Nature’s Variety Dog Food (Summary)

Does anyone have any comments on Natures Variety Prairie Puppy?

Shawna, no need to apologies! I seriously get it.

Yes, I don’t/can’t tolerate any printed material. I also don’t do plastic or synthetics. If I sit on them or wear them my skin dies and forms a paste of decomp. I call it death sweat. I was told to go home in ’04 and die. I’m kind of stubborn… I’ve lost count of the near death experiences years ago. I’ve had some pretty freaky stuff happen. Regular doctors kept telling me “that can’t happen!” while watching it. Anyway, I need to read that book! Thanks for the info!

Gordon, I didn’t mean to imply that I disagreed with your statements about clutter, rather that I was clarifying my comment, incase I’d not communicated it clearly. Yes, regularly washing your pets bedding with borax is a great way to interrupt the flea life cycle.

Radio-active? LOL, no not that. Thank goodness! It just looks exactly like it. The blistering, redness, massive edema, shiny skin, discolorations. Not fun. Though on bad days I get whimsical and think I should at least get some super powers like Spiderman and Bruce Banner did… (geek on).

Mine was from pesticide poisoning. Organophosphate followed by a fungicide that uptakes allcellular glutathione, followed by heavy retalliatory spraying for asking to be notified before they spray. The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Regiatry (ATSDR) reported that pesticide poisoning is one of the most under reported forms of injury, often misdiagnosed, as only 1-2% of physicians receive any training at all in environmental medicine. The Region 10 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) office says that people with chemical hypersensitivity are the fastest growing segment of the disabled population. This is a world wide trend. Mainstream people rarely hear about us due to the fact we can’t interact with fragranced and toxic individuals and environments. We are forced into isolation. Many become homeless due to lost ability to access work environments or their houses are toxic. Recognition is growing. Those of us with this condition don’t want therest of you to get it. We’re fighting to raise awareness. thanks for reading my spiel!

Now, you came home dizzy? *ears pricked up* I’m certified by the CDC to take Environmental histories and determine several different types of environmental poisoning. I’m curious. What do you do? GFETE

Gordon, flea dirt is actually a better indicator of the presence of fleas that a sighting. The little vermin are so fast. When I say environment, I’m not talking about clutter. I’m not even talking about dirt. I’m talking about toxic substances. Many allergic reactions are manifested due to environmental factors like fragrance, solvents, pesticide, petroleum products and by-products. Many household cleaning products are extremely toxic. So, some of the “cleanest” houses can actually be the most toxic. These toxins can make a cut, or spider bite respond with an adverse (seemingly hystemic) reaction. Weed and feed products, vegetable dust, even your neighbor applying herbicides can effect how an injury heals. My Pom stumbled and skinned the top of her paw. It was during spray season. If I hadn’t have been right there and seen it happen, I would have thought it was a bite. That’s what it looked like. It’s been months and it’s still not quite healed. Anyway, many chemicals cause rashes and blistering. Even when they are detoxing out of bodies. This is common for TIs. Anywhere you sweat, you an get all kinds of nasty skin reactions. In my case even second and third hand exposures to Arm and Hammer Unscented Deoderant cause me to get a reaction in all the sweat areas that looks like a radiation burn. No exaggeration. I still have the scars. That stuff is nasty! So, when I say environment, think Volatile Organic Compounds, or toxic chemicals, or synthetic substances. Hope that sheds some light. Sorry about focusing on Mosquitos, when the more recent issue was on fleas. Took a hit last night and not functioning on all cylinders. Heh, heh :-}

Shawna – I’m not actually claiming that flea bites won’t still occur when under Comfortis. They’ll bite before pretty much getting killed. I think no matter what treatment you use, fleas will still bite if the opportunity is present where a flea finds itself on a dog.

I should elaborate or actually specify that I actually really don’t know whether my TT’s recent right paw skin allergy and his constant licking of it, was from flea allergy. I strongly assumed so, given what I’d read from Dr. Barbara Fougere’s book, that fleas can even get between paw toes.

Now having said that, I should also make all aware (that aren’t necessarily aware), the importance of also keeping the environment clean. Toxed2loss made reference to the environment, above, and it is actually a contributor to things like where fleas hang out and live. Now, my dogs are no less healthier than yours, Shawna, if not healthier…just sayin. About 95% of fleas don’t actually live or hang out on the actual host (dog in this example), but rather the “environment”. Now remember, firstly I haven’t actually seen any fleas on my dogs and only assumed that my TT had suffered a flea bite on his right paw. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if, and from my assumption, that my dog’s current environment probably has fleas, for the mere reason that I, as a bachelor, confess that I find it hard pressed time wise to maintain my home squeaky clean….especially my dogs’ kennel and surroundings. This could also be contrary to say, your house keeping ethics/regime, Shawna where you, like many house wives/women are better caretakers of family and house keeping and have a greater sense of keeping areas in a clean state, than that of most men (me no exception, lol).

