This article was copied from HealthyPets.Mercola.com which is an excellent source of information for your animal friend\'s health

The List of Best-to-Worst Foods

1. A balanced, raw, homemade diet is the best food you can feed your dog or cat. It will be nutritionally balanced because you\'re following recipes like those found in the cookbook I co-authored, Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats.

Raw means the food is unadulterated and still contains all the enzymes and nutrients that are typically destroyed during cooking or other types of processing.

Homemade is the best option because you are in complete control of the quality of ingredients in your pet\'s diet.

I recommend pets get plenty of nutritional variety, and another great thing about serving homemade is you can buy seasonal fruits and veggies on sale, as well as protein sources (meats), and use them in rotation.
2. The next best thing you can feed your pet is a commercially available raw diet. This is a raw food diet that someone else has done the heavy lifting to prepare.

It\'s important that the diet is balanced, and you should be aware that there are raw food pet diets entering the market that are not yet proven to be nutritionally complete. These foods often say \"For supplementation or intermittent feeding\" on the label.

You\'ll know if the raw food you\'ve selected is balanced because it will say it right on the packaging: \"This food has been proven to be nutritionally complete or adequate for all life stages.\"

At the present time, these diets are found only in the freezer section of small/privately owned or upscale pet boutiques – not in the big box pet stores. You can also find a selection online.
3. Cooked, balanced homemade diet. It\'s the same diet found in number 1, above, except that it\'s cooked. This means some of the nutrient composition has been diminished through processing.
4. Human-grade canned food. If the label doesn\'t say the ingredients are human grade, they\'re not. Pet food made with human-grade ingredients is also a great deal more expensive, so that\'s another way to tell what you\'re getting.

This type of diet is the most expensive you can feed your pet. What I tell my clients is, \"If you have more money than time, you can purchase human-grade canned food for your dog or cat. But if you have more time than money, I recommend you make a balanced, homemade diet right in your own kitchen for a fraction of the cost.\"
5. Human-grade dry food. As I discussed earlier, dry food is not as species-appropriate as a moisture-dense diet. Human grade is very important because the food is approved, in theory, for human consumption, which means it doesn\'t contain low quality rendered by-products.
6. Super premium canned food which can be found at big box pet supply stores like Petco and PetSmart.
7. Super premium dry food.
8. Veterinary-recommended canned food. Vet recommended canned foods are purchased at your vet\'s office or clinic. Typical brands are Science Diet, the Purina veterinary lines, Royal Canin and Waltham.
9. Veterinary-recommended dry food.
10. Grocery store brand canned food.
11. Grocery store brand dry food.
12. Semi-most pouched food.

The reason this type of pet food is so far down the list is because in order for the food to remain \"semi-moist,\" an ingredient called propylene glycol is added. This is a scary preservative that is a second cousin to ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. And while propylene glycol is approved for use in pet foods, it is unhealthy for dogs and cats. I do not recommend feeding any food that contains this additive.
13. Dead last on the list and the worst thing you can feed your pet is an unbalanced, homemade diet – raw or cooked. I\'m seeing an increasing number of misguided pet owners in my practice who think they\'re doing the right thing by serving their pet, say, a chicken breast and some veggies and calling it a day.

Yes, the food is homemade, but it\'s nutritionally unbalanced. Pets being fed this way are showing up at my clinic with endocrine abnormalities, skeletal issues and organ degeneration as a result of deficiencies in calcium, trace minerals and omega fatty acids.

The New York Times

May 6, 2010
Op-Ed Columnist
New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

The President’s Cancer Panel is the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream, so it is astonishing to learn that it is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: chemicals threaten our bodies.

The cancer panel is releasing a landmark 200-page report on Thursday, warning that our lackadaisical approach to regulation may have far-reaching consequences for our health.

I’ve read an advance copy of the report, and it’s an extraordinary document. It calls on America to rethink the way we confront cancer, including much more rigorous regulation of chemicals.

Traditionally, we reduce cancer risks through regular doctor visits, self-examinations and screenings such as mammograms. The President’s Cancer Panel suggests other eye-opening steps as well, such as giving preference to organic food, checking radon levels in the home and microwaving food in glass containers rather than plastic.

In particular, the report warns about exposures to chemicals during pregnancy, when risk of damage seems to be greatest. Noting that 300 contaminants have been detected in umbilical cord blood of newborn babies, the study warns that: “to a disturbing extent, babies are born ‘pre-polluted.’ ”

It’s striking that this report emerges not from the fringe but from the mission control of mainstream scientific and medical thinking, the President’s Cancer Panel. Established in 1971, this is a group of three distinguished experts who review America’s cancer program and report directly to the president.

One of the seats is now vacant, but the panel members who joined in this report are Dr. LaSalle Leffall Jr., an oncologist and professor of surgery at Howard University, and Dr. Margaret Kripke, an immunologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Both were originally appointed to the panel by former President George W. Bush.

“We wanted to let people know that we’re concerned, and that they should be concerned,” Professor Leffall told me.

The report blames weak laws, lax enforcement and fragmented authority, as well as the existing regulatory presumption that chemicals are safe unless strong evidence emerges to the contrary.

“Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States have been tested for safety,” the report says. It adds: “Many known or suspected carcinogens are completely unregulated.”

Industry may howl. The food industry has already been fighting legislation in the Senate backed by Dianne Feinstein of California that would ban bisphenol-A, commonly found in plastics and better known as BPA, from food and beverage containers.

Studies of BPA have raised alarm bells for decades, and the evidence is still complex and open to debate. That’s life: In the real world, regulatory decisions usually must be made with ambiguous and conflicting data. The panel’s point is that we should be prudent in such situations, rather than recklessly approving chemicals of uncertain effect.

The President’s Cancer Panel report will give a boost to Senator Feinstein’s efforts. It may also help the prospects of the Safe Chemicals Act, backed by Senator Frank Lautenberg and several colleagues, to improve the safety of chemicals on the market.

Some 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, and they include Democrats and Republicans alike. Protecting ourselves and our children from toxins should be an effort that both parties can get behind — if enough members of Congress are willing to put the public interest ahead of corporate interests.

One reason for concern is that some cancers are becoming more common, particularly in children. We don’t know why that is, but the proliferation of chemicals in water, foods, air and household products is widely suspected as a factor. I’m hoping the President’s Cancer Panel report will shine a stronger spotlight on environmental causes of health problems — not only cancer, but perhaps also diabetes, obesity and autism.

This is not to say that chemicals are evil, and in many cases the evidence against a particular substance is balanced by other studies that are exonerating. To help people manage the uncertainty prudently, the report has a section of recommendations for individuals:

¶Particularly when pregnant and when children are small, choose foods, toys and garden products with fewer endocrine disruptors or other toxins. (Information about products is at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com or www.healthystuff.org.)

¶For those whose jobs may expose them to chemicals, remove shoes when entering the house and wash work clothes separately from the rest of the laundry.

¶Filter drinking water.

¶Store water in glass or stainless steel containers, or in plastics that don’t contain BPA or phthalates (chemicals used to soften plastics). Microwave food in ceramic or glass containers.

¶Give preference to food grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers and growth hormones. Avoid meats that are cooked well-done.

¶Check radon levels in your home. Radon is a natural source of radiation linked to cancer.

•

I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.

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Red, our little orange tabby feral cat, came to us 5 years ago as a kitten. He refused to be captured, mainly because he has a few neighbors feeding him and if we set out a trap, he\'ll avoid us and eat elsewhere. But we have a five star restaurant for him and he eats with us almost every night. (Raw food!) He is truly feral but communicates his heart connection with us by sending us cat kisses from a distance. A cat kiss occurs when a cat slowly lowers and raises its eyelids while looking into your eyes. It\'s quite a compliment. For more information on feral cats, please go to this website: http://www.alleycat.org

Please visit this site to learn more about the horrors of commercial pet foods:http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/

Put your car keys beside your bed at night


Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr\'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It\'s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won\'t stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won\'t want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.



P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic.


Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can\'t reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn\'t hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she\'ll know there\'s a problem.



Please pass this on even IF you\'ve read it before. It\'s a reminder.

Drove down to Aiken, SC today to hold an informal wake for the death of my grandparents\' beloved dog, Beau. Ten years ago, my mother, uncle and I gave them with a Carolina Yellow Dog puppy, fully expecting that in all likelihood he\'d outlive them both, which eased my conscience somewhat because as much as my grandparents love their dogs, they hate their dogs\' deaths even more. How many times have I heard my grandmother say Never Again?

They had to put Beau to sleep earlier this week, when he entered the last stages of colon cancer. My grandmother took to her bed for three days, which was why I was surprised to see her in good spirits when we arrived.

Lois Goforth is a lively 89, with a social calendar that puts mine to shame. And she\'s a consummate hostess, as any true Southern Lady would be. Today she sat us down in her immaculate white living room, surrounded by trays of cheese biscuits and olive spread on crackers, and told us her latest news.

Her bridge club now has a black woman in it.

Apparently, one of the members of the club - she calls them LOLs, for Little Old Ladies - fell, which at their age is a life-altering event. The ailing member arranged for a substitute, but for whatever reason neglected to tell her partner or the other members that the substitute was black. Thus the bridge game became An Event.

