Now what??"

11/07/2009: Rossi from Alameda, Ca writes: "Lavender oil or any essential oil should NEVER be used on cats. Their bodies cannot metabolize essential oils and they cause liver damage. It's proved fatal to some cats. More information: http://www.thelavendercat.com/"

[YEA]  01/26/2009: KENDRA from Anjung-ri, South Korea writes: "MY HUSBAND JUST RECENTLY RESCUED A STRAY DOG FROM A VET. THE DOG IS ABOUT TWO MONTHS OLD AND HAS BEEN LIVING WITH US FOR A WEEK NOW. I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED BLACK SPECS ALL OVER THE DOG IN ITS FUR. SO I KEPT SEARCHING AND I FOUND A FLEA... I READ TO USE ___ DISH SOAP SO I DID. I ONLY FOUND TWO DEAD FLEAS AND THAT ONE THAT WAS ALIVE, SO IT WORKED.... BUT I HAVE HARD WOOD FLOORS SO I SWEPT AND MOPPED WITH WATER, PINESOL, AND DAWN DISH SOAP... I ALSO WASHED ALL THE BEDDING IN THE HOUSE. WE COULDNT FIND ANY DEAD FLEAS OR ALIVE ONES ON THE FLOOR. DO YOU THINK WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A FLEA PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS... WHAT SHOULD WE DO??? SHOULD WE USE FRONTLINE ON OUR PUPPY AND OUR OTHER DOG WHO DOESNT HAVE FLEAS??? ALSO IS THERE SOME TYPE OF LOTION I CAN PUT ON THE DOGS SKIN BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO DRY HIS SKIN OUT??? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!!!"

[YEA]  01/27/2009: Brenda from Columbus, Ms writes: "I was told about JOY dish soap for fleas. I have used it several times on my dogs and it worked great. During bath time, I found dead fleas in the water. I haven't noticed any drying of the skin. I only used it 2 times for one week. You can also use lavender oil to keep fleas off your pets and their bedding. Just rub a cotton ball with lavender oil down their back. This works for me and it smells nice too."

11/07/2009: Rossi from Alameda, Ca writes: "Lavender oil or any essential oil should NEVER be used on cats. Their bodies cannot metabolize essential oils and they cause liver damage. It's proved fatal to some cats. More information: http://www.thelavendercat.com/"

I almost lost him. I look out for the frogs when walking. What I didn't expect was the frog to be on my patio. Today when moving a table several tiny frogs hopped about and 1 had been mangled and chewed up this in the very spot my dog went into seizures. I now know not to leave food out and plan to put aluminum panels along the 18" base where the screen is lose."

[YEA]  05/21/2009: Grateful from West Palm Beach, FL writes: "Vinegar cured a dog poisoned by a bufo frog

We live in rural South Florida and have a lot of bufo frogs in the yard. Our small dog was outside in the evening after a rain, when it was prime weather for them to be out. When my wife called him in, he didn't come. She found this unusual, so went out to find him, and he was staggering around in circles under a bush. She came in to call for me to help, but by the time we were able to get to him he had fallen over and had lost all motor control. He had clearly been poisoned by a frog.

By the time we got him inside where we could see him in the light, he looked done for. We are a long way from an emergency vet and doubted we could get him there in time. Within the first couple of minutes he could not move a muscle and his eyes were rolling back in his head. Although we washed out his mouth as best we could with his jaw locked, he had ingested too much poison already. I also noticed his ears were sticky, which from what I read now after the fact sounds consistent with the poison.

In desperation I ran a quick search on the web for remedies and ran across your site. I tried vinegar as you recommended, and when I spilled it on the outside of his mouth or got some in with an eyedropper he licked his lips - his tongue must have been the last muscle he could use and I suppose it was an involuntary reaction. By then he had gone entirely stiff with all his muscles contracted, and only his tongue and eyes were moving. He probably drank (not including spillage) about 1/4 cup of vinegar - this for a 10 pound dog - before we started to slow it down, as that's a lot of vinegar. Relative to size, that's like an adult person drinking a quart or so. Ugh! We also kept petting him, talking to him, stretching his limbs, and stimulating his paws and tail to try to get back sensation - I have no idea if this was useful or not.

After about 15 minutes with no apparent change I was trying to get him to take some egg white, as I read elsewhere, but with little luck. We still doubted whether he was going to make it. However, he slowly started moving his head to follow my daughter around, then stretched his front paws, and shortly stood back up and started staggering around again. Within a few more minutes, he was walking more normally but in circles, and a few minutes later was running around the house with his tail back out. He isn't quite himself yet an hour later, but we're hoping the remaining effects will wear off. It was a remarkable recovery after we'd assumed that we had lost him.

It sure seemed like the vinegar did it, unless the effects were wearing off on their own. Thanks for the recommendation!"

08/30/2009: Marjorie from Sebring, Florida writes: "My Yorkshire Terrier got a Bufo Toad this morning - I had trouble getting it from him. I had to give him a piece of baked chicken which he grabbed and I grabbed that awful toad. I tried to flush his mouth out with water but only got a little when he had locked his jaws. I got an empty vitamin bottle dropper and tried rinsing his mouth with the dropper, sticking it in his mouth and wiping off the slime. I immediately shoved 1/2 Benadryl in his mouth. He did swallow it. I had called my vet. By this time he had gone into convulsions, had had bowel movements and was in a seizure. I held him, and prayed. The vet asked if I had any seizure medication - I had some of my own. Topamax Sprinkle caps. She heard him making sounds and said, give him a little of it - it can't hurt and it may save his life. So I pried open his jaws and sprinkled a tiny bit of the sprinkles in from the capsule. I sat and calmed him, massaging him and praying. Then when the convulsions had subsided I had to drive 45 minutes to get to an animal hospital. He was stiff and his eyes were fixed but the pupils were darting. They immediately put him on IV's, and did tests. His heart was okay. I don't know what all they did but my little dog survived. He is still at the hospital overnight to watch for seizure activity but when I visited him this afternoon he was alert, kissing me, stood up and walked some. It is a miracle and I honestly believe It was the prayer that saved him. He was dying. I wished I had known about the vinegar because honestly, trying to rinse water out of a dog's mouth who has been in contact with one of those toads is almost impossible."

09/24/2009: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl writes: "I had no idea about these frogs until couple of years ago, when one Saturday I had some family visiting me and I let the dogs out in the backyard for a little while. Later I brought them inside and one of my nieces got my attention because she was laughing at Mitzy (my shiba Inu mix). When I looked at her she was trying to stay on a sitting position but couldn't. After seeing her facial expression (Yes my dog has facial expressions, don't ask me how but she does!) I knew something wasn't right. So I told everybody I was sorry but I had to leave to the vet ASAP. I put her on my car and by this time she is foaming on her mouth and her face was like she was drunk and finally got her to the vet (And all I could think of is that she ate poison, even though I don't use poison around the house). She was put on IV and then I took her home, the vet never knew what caused this (They even suggested that she was epileptic!). About 2 or 3 weeks after the incident I was watering my plants and I noticed her going from pot to pot and all of the sudden she stop and backed away from this pot and when I looked there was a beige with brown spots, round frog. Eureka!! This is how I found out about buffo frogs. I thank God that my reaction was to run with her right away to the vet. I also thank God for having found this website; now I know what to do if it happens again. Thank you EC and everyone that take their time to write."

11/06/2009: Kayj from Lake Worth, Fl writes: "I have a two year old male terrier I heard a story about a woman losing two terriers to Bufo Frog poisoning, I am always cautious when walking my dog at night going as far as to carry a flash light to spot the frogs before he does. We were on the patio and suddenly I found him having seizures, I too rinsed his mouth and prayed and cried as my neighbor tried to do the same, she then took us to the emergency Vet, they had to give hom 10mg of Diazepam, propfol and kept him over night on an IV to flush with fluid.

I almost lost him. I look out for the frogs when walking. What I didn't expect was the frog to be on my patio. Today when moving a table several tiny frogs hopped about and 1 had been mangled and chewed up this in the very spot my dog went into seizures. I now know not to leave food out and plan to put aluminum panels along the 18" base where the screen is lose."

[WARNING!]  11/05/2009: Patricia from Miami, Florida writes: "My vet has informed me that raw eggs are not good to give to your dog, he mentioned it could have a detrimental effect on the liver. I have seen other posts where people have recommended raw eggs for pets though."

[YEA]  11/04/2009: Mama02girls from Moundsville, Wv writes: "Tried the mange cure when it got bad. Had to do it three times. First time I did not spray the dog's house and it came back. Second time I did not spray the grass where he lays and it came back. After the third time of it coming back I bought a childs swimming pool, mixed one bottle of peroxide with Ted's recommended mix and kept pouring it over the dog, re-using the stuff that poured off of the dog into the pool. When I felt he was doused enough, I used the extra to spray his house and the grass. (it was a bit dirty but I figured it didn't matter.) Well, it's been months and it didn't come back!!! My cat also had a patch (she is the dog's best friend and lays with him in his dog house.) Only one application for her and it was gone. Thanks Ted!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/04/2009: Debbie from Houston, Texas writes: "Please commemt on this request because I feel so terrible today after losing my new puppy, Suzie. She was a long haired chiwa and six weeks old. She was in great health when I brought her home last Sunday, running and playing and so cute. I was advised by my Vet to bring her in for her first shot for distemper/parvo because I have a a sweet chow at home that is ten years old and I have had her since birth. My puppy, suzie, had her vac on friday and Sunday night she was sick, bloody stool and heaving. I called my vet and he had an attitude. I called my friend and she called her vet and he saw her immediately. She was tested for parvo but negative. He called it some type of intestinal bacteria of the lining of the stomach. She received shots of penn, liquid i.v., nausea, b-12 and he said we could only hope for the best. She was better on tuesday and we started her on pedilite. Wednesday morning she was dead. I believe that it was the vac she had on friday afternoon, maybe it was to strong for her tiny frame or possibly some kind of reaction. Of course the old vet refused to comment and the new one would not comment about the other. I just cannot get a grip on this. Can someone please give me some type of opinion on what you think it could have been?"

[QUESTION]  11/04/2009: Jack from Tyler, Tx writes: "Mange: Trying to set up measurements correctly and do not understand how much 1000 cc of water is. Can you put that in oz, quarts or gallons for me.

Thank you"

EC: We used the google calculator for this:

1000 cc = 4.22675284 US cups
1000 cc = 33.8140227 US fluid ounces
1000 cc = 1.05668821 US quarts
1000 cc = 0.264172052 US gallons

11/04/2009: Karmala from Templeton, Ca writes: "To Jeanie from Fort Bragg. You write that you still feed the chicken jerky in small amounts as you think the problem might be in the feeding method. I would ask you to PLEASE reconsider. You state that you have not seen any negative reaction in your pet... that's what everyone says...until the reactions occur...sometimes it's then too late to correct it. With so many natural and organic options available for treats... why risk your pet's health/life? Shouldn't we... as responsible pet companions... do everything within our power to protect them? Would you continue to feed something to your children if you knew it would potentially harm them. I am not judging you, Jeanie... only asking you to please weigh it all out. There have been too many recalls of products from China (pet food, baby food, fish, etc.) over the past 5 years to NOT give this due diligence."

09/15/2009: Jeanie from Fort Bragg, Ca writes: "I just read the warning on chicken jerky products. We feed these occasionally and I'm assuming they're from China so this makes me nervous. However, I haven't seen ill effects from them. I use them in small amounts occasionally as a training treat.

One possible reason people are having trouble with them occurred to me. I know from my study of human nutrition and traditional diet (like those studied by Weston A. Price) that protein should never be consumed without ample dietary fat as that will deplete the body of fat-soluble vitamins. Also, minerals can't be absorbed properly without fat and vitamins A and D (real, pre-formed Vit. A, not beta-carotene, and natural Vit. D2--cholecalciferol-- not synthetic Vit. D2 or ergocalciferol). So I wonder whether sometimes people are feeding too much of these lean chicken strips and it is throwing off the fat/protein balance in their diets. For more information on this as researched in humans, see the Weston A. Price Foundation website (nonprofit educational site so I hope you'll publish the URL: http://www.westonaprice.org) and read about good fats and traditional diets. So adding extra fat when using the chicken strips could possibly help. It's not the fat that makes them fat, unless you're overfeeding food quantity in general, it's the carbs from grains, fruits, vegetables, which are biologically inappropriate for dogs. A little vegetable matter is ok, especially greens, but please don't feed your dogs grains or fruits."

11/04/2009: Karmala from Templeton, Ca writes: "To Jeanie from Fort Bragg. You write that you still feed the chicken jerky in small amounts as you think the problem might be in the feeding method. I would ask you to PLEASE reconsider. You state that you have not seen any negative reaction in your pet... that's what everyone says...until the reactions occur...sometimes it's then too late to correct it. With so many natural and organic options available for treats... why risk your pet's health/life? Shouldn't we... as responsible pet companions... do everything within our power to protect them? Would you continue to feed something to your children if you knew it would potentially harm them. I am not judging you, Jeanie... only asking you to please weigh it all out. There have been too many recalls of products from China (pet food, baby food, fish, etc.) over the past 5 years to NOT give this due diligence."

I have British Bulldogs and one of them started geting what I found out to be hot spots... I was horrified...I brought her to the vet, she was diagnosed and given various medication...it seemed to be taking ages to clear, then I got some sea water and applied it 2ce daily, within a few days it cleared up......then out of the blue a few months later I noticed one behind her ear,about 3 inches long 2 inches wide...I went to the sea straight away and got a bottle of sea water, I applied it to the area 2ce daily and in three days it had completely dried up, and within a week you would barely see any sign of it..No vet visit required and No vet bills...Hope this is of help..The main thing is to catch it asap and treat it by dabbing the sea water to the area, no need for shaving,clipping etc..Sea water is Magic!!"

11/03/2009: Michelle from Rock Hill, Sc writes: "Just so everyone knows... When giving Garlic it needs to be fresh... Cooked Garlic, for some reason, does not work as well. One piece of Garlic Clove or about a table spoon of Crushed Garlic once a week should be enough. Too much Garlic will make your Pet sick.. But Fresh Garlic, helps keep fleas off, and Kills Intestinal Worms. (I hide the Garlic in a a cooked egg, or a piece of sandwich meat )"

09/21/2009: Katherine from Raytown, Missouri writes: "I have an 11 year old saint/sheperd mix with the most stubborn fleas i have all the sprays and powders i can think of and still have fleas, we shaved off his hair cause he now has hot spots everywhere and couldn't treat them through his hair. I cook with garlic almost daily and pour the juice over his food does it not work if you cook it? I will try the vinger too cause i also have a 20 year old cat who is senile and can't remember if she ate seriously, she is very small has been for past 17 yrs that i have had her don't know why vet says she is healthly just little like 7 pounds. Don't want to use chemicals cause we have a 10 month old baby who crawls and puts everything in her mouth and worried about making her sick. will the cat drink the water and not get sick? willing to try everything thanks for the advise."

09/22/2009: Katherine from Raytown, Missouri writes: "we feed him whatever is on sale, he's been on ol'roy for the past 6months.I use the store brands and then give him chicken breast, ground chuck, and pork in his food whatever meat we are eating he gets and always gets the broth from what we cook, only thing he doesn't get is dairy found he to be lactose intolerant. I bathed him again in dawn and tried the acv last night and covered my house in it too, wet my carpet with it before we went to bed and furniture too, so far this morning i don't see fleas on him or my daughter. Cats aren't happy bathed all three of them in dawm and acv 2 are 12yrs old outside only and the other is 20yrs old and i don't let her out cause she is too senile to come back in. we fed the cats friskies.so cats are mad and my house smells like pickles but if it gets rid of the fleas i don't care what it smells like lol. do you need to repeat anytime soon? i put some acv in the water too will do that daily."

EC: Thank you for the update!

11/03/2009: Michelle from Rock Hill, Sc writes: "Just so everyone knows... When giving Garlic it needs to be fresh... Cooked Garlic, for some reason, does not work as well. One piece of Garlic Clove or about a table spoon of Crushed Garlic once a week should be enough. Too much Garlic will make your Pet sick.. But Fresh Garlic, helps keep fleas off, and Kills Intestinal Worms. (I hide the Garlic in a a cooked egg, or a piece of sandwich meat )"

11/03/2009: Joly from Sacramento, California writes: "The main thing is that is not be heated (pasteurized). It should say "raw" or "unpasteurized". But the best has the "mother"--the icky-looking stuff that makes it cloudy, and may be in strings. Very helpful if organic. Get that as soon as you can."

06/23/2009: Multiplecatmom from In the middle of New Jersey writes: "Question - Reading numerous posts about Apple Cider Vinegar and Cats with Crystals. If it is not organic or raw is it ineffective?"

08/20/2009: Judych from Dover, Tasmania Australia writes: "i need to know if apple cider vinegar is effective if it isnt organic. im trying to buy some today through a friend but im isolated here and may not have access to it. judych. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS. judych"

09/08/2009: Kyle from Jacksonville, Florida writes: "If the ACV is not organic (it may be filtered, etc.) it generally loses ALOT of its natural enzymes and is therefore not nearly as effective, if at all. Only try to buy the ACV with the "mother"."

11/03/2009: Joly from Sacramento, California writes: "The main thing is that is not be heated (pasteurized). It should say "raw" or "unpasteurized". But the best has the "mother"--the icky-looking stuff that makes it cloudy, and may be in strings. Very helpful if organic. Get that as soon as you can."

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

[YEA]  05/07/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta, Canada writes: "Hello, my cat Spillo is 9 years old and has suffered for 8 years from serious cystitis. He has had too many blockages to even count. I have spent approximately $15,000.00 over these past 8 years due to the cystitis/blockages. He will act strange every couple of months, doing the licking and back and forth to the litter box. Because he has such a horrible track record with blockages, I have no other choice but to bring him to emergency or the regular vet every time he acts this way. At times it is just imflammation of the bladder, other times it has been bladder infections, and of course the other times it is blockage. The symtoms are the same for all of these so I always have to treat it as a blockage and take him to the vet. I was told last month that due to the number of times he has been put under, his kidneys are starting to weaken. They suggested that I make a decision to put him down. Well, that advice tore me into tiny bits. He is only 9 years old!! At the end of March I found this website and have been giving him 1cc of acv diluted with distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid TWICE a day. (Most vets can give you a 20cc syringe). The end of March is when he was unblocked and was pretty lifeless for a few days after the procedure. The first time I gave him the 1cc of acv with the distilled water he vomitted and then perked up immediately. Now every time I give him the acv mixture he asks for food and is so much more energetic. I don't know if he is producing less crystals. I will have to give an update after a couple of months. All I know is that he seems to be doing much better. I hope that this truly is the answer and that he will never block or have an episode of cystitis again. Only time will tell. I will be sure to give an update!

FYI his daily routine is as follows:
Morning-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Afternoon-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Evening-40cc's of Distilled water given orally. 2cc's of liquid glucosamine given orally.

