When I came across this article by Dr. Fairfield Bain, DVM, I thought it brilliant, and I wanted to share it with those of you who are fellow horse lovers!

Question: What is the first thing I look for to tell if my foal has a respiratory problem, and what are the best things to do to prevent pneumonia and other problems from happening in the first place?

Answer by Dr. Baine:  The most important signs of respiratory disease in neonatal foals are an increased respiratory rate (breathing hard), occasionally a cough, sometimes discharge from the nose, and fever. Some of the foals might be weak and have a difficult time getting up. These signs will all vary depending on the severity of the respiratory problem.

When a foal is born, you should run your finger along the roof of his mouth to check and see if the foal has a cleft palate. That congenital abnormality can cause the foal to get milk in its trachea and result in aspiration pneumonia. Some of these foals will have milk running out of their nose, another warning sign that pneumonia might occur.

Premature foals are at greater risk because they have poor lung development. You might notice that they have poor rib cage excursions, or their rib cage does not move in and out as well as that of a normal foal. Along with this goes poor expansion of the alveoli in the lung.

Poor colostrum absorption in any foal can lead to respiratory disease. The respiratory system can be a primary site of septicemia (caused by bacterial toxins in the blood).

With orphan foals or foals being fed on a bottle, make sure that the foal has a good suckle reflex and keep the bottle below eye level of the foal. This will help prevent milk from running down into his trachea and possibly causing aspiration pneumonia.

Older foals have the same clinical signs as neonates–difficulty breathing, coughing, nasal discharge, and fever. With any age foal, it’s time to call in your veterinarian if you see the foal is having difficulty breathing and/or is coughing and has a fever.

The normal foal’s respiratory rate is about 30-40 breaths per minute, although in hot weather it can go up to 60-80 breaths per minute in a normal foal. Also, if the foal has a discharge from its nostrils you should have him examined by your veterinarian. Remember to check his oral membranes–they should be bright pink. If they are discolored, it might be a sign of poor oxygenation.

In all cases, diagnosis is made by listening to the lungs with a stethoscope, and occasionally with X rays and ultrasound examination. Sometimes in young foals it is difficult to hear abnormalities because they normally have loud lung sounds. With the X rays or ultrasound, we are looking for consolidation or abscesses in the lungs. In severely affected young foals we might check their arterial blood gases. This measures the lung function–how well the oxygen and carbon dioxide are being exchanged. That’s usually only done with cases severe enough to be hospitalized.

One of the main causes of respiratory disease is the bacterium Rhodococcus equi. There are many other bacterial agents that can cause respiratory disease, including Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Streptococcus equi, as well as Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

Preventing respiratory problems in foals starts before they are born with routine vaccination programs for pregnant mares. This is extremely important to protect young foals from equine viral rhinopneumonitis. It is also important to make sure the foal nurses well so that you know he got the antibodies from the mare in the colostrum. With older foals, make sure they are on a good vaccination program to help prevent viral infections.

In areas where Rhodococcus is a problem–and it can be endemic on some farms–avoid over use of congregating areas where dust builds up. That is a prime area for the transmission of Rhodococcus.

It should go without saying that a clean environment for the foals is extremely important. Make sure that stalls are kept as clean as possible because dust and ammonia can injure the cells lining the respiratory tract of a foal and cause decreased clearance for debris.

(Article retrieved from:  www.thehorse.com)

It has been my experience that a great amount of the stress that occurs in a home/family situation comes from a lack of trust, or an inability to communicate effectively.  Your animals are ALWAYS directly affected by this type of stress.  Consequently, your animals may form behavior issues in an effort to deal with the stress in the home.

When I read this article by Susie and Otto Collins I thought that they did a wonderful job of boiling the core message of mistrust into some simple to understand statements.  And, they give some great tips on how to overcome mistrust in your relationships.

By Susie and Otto Collins

There are four words that almost NO one actually says out loud but millions of men and women sure think this about their spouse or partner.

What’s underneath these four words can literally suck the life and passion out of an otherwise good relationship. That’s why we say these four words are silent relationship killers. We know this sounds dramatic and we know what you’re probably thinking…

If they’re almost never spoken, how do they kill relationships? Good question. Glad you asked.

They kill relationships because they represent the predominant thought one person has for another–and what isn’t spoken can be just as powerful or even more so than what is spoken.

What are these 4 dangerous words?