My grandmother lavished her highest praise on their new member, which is to say she called her the MOST attractive person she\'d ever met, plus a far better bridge player than any of them. She joked about their reactions, hers included, but especially the new member\'s partner\'s, who apparently was from Kansas and had never met a black person In her life.

I can\'t begin to put myself in my grandmother\'s shoes. Here\'s a woman who\'s always had black women in her home, raising her, feeding her, cleaning up after her - knowing her private life more intimately than her closest friends; yet she\'d never attended a school or social event that was not all white. Then last night, for the first time in her life and out of the blue, she made her first black friend. Imagine that.

And imagine how the newcomer felt.

\"The only thing that was strange,\" Lois told us, \"was looking across the table and seeing a pair of black hands holding those cards. Every time I looked up, it caught me by surprise.\"

There has been a lot of speculation about the upcoming date of December 12, 2012. Here is a fine post by the astrologer Noel Tyl on the subject. I concur with his opinion totally:
Adrian Gilbert, author of \"2012 Mayan Year of Destiny,\" and co-author of \"The Mayan Prophecy\" and many more fabulously interesting books, including \"The Orion Mystery\" and \"Signs in the Sky\" ... and more, is a firm, fine friend of mine.

During my recent tour to Germany and Russia, I was asked many times about the world ending in 2012. I told my audiences that Gilbert had assured me that we woud all still be here, business as usual for 2013. --I added that the formidable data manager-Myans had just run out of stone in their sculpted notations for history!!!! ;-) and didn\'t continue past 2012.

Today, in a discussion with Gilbert, I asked him to make a statement for the Forum here on this subject....

This is what he shares with us....

\"The Mayans had an extraordinary ability with mathematics but what most
people don\'t realise is that their famous Long Count calendar was geared in
to galactic astronomy. The world won\'t end on December 21, 2012 but it is
entering a new cycle as a symbolic door is opening in heaven. In so far as
mankind is linked into this cycle, I believe this signifies an opportunity
for graduation. For some there will be the rewards of hard labour, for others
perhaps a harsher judgement. Of one thing I am certain: we stand on the cusp
of mighty changes, and it will be up to each one of us to surf the wave of
possibilities this time offers for our evolution.\"

---Thank you, dear Adrian


Noel Tyl

Understanding Animals! (Or, what my horse said. . .)
by Dr. Mary Traverse


“Did you wear some other kind of shoes out there one day?”, queried the voice on the other end of the phone line.

The question stopped the conversation cold. I was drawing a blank. “No”, I struggled, “I always keep . . . my muck boots . . . in the car. . . “

She was persistent. “No”, she politely insisted. “Didn\'t you wear something else out there, on your feet? He\'s showing me a picture of you with something else on your feet.” The question was being posed by Joy, the wonderfully talented animal communicator whom I had laid eyes on exactly once (two years earlier) and spoken with over the phone a couple more times than that. The “he” she was referring to was my slightly-ill eight month old show-horse colt, and we were in the midst of a conversation with him about his health and emotional issues.

Suddenly it began to dawn on me. I had made a quick trip out to the barn one afternoon several weeks earlier, during a short break from my office schedule. I was in my work duds, wearing a very fine pair of light tan Italian Leather Pant Boots. They had a three inch heel, and a strip of fuzzy shearling across the top of the arch. Great boots. Unless you\'re at the barn. And this was a couple of summers ago when we had gotten all that rain. I remembered, halfway out there, that I had taken my barn boots out of my car to clean them. I figured I would just have to deal with it, because my mission to give my new baby his homeopathic medicine was just more important than the well-being of my boots.

When I arrived at George\'s paddock, the mud and muck was worse than I had anticipated. I gingerly picked my way out through the mess, trying to step from one high place in the muck to the next, pretty much just doing my best to dodge the soggy holes left by horses\' feet. I remember thinking, oh man, I hope nobody\'s watching this. This must look pretty funny, with my pants hiked up and all.

So, back to Joy and George. Oh yeah, I said. I did do that. My work clothes that one day.

“WELL!” Joy was calm as ever, but emphatic. “He thought that was hilarious. And he couldn\'t figure out why you would have fur growing out of that part of your foot!”

I had pretty well bought into this animal communication thing before that point anyway, but if there had been any rational shred of doubt left now, well, forget it. I was in. I was stunned, incredulous, amused, and awed. George was showing me How A Horses\'s Mind Works.

If you have always wondered what your wise old dog is thinking, or does your cat really care about you or is it just a self-serving interest, or how can you get the dang deer to eat someplace else (maybe), or if you could only get all those squash-bugs to leave! ---- then you might want to check out this newly re-discovered art of animal communication.

I say “newly re-discovered” because the native peoples from this and other continents practiced animal communication as part of their over-all development of spiritual and psychic skills. They used a measure of the individual\'s abilities and talents, everything from physical stamina to being able to “dream in” certain aspects of one\'s own reality. In our native cultures, it was called the “Orende”, and a total number value could be assigned to each person as s/he studied and learned the ways of their people. Communicating with animals was one of the hallmarks of personal accomplishment.

I remember reading some of the New Age spiritual books in the \'70\'s and \'80\'s that said that as we evolved as a culture, we would be able to communicate with animals. Some of those writers even said that the animals that we humans routinely eat would understand this as their purpose for being here and would willingly give themselves to us for that reason. As a life-long animal loving person and, at that time, long-time vegetarian (no longer, btw), all this really got my attention. Can it be that we really are evolving into a more aware and spiritual culture, and our animal companions are assisting us in our broader development?

I had friends who had used animal communicators, but I was frankly a little skeptical. It just did not resonate with me, and I had never contacted one. I guess I figured I never had anything important enough, or a huge enough issue, to warrant the trouble.

But George (not his “real name”, just his self-chosen nickname for around the stable) changed all that. My trainer and I had flown to the east coast some months earlier in search of a young top dressage prospect. George was younger than we had wanted, only four months at the time, but I really clicked with him. We had chemistry. So I wired the money, and made arrangements to ship him to Texas. He was also quickly weaned, being a late colt, as his mother was due to be bred again. And a month after that, he was loaded into a stall on a big-rig truck and shipped to Texas.

By the time he got here, he would not eat. He was pretty much an emotional basket-case. The vet diagnosed him with a stomach ulcer, apparently pretty common among these youngsters, which she treated naturally and it resolved fairly quickly. But she recommended that we talk with him to help put him at ease and also to begin unraveling the issues that led to this dilemma.

So thus was I introduced to the world of animal communication. I have since worked with several communicators with all of my six horses, three dogs, four cats, and African Grey Parrot, who, incidentally states that she is a Spiritual Master and figured out how to achieve peace in the household between herself and one especially wily and predatory old cat. She also taught me how to adjust birds (even as a Certified Animal Chiropractor, I had no idea until she taught me), and she is much beloved by all the cats now as a major storyteller and interpreter of my life and goings-on.

I regularly engage communicators today for a variety of reasons. Even though I work with a number of skilled veterinarians, I often get clues of “where to start” if one of our critters is not doing as well as usual. For example, a mysterious nosebleed experienced by one of the ponies turned out to be a black widow spider bite. She told us about how it crawled high up into her nose, near the sinus, before it bit her. We saved a lot of time trying to figure out what happened, and she responded quickly to treatment.

This can also an amazing inside-track kind of tool for training issues with horses. It\'s my understanding that many of today\'s top trainers and riders employ communicators. Hey, why not? You would be amazed to see how much time you can save even with something as basic as saddle fit or bit choices, not to mention more complex issues like physical comfort or fears. And would you like to understand why your pets engage in certain behaviors? Sometimes there are physical problems that manifest as what we would call behavioral issues, until we gain greater insight. Usually they have a very good reason for behaving the way they do! So we become more compassionate and caring. It\'s a great upward spiral, a richer and deeper relationship with other living creatures.

One of the neatest aspects of this work is just how much fun it is! These creatures all have distinct and amazing personalities, from the quirky and entertaining to the fearful or crotchety. Their point of view can be quite surprising.

We have quite the lively household. And I am so darn grateful for all the conversations.

Diane Samsel, a nationally-recognized animal communicator, will be returning to the Austin area on November 7 & 8 to teach Basic Animal Communication skills at a Level One workshop. For more information, please call 512 653 0450.

Dr. Mary Traverse is a chiropractor and certified animal chiropractor who practices Network Chiropractic on people, dogs, and horses, in the Austin area. Her office number is 512 345 4300.

I\'ve been awakened by my cats urgent purring many many mornings. Here\'s why they do it!

BBC NEWS
Cats \'exploit\' humans by purring
By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News

Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a \"soliciting purr\" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.

Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a \"cry\", with a similar frequency to a human baby\'s.

The team said cats have \"tapped into\" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.

Dr Karen McComb, the lead author of the study that was published in the journal Current Biology, said the research was inspired by her own cat, Pepo.

\"He would wake me up in the morning with this insistent purr that was really rather annoying,\" Dr McComb told BBC News.