Shameless, also swears by her all natural only flea and worm therapies, that she never has her dog ever have any flea problems or flea caused allergies. I never asked her, but could it also be that she, being a woman, and someone’s wife (hence a carer of a family and housekeeping) that she also maintains optimum home environment hygiene? Highly probable. As a bachelor, I don’t have the luxury of time nor a current wife, lol, hence woman….(their more natural drive to keep things cleaner), to maintain a more clean environment in my home. And so, that could also be a significant issue in the control or lack thereof, re fleas.

My house and my dog’s living area, need a good cleaning up and thorough clutter removal. Yes, I do make sure, though, I clean away their stools on a daily basis, at least.

So just saying and throwing that out there, that the environment is a huge contributing factor, irrespective of my dogs’ dietary health (Which I stand by believing is at absolute optimum health).

I’ve also followed Dr. Fougere’s written advice on how to be sure if one’s dog has fleas on it (At least on it’s main body), by placing a wet white paper towel underneath the dog, while one brushes the fur of the dog with a comb and see if any fleas fall onto to the wet paper towel. I never did see any fleas come off and fall onto the towel. Nor have a seen any fleas on my dogs when I’ve put my eyes very close to their fur and stroked against the direction of the fur. So my TT’s current paw skin allergy may not have even had anything to do with flea bites. I said may not have?…as far as I’m aware, based on all that I have said above. It may have just been caused by something that he stepped on while on their daily walks. Just sayin…and who really knows?

I think Mary Lou and others can attest to the fact that dogs can still have a major reaction to flea bites EVEN while on Comfortis and other flea preventatives.

Hi Mary Lou – Yeah Comfortis apparently contains spinosad and is apparently very effective, but not with out some minor side effects in some cases. When I recently gave my JRT (My TT who had the flea dermatitis allergy, had no side effects) the Comfortis, she had less appetite for eating for a few days.

It’s claimed that with Comfortis, some such side effects can occur and becomes non existent after such dog has had a few doses and their system becomes accustomed to the drug.

Most vets including holistic ones will usually still support such treatments especially because I truly believe they know that whilst some alternative natural therapies, can work, such are not as effective as the veterinary/medical chemical counterparts. Even a Sydney holistic vet who has the alphabet of qualifications, and of who I have one of her books, suggests all of the alternative natural treatments but confesses that they are not as effective as the chemical conventional counterparts which she claims are also actually safe with the right doses. Mind you, she appears to know about many of the links and studies that Shawna sometimes refers to such as ones like from Dr.s Shultz and Goldstein to name a couple, as well as what pub med have on offer. But I guess most good scientists would be aware of international peer perspectives.

With milk thistle, and most additives including enzymes and probiotics, human ones are safe for dogs as well and the marketed ones for pets are just that…marketing, otherwise the same supplements for humans including milk thistle, are safe for pets. There are exceptions though and it’s best to always make sure with a good holistic vet. I recently inquired with that holistic vet, Dr. Barbara Fougere via email, if it was OK to issue my dogs with a human brand I bought and I asked that I took in consideration the size of my dogs compared to humans and proposed to issue them say a fifth of what dosage a human would get, and her vet nurse replied saying that one of the holistic vets on duty at the time, said that was perfectly OK, and agreed for me to issue my dogs a 5th of the human dose. So I’d suggest when you buy some milk thistle, read its daily human dosage recommendation, and just give your dog (which is about the same class size of my dogs) a 5th of what that dose states.

I give milk thistle for up to a week after things like worming and flea tablets are given to my dogs, as also suggested by Shawna to me some weeks ago and also backed up by that Sydney holistic vet, as well as I read that Nigel somewhere way above on this thread, said he does too…for a week that is….so it’s likely to be right and effective in helping cleanse the liver from residual toxins from those vet meds. Just keep in mind as a way to ease your mind, that you can’t really overdose on milk thistle anyway. So if you inadvertently miscalculate and provide Dupree an overdose, it won’t hurt because it’s a natural substance derived from plants, and the worst it can do, is cause a little lethargy which doesn’t last long.

Also, I thought I’d mention that I was giving my dogs a powder form of milk thistle and it would be a hit and miss whether my JRT would eat her dinner that I mixed the MT to (TT isn’t as fussy), as she could isolate the actual smell of the MT from the rest of the food (The dog’s sense of smell is that powerful), and hence she appears not to like the smell and considers the food then contaminated. So I now give a tablet from of MT and pop it down their throat just before giving them dinner. That works better.

Thanks melissa ~ after the DE fiasco, I’m not sure I want to embark on “powders” again. I am still finding DE in various spots. I think I did overkill, and I must have missed the part about not inhaling it. We have a two story house, and I put it everywhere ~ and I mean everywhere. Nuts! I guess I should be thankful we are still in seemingly good health. A lesson learned, and I may still be getting a new vacuum! : )

Thanks for all the suggestions! I really like the spraying on the bandana idea due to his sensitive skin. I will read up on everything after my granddaughter goes home today. Thanks!

Borax is one of the products that Toxed uses so that makes sense aimee..

Mary Lou,

Also someone mentioned that they spray the oils or other natural “stinky” stuff on a bandana instead of the dog. Not sure how effective this is, but just mentioning it.

Shawna,

If you have the time, I would like to get info on neem. I think the other pug lady uses it alot. I know she recommends it alot.