FIND YOUR PET'S PROBLEM BELOW - CLICK on the LINE to GO to THAT SECTION
ONLINE and PHONE HELP with a VET or VETERINARY NUTRITIONIST

MEDICINE CHEST MUSTS - WONDERS TO HAVE AT HOME for HORSES, DOGS, CATS, RABBITS...

POISONOUS PLANTS+ POISONOUS PLANTS for PETS - SIGNS OF POISONING

DIARRHEA TREATING CAT DIARRHEA - KITTENS FAILING from CRONIC DIARRHEA

URINARY URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS - FELINE LOWER URINARY TRACT DISEASE

CONSTIPATION TREATMENTS for CAT CONSTIPATION - CONSTIPATED - COMPACTED

UPPER RESPIRATORY CAT DOG COLDS - UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS caused by HERPES, CALICIVIRUS, BARTONELLA HENSELAE, CHLAMYDIA
INCREDIBLY FAST SUCCESS with AZITHROMYCIN - AZITHROMAX - Z PAK: PNEUMONIA, BRONCHITIS SINUSITIS...

APPETITE CAT - DOG APPETITE STIMULATION

KILL EAR MITES CAT - DOG - HORSE -

SERIOUS ILLNESS CATS and DOGS PREVENTING - TREATING SERIOUS ILLNESS - TOP PICKS BUILDING IMMUNE SYSTEM
NATURAL MEGA IMMUNE BOOSTERS to FIGHT INFECTIONS, CANCER, RECOUP from SERIOUS INJURY, DECLINING ELDERLY PETS, AUTO IMMUNE PROBLEMS, POSITIVE TESTING FELV LEUKEMIA FELINES TESTING NEGATIVE AFTER TREATMENT - FIP CATS HEALING!

STOMACH UPSET, VOMITTING STOMACH UPSET - VOMITTING - INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

ITCHING PET SCRATCHING and ITCHING? UPSET STOMACH? CAT / DOG FOOD and ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES -TRIGGERS and CURES

ANTI-FREEZE EMERGENCY! ANTIFREEZE POISONING IN PETS - DOGS AND CATS

CANCER + CANCER - PULLING PETS THROUGH INCREDIBLE ODDS - WHAT WORKED for US

LIVER - KIDNEY FAILURE LIVER DISEASE, RENAL FAILURE - HORSES, DOGS, CATS

EPIPHICITIS CURING EPIPHICITIS in HORSES

May we stress that we are NOT veterinarians. Always consult your veterinarian with your pet's health concerns. We have included research and veterinarian suggestions as far as Antibiotics that have proven exemplory in treating various causes of upper respiratory illness, including those usually not diagnosed initially.
Also included are special discoveries such as vodka being used to save pets that drink Antifreeze, etc. These helpful hints are intended to give your vet additional information in treating your pet, or to hold you over until you can get to your vet or assist in treatments once the pet is back home again.
Be sure to tell your vet what you are doing to make sure it does not conflict with a regiment they may need to prescribe for your pet's situation.
You may need to act quickly with a home or local pharmacy based anecdote to help your pet until you can get them to their doctor. Kittens especially can fail very quicklly if corrective actions aren't taken right away at the first signs of illness or distress.
For Poisonings, such as Antifreeze poisoning we address on this page, fast action is mandatory for any pet to survive!

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL POWDER or CAPSULES:For accidental ingestion of poison, drugs, and household chemicals. Absorbs toxins passes them out of the body. Stops diarrhea, pulls toxins out of wounds when used as a poultice, stops stomach and intestinal gas, bad breath, ulcers...
Used for thousands of years. Harmless when it is accidentally inhaled, swallowed, or in contact with the skin. (But if enough is swallowed, it can cause a mild constipation.) No allergies to it have been reported. But it is best not to take activated charcoal longer than 12 weeks without stopping. Do not take it regularly for long periods of time.
Nature-Holistic-Health Has some terrific info on it including: It can adsorb lead acetate, strychnine, DDT, many drugs (including cocaine, iodine, penicillin, aspirin, phenobarbital), and inorganic substances (chlorine, lead, and mercury). Activated charcoal powder can adsorb thousands of times its own weight in gases, heavy metals, poisons, and other chemicals; thus it renders them ineffective and harmless. It can adsorb intestinal gas and deodorizes foul-smelling gases of various kinds. Activated charcoal can do these various things because of its ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there. This is called “adsorption” (not absorption). Another one of the benefits of activated charcoal is that it can adsorb thousands of times its own weight in harmful substances. Great for people and pets.
COLIC, GAS, BLOATING - A 1981 research study found that activated charcoal reduces the amount of gas produced by eating beans and other gas-forming foods. It adsorbs the excess gas, along with the bacteria which form the gas.
BAD BREATH + Activated charcoal helps eliminate bad breath, because it cleanses both the mouth and the digestive tract. It also helps to purify the blood.
DIARRHEA - It relieves symptoms of nervous diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea (turista), spastic colon, indigestion, and peptic ulcers. For such problems in a human, you would take between 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered activated charcoal up to 3 times a day. Because food will reduce its effectiveness, take it between meals. Swirl the charcoal in a glass of water and then drink it down; or mix it with olive oil and spoon it into your mouth. Same rules apply for pets, just size down the amount for a kitten, cat or small dog.
WOUNDS, BITES ...- Application of a moist, activated charcoal poultice and compress which actually draw bacteria and poisons through the skin and into the poultice or compress! The article describes the use of activated charcoal compresses to speed the healing of wounds and eliminate their odors. But the activated charcoal poultices must be kept moist and warm for this healing process to occur. It is one of the best substances in poultices for mushroom poisoning, insect stings, brown recluse spider bites, black widow bites, and various types of snake bites, poison oak and poison ivy.

SAMENTO CAT'S CLAW - NUTRAMEDIX SAMENTO MICROBIAL DEFENCE: A powerful Rainforest Cat's Claw vine extract minus the bad alkaloids. We use it for any intestinal issues, from dogs with colitis to horses colic'ing. Horse owners, see horse musts a few paragraphs below.
It takes 20 minutes from the time you dose to the time you see dramatic changes in the pet's ease of pain and calming of the intestines. It is a terrific pain killer, removes swelling, soothes the digestive tract and does a whole lot more... We dose all the pet water bowls with an eyedropper full to prevent any illnesses from coming along too. We buy ours at Naturestrust.net and AskAriel.com The following information is taken from the AskAriel site - awesome info and a terrific rainforest herb all pets and people should be taking daily for preventative as well as healing properties.
Very special and unique product. Easy to administer to pets—if you have difficulty with pills you will find this product easy to use. This is NOT the average cat’s claw found in the health food store. Some researchers believe that Samento may be as much as 1000 times more effective than Cat’s Claw. One of the most important differences between Samento and Cat’s Claw is that regular Cat’s Claw is an immune system stimulant and Samento is an immune system modulator. Therefore, Samento can be used to treat all autoimmune disorders such as allergies; this is not the case with Cat’s Claw.
Samento’s Cat’s Claw is a powerful immune system support product. It is beneficial for people and pets for the treatment of a wide range of immune system conditions such a cancer, arthritis, allergies, intestinal disorders, candida, herpes and more. Samento is a rare, very pure form of Cat’s Claw that has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-oxidant properties. Much clinical research has been done on this product and the benefits it can provide. For example, a European study found that Samento activates the immune system by increasing lymphocytic (white blood cell) activity. Samento is also a powerful anti-inflammatory which makes it very useful for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. It also helps to increase T-lymphocyte and microphage production and can be used as a broad spectrum infection fighter.
The effectiveness of Samento’s Cat’s Claw has been researched for some time as viral diseases such as AIDs have become more prevalent.
Some of the beneficial properties of Samento are attributed to the pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids (POAs) that are found in the plant that act on the cellular immune system and demonstrate powerful immune system modulating properties. SAMENTO does not contain the tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids (TOAs) that are found in traditional Cat's Claw. TOAs disrupt central nervous system function and greatly inhibit the effects of the POAs.
Nutramedix Samento Cat's Claw clinically appears to cross the blood / brain barrier within 2 min.

MMS: Activated Chlorine Dioxide murders anaerobic (non air breathing) cells – pathogens, parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria, cancer, etc. in the body without touching aerobic (air breathing) cells. It kills malaria, pneumonia, colds, flu, food poisoning in just a few hours hours! Sodium Chlorite (MMS) + Citric Acid (lemon, lime juice or 10% citric acid solution ) + 3 min waiting (activation) = Chlorine Dioxide.
What Is MMS.com - We make 5% MMS solution and 10% Citric Acid. The following info is if you're using the weaker citric acid percentage or lemon - lime juice as your activator. For a cat, rabbit or small dog, use 1 - 2 DROPS of 5% Sodium Chlorite solution to 5 or 10 drops 10% Citric Acid solution - lemon juice - lime juice, activate 3 minutes, becomes Chlorine Dioxide gas. It's a 1/5 ratio with the MMS always being the smaller number. Add enough water and a nice plop of honey or sugar to hide the citrus taste to fill a small syringe and dose. For a kitten, mix the dose, then give 1/2 of it. Discard the rest, it will not remain active for long. For a 75 lb. dog, we would dose 5 - 6 drops of the Sodium Cholorite solution to 25 - 30 drops of citrus juice and activate. 1 teaspoon of citrus is approximately 40 drops.
The gas will live in the body for 1 - 2 hrs. and destroy any anaerobic pathogen - bacteria, virus, fungus, cancer cells, parasites it comes into contact with. Not healthy aerobic cells, just the badies. We have found, working with our many rescues that intestinal attacks can almost always be stopped with MMS. We see results within 2 hours of first dose. We dose again just in case we missed any pathogens the following day. We use MMS as a preventative measure too - make a dose and mix in canned food weekly. A small does more often is always better than a large dose which can cause your pet to throw up or feel worse! We've never seen a negative side effect dosing small and more often. You can dose every one - two hours if needed.
NEWEST VERSION IS CDS! Chlorine Dioxide Gas can now be embedded directly into water. An incredibly easy and gentle version - Keep the solution in the fridge. No mixing, just dose into water. 3ml = 5 drops of traditional MMS.

COLLOIDAL SILVER is a safe Health Food store over the counter antibiotic that can be put in the nose, eyes, drinking water, etc. 2-3 drops in each nostril for this too. It will cure an amazing number of ailments, from skin problems to scratched eyes (make sure that the bottle says okay for eyes, not all do!), cuts and skin irritations even in the most sensitive of areas. We use it orally to prevent a cat getting sick when we see the symptoms starting. Be sure not to contaminate the bottle by dipping in and out while treating a sick pet. Transfer a small amount to a sterile small eyedropper bottle and work from that instead, refilling as needed. Health food stores carry it.
Since it's a natural antibiotic, it's great for soothing and healing nasal, mouth or throat ulcers caused by the viruses.
Chronic stuffy heads and noses are eased with Colloidal Silver. With our sick cats, after the second dose of colloidal silver drops in their nose, their breathing improved 50% overnight. Amazing results. They were given a drop in each nostril twice a day and two droppers a day orally until the sinus problem and cold symptoms were gone.

VODKA: Add Baking Soda and Activated Charcoal - Immediate treatment for a pet that drinks radiator coolant - antifreeze. Usually it's a puddle in the driveway and a pet drinks it. Deadly. Info on how to dose while you're getting your pet to emergency.