\"After a little bit of investigation, I discovered that there are other cat owners who are similarly bombarded early in the morning.\"

While meowing might get a cat expelled from the bedroom, Dr McComb said that this pestering purr often convinced beleaguered pet lovers to get up and fill their cat\'s bowl.

To find out why, her team had to train cat owners to make recordings of their own cats\' vocal tactics - recording both their \"soliciting purrs\" and regular, \"non-soliciting\" purrs.

\"When we played the recordings to human volunteers, even those people with no experience of cats found the soliciting purrs more urgent and less pleasant,\" said Dr McComb.

How annoying?

She and her team also asked the volunteers to rate the different purrs - giving them a score based on how urgent and pleasant they perceived them to be.

\"We could then relate the scores back to the specific purrs,\" explained Dr McComb. \"The key thing (that made the purrs more unpleasant and difficult to ignore) was the relative level of this embedded high-frequency sound.\"

\"When an animal vocalises, the vocal folds (or cords) held across the stream of air snap shut at a particular frequency,\" explained Dr McComb. The perceived pitch of that sound depends on the size, length and tension of the vocal folds.

\"But cats are able to produce a low frequency purr by activating the muscles of their vocal folds - stimulating them to vibrate,\" explained Dr McComb.

Since each of these sounds is produced by a different mechanism, cats are able to embed a high-pitched cry in an otherwise relaxing purr.

\"How urgent and unpleasant the purr is seems to depend on how much energy the cat puts into producing that cry,\" said Dr McComb.

Previous studies have found similarities between a domestic cat\'s cry and the cry of a human baby - a sound that humans are highly sensitive to.

Dr McComb said that the cry occurs at a low level in cats\' normal purring. \"But we think that (they) learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans.\"

She added that the trait seemed to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners.

\"Obviously we don\'t know what\'s going on inside their minds,\" said Dr McComb. \"But they learn how to do this, and then they do it quite deliberately.\"

So how does Dr McComb feel about Pepo now she knows he has been manipulating her all these years?

\"He\'s been the inspiration for this whole study, so I\'ll forgive him - credit where credit\'s due.\"

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8147566.stm

Published: 2009/07/13 16:54:44 GMT

© BBC MMIX

For many years I\'ve recommended a grain free diet for cats. My clients who make the switch report immediate improvement in overall health. Please view this video about the subject. This vet explains why this diet is important for your cat!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/07/07/pets-protein-dry-food-and-disease.aspx

March 15, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist
Pathogens in Our Pork
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

We don’t add antibiotics to baby food and Cocoa Puffs so that children get fewer ear infections. That’s because we understand that the overuse of antibiotics is already creating “superbugs” resistant to medication.

Yet we continue to allow agribusiness companies to add antibiotics to animal feed so that piglets stay healthy and don’t get ear infections. Seventy percent of all antibiotics in the United States go to healthy livestock, according to a careful study by the Union of Concerned Scientists — and that’s one reason we’re seeing the rise of pathogens that defy antibiotics.

These dangerous pathogens are now even in our food supply. Five out of 90 samples of retail pork in Louisiana tested positive for MRSA — an antibiotic-resistant staph infection — according to a peer-reviewed study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology last year. And a recent study of retail meats in the Washington, D.C., area found MRSA in one pork sample, out of 300, according to Jianghong Meng, the University of Maryland scholar who conducted the study.

Regardless of whether the bacteria came from the pigs or from humans who handled the meat, the results should sound an alarm bell, for MRSA already kills more than 18,000 Americans annually, more than AIDS does.

MRSA (pronounced “mersa”) stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. People often get it from hospitals, but as I wrote in my last column, a new strain called ST398 is emerging and seems to find a reservoir in modern hog farms. Research by Peter Davies of the University of Minnesota suggests that 25 percent to 39 percent of American hogs carry MRSA.

Public health experts worry that pigs could pass on the infection by direct contact with their handlers, through their wastes leaking into ground water (one study has already found antibiotic-resistant bacteria entering ground water from hog farms), or through their meat, though there has been no proven case of someone getting it from eating pork. Thorough cooking will kill the bacteria, but people often use the same knife to cut raw meat and then to chop vegetables. Or they plop a pork chop on a plate, cook it and then contaminate it by putting it back on the original plate.

Yet the central problem here isn’t pigs, it’s humans. Unlike Europe and even South Korea, the United States still bows to agribusiness interests by permitting the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed. That’s unconscionable.

The peer-reviewed Medical Clinics of North America concluded last year that antibiotics in livestock feed were “a major component” in the rise in antibiotic resistance. The article said that more antibiotics were fed to animals in North Carolina alone than were administered to the nation’s entire human population.

“We don’t give antibiotics to healthy humans,” said Robert Martin, who led a Pew Commission on industrial farming that examined antibiotic use. “So why give them to healthy animals just so we can keep them in crowded and unsanitary conditions?”

The answer is simple: politics.

Legislation to ban the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in agriculture has always been blocked by agribusiness interests. Louise Slaughter of New York, who is the sole microbiologist in the House of Representatives, said she planned to reintroduce the legislation this coming week.

“We’re losing the ability to treat humans,” she said. “We have misused one of the best scientific products we’ve had.”

That’s an almost universal view in the public health world. The Infectious Diseases Society of America has declared antibiotic resistance a “public health crisis” and recounts the story of Rebecca Lohsen, a 17-year-old New Jersey girl who died from MRSA in 2006. She came down with what she thought was a sore throat, endured months in the hospital, and finally died because the microbes were stronger than the drugs.

This will be an important test for President Obama and his agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack. Traditionally, the Agriculture Department has functioned mostly as a protector of agribusiness interests, but Mr. Obama and Mr. Vilsack have both said all the right things about looking after eaters as well as producers.

So Mr. Obama and Mr. Vilsack, will you line up to curb the use of antibiotics in raising American livestock? That is evidence of an industrial farming system that is broken: for the sake of faster-growing hogs, we’re empowering microbes that endanger our food supply and threaten our lives.

This is so funny! My husband is an engineer and we have 4 cats. This man has gotten it right!!! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4&feature=user

This article taken from the New York Times On-Line 4/22/08
April 18, 2008, 10:00 am
Toxic Cats and Dogs
lover’s blood is apparently teeming with industrial chemicals. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)

At a time when people are fretting about toxins in baby bottles and prescription drugs in the water supply, a new report shows that our pets are teeming with chemicals as well.

The analysis, released by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, used blood and urine samples from 35 dogs and 37 cats collected at Hanover Animal Hospital in Mechanicsville, Va. The study found high levels of numerous chemicals in dogs and cats, including chemicals used in the making of furniture, fabrics and electronics. Mercury was also detected at high levels, likely from fish used in pet food.

While the data sound scary, it’s not clear what they really mean. Pets chew on plastic toys and spend a lot of time on the ground, where chemicals and pesticides accumulate, so it makes sense they would have higher levels of various toxins in their blood compared to humans.

But the report raises more questions than it answers. Is this added chemical exposure having a meaningful effect on pet health? More important is the question of how these chemicals affect people, through exposure to food animals as well as fruits and vegetables, but the report doesn’t go that far. The study is, however, a good opportunity to alert readers to an article that appeared late last year in Harper’s magazine called “Toxic Inaction.\'’ When I first reported on it last October, it required a subscription to view it, but now it’s free.

The article cites several studies that show how industrial chemicals and toxins used in clothing, food, toys and cosmetics have found their way into our blood.

Greenpeace U.K. released a study in 2005 that found numerous toxic chemicals in the umbilical-cord blood of European infants. That same year, World Wildlife Fund International tested the blood of three generations of women from 12 European countries. The largest number of chemicals — 63 — was found in the group of grandmothers. Given the number of years they had had to accumulate exposure, this result was perhaps not surprising. But the next-highest level was among their grandchildren, aged 12 to 28, who in their short lifetimes had amassed 59 different toxic chemicals….Bio-monitoring tests in the United States have revealed the same dangerous chemicals making their way into the blood of Americans. In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention completed screening for the presence of 148 toxic chemicals in the blood of a broad cross section of Americans; it found that the vast majority of subjects harbored almost all the toxins.

Harper’s says the United States is doing very little to address the problem, despite efforts by European authorities to step up regulation of various industrial chemicals. To read the full article, click here.

Last year, my colleague Cornelia Dean wrote this useful story about the known and unknown risks of all the chemical contaminants that make their way into our bodies.

I live on a mountain up a winding road. In the spring there are many many squirrels born because every one on this mountain feeds the birds and squirrels. Every spring there is a surplus of baby squirrels born and they litter the road with their bodies as they dart in front of the cars. I have avoided hitting them because I have asked them to avoid my car. There is a flock of turkey buzzards that shows up every spring and once a day I\'ll see one of these buzzards flying down our curvy road at about 8 feet, looking for the little bodies. A squirrel body never stays on the road long.
I have thought a lot about this phenomena and so I decided to ask the buzzards what part they played in this yearly drama. They told me they had an agreement with the excess population; that there was an intelligence guiding the yearly culling. It was an orderly, well maintained system that kept everyone well fed. The buzzards look forward to each spring for this reason.

