The following classes still have some availability, offered by www.thelightfootway.com

Flower Essences for People & Animals Workshop with Kim

Date: Sunday, August 1^st

Time: 9am-12:30pm

Location: Kim’s farm near Manvel/Alvin, 30 minutes south of Houston medical center off of hwy. 288

Cost:  $75 ($60 for verifiable rescuers) w/$45 deposit if deposit paid by July 18^th; after July 18^th, price is $85 ($70 for rescuers) w/$45 deposit.  OR attend 2 half days in one day for $125 ($90 for verifiable rescuers) w/$75 deposit if deposit paid by July 18^th; after July 18^th, price is $140 ($105 for rescuers) w/$75 deposit.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

Flower essences are created by placing a flower or part of a plant in water, placing it in sunlight, and allowing the water to take on the vibrational energies of that part of the plant. They are commonly used on animals with emotional/behavioral issues by many professional animal professionals.  Since many physical health problems with people and animals are due to emotional issues, essences have the ability to resolve some of these conditions.  Even animal rescue organizations have realized the value in flower essences.  In this workshop you will:

• Learn how flower essences work
• Learn the benefits and properties of Bach flower essences
• Learn how to determine the proper flower essences for a person or an animal
• Learn the administration of flower essences
• Learn how to make a custom flower essence blend for people and animals
• Bring your animal or photos of your animals

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Aromatherapy for People & Animals Workshop with Kim

Date: Sunday, August 1^st

Time: 1:30pm-5pm

Location: Kim’s farm near Manvel/Alvin, 30 minutes south of Houston medical center off of hwy. 288

Cost: $75 ($60 for verifiable rescuers) w/$45 deposit if deposit paid by July 18^th; after July 18^th, price is $85 ($70 for rescuers) w/$45 deposit.  OR attend 2 half days in one day for $125 ($90 for verifiable rescuers) w/$75 deposit if deposit paid by July 18^th; after July 18^th, price is $140 ($105 for rescuers) w/$75 deposit.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils which are extracted from flowers, leaves, stems, roots, bark, seeds or fruit of the plant.  Documented veterinary remedies date back to the 18th century.  While essential oils can be used to help with emotional and spiritual issues, they are also helpful with physical issues such as wounds, skin conditions, joint problems, circulatory issues, and parasites.  In this workshop you will:

• Learn how essential oils work
• Learn the benefits and properties of essential oils
• Learn how to determine the proper essential oils for a person or an animal
• Learn specific blends for calming, fear/anxiety, uplifting, motion sickness, fleas, and skin irritation
• Learn the administration of aromatherapy for animals
• Learn the precautions with animal aromatherapy
• Learn how to make a custom essential oil blend for people and animals
• Bring your animal or photos of your animals
• You may create a custom essential oil blend for a fee.  Multiple blends receive a discount.
• Beautiful and unique aromatherapy necklaces will be available for purchase in a variety of styles.  The pendant can also be placed on your pet’s collar.

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Light Your Path Retreat with Kim & Allison

Date: Saturday & Sunday, August 7^th & 8^th

Time: 9am-5pm

Location: Kim’s farm near Manvel/Alvin, 30 minutes south of Houston medical center off of hwy. 288

Cost: $250 w/$150 deposit paid by July 24^th; after July 24^th, price is $300.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

This is an incredible retreat to help empower you on your spiritual journey!

• Whether you seek personal or professional guidance and growth, this unique retreat will nurture your body, mind and soul by helping you find the answers you seek.
• Join Kim and Allison for this powerful retreat that will enlighten and empower your path!
• Included in the workshop is a private consultation with Kim and Allison.
• See attached flyer that provides more details.

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Basic Animal Communication Workshop with Allison

Date: Saturday, August 14^th

Time: 9am-5pm

Location: Earth Sanctuary, 13424B Briar Forest, Houston

Cost: $125 ($90 for verifiable rescuers) w/$75 deposit if deposit paid by July 31^st; after July 31^st, price is $140 ($105 for rescuers) w/$75 deposit.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

Everyone has the ability to communicate with animals.  It is only a matter of awakening this ability inside yourself.  Through meditations and exercises, you will learn how to communicate with animals in just one day.  You do not have to have had any previous experience doing meditation, yoga, or any kind of energy work in order to be able to do this.