PSYLLIUM - PLAIN METAMUCIL: Psyllium can be used to prevent and to treat constipation, large bowel diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, and anal gland disease in dogs and cats. Psyllium is made from the fibrous coating of a plant seed. It passes through the intestines undigested, and in the colon, absorbs water and swells making the stool larger and softer in the case of constipation. It serves to absorb excess water in the case of diarrhea. The increased bulk in the colon stimulates intestinal contractions and bowel movements. May take 4 hours to start seeing effects. Has also been used to increase stool size to help with recurring anal gland problems. The increased bulk of the stool helps to put more pressure on the glands so they express themselves. Other bulk forming laxatives include oat and rice bran as well as pumpkin puree which many cats and dogs like.
Horse owners - see next paragraph!

VICK'S VAPOR RUB: Inhaling the vapors can do wonders for pet stuffy heads. Found in just about everyone's medicine cabinet. Open a jar of Vick's and invite your sick cat under a blanket with the open jar. Holding the kitty against you for warmth and security, the warmed air under the blanket infused with the Vick's jelly aroma helps to clear stuffed heads and noses. Let the kitty fall asleep breathing the air if it wants to, the longer the better. Don't smear it on your cat, you don't want them licking if off and eating it! Just breath the air.

BAG BALM: Available at feed stores, drug stores,etc. Ear mite remedy - treat cracked paw pads on pets - put on sores to help heal and keep flies off wounds and give them a chance to heal.

HERBS - LICORICE ROOT, BURDOCK ROOT, SLIPPERY ELM:
Burdock root contains polyacetylenes, a chemical that kills disease-causing bacteria and fungi. It also reduces mucus and prevents formation of gall and kidney stones. As Burdock contains vitamin A and selenium, it can eliminate free radicals. Burdock has been used by the chinese and Ayurvedic healers as a remedy for colds, flu, throat infections and pneumonia.
Slippery Elm - the inner bark of Slippery Elm is rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, B. C, & K, which soothes organs, tissues and mucus membranes, especially the lungs and intestines.
Licorice root is used for many ailments including asthma, bursitis, canker sores, chronic fatigue, depression, colds and flu, coughs, dandruff, emphysema, gingivitis and tooth decay, gout, heartburn, HIV, viral infections, fungal infections, ulcers, liver problems, Lyme disease, psoriasis, sore throat, tuberculosis, ulcers, yeast infections, arthritis. Licorice root contains many anti-depressant compounds and is an excellent alternative to St. John's Wort.
Hundreds of potentially healing substances have been identified in licorice as well, including compounds called flavonoids and various plant estrogens (phytoestrogens). The herb's key therapeutic compound, glycyrrhizin (which is 50 times sweeter than sugar) exerts numerous beneficial effects on the body, making licorice a valuable herb for treating a host of ailments. It seems to prevent the breakdown of adrenal hormones such as cortisol (the body's primary stress-fighting adrenal hormone), making these hormones more available to the body.

HORSE OWNERS: Keep Gas-X and Beeno on hand. A lot of colic is from gas, you can see the horses belly balooning out. 4 Gas-X for a normal size horse and a slow walk will do the trick quite quickly if it's this type of colic. Put Beeno into treats before meals for several days if gas was the problem.
To prevent sand colic, be sure to dose a high grade Psyllium product for 7 days in a row each month - 2/3 - 1 cup a day is about the dose.
Slippery Elm Bark Powder in Chamomile Tea is terrific to ease the digestive tract. Slippery Elm Bark Powder is used to treat irritation and ulceration of all mucosal membranes within the body. It will completely repair the mucus lining of any affected area and can be used in conjunction with Chamomile Tea to treat scouring in horses by healing the lining of the whole of the gastro-intestinal tract. A single daily dose for a period of 12 weeks will allow complete healing or any ulceration or irritation in your horses gut. The inner bark of Slippery Elm is rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, B. C, & K, which soothes organs, tissues and mucus membranes, especially the lungs and intestines. The dosage to treat scours is 1/3 cup powder mixed into a paste with a quantity of cold Chamomile Tea. This paste is given directly or added to the horses feed or bran mash.
We cut fresh elm tree limbs and branches from our surrounding elm trees for the horses regularly. They eat the leaves and debark the limbs. Fun and healing - keeps them busy all day!
Nutramedix Samento Cat's claw - one whole eyedropper in a syringe of water - 20 minutes, we've had colic's just go away.

Another veterinarian that will give you consultation is Dr. Roni Hines. The fee is $26.00. You can send photos and lab work from your vet and Dr. Hines will help you with decisinos and solving problems with your pet. The site is a terrific source of information: 2nd Chance Info.
Just Answer.com: A reader told us about a site called Just Answer.com. She received excellent help from a vet or nutrionist on line. They have professionals on line to answer questions. You leave a deposit, the lowest being $13.00 USD and if you're satisfied with the response you allow the deposit to go through. AskAriel.com has a pet nutrionist Susan Davis and Holistic veterinarianDr. David Gordon available for consultation. Consultations run $81.00 to $195.00 depending upon what is needed: You can schedule a telephone consultation, be sure to check your email because they will contact you BY EMAIL regarding consultation times. Initial Appointment with Susan Davis, CCN $81
--Emergency After Hours Appointment with Susan Davis, CCN $150
Initial Appointment with Susan Davis, CCN and Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian $195
Recheck Appointment with Susan Davis, CCN $68.
Shirley's Wellness Cafe has a list of licensed Veterinarians who practice Holistic Medicine in the U.S. Many available for phone consultations. They also have several pages full of Alternative Therapies through Holistic Medicine with information on a host of issues from vaccination side effects and healing with Transfer Factor to Optimum Animal Nutrition.

Stool Color Guide Any of the following requires IMMEDIATE medical attention
Bloody: red blood in stool might indicate panleukepenia (distempter).
Black: possible bleeding high in the bowel.
Mucous: slimy substance can indicate a severe bowel irritation.
White: possible serious bowel infection. High risk of death.
The following may require that you seek medical advice:
Orange: could be too much bile in stool.
Yellow: bacterial imbalance in bowel.
CHECK FOR DEHYDRATION: It is critical that your cat does not become dehydrated. Be sure they are drinking plenty of water. If not, wrap your pet in a towel, securing the legs and using a syringe, slowly squirt 1/2 unflavored PEDIALITE (grocery store - pharmacy) and 1/2 water down the throat. This will help replace lost electrolytes etc. Be careful not to go to fast and choke the kitten. To check for dehydration, pinch the skin over the shoulders. If the cat is well hydrated it should snap back. If not, it will return slowly. Give the kitten that isn't eating NUTRIMALT PASTE available at vet offices and pet shops - to put in some calories and give energy. Petco usually carries it. Cats and kittens with diarrhea need to drink a lot of water, be sure they have plenty available!
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS CAUSING CRONIC DIARRHEA: MMS - If you have it in your medicine kit - For a cat, rabbit or small dog, use 1 DROP of 5% Sodium Chlorite solution to 5 drops 10% Citric Acid solution - lemon juice - lime juice, activate 3 minutes, becomes Chlorine Dioxide gas. Add enough water to fill a small syringe and dose. For a kitten, mix the dose, then give 1/2 of it. Discard the rest, it will not remain active for long. For a 75 lb. dog, we would dose 5 - 6 drops of the Sodium Cholorite solution to 25 - 30 drops of citrus juice and activate. 1 teaspoon of citrus is approximately 40 drops. They are now selling a 1:1 ratio kit that makes it super easy to mix the formula if using citric acid instead of lemon or lime juice.
The gas will live in the body for 1 - 2 hrs. and destroy any anaerobic pathogen - bacteria, virus, fungus, cancer cells, parasites it comes into contact with. Not healthy aerobic cells, just the badies. We have found, working with our many rescues that intestinal attacks can almost always be stopped with MMS. We see results within 2 hours of first dose. We dose again just in case we missed any pathogens the following day. We use MMS as a preventative measure too - make a dose and mix in canned food weekly. A small does more often is always better than a large dose which can cause your pet to throw up or feel worse! We've never seen a negative side effect dosing small and more often. You can dose every few hours if needed.
We have had excellent success with bacterial intestinal infection problems using AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC, helping tremendously in a matter of hours. Request this antibiotic from your vet if your pet has an intestinal bacterial infection. Once your veterinarian has ruled out parasites as the cause for your kitten or cat's diarrhea, you may want to try these suggestions that have worked for us religiously. This antibiotic is often prescribed for human conditions, from skin problems to upper repiratory infections. You can also buy it to have on hand through online pharmacies. Not cheap, but just a small amount does the trick, one dose lasts 7 days in cats and dogs. Redose once again just incase. Veterinarian Jennifer Fry addresses this problem in an Ask the Veterinarian. The dose is 1/4 of a 250mg tablet for a 7 pound cat, 1/2 tablet for a 10-12 lb cat. just administered once weekly - usually 2 doses will do the trick.
ACTIVATED CHARCOAL (health food store in capsule form usually) is terrific at gathering up toxins, stopping diarrhea and getting poisons out of the body - a must for every medicine chest! Great for people and pets.
KITCHEN ELEMENTS - Diarrhea is often caused by food moving too quickly through the digestive tract. Our personal favorite ingredient in stopping this rush through the system is OATMEAL and RICE BRAN. If you don't have either, you can substitute BROWN (much better) or WHITE RICE (not as good but it will do in a pinch). Fiber absorbs the excess fluid in the intestine.
Other great sources are: PUMPKIN PUREE and PSYLLUM (Metamucil no flavor at the pharmacy). Be sure to buy Pumpin Puree NOT Pie filling. Psyllium is found in the Pharmacy department as Metamucil (no flavor) - just mix a capsule in some canned food. Fiber is vital in controling diarrhea.
Our favorite protein to settle a kitten or puppy's stomach is WHOLE LIFE CHICKEN or TURKEY PURE MEAT TREATS, we soak in hot water to make a broth, adding a fiber source from above. The pet can also snack on the dry meat treats if they like.
Support Vitamins - Minerals - Good Bacteria - We start adding just a dusting of MEGA C PLUS to this diet. Not too much, you don't want to start diarrhea, just want to get the system built back up again. Keep the kitten on this diet for 5 days, then start adding a good quality canned food as described next. We put NutraMedix Samento Microbial Defense an eyedropper in a pet's water source to take away swelling in the intestine, removes pain and boost the immune system in 20 minutes after dosing. If syringing the claw, just 5 drops in an eyedropper of water for a cat or dog is terrific. PROBIOS or ACIDOPHILLUS will replace the good bacterial culture in the intestestine you must have to live and digest food! It's a vital part of recovery. You can use any good grade (refrigerated) Acidophillus + formula, people versions are just fine too.
PLAIN PURE YOGURT with live culture, is a wonderful source of natural good flora and many cats love the taste. Just a tablespoon a day to establish a healthy culture, then a few times a week to maintain.
Diarrhea can also be caused by irritation in the digestive tract. Vets go either way on this one. Some say it's a miracle while others say it is poisonous to cats! ALOE VERA not only enhances the immune system, but it relieves inflammation in the digestive tract. Give a cat 1/2 ml to 1 ml (cc) twice daily. You can also put it in their food. Aloe will also help with constipation. Organically grown fresh cut leaf is the best source. A whole leaf can be processed in your food processor and the juice extracted a perfect source. Juice is sold in health food stores. You can also find it in a dry state. Wellvet.com writes about it's effectiveness in many areas healing birds, cats and dogs. Fresh pure meat is terrific in settling a pet's digestion. Raw meats have enzymes that canned or dry don't have.
We don't use the Aloe Vera ourselves, but opt for the Samento Cat's Claw instead.
If you are feeding the pet some canned food, use chicken, turkey or beef, beef liver formula - 1 part canned, 1 part oatmeal or rice. Let it soften. Add a teaspoon - tablespoon of Pumpkin Puree, Rice Bran or capsule of Psyllium.