Hans and I have property on a barrier Island on the South Carolina coast. It\'s very wild there and each year hunters have to cull the herd of wild deer that live there. A few years ago, when the cull was first implemented, I was asked by islanders to help the deer. When I talked with the herd I explained the situation to them; that if their numbers weren\'t checked, all of the vegetation on the island would be stripped and all creatures would suffer. They let me know that the culling had come as a shock to them as they all enjoyed living in peace with the islanders. The compromise that they came to was to make the ill, the lame and the very old who wanted to pass on available to the shooters. The following cull season went much more smoothly for all concerned.

I tell my lost animal clients that I cannot tell them if their animals are in the body or not. I explain that animals often cannot tell that they are no longer in their body and that they go on and have extraordinary adventures without bodies. I learned this lesson years ago when I sent one woman on a wild goose chase. The dog in question had gotten free of it\'s handler with collar and leash still attached at a doggy day care center and had bounded thoughtlessly off of a small cliff into a fast moving river. The horrified owner of the center saw the dog struggling as the current swept him down river.

I was then called by the dog\'s guardian\'/; and I traced the dog\'s movement in the water. There was a point when I felt the dog get caught underwater by a snagged collar and leash. The next thing the dog showed me was his efforts to drag himself out of the river onto a rocky beach. He then showed me that he trotted to a nearby road and caught a ride with a nice family in a green mini van. They took him home along countryside that was very distinct, and into a wonderful village. I saw road signs, houses, lots of landmarks. The dog\'s guardian, my client, verified all that I was seeing. The dog showed me a wonderful, warm and happy home with young children. The children were retuning home from ballet lessons in another town when the dog hitched a ride.

A week later the dog turned up in the river, deceased. His collar and leash had gotten tangled in brush where he had drowned. My client was very understanding; she said that it made a lot of sense that he would not realize fully his situation and would seek out friendly, warm people.

I am very very cautious with working with lost animals. Many choose to be lost and don\'t want to be found. Others have met traumatic ends and aren\'t ready to deal with the loss. Others will make things up to protect their guardians until they, the guardians, can come to terms with their loss. Experience has been my best teacher on this subject.

Last week my 19 year old tuxedo kitty named Cookie died peacefully of cancer. She was in my arms and purring till her final moments of consciousness. It\'s taken me almost a week to recover; Cookie was a dear dear friend.

We adopted Cookie from Save the Animals in Cincinnati Ohio--a wonderful no kill shelter. When I went into the room that was reserved for the older cats (Cookie was 2 at the time) she jumped on my head and held on for dear life. The volunteer who was escorting me remarked that Cookie was usually the most reserved member of the group. So Cookie chose me, it seems!

At home she became a soulful energy not cat like at all. She would not play with the other cats but would hold court with them; always the adviser. All of my cats over the years went to her with their issues.

Cookie developed kidney stones and would not pee in the potty when they bothered her. She taught me to live with an invalid. I eventually took up all rugs and made her her own potties with the incontinance pads sold at the drug store. She used those exclusively.

Cookie crossed her little dainty paws whenever she was in the prone position. She was such a lady. She had very large soulful yellow/orange eyes. She looked exactly like a Kliban cat!

Over the years Cookie told me her story; she had been a human in her former life and had lived in the convent that later was abandoned and then rented out to become the no kill shelter where she was born. Her life had been hard and all she had wanted was to be loved by her mother. So Cookie became my \"best friend\" and we shared a love that enabled her to release that pain from her heart. In the last year of her life she came to me and said her work here was done. Then she began to lose weight as the cancer advanced rapidly.

My husband and I dug her a beautiful grave under a large old camellia bush that is more like a tree. Her grave overlooks a ravine and an impressive granite formation on the side of Warrior Mountain, where we live. There is a beautiful large rock that covers the grave.

Her spirit left her body and I could see that she was met by Angels. The beauty of the moment was so profound that my heart still swells when I think about it. The memory serves as a reminder of the richness of the spirit world we are cut off from in our daily living.

Cookie taught me so much; how to love unconditionally, how to sacrifice for friendsip (I gave up living with my beautiful rugs!) How to be a good friend, how to lovingly care for an elderly being in steep decline. How to surrender to death in a deeply meaningful and heartfelt and healing manner.

Thank you Cookie, I love you!
Your best friend,
Diane

REFERRAL LIST ~ LOST ANIMAL CASES

Animal Communicators – Search & Rescue – Web Resources

(This list compiled by Morgine Jurdan – Updated: January 2008)



Jacquelin Smith
(614) 436-8831 OH
jacquelinsmith@jacquelinsmith.com
www.jacquelinsmith.com

Hilary Renaissance
(206) 782-7815 WA
hilary@calmpet.com
www.calmpet.com

Carol Schultz
Plainfield, IL 60544
(815) 254-8325
carol@carolschultz.com
www.carolschultz.com

Carol Robinson
Corte Madera, CA 94976
(415) 924-9094
carol@animal-conversations.com
www.lostpetlink.com

Keri Davis
(403) 609-5510 AB Canada
keri@SacredKinship.com
www.sacredkinship.com

Karen Berke
Novato, CA 94947
(415) 897-4011
karen@wans.com

Judi Byers
(803) 278-1002 SC
animalechoes@animalechoes.com
www.animalechoes.com

Sue Hopple
Monument, CO 80132
(719) 481-3917
hop_house@msn.com

Heidi Grengg
(307) 733-8499 WY
heidi@heidigrengg.com

Whitney Taylor
(717) 372 -0441 PA
eventaside@comcast.net
www.doolittlecommunications.com

Gayle Nastasi NY
allcreatures@gazehound.com
http://www.gazehound.com

Dexter del Monte
(323) 953-5923 Los Angeles, CA
kukuzen@mindspring.com
www.whispersandtails.com

Suzi Dalling
Ventura, CA 93002-2845
(805) 512-1720
suzi@connectinharmony.com
www.connectinharmony.com

Karla McCoy
Washington, IL 61571
(309) 444-1514
KarLab@Juno.com
www.AnimalTell.com

Diane Samsel
Tryon, NC 28782
(843) 884-7443
diane@powerpaws.com

Carol Vaughan
(303) 338-1975 CO
vaughancar@aol.com or
carol.vaughan@uchsc.edu

Nedda Wittels
Simsbury, CT 06070
(860) 651-5771
neddaw@sbcglobal.net
www.raysofhealinglight.com/204_lostanimals.htm

Rebecca Moravec
(262) 877-8542 WI
RRMAnimalTalk@aol.com
www.KindredSpiritsAnimalCommunication.com

Annette Betcher
Port Orchard, WA 98366
(360) 871-4774
annettebetcher@wavecable.com
www.annettebetcher.com

Carol Gurney
(818) 597-1154 CA
cgurney@earthlink.net
www.animalcommunicator.net

Morgine Jurdan
(360) 247-7284 WA
morgine@tds.net
www.CommunicationsWithLove.com






PAGE TWO



Additional Help
(Note: No Personal Recommendations/Experience – only a list of services mostly for listing & locating Lost Animals – many free Web Resource – some even personally contact your neighbors for you.)

Harry Oakes Jr.
Lost Animal Search and Rescue (and people)
P.O. Box #1472
Longview, Washington 98632
(503) 705-0258
Outside Oregon (360) 414-8093
searchdog@tdn.com
www.k9sardog.com

Melodie Pugh
Pet Detective (licensed and bonded)
360-373-4218
www.pet-detective.com

American Society of Dowsers, Inc.
800-711-9530
www.dowsers.org

Kat Albrecht
Pet Hunters International
P.O. Box 476
Clovis, CA 93613
www.pethunters.com

Lost Animal Web Resource List

www.avidplc.com
www.dogfind.com
www.fidofinder.com
www.findthatpet.com
www.findtoto.com
www.foundpets.org
www.foundpets.org
www.help4pets.com
www.helplostpets.com
www.homeagain.com
www.katberard.com/com_lost.htm.
www.LostaPet.org
www.lostyourpet.net
www.misingpets.com
www.mypethunter.com
www.pet-detective.com
www.petrescue.com
www.pets911.com
www.tagxpress.com
www.thelostpets.com