They are, “I don’t trust you.”

Before you think all we’re talking about is what happens because of an affair, infidelity or one or both partners cheating on each other…

We’ll tell you that you certainly might feel like that if you’ve been lied to or cheated on but there’s much more to it when it comes to those four little words…

“I don’t trust you…”

What we’re talking about is taking you a little deeper into the whole idea of trust in an intimate relationship. The idea of “I don’t trust you” and a lack of trust can play out in a million different ways in a relationship.

For example…

*I don’t trust you to bring home your share of the money to pay our bills.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll be home on time for dinner as you said you would.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll not spend us into debt.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll watch the kids the way I do.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll do the laundry and not ruin my shirts.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll be open to making love with me tonight.”

*I don’t trust that you’ll be honest with me.”

You get the idea…

And if you’re honest with yourself, you can recognize where you’ve had those thoughts over and over about the person you love–we certainly have. While these thoughts of “I don’t trust you” are pretty normal, it’s important for you to become aware of them because of how they can negatively impact your relationship.

Early in our relationship, Otto would tell Susie every now and then that she didn’t trust him in certain ways. She denied it, but it turned out that when she really looked at her thoughts, it was true.

She didn’t trust him in certain ways that had nothing to do with him cheating. But her mistrust could have driven a huge wedge between the two of us if we hadn’t talked it out.

If mistrust becomes your predominant thought about your partner, you’re automatically building walls between the two of you. The other person feels your doubt and can withdraw or become angry, leaving the two of you with a lot that’s left that’s unsaid. And these walls affect your communication, your openness to intimacy, and whether your love grows or dies.

One of the agreements the two of us made at the beginning of our relationship was that if we were upset with something that the other had said or done, we would talk first with him or her and not first with people outside our relationship. That wasn’t always the case in our previous relationships and we paid the price of disconnection and the eventual end of those relationships. We didn’t trust that our previous partners would listen to what we had to say and that we could calmly talk about whatever we needed to–so we talked to other people instead of our partners.

So, what do you do if you have the thought that you don’t trust the other person to do or not do whatever it is that’s your issue–and you have good reason for your mistrust? You may have had that experience with this person in the past and you can’t turn your back on the idea that it will probably happen again. Or your lack of trust might have nothing to do with your partner, but rather experiences you’ve had in past relationships and as you were growing up.

How can you stop saying to yourself “I don’t trust you” when you really don’t trust him or her? If you’ve identified some places in your relationship and in yourself where you don’t trust and you don’t want to continue to allow this mistrust to come between the two of you–even something very small…

1. Identify what and who you really don’t trust. Look within for the real issues of your mistrust which may have started long before your current partner.

Take out pen and paper and write the words “I don’t trust you because…” and then keep writing anything that comes into your mind. Just keep writing and see what comes up.

2. Identify the source of your trust problem. If it turns out that you need to do some forgiving of someone in your past, remember that you are forgiving for YOU and not condoning what the person did–assuming that you are no longer being subjected to those actions anymore.

Actively choosing to no longer be tied to these wrongs that were done to you can be extremely freeing. You may need the help of a qualified therapist or coach to support you in this process.

3. In order to start trusting another person, you have to get in your mind what he or she has to do to become trustable to you. So start making your list and be specific.

4. Be courageous and talk with your partner about what’s been holding you back and ways you’ve been mistrusting him or her. Create some agreements and plans to move from mistrust even if it’s about something very insignificant.

One of issues of trust for us has been keeping our home straightened up, especially with Otto’s 21 year old son living with us. One of the “Magic Words” phrases that we use is “Tell me your plan for _______.”

Instead of worrying about whether whatever is in question will be put away or not., this phrase opens up communication instead of resentment.

Our suggestion to you is to make sure you don’t allow hidden mistrust to silently kill your love for each other. Take action and bring more love into your life.

If you would like to learn more about their Relationship Trust Turnaround program please visit http://budurl.com/k2k4

Having allergies doesn’t mean you have to give up your pet right away.  There are a number of solutions that can be attempted first.

*Rather than giving the animal free run of the house, restrict them to only certain rooms or increase the amount of time they spend outside.

*Make sure that the litter box is out of the way.

*Make the bedroom of the affected person completely off limits to the dog or cat.

*Run HEPA air filters and clean your home, especially carpets, often.