I am now in the process of switching him to a raw food diet. Everybody please cross your fingers for me. "

10/23/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta writes: "Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future."

10/26/2009: Kathy from Wincanton, Uk writes: "Hi - please can you elaborate on your raw food diet. what do you feed your cat. My cat is prone to being overweight and suffers from cystitis> I am going to try the ACV immediately but also wondered about the raw diet. The vet has him on a special very expensive urinary diet at the moment which is all very well, but it contains additives etc which I dont like - thanks for any help"

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

11/02/2009: Tammy from Malone, Ny writes: "How is your puppy now?"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Kristina from Norwich, Ct Usa writes: "distemper reaction

I brought my 10 week old boxer in for his first distemper vaccination. All seemed fine, 2 days after he got the shot, my energetic puppy was unable to stand. The next day that the vet was open we brought him in and began testing him for lyme disease. It seemed very unlikely that he had lyme due to the limited exposure to the outdoors. We proceeded to give the puppy amox. and an anti-inflamatory med because the puppies joints were swollen. two days later the puppy is running around as if nothing ever happened. In between, we had x-rays and a full panel of blood work. We've come to our own decision that the vaccine was to blame. Now he is need of two more rounds of this shot and we are afraid to give it to him"

11/02/2009: Tammy from Malone, Ny writes: "How is your puppy now?"

11/01/2009: Alimorg from Stoke-on-trent, England writes: "My border terrier also likes to eat buttercup leaves and I was wondering the same thing about something missing in her diet. I try to stop her from eating the leaves but she has never shown any ill effects from doing so! Let's hope someone can throw somw light on this - she seems to ignore other plants."

[QUESTION]  09/11/2009: Marcia from USA writes: "Buttercup - poisonous to dogs? Formerly my Border terrier was grass grazer, but lately she has turned to buttercup leaves. Of course, I stop her. However, is there something missing in her diet that makes her look for this plant?"

11/01/2009: Alimorg from Stoke-on-trent, England writes: "My border terrier also likes to eat buttercup leaves and I was wondering the same thing about something missing in her diet. I try to stop her from eating the leaves but she has never shown any ill effects from doing so! Let's hope someone can throw somw light on this - she seems to ignore other plants."

11/01/2009: Jean from Park Ridge, Il writes: "WHAT is ACV?"

EC: ACV is an acronym for Apple Cider Vinegar.

[YEA]  04/09/2009: Tracey from Mechanicsburg, PA writes: "My Aussie mix had a hot spot on his back paw that he had licked open for three monts. I tried steroids, antibiotics, homeopathic bandages supposed to deter licking, and even gave him allegy medicine everyday to stop the activity. All to no avail. I then saw the Apple Cider Vinegar post last Saturday and began applying a diluted amount ot his paw three times a day. I also have a "cone" on him so he doesn't mess with the paw until its completely healed. It is now four days later and I can not believe how quickly the wound has almost completely healed! No more open readness and the fur is even coming back. I am very thankful for everyone's feedback regarding the powerful effects of ACV on hot spots!"

[YEA]  04/26/2009: Helene from Stony Point, Rockland County writes: "Thank you for reminding me of acv. I have been using it in our pets h2o for years it helps control fleas plus gives them a shiny coat. Just a teasp.in a bowl of h2o.Today I found a hot spot on our german shep.under his rt.armpit about 3in.by 3in. I I used 1 tablespoon epsom salts and 1 tablespoon acv in 16 oz, h2o. After 3 treatments 2 hours apart the hot spot no longer is oozing and the angry redness is much less. Nero, our G.S.appears much more comfortable. Thank you Thank you, Helene"

11/01/2009: Jean from Park Ridge, Il writes: "WHAT is ACV?"

EC: ACV is an acronym for Apple Cider Vinegar.

11/01/2009: Millee from Erie, Pa writes: "HEY CAROL.....I DO DRINK THE ACV MIXED W WATER EVERYDAY...LOL....HALF BOTTLE ON MY WAY TO WORK AND HALF ON THE WAY BACK.....IT'S GOOD FOR SO MANY THINGS AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND FURKIDS!!! GET THE UNFILITERED ONLY!!....USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORE.....WON'T GO IN TO ALL THE BENEFITS BUT JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!! I GOT IT ORIGINALLY FOR MY PETS BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BENEFITS STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF!! YOU JUST PUT IN ABOUT A TEASPOON TO A BOWL OF WATER....TASTES LIKE LEMON WATER!"

[YEA]  08/02/2009: Rebecca from Oxford, Mississippi writes: "I just got a tiny Chihuahua puppy that was covered in fleas. There has been a major flea infestation this summer here in Mississippi. I already had a German Shepherd, Chihuahua, and 2 cats who are also infested. I just took the puppy and dipped her in a bowl of half water half white vinegar, THE FLEAS ARE OFF OF HER! I left the bowl sitting so that I can put any fleas I find in the bowl and let them die. I am about to dip my other Chihuahua and then spray down the German and the cats. Fleas really scramble and HATE this vinegar. I would rather smell the vinegar than have the fleas. I am also going to start putting it in their water. This is an amazing, cheap remedy. The Advantage, Advantix, Frontline, nothing worked...thank God for vinegar!"

08/31/2009: Carol from Pittsburgh, Pa writes: "I don't think it is a good idea to put vinegar in a pet's water. This is disgusting. If you wouldn't drink it why would they? You will make the pet not want to drink water and then they will have kidney trouble."

09/07/2009: Haley from Schenectady, Ny, Usa writes: "It's totally safe and healthful to use apple cider vinegar in a pet's water, as long as you buy the slightly more organic brand available in, say, the natural section at your local grocery store. Start with just adding a capful to a bowl of cold water, and mix it up a little. I haven't had one feline refuse - in fact, the water goes faster. Animals love salty tastes, that's why they lick us so much, and you can increase the amount if the flea infestation is very bad. This will also clear up any black gunk around a cats eyes or nose, and make their fur shiny and soft. As a cat owner for more than 20 years, always with multiple cats, I've never had a problem with water refusal due to vinegar as long as you buy organic apple cider vinegar. In contrast, I've had cats foam at the mouth when given drop flea treatments - which would you prefer?"

11/01/2009: Millee from Erie, Pa writes: "HEY CAROL.....I DO DRINK THE ACV MIXED W WATER EVERYDAY...LOL....HALF BOTTLE ON MY WAY TO WORK AND HALF ON THE WAY BACK.....IT'S GOOD FOR SO MANY THINGS AND JUST GENERAL HEALTH FOR HUMANS AND FURKIDS!!! GET THE UNFILITERED ONLY!!....USUALLY FOUND IN HEALTH FOOD STORE.....WON'T GO IN TO ALL THE BENEFITS BUT JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED!!! I GOT IT ORIGINALLY FOR MY PETS BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BENEFITS STARTED TAKING IT MYSELF!! YOU JUST PUT IN ABOUT A TEASPOON TO A BOWL OF WATER....TASTES LIKE LEMON WATER!"

10/31/2009: Liz from Shelton, Washington writes: "I have five several cats that have been dumped by various people onto my property. Can't believe the cruelty of people when it comes to what they do to animals. I usually manage to find homes for these dumped cats but the five I now have are extremely wild and cannot be caught or handled by humans. The problem I have now is that they are being troubled severely by earmites. One cat in particular is scratching to the point of crying out in pain when scratching her ear. If giving them ACV in their water will get rid of fleas will it also aid in gettig rid of earmites? I feed all of these cats regularly and give them fresh water daily which they seem to consume rapidly. Is there any other remedy for earmites that could be used to clear up the earmites if added to their food or water? Am very happy that I have found this site. It's wonderful to be able to read all of the great information put on here by you and others. This has been a Godsend. Thank you. Will be hoping to find some earmite information here soon."

I have a 4 month old cocker spaniel mix (female) and she had smelly ears and was shaking her head and itching alot. I mixed equal parts of white vinegar to water and cleansed her ears. Okay so now the smell is gone. I had also noticed these black scaly patches on her ears and they seem to be eating away at the edge of her ears. Also the same black scaly patches has spread to the back of her head.

I have another dog that so far isn't having any of those problems so I wanted to find out if she can get the same problems the puppy has?

I need to find a way to treat the pup before it spreads everywhere. I can't afford to spend alot of money at the vet so if I can treat this naturally then that would better."

On 10/12/09 he was injected with the 2nd dose of these two vaccines, he was listless for the remainder of that day, but resumed normal activities on 10/13 and 10/14. But on 10/15 he was in very bad shape, completely inactive and refused to eat or drink. On 10/16 he continued to lay in one place and would not eat or drink. I took him to the vet on 10/17 at which time he was placed in intensive care for 2 1/2 days. The vet is not certain that he reacted to the vaccine or some other source of infectio, and suggested that we may not vaccinate him next year.

Previously I had a Scottish Terrier that developed cancer around the age of 10 years, and passed away at 11 years. The vet mentioned that annual vaccines may be contributing to the occurance of cancer in animals."

My 6months old Rott has mange, iam still trying some of the remedies found on this page.

My question is :- Can a cured dog from mange be used for breeding purpose.

Thanks i expect your response."

10/29/2009: Jasmine from Stockton, Ca writes: "I have been using Ted's remedy for 1 week on my 5 month old pit for DEMODECTIC MANGE. I mix 4 cups warm water to 2 cups hydrogen peroxide and stir in 6 tablespoon borax. I pour the solution over my dog while she is in my bath tub, paying close attention to the spots that are affected. And using a cotton ball soaked in the solution to get around her mouth and around her eyes. Then I sprinkle a bit more borax over her coat. I let her air dry. I have read this as being a dip. Should I have her completely submerged in this solution for a period of time? Or am I okay with pouring it over her coat until it is completely gone? She is miserable and cold when the whole thing is over and I want to make sure I am doing it effectively. Also how frequently can I use this solution on her? I have done it twice in one week. Can I use it every day? I have also changed her diet to a high protein and low carb diet adding raw meat twice a week."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I stopped feeding my cats dry food because they were addicted and getting fat. It isn't a natural diet for them. I switched to a natural wet cat food that is made without chemicals and by-products called Pet Guard. The thing to fear is ethoxyguin which is a known carcinogen and propylene glycol, a chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids also used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in pet foods. Into the Pet Guard food for each cat, I mix one Nu-Cat soft multivitamin and 3 drops of flax seed oil. My girl with herpes has had gunk in her eyes and nose and this is clearing. Even my 16 year old with renal failure is thriving."

02/25/2009: Earth Clinic writes: "Interested to know where your dog food is manufactured? We just came across this website while looking for more information on the brand we feed our dogs. From reviewing the site, we discovered that the brand we buy (Blackwood) does not manufacture their own food. In fact, the wet food and dry food is manufactured in 2 different places! This appears to be the case with many small companies.

Unfortunately, the page is not a complete list and the website administrators haven't updated it since May of 2007, but you might still find it interesting: http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/manufacturers.htm"

02/26/2009: Andre from New York City, USA writes: "I had the same question about catfood and found out one such ethical and *very* good small company that manufactures healthy dog food and human foods as well.

See Wysong and a picture of my healthy cat who agrees ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/3269424506/

Kal the cat was also successfully treated of ear mite with Ted dog mange cure adapted for cats in 2007 - he has been w/o mites since - see him there
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycandre/1459080973/"

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I stopped feeding my cats dry food because they were addicted and getting fat. It isn't a natural diet for them. I switched to a natural wet cat food that is made without chemicals and by-products called Pet Guard. The thing to fear is ethoxyguin which is a known carcinogen and propylene glycol, a chemical used in anti-freeze and a solvent in brake fluids also used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in pet foods. Into the Pet Guard food for each cat, I mix one Nu-Cat soft multivitamin and 3 drops of flax seed oil. My girl with herpes has had gunk in her eyes and nose and this is clearing. Even my 16 year old with renal failure is thriving."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I am so sorry for your loss, I know how bad it hurts to lose them. I have a 16 year old in renal failure that is an indoor cat also. I refused to let the vet's office vaccinate her; fought with the tech in the office over it. We pay their salaries and have every right to tell them we don't want vaccines. In this case I found a holistic vet and switched."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Jan from South Windsor, Ct writes: "Our beautiful long-haired calico 18yr old cat received her rabies vaccine yesterday at 3pm. At 10pm she suffered a seiure and died in my arms. My vet denies a correlation. I think it was the vaccine. I didn't want her to have it because she was an indoor cat and her advanced age. My 22yr old dtr and I are heartbroken."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I am so sorry for your loss, I know how bad it hurts to lose them. I have a 16 year old in renal failure that is an indoor cat also. I refused to let the vet's office vaccinate her; fought with the tech in the office over it. We pay their salaries and have every right to tell them we don't want vaccines. In this case I found a holistic vet and switched."

10/29/2009: Itsybitsybug from Bowling Green, Ky writes: "This is in response to Jessica from Vincennes. Using a vet as a last resort is not necessarily a bad thing. The average pet owner, even one more inclined toward natural remedies will take their pet to the vet if it is necessary. But if it is a minor problem that can be solved without the use of a vet and all the meds and chemicals they tend to prescribe then why not try it. I treat my pets health the same way I treat mine. I would try a natural cure on myself before going to the doctor and getting drugs that would kill my immune system and I do the same with my pets and I personally feel that they and I are better for it. Natural remedies have been around a lot longer than modern medicine and many of them have proven themselves to be effective time and time again. They may not always work but it is definitely worth a try in situations where it is not a time sensitive life or death sort of situation. A dogs skin problems are typically not life or death situation."

[YEA]  01/23/2009: Sally from Wall, NJ writes: "I have to share this with all of your readers. I have a yellow lab who developed "black skin" on her belly with itching and consequently sores that became inflamed and infected, and she started to lose her hair! I first started giving her vitamin E pills and rubbed her belly with Apple Cider Vinegar daily. The AVC soothed the itching. I continued doing both and then added 50 mg of zinc to her diet everyday. Within one month there was noticeable improvement, and her hair was growing back! No doctors, no medications, just simple effective home remedies that work. Today, 4 mos later, everything is gone, and she has a beautiful coat of hair! I credit using AVC 1-2X daily, and the zinc tablet!

Good luck to all... it's devastating when this happens to your beloved pet. I am a firm believer in ALL NATURAL products, with vets as a LAST resort."

01/23/2009: Jessica from Vincennes, Indiana writes: "I don't understand why a lot of people are against taking their animals to the vet. People, Vets have the education and experience to treat our beloved pets. Why would you want to take advice of every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. Are you just too cheap to get a true and accurate diagnosis. There is no way I would ever take advise from somebody other than our Vet. Our vet is very honest and actually doesn't charge that much. I had a cat who ended up getting really sick and he had to stay at our vet for over a week and our vet did not charge us one penny. He just wanted to make sure if our beloved friend needed any extra treatment that he would be there to get that help A.S.A.P."

01/24/2009: Rosy from Orlando, Fl writes: "Not all vets are so nice, or that ethical. I took my cat to the vet multiple times for tapeworms. They were just so hard to get rid of. She had four paste wormers, and one shot. After about 6 months of this she peed this horrid red stuff. I took her to the closed vet, not my normal one, and it turned out she had a tumor in her bladder, kidney failure, and liver failure. The red stuff was Liver juice. I ended up having to put her down because too many organs had gone too far. All because one vet was an idiot and never checked her organs for damage, and just had be keep coming in and getting her wormed. I know she had worms the first time, because I saw them in her litter box. The other times I went were for dehydration. I wish my vet had been like yours, then I would still have my best friend with me."

10/29/2009: Itsybitsybug from Bowling Green, Ky writes: "This is in response to Jessica from Vincennes. Using a vet as a last resort is not necessarily a bad thing. The average pet owner, even one more inclined toward natural remedies will take their pet to the vet if it is necessary. But if it is a minor problem that can be solved without the use of a vet and all the meds and chemicals they tend to prescribe then why not try it. I treat my pets health the same way I treat mine. I would try a natural cure on myself before going to the doctor and getting drugs that would kill my immune system and I do the same with my pets and I personally feel that they and I are better for it. Natural remedies have been around a lot longer than modern medicine and many of them have proven themselves to be effective time and time again. They may not always work but it is definitely worth a try in situations where it is not a time sensitive life or death sort of situation. A dogs skin problems are typically not life or death situation."

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I lost Sissy to cancer in March/09. Found out that the iron suppliment the vet gave me had corn syrup as the main ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer. I am done with western medicine for my cats. I was told by wholistic cat specialist Anitra Frazier that Sissy had probably been over vaccinated for years. I should have gotten her on Flax seed oil twice daily with the essiac minus the iron suppliment. The better nutrition she had at the end from Anitra's suggestion, gave us more time than we would have had. Anitra Frazier's book The Natural Cat is a must for cat and even dog people."

[YEA]  03/07/2009: Kathie from Mesa, AZ writes: "Cancer and Essiac Tea and FOCC (Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese):

My boxer pit bull mix was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of his right shoulder last September. This is extremely metastastic and spreads to the lungs quickly, and in 95% of the cases, by the time of diagnosis it is already in the lungs. I initially did not amputate because he was 12-1/2 years and the vet said the prognosis was so poor. I immediately started him on 1 cup total a day of essiac tea (made by Resperin company, as research on internet said you should buy from the original company) and 1 cup total of cottage cheese a day mixed with 4 - 6 tbsp of fresh cold flaxseed oil a day, divided in 2 doses. He was still alive 5 months later which is almost impossible, but the bone tumor did not disappear and was causing him pain. I decided to amputate but docs wanted x-rays first to see if his lungs were full of cancer. There was NONE. He is a 3 legged, cancer free 13 year old happy dog today. The vets can't even explain it, and will not acknowledge it had anything to do with holistic treatments, only to say it is a fluke that it did not spread. They said he will at this point die of some other old age related dog disorder. :)"

09/28/2009: Middlebunny from Jersey City, Nj, Nj writes: "Hi:

I just read Kathie's post and wanted to request more information regarding the Essiac and Flaxseed Oil/Cottage Cheese combination. I understand that Essiac has Rhubarb which may be toxic to Dogs which has caused me to reconsider using it for my dog's tumor. Did Kathie, Linda or Tiffany use the Essiac with the guidance of a holistic Vet? What did they say about the potential Liver harming prospects of Rhubarb? With regard to the Flaxseed Oil/Cottage Cheese combination, it sounds like the dose recommended for Kathie's dog was 1/2 cup cottage cheese to every 2-3 tablespoons of Flaxseed old. Is this correct? How much did Kathie's dog weigh? Getting back to Essiac, I actually purchased the original formula in liquid form from the original manufacturer. Although Kathie seemed to give her dog a cup a day of the brewed tea, I wonder if Kathie knows how much of the liquid Essiac is the equivalent to the amount of the brewed tea that she used. Please reply back with more information. Thank you"

10/29/2009: Carla from Grand Rapids, Mi writes: "I lost Sissy to cancer in March/09. Found out that the iron suppliment the vet gave me had corn syrup as the main ingredient. Sugar feeds cancer. I am done with western medicine for my cats. I was told by wholistic cat specialist Anitra Frazier that Sissy had probably been over vaccinated for years. I should have gotten her on Flax seed oil twice daily with the essiac minus the iron suppliment. The better nutrition she had at the end from Anitra's suggestion, gave us more time than we would have had. Anitra Frazier's book The Natural Cat is a must for cat and even dog people."

