Sharon's Dogs Sadie and Rufus

We all do it….but only some of us will admit it – feeding “people food” to our dogs. Is it really as horrible as some vets would have you believe? Yes and no.

Dogs and humans have been living together for more than 10,000 years. Wolves would either linger near human camps looking to pick up scraps, or some now say early humans followed wolf packs to learn hunting techniques and to steal their kill. Either way, this ancient bond is around food – the same food. There was no separation of “dog food” from “people food” until about 100 years ago, and it did not become popular until the 1950’s (when so many other wonderful and toxic things became popular! But I digress . . .).

My mother likes to tell about how her childhood dog, Queen, a large German Shepherd, lived a long and healthy life eating only the scraps they fed her. So why is it that my vet in Kentucky, Dr. Joe Fuchs, talked of how he dreaded the 4^th of July holiday because so many dogs would come in sick from being been fed cookout scraps – hot dogs and the like? The difference is that the people food of 70 years ago and the people food of today are two different animals (pardon the pun!). Think about it – 50 years ago, there were no GMO’s, no pesticides, or factory farming: only wholesome, organic food. The same food dogs and humans have been sharing for thousands of years.

So then the question becomes, what are YOU eating? Is the people food you share with your dog full of high fructose corn syrup and a host of unpronounceable preservatives and colorings? Or do you buy organic fresh meats and vegetables and cook at home most of the time? If the latter is the case, then obviously it is healthier share some of your “people food” meals with your dog, rather than to feed them dry processed kibble or canned processed mystery meat.

My sister-in-law, a professional chef, once commented that she couldn’t imagine how dogs get any nutrition from kibble, even “high quality” kibble, because it is ground up and cooked to death and pressed into little chunks. We have become accustomed to diets full of processed food in American culture.

Now, it is important to remember that certain people foods are highly toxic to dogs: things like chocolate, onions, grapes, macadamia nuts, mushrooms and a few others. Fortunately the list is fairly short and easy to remember. The following two websites each contain this list and more:

http://www.entirelypets.com/toxicfoods.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/foods_poisonous_to_pets.html

But aside from these items, the healthiest diet you can feed your dog is called the Bones And Raw Food diet, or the BARF diet (no kidding, that’s what it’s called). It’s a diet similar to what dogs would eat in the wild, consisting of fresh ingredients, mostly or completely raw. Two reputable brands you can buy online or in some pet stores are Bravo and Nature’s Variety. These consist of human grade raw foods packaged in ideal ratios of organ meats, muscle meats, and vegetables.

Me? I prefer to prepare food for my dogs. I have been feeding both my dogs this way for about 7 years now. Shortly after I started them on this diet, the allergies that had plagued them for years completely disappeared. I am always getting compliments from people about how healthy they are for their ages of 13 and 14 (that’s 91 and 98 in dog years).

To learn more about the diet, Google “bones and raw foods diets for dogs,” or go to this informative website: http://www.barfworld.com/html/barfworld/about.shtml.

You may be thinking – this is going to be really expensive! Well, not true. To put it into perspective, think of how expensive vet bills are! And preparing food can actually be cheaper than buying high-end kibble and canned food. I sometimes go to Whole Foods and buy chicken backs for my dogs, which cost about 50 cents each. I add a side of warmed up frozen veggies and it’s a cheap dog meal – less than $1.00.

And I know what you’re thinking, “Bones??!! That can’t be right! Chicken bones will kill a dog!” Not raw bones, only cooked ones. When bones are raw, they are rubbery, when they are cooked, they get brittle and splinter and quite dangerous. And think about it, if your dog (or cat for that matter) catches a bird in the wild and eats it, he is going to devour the whole thing, feathers, bones, and all!

One last note about giving your dog larger bones – or making any changes to your dog’s diet for that matter. Easy does it. It is always a good idea to gradually transition animals from one type of food to another. Some will gladly make the change, like my dog Sadie, for instance. Others, like my other dog Rufus, will protest and be picky about certain things, like not eating raw vegetables.