* Have the person with allergies avoid as much contact with the animal as possible, assuming there are other family members who can still love on and play with the animal.

* Give the animal frequent baths to remove dander, dust, pollen, dirt and spores, which are likely the cause of the allergy.

If these tips don’t work, you may have to entertain the idea of allergy shots, or simply having another type of animal in the house that doesn’t have dander, mold spores or other allergens.

What you need:

10 cups organic rye flour

6 cups organic barley flour

8 ounces organic apple puree

2 tablespoons organic cinnamon

6 cups of water – may vary a bit depending on weather

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease cookie tray.

2. Mix all ingredients together, roll out to desired thickness, cut into bone shape biscuit, cookie shape, vegetable or shape of your choice. Place on lightly greased tray. For a shiny biscuit, brush with an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water)

3. Place in pre-heated 325 degree oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick or thin you roll out the dough.

4. Cool thoroughly and store in cookie jar, no refrigeration needed. Thoroughly baked, they store for a very long time and usually last for a full year.

Yield is about 5 pounds of treats. Number of treats vary, depending on the size and shape you cut them. The whole house smells great while you are baking these!

Enjoy!

The ACCAW (Animal Communicator’s Coalition for Animal Welfare) announced a new study that shines light on the fact that animals are much more than the average preconceived notion that they are less intelligent and have fewer feelings than we humans.

To the scientific community, an animal is essentially still perceived as nothing much more than a robot with an array of chemical processes, without the ability to register much more than the crudest pain or fear–certainly none of the more complicated human feelings such as excitement, boredom, annoyance, anger or suspicion. Click on the link and read about a new study that debunks this, and tells what we already know.

http://www.theintentionexperiment.com/feeling-like-an-animal.htm

It deeply saddens me to see such an incredible disaster in the making for a region of our country that has yet to recover from hurricane Katrina.

Please join me in sending healing energy to those affected by this tragedy, including the animal life in the region.  Up-to-date information can be found here.

You will also find links to organizations needing assistance at this time should you wish to volunteer your time or resources.  Many organizations are joining the effort that will be on-going for quite some time to come.

Pets can enjoy the therapeutic effects of aromatherapy as much as humans can. Aside from possibly eliminating bad odors and giving your pet a pleasant perfume, essential oils also serve many practical functions such as boosting your pet’s immune system, fighting off bacteria and viruses, preventing the growth of yeasts and molds and repelling insects.

Aromatherapy is used by enthusiasts, groomers and pet salons to treat mild ailments such as skin inflammations, itchy skin ear infections, rashes, bad breath, flatulence and motions sickness. Psychologically, certain oils also have a calming or relaxing effect on animals. For example lavender oil not only helps kitties repel insects but it also makes them feel sleepy or content. Roman chamomile can be used to treat an ear infection as well as soothe the nerves of a dog in pain.

Essential oils are also frequently used as home remedies. However before you attempt to use aromatherapy on your own pets, keep in mind that essential oils are always diluted before they are applied to a pet’s skin or sprayed on their coat. Almond oil, olive oil and jojoba oil are common base oils to which a few drops of the essential oil is added. Usually all that is needed is about one ounce of the base oil combined with two to three drops of the essential oil.

Essential oils can also be diluted in a spray bottle and misted onto the pet or the pet’s bedding. You can simply dilute a few drops in distilled water or you can use water and a mixture of aloe, witch hazel or cider vinegar. The traditional recommendation is to use 20 to 30 drops of oil per eight ounces of liquid. Any less might not be effective and any more might be toxic to the pet.

Oils can also be diluted in vodka or brandy and dabbed on the bottom of the pet’s paws or on an acupressure point such as the tips of the ears. This is the technique to use if you are dealing with a panicky pet. Never feed your pet alcohol or essential oil directly.

Essential oils are also effective flea and tick repellents and are nearly as effective as sprays and powders that contain a lot of toxic chemicals. Oils such as peppermint, citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, geranium, bay and myrrh have been components of herbal flea sprays and flea collars for many years. You can easily make your own flea and tick spray by combining about 25 drops of any of these oils into eight ounces of water. Shake the mixture well and spray it on your pet, being careful to shield its eyes from mist. This mixture can also be sprayed anywhere that you suspect there may be a breeding bug infestation.