I have two elderly cats, both 18 now, and both with failed thyroids. I came across this article recently. Thought I would share the information. My other 3 cats have not lived with carpeting and they seem to be fine.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A mysterious epidemic of thyroid disease in pet cats in
the United States may be due to dust from fire-retardant chemicals used in carpets, furniture,
mattresses, electronic products and even pet food, researchers report.
And while the researchers said there\'s no evidence to suggest a threat to humans posed by the
chemicals -- called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- they can\'t rule out the possibility.
\"Cats are very highly exposed to these chemicals, and the levels in cats are higher than the levels in
people,\" said researcher Linda S. Birnbaum, director of the Experimental Toxicology Division at the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. \"But cats may be a good indicator of indoor exposure to
humans,\" she added.
Symptoms of hyperthyroidism in cats include weight loss, increased appetite, hair loss and irritability.
Hyperthyroid cats could serve as modern-day versions of the canaries in coal mines that alerted miners to poisonous gas, said
Birnbaum, who added that hyperthyroidism is treatable in cats as well as people.
Feline hyperthyroidism is one of the most common and deadly diseases in older cats, and indoor pets are thought to be at
greatest risk, Birnbaum said. Because of their conscientious grooming, cats ingest large amounts of house dust containing
PBDEs.
Concerns about health effects from PDBEs began in the late 1990s, and studies have found that the chemicals cause liver and
nerve toxicity in animals. \"In addition, a recent study found an association with house dust and the levels of PDBEs in breast
milk in women,\" Birnbaum said.
Many PBDEs, such as penta, which was used in polyurethane foam for furniture cushions and pillows, have been phased out
either voluntarily by manufacturers or by bans from states and the U.S. government and governments overseas.
Despite these bans, BBDEs are environmentally persistent compounds, so it will take a long time before they disappear from the
environment, Birnbaum said.
She noted that the EPA is looking for safer alternatives to some of the chemicals that will be fire resistant but not pose a
potential health threat to animals or humans. So far, 14 alternative flame retardants have been evaluated, and furniture foam
manufacturers are using new alternatives, according to the EPA.
In the new study, published in the Aug. 15 online issue of Environmental Science & Technology, Birnbaum and her colleagues
took blood samples from 23 cats, 11 of which suffered from hyperthyroidism. They found that the cats with the disease had
levels of PDBEs that were three times higher than younger cats and cats without the condition.
PBDEs are also found in canned cat food, particularly in fish/seafood flavors, such as salmon and whitefish. An analysis showed
that diets based on canned food could have PBDE levels 12 times higher than dry-food diets. For these reasons, cats could be
receiving as much as 100 times greater dietary PBDE exposure than American adults, the researchers said.
The danger of feline hyperthyroidism might be higher in the United States, where people have the highest reported PBDE levels
Finding could be a sign of possible health threat to humans, researchers say
MedlinePlus: Chemical Flame Retardants Linked to Thyroid Disease ... http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_53572.html
2 of 2 9/18/07 9:09 AM
worldwide, according to the report. In addition, by the late 1990s, North America accounted for almost half of the worldwide
demand for PBDEs for commercial materials such as furniture and upholstery.
The epidemic of hyperthyroidism in cats began almost 30 years ago, experts say, at the same time that PBDEs were introduced
into household materials for fire-prevention. Now the disease has been seen in Canada, Australia, Japan and many parts of
Europe.
Hyperthyroidism has also increased in people. For example, former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush have
the condition, as does Millie, their Springer Spaniel.
HealthDay
Copyright (c) 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Hi All,
The following web site offers valuable tips to help in the search for lost cats. As you may know, cats often are very close to home when they are considered \"lost\". A cat goes into hiding the minute he or she feels endangered or threatened. Please visit this site if you are looking for a beloved cat friend who has become lost:

http://www.catsinthebag.org/

Over the years I\'ve worked with animals, I\'ve noticed how unhealthy their livers can be. I work with clients to develop healthy diets free of chemicals, sugar, additives and excessive carbs from too many grains. When I work with animals I can feel the distress caused by \"auto immune\" symptoms; itchy skin and paws is very common. Clients are amazed when I ask if their dog or cat \"chews\" their paws! If my \"paws\" itched like that, I would too!
The following article was posted on the internet recently and since I have a Google alert out for my name, it came to my desktop. Please read on:
Author: Brigitte Smith

Article source: http://www.moreaboutpetsandanimals.com/. Used with author\'s permission.

Bailey is a three year old Bull Terrier, and she\'s the love of Maruchy Perez\'s life.

Maruchy is a singer, and the summer that Bailey was born she was working for one of the Disney ships out of Port Canaveral (half her luck - sounds like a great lifestyle!).

Maruchy had researched the the breed for two years before she met the breeder who lived about five hours away from where Maruchy lived.

Bailey was born in Brooksville forty miles north of Tampa on the 4th of July. The breeder sent pictures of the litter to Maruchy after they were born, and Maruchy picked Bailey out from the many pictures she received while on the Disney ship.

Bailey went home with Maruchy some nine weeks later, and she was everything Marchy had hoped for. She was a hand full but a lot of fun.

But it wasn\'t long before the challenges started. Maruchy noticed that Bailey was sick a lot, with either hives or vomiting or diarrhea or all three. Maruchy repeatedly took Bailey to the vet who usually gave her cortisone for the hives, and pills to prevent dehydration.

When she was four months old Bailey was given her rabies shot.

Over the next four months, Bailey went from a loving puppy to a very nasty and aggressive dog with BIG teeth.

Maruchy spoke to the vet, the breeder, animal trainers, and anyone who she thought might be able to help. Bailey had become so aggressive that at one point it seemed as everyone was saying \"put her down\".

Maruchy couldn\'t bear the though of it. She was desperate to find a better solution. After another month of living in fear, Maruchy contacted an \"animal communicator\", Diane Samsel, who told Maruchy to take Bailey off the commercial dog food she was on immediately, and to find a holistic doctor. The animal communicator also advised Maruchy to let the holistic doctor know that Bailey had \"auto immune vaccinosis\".

Maruchy did exactly what the animal communicator suggested. She ceased the commercial dog food, and set up a consultation with a holistic doctor, knowing that Bailey was a very sick little dog, and determined to save Bailey from a terrible fate.

Bailey showed signs of improvement withiin two days of being totally off commercial dog food! Maruchy started her on a raw food only diet and went to see a wonderful doctor who agreed to consult with Maruchy and treat Bailey. With the animal communicator\'s guidance, Maruchy instructed and helped the doctor give Bailey the holistic medicines she needed to get her back on track.

For more information on the effects of vaccinations in pets, go here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/RemoveToxinsNaturally

Maruchy\'s understanding of Auto Immune Vaccinosis is that it is a condition which can arise when the body has been given so much poison by way of vaccines, that the body starts to reject one of its own organs. In Bailey\'s case, her body was rejecting her liver. Bailey couldn\'t control herself and was in a lot of pain, and she regressed to a behaviour reminiscent of times past when aggression was actively encouraged in bull terriers in order to fight them. The liver is also said to be the recepticle for feelings, from a holistic point of view, including anger.

Who is a candidate for Auto Immune Vaccinosis? Basically anything that lives and has organs that can be poisoned by injecting the body with the so called \"anti-virus\". In other words, pets are at a very high risk due to the very high number and frequency of so-called essential vaccinations. And because the vaccinations aren\'t necessarily given in doses which take into account the animal\'s size, small dogs are probably at greater risk than large ones. But any dog can be susceptible.

Now that Maruchy has eliminated the vaccines and petfood toxins from Bailey\'s system, she\'s very careful not to expose Bailey to other poisons - including household chemicals.

For information on eliminating toxins from your dog\'s life, thereby improving his/her health significantly, click here.

Maruchy sent me some cute pictures of Bailey and her playmate, Halle, Maruchy\'s other dog. You can see the pics here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com/BaileyPics

Wow, what a story! I know these vaccinations (not to mention cortisone as well) can do harm and can build up in the dog\'s system. I\'m surprised it happened so soon with Bailey. At only 8 months old! That\'s really frightening, isn\'t it? To think of the potential harm it can do to an older dog when they\'re given these drugs regularly over a lifetime.

When I started on my \"journey\" with my Healthy Happy Dogs site and newsletter, I really wasn\'t aware of just how important a holistic approach is for dogs. I\'d actually always had my dogs vaccinated. But not any more. The last time I received the reminder letter from the vet that my dogs\' annual shots were due, I took them for an examination, but NO shots this time. And NO more cortisone for my Rottweiler\'s skin irritations (which have improved radically since I\'ve been supplementing with vitamins).

I actually expected an argument from the vet when I said I wasn\'t going to agree to any more vaccinations. But guess what? She said that was FINE - the important thing is to bring the dogs in for a checkup - the vaccinations are certainly NOT essential. I couldn\'t believe it! Why continually vaccinate a dog when it\'s not necessary?? I was dumbfounded. I\'ve done a lot of research, and know this to be the case, but for my vet who has always routinely pumped poisonous vaccine into my dogs every year to admit it was totally unnecessary - I was dumbfounded.

Bailey\'s story (and my experience with my vet) are such an important lesson for you. Now, please don\'t misunderstand me - I\'m NOT advocating abandoning your vet\'s advice - PLEASE ALWAYS discuss your concerns and your intentions with your vet. There may be valid reasons why your particular dog may need a particular vaccination (especially puppies). And some jurisdictions have legal requirements for certain vaccinations.

But whatever you decide, please MAKE SURE that you take your dog in for a general health checkup at least once a year.

© Brigitte Smith, 2005
Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in natural health for dogs. For your free special report, as well as weekly tips, information, strategies and resources for a healthier happier dog, click here for your dog health report: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com

Weekends often bring emergency calls from clients who have lost their animal friends. Sunday I received a call from a client whose dog, Sam, had disappeared into the woods at a nature preserve near the South Carolina coast. Sam \\\"showed\\\" me that he was chasing deer and had gotten lost. My client was very upset and Sam was having a difficult time connecting with him in order to find his way back. Animals are, of course, very psychic. When you lose an animal and react with panic, they sense your panic and cannot understand the signal that sends. Sometimes animals tell me they think they\\\'ve done something wrong and will stay in hiding. I asked Sam\\\'s person to please sit down and do deep belly breaths. He is a professional singer and knew how to do this (breathing with the diaphragm using the muscles of the floor of the belly instead of the rib cage, shoulders etc). I asked him to create an imaginary golden cord from his belly to his dog. Once he did this, we traced the cord to the dog. I \\\"saw\\\" his dog, with a person, traveling towards him on a dirt road. Ten minutes later he called me up to say his dog returned and it was just as I had \\\"seen\\\" it to be!

