 2009, 9:30am-12:30pm
Where: Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing Office, Alki (directions sent at time of registration)

You’ll learn how to improve your animal’s health and wellbeing with several TTouch techniques
that release the tension, fear and anxiety that lead to behavior problems.

You’ll learn how to ease the ailments associated with aging as well as first aid measures that can
save your animal’s life.

And while TTouch can assist the healing of injuries and illness, and help change undesirable behaviors, it also builds a deeper rapport between humans and animals, so your critter doesn’t have to have a problem in order to benefit from this class.

Please do not bring your animal to the workshop, we’ll be practicing on willing stuffies (stuffed animals) this time around!

Registration: Fee $95/person. Class size is limited to a small number of participants. Call Rose De Dan at 206-933-7877 or email her at wildkingdomreiki (at) earthlink (dot) net for more information or to register.

TEACHER BIO
Shannon Finch is owner of The AnimalKind Company in Stanwood, focusing on positive training for all species. She is a certified Tellington Touch practitioner for both companion animals and horses. She has worked with of animals of many species, from dogs, cats, and horses, to birds, reptiles, rabbits and pocket pets, and even farm critters such as cows, goats, and chickens.

Shannon has taught TTouch all over the west, including Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the Hawaii Humane Society, has given presentations for numerous local animal welfare groups, including PAWS, the Alternative Humane Society of Bellingham, Hooterville, (now Homeward Bound), Canines for Citizens’ Independence, Pasado’s Safe Haven, Purrfect Pals, Skagit Humane Society, and the Monroe Pet Expo. She’s also taught animal behavior and TTouch classes for Everett Community College. She is currently working on her thesis for a Master’s Degree in Humane Education.

With all the talk of H1N1 in the news, I have started to get some questions on the canine influenza virus also known as N3H8 virus. And this year because a new vaccine for canine influenza came out, many of the questions are about if vaccination is important.

So what is my overall recommendation.

Don’t vaccinate for it

So from the beginning – here is what we know

• This virus has been around since at least 2004 and probably since as early as 1999 but was originally thought to be a problem in greyhounds only.
• At first there was a lot of fear because greyhounds can get a hemorrhagic symptom from this virus that involves bleeding into their lungs and often times death. We have since found out that this virus does not cause that problem in other breeds.
• Most canine influenza presents as a mild kennel cough with a mild fever. A full 20-25% of dogs with canine influenza do not show any symptoms at all. Some dogs do get very sick with canine influenza and a very small percentage die of secondary lung infections. From my research it seems that canine influenza is no more of a problem then kennel cough and most dogs recover with no medical intervention. Occasionally antibiotics are needed.
• Canine influenza is not causally passed. It usually takes 3-4 days of exposure with an infected dog for a dog to catch it. This is most likely in boarding and shelter situations.
• Earlier this year a new vaccine for canine influenza was released on a conditional license. What this means is the USDA allowed release of this vaccine without as much testing as is normally needed to release a vaccine. While the minimal drug company studies showed that this vaccine is safe, there is no long term data on how safe this vaccine is in the long run or how effective it is.
• From my experience, most vaccine side effects in dogs are not immediately observed.
• The vaccine also doesn’t prevent infection with or shedding of the influenza virus (same as the vaccines for H1N1), but rather decreases the symptoms of the disease.

So we have a vaccine which we do not know much about and like most vaccines probably has side effects, which doesn’t prevent infection or transmission of influenza, for a disease that is not deadly in most dogs. Hmm…. Once again doesn’t sound so good to me.

To me the benefits of this vaccine do not outweigh the possible risks. If you haven’t read my article on dog vaccination I recommend it. I have seen more dogs suffer from vaccine side effects in my practice then I have seen dogs vaccinated with a minimal core protocol (as I recommend) come down with infectious disease.

What is worrisome is that many boarding kennels and groomers are requiring this vaccine. I believe that this vaccine should be a choice between a dog’s person and their veterinarian. I also think most boarding kennels do not realize that this vaccine does not prevent disease.

For further reading here are some good resources on canine influenza –

The Center for Food Safety and Public Health of Iowa State University

Ten thing to know about the H3N8 dog flu from the New York Times

Death is difficult…….

for those who are left behind. It is amazing to me how the passing of one small creature can make the world seem so empty.

This is a time of year I love. The way the light filters through the trees. The magnificent beauty of the colors and the crunch of the leaves under my feet. Fall is a time of transition and change. A reminder that nothing stays the same, and although quantum physics can’t explain it, that time moves in only one direction. To me fall also means losing many of the older animals I work with. Each life gone, a small hole in my universe.

I have an amazing job. How else to describe getting to work with these beautiful, kind and fuzzy beings. I am invited into people’s families and into their animal’s circle of care, to comfort and help. Many of these animals I work with for years. Seeing them age, seeing their people grow and change, seeing children grow up around them. It warms my heart to be part of this. And then seeing them die from this life.

In animals we get the opportunity to see all of life. When we first meet our animals they are like our young children and by the time they leave us, like our grandparents. This is a hard, we are not used to our children aging before us, and most of the animals I care for are like children. My clients carry few photos of people but they can pull out their phone or wallet and show you all their animals in a second.

I so appreciate the amazing being I have known and gotten to work with and while each passing is very sad I know that my life has been made fuller by being touched by all of them. The gentle noses, the wagging tails, the kind eyes and the gentle purrs. None are forgotten.