• If you have ever wanted to know what your animal is thinking, feeling, their life purpose, or how to help them with a behavioral or physical condition, this workshop is for you.  Being able to communicate with animals can help you understand them better.
• You can use your intuitive abilities to assist with the animal’s general care, handling, or training.
• Animals can be communicated with by distance which means you can do this from wherever you are – on a business trip, vacation, or the comfort of your home.
• A group situation provides an ideal learning environment.  Through photos of workshop participants’ animals and a live animal, you will learn to communicate with animals, including those that are in spirit.
• Deepen your bond with your animal and experience your relationship like you have never done before.
• You will receive a folder and certificate of completion.

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Nutrition & Muscle Testing Workshop with Kim

Date: Sunday, August 15^th

Time: 9am-5pm

Location: Kim’s farm near Manvel/Alvin, 30 minutes south of Houston medical center off of hwy. 288

Cost: $125 ($90 for verifiable rescuers) w/$75 deposit if deposit paid by Aug. 1^st; after Aug. 1^st, price is $140 ($105 for rescuers) w/$75 deposit.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

Nutrition is vital to an animal’s health.  Many health and behavioral issues are the result of improper nutrition. Proper nutrition can help keep an animal healthy or restore their health.  Kinesiology, also called muscle response testing, is the science and art of movement in the body.  It is a method used by holistic vets, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, and nutritionists working in private health food stores.  Muscle testing uses the muscle system of a person or animal’s body in the presence of a product as a source of information.  Some refer to it as body wisdom.  You do not touch your animal’s muscles to do this. You only use the muscles in your own arm.  It is a simple process anyone can learn.  In this workshop, you will learn:

• Basic nutritional needs for dogs, cats, and horses.
• Advanced nutritional needs for animals with special conditions such as cancer or arthritis.

• How to conduct kinesiology to determine the proper nutrition for animals and people.
• How to use kinesiology to determine the proper topical products for animals and people.
• How to use kinesiology to determine if you or an animal is allergic to a certain food or product.
• If you do not have a certain food or product but want to know if it is right for you or your pet, no problem – there is a way to test that!
• How to do muscle testing on yourself, others, and your animals.  You will be amazed at how this can change the life of animals, your own, and others!
• So, bring your animal, food, and any other products you want to test on yourself or your pet.   If you have other animals, you can bring a photo of them.
• The muscle testing ebook will be available for purchase for $10 (normally $15)

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Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for People & Animals Workshop with Kim

Date: Sunday, August 29^th

Time: 9am-5pm

Location: Kim’s farm near Manvel/Alvin, 30 minutes south of Houston medical center off of hwy. 288

Cost: $125 ($90 for verifiable rescuers) w/$75 deposit if deposit paid by Aug. 15^th; after Aug. 15^th, price is $140 ($105 for rescuers) w/$75 deposit.  Paypal and checks are accepted.

EFT is a breakthrough method to help people and animals resolve all kinds of problems such as fears, post-traumatic stress disorder, pain, illness, anxiety, etc.  It is energy based so there are no side effects, just some really possible awesome results. You must understand that all negative emotions stem from an energy disturbance in the body. If the negative emotions block the energy flow, this can lead to illness. EFT uses acupressure points to free up the energy blockages. It’s amazing and simple!  Anyone can do it, including children.  In this workshop you will learn:

• All the benefits of EFT for both people and animals
• How to do EFT on both people and animals
• How to do EFT using various methods for people and animals
• You will practice doing EFT on both people and animals in a comfortable, small group setting
• You will receive a manual, EFT charts for a person, dog, cat and horse and certificate of completion
• EFT bears will be available for purchase

Kim Shotola

www.TheLightfootWay.com

*Learn about taking or hosting holistic care workshops

*Learn about our certified holistic care consultant program

*Learn about our free consultations

*Sign up for the free holistic care ebook The Lightfoot Way:

10 Secrets to Holistic Animal Care

*See our Natural Pet Health Blog at www.HoustonPetTalk.com

*Check us out on Facebook & Twitter

713-822-4382

• Canine massage is great for keeping those muscles in shape whether your dog is a performance dog or not. It is easy to learn and can help take seconds off of the clock for agility and fly ball dogs. It is also helpful to massage your dog after they have performed to keep the muscles in optimal shape. If for any reason you need to calm your dog, try the arm pit massage. Put your fingers up into their armpits as far as you can go (be careful if you have long nails) and then massage in slow circles. This will get them so relaxed that some dogs almost fall over!
• Water therapy like that offered at Rummy’s Beach Club is also helpful for performance dogs whether they are involved in dock jumping or another demanding sport.  And if they have an injury, it can help them to recover more quickly.
• Every athletic dog needs great nutrition. Consider a raw diet and probiotics for optimal performance. Adding joint supplements like MSM or glucosamine may be beneficial. Muscle testing is the key to finding out what diet and supplements are right for your dog.
• Did your dog work too hard and need pain relief? Consider the homeopathic remedy Arnica. Homeopathy for dogs can work wonders and should be in everyone’s home. Use muscle testing to find out if homeopathy will help and if so, what is the best remedy.
• The flower essence Cerato, Clematis and Impatiens can help your dog to focus. Olive is helpful for those that are exhausted from competitions. Flower essences can be very helpful for dogs. A custom blend made just for your dog is even better!
• Crystal therapy  for animals can be beneficial.  The crystals fluorite, labradolite and tiger’s eye help your dog to focus. 

Blessings to you and the animals you love!

Kim

www.TheLightfootWay.com

Is your pet sad, grieving or depressed? Different remedies and natural solutions can help.

I’m adding to the information that was provided in the April Natural Pet Tips featured in this month’s issue of the Houston Pet Talk magazine.  There are a number of possible ways that you can bring joy into your pet’s life.  This is especially important if they seem depressed.  They may be lonely having lost their best friend.  Perhaps your schedule has changed and you can’t spend as much time with them as you like.  Or maybe you have not been feeling well lately and they miss the “you” they know and love.  They can be worried about you, too.  If your pet is off emotionally or behaviorally, you want to try to help them as this can lead to heath problems.  Remember the best way to determine what will help them the most is by muscle testing.  There are so many options to chose from and when your animal is not themselves, you really don’t want to be beating around the bush.

• Placing something yellow on or near your pet can help to bring more “sunshine” into their life, even if they live outdoors.  Yellow can help to recharge your pet just as sunshine can.  Sounds odd, well color therapy is truly amazing.  It is simple and easy to do.  It is not about your pet seeing the color, but the wonderful energy the color gives off.  It is best to use muscle testing to select the appropriate color.  Purple can help increase their energy and help with depression.  Blue can help them feel peaceful.  Pink can help with anxiety, tension, jealously and feeling loved.  But a bright dandelion yellow is great to warm your pet’s heart.
• The Bach flower essences Agrimony, Mustard, Water Violet and Wild Rose can help promote inner joy.  Gentian is helpful if your pet seems depressed.  Star of Bethlehem, Honeysuckle and Walnut are helpful if your pet is dealing with loss.  A custom Bach flower remedy is best as it is custom created just for your pet.
• Creating an essential oil spray of sweet orange, frankincense and ginger can help your pet to become more joyful.  You can spray it in the air or just allow your pet to smell the bottle.  Click here to learn more about animal aromatherapy.
• Rose quartz, amethyst, smokey quartz and turquoise are crystals that can help with peace, calming and grief.  Since crystals can be powerful with the energy they give off, it is best to use muscle testing to see if they are appropriate for your pet and if so, which ones and how they should be offered.  There are so many wonderful crystals to choose from.  They can be placed on or near your pet but it might be best for them to be offered in a crystal spray as the energy is effective but more subtle.
• Ignatia, Pulsatilla and Lachesis are homeopathic remedies that can help your pet if they are dealing with grief.  However, I would not use homeopathy on an animal unless they muscle tested as it being helpful and then I would make sure I muscle tested which remedy is needed.  Homeopathy can be awesome but you only use it when needed and it is important to use the proper remedy.  Click here to learn more about homeopathy.
• Whole grains can perk up your pet’s mood if they are not grain sensitive.  Know that grains contribute to allergies/sensitivities with pets so you only want to feed grains if your pet’s body can handle them.  Again, the way to know what is best for your pet is through muscle testing.  Many pets need a grain-free diet.
• Turkey can be a better option than chicken.  Most cats and dogs do well on turkey as they have more sensitivities to chicken.  You would use muscle testing to find out what proteins are best for your pet as many pets can not handle all the proteins that are available.
• Consider adding bee pollen or chlorophyll to their diet to boost their energy.
• If you have not told your pet they have a forever home with you, do it now, even if they’ve been with you for years. Many do not realize this.
• Consider doing something special with your pet that you have not done before or done in a long time.  This can help bring unexpected joy to your beloved pet.  Or if you are used to taking your dog on walks for instance, take them to somewhere new.  Do whatever you can to enrich and stimulate them such as playing games.  This will help to bring more joy into their life.
• You can also rub your hands together and send loving energy to your pet.  See the reiki/energy blog to learn more.
• Think about playing some spiritual/healing type music for your pet.  Some music was specially created to affect the energy in the body by using certain notes that resonate deep within the heart and soul.