I have this posted in the \"forum\" section but thought I\'d add it here:
Not to toot my own horn but recently I\'ve had quite a number of people contact me and tell me what a wonderful job Power Paws (http://www.powerpaws.com/powerpaws.html) is doing to keep shedding to a minimum in this summer\'s heat. 21 years ago I invented Power Paws. I was drinking an energy shake every morning that I mixed myself. The main ingredient was nutritional yeast and Vitamin C crystals. My cat, Buster I was always around meowing and asking for handouts and I began to sprinkle the mix on his food. Within 2 weeks his fur coat looked a lot shinier and he stopped shedding nearly as much. I saw an opportunity and began mixing it in my home and selling it at local pet food stores. Customers soon discovered that it also healed hot spots in dogs. Now I feed my cats a raw food recipe and I also add the Power Paws. Our hairball and shedding problems are really quite mild in spite of the fact we hate air-conditioning and only turn it on in the worst of conditions and did I mention we have 5 cats!
To Health! Diane Samsel

This article comes from Azmira.com which provides great holistic animal food:
Garlic, the Facts
Lisa S. Newman, ND, Ph.D.
When it comes to your pet’s health, do you want to follow facts or fears? Unfortunately, garlic has come under attack. This is primarily as a result of garlic’s close cousin onion’s reputation for triggering hemolytic or “Heinz factor” anemia (where circulating red blood cells burst) through its high concentration of thiosulphate. With onions, a single generous serving can cause this reaction.

Garlic simply DOES NOT CONTAIN THE SAME CONCENTRATION of this compound! In fact, it is barely traceable and readily excreted (not stored in the body).

Despite this fact, garlic is falling victim to mass hysteria spread through the internet. Yes, there are 51,174 sites devoted to warning about the “toxicity” of garlic, this hysteria has even prompted the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center to place a warning on garlic although there is little scientific data to back this claim other than the fact that thiosulphate is also found in garlic. Yet, there are also over 400,000 sites still proclaiming its benefits, many of them from reputable holistic veterinarians who have widely used garlic in their practice for many years! How can an herb suddenly turn so bad?!

There is no doubt that onion, due to its concentration of thiosulphate, will cause Heinz factor anemia. In addition, as stated by Wendy Wallner, DVM, “Onions are only one of the substances which can cause Heinz body anemia. Other substances such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and benzocaine-containing topical preparations can also cause Heinz body anemia in the dog.” The latter probably accounts for many cases as it is prevalent in creams often recommended for allergy-suffering pets due to its ability to numb the itch. It is absorbed through the skin and builds up in the blood stream. This other substance is likely to have been involved in cases where garlic was suspect.

For centuries, as long as humans have been using herbs, garlic has been a primary remedy turned to in a majority of cases. For as long as people have been using garlic, they have also been feeding it to their animal companions. Its properties have proven far reaching, easy on the body and safe to use. In the past fifty years, during the rebirth of holistic medicine in the United States, garlic has been in the forefront. Every text that I have researched on herbal health which mentions pet care has recommended it, especially for its incredible anti-parasitic and anti-septic properties. In my own experience, garlic has also benefited pets with cancer, diabetes, liver, heart and kidney disease, uncontrollable staph infections and a host of other conditions, as well as been a staple in my recommended preventative protocols. It has been widely used by hundreds of thousands of pet owners with no reported negative side-effects – except its effect on their animal’s breath – until now.

This is the point; garlic has suddenly become a “suspect,” not proven the culprit. Do not let mass hysteria determine a holistic care program for your dog or cat. Follow hundreds of years of “proven use” rather than recent “suspicions” in regards to this miracle herb, as garlic is known to be. As with anything, do use garlic in reasonable doses, and do know that you can trust history over hysteria.

Since 1982, Dr. Newman has been a world renowned pioneer in the field of natural pet care. The author of nine books, including her latest, Three Simple Steps to Healthy Pets: The Holistic Animal Care LifeStyle™, Dr. Newman is also the formulator of Azmira Holistic Animal Care Products and Diets.

©2006, Dr. Lisa S. Newman, All Rights Reserved

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I received a disturbing email about the immunization of pregnant mares and the resulting deformed foals.

Please read on:
http://lost-foals-group.4t.com/photo6.html

The Animals I live with (5 cats) teach me the importance of living in the moment. These five adults, in various stages of evolution (from age 6 to 17) live in abundance and peace. They each have jobs to do in the family system and the do their jobs well. Cookie, the oldest, has taught me patience with her kidney stones and her inclination to use rugs as a toilet. We now live in a rug free environment! Buster is the sheriff and he is also the peacemaker. He has shown me the importance of handling tensions as they arise. Rusty, my 17 year old Abby mix, is the shaman in the family. His intensity and devotion are astounding to me. He also is the mouser and has kept our homes free of mice for years. He has taught me about \"cat magic\" and just how mystical cats can be. Peaches keeps our hearts open and her brother Bear is in training for a job that he will execute in the future (he\'s been with us 6 years and we\'re still in the dark as to what he is to do!). But that\'s all right with us because we know he is in process.

I\'m sending along a little article about a practice of self forgiveness that enables me to stay in the present moment. When I run up against my shadow side in the form of an upset out in the world, I take a minute to check in with the part of me that needed that experience and I gently connect with love and forgiveness to that aspect of myself. Please read on....

HO\'OPONOPONO
by Joe Vitale
\"Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate\'s chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person\'s illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.

\"When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn\'t make any sense. It wasn\'t logical, so I dismissed the story.

\"However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called Ho\'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn\'t let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more. I had always understood \"total responsibility\" to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it\'s out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We\'re responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does--but that\'s wrong.

\"The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist. He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.
Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.

\"Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.

\"\'After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely,\' he told me. Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.\' I was in awe. Not only that,\' he went on, \'but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.\'

This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: \'What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?\'

\"\'I was simply healing the part of me that created them,\' he said. I didn\'t understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.

\"Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy or anything you experience and don\'t like--is up for you to heal. They don\'t exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn\'t with them, it\'s with you, and to change them, you have to change you.

\"I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in Ho\'oponopono means loving yourself.

“If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing you.

I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients\' files?

\"\'I just kept saying, \'I\'m sorry\' and \'I love you\' over and over again,\' he explained.

\"That\'s it?

\"That\'s it.

\"Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.

\"Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message.

\"This time, I decided to try Dr. Len\'s method. I kept silently saying, \'I\'m sorry\' and \'I love you,\' I didn\'t say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.

\"Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn\'t take any outward action to get that apology. I didn\'t even write him back. Yet, by saying \'I love you,\' I somehow healed within me what was creating him.

\"I later attended a Ho\'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He\'s now 70 years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive.

He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book\'s vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.

\"\'What about the books that are already sold and out there?\' I asked.


“They aren\'t out there,\' he explained, once again blowing my mind with his mystic wisdom. \'They are still in you.\' In short, there is no out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves.

\"Suffice It to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there\'s only one place to look: inside you. When you look, do it with love.\"

The words of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len:

\" Ho\'oponopono is really very simple. For the ancient Hawaiians, all problems begin as thought. But having a thought is not the problem. So what\'s the problem? The problem is that all our thoughts are imbued with painful memories, memories of persons, places, or things.

The intellect working alone can\'t solve these problems, because the intellect only manages. Managing things is no way to solve problems. You want to let them go! When you do Ho\'oponopono, what happens is that the Divinity takes the painful thought and neutralizes or purifies it. You don\'t purify the person, place, or thing.

You neutralize the energy you associate with that person, place, or thing. So the first stage of Ho\'oponopono is the purification of that energy.

Now something wonderful happens. Not only does that energy get neutralized; it also gets released, so there\'s a brand new slate. Buddhists call it the Void. The final step is that you allow the Divinity to come in and fill the void with light. To do Ho\'oponopono, you don\'t have to know what the problem or error is. All you have to do is notice any problem you are experiencing physically, mentally, emotionally, whatever. Once you notice, your responsibility is to immediately begin to clean, to say, \"I\'m sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.”

One of the things I do for my family of cats is to provide them with a friendly eco system. I long ago got rid of chemical cleaners. I clean my floors and counters with a solution of white vinegar and water. I also use peroxide for other cleaning projects. Here is some good information on this wonderful product:

Most of us have used this product for years for certain things. The health
benefits of peroxide. This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana \\\"I would
like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little old bottle of 3%
peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. My husband has
been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don\\\'t tell
you about peroxide, or they would lose thousands of dollars.\\\"

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and
hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out.
(I do it when I bathe )

No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive
pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. (small print says mouth wash and
gargle right on the bottle)

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of \\\"Peroxide\\\" to keep them free of
germs.