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS: Cats who don't drink enough or have diarrhea often develop problems urinating, you will see them running back and forth to the box but not going, stressing and pacing. They may also try to pee in places you don't want them too if they feel that pee'ing in their box is painful. Your pet could have a serious urinary tract problem. Kidneys and bladder can fill to the point of rupture. These problems are excruciatingly painful for your cat. Usually seen in male cats that were neutered before 6 months of age. These cats urethra's never developed to adult size. Crystals form in the urethra which is as thin as a needle and block urination. The crystals are made up of magnesium ammonium phosphate.
MMS - Dose to kill the bacteria causing the infection with an hour or two. See Medicine Chest above for dosing.
TAKE YOUR CAT TO THE VET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that they can drain his kidneys and bladder. If you have CRANBERRY CAPSULES in our medicine chest, dose right away. They are available at Grocery and health food stores. You can empty the contents of a capsule mix with a small amount of water - dose the cat with a syringe if available every few hours. You can also mix the contents of the capsule in a can of favorite cat food. Do wo twice a day. If the problem goes away the cat has bacteria sticking to the urinary tract causing an infection. Continue dosing during the day to keep the urinary tract clean. Cranberry doesn't allow bacteria to stick to the bladder, etc. You can also use Cranberry as a weekly deterrent to the build up of bacteria and prevent crystals from forming by creating an acidic enviroinment in the urine. We found some terrific products that help to prevent ever having this problem. First is Belfield.com's CARPON, by the same makers of MEGA C feline vitamins we recommended in sections above. You can order all of their amazing products through a link off of the Carpon information page. When the experts discovered that the offending crystals blocking the urethra were composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate, they developed the low ash concept - preventing FLUTD by reducing the magnesium in cat diets. Recently however, scientists are dispelling this theory and adding magnesium chloride to cat diets. They found that is was not the magnesium in itself, but rather the alkaline quality of cat's urine which allowed crystals to form. Cats with acidic (non alkaline) urine did not develop crystals. The acidic urine dissolved the crystals and prevented new ones from forming. Carpon is cranberry extract in a pill form ready for crushing into food. It is a natural urinary acidifier that has no toxic side effects. Another terrific product is PET NATURALS BLADDER SUPPORT FOR CATS which combines ingredients to support bladder muscle strength as well as bladder emptying and bladder health. They too have a number of other wonderful products that prevent cat and dog illness through proper nutrition. This formula as well as others available on their site help elderly pets with urinary tract issues as well.
HYDRATION -NutraMedix Samento Microbial Defense 6 drops in an eyedropper of water, twice a day. It takes a minute for the drops to activate in water. We keep this on hand for our cats and kittens, puppies and dogs for anything from digestive to urinary and respiratory. This special Cat's Claw is also very beneficial in healing intestinal tracts, liver and spleen function, antibiotic and so much more.
Acidophilus from the health food store or PROBIOS can be dosed preventatively as well as during a problem to help eliminate the bacteria invading your pet.
WATER FOUNTAINS: There are water fountains on the market for cats. Many cats love the oxygenated water and drink much more water out of these fountains than they would do out of a stale bowl.

CONSTIPATION - SERIOUS PROBLEM: Veterenarians will tell you that mid life is a common time to see this problem. The primary causes are dehydration and fur balls in cats on an all dry food diet or a poor quality dry food diet. Sometimes a cat's muscle contractions in their colon can slow and cause the problem. Our vet prescribed REGLAN. Reglan increases intestinal contractions and helps food to travel through the intestines.
Compaction is extremely serious. If you know your cat hasn't had a bowel movement in 24 - 36 hours, get the pet to the vet. They can determine just what is causing the problem and prescribe the proper remedy. They may want to sedate the pet and give an enema. Don't do this at home yourself, it is far too easy to seriously or even permanentely injure your pet. A compacted colon can allow waste to reenter the body and cause a host of serious illnesses. Compaction is serious enough to require a surgical solution if the problem if ignored for too long. It can also be a very painful condition.
Make sure that the cat is in fact able to urinate. Especially neutered male cats can be straining to urinate because of a blocked urethra. Seek veterinary assistance right away if gentle remedies are not successful.
CONSTIPATION - COMPACTION: Syringe COD LIVER OIL, FLAX SEED OIL, NUTRIMALT PASTE available at pet shops to help with a constipated pet. Loads of water is needed to soften the stool in the intestines - PROBIOS powder or ACIDOPHILLUS in WATER as well as a CRANBERY EXTRACT will help just in case you may have a urinary tract issue. Giving your cat a capsule of CRANBERRY EXTRACT opened up and the contents mixed into a small syringe of water will keep bacteria from sticking to the bladder and help treat an infection or prevent one if the cat is not drinking enough water to wash out the tract. Redose every few hours.
FLEET BABYLAX suppository and MIRAMAX Stool softener and lubricator (grocery store / pharmacy) can be administered ever so carefully if you can't get to a vet.
This can carry you overnight until your vet office is open or your pet's constipation is relieved.
FUR BALLS CAN BLOCK THE COLON, ODD ITEMS EATEN - Cats shed and groom themselves by lickin and ingesting the hair. This can most certainly lead to constipation or an imipaction. If a cat eats a string of tinsel from a Christmas tree or a length of ribbon, such things can cause impaction. Keep kittens and playful cats away from the festivities until such items can be removed!
Dose with PETROMALT regularly and add RICE or OAT BRAN to the canned food. The Rice Bran will help to move the hair out of the system and avoid a compaction. TREATMENTS:
Give CANNED FOOD, WITHHOLD DRY FOOD or SOAK DRY FOOD IN WATER - Once the cat is normal again, slowly reintroduce a very high quality dry like the EAGLE PACK foods we suggest below in the Cat Colds section. Dry food can also be soaked in water and oils slipped in as well.
COD LIVER OIL and OTHER FATS - Taken orally, this is a gentle lubricant. Flax Seed Oil, Olive oil, Vegetable oil can help as well. Tuna packed in vegetable oil may be something your cat would like the taste of. Butter or other animal fat may be appealing to other cats.
ACEDOPHILLUS and the related GOOD BACTERIA. We use PROBIOS horse supplement dispersible powder or acedoophillus from the health food store sprinkled over their wet or dry food. This good bacteria has to be alive and thriving throughout the intestines in order for humans, dogs, cats, horses, birds, you name it, to digest and produce waste. Without it, you won't live. Our bodies naturally reproduce this flora, but when a body is under stress or has been subjected to antibiotics, the good bacteria is destroyed and we need to reintroduce a new crop. Plain yogurt is also a useful source of this bacteria. The Probios is also a great thing to mix with potent powdered vitamins with just a bit of water and shot down the throat with a syringe. The Probios masks the vitamin flavor very well.
NUTRIMALT PASTE available at pet shops is extremely helpful and easy to dose for cats that won't eat. It has an oil base as well to help in lubricating their intestines.
METAMUSIL (or other pure psyllium product) or RICE BRAN. If your cat is just constipated, start by giving plenty of water and 1/4 tsp. of plain Metamusil - Psyllium or Rice Bran in water. If your cat could be blocked by fur balls or any other obstruction, don't administer the Psyillium. It won't help with what is already in the colon, only what comes through now. It can actually make matters worse.
PUMPKIN PUREE - Canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, can help to balance both diarrhea and constipation in a cat. Mix a spoon into canned cat food. MILK - A little bit of milk can loosen up the system. Normally it's a no no for cats, but they do love the taste and it can loosen up their systems very effectively.
EXERCISE - Many older cats don't exercise as often as the youngsters. Consider adopting a young cat or kitten would liven things up in your household and encourage your older cat to play and exercise. You can introduce your cat to wellness walks as described in the Cat Colds section below. Follow our Horus on a Wellness Walk. Exercise is Prokinetic and will increase intestinal contractions naturally. Don't force a compacted or cat in pain to exercise. Leave your wellness walk pace up to the individual cat if and when they want to. Most love a stroll through the garden with their person, just remember the harness and leash and avoid any potential negative encounters, like aggressive neighbor dogs...
MIRAMAX (Polyethylene glycol at the grocery store or pharmacy) is an Osmotic stool softener and aids in lubrication. It pulls water into the intestine through the intestinal lining, which can dehydrate the cat. Be sure to give extra water and do not use long term! This is a once in a blue moon emergency product. It is not natural and safe like other treatments.
We administered a scant 1/4 teaspoon in water for a 12 lb. cat. This product can be given if the cat could be compacted. It treats what is in the colon, softening and lubricating the contents.
FLEET BABYLAX or GLYCERINE or MINERAL OIL & a NARROW PLASTIC SYRINGE - Fleet Babylax is a glycerine suppository you gently work into the backside of the cat. Put a glob of Vaseline on the end and work very slowly so prevent tearing the delicate tissues. Once inserted, gently squeeze out the contents. If swelling is involved or the problem is with a small cat, you may need to go the narrow syringe istead of what is provided in packaging.
Put a small amount of glycerine or mineral oil into the syringe, covered the tip with Vaseline and slowly gently with almost no pressure pushed it just an inch into the colon. Once in the small amount of glycerine was delivered ever so slowly. Get someone to help you keep the cat calm and quiet during the proceedure.

COLDS, SINUSITUS, BRONCHITIS, PNEUMONIA: SYMPTOMS: SNEEZING, NASAL DISCHARGE, RUNNY EYES, COUGH, ORAL OR NASAL ULCERS, SNIFFLES, FEVER, HOARSE VOICE, NO APPETITE OR ANY COMBINATION THEROF. Most of the kittens and cats we rescue from pounds and rescues as well as many visiting the vet for other reasons, end up with colds and more severe upper respiratory infections which also involve the cat's lungs. Kittens always suffer the most from these colds and infections because they do not have the more developed immune systems that adult cats have. Cats that can not smell due to their stuffy heads, often times don't want to eat or even drink. Do everything you can to keep this from happening. Cats dehydrate quickly and it becomes more difficult to get a cat that has stopped eating to start up again.
Painful ulcers can form on the cat's eyes, nose or in the mouth. In young kittens, pneumonia may result from an upper respiratory infection.
ANTIBIOTICS - 90% of colds and upper respiratory infections are viral in origin. No antibiotics work against viruses. The reason your vet may prescribe an antibiotic for your pet is because these viral infections become complicated by secondary bacterial invaders. The antibiotics do work against bacterial infections. Chlamydia psittaci or felis is such an organism that is sensitive to the tetracycline family (such as doxycycline). When an antibiotics is prescribed, tetracyclines and their relatives are frequently chosen. Tetracycline use can permanently stain the teeth of immature animals, so often times they are not chosen for younger cats.
See *A LESS COMMON BACTERIAL CAUSE...below for a bacteria that does cause similar symptoms and can be killed off with a special antibiotic.

The only antibiotic we use for serious respiratory issues is - Zpak or Azithromycin. We find all the pink stuff and white stuff absolutely useless in treating upper respiratory problems. The herbs listed here

HERBS and SUPPLEMENTS -
We go for the MMS and kill off any bacteria or virus right now, small doses repeated every 3 - 4 times a day for a few days, then once a day for a few days to make sure you got everything. If you don't have MMS in your medicine chest, get it. If you do, dose it. A cold will be gone in a fraction of the usual time, regardless of it's source, bacterial or viral. The gas that goes in and kills the pathogens only lives in the body 1-2 hours. Only dose vitamin C hours before or after MMS treatments!
Burdock Root, Slippery Elm, Licorice Root, MEGA C only when MMS isn't active in the body! Samento Microbial Defense dosed twice daily.
Burdock root contains polyacetylenes, a chemical that kills disease-causing bacteria and fungi. It also reduces mucus and prevents formation of gall and kidney stones. As Burdock contains vitamin A and selenium, it can eliminate free radicals. Burdock has been used by the chinese and Ayurvedic healers as a remedy for colds, flu, throat infections and pneumonia.
Slippery Elm - the inner bark of Slippery Elm is rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins A, B. C, & K, which soothes organs, tissues and mucus membranes, especially the lungs and intestines.
Licorice root is terrific for a host of ailments including asthma, canker sores, depression, colds and flu, coughs, viral infections, fungal infections and sore throat.

