What Foods Should I Avoid Feeding My Dog?

What Foods Should I Avoid Feeding My Dog?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Commercial Foods

The most important for me, with 45 years of experience in the veterinary field, is to avoid feeding commercial foods to your dog which include kibble or canned food. Those really caused the most long-term damage. Now, there are a few foods and non-food substances that are good to avoid. There are many websites that list foods that I’ve had no problems with. So, in my experience, these are the foods to be avoiding. 

Alcohol and THC 

Number one is to definitely avoid alcohol, avoid caffeine, avoid Xylitol and products that have Xylitol in them. Avoid the THC part of cannabis which is marijuana. You also want to avoid any products that are prescription products for pain or for sleeping for humans that are THC and CBD. So, just be sure that if you’re using a CBD product it does not have any marijuana in it, and don’t marijuana. 

Dark Chocolate

Now chocolate, of course, if it’s really high quality it’ll have a lot of theobromine which can stop a dog’s heart, especially if they’re sensitive to it. You definitely want to avoid that for your dogs and your cats. 

Onions

You want to avoid feeding a lot of onions like onion soup or a stock made with a lot of onions. A little bit of onion that’s left in your salad or fried rice that you’re feeding, I wouldn’t worry about that. 

Grapes and Raisins

In the past, many people have fed grapes and raisins to their dogs with no problems. Yet, in the last 15 years, we’ve seen deaths from feeding grapes and raisins to dogs, even organic ones. We’re not sure why but it does cause renal failure and that’s really something to avoid. Now, if you’ve always been feeding your dog grapes and raisins, I wouldn’t worry about it at this point. 

Avocados

Avocados are fine to feed. They’re on all the list and you don’t want to feed an avocado pit. They might choke on it if they’re a big enough dog. You should avoid feeding the skin, although a lot of my colleagues in tropical areas say they’ve not seen problems with avocado skin but you know what? There’s even food made from avocados called AvoDerm. So, I wouldn’t worry about feeding avocado and it’s a good source of nutrients and fats. 

Toxic Plants

Finally, there are a number of plants that are toxic to dogs. So, be sure to check on that and your list of local plants. This is too long to go into on this food talk and there are many symptoms caused by food poisoning. These symptoms range from diarrhea to itching to death to renal disease and to heart disease with theobromine. It just depends on the chemicals in the sensitivity of your animal and of course treatments would depend on what was used. 

If you’re ever worried your pet has eaten something toxic, reach for charcoal. Not the kind you cook with but activated charcoal which you can get at the health food store or most pharmacies and grocery store pharmacies.

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau. I’m a licensed veterinarian and I’m with Holistic Actions! where you can find out more about anxieties. Hope to see you.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Feed wide variety of good foods
  • Avoid these few foods
  • Keep a journal of what they like

Related Symptoms: 

  • Diarrhea
  • Lower energy
  • Vomiting

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

What’s the Best Diet for My Dog with Diabetes?

What’s the Best Diet for My Dog with Diabetes?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Your dog is drinking a lot and peeing a lot, so you go to the veterinarian and find out your dog has diabetes. Now you’re wondering, “Is there a better food to be feeding him than this processed food, this canned and dry food?” The very best food for your dog with diabetes is a fresh-made diet. Conventional treatment is a high-fiber, low-fat diet that is usually commercially made. Essentially, just keep your dog’s diet low carb and feed a mostly meat diet, which is the normal natural diet for dogs (carnivores). 

Fresh Foods For A Healthy Pancreas

There are a couple of foods that Dr. Basko suggests in his book for a healthy pancreas that will help treat diabetes. 

Healthy pancreas foods include:

  • Oyster Mushrooms
  • Dandelion Root, dandelions are so wonderful
  • Sprouts of any sort, Clover sprouts specifically
  • Pumpkin
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Egg

Those are some of the foods you could be adding into your dog’s fresh, raw or cooked meat diet.

Other Holistic Approaches

While conventional treatment is insulin, there are many different holistic approaches that can help with diabetes. Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, homeopathy, and western herbs can all possibly help to prevent the need for insulin or at least minimize the use of insulin so it doesn’t have to keep going up and up and up, and your dog can stay healthy and balanced. 

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian on the faculty of Holistic Actions!.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Fresh diet with Dark Leafy greens (especially Dandelion), Berries,Oyster mushrooms
  • Insulin
  • Holistic – homeopathy, Chinese medicine

Related Symptoms: 

  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination
  • Weight loss

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

How Do I Care For My Dog’s Teeth?