3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave
a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or
spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to
kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years - until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of
peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes
several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal
with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

8. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and
keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system
like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

9. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture
whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to
kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a
tissue.

10. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right
away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten
minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

11. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the
50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You
will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages,
but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or
dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it\\\'s not a drastic change.

12. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus,
or other skin infections.

13. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of
whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing,
Pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it
and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

14. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors with, and there is no smearing
which is why I love it so much for this.

I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be
without! With prices of most necessities rising, I\\\'m glad there\\\'s a way
to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner.

Send on to others who might need to know the benefits of 3% peroxide.

This letter from a vet was shared with me by Penelope Smith. It contains valuable information for those of us who share our homes with cat friends:

FELINE INAPPROPRIATE URINATION:

The term \'inappropriate urination\' is relatively self-explanatory. It refers to cats who urinate on surfaces and in places that are not considered appropriate by their owners. Basically, except for the few indoor cats that use household toilets, it is only considered appropriate for cats to urinate in a litter box. Urinating on the couch, bed, wall, rugs, and ceramic tile, or in the bath tub, laundry basket, or kitchen sink is just not appropriate!

Inappropriate urination is, unfortunately, too common. All of us have known of cats with this unwanted habit. Many of the cats are labeled as lost causes and either pushed out the door to become outside cats or given up to animal shelters. But the vast majority of these cats can be helped. With a little detective work, the underlying cause can be found. Once the cause is uncovered, appropriate treatment strategies can be implemented and the cats can be taught to reuse their litter boxes.

Consider inappropriate urination a message from the cat. Something is wrong and the cat is letting you know. The cat is not \'acting out\', but asking for help. I have yet to meet a cat that did not, as a kitten, use a litter box. I have taken in feral cats and kittens ranging in age from one day to many years, and each and everyone have used a litter box. Even the youngest, motherless kitten will rapidly grasp the use of a litter box when placed in one. This is because cats have a natural affinity for sandy substrates. They want to dig in soil before they eliminate. They do not naturally choose flat, smooth, or cloth-like surfaces.

So if cats naturally use a litter box, and then decide to stop, something must have gone wrong. The cats are not spiteful, angry, or mean; something has gone awry. The list of problems that can push a cat out of the litter box and towards inappropriate urination is a long and potentially complicated one. The list can be divided into management, medical, and behavioral causes.

Medical reasons include any illness or disease that causes the cat to be in pain or increases urine production. So a bladder infection, with accompanying urinary tract pain, can certainly cause the cat to associate the box with the pain and lead to urination outside of the box. Other causes of pain might include bladder stones, inflammation, or tumors, as well as arthritis, muscle disease, or spinal cord pain that interferes with movement in and out of the box. All painful incidences associated with the box may result in failure to use it. Additional medical causes would include cognitive diseases that impair the mental abilities of older cats. A final category of medical illnesses include all those that lead to increased urine production, such as kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid problems. The greater the urine production, the more often the cat must urinate. This upsets the cat\'s routine and soils the box more rapidly than expected, ultimately causing the cat to abandon the box.

Every single cat that inappropriately urinates should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Illnesses need to be caught early in order for appropriate therapy to work and to prevent the inappropriate urination from becoming habit. Cats are known to hide disease. Inappropriate urination may be the cat\'s only notice to you that the he is sick. Heed the warning and rule out medical causes before blaming the cat for \'bad behavior\'.

Another major cause of inappropriate urination is poor litter box management which results in cats having an aversion to the box, the litter, or the location. These cats may then develop a preference for a different location or surface. Owners often have boxes that are too small, too few, too dirty, left in incorrect places, or filled with litter which feels or smells bad to the cat. No cat likes a small, dirty, noisy box. Your cat\'s inappropriate urination may be the cat\'s method of telling you this. When purchasing, placing, and filling litter boxes, think of the cat\'s needs before your own.

Different cats have different needs. Some cats need boxes with low sides or high sides, or ones that are open-sided or covered with a lid. Some have aversions to scented litter, or clumping litter, or unscented litter, or the chemicals in the plastic box. So buying the smallest, covered box for a 15 pound cat will not work. Neither will buying the deepest, self-cleaning box for a timid, 1.5 pound kitten. And putting a box down two flights of stairs may invite trouble from a 19 year old arthritic cat. While we are on the subject of boxes, litters, and locations, I can pretty well guarantee that you can cause inappropriate urination by putting a litter box next to a washing machine that hits the spin cycle just at the cat tries to use the box. A litter pan near a washing machine or dryer is an invitation for disaster.

To prevent litter box aversion, make sure your cat likes her box. Identify your cat\'s needs and meet them. Trial and error may be needed to find the appropriate mix of box, litter, and location; but it\'s worth the effort in the long run. Litter type, depth, and fragrance are all variables that can be adjusted. So try different types of litter, including clumping and non-clumping, scented and non-scented, and litters made of wheat or paper. Also, experiment with covered and uncovered boxes, self-cleaning litter trays, and round or rectangular pans.

Purchase multiple boxes for multi-cat households. The rule of thumb is one box per cat, plus one extra box. So a household with four cats need five boxes, preferably in separate locations. This may sound excessive, but it is much easier to manage the boxes than a cat urinating on the pillows! If may even be necessary to have different types of boxes and different litters for the different cats.

Lack of litter cleanliness is a significant cause of inappropriate urination. Cats do NOT like dirty litter boxes. Their noses work much better than human noses, so they can detect unpleasant odors that people ignore. Some cats are so offended by dirty litter that they will even avoid boxes used by other cats. Some will try to keep their bodies out of the box and urinate over the edge. Some will gingerly step in the box and then urinate out of it, or urinate just next to the box. These cats are telling you very clearly that they do not like the litter in the box. They are attempting to use the pan, but are just too repulsed by the litter to use it appropriately. If the situation is not remedied rapidly, these cats may soon avoid the entire litter box.

Heeding the cat\'s pleas can help prevent inappropriate urination. The litter pans must be as clean as possible. Daily scooping should be considered the minimum requirement. It is actually wiser to scoop boxes as often as they are used, even if this is two, three, or four times a day. I realize that everyone knows of an owner that only cleans boxes once per week and the cats are just fine. Do not assume this will work for your cat and do not get comfortable with this system. At any time an individual cat may react to a filthy litter pan by choosing to urinate outside of the box. It is easier to prevent the problem with frequent cleanings than to attempt to remedy it.

Plastic litter boxes also hold odors, so boxes should be dumped and washed out weekly. Use a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly, and then dry the box before refilling. The pans may even need to be replaced periodically, as it is impossible to get rid of the accumulated odors that eventually permeate the plastic. Actually, this is a good reason to avoid saving old litter boxes from previous cats for new arrivals. The new cat can still detect the odors from the old cat and may refuse to use the old box. So, the second rule of thumb is that new cats should always get new litter boxes.

Litter box aversion can be prevented with proper planning. Start off correctly by purchasing fine, unscented litter and placing it one to two inches deep in a clean box. Most cats like large, uncovered boxes, as the odors are not trapped in the box and the cat can see out of the box. Place the box in a quiet area that is separated from the food area and away from machinery. Pick quiet, easy-to-access locations. Avoid damp, dank spots (wet basements) that hold odors and keep the litter moist. Avoid litter box liners, if possible, as many cats dislike them. Keep the box clean and dry, change litter as needed, and make sure that all the cats have easy access to all the boxes.

If all litter box management issues and medical issues are handled, and a cat demonstrates inappropriate urination, behavioral causes need to be explored. It this is the case, it is important to seek help quickly. The longer the problem continues, the more difficult it is to treat and the longer the problem takes to resolve. Cats will rapidly develop preferences for inappropriate places because the surface and location are more pleasing than the litter pan. The problem then becomes more difficult to solve, as the cat now has both a behavioral issue and a preference for the wrong spot.

Behavioral issues are as varied as cats. Often the detective work involves an in-depth knowledge of cat behavior. Owners may not be able to identify the problem and may need help from outside sources. Pet behaviorists, veterinarians, and board-certified veterinary behaviorists can be of great help. They may interview owners, examine the cat, and even visit the house to uncover the root of the problem. A common example of behavioral issues would be a cat that is too frightened to use the box because other cats terrorize her both in and out of the box. Another example is a cat that suddenly becomes territorial when he sees a stray cat outside. The indoor cat cannot reach the outdoor cat to claim his territory, so he urinates near the door. Other cats have been known to stop using their boxes when antique furniture or old carpets stained with urine from previous animals are brought into the house. Others are upset by new pets, new adults, or new babies. Some are reacting to tension or fighting within the household. The list goes on and on.

Treatment relates to the specific cause and can be a simple as adding additional litter boxes, closing the blinds so a cat cannot see outside, or getting rid of old, soiled furniture and carpets. Others standard \'fixes\' include using enzyme cleaners to clean up any accidents and remove odors. In addition, it is helpful to cover inappropriate areas with plastic carpet runners, sheets of plastic, tin foil, or other items with textures that the cats find unappealing. Make sure to close doors to keep cats away from rooms and furniture they wish to use as litter box. Cover the bases of plants with tinfoil or wire mesh to keep out curious cats. The use of soothing pheromones, such as Feliway, may also be helpful for cats suffering from anxiety. Some cats also respond positively to special litter attracting agents made from soil and herbs. Finally, some cats need anti-anxiety medications available from veterinarians.

