Casie

Urinary Tract Infections in Cats

May 14, 2018 by Casie

You might be surprised to learn that while urinary tract disorders are somewhat common in cats, urinary tract infections are not. However, if you suspect a urinary tract problem of any kind in your cat, it’s important to get your veterinarian involved, as some disorders can be fatal if left untreated.

Veterinarians use the term feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) as a blanket term to describe a number of different problems affecting a cat’s bladder and/or urethra. Examples of problems include inflammation in the bladder, mucous, crystals, or stones in the bladder, a blockage in the urethra (fatal if untreated), and bacterial infection. As previously stated, infections of bacterial origin are uncommon, so antibiotics aren’t needed for the majority of urinary tract disorders. Incidentally, the only way to identify bacteria in urine is to get a culture to see if it grows in a laboratory.

Young cats rarely develop true urinary tract infections. However, cats older than four are more prone to the condition—especially overweight, indoor cats who get very little exercise. If your cat is on a dry, carbohydrate-based diet (read your cat food ingredients!), they are at an even higher risk. Cats who’ve previously had bladder stones are also more susceptible to recurring infection.

Stress can also weaken your cat’s immune system, making him more prone to urinary tract problems. It’s also worth noting that over-vaccination can weaken the immune system as well.

The following symptoms can indicate a urinary tract disorder or infection in cats:

frequent urination
straining to urinate
passing blood in urine
crying out while urinating
sudden change in habits such as urinating outside the litter box
licking the genital area
stronger than normal urine odor

Preventing Urinary Tract Disorders

Your cat’s diet can go along way in helping to prevent urinary tract disorders. High carbohydrate foods are not appropriate for cats, and neither is an all-dry food diet. Species-appropriate wet foods or a meat-based diet are healthiest for cats and can prevent many health issues, including urinary tract disorders and infections.

Likewise, there are several natural supplements which are helpful in both preventing and managing urinary tract disorders. Glucosamine supplements can help to coat and protect the lining of the bladder. D-mannose and cranberry act to acidify the bladder and prevent bacterial overgrowth.

Our Cranberry Powder is a natural anti-bacterial and powerful antioxidant which helps to support a healthy urinary tract and immune system. You can mix 1/2 teaspoon in with your cat’s food daily as a treatment or for prevention purposes. However, it should not be fed to cats with a pH below 6.6. Please Consult your veterinarian for a urinalysis before using.

Sources

Are Urinary Tract Infections Common in Cats?

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) in Cats

Urinary Tract Problems in Cats

Feeding for Healthy Hooves

April 16, 2018 by Casie

Did you know your horse’s diet can greatly impact the health of his hooves?

It’s even been said that the feet serve as a window to a horse’s overall health; they can tell us a lot about what’s going on inside the body. Of course, diet alone won’t make up for bad trimming or shoeing practices, and weather has some effect on the hooves as well, but wall cracks, weak or brittle hoof walls, and even thrush can all be signs that something is amiss in the diet.

What Not To Feed

Let’s start with ingredients that could be adversely affecting your horse’s hoof health. This would include high NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) grass which will most likely be present in lush spring and summer pastures. However, it also includes overgrazed or drought-stressed pastures. Sweet feeds of any kind and all grains will also be higher in NSC’s and should be avoided in most instances.

Commercial supplements with added iron (such as blood building supplements) should also be eliminated from the diet. High amounts of iron are known to block absorption of other important trace minerals, and horses get plenty of iron in grass and hay anyway.

What to Add

Make sure your horse is getting a sufficient amount of protein. The hoof wall is made up of mostly proteins (amino acids), and while some are produced in the horse’s body, others must be supplied in the diet. These are known as essential amino acids. Two which are key to hoof health are lysine and methionine. If your horse has good quality pasture or hay, they will likely meet protein needs. Sometimes, supplementing concentrates is necessary though—especially for horses in hard work.

For horses who don’t have access to fresh grass, omega-3’s such as ground flaxseed are good to add. The B vitamin, biotin is also often supplemented to improve hoof health.

Trace minerals are often deficient in the diet, and two which are critical for hoof health are zinc and copper. Selenium is another important trace mineral (and is often paired with vitamin E for immune function) but it’s important to know that selenium has a very low toxicity level. Even at very low levels, this trace mineral can be poisonous, leading to mane and tail loss and even hoof separation at the coronary band.