Thank you,
Doris"

EC: Try your local grocery store - laundry aisle. Publix sells it, also Walmart!

I thought my dog just had dry skin from flea shampoos I'd been using and when people saw him they'd say I think he has mange! I found this web site and bought some Borax. I have treated him with the 3% peroxide diluted with water and a Tblsp Borax per cup of solution. I've done it three times and his hair is coming back and it seems to be working!!!!! I have also been putting olive oil on his dry skin and he's just itching like a normal dog now instead of a maniac! Thank you so much ... you've saved me hundreds of dollars in vet bills.."

10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "This message is for Joyce. If ACV will burn your stomach if you have an ulcer, I am sure it would burn an open sore on the skin, though I would not want to find out. Try healing the sores from the inside first by starting out with a very tiny amount either in their water or food, by tiny like 1/4 teaspoon for one or two days. Increase from there to what the recommended dose is. I am not sure but my dogs are 50 & 100lbs so I use 1 tablespoon/day with them. Smaller dogs I am sure do not need so much. Once the sores are healed on the skin then you can do the spray treatment if needed."

[YEA]  01/01/2008: Colleen from Pinetown, South AFrica writes: "ACV CURED MY DOGS OF SCRATCHING THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for a wonderful site. I'm a Yorkie mom, who dreamed of having a Yorkie with a show coat. My two babies scratch so much that they have severly damaged their coats, and I'd all but given up on ever having long-haired Yorkies. That's till I doscovered this site. Last night, I bathed both my babies and used ACV in the final rinse water, and within 15 minutes I noticed a marked reduction in the scratching. Within the hour, the scratching had diminised by about 80%. Tonight I bathed they again, using ACV in the final rinse water, and the scratching has completely stopped. I was not sure what quantity to use, so I used 2 tot measures in about 2 litres of water. What a miracle find. By the way, the scratching was NOT as a result of fleas, as I spend a small fortune at the vet each month to keep the fleas under control, but if ACV helps with that too, then I'll be saving so much money. I've also read on your site that ACV promotes hair growth, so who knows, I may have a show-coat Yorkie after all. Furthermore, their coats are shining like mirrors!!! This truly is an amazing find, and I'm so grateful for your site and the information contained therrein. Thanks again for a wonderful site, and keep up the good work."

[WARNING!]  02/15/2009: Joyce from Brookings, OR writes: "My yorkie has been suffering with a skin condition since getting fleas about a year ago. She wakes us up almost every night moaning as she rubs her back against whatever she can rub it on until areas are sore or inflamed. I found this site last night while researching her condition and just a bit ago tried the ACV. I used a dilution of 1 part ACV to 3 parts water in a spray bottle and sprayed it on her after her bath ( I bathed her with Relief shampoo and let it sit about 5 minutes) as she has always had sensitive skin and reacts adversely to most shampoos. She had one area on her back in particular that she had rubbed until it was inflamed and had a few small sores, which is also why I used a 1:3 dilution. Anyway, I blotted off the excess water after her bath, but she was still quite wet, and started spraying her. Almost immediately she started trembling and I started to notice that a few of the worst spots in the inflamed area were exuding a white foam - similar to what an open sore looks like when you put hydrogen peroxide on it. I grew immediately concerned with the foaming and her (by this time) almost violent trembling, and quickly rinsed off the ACV mixture, blotted her wet coat with a towel and blew her dry. She did not stop trembling until I she was dry and I applied a Tea Tree and E Antispetic cream that i have been using with some success to treat open sores. itching. She seems fine now, and the reaction doesn't seem to have been allergenic, but the area is still somewhat inflamed. My concern is that the ACV, even with a 1:3 dilution, burned her skin. Before applying the cream, the skin in the inflamed area was clearly worse - course and puffy - so now I'm a little hestitant to use it again. In reading some of the other comments, it sounded like some people just spray it on their dogs when they are dry - and used it when their dogs had sores and inflamations...I really wanted - NEEDED - this to work but...does anyone have any insight to offer? Should I dilute it further next time? Should I have not allowed the shampoo to sit for 5 minutes (your supposed to leave it on for 10)? HELP!"

07/30/2009: genla from Baton Rouge, La writes: "Pls try for topical use on itchy paws or hot spots Burrows solution wish i could give the brand name.You can buy in the astringent section of your drug store. It is powder u mix with water. You can place paws in solution in bowl long enough to get wet or pour on hot spot or apply solution with saturated cotton ball. It doesn't sting!!! MIRACLE my vet gave me this cure about 14yrs ago (before anibiotics and steroids took over) for my Great Pyrenees that had a huge hot spot - dried it up in a day or so. Also great for people for poison ivy!"

EC: More info about Burrow's solution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burow's_solution

10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "This message is for Joyce. If ACV will burn your stomach if you have an ulcer, I am sure it would burn an open sore on the skin, though I would not want to find out. Try healing the sores from the inside first by starting out with a very tiny amount either in their water or food, by tiny like 1/4 teaspoon for one or two days. Increase from there to what the recommended dose is. I am not sure but my dogs are 50 & 100lbs so I use 1 tablespoon/day with them. Smaller dogs I am sure do not need so much. Once the sores are healed on the skin then you can do the spray treatment if needed."

[YEA]  10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "For my 2 large dogs (over 50 & 100lb) the regular over the counter ACV worked for us. I had a bad flea infestation in the house and on both dogs. I was about ready to break down and fork over the boko bucks for frontline flea treatment--or get rid of the dogs. Fogging the house and generic flea treatments/baths was not working or I wasn't doing it enough. I found ACV for myself (the generic grocery store brand works for me as well) and was excited to read it could help with my flea problem as well. I gradually worked them up to a tablespoon a day the first week. I also sprayed them with a diluted mix of something like 1/4 cup in a large spray bottle full of water. I even think that is a bit much. I did bomb the house maybe 2 weeks before I started ACV for the dogs. It took about another 2 weeks for the fleas to clear up in the house, so a total of a month since the bombing. I have not been able to find a single flea on the dogs. I am excited to be flea free and for next to nothing. The last few days I maybe give the dogs the ACV every other day and spray about every other day. They are scratching at themselves less and seem overall to be much happier though they don't care much for the spray and love to roll around after to try and get it off--oh well....no fleas."

[QUESTION]  10/23/2009: Heidi from Teeswater, Ontario Canada writes: "Please can someone tell me if it is organic Apple Cider Viniger or the plain ACV for my black lab of 7 years?"

[YEA]  10/29/2009: Megan from Warner Robins, Ga writes: "For my 2 large dogs (over 50 & 100lb) the regular over the counter ACV worked for us. I had a bad flea infestation in the house and on both dogs. I was about ready to break down and fork over the boko bucks for frontline flea treatment--or get rid of the dogs. Fogging the house and generic flea treatments/baths was not working or I wasn't doing it enough. I found ACV for myself (the generic grocery store brand works for me as well) and was excited to read it could help with my flea problem as well. I gradually worked them up to a tablespoon a day the first week. I also sprayed them with a diluted mix of something like 1/4 cup in a large spray bottle full of water. I even think that is a bit much. I did bomb the house maybe 2 weeks before I started ACV for the dogs. It took about another 2 weeks for the fleas to clear up in the house, so a total of a month since the bombing. I have not been able to find a single flea on the dogs. I am excited to be flea free and for next to nothing. The last few days I maybe give the dogs the ACV every other day and spray about every other day. They are scratching at themselves less and seem overall to be much happier though they don't care much for the spray and love to roll around after to try and get it off--oh well....no fleas."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Laurie from Felton, Pa writes: "I lost a kitten today. He appeared to be completely healthy and then received his 3 way distemper, Calici, Rhinitracheitis vaccine- stopped eating- started gagging up any food I put in his mouth, had labored breathing, and died. Within 3 days. Beautiful soon to be show cat- an Ocicat. I had modified what vaccines they get as I lost one last year also. Even had a necropsy done and it showed a healthy cat- whose organs shut down after his vaccine.

I read an article online saying it is common for this to happen as we inject 3 live viruses at once into a tiny body and they have to be able to fight them of. The article said the killed vaccine is more harmful and suggested the 3 components be broken down into single vaccines.

As for people- they can do all of the skewed studies they want- but we know our autistic son had vaccine issues. The flu vaccine was especially devasttating for him- to the place where we had to stop it.

I know they are a necessary eveil- but very scarey to me."

I brought my 10 week old boxer in for his first distemper vaccination. All seemed fine, 2 days after he got the shot, my energetic puppy was unable to stand. The next day that the vet was open we brought him in and began testing him for lyme disease. It seemed very unlikely that he had lyme due to the limited exposure to the outdoors. We proceeded to give the puppy amox. and an anti-inflamatory med because the puppies joints were swollen. two days later the puppy is running around as if nothing ever happened. In between, we had x-rays and a full panel of blood work. We've come to our own decision that the vaccine was to blame. Now he is need of two more rounds of this shot and we are afraid to give it to him"

[YEA]  10/28/2009: Wizdem from Hpt, Va writes: "YES GARLIC MAKES THE BLOOD TASTE AND SMELL FOUL TO FLEAS TICKS MOSQITOES!!!"

[YEA]  07/21/2008: Donyale from Columbus, Ohio writes: "I have 4 wolves. One is a Timber wolf/ German Shepard. The other three are all in the high 90's as far as the wolf. Very little dog if any. About three weeks ago my husband and I thought our babies may have worms. So we took a stool sample to our vet and he told us that all four of the wolves had hookworms. The meds for all four of our wolves would have cost us $65.00 in all for all of them.Now my husband and I are not rich people so I did some nosing around on the internet and read up on Garlic cause a very wise old friend of mine once told me that Garlic can expel worms in dogs and Garlic can also prevent a worm infestation. So before I gave my wolves Garlic I looked it up on the internet and did my research. After two days of research I broke down and went to the store and bought some Fresh Garlic in clove form, came home and gave one clove each of Garlic to the wolves and in four days later in their stool were these live hookworms. Garlic will not kill the hookworms, what happens is that the Garlic cleans out the digestive track, now worms need a unclean place so they can thrive. Now by using Garlic to clean out the digestive track the worm will fall off the intestinal wall.The garlic also makes the blood of your pet taste and smell very foul. In my opinion Garlic is a wonder drug that is not only good for us humans to take daily but it works wonders for our four legged friends as well."

11/13/2008: Rachel from Underwood, Indiana writes: "Did you actually say "The garlic also makes the blood of your pet taste and smell very foul."? Can you tell us how you know the BLOOD of your pet TASTE foul? LOL!! I am hoping you mean taste foul to the worms."

[YEA]  10/28/2009: Wizdem from Hpt, Va writes: "YES GARLIC MAKES THE BLOOD TASTE AND SMELL FOUL TO FLEAS TICKS MOSQITOES!!!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/28/2009: Janet from Camas, Wa writes: "My 4 1/2 month old french bull do had her DHLP/P-C3 vaccination. The next day she walked a little funny-her hind end seemed to over wiggle. Within a week she has only partial use of her back legs with the left being the worse. The vet has no idea or at least has not returned calls regarding any information they may have found. Bottom line she still is eating drinking, peeing and pooping like a regular puppy. She is bright and alert but her walking abilities are worsening. What shall I do? Is this normal or can this be from the vaccination? Will she recover and what can I do?"

10/28/2009: Sandy from Woodbine, Ga writes: "IF your doggie doesn't like cream cheese; Take a slice of bread. Spread some peanut butter on it. Put the pill on top and fold the bread in half. This will leave the pill encompassed in peanut butter and bread.

Tear off pieces of this "pill sandwich" and feed your eager poochie. He (she) won't even realize that he has taken a pill! I've used this technique for 35 years on several dogs and it has never failed."

[YEA]  06/29/2009: Sue from Marion, IL writes: "A friend of mine told me of an easy method to get my dog to swallow pills and capsules. Her method is to wrap the pill or capsule in cream cheese. I tried this by first giving my pets a small wad of cream cheese with no pill inside it. They loved it and stood there waiting for more. When I wrapped a pill inside, they took it the same way - EVERY TIME!!! And it never gets stuck in their mouth like the peanut butter. I have three dogs - a tiny toy poodle, a pug/chihuahua mix, and a border collie/lab mix - and it works for all three of them."

10/28/2009: Sandy from Woodbine, Ga writes: "IF your doggie doesn't like cream cheese; Take a slice of bread. Spread some peanut butter on it. Put the pill on top and fold the bread in half. This will leave the pill encompassed in peanut butter and bread.

Tear off pieces of this "pill sandwich" and feed your eager poochie. He (she) won't even realize that he has taken a pill! I've used this technique for 35 years on several dogs and it has never failed."

[QUESTION]  10/26/2009: Penelope from Greenwich, Ct writes: "Is it possible to start a page for Lyme disease for animals? My dog has/had lyme disease and would like to know more about it."

[YEA]  10/27/2009: Dee from Keene, Nh writes: "I have finally cured my cocker spaniel's ear infections. He had a yeast infection in both ears - first I tried Zymox which worked but then his infections came back. He also had a skin condition which cockers are known for. I've kept his ears clean and have been giving him Alaskan Salmon Oil and changed his diet to foods from his origin - Cockers came from Portugal - so basically foods that his ancestors ate - lamb, etc."

Many thanks.
Maxome"

10/27/2009: Farialreb from Millsboro, De, Usa writes: "In response to "Maystar from Newport News, VA" -- If Oscar is indeed suffering from a slipped disc, you may consider locating a chiropractor in your locale who will manipulate Oscar's spine to correct the injury. At the very least, the chiropractor would be able to tell you if that is in fact Oscar's problem. If it is the problem, you may be able to save Oscar from surgery. We are fortunate enough to have an excellent chiropactor in our area (main clientele are humans) who will look at most any animal with a spine to see if he can assist them. I have taken two of our dogs (who play too rough) to him and he successfully treated them. One dog I had already taken to my vet and he had prescribed muscle relaxers and an anti-inflammatory -- this alleviated the symptoms, but did not cure the problem. The visits to the chiropractor cured the problem."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/31/2009: Maystar from Newport News, Va writes: "we believe our dog is suffering from an overdose of distemper. Oscar, a dashound came to us 9/08 at approx 9 mos. We were not able to obtain any previous shot records from previous owner. We took him to a vet and he was healthy. They insisted he get his distemper and parvo shots since we were not able to produce it in writing. May of 09 he received his first DHPP shot for 22.40lbs. We took his new shot record to a new vet because of cost. New vet says he must have more shots since it is not on paper. He received DHLPP Annual Vaccine AND DHLPP Vaccine both the same day each dose for 22.7 lbs. A few days later Oscar appeared to be depressed. He was eating and drinking fine. He refused to jump up or down on the couch. Almost a week later Oscar is unable to use his back legs at all. His paws were dragging behind him and he could not stand on his back legs. We rubbed his back and legs looking for an area of pain, he showed none. We took him back to the vet and they said he slipped a disc and if not better in a few weeks will have to have surgery for a slipped disc. He is now on Metacam Suspension, Tramadol Tablets, Methocarbamol Tablets for pain, muscle relaxer and an inflammatory. My husband and I argued with both vets that he already had the shots and they said he must have them and it must be documented. Oscar is totally confined to his crate except for potty time .It is not known at this point if he will ever walk again. We are searching the web because of the irony of timing. We think it is due to an overdose. Can you help?"

10/27/2009: Farialreb from Millsboro, De, Usa writes: "In response to "Maystar from Newport News, VA" -- If Oscar is indeed suffering from a slipped disc, you may consider locating a chiropractor in your locale who will manipulate Oscar's spine to correct the injury. At the very least, the chiropractor would be able to tell you if that is in fact Oscar's problem. If it is the problem, you may be able to save Oscar from surgery. We are fortunate enough to have an excellent chiropactor in our area (main clientele are humans) who will look at most any animal with a spine to see if he can assist them. I have taken two of our dogs (who play too rough) to him and he successfully treated them. One dog I had already taken to my vet and he had prescribed muscle relaxers and an anti-inflammatory -- this alleviated the symptoms, but did not cure the problem. The visits to the chiropractor cured the problem."

Or a homopath that works with a holistic vet in your area."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Anita from Jacksonville, Fl writes: "Last Thursday we took our 2 year old cat for a rabies shot. This was required by the city since we were adopting a new kitten. The vet gave her a 3 year rabies shot and a leukemia shot. He had difficulty getting the shots in since she wouldn't be still. On Monday, she threw up all day and by Monday night she could not stand up and her eyes were not focused. They appeared to be vibrating and her neck was bobbing. We immediately took her to an all night emergency vet. She said she has Vestibular disease and that it was not caused by the vaccines. I totally believe it is!! If you look up the rabies shot side effects one of them is these same symptons caused by too much protein ruining the nervous system. We have her on a medicine for sea sickness and it appears to be working. This is Friday - 8 days since her vaccine and she is better but not well. She can walk slowly and is not falling down most of the time. She still can't jump and run. She appears very sad now. I pray she gets fully recovered. I WILL NEVER GIVE ANY OF MY CATS RABIES VACCINES AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT THE LAW READS."

10/27/2009: Michelle from Calgary, Alberta writes: "I have had great success with Homopathic medicine to help my cats get over vaccines. Either find a homopathic vet or check with Dr. Pitcarn - http://www.drpitcairn.com/

Or a homopath that works with a holistic vet in your area."

10/27/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "I looked up the ABFE information you talked about. Very Interesting. How did you learn about this?"

[YEA]  09/17/2007: Louise from Arnprior, Canada writes: "Australian Bush Flower Essences were used to cure auto immune problems in two dogs, one a bleeding disorder, of low platelets diagnosed by veterinarian as auto immune caused. Treated with ABFE (Use Blood disorders page 310 of Australian Bush Flower Healing by Ian white with the addition of waratah, Reiki and one homeopathic remedy Lachisis stopped bleeding overnight. Added Boab to the ABFE after the main crisis was over. The other was suffering from thyroidosis, auto immune type, loss of weight, not playful and heat cycle out of whack and enlarged thyroid. Used only ABFE this time for the auto immune problem and used 7 drops in the dogs water daily, and in two weeks she was more playful, slowly gained weight and heat cycle was normal after two months back in sync with the other bitch. I have found ABFE to be better than homeopathy, works faster and better IMO too."

10/27/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "I looked up the ABFE information you talked about. Very Interesting. How did you learn about this?"

I rescued a cat with mange and struggled with it all summer. It seemed cured but kept on scratching, then my other cats began to catch it. I tried everything, advantage, hydrogen peroxide, Scratchex, ACV, essential oils.

Then last week I heard a doctor on the radio talking about Oregano oil to cure upper respiratory symptoms. I bought some tiny oil caplets, and in desperation, gave one to my cat with mange. In two days it's totally on the wane, no more scratching.