How Do I Care For My Dog’s Teeth?

by | HA! FAQ, HA! Teeth, HA! Videos

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

That is such a great question because we do need to take care of our dog’s teeth. Teeth problems can lead to gum problems, gum infections, and this can then lead to many health problems throughout the body including problems in different organs. 

Brush Your Dog’s Teeth

It is very important to train your pup to absolutely love having you brush their teeth. Now, it might be just with your finger at the beginning. It might be taking a little piece of gauze at the beginning and cleaning like that. You may want to experiment with different pet toothpaste, baking soda, sea salt, and pet essential oils to help brush your dog’s teeth. Even tea, green tea, and black tea can be used to rub on the teeth and on the gums. Finally, you can introduce a small toothbrush and see if they’ll tolerate that while you’re training them.  

You want to get to the point where they absolutely love having you do things like this. Open the mouth, look way in the back of the mouth, not just lifting the gums, but have them really love having you examine their mouth. Sometimes that can save you from a major problem if something is stuck in the mouth and other times it simply allows you to more deeply evaluate the health of the teeth. So, to prevent future problems this is an excellent way to care for your dog’s teeth.

Gnaw on Raw Meat

Many people who feed their dog a raw meaty bone diet discover that their dog’s teeth never need brushing. Feeding big hunks of raw meaty bone to your dog, depending on their size, can help resolve any mouth or dental diseases.

For instance, for a tiny dog, it might be just a small chicken neck and, as they gnaw on this chicken neck, they’re cleaning their teeth and they’re strengthening the teeth in the jaws as well. For a larger dog, they might chew on a beef rib bone, a whole turkey back, or a big hunk of Chuck steak. For those smaller dogs, they might chew on a big piece of heart. These are definitely different possibilities that you can use that will help keep the teeth clean so you won’t need to brush them as often or maybe never. 

Improve Gut Health 

One key to good dental health is to have a healthy microbiome. If the gut is full of the right bacteria then the mouth will also have these good bacteria in it. Feeding a fresh wholesome diet will promote your dog’s gut health and that will then prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar on the mouth.

Professional Cleanings by Your Veterinarian 

Well, what about regular dental cleanings like you get? What about having your dog’s teeth cleaned on a regular basis? There are two kinds: there are non-anesthetic cleanings and anesthetic cleanings. There’s a lot of debate about which one is best. I personally know veterinarians who I respect and who are experts in the dental field who like one or don’t like one. So, it’s something for you to research and decide. 

It is important that you make sure your veterinarian does a very good mouth exam on your dog at your annual exam. All of this will allow you to have a dog with fresh breath and pearly white teeth. 

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian, and on the faculty of Holistic Actions!.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Hunks of raw meat/raw meaty bones
  • Brushing
  • Regular dental cleaning if needed

Related Symptoms: 

  • Brown stains on the teeth
  • Thick build up of Calculus
  • Red gums

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare.

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Is CBD a Viable Treatment for Pets With Anxiety?

Is CBD a Viable Treatment for Pets With Anxiety?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

CBD is absolutely a viable alternative to treat pets for anxiety. Conventional treatments usually include drugs, some of which can make a difference, especially if it’s just a temporary type of problem, but often pets are put on these drugs for a long time. 

Anxiety can be helped by many many many different holistic approaches like Flower Essences, essential oils, and the Tellington TTouch. However, one of the best holistic approaches is using CBD to treat pet anxiety. Now, here’s an important piece. CBD is cannabis, hemp, and some people call it marijuana but CBD is not marijuana. Marijuana contains THC which is the hallucinating part of it. You do not want a cannabis product that has more than .03% of THC in it. All hemp has some THC but you want to make sure you avoid THC. Never give your pets marijuana or smoke marijuana around them because it can have lethal effects on some pets who are sensitive to it. 

Now, healthy dogs will have an endocannabinoid system that prevents anxiety naturally in the body. Until your pet becomes healthy enough to be producing its normal endocannabinoids, CBD can definitely be an option although it often is temporary.

