Recommended Reading

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	Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin From Publishers Weekly Food Pets Die for: Shocking Facts About Pet Food by Ann N. Martin was the first expose of the shocking practices within the pet food manufacturing industry. Since the book's publication in 1997, she has been calling attention to the dubious ingredients and methods employed by many firms. And in this updated guide, Martin continues to put pressure on the big companies to find alternatives. She suggests that if acceptable commercially prepared food is not available, food can be made at home using safe and human-quality ingredients, and she provides recipes and suggestions for supplements. From Library Journal Today's concerned pet owners worry about the contents of their companion animals' food; wonder whether they should provide home cooked meals or raw meat instead of commercial pet food; agonize about annual vaccinations, which some believe are the cause of an increased incidence of cancer in dogs and cats; and weigh the risks and benefits of giving certain drugs to their pets. Martin addresses these issues and updates her investigation of the unsavory and unhealthy practices of the pet food industry, which she began in Food Pets Die For (New Sage, 1997). She implicates diet in the increase of certain conditions, including the spread of Mad Cow disease across species. Martin provides a common-sense approach to the vaccination schedule, and her recommendations are based on solid research and are carefully footnoted. She concludes her book with recipes for healthy, homemade pet food, a listing of pet food and pet health-related web sites, and a state-by-state list of agencies concerned with food safety.
	Protect your Pet by Ann Martin From Publishers Weekly In Food Pets Die For, which has sold more than 20,000 copies, Ann N. Martin censured the pet-food industry with meticulous evidence of contaminants in commercial food that can cause degenerative diseases and even death. Now she's back with Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts, an expose of inadequate regulation and unsavory industry practices. With perseverance, she eventually ferreted out the truth confirmed by the head of one meat-processing company that the U.S. permits the sale of condemned meat as pet food. Though it may provoke disgust and outrage, pet owners who want the best for their cats and dogs should read this book.
	Vaccine Guide for Dogs & Cats by Catherine J.M. Diodati, MA Vaccines are given to prevent disease, yet studies show that they are often debilitating and fatal. They have been linked to autoimmune and neurological disorders, including cancer, diabetes, arthritis, tumors, seizures, allergies, digestive problems, organ failure, and many other serious ailments. Many vets today, both conventional and holistic, are questioning the validity of annual revaccination. Many also refuse to use certain vaccines because the disease is either so benign or rare that the risks associated outweigh any promised benefit. This book provides information on all canine and feline vaccines, including personal stories of vaccine damage and hundreds of studies documenting veterinary vaccine safety and efficacy problems. As a concerned pet owner, you can now make informed decisions about the health and welfare of your four-legged friends.
	Natural Immunity, Why You Should Not Vaccinate! by Pat McKay Discusses the controversial issue of animal vaccination, specifically, why you should NOT vaccinate your pets. Covers natural immunity, risks involved in vaccination, making an informed choice.
	Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M. PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn New 3rd Edition! How to choose a healthy animal, dozens of recipes for delicious, economical, healthful pet food - with completely updated tables, charts and nutritional guidelines, how to give your pet a checkup, what's really in pet foods - and which ones to avoid to ensure your pet's best health, special diets for special pets, a guide to handling emergencies that includes techniques for external heart massage, artificial respiration and control of bleeding, plus a Quick Reference section that gives specific instructions for preventing, diagnosing and treating a wide range of animal diseases and disorders. Approach is drug-free and holistic with special attention to homeopathic and alternative remedies and treatments. From the book, page 323: Based on the experience of over 17 years of homeopathic practice, it is my opinion that most animal skin allergies (and similar skin diseases) are the result of repeated annual vaccinations. I also suspect that the widespread increase in diseases caused by immune system disorders (such as hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus and pemphigus) is a result of increased use of vaccinations, especially of combination formulas. These vaccinations are highly unnatural to the body. Under natural conditions an animal is exposed to pathogens, but its body has ways to defend itself at the normal points of entry (the nose, mouth or other mucous membranes). When a combination vaccine is given, a massive invasion of several potent pathogens charges quickly into the blood stream, bypassing the frontline defenses. Is it any wonder the immune system gets confused, and begins attacking the body itself?
	Why is Cancer Killing Our Pets? by Deborah Straw Discover the many environmental, dietetic, and vaccine-related culprits that may cause cancer in pets, and the preventive measures that can be taken. Full spectrum of both conventional and alternative treatments is presented. From the book, page 68: It should be noted that veterinarians derive a sizable amount of income from administering vaccines. Many practices generate 15% to 25% of their gross incomes from vaccination visits, writes Gary D. Norsworth, DVM. This income is supplemented by fees for additional services generated by the vaccination visit (eg, dental procedures). The immediate result of extended vaccination intervals will be the loss of this relatively easily generated income. Some veterinary practices may not be able to survive financially. Those operating on close profit margins and depending heavily on vaccination income will be the first fatalities.