The vet only med, Revolution, is a heartworm med, Intervectin that acts from within to kill the mites. That's what gave me the idea to give them Oregano Oil, and it's been immediately effective. When they have mites on their face you cannot treat with other things, and bathing is definitely something they hate. This seems to be an immediate cure.

Hope it works for you."

10/26/2009: Peggy from Delbarton, Wv writes: "Are you doing this on a daily basis? If so, you need to until you see some healing. I try to reapply it now that it's under semi-control with each bath. He hates water so, it's only once every two weeks now. It helps too if you can mix up a small batch and apply when and where you see him scratching. You just have to stay after these lil buggers as they don't seem to want to give up their host. I am like you,, I am determined to win this war.

I have pictures posted on here some where of Ruff before and after. Just look through the pages and you can compare his mange with your dogs. It's always the same spots but if I don't get on it right away they magically appear in the same places on the opposite side of him. He has some now but I'm not stressing like I was. You can get some good vitamins to boost his immune system as well as stress tabs at Wally World or probably any good pet store. Good luck and keep us posted."

06/07/2009: Karen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania writes: "WOW, TED'S REMEDY OF PEROXIDE, WATER AND BORAX IS WORKING SO FAR ON MY DOGS SARCOPTIC MANGE. WE ARE KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED. TODAY JUNE 6TH, THE HOMEMADE CURE OF 1CUP PEROXIDE, 2 CUPS WATER AND 3 HEAPING TEASPOONS OF THE BORAX WENT ON OUR DOG ROCKY A MIXED BREED(SHEEP DOG AND SHELTIE). FOR 3 MONTHS THIS POOR THING HAS BEEN SUFFERING ALONG WITH MY POCKETBOOK.I WANT TO TELL YOU $$$$. IN THE BEGINNING OF MARCH HE BEGAN SCRATCHING AT HIS EARS AND I NOTICED THE TYPICAL CRUST ALONG THE EDGES. TOOK HIM RIGHT AWAY TO THE VET. HE IS SO SKITTISH SO HE HAD TO BE KNOCKED OUT JUST TO GET HIS EARS LOOKED AT. WELL NO MITES HE SAID BUT HOW BOUT WE GROOM HIM -GIVE HIM HIS SHOTS,NAILS ETC/$255.00 AND HE CAME HOME DRUGGED AND CONSTANTLY SCRATCHING. WITHIN A WEEK TOOK HIM BACK-SAYS ALLERGIES-PREDNISONE AND ANTIHISTIMINE-$115. 2 WEEKS LOSING HIS HAIR AND BUMPS ALL OVER KEEPING US ALL UP AT NIGHT WITH HIS SCRATCHING AND LEGS HITTING THE HARDWOOD FLOORS 50 TIMES A MINUTE.OMG!1 WEEK NO VISIT FOR ROCKY JUST MEDS$35. 2WEEKS VISIT-ALLERGY MEDS $90. TUES JUNE 1 VISIT $125 SKIN SCRAPING REVEALS MITES,SHAMPOO,ANTIBIOTIC,HOUSEHOLD SPRAY, DOG SPRAY.JUNE 2=VET CALLS AND SAYS AFTER CAREFULL EXAMINATION OF PARASITE UNDER MICROSCOPE IT IS THE SCABIES. UGH! $35 FOR REVOLUTION APPLIED JUNE 2ND-NO RELIEF AND 2 BENADRYL AT NIGHT.

TODAY I MIXED UP THE GOODS-PUT ON MYSELF TO SEE IF IT BURNED(NO DISCOMFORT AT ALL)POURED IT ALL OVER THE BACK AND MASSAGED DOWN TO HIS FEET. HE WAS TICKED AS HE HATES BATHS. HAD HIS LEASH ON AND WALKED HIM ABOUT A HALF HOUR TIL HE DRIED. SURPRISINGLY IT MADE HIS COAT SO SOFT WHEN HE DRIED. MY WHOLE FAMILY IS AMAZED. JUST A FEW BITES TO HIS FEET AND A COUPLE OF SCRATCHES BUT NO REAL INTENSE SCRATCHING AS IT HAS BEEN 24-7. WE ARE ALL PRAYING HE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT AND HE IS EVEN LESS ITCHY TOMORROW. I WOULD HOPE IT CURES THIS HORRIBLE NASTY PROBLEM.I MADE A FRESH BATCH AND CLEANED ALL THE FLOORS AND HAVE BEEN DISINFECTING THE ENTIRE HOUSE. I WILL BE SURE TO CHECK THIS SITE FOR ANY NEW REMEDIES. TED-YOU ARE AN ANGEL!!!!THANKS KAREN"

06/08/2009: Karen from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania writes: "HI, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY PREVIOUS POST I TRIED THE SOLUTION ON ROCKY AND ITCHING STOPPED UP UNTIL TODAY JUNE 8TH. CAN I REAPPLY THE SOLUTION AGAIN OR IS IT TOO SOON? I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT WAS GREAT HAVING A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP FOR ALL OF US INCLUDING ROCKY. HE WAS CALM AFTER THE MIXTURE WAS APPLIED AND JUST STARTED SCRATCHING AGAIN TODAY. I TREATED EVERYTHING HIS TOYS, BEDDING ETC. THE VET SAID THAT THE REVOLUTION WOULD NOT WORK RIGHT AWAY MAYBE REAPPLY IN 14 DAYS. THIS POOR THING HAS HAD ENOUGH PREDNISONE AND ANTIBIOTICS,ANTIHISTIMINES ETC. I JUST WANT TO USE THIS TREATMENT OF THE PROXIDE, WATER AND BORAX. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS. THANKS AGAIN, KAREN"

10/26/2009: Peggy from Delbarton, Wv writes: "Are you doing this on a daily basis? If so, you need to until you see some healing. I try to reapply it now that it's under semi-control with each bath. He hates water so, it's only once every two weeks now. It helps too if you can mix up a small batch and apply when and where you see him scratching. You just have to stay after these lil buggers as they don't seem to want to give up their host. I am like you,, I am determined to win this war.

I have pictures posted on here some where of Ruff before and after. Just look through the pages and you can compare his mange with your dogs. It's always the same spots but if I don't get on it right away they magically appear in the same places on the opposite side of him. He has some now but I'm not stressing like I was. You can get some good vitamins to boost his immune system as well as stress tabs at Wally World or probably any good pet store. Good luck and keep us posted."

10/26/2009: Shellisha from San Jose, Ca, Usa writes: "WARNING!!!!!! You should never use garlic oil or any kind of product containing garlic on your cat. Garlic is toxic to cats!!!!!! Many other types of oils can be used! Please use an acceptable substitute like olive oil, vegetable oil or almond oil."

[YEA]  Gayla from Odessa, TX writes: "I have raised rabbits and dogs for over 30 years and have to deal with ear mites each summer. I have always used Campho Phenique to kill the mites and heal the ears. I even bought a rabbit once with ear mites so bad the entire ear was nothing but a red inflamed mass of scabs. I pour in a few drops of campho Phenique and massage the base of the ear to get it in and repeat for 2 days on a really bad case and just once for a mild case. Try it, you will be amazed how well it works."

[WARNING!]  12/31/2008: Jody from Stowe, VT, USA writes: "Just a reminder that felines are radically different, physiologically, from both dogs and rabbits. Cats are able to absorb many things through their skin, including oils and other solutions, and even many essential oils can be harmful to them, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or absorption. Just because Campho Phenique works on a dog or rabbit does NOT mean it is safe for use with a cat ;o) Their livers are unable to process these things in the same way other species can, and it can quickly toxify their system. I am using warm water with a few drops of witch hazel, and a drop of gentle pet shampoo to cleanse my cat's ears. I gently wipe out, then use slightly warm olive oil to soothe."

01/01/2009: Dianna from Austin, Tx writes: "the VERY best thing i have found for ear mites in cats, rats, etc. is olive oil mixed with garlic oil. usually i just rub the olive/garlic mixture on their ears and then do it again a few days later.

i've also had pretty much the same results with just olive or coconut oil by itself if you are afraid to use garlic. i personally don't believe garlic is poisonous to cats but some people do. also, i had rats that had ear mites and rubbed VCO all over them ears and everywhere and did it again a few days later (it doesn't hurt them to lick it off) and the mites were gone."

01/03/2009: Dianna from Austin, TX writes: "pine tar soap also works very well on mites as well as fleas. lather it up very well and let it sit a few minutes. it will be necessary to do it a few days later. i would use this in addition to VCO or garlic oil."

10/26/2009: Shellisha from San Jose, Ca, Usa writes: "WARNING!!!!!! You should never use garlic oil or any kind of product containing garlic on your cat. Garlic is toxic to cats!!!!!! Many other types of oils can be used! Please use an acceptable substitute like olive oil, vegetable oil or almond oil."

10/26/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California writes: "You might sprinkle their "dust baths" with DE (diatomaceous earth). It dessicates the tiny little livestock by cracking their carapaces and drying them out. Make sure you get food grade DE and this should do the trick. Diatoms are tiny sea creatures that have been around for many millions of years (and still are) and are totally natural, but if you have asthma or related problems, I suggest using a mask while integrating the DE with the dirt."

[QUESTION]  10/19/2009: Farm Mama from Mount Dora, Fl, Usa writes: "My chickens have lice. They are free range, fed organic soy free layer feed, organic cracked corn, and various kitchen scraps 95% organic. Any suggestions? Thanks to all who give advice on earth clinic. It is a life saver!"

10/26/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California writes: "You might sprinkle their "dust baths" with DE (diatomaceous earth). It dessicates the tiny little livestock by cracking their carapaces and drying them out. Make sure you get food grade DE and this should do the trick. Diatoms are tiny sea creatures that have been around for many millions of years (and still are) and are totally natural, but if you have asthma or related problems, I suggest using a mask while integrating the DE with the dirt."

10/26/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California writes: "I have both charcoal tablets and capsules on hand in my "emergency chest" for toxic ingestion problems. The pet should be taken to the vet, but this could slow down the toxic process until you get there. Don't forget to tell the vet what you have given your pet so that he/she doesn't use something that fights with it."

[YEA]  01/27/2008: Wayne from palm springs, california writes: "Hydrogen peroxide. For a dog that has ingested a poisonous substance where vomiting will be the solution to expel the toxin, put 1 tsp' [3%] HP in the mouth. Take the dog OUTSIDE and throw a pinch of salt in its mouth. The entire contents of the stomach will be immediately expelled."

10/26/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California writes: "I have both charcoal tablets and capsules on hand in my "emergency chest" for toxic ingestion problems. The pet should be taken to the vet, but this could slow down the toxic process until you get there. Don't forget to tell the vet what you have given your pet so that he/she doesn't use something that fights with it."

10/26/2009: Kathy from Wincanton, Uk writes: "Hi - please can you elaborate on your raw food diet. what do you feed your cat. My cat is prone to being overweight and suffers from cystitis> I am going to try the ACV immediately but also wondered about the raw diet. The vet has him on a special very expensive urinary diet at the moment which is all very well, but it contains additives etc which I dont like - thanks for any help"

[YEA]  05/07/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta, Canada writes: "Hello, my cat Spillo is 9 years old and has suffered for 8 years from serious cystitis. He has had too many blockages to even count. I have spent approximately $15,000.00 over these past 8 years due to the cystitis/blockages. He will act strange every couple of months, doing the licking and back and forth to the litter box. Because he has such a horrible track record with blockages, I have no other choice but to bring him to emergency or the regular vet every time he acts this way. At times it is just imflammation of the bladder, other times it has been bladder infections, and of course the other times it is blockage. The symtoms are the same for all of these so I always have to treat it as a blockage and take him to the vet. I was told last month that due to the number of times he has been put under, his kidneys are starting to weaken. They suggested that I make a decision to put him down. Well, that advice tore me into tiny bits. He is only 9 years old!! At the end of March I found this website and have been giving him 1cc of acv diluted with distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid TWICE a day. (Most vets can give you a 20cc syringe). The end of March is when he was unblocked and was pretty lifeless for a few days after the procedure. The first time I gave him the 1cc of acv with the distilled water he vomitted and then perked up immediately. Now every time I give him the acv mixture he asks for food and is so much more energetic. I don't know if he is producing less crystals. I will have to give an update after a couple of months. All I know is that he seems to be doing much better. I hope that this truly is the answer and that he will never block or have an episode of cystitis again. Only time will tell. I will be sure to give an update!

FYI his daily routine is as follows:
Morning-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Afternoon-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Evening-40cc's of Distilled water given orally. 2cc's of liquid glucosamine given orally.

I am now in the process of switching him to a raw food diet. Everybody please cross your fingers for me. "

10/23/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta writes: "Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future."

10/26/2009: Kathy from Wincanton, Uk writes: "Hi - please can you elaborate on your raw food diet. what do you feed your cat. My cat is prone to being overweight and suffers from cystitis> I am going to try the ACV immediately but also wondered about the raw diet. The vet has him on a special very expensive urinary diet at the moment which is all very well, but it contains additives etc which I dont like - thanks for any help"

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

10/26/2009: Kathleen from Leicester, Nc writes: "Helene, last spring one of our Chihuahua's eyes had gunk in it and tearing, I got on internet for recipe for eye wash and found and used this one since our dog is so little... put 1/4 teaspoon medicinal Boric Acid powder (from pharmacy-not sold over the counter here in NC) in two cups boiling water, let cool to warm temp. not too warm or too cold for it is going into the eye. Use about 1/4 or 1/2 cup of the mix in a cup or bowl. Dip in a cotton ball and run over eye to loosen and remove gunk. Throw away ball. Use another ball and run over closed eye, once gunk is cleaned off outside, continue tossing away used cotton ball and using new cotton ball to dip and dribble over eye so some of the mixture can get into eye. When done throw out the remainder you have left in the "dipping bowl". Do not contaminate by putting back in with the remainder of your original 2 cups. Warm another small portion 2 or 3 times a day for a couple of days. Eyes should clear. I only store the mixture for 1 day, then throw away. My bottle of "Boric Acid, Powdered, (local anti-infective)" that I kept from long ago for the recipe on label reads thus (for human eyes I assume): "Prepare solution of Boric Acid by boiling in water (1 teaspoonful in a pint of water). Allow to cool to a comfortable temperature before using as an eyewash. Store in a sterile container. Prepare sufficient amount for one day's use and discard unused portion." Again this is Boric Acid bought from the pharmacy section of a drug store, NOT what one can buy from a home store for roach killing."

10/21/2009: Helene from Wetumpka, Alabama writes: "what do you do for yeast in the dog's eyes? i did the borax and 1% it worked great for his skin and coat, but i don't know what to do for his eyes. please help."

10/26/2009: Kathleen from Leicester, Nc writes: "Helene, last spring one of our Chihuahua's eyes had gunk in it and tearing, I got on internet for recipe for eye wash and found and used this one since our dog is so little... put 1/4 teaspoon medicinal Boric Acid powder (from pharmacy-not sold over the counter here in NC) in two cups boiling water, let cool to warm temp. not too warm or too cold for it is going into the eye. Use about 1/4 or 1/2 cup of the mix in a cup or bowl. Dip in a cotton ball and run over eye to loosen and remove gunk. Throw away ball. Use another ball and run over closed eye, once gunk is cleaned off outside, continue tossing away used cotton ball and using new cotton ball to dip and dribble over eye so some of the mixture can get into eye. When done throw out the remainder you have left in the "dipping bowl". Do not contaminate by putting back in with the remainder of your original 2 cups. Warm another small portion 2 or 3 times a day for a couple of days. Eyes should clear. I only store the mixture for 1 day, then throw away. My bottle of "Boric Acid, Powdered, (local anti-infective)" that I kept from long ago for the recipe on label reads thus (for human eyes I assume): "Prepare solution of Boric Acid by boiling in water (1 teaspoonful in a pint of water). Allow to cool to a comfortable temperature before using as an eyewash. Store in a sterile container. Prepare sufficient amount for one day's use and discard unused portion." Again this is Boric Acid bought from the pharmacy section of a drug store, NOT what one can buy from a home store for roach killing."

10/25/2009: Amanda from Troy, Ny writes: "It is not uncommon for animals, like humans, to have a slight inflammatory reaction to vaccines. This can cause low-grade fevers, decreased appetite, and lethargy. Your vet SHOULD always warn you of these side effects. My cat had a reaction like this a couple years ago after she recieved her FVRCP and rabies vaccine. Since that time my husband and I have done a lot of vaccine related research. We have come to learn that although most vets will not tell you so, you should in fact NEVER give more than 1 vaccine at a time-especially to small animals. Many vets will do multiple vaccines at once because it is easier, and insures that the animal will receive the vaccines they are due for since not all pet owners are responsible enough to come back multiple times just for a shot. However, my belief is that it is worth it to make an extra trip or 2 (each at least 2 weeks apart from one another) to decrease my pets risk of having vaccine related reactions."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/02/2009: Kristen from Lantana, Florida writes: "My cat Pinot, 1.5. years old, had his immunizations yesterday and has been tired, lethargic and sore for 24 hours. I am quite surprised and disturbed by this as the vet never mentioned any weird side effects like this. Pinot had 3 shots: Rabies (3 yr), FVRCP, and Leukemia. I am not sure if the reaction was because he had all 3 at once or what. Any feedback is appreciated."

10/25/2009: Amanda from Troy, Ny writes: "It is not uncommon for animals, like humans, to have a slight inflammatory reaction to vaccines. This can cause low-grade fevers, decreased appetite, and lethargy. Your vet SHOULD always warn you of these side effects. My cat had a reaction like this a couple years ago after she recieved her FVRCP and rabies vaccine. Since that time my husband and I have done a lot of vaccine related research. We have come to learn that although most vets will not tell you so, you should in fact NEVER give more than 1 vaccine at a time-especially to small animals. Many vets will do multiple vaccines at once because it is easier, and insures that the animal will receive the vaccines they are due for since not all pet owners are responsible enough to come back multiple times just for a shot. However, my belief is that it is worth it to make an extra trip or 2 (each at least 2 weeks apart from one another) to decrease my pets risk of having vaccine related reactions."

10/25/2009: Amanda from Troy, Ny writes: "Poor pup! That doesn't sound like fun, and I'm sorry she had to go through this. Good news is that the medication the vet gave you should help quite a bit. The metronidazole (aka Flagyl) is an antifungal that is often used to help treat digestive infections/inflammation. I don't remember what class of medication Sucralfate is, but I do know that it helps ulcers heal by forming a protective coating over them. It is a good medication. As the ulcers heal they will first stop bleeding, and then should go away all together. Eventually your pup should not need anymore medication. I hope she feels better, and I would talk to your bet about future vaccination (or lack of vaccination) plans for this dog."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  08/31/2009: Anne from Winter Park, Florida writes: "I took my 6yr. old Lhasa Poo (18 lbs.) for her annual examine and shots on Aug 10, 2009.. She received her 3 yr. rabies and DHLPPC. Her fecal and heart worm were normal. Within a week she started to itch and then vomit the same day. I was giving her Benadryl the first day thinking it was an allergy. Her tummy was very red and her genital area was thee times swollen. The next day still vomiting so I took her to the vet. Mattie received a famotidine injection, benadryl injection, cerenia injection for vomiting and a fluid therapy SQ. She was dehydrated. The next day she was worse. Still very dehydrated and now 4 days without water or food. Back again to the vet. She now had to endure 2 days of IV's. Won't bore you with the list of meds they gave her. But now Mattie has bleeding ulcers!!! They sent me home with 9 days of meds for her. Sucralfate and Metronidazole. I can still hear her little tummy making noises sometimes. Scares me to death because I was told this was the acidity eating away at her causing the ulcers.

