Saturday, July 25, 2009

The Wood Pile

Dad loves to chop wood and stack it up in perfect rows, all the same size. I have to admit that it's a good-looking pile of wood that he has! As with all manual labor, it's more fun to do with a little help, so when he comes home with load of wood, I usually go over for an hour or two and give him a hand with some of the lifting and carrying to the pile.

Today we worked in unseasonal weather with pockets of rain for about an hour. I took Cooter and Isabelle with me so they could run around and sniff and get out of the house for a bit. With the rain, it was cool, but it was also wet. We got through it pretty quickly, though, so overall it was still a good day!

Cooter's version:
I got to pee in new places and was recognized for my studliness and ability to strut. Yep *sniff/snort*, I'm da man!

Isabelle's version:
Oh my God, was this day EVER going to END? They just kept walking and working and bending and tossing, and there were NO laps to sit in. I couldn't even go lay in the grass because it was WET. I finally had to ask mom to open the car door so that I could sit and watch from someplace comfortable. And it interrupted my beauty sleep.

Demodectic Mange (demodex)

This is an excerpt of an article written by Dr Jeannie Thomason (Veterinary Naturopath, Small Animal Nutritionist, & Natural Animal Health Care Consultant/ Educator) who is a wonderful person making huge differences in the lives of dogs all over the world. She has intimate knowledge of brachycephalics, which is how we found each other, and she has written great articles on many health issues which can be found on her website.

The full article concerning mange can be found here.

This is just such an excellent summary that I asked her if I could share it here for everyone.

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A dog's immune system does not fully mature until 12-18 months of age, a puppy or dog with demodectic mange that has not had it's immune system kept in good, strong condition, may have relapses until the immune system is fully mature. Demodectic mange in dogs over 2 years of age is usually classified as adult-onset, and occurs secondary to an underlying cause.

Dogs with immune suppression due to over-vaccination, poor nutrition, illnesses or disease, are also candidates for demodectic mange. Demodectic mange can also occur in very old dogs because the function of the immune system often declines with age due to poor nutrition and chemical bombardment through out its life time.

Demodex mites feed on cellular protiens, systemic yeast, dietary yeast and/or sugar in the system. If you break the cycle, you weaken or starve the systemic yeast and the mites are not able to colonize in the pores. This is why it is so important to NOT feed any grains, vegetables, fruits or brewers/ nutritional yeast. And preferable fresh raw meat and bones.

As for supplements, look to boost the immune system... Colostrum, Transfer Factor, etc. and Anti-oxidents... Vitamin C (with bioflavonoids), Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Selenium, Zinc (chelated type) Fish Oil, etc.

Probiotics and Enzymes are very important!

Topically, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Ionic Silver, Colosturm, Raw Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera, Essential Oil of Lavender and or Purification (I only use, trust and recommend Young Living Oil as I know they are theraputic grade and pure) .

REMEMBER: NO DRUGS. NO CHEMICALS. NO DIPS. NO VACCINATIONS. NO GRAINS, POTATOES OR YEASTS.. Each of these will only further damage the immune system.
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