For horse owners who have paid strict attention to diet and whose horses are still experiencing hoof problems, detoxification may be needed in order to see results. Heavy metals and other toxins can build up in the system, leading to poor absorption of vitamins and minerals.

Our Bentonite Clay (also known as Montmorillonite clay) not only has powerful detoxification properties, it also contains over 70 trace minerals and is beneficial for maintaining hoof health.

One thing to remember is that there are often no quick fixes for unhealthy hooves. Even with proper diet and hoof care, it may take six months to a year to see results. The important thing is to stick with it. Your horse’s health is worth it!

Sources

Feeding for Happy Feet: A Recipe for Healthy Hooves

Hoof Supplements: Feeding the Feet

Equine Vaccinations and Titer Testing

March 22, 2018 by Casie

Did you know that horses receive more vaccinations on a more frequent basis than any other domesticated animal?

It’s true. And while there has been discussion regarding over-vaccination with dogs and cats, it seems to be a topic which is ignored in equine veterinary medicine. However, due to the apparent rise in adverse vaccine reactions, many horse owners are now rethinking vaccinations, as a whole.

For many years, the notion that “more is better” remained as the standard protocol in vaccinating horses. And while there’s no doubt vaccines can and do protect our animals from a number of serious infectious diseases, many holistic practitioners have discovered that over-vaccination is linked with a myriad of other diseases—especially those which affect the immune system.

It’s important that horse owners not only become educated on this issue, but also learn to strike a balance. It’s not that vaccines should be totally avoided—but the idea that “more is better” must be rethought if we are to preserve our horses’ health.

Science has shown that many vaccines protect animals for far longer than a year, which is the typical length of time until re-vaccination. Unfortunately, not all veterinarians are a.) aware of this or b.) willing to part with outdated protocols. Regardless of new data, many still go by the vaccine companies (often profit-driven) recommendations to vaccinate annually.

In some states, annual vaccinations are required by law, but in others, horse owners have the option to use serum antibody titers instead. However, it is often up to the owner to pursue this route, as many veterinarians may not.

Titer tests are done by using a blood sample. They measure the amount of specific antibodies for disease-causing agents (antigens) which develop from either being previously exposed to that disease or receiving a vaccine to protect against that disease.

Research has also shown that once a horse’s titer stabilizes (after vaccination or exposure to disease), it is likely to remain constant for a number of years. Titers can be tested every three years or as needed to find if immune memory has been established. If it has, re-vaccination is not necessary at that time. The key is to avoid vaccinating horses against diseases they are already protected from.

Positive titer tests are easy to interpret, but a negative test doesn’t necessarily mean the horse is unprotected. A decision must be made if vaccination is warranted under those circumstances. Additionally, a positive titer result is not likely to drop off unless the animal develops a medical problem such as cancer or receives high or prolonged doses of immunosuppressive drugs. In other words, once you have an acceptable titer result, you should not have to repeat the test or re-vaccinate for several years.

Titers are currently available for the following equine diseases: equine herpes virus (EHV-1, EHV-4), Potomac Horse Fever, Equine Encephalitis (EEE, WEE, VEE), Equine Viral Arteritis, Equine Influenza, Rabies, and West Nile.

If your horse is due for vaccinations, ask your veterinarian for titer testing instead of automatically re-vaccinating.

Sources:

Rethinking Equine Vaccinations, Part 1

Vaccines and Titer Testing: An Update

Equine Vaccines and Titer Testing

Tips for Preventing Colic

February 22, 2018 by Casie

Just say the word colic, and most horse owners’ palms grow clammy. It’s a condition no one likes to deal with, and for good reason: colic is the number one medical killer of horses.

The condition can seemingly strike at any time and often, horse owners are left scratching their heads, wondering why it happened to their horse. While it’s true that some forms of colic aren’t preventable (such as a twisted bowel), in many instances, colic can be prevented with proper management and diet.

Here are a few tips for preventing colic in your horse:

Cold Weather Colic

Colic is more common in cold weather because horses may not stay hydrated as well when temperatures drop. You can encourage your horse to drink more by providing clean, warmed water in heated buckets or tanks. Adding a tablespoon of loose unrefined sea salt in your horse’s feed will also encourage drinking, and if you soak hay cubes or pellets, this will automatically get more water into your horse’s system.