Sometimes I think I must have more guardian angels than the average person, however I think mine are mostly fuzzy. Thank you for touching my life.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my little world of very well treated dogs that I tend to forget about all the ones out there suffering. In Washington we are being given an opportunity to make a difference for those who don’t have the wonderful lives of the animals I know.

Thank you Margo for bringing this to my attention.

Washington state is considering an ordinance which would make it illegal to leave your dog chained outside continually. Here is a detailed article from the Seattle P-I written when the last ordinance in King County was going up for a vote, Law would prohibit pet owners from continuously confining dogs. This time we are trying to get this passed as a law for all of Washington State as there is nothing within the law to help these poor animals which are left on the end of a chain for their whole lives being denied the love and family they long for. Not only is this a sad and horrible life for these dogs but chained dogs tend to have more issues with aggression and are more likely to bite and harm children and other people. In fact there is a group called Mothers against dog chaining dedicated to this issue.

Here is a wonderful explanation by Cesar Milan on why dogs should not be tethered.

Here is the full text of the bill.

If you are in Washington state please take a moment to contact your legislator . To find you legislator, please visit find your legislator. If you are not in Washington state consider contacting your local government to see if they will address this issue in your area.

Here is a copy of the letter Margo wrote addressing some of the horrible situations she has seen in her work with animals.

Dear legislator,

First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to consider this
important issue.

Chaining a dog as a way of life is both cruel to the animal and dangerous to
humans, especially children. The dog most likely to attack and seriously
injure or kill a child is a chained, un-neutered male. For more on this,
please go to http://www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org/

As someone who has observed and tried to help a number of chained dogs over
the years, I can say I have yet to see a chained dog that has adequate food,
water, shelter or a remotely clean living area, let alone socialization,
exercise or vet care. Many dogs suffer profound neck injuries and even death
when embedded chains finally sever their windpipe. Most people seem to think
their dogs are somehow weatherproof as well.

Just a few examples of what I¹ve seen personally:

A young boxer who was chained because the owner said she jumped on his two
year old son. Inadequate food, water, shelter and feces everywhere. She was
kept out in sub-freezing weather, and you could see her visibly shivering.

A pit bull chained to a tree with no food, no water and no shelter. The
chain was so heavy she could only move her eyes.

Two pit bulls at another house, one chained to the front step, and another
chained to a doghouse in the backyard. There was so much mud, the dog
refused to leave the doghouse. Both were on extremely heavy chains.

A husky-cattle dog who was chained to a tree, and wrapped himself up so
tight he couldn’t move. The owner said,” Yeah, he does that.” Dirty water, no
food, and he couldn’t even get to his doghouse.

The German Shepherd whose owner would walk out the back porch and throw raw
hamburger into the dirt. The police ended up shooting and killing the dog.

The Saint Bernard who simply laid on his side in the dirt, never moving, the
picture of utter hopelessness and defeat.

The people who were in the P-I article earlier this year never cease to
amaze me, either.

The woman in Snoqualmie who got herself a young, high energy spaniel-lab,
which she sentenced to living on a chain because he’s hyperactive.

The couple in Maple Valley whose yellow lab is chained because he’s not
housebroken and he sheds. They refuse to re-home him.

The dog in Rainier Valley who is occasionally fed rice and has been chained
the last five years.

The fourteen year old husky mix who has probably been chained to that fence
in Enumclaw his entire life. His crime? He runs away.

All these people have abdicated their responsibility to properly exercise
and train their animals. It is simply easier to chain them and forget about
them, while blaming the animal for the problem(s) the human has created.

The man and his son in Maple Valley who are training attack dogs. The photo
showed a young pit bull in a plywood shack of a doghouse. They did have
enough money to crop the dog’s ears, however. (I’m giving them the benefit
of the doubt that they didn’t do it themselves with no anesthesia and a pair
of scissors).

The breeders and others who will yell and scream at you that it’s their
right to chain their dogs are merely keeping them as cheaply as possible
until they sell them and make a quick buck. They are no better than puppy
millers in the sense that they don’t care one iota about the well being of
the dogs, nor do they consider the possible damage the animal could do
if/when the dog becomes aggressive due to being kept chained and
Un-socialized.

I hope you will pass a real anti-chaining ordinance in the near future that
has, pardon the pun, teeth.

Sincerely,
Margo W.
West Seattle

My friend Rose just emailed to let me know that she still has openings in her Level 1 Reiki class offered on September 11 and 12th. Rose is an incredible reiki practitioner and has worked on three of my cats, one of my dogs and me. I always was a little skeptical about reiki before meeting Rose, not because I didn’t believe in energy work but because I had meet some practitioners who I wouldn’t want anywhere near me or my patients. Rose changed my mind about all of that.

When my cat, Ziggy, was dying last year her treatments were the only thing that made him feel better and she got us through a very difficult time with him. My animals love her work and it makes a large difference in how they feel. I could not recommend anyone better to learn this art from. Reiki is an incredible gift to be able to give your loved ones, both animal and human.

Here is the link to the class description, Reiki level 1.

The clever canines board the Tube each morning. After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night. Experts studying the dogs say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop – after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train. The mutts choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train. They have also developed tactics to hustle humans into giving them more food on the streets of Moscow .

Very cool article from the Sun. Read the whole article at Wild dogs take chewbilee line.