* HERPES & CALICIVIRUS TO BLAME: Almost all feline upper respiratory infections are caused by either the feline Herpes or feline Calicivirus. Neither of these infections is transmissible to humans or to other animals.
Most feline colds last for a week to 10 days regardless of treatment. In cats, these infections are permanent, the Herpesvirus infections are recurring like all types of Herpes infections. In kittens Herpes infections are notorious for lasting a very long time. Stresses on their systems from things such as surgery (neutering/spaying or declawing), kennel boarding, or a new feline in the family can bring about a new Herpes upper respiratory spell. These episodes may recur for the life of the cat though as the cat matures, the symptoms become less and less severe and often may not even be noticeable to the owner.
A cat with the Herpesvirus is contagious to other cats for a couple of weeks after a stressful event. Cats infected with Calicivirus are contagious for several months after infection but do not appear to have recurrences the same way cats with Herpes do.

*LESS COMMON BACTERIAL CAUSES of UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS:
BARTONELLA HENSELAE - Severe cold symptoms like intense sneezing and thick mucus coughed out of the lungs, colds that don't want to go away can be caused by the Bartonella henselae bacteria. This is the same bacterium that causes "Cat Scratch Fever" in humans. It is found in multi cat environments, like pounds and shelters. Most cats exposed to this bacteria don’t exhibit any symptoms at all. You can ask your vet for a blood test for this infection that is not killed off by common antibiotics like Clavamox or Orbax. The blood test takes 5 to 7 days to get results. The treatment is three weeks on AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC. It may take another week for all the symptoms to go away, but this antibiotic will clear up a cat with this far less common condition. Knowing of it's existence and asking your vet to check for it can save you and your cat a lot of wasted time and misery using common antibiotics that won't help. Especially if you know that the cat comes from a shelter, pound or multi cat environment!
CHLAMYDIA - Chlamydis is a common cause of Respiratory Tract Infections - 'RTI', and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections - 'URTI'. URTI's cause nasal congestion and discharge and runny eyes. RTI's affect the lungs and can cause pneumonia. Chlamydia is a major health problem for breeders. It causes a flu like illness with sneezing, serous (clear) discharge from the nose and runny eyes, contributing to chronic runny eyes in cats. Researchers feel that it could easily be the cause of Fading Kitten Syndrome and Pneumonia in kittens. Young kittens stop feeding, develop a rattly chest and very often die from this condition. AZITHROMAX ANTIBIOTIC or Z PAK is a safe newer antibiotic that is also highly effective against chlamydia as well.
CHRONIC RHINITIS or SINUSITIS often responds to Zithromax as well. Veterinarian Jennifer Fry addresses this problem in an Ask the Veterinarian. The dose is 1/4 of a 250mg tablet for a 7 pound cat, 1/2 tablet for a 10-12 lb cat. once weekly - many times 2 doses will do it.
We suggest you ask your vet about using Azithromycin - Zithromax also known as Z Pak instead of other antibiotics right off the bat in case your cat has Chlamydia or Bartonella henselae bacterial infections. The name brand drug is very expensive, but in most cases, one cat would need only a 1/2 to 1 single 250 mg pill for the entire treatment - 1/4 - 1/2 one week, same dose the next.
Generic versions of the drug are far less expenisive. Ask your pharmacy if they carry the Generic version when filling a prescription from your vet. If you go online, may we warn you that there are Canadian Pharmacies and we are sure many others who are simply middlemen, stock nothing and are selling a generic version out of India. You can wait to recieve product from India then through US customs is a month or so. If you can't get the drug immediately and are forced to wait for it to be shipped from overseas, we suggest killing off the pathogen causing the infection with MMS now, and storing the Z-Pak pills in your medicine chest for future need.
NOTE! You may have to hold off on any herbal products, vitamins minerals and other drugs or medications while your cat is being treated with Zithromax or other antibiotics. Avoid sunshine as well while on Zithromax. Tell your vet / pharmacist what herbal products, vitamins minerals or drugs and medications your kitten or cat is taking to make sure a combination is safe. Azithromycin Drug Warning information.
AZITHROMYCIN - ZITHROMAX DOSING: Researchers say that the dose for cats is 20mg Zithromax per kg body weight. Dr. David Richardson of the Ragajac Ragdoll Cattery in Australia wrote about the findings in Zithromax - The Modern Treatment of Feline Chlamydia.
It is available in a syrup with 600 mg of Zithromax in 15 mls. An average size cat would be given 20mg 3 times = 60mg or 1.5mls of syrup. (Opt for pills if given a choice! The syrup has no shelf life).
It is also available in 250 mg and 500mg tablets. The dose for an average 3kg cat would be 1/4 of a 250mg tablet - or 1/8 of a 500mg tablet.
This also translates to: 1/4 of a 250mg tablet for a 7 pound cat, 1/2 tablet for a 10-12 lb cat. once weekly - many times only 2 doses (which lasts in the body two weeks) will do the trick for most illnesses.
A single dose quiets down the symptoms in badly affected cats, but they may recur in a few weeks. Zithromax remains at an effective concentration within the tissues for a week, thus giving a single dose is like giving a seven day course of a shorter lived antibiotic. For cats with severe infections, and cats that have been symptomatic for weeks or months, Dr. David Richardson suggests repeating the 20mg/kg dose seven days after the initial dose.
*CHECK FOR DEHYDRATION: It is critical that your cat does not become dehydrated. Be sure they are drinking plenty of water. If not, wrap your pet in a towel, securing the legs and using a syringe, slowly squirt 1/2 unflavored PEDIALITE and 1/2 water down the throat. This will help replace lost electrolytes etc. Be careful not to go to fast and choke the kitten. To check for dehydration, pinch the skin over the shoulders. If the cat is well hydrated it should snap back. If not, it will return slowly.
*QUARANTINE: If only one cat is showing signs of illness, quarantine that individual from the rest of the cats in your house if you have multiple cats. Colds travel through a cat community just as quickly as colds travel through people communities.
*COMFORT: Make the cat as comfortable as possible. They are as miserable as you or I with a bad cold. Be sure they have fresh food and water and a clean litter box nearby. Give them love and attention, but don't bother them too much, cats like to be quiet and alone or lay quietly in your arms when ill. An excellent therapy area is a small room in which you can control drafts and heat.

MUSIC, VIDEO, TWINKLE LIGHT THERAPY: Playing Classical,New Age or Celtic, etc. music softly in your quarantine room will give your sick cat or kitten something to listen to. Even a book being read on CD or Ipod. We have a Kitty DVD that plays squirrels and birds and their sounds that entertains cats for hours. Give your sick cat a low impact source of entertainment. Above, Horus who came from the pound with the worst cold, watches his favorite DVD - VIDEO CATNIP on a Mac laptop. Some kitties are not as civilized about watching as he is, you may need to use a television monitor that can tolerate little paws batting the screen! We put twinkle lights all around the room so that a sick kitty can listen to music, and watch the soft lights twinkle. Plenty of soft light - not bright sunlight if you are using antibiotics, Azithromax for example, requires the patient not be in sunshine.
SUNSHINE & WILL TO GET WELL THERAPY:
If on Zithromax antibiotic, there is a drug warning to avoid sunshine! Shady walks for these kitties.
If not on antibiotics, we take our sick kids outside in the sunshine to absorb vitamin D and trigger the mental process, the will to get well by stimulating their senses watching nature, be it a bird in the tree or a fly buzzing or a lizard running down a path. It becomes a highlight in their day. Make sure you keep them out of drafts and winds. Wrap them up in a jacket or towel and keep the cat or kitten warm and safe until you reach your garden spot. Always put a harness on the cat just in case you experience an unexpected panic etc. Better safe than sorry! Just 10 - 15 minutes will make a world of difference to a sick cat's mood. Our lethargic sickly cats perk up and love the heat and warmth. They go back into their rooms purring, drinking water, eating their food afterward, happy and ready for a nap after their big adventure. It's mental magic and so beneficial to the healing process.
These walks, taken twice daily if weather allowed, were responsible for Horus' gaining strength and endurance, a will to eat and drink water and something to look forward to each day. He grew and put on weight during his illness as well. His lungs were pushed and filled with oxygen. name="anchor_walk" id="anchor_walk">

FOLLOW HORUS ON HIS WELLNESS WALKS THROUGH THE GARDEN.

*WARMTH - COOLING: Be sure your cat is warm. Make a nest in a sunny window, or one with a view if available. Below Genghis Kahn in his favorite spot watching squirrels, birds and horses from his warm safe window nest.
With fevers, they can feel chilled or too warm. Provide warming as well as cooling areas so that your sick pet can be comfortable. We use a cool folded sheet for cooling, we put one near a window glass.
To keep the kitty warm:

*Fleece blankets and soft knit afghans are favorites in our quarantine room.
* We use shearlings or sheepskin hides as well.They are incredibly comfortable and hold in heat, super cushioned and comfy year round. They are also machine washable! (Gentlest cycle, cold water with Woolite, Downy softener in the rinse cycle. Spin out as much water as possible, shake out and drape over a shower door to dry, skin side down. Never dry with heat, that includes sun. Between washings, comb or brush like a pet.)
*A safe room heater such as a portable oil furnace with temperature controls is terrific. You won't have to heat the entire house, but your sick cat or kitten can breathe warmed air.
*Purchase a microwaveable pet heating disk and put it in your pets bed. These last for many hours and offer wonderful comfort. Be sure to place the disc under a towel so that it isn't initially too hot against the pet's skin. It will also soften the area over the hard disc.
*If you don't have a disc, a down jacket in a box or pet bed with the feather side up covered with a towel makes a terrific soft inviting self heating bed.
*A heating pad sandwiched between a blanket or towel below for cushioning and as well as on top works well too. Be sure the electrical cord isn't obvious if your cat is interested in them or a kitten and the temperature isn't too hot.

*A reptile sun lamp is great hooked above a pet bed. Above, Horus hugs a toy as he basks under the heat of a lamp. His bed is a small pet bed with sides and a sheepskin on top. The heat directly on the head helps drain and comfort blocked nasal passages better than any other heat source. It will also heat the lungs for kitties who's respiratory problems are more severe. The sheepskin or whatever you use to keep in heat helps capture the lamp's warmth and surround the pet in comfort.
After resting under the lamp, we find that heads and lungs are loosened and pets sneeze and cough out mucus. Have tissues ready for lots of nose wiping and such! We gave Horus a good 15 minute steaming in the bathroom first, then to his sun lamp for as long as he was willing to loosen stubborn mucus in his nasal passages, ear canals and lungs twice a day.
Nefrette (right) is in a nest bed with an electric heating pad on low under a folded knit sheet.