Horses may also colic in cold weather because they’re not moving around much. Movement increases gut motility; therefore it’s important to allow plenty of turnout time. Most horses would rather deal with the cold than be stuck in a stall all day anyway!

Grass/ Feed Related Colic

Horses have microbes in their gut which help to break down and digest food. These microbes become specialized in breaking down specific types of foods, and when you introduce a new food, the microbes must adjust. They can do it, but they need time. This is why it’s recommend to make feed transitions slowly, over a week or two. The same caution should be used with changes in pasture or forage. Whether you’re introducing your horse to a new pasture, letting them out onto new spring grass, or switching to a different type of hay, it’s advisable to do it slowly.

For support during times of feed/ forage transition or for horses dealing with the stress of transport or competition, we recommend adding our probiotic, ColicGuard.

Other Types of Colic

Horses living in sandy areas can also suffer from sand colic. If you live in an area with sandy soil, don’t feed your horse straight off the ground. You can also feed a ground flaxseed product such as SandGuard to help prevent sand buildup, but one of the best things to do is feed plenty of forage. This keeps the gut moving and will help to flush out any sand as it comes in.

If horses are overly burdened with worms, colic can occur directly after deworming if a large number of expelled worms block the intestines. There are several ways to prevent this from occurring, one of the most important being responsible pasture management (picking up manure, not overcrowding pastures, and/or rotating pastures). Feeding one of our Wormguard products can help as a preventative measure.

One final and very important tip is this: if your horse is only fed two meals per day and has nothing else to munch on the rest of the time, you could unintentionally be setting him up for colic. As stated before, eating forage keeps the gut moving. So provide plenty of hay and use slow feeders, if necessary.

Could Your Horse Benefit From Chaste Tree Berry Supplementation?

February 12, 2018 by Casie

Chaste tree berry (vitus agnus-castus) has long been used by women to help with issues such as menstrual cycle irregularities, PMS, acne, menopause, and infertility. This herb, which comes from the berry of the Chaste tree, native to the Mediterranean region, has been well-studied, and researchers have found it to have a positive effect on human hormonal issues. However, you may be interested to know chaste tree berry is also commonly used with horses.

For equine supplementation, the berries are dried and then ground into a fine powder, which most horses find palatable if mixed with feed. The most well-known use of chaste tree berry is for horses with symptoms of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), formerly known as Cushing’s disease. The pituitary gland uses hormones to control bodily functions, and PPID causes this gland to work overtime, which can lead to a variety of problems, such as abnormal fat deposits or unexplained laminitis. However, dysfunction of the pituitary gland is connected not only with PPID, but also insulin resistance and hypothyroidism.

Chaste tree berry supports normal functioning of the pituitary gland by naturally balancing and maintaining dopamine levels produced by the gland. It also balances out progesterone levels, making it a good option for ‘moody’ mares. And because of its hormone-balancing effects, it can aid in calming overly-aggressive stallions or geldings as well.

For horses with PPID or insulin resistance, chaste tree berry should be fed in conjunction with a low-NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) diet. If the diet isn’t appropriate, you may not see much effect with chaste tree berry.

Another great thing about this herb is that it has no known side effects. Chaste tree berry can be fed in conjunction with most medications, though steroids may weaken its effect. It is often considered a safe alternative to Pergolide, the drug commonly used to treat PPID horses, as well as Regumate, a drug often used to suppress heat cycles in ‘moody’ mares.

The only instance in which chaste tree berry is NOT recommended is for pregnant mares.

At The Holistic Horse, we offer Organic Chaste Berry Powder in a 1 lb. package and recommend feeding 1 – 3 teaspoons per day (1,200 – 3,600 mg) for a 1,000 pound horse. Chaste tree berry is also a main ingredient of the Balance blend in our Signature Line of equine herbal products.

If you have a horse either diagnosed with or showing symptoms of PPID, insulin resistance, or hypothyroidism, or if you have a ‘moody’ mare or aggressive gelding or stallion, chaste tree berry may very well be the herb which can make a huge difference in their health or behavior.

