N IS FOR NERVES

                                www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

        Animals love routine and  consistency. You can get a young dog or cat used to moving between places but the older they get the more stressed they become by alterations to their daily life. I always thought that Hodge, my talking Tonkinese, was a “person” cat as he and I had such a loving relationship. However, when he was first ill I took him from our home in the country up to London to seek a second opinion. We  stayed in a flat and I thought he would enjoy my company away from the other animals. Not at all he wanted to be on his home territory and howled all night. Needless to say immediately after the veterinary appointment we headed for home.

                Invariably cats and dogs that have ended up in rescue centres have had a stressful time and should be treated with TLC (tender loving care). Animals can be ultra-sensitive and can be subject to depression as a result of some tragedy in their lives and unless something can be done to snap them out of it they can give up and die. When I have a particularly traumatised animal I tend to groom them a lot and give them very pure foods and nutritional supplements to boost their immune system.

     Foods that are calming include oats,barley and turkey with sufficient calcium along with vitamins A.D.C.E and the mineral zinc. B complex vitamins are said to be good for depression.

HOMEOPATHICALLY: St. John’s Wort (hypericum) helps depression and Francis Hunter recommends Scuttelaria (skullcap) twice a day for a week for depressed animals. Dr. Richard Pitcairn recommends Kali Phos for nervous animals. Ignatia is excellent for grieving animals and Arsenicum Album may help animals that are panicking.

HERBALLY: Vervain may aid depression and camomile,hops and valerian are calming.

AROMATHERAPY: According to Nelly Grosjean lavender and sweet marjoram can calm down traumatised animals. 

                             by Alexandra Bastedo

Alexandra is the author of “The Healthy Dog ” and “The Healthy Cat” books – both recommended by vets. She co-founded a vitamin company with her homeopathic vet Mark Elliott at www.petnutrition.co.uk. She is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary with over 150 animals. It is staffed entirely by volunteers and we are grateful for donations or adoptions which help us to continue our rescue work. www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk is where you can meet the animals.

copyright A.L.Bastedo

M is for Minerals

                     by Alexandra Bastedo www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

                People often talk about vitamins but not everybody realises that minerals have just as important a role to play in maintaining the immune system. Many years ago there were many trace elements (over 70) in our soil which were absorbed by the plants which then went into the food chain.

                       However, since the use of chemicals, including organo-phosphates, on the land and with the over-working of the soil over a long period of time all the minerals essential to our health are virtually non-existent. Our natural  food supply is seriously deficient in minerals. Every aspect of the body requires minerals and without them not only us but also our animals will have serious health problems. It was because of this lack that I first started to contemplate doing a vitamin and mineral range for animals – in particular my own animals. At least now none of my cats or dogs are minerally deficient.

Alexandra Bastedo is happy to answer health questions based on her 25 years of animal keeping. She is the author of the vet recommended “The Healthy Cat” and “The Healthy Dog” books and  she is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary with over150 animals and birds at www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk  She is a director along with Mark Elliott, the well-known homoeopathic vet, and Kalpesh Patel, the eminent pharmacist of Vega Vitamins who do vegetarian capsules, of Pet Nutrition Concepts.  www.petnutrition.co.uk 

copyright A.L.Bastedo.

L is for LEUKAEMIA (Feline FeLV)

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       As this disease can have various symptoms, for a proper diagnosis you can consult a holistic vet. A cat with feline leukaemia can spread the disease to other cats, however the illness need not be fatal and some can recover from it, particularly with the help of nutritional, homeopathic and herbal supplements.

The disease may have been triggered by vaccination if the cat already had an impaired immune system, and once it has had the disease it should NEVER be vaccinated for anything again. One of the problems with recovery may be that the cat goes off its food. If so I would force feed, particularly with liquid vitamins and vitamin C crystals dissolved in pure water in a syringe. Mushy organic chicken (blended with spring water against dehydration) with a little diced chicken liver is also excellent to get an invalid eating again. However do try anything non sugar, non colourant and non additive in order to get it to feed again.

Nutritionally I would give large doses of vitamin C500-1000 mg (depending on the size of the cat) also a B vitamin complex 20mg, half a teaspoon of cod liver oil, 100iu of vitamin E, 15mg of zinc, 10mg of Coenzyme Q10 and a feline multi vitamin – multimineral supplement. The best foods for optimum nutrition are: organic oats, broccoli, turkey, chicken, liver in small amounts, free range egg yolk, alfalfa, garlic and kelp with calcium powder. (Garlic should not be given at the same meal as vitamins which should be given with or after food).

 HOMOEOPATHICALLY: George MacLeod recommended a nosode of FeLV blood or a nosode of Lymphosarcoma tumour. Nux Vom, Calcarea Fluorica, Silicea, Pulsatilla, Phosphorus, Sepia oe Nitricum Acidum are all remedies which may help. Richard Pitcairn also recommends Nat Mur for a weak cat with severe dehydration and anaemia (one tablet 3 times daily) and separately Calc Phos (one tablet a day).

HERBALLY: Liquid echinacea could help, and Anita Frazier recommends pansy and McCartney rose flower essences.

I would always consult a holistic vet as steroids, cortisone and X-rays may not be helpful and vaccinations could be damaging. Food should be organic when possible and you should only use herbal products avoiding all chemicals.

Alexandra Bastedo is the author of “The Healthy Cat ” and “The Healthy Dog” books approved by vets. She is also the author of “Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks”.

With her holistic vet, Mark Elliott, and  Kalpesh Patel, the eminent pharmacist, she has founded Pet Nutrition Concepts www.petnutrition.co.uk  to produce vitamin supplements for her own and other people’s animals.

The ABC Animal Sanctuary with its 150 rescued animals and birds was founded by Alexandra Bastedo, It is staffed entirely by volunteers and 100 per cent of all donations goes to looking after the animals. Any donations no matter how small can be made through our website www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk

copyright A. L Bastedo.