	The Nature of Animal Healing by Martin Goldstein, DVM The definitive book on holistic pet health and care! Includes: why your pet gets sick and the steps you can take to prevent illness; veterinary care and treatment, how to identify and understand your pet's diseases; how to maintain optimum health for your pet; specific recommendations of herbs, supplements, and natural remedies; how to help your pet heal the natural way; how to make sure your pet eats the right foods and avoids the wrong ones; the truth about cancer, including new treatments and potential cures; the link between diet and disease; how to understand the emotional and spiritual nature of your pet, plus an extensive guide to holistic products, manufacturers and stores, books, newsletters, web sites, veterinarians, and associations. ***Extremely good section on vaccines!! Why NOT to vaccinate, and HOW to if you must. An intelligent approach to the subject. From the book, page 71: The Dubious Legacy of Vaccines - The links are invisible and, so far, unproven. Even to suggest they exist is to be heaped with scorn from the U.S. medical establishment. Yet a growing number of holistic and now even conventional veterinarians are convinced, from sad experience, that vaccines as they're administered in this country to pets are doing more harm than good. I myself think that's a conservative view. I think that vaccines, justly credited as the tamers of disease epidemics, are nevertheless the leading killers of dogs and cats in America today.
	Veterinarians' Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs by Martin Zucker; Foreword by Carvel Tiekert, DVM Health writer Martin Zucker went to 35 leading holistic vets and asked them which natural remedies work best for pets. Their detailed answers are found in this book. It's packed with effective and clinically proven healing options from experienced clinicians who collectively have practiced for more than 900 years! Learn how to protect pets from an epidemic of sickness and premature death affecting purebreds and increasing numbers of mixed breeds; an A-Z of common conditions and detailed instructions on how to get maximum benefits from vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, herbs homeopathic remedies, and flower essences; what's wrong with most commercial pet food and which brands are the best; how time-strapped pet owners can prepare healthier diets for their animals, and much more. From the book, page 72: The Vaccination Question - How Often, How Much? Ideas come, Ideas go. Now, in the going stage, is a hallowed concept of veterinary medicine's annual vaccinations. In recent years a steady stream of evidence from leading researchers has challenged the effectiveness and scientific validity of the practice. Experts say that almost without exception there is no requirement for annual boosters. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal, and successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces long-term protection as well.
	Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs by Don Hamilton, DVM From the book, page 379: How can vaccination cause illness? Why would vaccination be more likely than the natural disease to lead to chronic illness? The first consideration is that exposure in a natural illness, with the exception of rabies, is generally oral/nasal. This allows the body to begin local response, nonspecific as well as specific, some hours, possibly even days in some circumstances, before the virus reaches internal organs. Specific response involves formation of antibodies at the site of exposure, while non-specific response involves white blood cells and chemicals directed against any foreign material. Injection bypasses the local immunity and forces the body to depend 100 percent upon internal immunity. Secondly, repetition of vaccination forces repeated responses of the immune system, leading to an excessively stimulated immune response. This is abnormal, as local antibodies (in the mouth and nose) would repel a natural re-exposure without allowing penetration into the body. Thirdly, the preparation of vaccines often breaks down the integral structure of viruses, exposing internal structures such as viral DNA or RNA to the immune system, leading to heavy antibody production against these nucleoproteins. Since nucleoproteins are relatively similar in all life forms, the host antibodies may lose the ability to differentiate between host and virus nucleoproteins, particularly given the induced hyperactivity of antibody production. The result may be antibody-mediated destruction of host tissue, an autoimmune disease.
	Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats by Shawn Messonnier, DVM Learn from a respected veterinarian how the therapeutic wonders of natural medicine can benefit your dog or cat. Discusses more than 40 common conditions or diseases that can affect your pet and how they can be reated or improved with natural medicine. Easy to understand and use, with cross-references between conditions and treatments, includes an A - Z guide to common health conditions; a guide to herbs, vitamins, and supplements; dietary recommendations for specific health concerns; proven complementary therapies for your pet, and much, much more. From the book, page 147: Vaccinosis is the term given to the chronic reaction of the body against repeated immunization. Many holistic veterinarians and owners are concerned about the frequent (and most likely unnecessary) immunization of pets for just about every disease imaginable. Minor side effects often seen following immunization include fever, stiffness, joint soreness, lethargy, and decreased appetite. A number of more serious conditions have been proven or proposed to be the result of excessive immunization, and animals run the risk of adverse reactions as increasing amounts of foreign antigens are injected into them. Since vaccination involves altering the immune system, it is not surprising that occasionally adverse effects involving the immune system as a result of immunization also occur. These include: Injection-site sarcomas Collapse with autoimmune hemolytic anemia Liver failure Kidney failure Bone marrow suppression Immune suppression Systemic lupus erythematosus Rheumatoid arthritis Food allergy Atopic dramatis Glomerulonephrtis/ren amyloidosis Seizures Bloating Hypothyroidism Hyperthyroidism
	Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale By Australian veterinarian Tom Lonsdale. The most authoritative and complete reference in print on the benefits of a raw food diet for your dog. Exhaustively researched and clearly written, it provides a suggested diet, feeding tips and dos and don'ts. Reviews health problems associated with feeding canned and dry pet foods and explains why authorities, scientists, and vets have been slow to recognize them. Provides practical solutions that pet owners and veterinarians can adopt for themselves. If your vet is skeptical, give him or her a copy of the book!