As you can see, there are a lot of wonderful options for helping bring joy into your pet’s life.  Regardless of the reason your pet needs some help, explore the various methods and see what works best for you and them.

Blessings to you and the animals you love!

Kim

www.TheLightfootWay.com

Kim with her dogs Lady and Angel, from Pearland Animal Control

• First thing you need to know is what really is natural/holistic health care.  Natural just means it is all natural.  But holistic means helping the whole animal, on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level.  Some people refer to it as helping the body, mind and soul or spirit.  When you look at the whole animal, you look at the primary cause of the behavior or health condition, not just the symptoms.
• Did you know that most illness and disease is a result of emotional blockages in a person or an animal’s body?  If you think about this long enough, it will make sense.  Don’t you get stressed some times?  Perhaps hold on to certain unpleasant memories?  Well, so do animals.  This is especially common with animals that are adopted or rescued.  A lot of them have been through traumatic situations.  And these days, BRAVO, many people are adopting, and they may face behavioral and health challenges with the animals they love so dearly.  But it is not only about adopted pets, any pet can have issues.  Heck, that is just life.  But you just need to understand that if something has emotionally affected your pet at just one time in their life, even as a puppy, it can show up later in life.  Holistic/natural pet care can help reach and release what is going on, whether it stems from a “one” time event or multiple events.  This includes behavioral problems because many are a result of even just one incident that happened to a pet.
• You may be asking, why does holistic/natural health care really work?  Well, I have to get a bit scientific here.  Did you know that most of the body is water?  Water is just a subtle form of energy.  Holistic care works on an energetic level so if the body is mostly water (remember water is just a simple form of energy), then any modality that has the ability to work on an energetic level can have incredible results.
• The next thing you need to know then is what modalities does holistic animal care entail.  It includes nutrition, kinesiology (muscle testing), animal communication, reiki/energy work, EFT, flower essences, aromatherapy, homeopathy, crystal therapy, color therapy, animal massage, magnetic therapy, light therapy, sound therapy, water therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic work and more.
• Natural pet care never replaces proper veterinary care, but is a complimentary addition to it.
• Lastly, some of this you may never have heard of before.  That is ok.  I just ask that you please keep an open mind.  Some times people do not look for this type of help (for themselves or their pets) unless they are desperate.  But if you learn a bit about this and apply just some of it, you may not have to put yourself in such a situation.  Just keep in mind that holistic animal care can help you save yourself time, money and your pet’s health.

For my next blog, I’d like to talk about nutrition and muscle testing for animals because they go hand in hand.  Nutrition is the cause of many health issues, including allergies and some behavioral issues.  And if you know muscle testing, it is simply amazing and can change you and your pet’s life!   But, I would like you to write with any questions you have about the basics of holistic animal care.  You can also ask about how natural health care can help a particular health or behavioral issue.

Blessings to you and the animals you love!

The Lightfoot Way offers free animal healing sessions on a monthly basis at the activity center at the Riveraine apartment complex located at 8181 Colony (at Beechnut between 59 & beltway8).

Type of Healing Offered:

·         Consultation on your animal’s nutrition which can often contribute to health and behavioral issues.  To learn about muscle testing for animals, please click here.