One thing is certain, however. Any changes that decrease the amount of processed food in your animal’s diet and increase the amount of whole, fresh foods will enhance your dog’s vitality and longevity. And it goes without saying that we all want as much time on earth with our furry friends as possible!

If you have questions about your dog’s diet, please contact me.  I would love to help!

Also, I love feedback!  Please share your insights and information about ways to keep our furry friends in optimal health.

“In Their Own Words”  Volume One

Paul Impellizzeri's Bandit

1.)    A dog named Guinness told me how she was training Bandit, her younger dog, to take over her job as protector of their person, Paul. As I paused to reflect on why this would be necessary, given that this might come naturally for Bandit, Guinness piped in, “Well, it’s a big job, you know!” I laughed out loud!

2.)    During the last 5 minutes of a session, a client named Betty in California asked why her dog Tess only chewed on left shoes, and never the right ones. I asked Tess this question and she responded that she wanted to show off that she was smart enough to know that humans’ feet curve and therefore there was a left and a right shoe. Then she added, frustrated, “Well, they still have the other shoe. They can wear that one.” I guess Tess didn’t think it a fashion faux pas for humans to walk around wearing only one shoe!

3.)    In a recent session, a cat named Tilly revealed that her person, Diana, did not pamper herself enough. She showed me an image of Diana all frazzled and worn out and just plain too busy. Tilly kept giving me the image of Diana’s toenails painted a bright color, kind of a reddish pink, and the message was that her person needed to do this more often. Diana was quite amused, and confirmed for me that she used to get pedicures quite regularly, but had recently gotten out of the habit. I was amazed by Tilly’s astute understanding of the specific activity her person needed to keep her in balance and feeling good! A cat who recommends a pedicure – now that’s a special animal friend!

4.)    A client from Texas, Sally, contacted me about her cats June, Juliette and McScruff, the latter who had wandered away 8 months ago, presumably to die on his own. I validated that he was indeed no longer in his physical body, and then was immediately drawn to talk with Juliette, (pronounced “Hooliette”). She expressed that she felt profound grief over the loss of her dear McScruff. She said, “Ours was a love affair like no other.” Her person confirmed for me that the two cats were like lovers, sleeping together since they were kittens and bathing each other. Juliette went on to describe McScruff as a roguish character, strong and manly, who loved to hunt and take on the neighborhood Toms, but was so sweet and tender with her. I felt like I had met the Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara of the cat world!

5.)    A client in Kentucky asked me to communicate with her cats Mela and Country Charlie. Mela was quite a character – LOTS of opinions about things, mostly about Country Charlie and his shortcomings. Most of all, she said that the odor of his feces was most horrific. She showed me again and again how he would stink up the litter box and make it unbearable for her. Her person said she had not really noticed that Country Charlie’s leavings were more odorous than normal. Nonetheless, Mela insisted that finding a remedy needed to be a top priority! Poor kitty!

I love to hear your feedback!  Do you have any funny stories you want to share?  Please reply to this post.

Allergies to cats or dogs?   NAET, NLP, or Odorlogic Enzymatic Spray can help!

A client contacted me wondering how her cat would feel about being “rehomed” because of her son’s developing allergies to cats.  The cat was a little hurt and offended, as you can imagine, when I approached him with this question.  He felt he had important jobs in the family, especially with the son, and could not imagine living with another family.  What the client did not realize is that there are a number of remedies for allergies outside of the traditional Western medicine paradigm that are very effective.  Below you will find a list and description of the methods I am familiar with.