The other thing about CBD is the dosages can vary. So, if you try a CBD product made for dogs, which I suggest getting that kind, you want to have a product that is high quality. You want a product that is organic and that has been CO2 extracted. Follow the dosage instructions on the bottle, pay attention to how your dog is responding to it, and increase the dosage if you need to. It’s also important to try to give it before there are thunderstorms, noises, or things that cause your dog anxiety and see how they respond to it. Maybe make a little noise or whatever usually triggers them and then repeat it when you’re having the issues. You may need to give it a week or two before the 4th of July, for instance, if that’s the only problem. 

There has been a lot of testing in laboratories for people about anxiety with very good results. There’s very little to know about anxiety for dogs from testing but there is a lot of anecdotal information and success stories with it.

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau. I’m a licensed veterinarian and I’m with Holistic Actions! where you can find out a lot more about pet anxiety. Hope to see you.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Drugs
  • CBD
  • Tellington T-touch

Related Symptoms: 

  • Whining, crying
  • Destroying things in your home
  • Hiding

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare.

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

How Do I Manage My Pet’s Anxiety During A Storm?

How Do I Manage My Pet’s Anxiety During A Storm?

by | HA! FAQ, HA! Fears

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

It’s thunderstorm time again. My dog is howling. Your dog may be running through glass doors or glass windows, maybe just hiding and shivering, or coming to you and whining. Storm anxiety is very common, and for each animal, it’s different. Therefore, the treatment can depend on how your animal is acting. Of course, there are drug treatments for anxiety that a conventional veterinarian can prescribe. There are a lot of holistic approaches that can help. Many of these holistic treatments are a hundred percent safe where some of the conventional drugs may not be. However, like with conventional drugs, dogs may react differently. Some dogs on Acepromazine don’t calm down, they get more excited! Oh no! 

One of the important tricks of using holistic treatments is to start them a month before you’re anticipating anxiety, like before the Fourth of July or before storms are getting bad, or at least a few days before a storm is happening. This ensures that you’re putting on the Tellington TTouch Thunder Wrap or using the Ace bandage wrap method or giving the flower essences or using the herbs before the actual event that triggers the anxiety. Do these things ahead of time when it’s calm and your dog is happy and feeling well, then he’ll associate wearing the bundling shirt with feeling good. When it’s then time to use it for the thunderstorm, you’ll know how they react, and they’ll be associating the treatment with a good event. 

One of the easiest things you can try is a super safe flower essence combination. You can usually purchase this at any health food store, and it’s called “Rescue Remedy.” Put 4 drops in a 1-ounce bottle of water, and use it liberally. Put a few drops in your pup’s mouth. Put a few drops on hairless areas, like the inside of the ear flap, on the belly, or sometimes under the armpits. Put a few drops on his paws, and maybe he’ll lick the paws. Put a few drops on your hand, and pet him with it. These are all things that you can do with the flower essence. The Rescue Remedy is a treatment that you can also try ahead of time. You can try it in any anxious situation, and then start it as soon as you know there’s going to be a thunderstorm, or if you come home and your dog is not doing very well you can start it then. The owner of one dog who had thunderstorm anxiety sprayed Rescue Remedy on his favorite toy that he used to hide with, and that was it. There were no more problems. It’s not always that easy, so you do have to keep trying different approaches if the first one you try doesn’t work. 

There are some basic things around the house that you can do to help, whether it’s thunderstorms or loud noises from fireworks. You can close the curtains, put on some soft music, turn on the TV (find out what tv your dog actually likes. Some of them watch certain shows and not other shows), or create a safe space where they can feel comfortable, maybe in a closet where it’s less likely to be as loud. Hang out with them, or let them be alone depending on what they feel more comfortable with. Often distraction works great for dogs that are having thunderstorm anxiety issues. You can distract them with games that you’ve worked with, again not during the storm but beforehand, and you know they love. If you’ve been using a snuffle mat to help them breathe better and feel happier overall, put the snuffle mat out with special food treats in it during a storm. And of course, one of the permanent things that you can do to help your dogs with storm anxiety is desensitization, and that’s slowly exposing them to the sounds of the storm. It doesn’t help with the pressure changes, which sometimes is what’s triggering the problem. But, it can decrease their reaction to storms. 

There are many other behavioral ways you can work with your dog. One product that has been proven to help dogs with storm anxiety, and anxiety in general, is the Calmer Canine. The Calmer Canine is a modification of the Assisi Loop. You put it over your dog’s head and you use it for a period of time to relieve anxiety. Many studies have shown it to be effective. 

