The Honest Kitchen: A Gift of Change for Senior Pets
GIVING THE GIFT OF GOOD HEALTH
Retaining good health has been a challenge in this household and is something we’ve grown to appreciate. This is strongly influencing our gift giving this holiday season – for people and for pets.
For this reason, The Honest Kitchen’s limited-edition, all-natural Holiday Treat Pack is gracing our favorite dog-loving friends’ cupboard.
THE QUEEN OF INSPIRATION
We had a special visitor recently, a lovely rescue dog named Quinn. Around these parts, we call her the Queen. You might recognize her eyes from the Be the Change for Animals logo. When founding BTC4animals, Amy and I chose Quinn as our mascot because her story embodied everything we wanted BTC to be about. Quinn is now a symbol of hope for abandoned pets everywhere and a celebration of local rescue.
FreshPet Select: Food Review / Photo Contest
Have you met FreshPet Select yet? Our family has, and we’re glad we did. Their aim is to offer fresh, balanced foods to make your pets happy and healthy. Delivering a cooler full of free, full-size meals to our door for review, they aimed to prove it. I’ll tell you now, this company hit the mark.
Before I share the animals’ reactions, let me say how much I love this company’s philosophy.
Wags for Wellness Walk: Dogs Take Brooklyn Bridge
The summer heat is a killer. Exercising our Newf is difficult with the constant threat of heat exhaustion. These days he mostly camps in front of the air conditioner and we’re sure to keep him well hydrated. We feed rehydrated food from The Honest Kitchen, keep large ceramic bowls filled with cool water, bring plenty of cool and clean drinking water when off to the lake for a swim, and watch for signs of distress. These details are important, not just for large woolly breeds, but for all dogs.
And folks are spreading the word…
WAGS FOR WELLNESS WALK – NYC
Esterilsol™: The New Neuter, Part 3
Esterilsol™: The New Neuter, Part 1 introduces non-surgical sterilization health benefits for dogs and the cost benefit for the rescue community. Part 2 offers the recommendation of Esterilsol™ by Dr. Weedon, DVM, MPH, a veterinarian with interests in dog health, curbing animal overpopulation, and global rabies control.
ESTERILSOL™ PRESENTATION, PART 3
This video series concludes with final questions posed to Dr. Weedon and Joe Tosini, CEO of Ark Sciences, by rescue representatives attending the Helen Woodward Animal Center March 31st ACES program. (Ark Sciences will present again in July.)
Esterilsol™: The New Neuter, Part 2
In Esterilsol™: The New Neuter, Part 1, non-surgical sterilization, its benefits in terms of a dog’s health, and the cost benefits for the rescue community was introduced by Joe Tosini, CEO of Ark Sciences, makers of Esterilsol™. Today, I’d like to introduce you to somebody who doesn’t work for the company.
MEET DR. WEEDON
On March 31, Dr. G. Robert Weedon, DVM, MPH, said to rescue organization representatives attending an ACES workshop at the Helen Woodward Animal Center, “I have personal experience with Esterilsol™ and I would personally like to see it used in shelters here in the United States. Why?”
The short answer is that he believes chemical castration is more healthful for dogs than surgical castration. He offers specifics on the injection procedure as compared with surgical sterilization as well as the cost and time benefit for rescue organizations. Ultimately, he stresses the importance of evidence-based decision making, outlining compelling statistics in favor of Esterilsol™ in the face of traditional beliefs.
Esterilsol™: The New Neuter, Part 1
THE PROBLEM: ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION
Nearly 4 million healthy and adoptable animals are destroyed annually in America, a fact that makes me sick to my soul. While surgical spay/neuter programs have successfully reduced needless deaths over the past decade, these procedures are often quite expensive. Rescue organizations who handle countless unaltered strays and surrenders bear significant financial burden and, while low-cost programs exist, they are spread too few and far between.
So, what else is there?
COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION: NON-SURGICAL STERILANT
I recently learned of a small injection called Esterilsol™ that neuters dogs for a fraction of the cost. It eliminates the need for an operating room, veterinarian (although it must be administered under a vet’s supervision), support staff, anesthesia and sutures. Male dogs, after a little Benadryl®, receive 1 small injection in each testicle and are immediately up and around. The cost of Esterilsol™? Likely between $4 and $10 per neuter, based on testicular width. The value of saving lives, of course, is priceless.