Even health cats will gravitate toward heat sources like this. We have healthy cats that sleep for hours under a heating light, like a halogen desk lamp on a shearling at the office. A three black cat pileup to get under one lamp on the right! Halogen lamps put off incredible heat, but are not safe left unattended. They can be knocked over and cause a fire. Sheepskin is naturally resistant to flame, but we only use these lamps for kitty heaters when they can be supervised.
*FEVER: If your cat has the chills, it probably has a higher fever. Vets have medication that controls a fever, however, if you are in a situation where you have to wait for a vet, you may want to take the cat's temperature. To do this, use a small rectal thermometer or a human digital thermometer. Sterilize it by dipping it in rubbing alcohol.
Allow to dry then apply petroleum jelly to the tip.
Have the cat stand or lay on it's side and gently subdue the pet.
Shake the thermometer until it is below 100. If using a digital thermometer, this does not apply. Insert the thermometer one inch and wait for 1-3 minutes for a traditional thermometer, a digital thermometer will give you a signal much more quickly.
Take the thermometer out and read it.
The average for a cat is 100.5 - 102.5 degrees.
If the cat has a fever, move up your vet appointment to the soonest possible time!
Lay a towel in the sink and lay the cat on it, cover the cat in another towel and put ice packs around the edges. Comfort and caress the cat while he lays in the therapy area. You'll see a cat on a hot day or one that has a fever lay down in the cool sink to bring down their own temperature. This can also help bring down the fever if you don't have any ice or frozen food bags or boxes. Frozen peas packed around the pet's bed and under a towel the pet lays on will help lower the temp.
A damp wash cloth over the cat can help too. Don't wet down the cat. Don't rub him in alcohol.
DO NOT GIVE YOUR CAT TYLENOL, ADVIL and other HUMAN MEDICATIONS! If you can't physically get the cat to the vet immediately, try to speak with your vet or an emergency vet on the phone to get their input.
Some vets will tell you it's okay to give a cat 1/4 of a baby aspirin once every other or every three days. Other vets will tell you no aspirin at all. Aspirin IS toxic to cats, so do not in any way consider it a safe medication! Ask your vet if he she recommends it for your situation. We consider Aspirin a last resort for a raging fever, if no other natural method works and you can not get to a vet to help you.
EASY TRICK - INHALING VICK'S VAPORS: Found in just about everyone's medicine cabinet. Open a jar of Vick's and invite your sick cat under a blanket with the open jar. Holding the kitty against you for warmth and security, the warmed air under the blanket infused with the Vick's jelly aroma helps to clear stuffed heads and noses. Let the kitty fall asleep breathing the air if it wants to, the longer the better. Don't smear it on your cat, you don't want them licking if off and eating it! Just breath the air.
*VAPORIZER - HUMIDIFYER: Bring your cat to a warm bathroom where a humidifier with some salt water solution has been prepared. Don't put salt in your vaporizer, it will ruin the unit!
Let the cat breathe the steam for 15 min. 2 or 3 times daily. Putting a favorite treat in with the cat will keep it occupied while the therapy goes on and make it a positive experience. We have several cats with colds at the same time, so they kept each other company and were perfectly content to sit quietly on their perch during the entire time.
Some cats that are totally well now, still jump up to the steaming spot and wait for another session!
Below are Genghis Kahn left and Horus right enjoy a steaming session in a warm bathroom.

*NASAL SPRAY or DROPS - Opening stuffy heads and healing sore passages. Be sure to wipe noses often, kitties can't blow their noses on their own, so wiping away matter is very helpful in clearing stuffed up passages.
OCEAN Saline Nasal Spray nothing with medication in it! 2 -3 drops in each nostril flushed open noses, flushes sinuses and the cat can breathe again very quickly. When they can breathe they smell and when they smell, they are stimulated to eat. The cats we have used it on do get used to it but it certainly isn't a favorite thing! Drug stores carry it.
COLLOIDAL SILVER is a safe Health Food store over the counter antibiotic that can be put in the nose, eyes, drinking water, etc. 2-3 drops in each nostril for this too. It will cure an amazing number of ailments, from skin problems to scratched eyes (make sure that the bottle says okay for eyes, not all do!), cuts and skin irritations even in the most sensitive of areas. We use it orally to prevent a cat getting sick when we see the symptoms starting. Be sure not to contaminate the bottle by dipping in and out while treating a sick cat. Transfer a small amount to a sterile small eyedropper bottle and work from that instead, refilling as needed. Health food stores carry it.
Since it's a natural antibiotic, it's great for soothing and healing nasal, mouth or throat ulcers caused by the viruses.
Genghis Kahn and Horus had chronic stuffed heads and noses for a month and a half. At this point, we introduced the Colloidal Silver. After the second dose of colloidal silver drops in their nose, their breathing improved 50% overnight. Amazing results. They were given a drop in each nostril twice a day and two droppers a day orally until the sinus problem and cold symptoms were gone.
BENADRYL is an antihistamine some vets will prescribe. We think it is more effective for itchy allergy situations than stuffy heads. Benadryl is quite effective when used in proper dosages. It is the anti-histamine (diphenhydramine).
Stops itching
Controls vomiting
Good for motion sickness
Can be used as a mild tranquilizer
Good for snake bites
Useful for vaccination reactions
Good for bee stings and insect bites
Be sure to use only the plain Benadryl capsule or pill form. formula. Giving Benadryl with other combination of meds could be fatal, so be sure to read the box. Don't use Liquid Benadryl, it is too high in alcohol for pets. Suggested dosage, but please first ask your vet and make sure any medication will not interfere with antibiotics or is deemed safe for that pet!
Dosage every 8 hours Dogs under 30 lbs and Cats : 10 mg
Dogs 30-50 lbs: 25 mg
Dogs over 50 lbs: 50 mg
*GROOMING: Sick cats don't usually bother to groom themselves and their coats become sickly looking as well. Take a nice natural bristle brush, be it a pet brush or people hair brush and very gently brush your cat. It's very comforting and will often get some purrs and grooming attempts out of a sick kitty. Be sure to brush their belly, shoulders and legs too. You know how good it feels to have your own hair brushed!
*MASSAGE: Using your thumbs in an eyebrow to crown, left, right, left, right stroking pattern, massage the top of your cat's head. Like you, this will help with draining the sinuses. Very gently, stroke with your thumbs from nose under the eyes out as well. Most cats will make relieved grunting sounds as you work over these areas.
Massage their neck, chest, shoulders, legs and paw pads, then in between the paw pads. Massage down the spine and very gently in circular motions massage the belly with your fingertips. This will also aid in digestion.
To help open the air sacs in the lungs, with the cat either laying back up or on your lap supported between your legs, use cupped palms and with mild pressure pat pat pat on either side of the cat just behind the shoulders / legs, over the ribs where the lungs are. Cat's usually love this as well and it's great therapy for respiratory infections and preventing head colds from traveling down into the lungs.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: We useNutraMedix Samento Microbial Defense in the drinking water to boost the immune system. If a cat is sleeping a lot more, seeking warmth, Colloidal Silver available at health food stores is great to dose orally and a drop in each nostril too . A dose of MMS will kill off the pathogen before it has a chance to take hold. Usually within a few days, the symptoms are gone and the cold doesn't catch on.

SERIOUS ILLNESS CATS and DOGS PREVENTING - TREATING SERIOUS ILLNESS - TOP PICKS BUILDING IMMUNE SYSTEM
NATURAL MEGA IMMUNE BOOSTERS to FIGHT INFECTIONS, CANCER, RECOUP from SERIOUS INJURY, DECLINING ELDERLY PETS, AUTO IMMUNE PROBLEMS, POSITIVE TESTING FELV LEUKEMIA FELINES TESTING NEGATIVE AFTER TREATMENT - FIP CATS HEALING! (see also Cancer Treatment below for more helpful elements)
MMS kills 95% of known human pathogens. It is incredibly effective in destroying pathogens that are killing our pets as well. If your pet can't handle swallowing a dose, then let them breathe in a maximum 4 breaths. CDS is much easier to dose, such a breakthrough in dosing chlorine dioxide gas!
FIP, Leukemia and other viruses that hide in the blood - Dose with MMS or the new CDS, 2-3 times a day. For a cat, work up to 3 drops if possible activated in citric acid. Add digestive enzymes, the strongest you can find from the health food store. There are enzymes that make the cells in the blood a selectively permiable membrane which allow the virus to drift in and out of the bloodstream. Another digestive enzymes kills the virus as will the MMS. Before dosing the MMS, give the pet 4 breaths of the activated MMS gas - make sure the pet has a good 5 clean air breaths between the MMS breaths. This is a very potent way of dosing MMS, but it gets it into the bloodstream the easiest and fastest when viruses are unprotected and totally vulnerable.

MICHELLE! YOUR PHONE MESSAGE WAS GARBLED AND WE COULDN'T MAKE OUT YOUR PHONE NUMBER, PLEASE EMAIL SO WE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR FIP KITTY!!

Add MEGA C vitamins to canned food daily. Remember, 2 hours between dosing with MMS/CDS and Vitamin C.
Add Samento Microbial Defense , Licorice root to the diet daily. Burdock root for dogs, cats are too sensitive to be okay with it in most cases.
Lots of fresh liver, fish, Eagle Pack canned and dry food are a great base.

We just worked with a desperately ill street kitten that was FIP and Leukemia positive and full body burned 2nd and 3rd degree from some evil humans. High fever in the middle of a heat wave in Southern California, starving, dehydrated - dying baby. Skin totally infected, black and falling off. Didn't even know if the baby had eyes, he couldn't open his lids, they were crackled and sealed shut. First a bath, then a full peroxide wash. About good month gently massaging EMU/Coconut oil onto his injured skin and all the dead flesh came off and the baby grew a new crop of hair! Incredible. He ended up with one blue eye and one yellow. A gorgeous little man called Akhenaten. He was dosed 2 x/day with CDS at meatime after a dose of digestive enzymes. In his food was Licorice Root powder, Kelp. In his water at all times was Nutramedix Host Defense, then one syringe of 500mg Vitamin C night therapy - all raw and lightly cooked pure meats including fish and liver daily. Akhy is is perfectly healthy, adopted into a forever home!
First two shots are of Akhy sun bathing and lounging after only a few weeks after finding him dying on a street. Last shot is 3 months after his ordeal - healtlhy and totally well.

BE POSITIVE, DON'T GIVE UP AND LET YOUR PET KNOW THAT YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS AND HE/SHE WILL BE WELL. BELIEVE!

APPETITE STIMULATION - NOT WANTING TO EAT: It is critical the cat or kitten eats. Pupppies and dogs are a bit less sentive, but of course it's still a serious problem. Try a variety of foods.
In the case of colds and upper respiratory problems, once you have treated the cat or kitten with Azithromax and the head is clear and nose is back to work, the appetite should follow right away. We find that canned fish and canned raw or cooked liver will often get through to a sick cat. Canned cat food is great because it's 80% or so water, so they get their water intake as well as nutrition. Some cats are mad for raw or cooked liver, either beef or chicken liver seems to work fine. Some cats absolutely love smoked turkey. PURINA makes liver and fish flavored crunch treats available in every pet shop and grocery store that has triggered many of our rescues to start eating. If a cat is very ill and refuses to eat on it's own, we have resorted to Baby food in a jar. Beachnut makes a few varieties of turkey and fish with various vegetables. Just make sure it has only meat and vegetable in it, not onion powder or other cat and dog toxins in it. First see if the cat will eat it on it's own. I'm sure any brand will work as long as it combines a meat source and a easily digestible grain like rice or vegetable like carrots. It's messy, but gets the pet eating. Often times a few spoons of food in the mouth will trigger the cat to eat on it's own.
Our vet perscribed 4 mg. CYPROHEPTADINE, an antihistamine that stimulates the appetite. 1/2 to 1 pill 2-3 times a day. We have had success with just 1/2 a pill twice a day. Start with the least and work up to the amount your cat needs. NUTRIMALT PASTE available at pet shops is extremely helpful and easy to dose for cats that won't eat. It's great for healthy cats too, a skin and coat nutritional supplement. With the Nutrimalt paste, Squeeze out an inch or so on your finger for a cat, less for a kitten. See if the cat will lick it off itself, many love the taste. If not, with paste ready on your pointer finger, use the other hand to draw up on the cats top jaw with thumb and pointer just behind the canine teeth, then wipe the paste on the roof of the cats mouth behind the front teeth. You can also pinch the skin just behind the top of the head, behind the ears and tip the head back. Once dosed (this works for pills as well) close the mouth and keep it closed, stroke the throat in a downward motion and gently blow in the cat's nose to induce swallowing. Nutritional pastes provide calories to keep the kitten or cat energized. For non eaters, we use the Nutrimalt 3 - 4 times a day, a vitamin paste as directed, or a syringe of the Mega C plus vitamins and Probios or Acidophillus.