When using essential oils it is also essential for you to remember that a dog or cat’s sense of smell is much more acute than our own. Signs that an aromatherapy treatment is too overwhelming for your pet are tearing eyes, sneezing, pacing or whining. Cats may lick themselves excessively and dogs may rub their head on the ground in order to escape the smell. Many pets also have allergies to essential oils. For instance, chamomile is related to the ragweed plant, which is a common allergen for both pets and humans. This is why it is so important to use a mild solution at first and use your powers of observation the first few times you use an essential oil mixture on a pet.

 Special thanks to Geet Singh for her contribution to this article.

I came across this article written by Dr. Joe Vitale, and it is so amazing I wanted to share it.  You can use this practice to heal yourself, and thus possibly heal your animal friends.

“Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients–without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate’s chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person’s illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.

“When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t logical, so I dismissed the story.

“However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho ‘oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn’t let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more. I had always understood “total responsibility” to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it’s out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We’re responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does–but that’s wrong.

“The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist.

He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years.

That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.

Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.

“Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.

“‘After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely,’ he told me. ‘Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.’ I was in awe. ‘Not only that,’ he went on, ‘but the staff began to enjoy coming to work.

Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.’

“This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: ‘What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?’

“‘I was simply healing the part of me that created them,’ he said. I didn’t understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in your life–is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.

“Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy or anything you experience and don’t like–is up for you to heal. They don’t exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn’t with them, it’s with you, and to change them, you have to change you.

“I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho ‘oponopono means loving yourself.

“If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing you.

“I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients’ files?

“‘I just kept saying, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you’ over and over again,’he explained.

“That’s it?

“That’s it.

“Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.

“Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message.

“This time, I decided to try Dr. Len’s method. I kept silently saying, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you,’ I didn’t say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.

“Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn’t take any outward action to get that apology. I didn’t even write him back. Yet, by saying ‘I love you,’ I somehow healed within me what was creating him.

“I later attended a ho ‘oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He’s now 70 years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive.

He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book’s vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.

“‘What about the books that are already sold and out there?’ I asked.

“‘They aren’t out there,’ he explained, once again blowing my mind with his mystic wisdom. ‘They are still in you.’ In short, there is no out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves.

“Suffice It to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there’s only one place to look: inside you. When you look, do it with love.”

For more information on Ho’oponopono please visit http://hooponopono.org

I have to thank Dr. Andrew Jones for coming out with a great deal of highly relevant information lately!  We certainly are getting the benefit of his expertise right now!

7 Signs that your pet should be on supplements:

1. Limping, lameness, stiff movements, especially after rising from getting up. The most common cause of these signs is from Arthritis, seen in middle age and older pets. Supplementing with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM and Essential Fatty Acids can reduce pain and inflammation.

2. Chronic itching and scratching. When your pet has these signs, they likely have an Allergy. Supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids, and Key Antioxidants can decrease the inflammatory response in the skin- meaning LESS itching and scratching.

3. Recurrent bouts of Diarrhea or Vomiting- in this case your pet may be having difficulty digesting certain ingredients, or suffering from some type of disease in which the intestinal tract gets easily inflamed. Either way beneficial bacteria called Probiotics are often helpful, decreasing the severity and frequency of GI upset.

4. Chronic and ongoing Ear Infections. The most common underlying cause of ear infections is Allergies. A supplement that decreases the allergic signs can lessen the chance of ear infections- Essential Fatty Acids, Antioxidants and Probiotics can help in this case.

5. Withdrawn and Sleeping longer- this can be seen in older pets which may have joint pain and discomfort of arthritis. Old age does NOT mean inactivity and less interaction. An effective Arthritis supplement can make your pet feel better, and be LESS withdrawn.

6. Constant Paw chewing, excessive hair loss, and ‘Foul’ Odor. The smelling pet is a BIG sign that your pet has an underlying health disorder, and can benefit from a Supplement. This could be a food allergy, inhalant allergy, and secondary skin infections with yeast or bacteria. Supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids, Probiotics, and Antioxidants can decrease the smell.

7. TOO many trips to your Vet. If you have a pet that seems to repeatedly be getting ill, then you should look at what you are feeding them, and do what you can to PREVENT diseases from happening in the first place. Supplementing with nutrients that may improve your pets immune response to disease, such as Colustum, Maiitake and selected Vitamins and Minerals.

For more tips on how to care for your dogs at home check out Dr. Jones home study course – Veterinarian’s Secrets Home Study Course.