More permanent cures for dogs with anxiety, whether it’s from storms or other anxieties, is to build their balance by following the fundamentals that are listed on the Holistic Actions! website. There’s a Holistic Pet Health 101 Course, so check it out there! You may have to work with a homeopathic veterinarian or a Chinese medicine veterinarian. There are a lot of things you can do that may help your pet right now. 

I’m Doctor Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian with Holistic Actions! You can find out a lot more about anxieties on our website!

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Drugs
  • Flower Essences
  • Tellington T-Touch, Calmer Canine

Related Symptoms: 

  • Howling
  • Hiding
  • Destroying things

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

How Can I Treat My Pet’s Dandruff?

How Can I Treat My Pet’s Dandruff?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

White flakes on my black fancy suit. White flakes all over my house. White flakes on my dog’s hair coat, especially if it’s a black lab, you really see those dandruff flakes. Sometimes there can be itchiness, as well. So, what can you do to treat dandruff? 

Build Your Pet’s Overall Health

Well, the very best thing to do for dandruff is to build your pet’s overall health. When a dog is completely healthy they not only don’t have dandruff but they don’t have a doggy odor and don’t need any bathing. Now, while you’re working to build health, and the Holistic Actions! website actually has a lot of tips for you on how to build health, especially in our Holistic Pet Health 101 course. 

Natural Home Remedies

Other things you can do would be to bathe your dog with herbal shampoos, but you want to be careful not to dry out their skin. In this case, I’d suggest maybe every two weeks for that kind of bathing. Brushing every day, twice a day is always good and it’s sort of like getting a massage, so dogs love getting that. Omega fatty acids are really good, including ones with DHA and EPA. 

Holistic Treatments 

Those are some treatments that can make a huge difference for your dog. Now, if dandruff persists you may want to use deeper treatments that completely rebalance and build the health of your dog. Things like homeopathy, chiropractic, osteopathy, and Traditional Chinese Veterinary medicine. All of those can permanently get rid of dandruff. 

Seek Professional Veterinary Help

Now, just a little caveat here: Some dandruff could be caused by real skin conditions. If there’s a lot of itching or hair loss, it’d be good to go to your veterinarian. This is another reason for having a holistic veterinarian to go to as they could perform a skin scraping or see what else might be going on. They could determine if it’s mites of some sort that is causing it. 

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau. I’m a licensed veterinarian and I’m with Holistic Actions! where you can find out more about anxieties. Hope to see you.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Bathing
  • Brushing
  • Building health

Related Symptoms: 

  • White flakes on skin
  • White dust on your furniture
  • Itchiness

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Is cannabis oil a holistic treatment for cat cancer?

Is cannabis oil a holistic treatment for cat cancer?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Your cat has cancer, and you’re starting to wonder if cannabis oil is a treatment for cancer. You’ve been reading about this since there’s a lot of information about it on the internet. Yes, it can be a treatment. However, it depends on the cancer, on the animal, and on the stage that the cancer is in. There are a lot of if’s about any treatment for cancer. Lab research on humans and human research says “Yes, CBD is effective in treating some tumors and some cancer.” There has been at least one study done on canine tumors. Certain cells of canine tumors were tested in the lab, and they showed a response to CBD, so there have been a few studies done and more are coming every day. 

Using CBD As A Treatment

It’s really important to be sure that you’ve got good quality CBD. I wouldn’t recommend just trying CBD by itself if you have an animal with cancer. Instead, I would strongly suggest you work with a really great homeopathic veterinarian or Chinese medicine veterinarian, someone who specializes in treating the whole health of your pet, and focuses on making your dog or cat feel better. CBD may be part of the treatment they recommend or you can ask about it and suggest it. The CBD you buy needs to be organic, preferably extracted with CO2, and you really need to pay attention to the source of where it’s coming from. 

So, yes CBD is a holistic treatment for cat cancer, but it’s something you need to be careful with and make sure the oil you use is very good quality. 

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian on the faculty of Holistic Actions!, where we talk a lot about the many different treatments for pet cancer and even have a course on the topic.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Cannabis
  • Surgery
  • Traditional Chinese medicine

Related Symptoms: 

  • Weakness, lethargy
  • Weight loss
  • Swellings

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Can I Give My Dog Benadryl for Allergies?