·         This type of session is sometimes called a reiki or healing share.

·         Energy work such as reiki or EFT can be offered. To learn more about the reiki offered in a free animal healing session, click here.  To learn about EFT, click here.

·         If your animal wishes to tell us anything during the session, we will share this information with you.

·         While The Lightfoot Way loves to educate people about holistic animal care, this session is not a workshop.  Holistic animal care is never a replacement for proper veterinary care.

What to Expect:

Your Animal
Reiki/energy work and EFT have the ability to heal on a body, mind, and spirit level. One can never know what kind of results will be achieved. It is possible that multiple or life long sessions will be ideal for your animal. If this is the case, it is more beneficial for you to learn how to offer these services to your animal yourself by taking a workshop. You can find out more about holistic animal classes by clicking here.

Who Can Come:

You may bring your pet of any kind for a healing session. If you pet is unable to make it, bring a photo for distance healing. If you are unable to come but would like a healing session for your animal, please be advised that this will only be available if there is enough time.

Healing Times and Dates:

The healing sessions are available between 6:30-8:30pm. Below are the remaining dates for this year. Sessions are held on the 2nd Thursday and 4th Monday of each month, with some months only having one session available.  It is advised that you call first to make sure that there has not been some kind of unforeseen circumstances preventing us from being available.  You can contact Kim at 713-822-4382 and Allison at 832-725-6002.

·  July 9th & 27th

·  August 13th & 24th

·  September 10th & 28th

·  October 8th & 26th

·  November 12th & 23rd

·  December 10th

Are the sessions really free?

Yes, these animal healing sessions are free but The Lightfoot Way will gladly accept donations which will go into our holistic animal care education fund.

• Take your dog for a long walk before the festivities start. This will allow him to potty outside before all of the noise begins and the exercise may help tire him out.
• During firework displays, keep your dog indoors in a confined and secure area with shades closed. You might also try adding some white noise with an oscillating fan.
• Turn on your television or radio with the volume up a bit for an added distraction.
• If your dog does become stressed, try to make the fireworks a cue for fun time to begin. Play a fun game with him and act a bit silly. Your fun behavior and body language can help distract him from the noise outside.
• You can try a pheromone product like Comfort Zone with D.A.P. which can help relax your dog. Plan on exposing your dog to the pheromones at least a couple of weeks ahead of time.
• It’s not recommended that you take your dog to a fireworks display. However, if you do, keep him on a leash and check his collar to make sure that it’s properly fit so he won’t slip out of it.
• Make sure your dog’s collar has current identification tags on it, in case he does escape. For extra safety, make sure your pet is microchipped. July 5th is one of the busiest days of the year for local animal shelters. Dogs end up miles from home, confused, disorientated and exhausted. Having an ID tag and microchip can help expedite your reunion.
• If your dog is extremely sensitive, consider consulting your veterinarian for a mild sedative or tranquillizer to help keep your dog calm. There are also herbal remedies that are available which can sometimes help. Speak with your veterinarian about your options.

By using these recommendations you can help make the holiday enjoyable for everyone.

References

DAP with Comfort Zone

Rescue Remedy

Premier Calming Cap

“I used to look at (my dog) Smokey and think,  ‘If you were a little smarter, you could tell me what you were thinking,’ and he’d look at me like he was saying,  ‘If you were a little smarter,  I wouldn’t have to.’”

~Fred Jungclaus

Stephanie Bennett

Certified Canine Trainer & Behavior Specialist

Professional Dog Training in Houston, TX

GetAlongLittleDoggie.net

323-573-0727

Reiki is a Japanese technique that promotes healing and can have amazing results.

Sign up now for a one-of-a-kind workshop at Molly’s Mutt House in the Heights, where you can learn how to apply this healing touch technique to yourself and your pet. 

Reiki for people can help heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually.

It is offered as an alternative treatment in hospitals such as MD Anderson.  

Not only can it provide relaxation and help with emotions, it can help remove pain and illness from the body.