I'd like to know if these meds will cure her or is she damaged for life?? How can we let this happen to our pets? I read these shots stay in their systems for 10 years so even if they didn't have a reaction last year, like mine, now we're doubling it all over again! I would like to be a part of any petition to stop these unnecessary shots.

Some people may have already lost their little ones to this because they didn't seek help quick enough or the cost was too high. It has already cost me $535.00. If your dog won't drink and their gums are pale get help immediately."

10/25/2009: Amanda from Troy, Ny writes: "Poor pup! That doesn't sound like fun, and I'm sorry she had to go through this. Good news is that the medication the vet gave you should help quite a bit. The metronidazole (aka Flagyl) is an antifungal that is often used to help treat digestive infections/inflammation. I don't remember what class of medication Sucralfate is, but I do know that it helps ulcers heal by forming a protective coating over them. It is a good medication. As the ulcers heal they will first stop bleeding, and then should go away all together. Eventually your pup should not need anymore medication. I hope she feels better, and I would talk to your bet about future vaccination (or lack of vaccination) plans for this dog."

10/25/2009: Vidal from Vista, Ca, Usa writes: "Thanks for the tip Ellinor, I will try this on my cat starting today! He's been developing warts recently and I happened to buy ACV to try for his skin itchies per this website. BTW - looks like we're neighbors. :D"

[YEA]  05/05/2009: Ellinor from Vista, California writes: "My 12 year old dog started developing a large wart on the top of his head which kept getting larger and larger. The vet said older dogs develop them and that there was not much he could do about it. I started dipping a cotton swab into ACV and applying right on top of the wart twice a day; once in the morning and once at night. It totally disappeared within a couple of weeks!"

10/25/2009: Vidal from Vista, Ca, Usa writes: "Thanks for the tip Ellinor, I will try this on my cat starting today! He's been developing warts recently and I happened to buy ACV to try for his skin itchies per this website. BTW - looks like we're neighbors. :D"

[QUESTION]  10/25/2009: Jemsie6 from Ballina Mayo Ireland, Ireland writes: "i have had 7 kittens since june 2009 all being treated with a liquid remedy. 4 have cleared and am now left with three. one of these has ringworm in the ear - the other two have it around the eye area. how do i apply the apple cider vinegar, which sounds amazing, around the eye are without getting it in the eyes? i have four kittens 3 weeks old coming in tomorrow with ringworm and really dont want to have them spend their first months being caged when its not necessary

think this is an amazing site
thank you for any helpful advice
regards

gemma"

We had a Golden Retriever who ended up with kidney and liver disease after she was vaccinated and died a year later. We gave her all the reccomended puppy shots but did not have her regularly vaccinated because we didn't believe it was necessary. When she was 6 we brought her in and had her vaccinated for Rabies, Lymes & distemper. A month later we brought her in to have a lump removed and they tested her blood and found the problems. She was so sick we had to put her down less than a year later. She was perfectly healthy before those immunizations and I am convinced that is what killed her."

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah, Usa writes: "Use ___ dishwashing liquid mix with just a little water to make it go thru a dropper easily. With a eye dropper drop 3 drops into her ear then let her shake it out. that should kill it. or you can use salt water."

09/29/2009: Robin from Toledo, Ohio writes: "QUESTION PLEASE: Dog ear problem:

There is a flea in my little dog's ear. She is a three year old Minature Pinscher. Today is the fourth day of this problem, but NOW she is scratching at BOTH EARS (but more so the left one). She keeps shaking her head and scratching the back of her ear and fake-yawning and I feel so bad
for her! Could have the medicine/home remedies have ran from one ear into the other through the ear canal?

After I put her "monthly flea medicine" on her two days ago, I am POSITIVE a flea went up and crawled in her one ear. (there is no smell, started 10 minutes after I applied the flea medicine to her nape of the back of her neck).
Here is what I have tried so far:

..a dropper full Vitamin E oil with no luck;

...a light mixture of a drop or two of peroxide and water,

...wiping it with a cotton ball,

...exploring a gentle look with a Q-tip and a flashlight, I couldn't see ANYTHING at all out of the ordinary

...a few drops of vinegar & water like I read here just in case it was ear mites(that was two days ago).

...I don't have a car to just run to the store and buy something so I want to try anything I might have at home first.

Here is what I HAVEN'T TRIED YET:

-I did not have any baby oil or olive oil to drop in it like I had read on some of your advice columns or I would have tried that..I am so afriad mineral oil will burn her already sensitive-from-scratching ear!
-When I bought the "ear dry" stuff, they did have mineral oil, but only a huge bottle for over 10.00! Plus once I smelled it and noticed how strong it was, I was afraid to use it on her sensitive ears.
-She will not allow me to use the "sucker-outer"thing like we use on babies. Drops I can sneak in there but the ball she sees coming and hides for hours.
-I have not tried a tiny dropper full of the flea medicine as I read on here as well. That is just too scary. It is very strong and when I got it on my face from holding her to check her ears, by accident, it burned my eyes and skin for two days. 'Just too scary to use INSIDE her ears.

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED! I love my baby girl dog so very much, but the vet is over $60.00 (and that isn't even at the one I would have to walk her to because I don't have a car & can't get a ride from anyone until the weekend - in 4 more days!) just for the visit, and I am disabled and on a fixed income. I rescued her 3 yrs. ago from getting hit by a car, and no one claimed her from posters so I have had her in my family ever since and take care of her as well as I can. She is like my tiny baby. I hope to solve this ASAP as she must be sufferring some. I will respond immediately after I have tried something that works to help out someone else, as I didn't see this particular problem listed anywhere on here; none about a flea in a dog's ear rather than ear mites..

Thank you xoxo"

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah, Usa writes: "Use ___ dishwashing liquid mix with just a little water to make it go thru a dropper easily. With a eye dropper drop 3 drops into her ear then let her shake it out. that should kill it. or you can use salt water."

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah writes: "Pine tar will eventionally give your pet kidney failure. It's better to wash the animal in ___ [dish soap], and then use regular table salt or salt water on carpets, furniture and, floors. to keep the fleas out of the house."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  01/02/2008: Nancy from Reddick, Florida writes: "I have been raising westies for many years, which are a very happy healthy breed. Last spring I bought one of the two major spot on flea products here in the USA and administered it to all of my dogs. All 10 got blisters from it. I asked my Vet what to do and he said I must have gotten a bad batch. Well, this whole year of 2007 none of my females had puppies, thats two heat cycles. They would come into season' normally and everything seemed right, but could not get bred. I started researching the ingredience on the flea product since they had a reaction to it. Boy was I shocked !!! This product is the first ingredient listed and everything my girls were going through showed up as side effects from this man made chemical. Drastic alterations in thyroid functions, changes in the levels of sex hormones, the list goes on. Needless to say, I spent alot of time and money at the Vets for tests on my girls/boys and they couldn't give me an answer.I contacted the manufacturer and they denied having any problems with the product. This chemical CAN also stay in the pets system for up to 56 days. So, if you give your dog this product as recommended every 4 wks. you're double dosing him with chemical. I also have friends that live in diferent parts of Florida who breed and used this product this year. The same thing happened to them, I will never use commerical flea products again.Please everyone, Take a minute and research the ingredience on anything you buy for your pets."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  07/20/2008: Debbie from Northville, MI writes: "PLEASE REPORT THE FRONTLINE PROBLEM TO THE EPA. Last week I had the vet put Frontline on both my Yorkie and Silkie.They were perfectly healthy five year old dogs. They both almost died. Started with them being lethargic and edema developed at the application site, this went to seizures, shock, hair loss you name it. Keep in mind that the head person from Frontline contradicted herself by saying "this is impossible and in the next sentence when I told her she would be paying my bills she replied by saying "we handle all such cases on a case by case review" huh? sounds like this is a problem-check out some links by doing frontline poisoning online. you will find hundreds of such reports. Also the UK puts this right on the label--can cause lethargy, seizures, shock, hairloss, sores and death. Gee, too bad our country doesn't do this--it is the EPA that controls this-have your vet report it too. I am desperately trying to decide what chemical free options to try."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  12/31/2008: Cait from Waycross, Georgia writes: "I would not ever use this AGAIN! I know its supposed to be the best preventative remedy for fleas on pets, but the side effects are just not worth it. After moving into this duplex and it being infested with fleas, I bought Frontline for my 2 indoor cats. I put it on them, and within a few days started noticing little spatters of blood on my tile. One of my cats had a severe allergic reaction and his poor neck broke out in bloody sores! I ended up spending $200 at the vet to get his poor skin back to normal. a month later, he is still scabbing up and has to get frequent (and expensive) steroid injections from the vet. I felt like the worse mommy ever, and my poor boy was in so much pain!"

01/01/2009: Dianna from Austin, Tx writes: "you do not ever have to use poison every again for fleas!!! i have a tiny chihuahua who had fleas so bad that i was bathing and flea combing him twice a day. finally i found grandpa's pine tar soap and washed him with it and immediately the fleas were gone. it only took one other time to wash him and he has not had fleas since and it has been months. i live out int he country and fleas can get really out of hand here in the summer. this was really a god send for me. try it! you may have to wash a couple of times - but just lather it up and let the foam sit and then flea comb and the fleas just jump off. good luck."

01/01/2009: Dianna from Austin, Tx writes: "i had forgotten to say that when i first got my little chihuahua that the breeder had used frontline on him and that he had a big red sore that didn't go away for months on the back of his neck and between his shoulder-blades where they had put it. all his hair had fallen out in that location and he scratched constantly. he didn't have ANY fleas - but you could tell that the front-line was not good for him in any way. try the pine tar soap! when the frontline wore off and his hair grew back and the irritation went away he got bad fleas and the pine tar soap worked a miracle! no more fleas and no poison necessary!"

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah writes: "Pine tar will eventionally give your pet kidney failure. It's better to wash the animal in ___ [dish soap], and then use regular table salt or salt water on carpets, furniture and, floors. to keep the fleas out of the house."

My horse hurt himself on his coronet, i.e the portion between his hoof and leg. After the usual applications of betedine etc., we applied powdered charcoal and his lameness disappeared within hours. I read this in John Dinsley's book, which I recommend to everyone as it contains a wealth of info on the various remedies of charcoal."

Thanks and hope to hear from you, guys...Tess djo"

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah, Usa writes: "Lye soap is bad for the dog and its skin, also aloe vera is toxic to dogs."

[YEA]  06/03/2009: Helen from Cynthiana, Kentucky writes: "if you have dogs like we do use homemade lye soap and give them a bath in it every 10 to 14 days apart after the first oneand give them all natural dog treats and then after about a week if they are still scratching some rub some aloe vera on their coats and their stomach and it works thank you Helen"

10/24/2009: Glenessary9 from Salt Lake City, Utah, Usa writes: "Lye soap is bad for the dog and its skin, also aloe vera is toxic to dogs."

[YEA]  10/24/2009: Vcanfield from San Antonio, Tx, Usa writes: "I started giving my cat 2 capfuls of ACV (the kind with the mother) in about 2 T of canned cat food for his UTI. I already took him to the vet and after pumping him with antibiotics, he still had symptoms. He has slowly getting better with the UTI, but the amazing thing was his weepy eye is gone. He has had the weepy eye for years and I have tried all kinds of ointments from the vet for his eye, but nothing has ever helped until he started drinking the ACV."

[YEA]  10/24/2009: W from St. Louis, Mo writes: "I have a 12 year lab. He was suffering with 8 fatty tissues that were very large. I learned that raspberry powder can help dogs with removing fatty tissues and tumors. My dog was draggy and slow with the many fatty tissues. I came a cross raspberry powder and gave it to him for a month. He only has two left. I would put 2 table spoons over his dog food in the morning and evening. This is a real story. The two fatty tissues left have been reduced in size. My lab has more energy and moving around better. Also I give my dog 1 teaspoon of apple cidar vinegar in the morning and put it in his bowl and put his food over it. He does lick it up. W"

[YEA]  10/24/2009: Kathleen from Leicester, Nc writes: "One of the vets. at our doctor's office gave me this recipe after asking if I would consider a holistic remedy for one of our dogs constant ear yeast problems. 16 oz. Rubbing Alcohol, 16 drops Gentian Violet,(health food store) 4 tablespoons Boric Acid powder(medicinal-pharmacy). Shake well each time used. I put some of the mixture in a dropper bottle and when needed warm up the mixture and put a good amount in each ear. Since Rubbing Alcohol stings "owies", if the ears are red and sore, I use the same recipe, but have substituted 16 oz. Witch Hazel for the Rubbing Alcohol (found this recipe on the internet somewhere) the rest the same of Gentian Violet and Boric Acid mixture, and then after ears not inflamed I go to the Rubbing Alcohol mixture every so often for ear maintenance. I cannot find Boric Acid powder in any of the USA drugstores. But you can get it in Canada from the pharmacist. I got a bottle of powder from Canada's IDA this summer. I think misuse of the Boric Acid that is used for roach poison has caused the medicinal Boric Acid to be yanked from over the counter sales in the USA. Growing up, Boric Acid was a staple in Mom's medicine cabinet for eye wash and a wash for scrapes and cuts, etc."

10/23/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta writes: "Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future."

[YEA]  05/07/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta, Canada writes: "Hello, my cat Spillo is 9 years old and has suffered for 8 years from serious cystitis. He has had too many blockages to even count. I have spent approximately $15,000.00 over these past 8 years due to the cystitis/blockages. He will act strange every couple of months, doing the licking and back and forth to the litter box. Because he has such a horrible track record with blockages, I have no other choice but to bring him to emergency or the regular vet every time he acts this way. At times it is just imflammation of the bladder, other times it has been bladder infections, and of course the other times it is blockage. The symtoms are the same for all of these so I always have to treat it as a blockage and take him to the vet. I was told last month that due to the number of times he has been put under, his kidneys are starting to weaken. They suggested that I make a decision to put him down. Well, that advice tore me into tiny bits. He is only 9 years old!! At the end of March I found this website and have been giving him 1cc of acv diluted with distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid TWICE a day. (Most vets can give you a 20cc syringe). The end of March is when he was unblocked and was pretty lifeless for a few days after the procedure. The first time I gave him the 1cc of acv with the distilled water he vomitted and then perked up immediately. Now every time I give him the acv mixture he asks for food and is so much more energetic. I don't know if he is producing less crystals. I will have to give an update after a couple of months. All I know is that he seems to be doing much better. I hope that this truly is the answer and that he will never block or have an episode of cystitis again. Only time will tell. I will be sure to give an update!

FYI his daily routine is as follows:
Morning-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Afternoon-1cc of acv mixed with 19cc's of distilled water for a total of 20cc's of fluid given orally.

Evening-40cc's of Distilled water given orally. 2cc's of liquid glucosamine given orally.

I am now in the process of switching him to a raw food diet. Everybody please cross your fingers for me. "

10/23/2009: Angela from Calgary, Alberta writes: "Hello, I just wanted to finally give everybody an update on Spillo. Ever since we have been giving him the acv, he hasn't had one episode of cystitis or anymore blockages. The last blockage was the end of March 2009.....so he has been in the clear for almost 7 months. I did go to a cat specialist and he gave us some very important information. He said that the apple cider vinegar is great because it makes the urine more acidic which is good in preventing the formation of certain kinds of crystals. He said too much can form a different form of crystals, so it should be used in moderation. In addition to this, he said that the kidneys don't completely love acv. Hydration/flushing of the system with water(distilled given orally or iv fluids under the skin) is extremely important. Having this new information, we have decreased his daily intake of acv to only 1cc. It still gets mixed with distilled water and the rest of the diet is the exact same. Technically there could never be a cure for Spillo, but having this diet kind of puts it into remission. We can't believe how well he is doing! It truly has been a miracle for us. I will give another update in the future."

10/26/2009: Kathy from Wincanton, Uk writes: "Hi - please can you elaborate on your raw food diet. what do you feed your cat. My cat is prone to being overweight and suffers from cystitis> I am going to try the ACV immediately but also wondered about the raw diet. The vet has him on a special very expensive urinary diet at the moment which is all very well, but it contains additives etc which I dont like - thanks for any help"

11/03/2009: Angela from Calgary, Canada writes: "Hello, in all honesty I tried the raw diet for a while and Spillo ate it off and on. I lazily gave it a rest and put him back on specialty moist food. He is doing well on it but I must admit I feel guily for not feeding him raw. I would say to go to a pet specialty store that sells raw and they should be able to answer your questions about how much to feed your cat and recommend a raw brand. I have even been told by our German Shepherd's breeder from the Czech Republic that we should just give spillo a chicken wing or some other raw meat. He said the cats he grew up with in the Czech Republic ate raw meat and lived to a ripe old age with no disease. You can also look online at some cat raw food recipes and this should give you some good ideas. I hope this helps."

[QUESTION]  10/23/2009: Pictureperfectpitts from Ledyard, Ct, usa writes: "Hi Ted, I have 4 dogs, a staffordshire terrier, chihuahua, and two blue nose American bullies. One of my bullies is a large breed male, Tyson, he seems to be looking skinny lately and I have even boosted up his food intake, my chihuahua seems to be losing weight also, its really odd. My other 2 dogs seem to be fine, everyone is eating fine, drinking fine, playing together and everything. What could this mean? I havent detected any worms, Tyson is being treated for ear infections... (he gets them alot and I have been using ACV, its working and all. I have also been putting a capful or two in their water. Tyson has had alot of problems (demodex), but the parasite hasnt shown back up. I dont know what to do. Layla is the other bully and she was just mated (show dog, very expensive girl!) I do not want anything to happen to any of my babies.. please give me some insight on this situation. Thank you, Jennifer"

[QUESTION]  10/23/2009: Heidi from Teeswater, Ontario Canada writes: "Please can someone tell me if it is organic Apple Cider Viniger or the plain ACV for my black lab of 7 years?"

EC: Many people on this site report getting the best results with organic ACV!

My Boxer dog recieved his rabies vaccine at 6 months old and about 30-40 days later developed a severe attack of pancreatitis, afterwards his pancrease was left unable to digest his food and he is now on medication. We ruled out all other causes of pancreatitis. he also developed behaviour problems such as hyperactivity, aggression, and frequently wanting to be alone as if he was sick."