1.)     NAET—Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique.  Developed by Indian physician Devi Nambudripad, this is a means of clearing allergies using kinesiology and acupuncture.  I can say from my own personal experience with NAET, it works and it is permanent.  I had a severe reaction (vomiting) to a particular food, and the day after I cleared for the allergen within that food, I ate it with no problem.  A couple who are clients of mine have also used NAET to clear an allergy that the man was developing to their two dogs, poodles actually.  Several years after clearing his allergy to dog dander, he still has no issues.  To learn more about NAET or to find a practitioner in your area, visit the following website:  www.naet.com

2.)    NLP—Neuro-Linguistic Programming.  This is similar to hypnosis, but somehow more effective.  My husband used it to stop smoking and had the best results he’s had in years of trying to quit.  Psychology Today has even endorsed it.  In a conversation with the NLP practitioner my husband employed, I learned that NLP is very effective also for allergies, including allergies to dogs and cats.  For more information, go to the website www.nlp.com

3.)    Odorlogic Enzymatic Spray—I first heard about this product when I was doing volunteer work at a shelter several years ago.  The people in the receiving department decided to sell this spray because so many people were giving up their cats and dogs to the shelter due to allergies.  I have not known anyone personally who has used the product, but essentially it breaks down the allergic components of animal dander and thereby eliminates the allergen.  The employees at the shelter swore by its effectiveness.  At only $7.99, it is worth a try. To purchase a bottle, click on this link:  www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13492

There may be other non-traditional solutions to the pet allergies problem; these are just the ones I know of myself and can recommend.

I understand that circumstances do not always permit us to keep our animal companions, and “rehoming” is sometimes the best option.  But our animal friends do so much for us, often with a depth of love and devotion that escapes our conscious awareness.   We owe it to them to explore every option when problems such as allergies come up.  I hope the above information is some help to you animal lovers with allergies!

Sharon at age 4 with best friend Gigi

In my first animal communication training, I learned that my childhood dog, Gigi, is actually a spirit guide who came in to be with me.  When I presented a photo of Gigi to two colleagues at this workshop, they both told me this, independent of each other.  At the time, I didn’t even realize this was possible.  It didn’t really fit with my understanding of spirituality or metaphysics.  But nonetheless, I was moved to know that this dog was so devoted to me, and intrigued by the thought that her spirit is somehow more than “just a dog.”   A few years later, I had a reading with a friend and angel channeler, Terra Sonora.  When I asked her to speak about my spirit guides, she said, “There is a dog you had when you were a little girl, and she is watching over you and guiding you.”  As she said this, I could feel the weight and truth of her words.  Now, I feel Gigi’s presence and know that she is there for me.

In the years I have been doing animal communication, I have seen this same situation with some of my clients.  An animal who is embodying a spirit guide has very powerful and peaceful and BIG energy.  Often, these beings come in to make the connection and then leave as the human is beginning a time of transformation.  This may seem counter-intuitive, but actually, once they have made the emotional connection they can often have a greater impact on their person from the spirit realm.

Animals as actual spirit guides is not something I see everyday in my work as an animal communicator.  I do see more frequently, however, animals who are sent by our guides or ancestors to support our soul growth.  In one consultation, this cat told me that she was here specifically to help her person evolve spiritually and she showed me an image of her sitting with the woman very quietly.  The client confirmed that she does indeed meditate daily, and this cat ALWAYS sits on her lap during this time.  Later during the session, I accidentally called the cat by another name (Georgette—I don’t even know anyone named Georgette!), three different times.  The client then told me that this is her mother’s name.  The connection between this cat and the client’s “spiritual support staff” was obvious at this point.

Most of the time, our animal friends are other souls who come in to learn things from us, and we learn things from them.  There is more of an even exchange in terms of learning.  They may be members of our soul family here to support us as we also support them.

If you want to learn more about this topic, I recommend the book The Angel By My Side by Mike Lingenfelter.  Also, this type of information is easy to access in a session with me.

Our lives can become so intertwined with our animals’ lives.  I have seen this same dynamic in many other cases.  The dog of one client who struggled with diabetes developed the same disease.  In another situation, the dog of a relative of mine died of cancer of the spleen.  In Chinese medecine, the spleen is the organ associated with worry; I have met few people in my life who worry as much as this relative.  Though it is frequent with dogs especially because they are all about loyalty, this mirroring dynamic can occur with any species of companion animal.  It is as if our animal friends attempt to “share” the energetic burden of our issues, whether physical, emotional, etc.  It is yet another way they come in to support us on our journey.