This is not just for the gifted. Everyone has this healing ability inside of them!  In this workshop you will:

• Learn what reiki is
• Learn about human auras and chakras
• Learn about the numerous and incredible benefits of reiki
• Learn the history of reiki
• Learn the reiki 1 techniques for people
• Receive attunements (Japanese symbols) that will allow you to do reiki on yourself, people, and animals
• Workshop participants will learn how to do reiki on one another
• Reiki 1 is especially important for self-healing!

Date:  Sunday, June 28^th

Location:  Molly’s Mutt House, 1726 W. 23^rd in the Heights

Time:  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost:  $125 with a $75 deposit

Canine health, as in human health, has many components. In the previous two issues of Houston PetTalk, we examined natural elements of canine needs including diet and the controversy surrounding vaccinations. Another compelling area of natural canine well-being is homeopathic remedies. Homeopathy is an extensive subject that requires study to understand the “layers” of intricacy of this aged natural medicine philosophy.

Homeopathy is based on the idea of using “like to cure like”. The use of certain medicines can cause particular symptoms in a healthy person; thus the same medicine is used to cure a person with that illness. Homeopathy was discovered in 1790 by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann when he was translating medical texts. While translating a Scottish physician’s description of how Cinchona bark (the drug used to treat malaria) acted on the body, Hahnemann took some himself and developed symptoms of malaria.

Dr. Hahnemann finally received the acceptance of his theory from conventional doctors during the war of 1812.  Typhus broke out, which was typically fatal. Hahnemann treated 180 cases and only lost 2 patients.

The practice of homeopathy looks at the whole patient rather than targeting a specific body part with a drug. Behavior, emotional state, appearance, past illnesses, etc. are all studied to determine the homeopathic remedy.

To understand homeopathy, it is essential to understand the philosophy of “energy”. The dilutions of remedies used contain the energy of the original product. (Some scientists point out that if you can stop thinking of molecules or atoms and begin thinking in terms of energy fields as in the example of Einstein’s E=Mc², it will help explain how homeopathy works).

Homeopathic remedies are used for both humans and animals. To get started with a dog for instance, a practitioner would study the personality of the dog, time of the year symptoms occur, time of day the dog seems worse, past illnesses, where the dogs is houses and the relationship with the owner.

At this point, the remedy is prepared in a particular “potency”. Hahnemann discovered that by diluting his natural remedies, they became more effective. Through “succession” (shaking the substance), the energy is released and the number of times a remedy is succussed is either 10 times (x potency) or 100 times (c potency). Succussion is carried out at each stage and while making it more powerful, it also removes the toxins of the original substance.

Dog owners can learn about homeopathy and use certain remedies themselves but please consult a practitioner to learn the basic remedies and how to purchase an emergency kit that will include numerous remedies in either liquid form, tablets or pellets. There are thousands of remedies but keeping the most useful on hand is all that’s necessary to start.

Remedies exist for everything from bee stings, pulled muscles, hot spots, vomiting and bleeding to eating dirt, ear infections, smelly skin and grief. For example, Belladonna is used for heat stroke, hot spots, sudden fever, etc. while Apis Mellifica is used for bee stings, allergic reactions and joint swelling. For further research on types of remedies, a Holistic Guide for A Healthy Dog, from which this article is referenced, is a good source but limited to about 40 remedies. For further study or shopping visit www.abchomeopathy.com or www.nativeremedies.com.

Homeopathy takes years to become proficient and it does not replace conventional medicine; rather, it complements it as other modalities do, i.e. chiropractic medicine, acupuncture, iridology, chronobiology and others.

This article is #2 in a series of 3 that highlight natural canine health including topics such as diet, covered in article 1; in this article, we focus on vaccines and the controversy surrounding them. Stay tuned for alternative therapies in article #3. The book, Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, D.V.M. provided the information for the article.

For most pet owners, pet vaccinations are routine. We follow the protocol advised by our veterinarian and don’t give the subject much thought. However, the topic of vaccines has raised more controversy in last several years than any other subject. The controversy has primarily raged at the level of veterinarians, homeopathic practitioners, breeders and the like.

As information on vaccines and the possible dangers have been given more credence, the subject has also become of interest to the average pet owner. For the purposes of this article, we will only discuss canine vaccinations but the same controversy is prevalent in the feline world as well.