Can I Give My Dog Benadryl for Allergies?

by | HA! Allergies, HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Yes, you can give your dog Benadryl for allergies. It can be a temporary help in eliminating sneezing, runny eyes, itching, sleeplessness, and certainly can be given. The dosage is usually a milligram per pound but different dogs react differently to it and, again, it’s only temporary help. 

What you should do instead of using Benadryl is to seek out one of the holistic treatments that can deeply cure your animal. This way, these symptoms you’re using Benadryl for never return and you never need to give Benadryl to your dog again. A holistic approach also means you won’t have any of the side effects that you would with Benadryl. 

Holistic treatments that can help for itchiness, sneezing, or runny eyes would include things like Flower Essences, essential oils, and acupressure, which you can do yourself at home. Just pressing on the different points that you’ve learned through consulting Holistic Actions! Academy or various great websites on acupressure points for your dog. Hopefully, you’ll never have to turn to Benadryl again. 

This is Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian faculty with Holistic Actions! Academy.

Related Symptoms: 

  • Sleeplessness
  • Swelling 
  • Runny eyes

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Fresh food diet/diet changes
  • Flower Essences
  • Reiki or Bengston Method

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

What Are Holistic Treatment Options For a Cat with Tapeworm?

What Are Holistic Treatment Options For a Cat with Tapeworm?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

First, what are tapeworms? There’s a tapeworm. They’re segmented and the way you’ll know that your cat has tapeworms isn’t necessarily from a stool sample you take to the vet but rather on your furniture you’ll see what looks like little grains of rice. You may also see them in the stool of your cat’s litter box or sometimes on you yourself. The good news about tapeworms, whether in cats or dogs, is they don’t cause a lot of damage to their health unless there’s a ton of them. Therefore, you can try some holistic treatments to eliminate tapeworms when you see those little grains of rice. Most importantly, is you need to understand the life cycle of tapeworms and this is critical.

Tapeworms do not get transmitted from your cat to another cat in your household nor can they be transmitted to you. There’s an intermediate host and the intermediate host is fleas or mice. If you have seen fleas on your cat and then you see these little grains of rice you can be pretty sure they’re tapeworms. If your cat hunts and catches mice then that’s the way that you would know that they may be getting tapeworms. So, if you’ve seen these grains of rice and you’d like to try some holistic treatments, one of the ones I would recommend is a totally safe Flower Essence called Para-Outta-Sight carried by Jackson Galaxy. The Para-Outta-Sight would be given for a couple of weeks, even up to a month, and then the tapeworms will just pass out of the cat’s body. After a month you could stop giving it and if you’re no longer seeing any of those little segments, then you probably eradicated the tapeworms. 

Another possibility is to feed some diatomaceous earth. Diatoms are little sea critters that have very sharp edges and they actually cut up the tapeworm. There are other herbs that can be used, many different herbs to eliminate tapeworms. Now, if your cat keeps getting tapeworms on a regular basis it’s important to rebalance his system by using homeopathy with a homeopathic veterinarian or a veterinarian trained in Chinese veterinary medicine.

I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau. I’m on the faculty of Holistic Actions!, where you can ask common pet parent questions and get more detailed answers.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Para-outta-site and other flower essences
  • Herbs 
  • Diatomaceous earth

Related Symptoms: 

  • Tiny white granules (like grains of rice) seen in stool, around anus or on your couch!

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Is Cannabis Oil A Homeopathic Treatment For Cat Cancer?

Is Cannabis Oil A Homeopathic Treatment For Cat Cancer?

by | HA! Cancer, HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Well, cancer is definitely a serious concern for a lot of people, and they’re looking for multiple different treatments. Often cats with cancer are weak, have lethargy, don’t want to eat, or are losing weight. When you go to the veterinarian, they may suggest treatments such as surgery, drugs, chemotherapeutic agents, or radiation. More people want to try a holistic approach, so they reach out and ask about homeopathy. Well, first off, let me be clear, cannabis oil is not a homeopathic medicine. We will talk in another video about cannabis oil being used as a treatment for cancer. 

But in this one, I want to clarify what homeopathy is. Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of “like cures like”. Medicines that have been used, herbs, body substances, minerals, have been tested in humans to produce symptoms. These symptoms are carefully recorded. When a cat is sick with cancer, if they’re going to use homeopathic treatment, all of the symptoms of the cat are carefully recorded, and then books are used to find medicines that, when tested, produce the same symptoms that your cat is showing right now. Symptoms such as maybe wanting to hide or being a little scared or feeling good at 2 o’clock in the morning and running around but being tired in the afternoon. These individual characteristics are how we determine homeopathic medicines. So yes, homeopathy can be used to treat cats with cancer, but cannabis oil is not homeopathy. 