[YEA]  10/23/2009: Maureen from Charlotte, Nc writes: "The ACV mixture (50/50 with water) cured my cat's acne."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Jan from South Windsor, Ct writes: "Our beautiful long-haired calico 18yr old cat received her rabies vaccine yesterday at 3pm. At 10pm she suffered a seiure and died in my arms. My vet denies a correlation. I think it was the vaccine. I didn't want her to have it because she was an indoor cat and her advanced age. My 22yr old dtr and I are heartbroken."

10/23/2009: Leslie from Indianapolis, Indiana writes: "My Golden Retriever has had some persistent ear infections. To treat them, I have to be persistent, too! Undiluted alcohol and vinegar would probably burn your poor dog's ear a LOT. Try a cup of warm water and 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball, twice a day (it is easiest to do one early and one before bedtime). This worked and clear up a really persistent, ongoing infection. The vet just kept wanting to give meds. Go the natural route. It's cheaper and just as effective, but you must be persistent and do not skip days (or the infection will sneak back up)."

06/06/2009: Lay93007 from Green Bay, WI writes: "This isn't a remedy I'm posting I'm actually curious as to the measurements and how many times a day and how many days should I give my dog the apple cider vinegar. And would vinegar work instead or does it have to be ACV? My dog has had 4 ear infections since February and I keep going to the vet just to get more medicine and for them to tell me the same thing over. Thanks guys."

07/05/2009: Denise from Plantation, Fl writes: "My vet recommended the vinegar cure for ear infections. His recommendation was 1/2 white vinegar, 1/2 rubbing alcohol. Put drops in dog's ear when he started to scratch."

10/23/2009: Leslie from Indianapolis, Indiana writes: "My Golden Retriever has had some persistent ear infections. To treat them, I have to be persistent, too! Undiluted alcohol and vinegar would probably burn your poor dog's ear a LOT. Try a cup of warm water and 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball, twice a day (it is easiest to do one early and one before bedtime). This worked and clear up a really persistent, ongoing infection. The vet just kept wanting to give meds. Go the natural route. It's cheaper and just as effective, but you must be persistent and do not skip days (or the infection will sneak back up)."

[YEA]  10/23/2009: Belle from London, Uk writes: "Hi,

I rescued two 4mth old staffie pups with severe sarcoptic manage, unfortunately one of them had to be euthanised due to the severity of the mange and infection - thankfully one of them is now doing well, but i am using the borax solution every third day at the moment as the mange was so severe (she has no hair whatsoever). Her skin is very dry and i want to help her as much as i can, therefore would it be safe to bathe her in extra soft baby shampoo and maybe apply baby lotion afterwards (inbetween borax dips) to help ease the dryness? If not, what else can i use/apply to increase the condition of her skin. I have also been feeding her multi-vits for dogs as i think she needs all the help she can get.

The mites also seem to favour my arms so i tried Lyclear derma cream but the bites increased, so now i'm using the solution on myself which seems to be working quite well (fingers crossed).

NB: When making the borax solution ensure you follow the directions to a tee or it won't be effective!"

09/20/2009: Stephan Toth from London, United Kingdom writes: "The advice for using Borax for the Treatment of Mange and other Mites is very good however there seems to be some confusion so I hope to clarify the situation.

1) If your dog has mites then you can be sure that they are present in the whole of the area that your dog uses and that in a lot of cases the humans have them too. You can test if you have mites (scabies) if you itch after having a bath or at night when you go to bed.

2) You have to treat the whole of the above at the same time or you will have a cycle of reinfestation from your pet to the house to you to your pet. So choose an action day and get everything ready for your war on mites.

3) In the case of your house, all beds, sofas, carpets, cusions etc that are too big to be washed including rugs and carpets should be treat with the borax solution or lime sulphur and covered in strong plastic sheeting using duct tape. I know its a lot of bother but its cheaper than throwing them outside and burning them.

4)Having taken the pets outside, Make up the solution of Borax using the following equivalents (one cup hydrogen peroxide and two cups water first and then the 9 teaspoons or 3 tablespoons of borax put in last. let the borax dissolved) This translates for bulk production as:- The borax mange treatment is made by filling a five-gallon bucket with warm water and then adding a 200 milliliter bottle of three percent hydrogen peroxide. Finally add borax laundry booster until full saturation is achieved. This means when borax is added to the water, rather than dissolving, it sinks to the bottom of the bucket.

5) Hoover and damp dust everything using the above solution that has been recomended. Then seal all the relavant soft covered furniture (sofas), soft furnishings, beds and matresses and finally cover carpets with foundation plastic using duct tape to seal the edges.

6) Wash out a kitchen detergent bottle that has a squirty spray handle on it and fill it with the borax solution. In the yard, spray the whole of the underside of the dog or other animal, you may have to refil the bottle several times for large animals. when you have reached saturation point on the underside change the spray bottle over to the large sponge and use this to pour the solution on the animals back from neck to tail. Finally we come to the head and the moste sensitive area around the eyes. First put a drop mineral oil in the eyes, then use cottonwool balls dipped in the solution and go over the face very gently and very carefully around the eyes. Pay particular attention to the ears, the muzel and under the chin making sure that they are saturated down to the skin.

7) Lovely now the house is sorted and the animals are treated there is just the humans to attend to. Though dog mites including mange (dog scabies) cannot live and reproduce on humans for more than a few days they can live long enough to reinfest the animal when you groom or stroke it. So, I am afraid its the full body treatment for the whole of the family. You can uese any of the following, Derbac M, Quellada M, Lyclear Dermal or a 30 gram tube of 5% permethrin cream. Make sure that you cover every bit of skin area and under the feet and rub it into your finger and toe nails too. The human treatment should be done at weekly intervals. Do not use the same incetacide more than three times in three weeks. Of couse if you dont mind a tinted skin, you can easily use the borax treatment on yourself.

8) The borax treatment on the animal should be done every three to four days until the mites are completely cleared and then for ten days after the last signs are gone.

9) During the treatment period, all members of the family should handle the animals only when wearing rubber gloves. Animals should be trained not to go on any furniture during this time. Children should be discouraged from wrestling or cuddling the animal until it is given the all clear.

10) If you find that after this you or your animal is still showing signs of infection then you must enquire with your family to asertain who is not following the rules.

11) When your animal has been clear for ten days you can take the plastic off of your funiture and give them a good hoover. (Don't forget to wash the hoover and its pipes with borax before using it.)

Kind Regards

Stephan Toth"

10/10/2009: Amber from Montgomery, Tx writes: "my 11 month old puppy has demodectic mites the vet said it is not contagious and he also said it is genetic from her mother would this treatment still work for what she has and i have 3% hydrogen peroxide so for a little rat terrior how much borax how much peroxide and how much water do i mix with it?"

[YEA]  10/23/2009: Belle from London, Uk writes: "Hi,

I rescued two 4mth old staffie pups with severe sarcoptic manage, unfortunately one of them had to be euthanised due to the severity of the mange and infection - thankfully one of them is now doing well, but i am using the borax solution every third day at the moment as the mange was so severe (she has no hair whatsoever). Her skin is very dry and i want to help her as much as i can, therefore would it be safe to bathe her in extra soft baby shampoo and maybe apply baby lotion afterwards (inbetween borax dips) to help ease the dryness? If not, what else can i use/apply to increase the condition of her skin. I have also been feeding her multi-vits for dogs as i think she needs all the help she can get.

The mites also seem to favour my arms so i tried Lyclear derma cream but the bites increased, so now i'm using the solution on myself which seems to be working quite well (fingers crossed).

NB: When making the borax solution ensure you follow the directions to a tee or it won't be effective!"

[WORKED TEMPORARILY]  10/23/2009: Gisela from Huntsville, Al, Usa writes: "** Update **
The pumpkin worked twice since posting the above however it isn't working now, I'm up to giving her 1 tsp daily for the last two days and it has not worked. She is an 11 lbs cat so I will try another 1/2 teaspoon or more and go from there. She did have to have her bowels unblocked in March and I'm hoping to avoid another $300 vet visit and more stress on an already anemic cat.

The ACV has completely taken care of her urinary problem and her respiratory infection, took a 5 day treatment and loads of ACV but she's better from those problems."

[YEA]  10/17/2009: Gisela from Huntsville, Alabama, Usa writes: "My 6 year old cat had constipation in March, after 3 days of not going to the bathroom I took her to the vet and got a $300 bill and a sick cat back in return. She came home so sick from the vet that I was up with her for 2 day straight. She had a problem with diarrhea and constipation in August but I looked online and decided to use Pumpkin, it worked great within an hour. I used 1/2 teaspoon once a day for 3 days, had to force feed it and that worked great. I also made sure to take her off of her daily 1/2 a can of a very cheap and well known wet cat food (known to cause cat tummy troubles) and switched her over to a human grade holistic brand (the same brand as her holistic dry cat food).

Here we are in October and the day after coming home from the vet (blood work to discover the cause of her anemia, vet thinking it could be a mosquito caused blood parasite) and again sick for 2 days from the sedatives at the vet and not able to use the bathroom. I also saw what looked like to be pink either urine or diarrhea in the litter box. I called the emergency vet hospital which wanted a lot of money up front, which I just don't have as I've spent $390 at the vet this past month already and I am unemployed. Unsure of what to do and really worried for her I gave her 1/2 teaspoon of 100% pure pumpkin puree thinking it might be constipation since she's only had small amounts of black stool. Within an hour she has already gone to the litter box twice and her feces looks healthy, not black and hard as it had been (from the anemia) and no signs of blood. I mentioned the pumpkin to her vet about using it earlier in the year, who then told me that the fiber in the pumpkin works great for cats with constipation and with diarrhea (he couldn't have told me that before the $300 bill and the undo procedures and stress on the cat???).

FYI: Anemia can cause hard black stools in cats and should be considered as a cause if you notice other symptoms such as pale ears, tongue and paw pads, rapid breathing and lethargy. It's a serious problem which is caused by other diseases, see a vet for a proper diagnosis.

My long term plan for constipation & preventing it long term:

At the first sign, 1/2 teaspoon of 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling, check that the ingredients list only pumpkin), you can use up to one teaspoon a day though I've always had results with just 1/2 a teaspoon. Use for 2-3 days to make sure your cat gets everything that is backed up, out. After the initial treatment, 1/4 teaspoon daily to keep the stool soft enough to pass.

** She is also getting 1/4 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar mixed in with her wet food daily to aid with some respiratory problems (allergies and weather changes plus running the heater have left both her and I with dry noses) and for just in case she has a urinary problem since I did see blood in the litter box. I also dip a cotton ball in a solution of 1 part organic apple cider vinegar to 1 part water and apply this to the back of her neck to help her breathe as well as saline nasal spray for babies, one drop in each nostril to induce a good sneeze to help her clear out her nostrils when she has dry breathing sounds."

[WORKED TEMPORARILY]  10/23/2009: Gisela from Huntsville, Al, Usa writes: "** Update **
The pumpkin worked twice since posting the above however it isn't working now, I'm up to giving her 1 tsp daily for the last two days and it has not worked. She is an 11 lbs cat so I will try another 1/2 teaspoon or more and go from there. She did have to have her bowels unblocked in March and I'm hoping to avoid another $300 vet visit and more stress on an already anemic cat.

The ACV has completely taken care of her urinary problem and her respiratory infection, took a 5 day treatment and loads of ACV but she's better from those problems."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/23/2009: Anita from Jacksonville, Fl writes: "Last Thursday we took our 2 year old cat for a rabies shot. This was required by the city since we were adopting a new kitten. The vet gave her a 3 year rabies shot and a leukemia shot. He had difficulty getting the shots in since she wouldn't be still. On Monday, she threw up all day and by Monday night she could not stand up and her eyes were not focused. They appeared to be vibrating and her neck was bobbing. We immediately took her to an all night emergency vet. She said she has Vestibular disease and that it was not caused by the vaccines. I totally believe it is!! If you look up the rabies shot side effects one of them is these same symptons caused by too much protein ruining the nervous system. We have her on a medicine for sea sickness and it appears to be working. This is Friday - 8 days since her vaccine and she is better but not well. She can walk slowly and is not falling down most of the time. She still can't jump and run. She appears very sad now. I pray she gets fully recovered. I WILL NEVER GIVE ANY OF MY CATS RABIES VACCINES AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT THE LAW READS."

[QUESTION]  10/22/2009: Donna R from Sarasota, Florida writes: "Ear Mite infestation in dog can make the dogs ears very sensative and painful. Since the most prevailant type of yellow dock tincture contains alcohol, which I would imagine would cause stinging pain in the dogs ears, would a glycerine-based tincture of yellow dock be preferable?"

I have a question. You reccomend yellow dock tincture and water to kill ear mite which is applied directly into the ear. The latin name for yellow dock is rumex crispus which comes in a homeopathic pellet remedy made by Boiron. If the homeopathic remedy of yellow dock (rumex crispus) is taken orally via homeopathic pellet, will this kill ear mites as well?"

[YEA]  10/22/2009: Chowiam from Playas De Rosarito, Baja Mexico writes: "My indoor cat managed to badly cut a vein on her hind leg. The veterinary office does not open until 10:00 am and the accident happened at 8:30 am. I applied cayenne pepper and the bleeding slowed then stopped.When I went to see the vet, at first she said the injury could not be too serious because it wasnt bleeding. When the wound was washed then the bleeding started again. My cat required four stitches. What works for humans also works for your pets."

He was on antibiotics twice already in his short life (9 months) and the infection comes back. The vets thought it was staph but I am convinced it's yeast."

[QUESTION]  02/26/2009: Stefanie from Soddy Daisy, TN/USA writes: "Stinky Face and Watery Eyes on my Toy Poodle, PLEASE HELP

I have two toy poodles. One is black and one is white. With that said, the black one seems to be chewing on his paws, and scratching like crazy at his face. His face stinks really bad and his eyes water non stop. I switched him to a holistic food brand and threw out all of those commercial food treats. I have looked at some yeast infection websites at the pics but he doesn't look like any of these. I think maybe this is caught in the beginning stage. He is not lethargic or anything by no means. I just need to know if and what I need to clean the face with and how much. He weighs 9 lbs. I am not sure if I need to use apple cidar vinegar or white vinegar. What kind of yogurt do I get? Do i just go to Wal Mart and buy whatever kind? Please someone help? I want to make sure I am doing the right thing for them both. They share the same water and food bowl so whatever I do for one , is it going to hurt the white one. He is only 3 lbs so he weighs considerable less and right now, only chews and licks his paws for hours sometimes....Thanks in advance for any help. And I want to thank everyone for opening my eyes to all that bad dogfood out there that I was feeding my babies....."

05/07/2009: Diane from Elbridge, NY writes: "My dog had this same problem and I was beside myself , when it came down to where it progressed and he was pulling his hair out. Use plain or vanilla yogurt.(I would say a 1/4c would work) My dog is 80lbs and loves it -so, I give him 4-8oz at a time. Organic is the best. Sugar in the yogurt adds to the problem(feeds the yeast) I also used apple cidar vinegar in his water(2tbsp in each dish full). If possible go organic with this, as well. I also live on city water and started giving him filtered water (removing the chlorine) I can say his hair is back, the smell is gone andhe apppears to be in perfect health."

07/15/2009: Lynn from Stockbridge, Wisconsin writes: "I have a pug who gets yeast infection very easily on his skin. I am going to try the yogurt & ACV treatment. I can't afford to keep taking him to the vet. He is on special food already, so this can't hurt to give it a try. I will post my results...keep your fingers crossed !!"

09/18/2009: Christina from Fairfield, Ca writes: "I also have a doxie with the "black elephant skin" under her arms - she loves to burrow under blankets too which doesn't help esp when it's hot. I feed her Innova, and I don't want to put any more steroids in her so I've started with an organic, plain yogurt. She gets a table spoon two times a day, don't know if that's enough or not - but...she also gets steamed green beans and steamed carrots. No other treats (she actually likes a green bean as a treat)"

10/21/2009: Maria from Raleigh, Nc writes: "My dog eats Innova also and he still has yeast infections. I'm starting to think this food is not that great because he poops way more now than when he ate just cooked ground turkey.

I am going to try to switch to raw food and add some kefir or yougurt to is as well as fresh veggies.
His symptoms are not that bad and include flat black spots on his belly that itch, itchy chest and eyes, the inside corners of his eyes are red.

He was on antibiotics twice already in his short life (9 months) and the infection comes back. The vets thought it was staph but I am convinced it's yeast."

10/21/2009: Jenniferlynne from Plymouth, Ma writes: "Last night my sweet little beagle mix got a direct hit from a skunk. I immediately pulled up this website in order to see if I could find an effective remedy. I first tried ACV, but she got such a spray that it didn't even touch it....then I saw this salt bath remedy. I mixed up a batch and let it sit as described....we soaked her down good...let it sit for 10 min, then decided to go ahead and on top of the soap...we rubbed a blob of toothpaste (as described in another post) directly on the strongest smelling spot...we rinsed her...dried her...and OMG...it WORKED!!!...if you stick your nose deep into the fur where she got hit...you can still smell a tiny bit of residual odor...but when we woke up this morning, I went and gave her a big hug and it was just amazing...you'd NEVER have known that she had taken a direct hit....THANK YOU for the Salt Bath remedy and the great instructions....I would highly recommend it...and the blob of toothpaste rubbed directly on the spot of impact at the tail end of the salt bath surely didn't hurt...

My little girl smells so much better....now we just need to fix her bruised ego...ha!"

[YEA]  09/13/2008: Kim from Sheboygan, Wisconsin writes: "Have you been searching for a quick, easy and above all cheap method of ridding your dog of skunk odor that you havent already tried? Chances are that over the years, you have tried many, if not all, of the products and home remedies available. Most are costly, messy and just irritating to the dog as well as the owner. Washing a stinky, skunked, dog in your bathtub is quite a challenge, even for professionals, but add tomato juice, vinagar, peroxide or chemical products, and you can only expect the worst. I know from experience...I have been grooming dogs for 22 years and discovered this remedy a few years ago. Recently, my own dog was sprayed directly in her face and was in alot of pain. It was 2:30 in the morning and my family was in from out of town... it was no problem though, I knew exactly what to do. After a salt bath, she was back to normal, even sleeping on my bed. I am giving you my trade secret and lifetime of experience...all you have to do is try it. The best part is that it costs practically nothing and works the very first time, without the use of harmful chemicals. There is no need to wash your dog more than once because it washes away all traces of odor.

What I do, is dilute some shampoo by mixing it with water... any kind of shampoo or even dishsoap is fine...but the better it smells, the better the dog will smell. I use an empty milk jug or shampoo bottle from the recycling to make it easy to saturate the coat quickly and thoroughly. I dont measure the shampoo but I would guess about 1/2 cup per gallon...dishsoap is stronger so you can use less, but I dont like the smell it leaves, compared to a good shampoo. I then add a good amount of salt into the diluted shampoo, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per gallon. I shake well and let it sit for 10 minutes or longer, the longer it sits, the stronger it gets... then I get the dog wet and apply the soap/salt solution, saturating the skin and coat completely. After about 10 minutes, I rinse thoroughly, and the odor is gone. You can adjust the shampoo to make it sudsier or add water to make it less sudsier...dont worry about the mixture...the main thing is that the dog gets a good washing in soapy, salt water. (If the poor dog gets sprayed in the mouth or eyes, just use a little salt water to rinse) Of course, to achieve the best results, always brush and dry the coat thoroughly after the bath."