There are several good remedies for killing ear mites - these tiny parasites are very contageous, so do all pets at the same time.
One approach is a can of Bag Balm and cotton Swabs for little animals, balls of cotton for horses. Confine the pet and have your tools in order - no matter what, never go deep with the cotton swab. Should the pet struggle, be sure you swab is grasped half way so that you can't accidentally push too far into the ear canal and rupture the ear drum! A helper is a great idea for this process. Ear mites cause extreme itching and with this, bleeding - not only are they sucking the blood out of you pet, but your pet will be using claws to scratch the ears. You'll see a black (dried blood) discharge if you pet has mites.
Swirl the Swab or cotton ball in the bag balm and clean the ear - not a huge glob, just enough to dampen the canal and drown the mites. The antibiotic properties of the Bag Balm will help with the irritation and wounded skin. Repeat daily for 3 to 5 days. Wait a few, then repeat 3 more to be sure you're killed them all off.
HYDROGEN PEROXYDE - put in a syringe and dose in the ears if you suspect an infection or to prevent a problem after eliminating ear mites.
Should redness, mite infestation or any foul smell start or continue - go to the vet! You could have an infection.

Wash your pet's bedding - we sprinkle it with a bit of Sevin Dust vegetable insect repeller (available at home and garden centers) dust bedding and work it into the fabric to be sure the pet won't be re-contaminated. This will also help kill fleas on the pet.

PET ALLERGIES - SCRATCHING AND ITCHING WITHOUT FLEAS - TRIGGERS - FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL: Portions of an Article by Susan Blake Davis CCN of askariel.com, a leading expert in Pet Nutrition and Holistic Pet Care.
1) Allergies are cumulative. In other words, a pet may have both food and environmental allergies but the symptoms only become noticeable during certain times of the year. This doesn’t mean your pet doesn’t have allergic reactions all the time. It just means that the situation builds up similar to a balloon that fills up with air until it pops. In your pet’s case, it may mean that all of a sudden your pet has hot spots or starts chewing on its paws or rear end during the hot summer months but most likely has underlying digestive issues all year round..
2)Cats and dogs may display allergy symptoms differently . Cats may have respiratory symptoms, vomiting and other digestive disorders due to allergies as well as skin reactions. Dogs may have scratching, itching, chewing on fur, ear infections, scooting on their rear end and weepy eyes.
3) Most of the time, pets have BOTH food and environmental allergies. There is no one medication or supplement that will cure your pet’s symptoms. Skin problems are tough and require a comprehensive effort. Using the following protocol for your pet can be helpful:Topical treatment in the form of therapeutic baths (available from your veterinarian) and natural sprays (If your pet is allergic to grass, try washing paws after going outside)
Special hypoallergenic diet—Keep the following ingredients out of your pet’s diet. There is no “one” allergy diet that works for everyone. Each pet is different. You will need to try a few diets and/or learn how to prepare a homemade diet. We offer consultations via telephone or in-person at VCA Arroyo and can assist you with this.
Common Allergens in Pet Food:
Corn
Soy
Gluten (found in wheat, barley, spelt and other grains)
Milk Products
Casein (found in cheese)
Beef (problem for some dogs)
Chicken (problem for some cats and dogs)
Fish (cats can often be allergic)
Peanut Butter (big allergen!)
Air purifier—an air purifier can greatly help with environmental allergies. Try to get one that either has a hepa filter or ozone purifier. You and your pets can still benefit from an air purifier even if doors and windows are frequently left open.
4) Use supplements to help your pet cope with allergy season to reduce inflammation and overall discomfort. Be sure to include a generous amount of Omega 3s from fish and flax oil, bioflavanoids such as quercetin, digestive enzymes and an effective probiotic. There are also some homeopathic and Chinese remedies that are very helpful for controlling allergy symptoms. Ask Ariel has a full spectrum of products available to assist pet with allergies.
5) Finally, if your pet is suffering from allergies, please be advised that there is usually no “quick fix”. Medications such as prednisone, antibiotics and antihistamines can provide short-term relief but a comprehensive holistic protocol can help heal your pet for the long-term. Before using any holistic protocol, an initial visit to your veterinarian is warranted. This is because skin issues can be a sign of an underlying endocrine condition such as hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease and/or your pet may have some serious infections that need to be addressed as well. A veterinarian exam, blood test and doctor’s diagnoses regarding the type of infections your pet has are critical to help your pet get well. Using a combination of both conventional and holistic veterinary medicine seems to deliver the best results for dogs and cats with allergies and skin problems.

ANTI FREEZE EMERGENCY - DEADLY!: Each year more than ten thousand dogs and cats are accidentally poisoned with automotive antifreeze. Ethylene glycol is toxic to all animals - including people, and one of the top ten poisons in dogs and cats in the United States. Ethylene glycol is the toxic element that makes up 95% of the product. It only takes a small sip of antifreeze to poison your pet. Cats are approximately four times as sensitive to the poison as dogs. One to two teaspoons full will poison a cat and three tablespoons full is enough to kill a medium size dog.
One shot of vodka will not really do it, but in a pinch, vodka can be used, even IV. Antifreeze is a common cause of poisoning in dogs and cats and, according to a recent report from the American Association of Poison Control Centers it is the second most common cause of fatal poisonings in animals. Antifreeze toxicity is associated with a mortality rate of 59-70% in dogs and with a higher mortality rate in cats. Early diagnosis and treatment of animals ingesting antifreeze is critical. Ethylene glycol is the toxic component in antifreeze. Antifreeze is a commonly used solution, has a pleasant taste, and ingestion of only a small amount causes toxicity. Toxicities are most common in the fall, winter, and spring corresponding to the increased use of antifreeze.
The key is to get them treated before their liver and kidneys are destroyed. You can read about the Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment in this very informative site called 2ndchance info.

CANCER IN PETS: Step one is to believe that your pet is going to get better. Be positive and surround the sick pet with your positive energy. Dogs and cats read our emotional state very well and know how we feel toward them.

Our experience with cancer in pets is with our dog named Magnum, an 85 lb. Presa Canario. He had broken his leg just under the shoulder as a 2 year old and the vets mixed metals putting in a rod and screws to repair the severe break. So, with electrolisis in the leg, he ended up with the worst possible bone cancer- 95% mortality rate. His entire upper leg bone was made mush by the cancer, everything beneath the metal plate and it had spread up into his shoulder bone.
To make things worse, Magnum was 11 years of age. The vets gave him two weeks to live after amputating the front leg because the cancer was the type thath spread throughout his organs and bloodstream. We began the regement as below and Magnum slept almost constantly for 3 months. He emitted a dreadful odor, I'm sure his body expelling the cancer. We taped magnets to his bandaging to help with his balance and healing, he also was now missing a front leg. The magnets fixed his balance issues almost immediately. After the three months, he woke from his fog and began walking with his pack. Soon he was playing and running again. A year after the ordeal, there was still no sign of cancer in his body. He passed away an old man without any sign of cancer.

We chose against putting him through Chemo, since it was not even recommended by his vets at this stage of the cancer. His odds of survival were so bleak coupled with his age.
HERE IS HIS ANTI CANCER REGIMENT:
RAW SALMON, as well as alternating LIVER and STEW MEAT, CHICKEN or TURKEY daily.
Carbs feed cancer, so limit the carbs to only vegetable sources. No added rice, no wheat, no corn and never raw potatoes. Raw Potatoes are poisonous to cats.
Use BROCOLLI and DARK GREEN LEAFY VEGIES as well as CARROTS, COLORFUL ROOTS, you can lightly steam turnips, beets, etc. If the pet is having a difficulty with raw vegetables, start with steamed and work towards raw. The more saturated the color of the vegetable, the better it is for healing. Same goes for the human diet!
Adding veggies to cat diets is tricky. Try using capsules of kelp and other sources of chlorophyll and greens.
If you want to use the veggies, try whipping them in a blender with some raw meat as well as canned food to make sure they're getting vital vitamins, minerals.
BE SURE TO CHECK THE POISON LIST BELOW TO MAKE SURE WHAT YOU'RE ADDING TO THE DIET ISN'T A POISON TO A CAT OR DOG.
EAGLE PACK Fish base dog food for a dry basic food and their canned food to help settle the stomach and make sure you are getting a host of antioxidants and balanced nutrition.
SUPLEMENTS +:
MMS - CANCER FIGHT MUST - kills anaerobic pathogens which includes cancer cells and parasites - if you believe the doctor's info below, this is really an awesome cancer killer. The inventor Jim Humble has a entire cancer killing protocol. They also combine DMSO and use MMS to kill skin cancers. The protocol is targeting people, so you will have to carefully observe a pet - not dose too much and cause nausea, a sure sign to back off or certainly not increase the dose.
MMS kills 95% of known human pathogens. It is incredibly effective in destroying pathogens that are killing our pets as well. If your pet can't handle swallowing a dose, then let them breathe in a maximum 4 breaths. CDS is much easier to dose, such a breakthrough in dosing chlorine dioxide gas!
FIP, Leukemia and other viruses that hide in the blood - Dose with MMS or the new CDS, 2-3 times a day. For a cat, work up to 3 drops if possible activated in citric acid. Add digestive enzymes, the strongest you can find from the health food store. There are enzymes that make the cells in the blood a selectively permiable membrane which allow the virus to drift in and out of the bloodstream. Another digestive enzymes kills the virus as will the MMS. Before dosing the MMS, give the pet 4 breaths of the activated MMS gas - make sure the pet has a good 5 clean air breaths between the MMS breaths. This is a very potent way of dosing MMS, but it gets it into the bloodstream the easiest and fastest when viruses are unprotected and totally vulnerable.
Serious Illness Suggestions Using DMSO http://mms-articles.com/dmso-article.htm Severe Cancer Treatment http://jimhumble.biz/biz-cancer-stage4.htm
MycoMedicinals HOST DEFENSE - CANCER FIGHT MUST - a mega powerful mushroom complex.  Taken on an empty stomach, this tastes aweful so just pop the whole capsule down a dog's throat. Cat's are tricky with this one. You may have to open them up and dump out the contents, If so, put it in a syringe of some water and scruff the pet high towards the head with claws facing AWAY from you!
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES - I find that this is an incredible tool when killing viruses. Strongest you can find at the health food store. These will open up the cells in the blood, making them selectively permiable and allowing the virus to come and go unprotected. Let them work for 20 - 30 minutes, THEN dose the MMS or CDS and BAM! The virus is totally vulnerable and is murdered in the blood stream.
COLLOSTRUM - CANCER FIGHT MUST - from the health food store or TRANSFER FACTOR just sprinkle on food for dogs, probably have to syringe for cats.
PAU D'ARCO TINCTURE or CAPSULES we bought ours through Ebay Auctions, just type "Pau d'Arco " and in the search in http://www.ebay.com Both tinctures or pill form are incredible cancer fighting helpers. We use the tinctures, put a few drops into a small amount of water in a syringe and increase the dosage gradually. Two - three times a day dosing is recommended. Adjust dosing to your needs, it works as a laxative as well.
GREEN WALNUT COMPLEX (from Black Walnut Tree) http://www.bioessence.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1485
This site - BioEssence.com included this information about the product:
Dr. Hulda Clark made this formula famous in her book "The Cure For All Cancers". She says that many cancer patients have a parasite called Fasciolopsis Buski (INTESTINAL FLUKE), The adult fluke lives in the small intestine where it can cause ulcerations. The female produces eggs that hatch in the intestinal tract producing larvae that sprout tails and can swim in the fluid. After a short period, the tails drop off so that the flukes can encircle themselves with a protective cocoon, forming the next stage. This is a product you would use for a few weeks to insure that the parasite is gone. It isn't something to continue for a long period of time.
According to Dr. Hulda Clark, this stage of development produces a thick shell that propyi alcohol and other solvents in our body fluids dissolves, and allows the flukes to complete their life cycle. She says that they stimulate a growth factor called ortho-phosphotyrosine (OPT), one of 25 recognized cancer-markers, that cause normal cells that have been weakened by stress to go into unlimited division. Unless the body gets rid of this parasite-spawning chemical, excessive multiplication of cells takes over the tissues and cancer results.
This parasite does'n have to stay in the intestines, but can be swept along in the bloodstream to lodge inside weakened tissues, such as glands sat-urated with mercury or other toxic metals. They grow fat in their new locations and stimulate cancer cell division. The 3herb combination can help kill the 3 stages of this parasites as larvae, adult and eggs.
Nutramedix Samento Microbial Defense - CANCER FIGHT MUST - 15 drops twice a day also best on an empty stomach in the morning or an hour or two after dinnertime.
DOSING NOTE - Activate your MMS and lime juice for 3 minutes, a dollop of honey in a touch of hot water to activate your Samento 1 minute - combine these all at once in a syringe. They're not going to love it, the honey will hide a lot of the nasties, but make it quick right down the hatch and be ready with a favorite treat after it's been done.
ACIDOPHILLUS - tasteless, just sprinkle on food
VIRUS STOP - Capsules found at the health food store.
HIDING BAD TASTING SUPLEMENTS - Roll out a slab of CREAM CHEESE on a plate or marble, or wax paper spread the powdered elements on top, then roll up like a sushi roll, cutting off rings and feeding in sliced mouthfuls. If your pet likes the taste of the cod liver oil, open the capsule or simply use straight oil and drizzle over the powder to hide even more of the taste. This works well for dogs, cats are another story most of the time. We can hide the more bland elements like ProBios and Royal Jelly, sometimes flax seed oil and sometimes well whipped greens in canned food. You'll have to see what you can hide and what you will have to syringe into your cat. BELOW IS THE CREAM CHEESE HIDING COLLECTION:

COLLUSTRUM, PAU D'ARCO and GREEN WALNUT COMPLEX from above
CANCER KILLING HERBS - SAFE for CATS, DOGS, HORSES - BURDOCK ROOT, LICORICE ROOT stop cancer cells from metastasizing, inhibit cancerous tumor growth
RESVERATROL mega immune vitamin from the health food store.  
MEGA C PLUS  CANCER FIGHT MUST - vitamin and mineral powder
COD LIVER OIL and FLAX SEED OIL capsules from the health food store
BEE PROPOLIS - CANCER FIGHT MUST - and ROYAL JELLY Available in table and other forms at health food stores.
This is a small bit of information found in an article from Natural Bloom: Anti-tumour/cancer Propolis and CAPE (explained below) have been shown to reduce the size of tumours and to selectively destroy and to curb the proliferation of malignant cells of many different types of cancer. As recently as June 10th 2005, cancer researchers have been given a grant of a million dollars to investigate the therapeutic value of Propolis for cancer. Costas Koumenis the lead investigator for the study was quoted as saying, "a very interesting property of these compounds is that they have been shown to cause cell death in tumor cells but not in normal cells." This study along with other current studies promises to propel Propolis into the limelight in the field of cancer treatment.
...This is because of the potent anti-inflammatory properties of the propolis constituents in particular CAPE (Caffeic acid Phenyl ester), CAPE has been shown to suppress T cell activation. A paper by Marquez et al in 20046 evaluated this to mean that since T-cells play a key role in the onset of several inflammatory diseases, CAPE is important because the this phenolic compound is a potent inhibitor of early and late events in T-cell receptor-mediated T-cell activation. Results like this have led other researchers to propose that CAPE is a worthwhile agent for reducing the severity of conditions associated with inflammation.

BEATING LIVER and KIDNEY FAILURE in PETS: Success with our horse:
We recently had a 20 year old Arabian horse in excellent health suddenly suffer liver failure. We don't know if the cause was a poisonous plant in his pellets or blown into his corral, or a stressful night that resulted in his becoming constipated and that poisoning his system resulting in liver failure. The symptoms were yellow eye whites, yellow inner lip, dehydration, listlessness, fever yet not willing to drink water. The vet was called out and gave him a saline IV with antibiotics and a steroid. We were given 5 days of antibiotics and blood was drawn to see what was happening. His liver numbers were off the charts. Levels that should have been at 20 were at 365, etc. The bloodwork came back showing that he had no infection. We started him on liver detox herbs as well as vitamins and minerals that support liver function and heal the liver. From the health food store, we purchased human formulas, about 4 x the human dose worked well for an 900 lb. horse.
The Liver Detox herbs come in two bottles, a day and night dose.
Artichoke 500 - 4 capsules twice a day.
20 drops of Pau d'Arco tincture twice a day and
Nutramedix Samento Microbial Defense 20 drops twice a day
Potassium supplement every day
B vitamins every day
Digestive Enzymes once a day
1 TB morning and night - Activated Charcoal – - removes poisons and toxins that cause it.
Burdock Root and Licorice Root – purifies blood, restores liver and kidney function. Aids in the elimination of uric acid. The herb contains poly-acetylenes that have both antibacterial and antifungal properties as well.
1 TBL.MEGA C PLUS (from Dr. Belfield's online store) every morning
1 TSP. of ESTER C every evening
Our local feed store ordered for us:
Cellarator Turbo, an oral Electrolyte and Microbial Paste from Pet4mance Choice, LLC 1 877-788-4448 - one dose daily. We added the dose to his big syringe and blended it into one, keeping the potion liquidy so that we could push it easily down his throat.
ACIDOPHILLUS or PROBIOS, etc. - One scoop Daily - also available at our local feed store, or order online
All blended into Blueberry, Acai, Pomegranite juice, a blend or one of - a big spoon or two of honey to help mask the taste.
We used the largest syringe we could get from the feed store to dose him with.
HYDRATION -
In order to insure he was getting enough liquids because he wasn't drinking water, he was given all the carrots he wanted, a field of green grass and treats like wheat and whole grain bread soaked in blueberry juice. He was eating 150 pounds of carrots a week from the second to the fourth week! He was totally off of his oat hay, but did eat Purina Senior and Oat hay with Molasses which we also soaked in water.
Initially his urine was dark brown because of the high bilirubin count. Within a week, the color was rich amber, a week and a half, normal again. He lost a great deal of weight for the first few weeks, then began to slowly gain it back again. His energy levels started climbing after several weeks and in three weeks, he was trotting to the field, dashing out of his corral, calling for food and feeling well! We continue to soak all fo his food daily, oat hay pellets and all of his supplements to insure he is getting enough water. We have also continued with lots of carrots. At four weeks, he was back to his full energy, dancing at the gate to his corral, running and playing with his pals whenever given an opportunity. We forced him to take it easy and limited play time to only 1/2 hour a day with his pals for another month. No riding for atleast 2 months.
WITH THIS CONDITION, THE PUPILS STAY WIDE OPEN, WHICH CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS EYE INJURY OR BLINDNESS! Keep the horse in a barn if possible. We put a black fly mask over his eyes all day and let him go out into the field to eat only early morning and after the sun had gone down. The eyes started acting normally the second week after the initial illness, but we kept the mask on for good measure for an additional week.

KIDNEY FAILURE - Mega C Plus and switch to his vitamins once they arrive. He also suggests a Vitamin B complex and Vitamin E.
FOOD – Make your dog or cat a stew, mix up different combo’s
They will need Vitamin A, C, E and B’s to restore the kidneys. The Mega C Plus will take care of the vitamin needs.
CARROTS KALE – SWISS CHARD – DANDELION GREENS LENTILS CHICK PEAS BEANS TURKEY – (NEVER THE SKIN!) just buy a small one, have it quartered by the butcher and cook a ¼ with bones to flavor stew FISH (Herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, salmon and tuna are higher in omega-3 fatty acids compared to many other fish. Eating such fish 3 times a week reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. Cod liver oil supplements work second best to the real thing. POTATO BARLEY BROWN RICE CANNED PUMPKIN PUREE – (not pie filling) When feeding moistened dry food or wet canned food, add it – high in fiber and vitamins needed to heal the kidneys.
SUPPLEMENTS = (health food store – human products) Nutramedix Samento Microbial Defense (VITAL IN HEALING LIVER AND KIDNEYS – give a cat or small dog 7 drops twice a day or a syringe. You can also just squirt a syringe full into a good size bowl of water and let the pet drink freely from just that bowl.
ARTICHOKE capsules (protects kidneys against creatine)
DANDELION capsules (dandelion root to promote liver detoxification and dandelion leaves to support kidney function.)
ALFALFA – Just for Dogs, not good for cats - richest land source of trace minerals. Used since sixth century in China to cure kidney problems, relieve fluid retention, swelling, cleanse blood, liver and bowel and much more.
BURDOCK ROOT and LICORICE ROOT – purifies blood, restores liver and kidney function. Aids in the elimination of uric acid. The herb contains poly-acetylenes that have both antibacterial and antifungal properties as well.
CRANBERRY CAPSULES (highly effective in treating and preventing kidney, bladder, urinary tract infections) ACIDOPHILUS DIGESTIVE ENZYMES
ACTIVATED CHARCOAL –stops diarrhea by removing the poisons and toxins that cause it.

3 1/2 YEAR OLD KIGER MUSTANG WITH EPIPHICITIS: Success with Sampson our Kiger Mustang Gelding. Epiphicitis is when bone growth exceeds tendon growth in a young horse that is not fully mature. It is usually seen in front knees and fetlocks. Usually happens with youngsters under a year.