A HEALTHY SOLUTION
We so often hear the health benefits of surgical castration, which nearly eliminates testosterone. While there are benefits, I was shocked to learn that complete elimination of testosterone actually has a negative impact on the health of a dog’s skin, heart, prostate, liver, skeletal, immune and other systems/organs as cited in a 2007 study by Laura J. Sanborn called Long Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay Neuter in Dogs. Of course, the importance of hormonal balance makes sense. We’ve simply been taught to ignore it with no alternate neuter option in place. With Esterilsol™, testosterone levels decrease but not entirely, offering healthful benefits that surgical neuters cannot.
Healthy Valentine’s Day!
Having feared loss, injury or sickness after my dogs’ recent mis-adventures, what better way to celebrate their health and happiness this Valentine’s Day than with recipes Made out of Love from The Honest Kitchen? (And, because we love having you on our mis-adventures, see the sweet freebies at the bottom of this post – for you and your pet!)
THE HONEST KITCHEN
So, who is The Honest Kitchen? Their team prepares meals for your dog or cat using human-grade ingredients and the gentle method of dehydration to remove moisture, not nutrition. Just add water to make fresh daily stews and go! (Read their free e-Book, Feed Your Way to a Healthy Pet.)
Breeding Dogs vs. The Horrors of Inbreeding
Photo: BBC America
A GENETIC DISORDER: WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?
In a recent post, I shared the story of Ella, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel suffering from Syringomyelia. This extremely painful and common genetic disorder leaves a Cavalier’s skull too small for her brain.
As I wrote about Ella’s pain, I accepted that Syringomyelia is genetic with the same ease as I accept instances of hip dysplasia. With this ease of acceptance comes a question of hopelessness, “Aren’t dogs just victims to the cruelty of unpredictable biological fate?” This is not the case.
To believe that a dog’s genetic disorder is natural and unavoidable is to accept that Darwin was wrong. He wasn’t. When we open our eyes and embrace the fact that humans are undeniably responsible, only then can we change the outcome for the future of all Ellas.
Give Ella Your Umbrella, Ella ella, ay ay
We cant save all dogs but, this week, we can save one.
MEET ELLA
Ella is a 5 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with severe Syringomyelia. Syringomyelia (SM) means that Ella’s skull is too small for her brain. The compression causes neurological damage resulting in bodily sensations of extreme pain. This condition particularly affects Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Ella had come through surgery successfully and the results during her first six months looked good, but now it appears that scar tissue is causing a recurrance of symptoms. Ella needs a new MRI and possibly another surgery.
Ella’s owner, having already spent her savings, has no way to afford more medical care. The only help left will have to come from us.
The Honest Kitchen: Food Fit for Kings
THE QUESTION
Having lost two dogs and a cat in little more than a year, I have deeply reflected upon my choices for them, as loss often inspires us to do. Knowing our rescue family enjoyed their final mid-teen years, I still wondered if I could have done more for their health and happiness. And now, how can I be a better mother to our next generation of rescues?
On the heals of these thoughts, I won a copy of Bethanne Elion’s book, Memoirs of a Bathtub Psychic, and devoured every page. It was more than a good story. It was an education. Bethanne offers a rare view into holistic healing, nutrition and the deep connection between the two. Her writing has inspired me to learn more.
THE ANSWER
While I often rant about the human food industry, from irradiated meat to pesticides and the dangers of genetically modified fruits and vegetables, I hadn’t much considered the content of my pet food. Commercials never educate beyond canned food, kibble and the various price ranges. As it turns out, there are far healthier options than either in any price range.
What I’ve gleaned from Bethanne, vets, breeders, and dog forums, is that a raw diet is the way to go. *FACEPALM* Of course it is. Animals don’t host BBQs in the wild. They don’t process their food into machine-groomed, bite-sized bits of unrecognizable brownness. By design, dogs eat on the spot, sparing no nutrient. Their systems are designed for this and a raw diet offers what they were born to eat. Now that I’ve got a clue, I wish to respect my dogs for the beings they are and provide for their needs in the best way possible.
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