10/21/2009: Jenniferlynne from Plymouth, Ma writes: "Last night my sweet little beagle mix got a direct hit from a skunk. I immediately pulled up this website in order to see if I could find an effective remedy. I first tried ACV, but she got such a spray that it didn't even touch it....then I saw this salt bath remedy. I mixed up a batch and let it sit as described....we soaked her down good...let it sit for 10 min, then decided to go ahead and on top of the soap...we rubbed a blob of toothpaste (as described in another post) directly on the strongest smelling spot...we rinsed her...dried her...and OMG...it WORKED!!!...if you stick your nose deep into the fur where she got hit...you can still smell a tiny bit of residual odor...but when we woke up this morning, I went and gave her a big hug and it was just amazing...you'd NEVER have known that she had taken a direct hit....THANK YOU for the Salt Bath remedy and the great instructions....I would highly recommend it...and the blob of toothpaste rubbed directly on the spot of impact at the tail end of the salt bath surely didn't hurt...

My little girl smells so much better....now we just need to fix her bruised ego...ha!"

10/21/2009: Helene from Wetumpka, Alabama writes: "what do you do for yeast in the dog's eyes? i did the borax and 1% it worked great for his skin and coat, but i don't know what to do for his eyes. please help."

10/21/2009: Dianna from Citrus Heights, Ca writes: "You can go to http://www.catnutrition.org to find information about a raw food diet for cats. It has a recipe with bones and without bones as well as the nutritional supplements they need in a raw diet. It is a very helpful site and gives a lot of good information, even on canned foods. They do not recommend a dry kibble for cats because of the grains inherent in almost all kibble. They also give info on how to switch your cats from a kibble diet to canned food and then to a raw diet."

[YEA]  08/05/2008: Jay from Florissant, Missouri writes: "I used apple cider vinegar to cure my cat's urinary blockage after a 1500 dollar visit to the vet the first time this occured. A neighbor suggested trying a home remedy. I found this web site and learned about apple cider vinegar to cure cat's of urinary blockage.I had a syringe from the vet for giving my cat water to help him swallow his medicine I used this 6 militer syringe to give my cat ACV BY MIXING IT WITH ONE CUP OF WATER AND GIVING HIM 1FULL syringe in the morning and 1 at night the 1st 3 days then 1/2 a teespoon of ACV to his water dish which holds 2 cups.

I am pleased to report that MAX my male cat is doing fine and is urinating normally now will keep him on this for the rest of his life. my thanks to Earth clinic"

07/31/2009: thatJENgirl from New York, NY writes: "JUST GET YOUR ANIMALS ON RAW MEAT AND BONES. ALL PROBLEMS WILL GO AWAY."

09/13/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "What type of raw meat do you feed your cat? I would love to get one of my cats on raw meat (the other hunts for himself) but she will only eat dry food. I can't even get her to eat really good stuff out of the can!"

10/21/2009: Dianna from Citrus Heights, Ca writes: "You can go to http://www.catnutrition.org to find information about a raw food diet for cats. It has a recipe with bones and without bones as well as the nutritional supplements they need in a raw diet. It is a very helpful site and gives a lot of good information, even on canned foods. They do not recommend a dry kibble for cats because of the grains inherent in almost all kibble. They also give info on how to switch your cats from a kibble diet to canned food and then to a raw diet."

10/21/2009: Dianna from Citrus Heights, Ca writes: "Cindy, I can't help you with dosages of ACV but I found ACV at Trader Joe's and it is relatively inexpensive. I hope this helps."

[YEA]  01/04/2009: Jewlz from Troy, MO writes: "Hi, just wanted to post my support for ACV for cats. I have 2 cats, one female approx. 9 years old, and a male approx. 4 years old. Both were strays that "adopted" us :o) My female had that goopy stuff in her eye the other day and I assume it was conjunctivitis. I soaked a cotton ball in ACV and rubbed it in on the back of her neck. I was expecting her to turn tail and run to sulk for a while, but she seems to actually like it. She kept sniffing at the cotton ball and not running away. The next day my daughter commented how her eye was all better and it is now back to normal. Her coat is also looking better and her appetite is raging. I just put my hand down in front of her and she stood up on her back legs and clawed and gently bit at my hands thinking I had food for her. My male cat also got uninary blockage some time ago and I got some expensive vet bills on that one. When he developed another one, I found the ACV remedy but couldn't get him to drink it from water. I did find another natural rememdy for some stuff you sprinkle in their food and I also used cranberry supplements. I also switched both of the cats to a more natural semi-raw diet. They eat twice a day now and do NOT get any dry food. Mornings they get tuna fish w/raw chicken livers and in the evenings I give them salmon w/raw gizzards, hearts or livers, just depends on what I have. They just absolutely love this diet. They stand meowing through the door when they know it's time to eat :o) Drives my hubby crazy. I also make sure I add additional water to their meals to make sure they are getting enough liquid. I can't get either one of them to just drink from a plain bowl of water."

[QUESTION]  01/19/2009: Cindy from San Marcos, CA writes: "I have a Kitty just under 1 year old, she is having an eye problem and I wanted to try using the ACV treatment. Can you tell me where to buy the Apple Cider Vinegar and if you can use any ACV on the shelf or should it be the the raw ACV. Also, how long do I need to use it once her eyes clear up?

In addition, we purchased the fountain water system for my kitties and they drink more water and they absolutely love it!"

10/21/2009: Dianna from Citrus Heights, Ca writes: "Cindy, I can't help you with dosages of ACV but I found ACV at Trader Joe's and it is relatively inexpensive. I hope this helps."

[YEA]  10/20/2009: Juana from Fayetteville, North Carolina writes: "Hydrogen peroxide: Thank you, thank you, thank you my daughters chihuahua was coughing really bad when we first got him and we were very worried about him. This really works :)"

10/20/2009: Natalie from Masury, Oh, Usa writes: "Hi Cadence, if your horse won't touch food with ACV in it than it won't help him. Horses know what will help them. They can tell if it will work for them, they are very smart."

[QUESTION]  04/25/2009: Cadence from Vermontville, MI USA writes: "I have not tried this yet but intent to, When I do try it if my foal dont like ACV what should I do to make him take it or like it. I will mix it in his grain. I just need to no ahead of time what to do if he wont touch it? please let me know asap please and thanks"

10/20/2009: Natalie from Masury, Oh, Usa writes: "Hi Cadence, if your horse won't touch food with ACV in it than it won't help him. Horses know what will help them. They can tell if it will work for them, they are very smart."

Our dog was impounded and given a rabies and dhpp-bdin, without our consent. Since then he has lost weight and continuing too, diarrhea and vomiting (this has stopped) and is now refusing food. We don't have the money to take him to a vet."

Erhard from Denmark"

[YEA]  01/03/2008: Valerie from Coldwater, Ontario, Canada writes: "My paint horse had a bad habit of chewing anything wood ( ie; fences , trees etc.). My father, an old time farmer, said they always fed the horses acv when he was a boy. I tried 1oz a day in his grain and he no longer chews. Once again listening to my dad paid off."

10/20/2009: Erhard from Aabenraa, Denmark writes: "Hello.

I hope jou kan help me with a big problem. My horses like to licking - eating black earth. Not them al but 2 of the 3. They offen do it in the beginning when i take them on grass. They are "sniffing" for the right place and then they begin to lick in the earth. The become the best vitamin and mineral ( St. hippolyt) but it dont help for
the problem. It is dangerous for the horses because they get a lot of sand with in - and it is very irritating to look at. The best "places" are i black moor-earth so heeeeeelp me if you kan .. best thanks

Erhard from Denmark"

10/20/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "Thank you so much for all of the great information. I've been dealing with a yeast problem with my dog for years. I have tried EVERYTHING. I'm going to order the Hyland's product that you recommend and follow your instructions. Thanks again."

10/18/2009: Anonymous from Malibu, California, Usa writes: "YEAST INFECTIONS: I've only found ONE over-the-counter homeopathic that actually works for YEAST INFECTIONS (cats/dogs/people/etc.) - *Hyland's Vaginitis* - one of the ingredients is homeopathic Candida Albicans 30X which is why it works. Will stop itching, hair loss, leaking from any body part that can leak, and so on.

Drop ONE tablet in ONE ounce of purified water and mix, then administer 3ml orally with a feeding syringe or plastic eye dropper THREE times per day (cat/dog). Non-toxic, affordable, available at health food stores or online. Will see positive results quickly. Really!

FOOD ALLERGIES: The best dry food I've found was at a rural feed store [old man owner knows more about animal nutrition than any vet] called *Diamond Naturals* - it has NO soy, NO wheat, NO corn, NO by-products, NO preservatives, NO artifical colors, NO artifical flavors, the first ingredient is MEAT. My pet's bowel movements STOPPED STINKING after he switched over to this food. It is very affordable, about half the price of anything you'll find at Whole Foods. Feed stores can order wet food, the best one I have found thus far is *Precise* - next best thing to home cooking pet meals - and cheaper than what you'll pay at Whole Foods or Vet office.

Also, *bioAllers* liquid homeopathic "Wheat/Grain Allergies" will greatly reduce symptoms as your pet changes to a healthy hypo-allergenic diet. The best I've found so far. Affordable, and it works quickly!

NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: The CORN cat litters will cause horrific syptoms if your feline is allergic to corn [think "corn dust in eyes"]. The best allergy-free litter is UNSCENTED CLAY LOW-DUST litter (NOT "clumping" litter as it can cause intestinal blockages if your kitty nibbles it).


CLEAR GLASS *Pyrex* BOWLS for food and water (plastic harbors bacteria, metal retains radiation, ceramic leaches lead). Purified water for all pets, lots of home purifier choices at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes.

DETOX BATHS FOR CATS AND DOGS: Unscented mild baby *Pure Castile Liquid Soap - Dr Bronners* gently cleans the largest eliminative organ - skin - and will quickly reduce all allergy symptoms. *Rescue Remedy* is good to use [orally - diluted] before/after bath to reduce stress and trauma of bathing [especially cats].

NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: If you TRIM and FILE SMOOTH all the REAR FEET NAILS of your feline, it will reduce damage and injury lesions when they SCRATCH AT THEIR FACE/EYES. [Easier to accomplish when kitty is asleep]

After hundred of hours of research, and thousands of dollars in vet bills [conventional and holistic] and products that DON'T WORK, I am offering this information to EASE THE SUFFERING of our companion animals. I only mention brand names because it makes NO SENSE to allow our pets to suffer while wasting valuable time and resources guessing which products I am referring to. By the time a desperate and weary pet guardian reads this, it is probably the middle of the night and all are exhausted, stressed, worried, scared, drained, and suffering - really now, time is of the essence, is it not?

THANK YOU ALL FOR CARING FOR YOUR PETS ENOUGH TO FIND THIS WEBSITE. This is a clearing house for helpful information. Sometimes it is NECESSARY to mention brand names. We all want the best for our pets, and while sometimes veterinarians are necessary, they are still very pricey and in this economy, most cannot afford repeat visits with no results. I hope Earth Clinic will allow the brand names I mentioned. All products mentioned are affordable and my only intention is to EASE SUFFERING as suffering serves no one!"

10/20/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi writes: "Thank you so much for all of the great information. I've been dealing with a yeast problem with my dog for years. I have tried EVERYTHING. I'm going to order the Hyland's product that you recommend and follow your instructions. Thanks again."

Needless to say, she's traumatized by the shaving and every time I go near the medicine she starts to vibrate like many chihuahuas do and she looks like a Mexican hairless so what a misery I've allowed to develop due to ignorance of options and of this site. Thank you thank you."

[QUESTION]  10/19/2009: Farm Mama from Mount Dora, Fl, Usa writes: "My chickens have lice. They are free range, fed organic soy free layer feed, organic cracked corn, and various kitchen scraps 95% organic. Any suggestions? Thanks to all who give advice on earth clinic. It is a life saver!"

10/18/2009: Anonymous from Malibu, California, Usa writes: "YEAST INFECTIONS: I've only found ONE over-the-counter homeopathic that actually works for YEAST INFECTIONS (cats/dogs/people/etc.) - *Hyland's Vaginitis* - one of the ingredients is homeopathic Candida Albicans 30X which is why it works. Will stop itching, hair loss, leaking from any body part that can leak, and so on.

Drop ONE tablet in ONE ounce of purified water and mix, then administer 3ml orally with a feeding syringe or plastic eye dropper THREE times per day (cat/dog). Non-toxic, affordable, available at health food stores or online. Will see positive results quickly. Really!

FOOD ALLERGIES: The best dry food I've found was at a rural feed store [old man owner knows more about animal nutrition than any vet] called *Diamond Naturals* - it has NO soy, NO wheat, NO corn, NO by-products, NO preservatives, NO artifical colors, NO artifical flavors, the first ingredient is MEAT. My pet's bowel movements STOPPED STINKING after he switched over to this food. It is very affordable, about half the price of anything you'll find at Whole Foods. Feed stores can order wet food, the best one I have found thus far is *Precise* - next best thing to home cooking pet meals - and cheaper than what you'll pay at Whole Foods or Vet office.

Also, *bioAllers* liquid homeopathic "Wheat/Grain Allergies" will greatly reduce symptoms as your pet changes to a healthy hypo-allergenic diet. The best I've found so far. Affordable, and it works quickly!

NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: The CORN cat litters will cause horrific syptoms if your feline is allergic to corn [think "corn dust in eyes"]. The best allergy-free litter is UNSCENTED CLAY LOW-DUST litter (NOT "clumping" litter as it can cause intestinal blockages if your kitty nibbles it).


CLEAR GLASS *Pyrex* BOWLS for food and water (plastic harbors bacteria, metal retains radiation, ceramic leaches lead). Purified water for all pets, lots of home purifier choices at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes.

DETOX BATHS FOR CATS AND DOGS: Unscented mild baby *Pure Castile Liquid Soap - Dr Bronners* gently cleans the largest eliminative organ - skin - and will quickly reduce all allergy symptoms. *Rescue Remedy* is good to use [orally - diluted] before/after bath to reduce stress and trauma of bathing [especially cats].

NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: If you TRIM and FILE SMOOTH all the REAR FEET NAILS of your feline, it will reduce damage and injury lesions when they SCRATCH AT THEIR FACE/EYES. [Easier to accomplish when kitty is asleep]

After hundred of hours of research, and thousands of dollars in vet bills [conventional and holistic] and products that DON'T WORK, I am offering this information to EASE THE SUFFERING of our companion animals. I only mention brand names because it makes NO SENSE to allow our pets to suffer while wasting valuable time and resources guessing which products I am referring to. By the time a desperate and weary pet guardian reads this, it is probably the middle of the night and all are exhausted, stressed, worried, scared, drained, and suffering - really now, time is of the essence, is it not?

THANK YOU ALL FOR CARING FOR YOUR PETS ENOUGH TO FIND THIS WEBSITE. This is a clearing house for helpful information. Sometimes it is NECESSARY to mention brand names. We all want the best for our pets, and while sometimes veterinarians are necessary, they are still very pricey and in this economy, most cannot afford repeat visits with no results. I hope Earth Clinic will allow the brand names I mentioned. All products mentioned are affordable and my only intention is to EASE SUFFERING as suffering serves no one!"

EARTH CLINIC -- PLEASE POST IN AS MANY PLACES ON THE WEBSITE AS POSSIBLE. I cannot be the only one here with this dilemma."

10/18/2009: Bdmetz from Reno, Nv writes: "I was reading these posts because my dog seems to be getting a UTI. A few people said that you always have to see a vet - let me tell you, that is not true! I am going to try this ACV and yogurt treatment, but in the meantime - let me tell you a story about vets. They are in it for the money, even the ones that seem to really love your dog. Now, there is a time and a place - but you shouldnt believe they are always out for your dogs best interest. I have been going to my vet for 15 years, and I really like her and trust her for most things, but not blinding trust. When my dog was having problems with her knees she said that I had to have a $5000 per knee surgury for my dog, they cut the bone in half below the knee and offset it. You do one knee at a time. She refered me to a specialist who confirmed what she had said. Luckily, I did some research on the internet before she went in for the surgury. The sites I visited said that the modern day dog, even on good dry dog food, are missing enzymes in their diet that cause all sorts of healing problems. I had a month before the surgery, so I thought I would try to heal her. I went from facing $10,000 (both back knees) in medical bills, to giving her Nzymes twice a day - she now runs, jumps, plays, hikes... She very rarely limps, and when she does just one aspirin gets her over it. She is 120 pound mastiff rott mix. The love of my life. Happy, healthy active. Anyway, I just wanted all of you to know that vets don't ALWAYS do what is best for your pet. It has been 3 years since I was told she would never recover without surgery, so please, do your homework!"

[YEA]  05/25/2009: Alysone from Camarillo, CA writes: "24 hour fix! When my 2 1/2 year old golden retriever suddenly showed signs of a UTI, I was very worried. I've worked in clinics before and I know how expensive any exam, testing and treatment may be - and, like almost everyone right now, I definitely don't have the money to pay a vet outrageous amounts. I found this site and immediately tried ACV home treatment; I used 2 table spoons of ACV in her dry dog food that morning. I had to coax her to eat with some gravy, but she got it all down. She later got another half tablespoon of ACV with yogurt that afternoon. This morning, she seems completely better! She only had to go once (compared to the squatting marathon of yesterday!) and is normal and frisky as ever. She'll be getting on tblspoon of that "delicious" stuff for another three days, just to make sure we're all clear.

Thanks for all the help and advice on this site!"

05/28/2009: Country Woman from Jackson, NY writes: "I have just experienced this same problem and I took my English lab to the Vet, ASAP. WE caught her infection, in time. And the total cost was $55 for the Urinalysis and the medicine. How much does your dog mean to you??

If left untreated, it will cost you ten times more than that, plus you are putting your dog through a lot of unnecessary pain! All I can say is that your dog is a member of your family, would you allow your child to suffer, or use an unapproved home remedy?? ( By the way, the Vet was totally against this for a UTI ).

Please consider what you are doing and think of the dog first!"

07/01/2009: Coco from Escalon, Cal writes: "Wow! that's great your Vet. only charged you $55.00, here in Calif. the Vet. wanted $200.00 and wasn't sure that it woundn't be more, just because some of us choose to use Earth clinic to find Remedies to help our pets dosen't mean we love them less or say they aren't part of our family."