Sampson in training - growing like a weed as a 3 1/2 year old .... Sampson rehabilitating 3 months since initial diagnosis.
A brief history of the Breed Kiger Mustang - When the Conquistadors came to the New World - America in the 1600's, they lost many of their finest horses. These horses ran off, ending up in the the badlands of upper Oregon. They became a breed unto themselves, all with the Dunn factor, many with primitive leg markings, Spanish tri-color manes and tails, Spanish gates, short backs, smooth gates and rock hard hooves. In the 1970's, when humans began herding with helicopters, some of these horses were brought out and blood work done. They found that these horses were direct decendants of the ancient Spanish horses, with bloodlines from the Tarpan and Oriental Hotbloods.
NEW DIET - ICING / BANDAGING / MAGNETS - REST / EXERCISE - FARRIER - SURGERY? - CORRAL - TIME
We recently purchased a 3 1/2 year old Kiger Mustang horse. We thought it very strange that he would lay down 10 - 12 hours a night to sleep, flat out! He had never been worked with or ridden at that point. He had been fed loose alfalfa his entire life.
After training him to ride and being given regular exercise, he grew a hand in not even 6 months! Very strange for a horse of this age. We were told that Kiger Mustangs do mature very slowly, much like Arabians. Upon purchasing him, we changed his diet to a much lower protein blend of feed. Mostly Timothy Hay, Oat Hay and Orchard Grass with some Alfalfa added - in pellet form. He was also receiving Oat hay and Molasses. We learned later that this was still far too much protein for his breed.
One morning, he came up injured and lame on one front fetlock. The bone was shooting forward, not being held back by the tendons. It looked horrible! Calling in our first vet, he said it looked like he had been kicked or injured it. Swelling and heat were around the area. We began icing his leg in an ice boot daily.
Two weeks later, the other fetlock shot forward as well. Another vet was called in. Because of his age, this vet could hardly believe that he was not yet mature and was still growing. We knew his age exactly because we have his papers and know his breeder. No question that he was a 4 year old. Very strange, because epiphicitis is a very young horse problem. With both fetlocks having the same tendon trouble now, it seemed very clear that he did in fact have Epiphicitis. We began ice booting both legs every day. A third vet, a surgeon was now include in the case.
CORRAL -
Sampson had been in a 24 x 24 pipe corral with his buddy. We split it in half and put in another gate. No more full contact playing, no more injuries caused by their playing. The corral was kept a hard surface. We tried soft initially and it was far more painful for him. We raked it daily and kept it down to the DG. The one soft area was his bedding where we piled shavings for him. He was laying down 10 - 12 hours every night to rest his legs.
NEW DIET -
Sampson is only second generation domestic horse. This means that he is meant to eat what his ancestors ate - in a nutshell, tumbleweeds and dead grasses! They live on scrub, low low protein. The goal was to slow his rapid growth and allow the tendons to catch up to his bones. We also wanted to keep him light bodied, not let him fill out yet, put as little weight and pressure on his joints as possible. He was fed plenty of very low protein feed, but nothing that would add bulk or aid in his body's desire to speed into becoming a 16 hand Mustang. No Molasses blends, no oats, no bran, no grain.
We talked about his problem with a formulating chemist - nutritionist for a large company that made equine formulations. We also read many articles and labels and came up with this program:
TRIPLE CROWN 12% SUPPLEMENT - 2 cups once a day.
HORSE GUARD (or a comperable )VITAMIN MINERAL SUPPLEMENT - one dose per day.
The above supplements are fortified with Copper, Zinc and minerals, Copper, Zinc and Biotin aid in the development of cartilage in young horses. A copper deficiency is associated wtih epiphicitis, contracted tendons, etc. 800mg per day is the maximum tolerated level of copper in horses. Copper is required for bone development, joint cartilage, elastic connective tissue and the uptake and utilization of iron. Mares' milk is low in Copper and abnormal bone development can occur in foals when the diet is Copper deficient. The maximum tolerated level of Copper in horses is 800mg/kg of diet.
WHOLE HORSE HERBS TENDON SUPPORT - Chinese herbs blended to assist in the rehabilitation of tendon injuries in horses - dose as suggested on package.
MSM POWDER - 2 TB per day. Anti Inflammatory,helps to prevent rheumatoid arthritis, joint damage, soothes muscle aches and pains. It increases blood flow, repairs and maintains cartilage.
Great information from these sites: Joint Pain.com and Nutritional Supplements Guide.com
OAT HAY PELLETS - 3 scoops, 1 1/2 per day (equivalent of a flake of baled hay twice a day)
TIMOTHY BALED HAY - one flake for lunch per day.
SHREDDED BEET PULP - Soaked in water until fully absorbed. This full fiber additive gave him a sense of being full without fuel to grow on. Two cups dry soaked in water. All of his pellets and dry goods are combined and soaked in water. Only the baled hay was given as a lunch snack in it's dry state. Along with psyllium, it helped to keep any sand from accumulating in his intestines.
PSYLLIUM - As directed on the label.
FRESH CARROTS - 2 scoops per day.
ICING - BANDAGING - FARRIER
We purchased two Ice Boots - quilted inside with pillows of fluid that freeze into ice, rugged nylon outside and velcro elastic closures. These covered from hoof to above the knee. We iced him for 1-2 hours every morning while he ate his breakfast. This helped a great deal in removing any swelling and pain. Next, his fetlocks were wrapped for support. The bones jutted out very far and snapped back and forth. The bones were trying to pop out sideways and the tendons were not doing their job keeping them in place.
For the first 8 weeks, the first fetlock that had been sprained and badly bruised by a stall mate's kick was wrapped in magnet quilted cotton pads. We used magnet pads and traded off with plain pads every other day since the wraps were kept on always except for the ice treatments. Over the cotton pads went vet wrap on both injured fetlocks.
Using boots worn backwards, we were able to brace the bones to a large extent over the top of the bandages. We swapped out boot styles and velcro closure areas daily so that no one area had too much pull. It was also very important to do this so that he did not develop any sores.
Every day the wraps were removed, legs iced, wraps replaced for the first two months.
He was able to walk in his stall comfortably after treatments. We did not hand walk him for the first two months, rather let him do as he wished on his own. This was because two vets said not to walk him at all and the third said to walk him all we wanted, but slowly.
After the first 2 months, he began playing a bit each day in his corral. We stopped with the vet wrap and went to just cotton wrapping and support booting his legs. First, we went for a Hand walk, then the ice boots, then rewrapping without the vet wrap to support the tendons during the day in the corral.
He spent hours every day stretching his fetlocks heals down, toes down, back and forth. He would love for us to help him stretch his tendons as well. We did these exercises with him after ice boot sessions every morning. His heels had grown long, not wanting to put his legs back, which actually aided him a great deal We let his heels stay long, taking the stress off of the tendons. He definitely got more exercise because his pain decreased with the long heels. His beautifully shapped feet looked very club like at this point, but it was needed for the healing process.Our farrier did not change the shape of the front hooves during this time. This horse has always been barefoot, so he simply evened out and shortened their overall length only.
Hand walking - He had no problem going uphill, was very sensitive on the flat ground, but doable and his tendons popped badly walking downhill. So, we did flat and uphill and avoided the downhill. It began just a few blocks the first week, then slowly grew longer over time. If his legs trembled - a sign that the tendons grew tired or the tendons began popping too much, we stopped to rest, then went back to the corral.Boots were removed and legs iced while he ate breakfast. Legs were rewrapped with cotton padding and boots for the day.
4 months since the original injury to the first fetlock - we to into the corral one morning to find that his boots are loose because his tendons have snapped back to the correct position! Glorious. All the time and effort and pain he endured had paid off, the first signs of success. He stops laying down at night - he is no longer in pain! It was all about pain. This horse lay down flat out for 10-12 hours a night since we purchased him. He had always had the problem, always been in pain and nobody ever knew it.
Our Farrier came out and trimmed his heals down, it took two trimmings 8 weeks apart before we had his hooves back to normal again. The first trimming took the club foot down by half. We didn't want to be too dramatic and put an excessive amount of strain on these tendons that had just stretched back to where they needed to be.
We remove the support boots all together and just do ice boot or run cold water from the hose treatments after exercise sessions. We did continue to use the support boots during each exercise session.
4 1/2 months after the initial injury - he is turned loose for the first time in a small round pen. He runs around, leaps and kicks until tired, then we turn him loose in a large area to walk around in a controlled manner.
5 months after the initial injury - He goes for his first ride! Just a walk, about a 1/4 mile each way and back. We did a cold water hose treatment after. No sign of swelling, no heat.
SURGERY? - TIME
We had one vet tell us to do nothing, it may get better it may not.
Another vet tell us we needed to do introvenous tetracycline - total stall rest - feed him just enough to keep him healthy, low protein - cut down his heels - Surgery if these things didn't work.
The third vet - the surgeon told us that surgery Did Not Work! Tetracycline Did Not Work! He also told us that diet didn't matter. Steroids may help. Walk him all we wanted, let his heels stay long. He also said that we had one year for the legs to heal or he would have permanent joint damage and would have to be put down.
No two vets agreed on how to treat the problem, so we took what made the most sense to us from each and added our own elements as well which included wraps, boots and Chinese Herbs, Copper and mineral balancing. We read a lot of articles, did all the research we could do and fortunately our horse is healthy and well.
Don't have a time table in your mind, don't rush the horse. Be calm, be positive, be excited and supportive and pleased as you work with the horse. Let the horse feel your positive energy, let him now you believe he's going to get well!
Here is a very informative article about Minerals and horses from Horses and Horse Information, we have attached part of the article below:
Organic minerals are simply substances that are – via chemical reactions – bonded to an organic material. In the old days, these types of minerals were referred to as chelates, but you may now also see names such as proteinate, or simply a description of the organic mineral such as polysaccharide mineral complex. Inorganic versions of these compounds are usually referred to sulfates or oxides.

Minerals play a vital role in the horse’s health. Organic minerals properly supplied with a balanced diet prevent muscle abnormalities, developmental orthopedic disease, and other health issues. Problems may arise when the minerals are not adequately metabolized by the animal. This is rarely the case with the organic minerals. Interestingly, it is the young horses that convalesce, perform or are exercised regularly, or may be bred that are most affected by the benefits of the organics minerals while the mature animal with a low level of any kind of activity does not show any difference in health.

Sampson, now 4 years old is completely healed and working pain free, without any sign of the injury - illness save for the fact that he has far more flexiblity in his joints than he began with. He's never shown any sign of lameness, soreness, heat, swelling, etc. after hours of hard work. 6 months from the beginning of this illness!

Sampson is now 6 years old and runs down mountainsides. He has never experienced any heat or swelling from the healed joints. Never any lameness or sign or pain again. His flexibility is now that of a normal horse, rather than extreme as it had been several years ago.

Sampson teaching his protege' D'Artanian, also Kiger Mustang, the ropes.

VOMITTING, DIARRHEA, UPSET STOMACH: In cats, vomiting is often caused by ingesting hair while grooming. PETROMALT is an excellent paste that helps slick the ingested hair through the digestive system. It is available at virtually all pet stores and websites.
When your pet vomits regularly, something else is wrong. Chronic vomiting often accompanied by diarrhea can be caused by the pet's food, a lack of enzymes produced by the body or inflammatory bowel disease.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE can be caused by food allergies, bacteria and parasites. You can dose wtih MMS to kill off any pathogen plaguing the intestines and get results within just a few hours. IF the IBD is caused by food allergies, it becomes a more difficult problem to treat and prevent.
Dr. Wendell Belfield has some terrific info in his pet health pages. He recommends lamb as the meat of choice for such pets. The formation of oxidation causes free radicals to perpetuate inflammation and cause vomiting and diarrhea.
We dose Nutramedix Samento Microbial Defense in the pet's water daily to prevent intestinal swelling, sooth and protect. Our Colitis prone dogs have not had a problem since we began the Cat's claw daily water dosing - for years now!
Be sure your pet is getting enough digestive enzymes and good bacteria. A good source of acidophillus and related intestinal flora is a must for healthy intestinal function. Both digestive enzymes and Good digestive bacteria are avaible at the health food store.
BACK TO PURE MEATS - Very often, feeding your pet pure meat will return propper function within 3-4 days. Feed as much fresh raw meats as they will consume including fish, chicken, liver, beef... If your pet won't eat raw, then just lightly cook to bring out scent and flavor. There are enzymes in raw food that are vital to health and killed by the cooking process.
FIBER - OATMEAL - OAT BRAN or RICE BRAN, PUMPKIN PUREE, PSYLLIUM REGULARLY added to canned food is terrific for pushing hair through the system, or adding bulk to the digestive tract of pets, helping to keep the intestines working properly. It also helps to remove hair - hairballs and eliminate toxins from the body. For cats, a tablespoon of the first items, 1 capsule of the psyllium hidden in canned food will work wonders.