This is Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian, faculty with HolisticActions!

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

Are There Any Effective Holistic Treatments for Tumors in Cats?

Are There Any Effective Holistic Treatments for Tumors in Cats?

by | HA! Cancer, HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

You may have seen a lump on your cat. You may have seen that your cat had decreased energy or decreased appetite and when you went to your conventional veterinarian or your holistic veterinarian to see what was going on, they told you your cat has a tumor. It could be a tumor anywhere inside or outside and now you’re wondering, are there any holistic approaches that could help my cat recover from this tumor or at least feel better while she has the tumor? The answer is yes. 

There are a lot of effective holistic approaches to treating tumors in cats. Conventionally, the treatment would be surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The first step is, of course, as I said, you’ll need to go to your veterinarian for a hands-on exam with blood work, maybe x-ray, ultrasound, possibly a biopsy. It would be wonderful if you already had a veterinarian who was trained in homeopathy, Chinese medicine or chiropractic as they could do a much more complete exam and give you more information. 

Well, now you know they have a tumor. Now, what can you do? Work with a homeopathic veterinarian. Work with a veterinarian trained in TCVM. Both of these can effectively resolve tumors in cats. Not all cats, but many cats. There are other holistic approaches that can also be used including ozone, herbs, Western herbs, as well as Chinese herbs, Flower Essences, essential oils, and many many more.

You can find out more about these by becoming a member of HolisticActions!. I’m Dr. Christina Chambreau and I’m a licensed veterinarian on the faculty of HolisticActions! Academy.

Suggested Treatments: 

  • Homeopathic care by a trained veterinarian
  • Ozone therapy
  • Traditional Chinese Veterinary medicine

Related Symptoms: 

  • Lumps
  • Decreased appetite
  • Lethargy

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.

How Often Do I Need to Bathe My Dog?

How Often Do I Need to Bathe My Dog?

by | HA! FAQ

Answered by Dr. Christina Chambreau

Doggy odor? Well, dogs just smell, and they need to get bathing  in order to not smell like a dog. Some people bathe their dog weekly, sometimes once a month, in order to not have that doggy odor. However, if you build your dog’s health, you will never need to give a bath again. It’s okay if you need to give a bath temporarily, or, if your dog has a skin problem like demodectic mange, you may need to bathe even twice a week. So, how often you give a dog a bath depends on your needs. 

Now, when dogs are completely healthy, they do not have dandruff, they don’t shed, and they don’t have that doggy odor that necessitates getting a bath. Your goal is to build the health of your dog so that the only time you need to give him a bath is if he rolls in something yucky or if he loves to play in the mud and becomes really muddy. Sometimes you just need to rinse him off and other times, if special people are visiting, you’ll need to give him a bath so you have a pristine clean house and a pristine clean dog.

Check out the Holistic Pet Health 101 Course at HolisticActions! to learn the steps to build the health of your dog so that you’ll no longer need to give them a bath. 

This is Dr. Christina Chambreau, licensed veterinarian and faculty at HolisticActions! Academy.

Visit HolisticActions! to learn more about holistic pet health.

DISCLAIMER: Holistic Actions! does not provide advice on certified medical treatments. Content is intended for informational purposes only and to equip you with the tools needed for Holistic Medical Decision Making (HMDM). It is not a substitute for clinical assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Never use content found on the Holistic Actions! website as the basis for ignoring advice from your veterinarian to seek treatment. If you think you may have a veterinary emergency, please call your vet or an animal hospital immediately.

 

Dr. Christina

Christina Chambreau, DVM, is an internationally known homeopathic veterinarian and associate editor of the Integrative Veterinary Care Journal, she’s written several books on animal healthcare. 

After opening her own homeopathy veterinary practice in 1983, she founded the Academy Of Veterinary Homeopathy and was on the faculty of the National Center for Homeopathy Summer School for ten years.

Dr. Christina is also an integrative medicine adjunct faculty liaison for the Maryland Veterinary Technician Program and lectures on a wide array of topics including integrating holistic options into veterinary practices, as well as guidance on how to choose the best approaches to heal animals and sustainability.