Punishment should not be used. Hitting, screaming, and rubbing the cat\'s nose on the soiled areas is ineffective and inhumane. These actions will increase the cat\'s anxiety, teach it to run from you, and most likely make the problem worse. The cat will not connect your behaviors with his actions and simply learn to avoid you, along with the litter box. In addition, your behavior may increase the cat\'s nervousness and create additional troubles. If your cat is urinating inappropriately, seek creative management solutions, not punishments.

A similar, but different problem involves cats that spray. The issue with these cats is not the use of the litter box, but urine marking. Cats that spray inappropriately deposit small drops of urine in a specific area. Usually they are standing when they do this and back up to a spot, wiggle their tail, and release small amounts of urine on vertical surfaces. Cats that spray are communicating with other cats. They may be announcing their presence, making or keeping their territories, or looking for a mate. Most cats that spray are un-neutered males. A few are un-spayed females, spayed females, and neutered males.

Because spraying is a territorial sign, the incidence of this behavior goes up in multi-cat households or houses with feral cats roaming the yard. Cats also spray if they think their territory is invaded, so a new cat, baby, roommate, furniture, or even carpeting may trigger spraying. Illness, lack of appropriate exercise, isolation, and inactivity may also lead to spraying.

Treatment for spraying is similar to that for inappropriate urination, with one notable exception. Since hormonal influences drive intact male cats to spray, any intact male cat that sprays should be neutered immediately. The sooner this is done, the sooner the problem will resolve. Since indoor cats are typically neutered, this should not be a problem for most owners. Other treatments include separating the cat from the preferred spraying area, covering the area with plastic or tinfoil, and the use of pheromones or medications to ease anxiety.

Territorial issues can be helped by reducing an indoor cat\'s ability to see outdoor cats and by increasing the space allotted to interior territories. Obviously, you cannot make a house bigger. But you can increase the space each cat calls his own. Make room vertically by clearing off shelves and adding cat furniture that allows the cat to climb up. Add horizontal hiding places with boxes, a few open drawers or closets, and cat furniture. Anything that allows the cat to move into more areas will decrease pressure to defend the territory and may reduce spraying.

The bottom line is that a variety of environmental, behavioral, and medical causes can lead to inappropriate urination and/or spraying. It is up to the owner to take immediate action to uncover the cause, eliminate it, and take appropriate steps to get the cat back into the box. This may take time, consultation with professionals, changes in household management, and considerable effort. The good news is that the vast majority of cats can be helped.

Sincerely,


Dr. Jane Leon

The low country around Charleston, South Carolina names a land steeped in a rich culture of beauty and mystery. It is a landscape of 1000 year old oaks, marshes, swamps and the alligator, a species that goes back to the days of the dinosaur. No amount of man made development can tame this ecology of spartina grass and alligator filled creeks. Charleston’s long history is filled with American aristocrats, pirates, voodoo priestesses and priests, great fortunes as well as great losses. To anyone who comes to love the area, though, the alligator is the one fact of life that demands as much respect as the dangerous hurricanes that blow through Charleston during the hot and humid summer season.

We own property on Dewees Island, a barrier Island 45 minutes from downtown Charleston (accessible only by Ferry). Ten minutes into the ride a primitive world unfolds, allowing a communion with nature not available to most Americans. Dewees was developed in the 80’s as this countries first ecologically sustainable development. The island’s 1200 acres has 800 set aside for wildlife. All development, including roads, is confined to the remaining 400 acres. The roads are sand and no cars are allowed; people who live there get about on golf carts and there is a 17 mph speed limit! Houses cannot landscape with anything but plant species native to the island. The majority of houses are hard to see tucked inside the maritime forest, and are kept below 5000 square feet to assure that “MacMansions” don’t pollute the island.

Scattered around the interior of the island are small ponds and in some of these ponds alligators have their homes. Dewees personnel train humans to avoid all interaction with the animals—for the safety of human and alligators. A human who feeds an alligator teaches the alligator to be aggressive with humans, dooming the life of the animal. When my husband, Hans, and I kayak on the creeks that run between the acres and acres of marsh and spartina grass, it’s not uncommon to come face to face with an alligator going the opposite direction. His response is to duck under the water and go under the boat, sometimes scraping the bottom just to let us know he’s there.

Several years ago I held an animal communication workshop on the Island to raise money for the local Sea Bird rescue group. At the end of the last day we were invited to sit on the broad screened in porch of a home overlooking a big pond which was home to a 12 foot bull alligator. Our assignment for that portion of the workshop was to communicate with this ancient being.

The students called forth all the techniques they had learned during the workshop and earnestly began to communicate with alligator.
In my communication, I asked the alligator to please show me what it was like to live in the mud. What I got back from him cannot easily be put into words because the experience was so vastly different from human cognition. I shared with the students that it felt like an acid trip in a mud bath! I experienced groundedness that was beyond description, like I was mud herself; and within that sensation I experienced a riot of beautiful colors and sensations of the colors. Alligator told me that those were the beautiful “thoughts” that they enjoyed all day. These “thoughts” had no relation to the world as we organize it but more to a primal world. They were like visual drumbeats. Alligator assured me that they felt “delicious” and that they enjoyed a new thought with each heart-beat. I emerged from the experience quite disoriented.

I asked alligator what he has to teach me and he answers: survival. He says he has survived because he is more like earth more than any creature. He says his heart beats with the heart of the earth and that is how he has survived.

Hans, my husband, is a scientist. He was in the workshop that week end and buddied up with another man, an attorney (whose wife “made” him attend the workshop). These two men “humored” us and did quite well in the exercises. But I could tell they weren’t as engaged….that is until we talked with alligator. Hans became very animated talking about his experience. He said alligator let him inside of his body and he got to experience alligator hunger and alligator humor! But the amazing thing to my scientist husband is that alligator showed him how to “call” alligators.

Hans and I visited Brookgreen Gardens shortly after this workshop. We were standing above a creek admiring a small alligator sunning itself below us on a patch of grass. Although no words were being spoken, I could tell that Hans was “calling” alligator; I watched it slowly turn around and come towards him. I turned to look at him and saw the look of delight on his face. Just at that moment there was a huge commotion in the shallow creek below her. An enormous bull alligator emerged from under the mud and charged Hans. Luckily a fence separated us from the creek! Hans looked at me at said “must be his girlfriend I was calling!”

Hans explained to me that alligator taught him to communicate with the limbic system, the portion of the brain that is located at the base of our skulls. He said alligator told him to send thoughts and energy out with this portion of the brain, and they would hear him and respond.

Now whenever we are around wild alligators, Hans can make them respond by calling them. Seeing a wild alligator respond to human “psychic” communication is one of the more profound and thrilling experiences in my career.

I would like to share my story about fire ants: We moved from
Cincinnati to Charleston, SC 18 some years ago...to the beach, actually. My
first morning here I go into the kitchen and the counter is covered with
these tiny little ants, who don\'t listen to me when I ask them to
leave. (In Cincinnati the ants cooperated and stayed out of my
kitchen). So I took a paper towel and began to gently wipe them away.
POOF...all of a sudden my hand was covered and on command they bit me
all at the same time. OUCHHHHHH!!!! (that was my intro to fire ants,
as I didn\'t know what they looked like - they\'re so tiny),

I contacted the Queen, who informed me she WAS the nest. A little taken
aback by her rage, I managed to get into a long and educational
conversation with her. Her main complaint was about humans who have
killed her time and time again. She did not understand why this had to
be so. I showed her how horribly painful her sting was, and that we
could not live with that. We negotiated a truce. I agreed to dump a
bag of outdated Power Paws under the steps of our house, and she agreed
to move her nest to pinestraw. She built many tunnels under the Power
Paws and ate from it for about 9 months. I don\'t know where the nest
has been moved, but she has kept her end of the bargain by staying out
of the kitchen and the house. She has put a tunnel under the flowerpots
because we\'re having a drought and that\'s where there\'s water. That\'s
OK with me. I haven\'t been bitten since we declared a truce. I honor
her her fierceness and her warrior energy. I feel protected by her.

There\'s another energy here at the beach that I\'d like to share with
ya\'ll. It\'s the golden orb spider. Down here they\'re called banana
spiders because there bodies are long and yellow, like a banana. They
can grow to the size of an outstretched human hand and they build
wonderful webs. By July they form a necklace around our
cottage....we\'re up on 12 foot stilts because of the flood plain....and
they suspend there webs in a circle around our stilts and below our
eves. Most people are afraid of them out of ignorance, but I find them
to be an exquisite soul. One grew under the eves right by our front
door and the UPS lady almost refused to deliver to us because of her.
Over on Dewees we love our banana spiders and have an unofficial spider
growing contest....to see which house gets the biggest spider. I look
forward to a world that can live in harmony with alligators and big
spiders and snakes, like we do on Dewees.