Holistic Vet: Graham Hines

Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers , complicating pet owners' decisions on neutering.   The joint disorders include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear or rupture, and elbow dysplasia.   The cancers include lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma Neutering previous studies on the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, neutering before a year of age was associated with increased risks of one or more joint disorders, 2–4 times that of intact dogs   There were major breed differences in vulnerability to neutering, both with regard to joint disorders and cancers. In most cases, the caregiver can choose the age of neutering without increasing the risks of the...

Raw Hide Chews - Perhaps the Most Dangerous Chew on the Planet This diagram shows how they are made - they are really processed leather How can one of the most popular chew sticks on the planet be so dangerous for your pets, you ask? I mean, most dogs chew on rawhide for hours on end, and not only does it keep them busy, but they seem to last forever. Well if you understood what it took to make this toxic “raw” leather stick, you would quickly understand what the problem is. Aside from the horror stories circulating all over social media these days, of pets needing emergency surgery after consuming rawhide, the majority of pet parents today, especially the newbies, believe that this chew is some sort of dried up meat stick. Let me debunk that myth right away! A rawhide stick is not the by-product of the beef industry nor is it made of dehydrated meat. Rather, rawhide is the by-product of the “Leather Industry”, so theoretically it is a leather chew. How It’s Made “Producing rawhide beg...

Many and varied are the arguments presented against Biologically Appropriate Raw Diets for Pets. It is worth looking behind those arguments for vested interest. The  RFVS  has produced a brilliant rebuttal of those criticisms which you can find by following  the link here . As a veterinary surgeon I have been advising Raw Feeding for over 15 years, to the benefit of of our patients, and would never go back. These are reason, researched arguments for feeding BARF diets to our cats and dogs. More...

This is the basic recipe to make golden paste for yourself or your pet Basically we have the herb Tumeric, with some black pepper which helps it to be absorbed from the intestine and some healthy oils. Use for arthritis in particular and to boost the immune system perhaps if cancer is a problem in your companion. INGREDIENTS: 125 ml / 60g turmeric powder 250 ml plus extra water in reserve, if needed (70 ml) coconut oil (use raw, unrefined, cold-pressed) OR linseed oil (flaxseed) OR olive oil (use virgin / extra virgin) 2 teaspoons freshly cracked (ground) black pepper Omit pepper if you cannot tolerate it. The absorption of turmeric will still be improved by cooking it and adding oil, but it will be less effective without the pepper. Cracked pepper and ground pepper refer to the same thing. How finely it's ground is up to the user. If you like to have crunchy bits of pepper in your golden paste, then grind it less finely. If you don't (and that's probably most of us), grind...