Many veterinarians today are being asked about the safety and necessity of vaccinations. Are too many vaccines given at one time? Do the do more harm than good? Do we need to vaccinate for as many diseases as we do? Let’s take a look at why the controversy has arisen.

Over the last 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of vaccines given at one time as well as the types and frequency of vaccines. Some pets have immediate reactions to vaccines while others fear a long-term effect that we may not fully understand.

What Should We Vaccinate Against?

To protect our dogs from disease, vaccines are administered to trigger the immune system to develop antibodies against that disease. Below are several deadly diseases that are part of the “core vaccinations” that with proper protocol, immunity can be established safely. Not following protocol for this group of vaccines is considered by many to be playing Russian Roulette with your dog’s life.

Rabies vaccine is required by law and therefore is a given. Rabies is a viral disease that is deadly and can be transmitted to humans and so it is a very serious health concern. In Texas, state law requires that dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age and on a 1-year or 3-year basis thereafter depending on the vaccine used. However, dogs and cats must receive a second rabies vaccination within one year of receiving their first vaccination, regardless of the type of vaccine used or the age at which the animal was initially vaccinated.

Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that affects the respiratory and nervous systems. It starts with a fever and thick, greenish yellow nasal and eye discharge. Owners sometimes think their dog has a “cold” but dogs don’t get colds like people do. The survival rate is very poor and those that do survive are often left with multiple health problems.

Parvo is another highly contagious viral disease that affects the gastrointestinal system and is often fatal in puppies and geriatric dogs. Symptoms include vomiting, bloody diarrhea and high fever.
Infectious Canine Hepatitis is caused by an adenovirus and is most common in puppies. The disease can result in death within hours of becoming infected.

Reactions to these vaccines are rare but do happen. Approximately 1 in 15,000 vaccines result in a serious reactions. Other vaccines are noted for causing more severe reactions than the core vaccines including leptospirosis, lyme and microsporum.

How Often Should We Vaccinate?

The frequency of vaccines is part of the controversy surrounding “vaccinosis”, the general name given to chronic disease caused by vaccinations. The difficult part of this argument is that the process of challenging the pet’s immune system to determine adequate immunity is not a simple process and can be costly. Only challenge studies can tell us more about immunity levels and duration and those studies have only begun in recent years. Currently, the USDA requirement for vaccine producers is to prove a duration of immunity of one year and rabies for three years.

What Number of Vaccines Should Be Given?

There are varying protocols regarding vaccines and one such protocol uses 62 vaccines by the time a puppy is 6 months old. Many would argue that this is an all out assault on the puppie’s immune system. Too many vaccines at one time do not allow the immune system to respond fully and can cause severe reactions.

Research shows that the body needs at least two, preferably three weeks between vaccine challenges to recover. To allow for such recovery, many veterinarians recommend giving only the core vaccinations, plus vaccines that are mandated by your location and particular circumstance. For instance, lyme disease vaccines might only be given to dogs that are likely to come into contact with ticks. However, this can be tricky because ticks are now being found in urban areas, most likely being brought in by landscaping materials. Examples of other questionable vaccines would be Bordatella (not needed unless your dog is boarded or around a congregation of dogs) or Corona, a disease that most health dogs can handle without vaccination.

Final Analysis

Here is a recommendation for vaccine protocol as found in the Holistic Guide For A Healthy Dog:

1.    Decrease the frequency of vaccinations. Initial vaccinatins should be three weeks apart. After initial boosters, consider vaccinating every three years (titering is an option; for more information, dicuss with your veterinarian).
2.    Separate vaccines and give only one vaccine at a time.
3.    Give only core vaccines and then give non-core vaccines only if indicated in your area or circumstance.
4.    Do not vaccinate when your pet is stressed, ill, a female in heat, or a dog that is recovering from or about to have sugery.

A Homeopathic Remedy For Vaccine Reactions

If your dog has had an adverse response to vaccines, a homeopathic remedy called Thuja, can negate that reaction. Use in the 39cpotency with the following schedule:
•    One vaccine, 1 dose of Thuja
•    Three in one vaccine, 1 dose of Thuja once a day for three days in the p.m.
•    Five in one vaccine, 1 dose of Thuja, once a day for five days