[YEA]  08/02/2009: Lc from Jupiter, Florida writes: "In response to some of the "dough heads" who think that some of us don't care for our animals because we don't take them to the vet everytime there is the slightest "something" wrong with them. I noticed that my 9year old Rottie was piddling every 10-15 minutes and immediately knew it was a bladder infection. My family has been hit very hard by the recent events in the US so taking her to the vet is nearly out of the questions. And yes, if it was my 5 year old daughter, I would have done a similar thing. It wasn't anything more that that and I am thankful for websites such as this one that has holistic remedies. It is people like this who run to the doctor for the slightest sniffle that has many of us with no health care for ourselves and our pets!! Thanks Earth Clinic!!"

08/30/2009: Kari from Phoenix, Az writes: "Country woman.....you are very judgmental. Any home remedy is better. Antibiotics are not good for living creatures and should be used as a last resort. My Vet wanted $229 to start and the projected cost for further treatment was $650 that she said would probably be needed. (Urine culture, antibiotics, ultrasound) I love my dog but I am going to try the ACV first."

10/02/2009: Angel from P. S., Colorado writes: "To Country Woman from Jackson, NY, I use natural remedies for all of my animals and my family. I use ACV and garlic to deworm my animals. I make a tonic that has ACV and garlic among other ingredients to use on my family during cold and flu season. My kids like it so much they ask for it daily whether they are ill or not and the best part is I can give it to them daily because there is nothing harmful in it. I will definitely try ACV for my new puppies UTI. I never use doctors or vets unless it is an emergency or mandatory vaccination. My animals nor my famiy ever suffer. As a matter of fact we are rarely sick. Our home remedies may not offer immediate results, like prescribed pain killers and other cold and flu medications, but there are also no harmful side effects that you have to worry about years down the road. And if I have to deal with the sniffles or a sore throat a little longer than if I use OTC or prescribed drugs that's ok because at the same time my immune system is strenghtening itself so that my body will fight it off faster next time.

Of course if you ask your vet or doctor if they would recommend these home remedies they are going to say no because they want your money. If you heal yourself they don't get a penny. Also if you are not taking their medications they are not guaranteed future care of you when you have liver problems or anal leakage or one of the many other side effects. It doesn't make sense to me why you want to give something to your family or pets that are guaranteed to cause future health problems. Take care of it now naturally and chances are you'll have less problems later."

10/10/2009: Nicole from New York, Ny writes: "I am so glad I found this site! ACV has been a wonderful cure all for my dog and I have sent this to just about every dog owner I know! Despite what some of the comments on this site have implied, I really love my dog and I wouldn't do anything for him that I wouldn't do for myself, and that includes homeopathic and over the counter remedies.

I started doing this a couple of years ago when after taking my dog to the vet numerous times for skin rashes and diahreah for seasonal allergies, a dog trainer friend asked me why I kept rushing him in. I told her that the vet said he needed immediate treatment. She told me to give him a benedryll and milk of magnesia ... yeah, cleared it up in about 30 minutes. I could have spent $10 on over the counter remedies, rather than the $100 a pop for taking my dog in for the exact same thing... And it was the exact same things, I compared the medications the vet gave me to the active ingredients in the OTC stuff. She also told me to start giving him yogurt for his ear infections... cleared them up in a day.

Now, this is not to say that vets are not important and that I don't value mine, but I don't rush to the doctor every time I sneeze and I don't think I should for my dog either. And since moving to NYC, just to walk in the door at my vet is $60. Also, I find that vets, much like doctors are quick to prescribe an antibiotic, and I'm not a fan of these since they can cause serious immune damage to your system (humans and animals). Since then, and finding this site, I have treated ear infections (1 part ACV, rubbing alcohol, and water), UTI (AVC and yogurt), hot spots (ACV and aloe), and it has greatly improved my dog's allergies and conjuntivitis. I am a true believer.

Now, this is not to say that I would not take my dog to the vet when he is seriously ill, but after having him for 8 years, I can gauge if he's seriously sick or just a little under the weather. So to all of you who are taking control of your animal's well being and not feeling like you and your checkbook are being held hostage by your vet... good for you!"

10/18/2009: Bdmetz from Reno, Nv writes: "I was reading these posts because my dog seems to be getting a UTI. A few people said that you always have to see a vet - let me tell you, that is not true! I am going to try this ACV and yogurt treatment, but in the meantime - let me tell you a story about vets. They are in it for the money, even the ones that seem to really love your dog. Now, there is a time and a place - but you shouldnt believe they are always out for your dogs best interest. I have been going to my vet for 15 years, and I really like her and trust her for most things, but not blinding trust. When my dog was having problems with her knees she said that I had to have a $5000 per knee surgury for my dog, they cut the bone in half below the knee and offset it. You do one knee at a time. She refered me to a specialist who confirmed what she had said. Luckily, I did some research on the internet before she went in for the surgury. The sites I visited said that the modern day dog, even on good dry dog food, are missing enzymes in their diet that cause all sorts of healing problems. I had a month before the surgery, so I thought I would try to heal her. I went from facing $10,000 (both back knees) in medical bills, to giving her Nzymes twice a day - she now runs, jumps, plays, hikes... She very rarely limps, and when she does just one aspirin gets her over it. She is 120 pound mastiff rott mix. The love of my life. Happy, healthy active. Anyway, I just wanted all of you to know that vets don't ALWAYS do what is best for your pet. It has been 3 years since I was told she would never recover without surgery, so please, do your homework!"

[YEA]  10/18/2009: Lynn W from San Antonio, Texas writes: "Our dog Coco who had this when we got her home. She was still a pup. She got this from the mother dog. Coco has a very delicate system. We first tried the vet's way with a dip that stunk like rotten eggs. We brought her home and tried that until the dips irritated her skin and she ran a tempature. We put Coco on local antibiotics one for her face and an oral one. The doctor put her on Ivermectin and it worked for a while until she started to throw up the meds. This is what is used in heart worm medication. Also the vet told us not to give her Ivermectin at the same time as we gave her heart worm meds. When we had stopped the Ivermectin within 3 months the buggers came back in full force. So, we did some research holitically that landed us here on this website. We went to a local pet feed store. They have a lot of holistic foods etc. At the store, I found a local over the counter medicine for sarcoptic mange for dogs and horses. It has linseed oil, pine tree oil and sulfur. It has a smell to it but not as bad as the other stuff from the vet. Asked if it worked and one customer tried it and it worked. I cleaned her with a well known flea and tick shampoo which had Pyrethrin in it. This one product had the highest Pyrethrin in it out of all the others. Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide. We wet her down scrubbed & washed her in our tub with warm water with the flea and tick shampoo and left it on her for about 7 minutes. Her scabs came off. We dried her off. I took a face sponge for make-up put the mange medicine on her. Around her face we used vegetable oil. It took a bottle of that mange medicine. After, I put the mange medicine we rubbed her with vegetable oil. I also used the spray vegetable oil which works well for "Hot Spots". We did this for about 3 weeks. Then we changed our regime and first washed her with some of our vet's shampoo for dogs for delicate skin. It is is a Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo. Then we still used the flea and tick shampoo. Then we stopped the mange lotion and put a biological natural flea and dog spray on her. It has avocado and other natural stuff for their skin as well as something for fleas & ticks. This worked well on her. She's an indoor dog. So far so good. Her hair is growing back and she's happy and playing. We also placed her on a dog food that has Salmon in it for her skin. We also put an insecticide for the yard to kill bugs, fleas, ticks. etc. We washed her bedding and cleaned our carpet with a carpet shampoo. I would suggest covering your furniture and pillows because of the mange medicine. This process takes about three weeks to a month. Ths skin will dry and flake off and the new skin comes in. I hope this helps."

Last night my 2 yr old mixed breed (wire haired doxie and traveling salesman) stepped on a bee and I wasn't quite sure what to do. I did think about anaphylatic shock so watched for that. I googled the problem and got your web site and benadryl was suggested. I had some benadryl tabs so crushed one ( 1/2 of a 25 mg) up and mixed it with peanut butter - WA-LA it worked he slept like a log! This AM I gave him another 1/2 as his little paw was kind of swelled and he was licking and nibbling at it. I did get the stinger out last night. Thank you!"

10/18/2009: China from Hong Kong, China writes: "Does it have to be unpasturized ACV, the kind with the "mother"? Or can I use the cheap pasturized kind for food, to give my dog the bath rinse? My lab has a bad bacterial infestation that is taking a long time to heal because he keeps scratching/ biting off the scabs. I'm looking for something that can stop the itch while it heals, and I thought maybe I can give him an ACV rinse everyday, but it could get pricey if I need to use the pasturized kind. He wears a cone during the day, but I wish there's a skirt version of the cone to prevent the back legs from scratching!"

[YEA]  08/19/2009: Deb from Harrisburg, Pa writes: "ACV is wonderful! My Shih Tzu was suffering with his allgeries this year. He lost all the hair off his ears. It must be the new area I am living in. A new hot spot was breaking out everyday. Well, I gave him a bath, then used 1 cup of ACV to a gallon of water.

He slept peacefully that night. Since then I have applied a half and half mixture of water and ACV using a spray bottle on his hot spots and around his ears. The areas of his skin are almost healed. I could not beleive how fast it took after the bath.

I tried using the spray mixture a day or two befor the bath, that did not have the same affect. Be sure to bath the dog first using the ACV mix last then rinse it off.

I am still spraying him every day. He doesn't really like it especially. But all the redness has left.

I am recommending this site to all my friends!

I also tried another remedy that worked for dog coughs, 1 tbl honey, 3 drops of peroxide and 1 cup of water. the cough vanished."

10/18/2009: China from Hong Kong, China writes: "Does it have to be unpasturized ACV, the kind with the "mother"? Or can I use the cheap pasturized kind for food, to give my dog the bath rinse? My lab has a bad bacterial infestation that is taking a long time to heal because he keeps scratching/ biting off the scabs. I'm looking for something that can stop the itch while it heals, and I thought maybe I can give him an ACV rinse everyday, but it could get pricey if I need to use the pasturized kind. He wears a cone during the day, but I wish there's a skirt version of the cone to prevent the back legs from scratching!"

[QUESTION]  10/18/2009: Anonymous from Malibu, California, USA writes: "After having a cat nearly DIE after his first RABIES VACCINATION, fast forward many years to now -- I have a six-month old male kitten whom I have chosen to NOT vaccinate. THE PROBLEM IS I have failed in my attempt to find a veterinarian who will NEUTER him without being vaccinated. CAN ANYBODY OUT THERE REFER ME TO A VETERINARIAN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHO WILL NEUTER MY UNVACCINATED KITTY? I feel we are being held hostage because we've chosen an altenative, healthier path. THANK YOU! Please email me at: godanduniverse@hotmail.com"

10/17/2009: Jo from Hemet, Ca writes: "I just adopted a teeny, weeny, 3 lb 6oz, Chihuahua. I KNOW that commercial dog food is not healthy for my little girl. I would definitely like to go raw, but because of her size......I am a little nervous. Anyone have any suggestions as to what might be best for her? I rescued her from the Humane Society...she seems a little on the skinny side, but appears healthy otherwise.

I am a huge ACV fan, so I would like to put a few drops in her drinking water or mix it with her food and am really looking for suggestions on type of food and amounts. I feel like one wrong move with as small as she is....well, you understand."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/17/2009: Linda from Steynrus, South Africa writes: "My border collie puppy was vaccinated for distemper and rabies. He is very ill now, I took him back to the vet and was told he has ditemper,they advised me to put him down. I refused ths advice, I said a prayer and now I am giving him a mixture of (125ml cup jungle oats,1 rooibos teabag, 2ml teaspoon salt, 3(250ml) cups of water boiled for 30 minutes and cooled in the fridge) also mix (500ml milk, 2 raw egg yellows,1 teaspoon vanilla essence,125ml condensedmilk. Mix well, keep in the fridge) I mix 1 teaspoon Honey, 20ml jungle oat mixture, 50ml milk mixture, add a little boiling water to warm the mixure. I give him this 4 times a day,(3 days and counting!) He is improving each day!"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  03/17/2009: Missy from Glenolden, PA writes: "Side effect from rabies & distemperment shots:

We took our 10 year mixed dog to vet about 2 months ago because he was snapping, we thought we should catch him up on his shots just in case he bit someone. Well we come to find out he had a ear infection, after getting his shots, antibotic and ear wash we went home and he has been down hill since then. We had made a another appointment for three weeks for a check up and xrays for his arthritis. While at home he lost his balance (because of ear effection) his eyes starting glaring over and he just wasn't himself. When we went back to vet we had blod work done and it all came back negative,showed nothing...we did not have xrays done because we already knew he had arthritis we di find out that his effection moved throughtout his body, the vet sent us home with more antibotic and something for hi attitude. He no longer has effection but my dog can hardly walk, Now something the vet gave us did this to him. I am going to have to put dog down because I have to carry him (65 pounds) down the steps to go to the bathroom because he is afraid to go down steps. I know one of those medicines did this to my dog and I need to know if this has happened to anyone else out there. Looking for advice!"

03/17/2009: Tara from Pasadena, CA writes: "I am so sorry to hear about your dog. Do you have a holistic vet in your area preferably one who does acupuncture? I think there are some suggestions on Earth Clinic for some homeopathic remedies to give to your dog."

[QUESTION]  04/11/2009: Debra from Tulsa, Ok writes: "I just had to put my dog down yesterday because of what I truely believe are the results from either the distemper,rabies, or bordetella shots he received on the 13th of March. Levi would have been 10 the 3rd of May, he was a shephard mix, 103lbs, I helped deliver him and he had been with me ever since, like you I had to help him up and down the stairs just so he could go pee, he quit eating monday, he started having difficulty with the stairs tuesday, he fell while peeing wednesday and his front legs both swelled up, and I noticed he had jaundice wednesday. When I took him to the vet they said he was going down hill fast. He wasn't getting enough protein they said, his liver shut down. He was fine before, so full of life, and then this .... I put him down thursday, I couldn't watch him suffer like this."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  10/17/2009: Linda from Steynrus, South Africa writes: "My border collie puppy was vaccinated for distemper and rabies. He is very ill now, I took him back to the vet and was told he has ditemper,they advised me to put him down. I refused ths advice, I said a prayer and now I am giving him a mixture of (125ml cup jungle oats,1 rooibos teabag, 2ml teaspoon salt, 3(250ml) cups of water boiled for 30 minutes and cooled in the fridge) also mix (500ml milk, 2 raw egg yellows,1 teaspoon vanilla essence,125ml condensedmilk. Mix well, keep in the fridge) I mix 1 teaspoon Honey, 20ml jungle oat mixture, 50ml milk mixture, add a little boiling water to warm the mixure. I give him this 4 times a day,(3 days and counting!) He is improving each day!"

At the first sign, 1/2 teaspoon of 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling, check that the ingredients list only pumpkin), you can use up to one teaspoon a day though I've always had results with just 1/2 a teaspoon. Use for 2-3 days to make sure your cat gets everything that is backed up, out. After the initial treatment, 1/4 teaspoon daily to keep the stool soft enough to pass.

** She is also getting 1/4 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar mixed in with her wet food daily to aid with some respiratory problems (allergies and weather changes plus running the heater have left both her and I with dry noses) and for just in case she has a urinary problem since I did see blood in the litter box. I also dip a cotton ball in a solution of 1 part organic apple cider vinegar to 1 part water and apply this to the back of her neck to help her breathe as well as saline nasal spray for babies, one drop in each nostril to induce a good sneeze to help her clear out her nostrils when she has dry breathing sounds."

[YEA]  10/16/2009: Kewlfemale from Anaheim, Ca writes: "Before purchasing my Standard Poodle I researched everything possible, including food and nutrition, for one year. I have fed him 'satin balls' since the day I brought him home at 3 months of age; satin balls contains molasses. As I write, my Poodle is 21 weeks and returned earlier from booster shots, etc. The Vet, Nurse and Receptionist all commented on how exceptionally healthy my Poodle is. I didn't need them to tell me that but it sure was nice. You can find 'satin balls' recipe online and it is no more expensive than the store bought dog food Besure there is no sugar added to your molasses. FYI; I also give him wheatgerm. Let me know if you want the recipe."

EC: Here's one link to a recipe: http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs.html

Apparently these satin balls put weight on a dog very quickly, as well as getting their coats nice and healthy!

10/16/2009: Kim from Fullerton, Ca writes: "After trying and discarding the first solution which was prednisone, in combination with an expensive topical ointment to address the scaly patch on his nose, and the second less extreme approach which was twice daily doses of niacinamide, vitamin e gel caps in combination with doxycylline and that expensive ointment, we found that the best solution seems to be MSM and vitamin E caps added to his food (my 12 year old german shepherd mix eats once in the am and again in the pm). If we see any sign of scaling or flaking on the affected nostril we break open a vitamin E gel cap and squeeze the contents onto the spot. This has worked like a charm, with absolutely no recurrence of the lupus and no negative side effects. Good luck."

10/14/2009: Yoon from Coram, Ny, Usa writes: "I dropped off one of my dogs at the vet this morning because of something I thought was some superficial wound on one of his paws. The vet just called and informed me that all four of his paws have the wounds that look like they were scraped on rough surfaces and since there hasn't been an opportunity for my dog to have done that, the vet highly suspects he has lupus. Does anybody know of any remedies for lupus in dogs?

Thanks.
-Yoon"

10/16/2009: Kim from Fullerton, Ca writes: "After trying and discarding the first solution which was prednisone, in combination with an expensive topical ointment to address the scaly patch on his nose, and the second less extreme approach which was twice daily doses of niacinamide, vitamin e gel caps in combination with doxycylline and that expensive ointment, we found that the best solution seems to be MSM and vitamin E caps added to his food (my 12 year old german shepherd mix eats once in the am and again in the pm). If we see any sign of scaling or flaking on the affected nostril we break open a vitamin E gel cap and squeeze the contents onto the spot. This has worked like a charm, with absolutely no recurrence of the lupus and no negative side effects. Good luck."

[YEA]  10/16/2009: Izzy3 from Sebastian, Florida writes: "Thank You so much for having this site !! I am having success in only less than a full day using Brewers Yeast against these invisible biting bugs , which I believe to be Sticktight Fleas, I have suffered with them for a year now. I am so thankful to be able to pass along what I consider VERY valuble information. I always knew somehow , the remedy would be something simple and common, Brewers Yeast has been used for decades ( maybe longer ) on all kinds of animals for fleas and moskitoes bothering people. I felt results within 15 minutes of taking it, you will feel them getting active in your flesh!! I slept last night , straight through for the first time in at least 8 months. Don't give up the Borax & DE in carpets though, it is also valuble in this battle, I will continue using 20 MT Borax in my laundry for some time. My prayers are with you all."

10/15/2009: Maria from Massapequa Park, Ny writes: "Hello, My name is Maria. I recently adopted a yorkie terrier from North Shore Animal League. I was told by the vet there that he has a hot spot & he needs to take the medication COSEQUIN every day for the rest of his life. I,ve been breaking the capsule & putting in his dog food every day as the vet told me to do. Now today it seems to have inflammed. I went online to look @ some home remedies & I notice that Apple cider vinegar seems to do the trick. I read how you can put it in a spray bottle. Should I dilute the vinegar w/ water & if so how much? Thank you, Maria"