Tips for Preventing Equine Ulcers

December 20, 2017 by Casie

It’s been said that equine gastric ulcers are a man-made problem, and this statement has quite a bit of truth behind it. Researchers have estimated that 90% of race horses, 70% of endurance horses, and 60% of show horses are affected by ulcers. And while there are several causes for this common condition, in most cases, unnatural feeding and management practices are to blame.

Ulcers most commonly affect the upper region of the stomach and are formed when gastric acid wears away the thin stomach lining (mucosa). The stomach continually produces this acid to help with digestive processes, and since food typically enters and exits the stomach within a fifteen-minute time period, problems occur when food or saliva (formed by chewing food) isn’t present to help buffer the acid.

Signs of gastric ulcers are often subtle, but include:

•Poor appetite;

•Attitude changes;

•Decreased performance;

•Poor body condition;

•Poor hair coat;

•Weight loss;

•Excessive time spent lying down;

•Low-grade colic; and

•Loose feces.

So what can we, as horse owners, do to prevent ulcers? Quite a few things, actually! Most importantly, we need to take a look at the way we feed our horses, but there are other management practices which may need some adjustment as well.

Here are a few tips which can help prevent ulcers in your horse:

Use slow feed hay bags. This is especially important for horses without pasture access and will ensure that your horse won’t go for long periods of time without forage. It’s important to provide forage throughout the night as well. Horses don’t sleep all night like we do!

Don’t exercise your horse on an empty stomach. Exercise, especially if it’s intense, increases stomach acid production. The acid is then ‘sloshed’ around, continually bathing the stomach in acid. As a general rule, feed hay or allow pasture turnout before exercise and then feed grain or other concentrates after your horse’s workout.

Make sure your competition horse also gets time to just be a horse. This is important since the stress of trailering, intense exercise, and competition, in general, can contribute to ulcers. Allow plenty of turnout time, forage, and friends.

Don’t feed large amounts of grains or other high-carbohydrate feeds. These can also contribute to ulcers since they increase volatile fatty acid production in the stomach. Studies have shown that high-quality forage can be substituted for grain in many circumstances, even for performance horses.

Don’t give non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) long term. Bute, flunixin, meglumine, or ketoprofen all decrease the production of the stomach’s protective mucous layer, which can make your horse much more susceptible to ulcers. Instead consider a much safer and side effect free product such as our organic Signature Line Formula Bjute.

If your horse has already been diagnosed with ulcers, don’t fret! The above strategies can help, as can our signature herbal formula, Gastrox. Traditional ulcer medications can interfere with the production of stomach acid which is vital to the digestive process (for absorbing protein and nutrients), but this formula encourages self-healing of the stomach lining without interfering with the normal digestion and absorption process. Another option is our Bentonite Clay, which if used internally, helps to eliminate toxins and heals ulcers. Our Organic Slippery Elm Powder soothes inflammation of the stomach, bowel and intestinal tract, and is very beneficial for horses with ulcers as well.

Sources:

Diagnosing and Treating Gastric Ulcers in Horses

Preventing Gastric Ulcers in Horses

Herbs vs. Pharmaceuticals

November 16, 2017 by Casie

Peppermint Leaves

If we used the descriptors, powerful and effective, which would you believe I was referring to: A.) herbs, B.) pharmaceuticals, or C.) both?

You might be surprised to learn that the answer is C. In our modern-day world, many people seek pharmaceuticals first because we’ve been conditioned to believe is best. But herbs can be extremely effective as well, and the good news is that they are associated with far fewer side effects.

That’s not to say that pharmaceuticals don’t have their place – for emergency situations, they’ve definitely proven their value. But for long-term conditions and even preventative care, herbs are usually a much safer option.

Pharmaceuticals have been around for nearly 200 years, which might seem like quite a while, but did you know healing herbs have been used for thousands of years? In fact, the first written record of medicinal plants was created on clay tablets over 5000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. Interestingly enough, the list includes many herbs we still use today. Ancient cultures understood the power of nature—something many people seem to have forgotten about today.

And while pharmaceuticals may be the focus of scientific studies (often funded by the drug companies, themselves), their long-term effects are often unknown. Even their short-term effects have proven harmful or deadly, in some instances. Just watch any pharmaceutical commercial and you’ll hear a list of disturbing possible side effects near the end of the ad.

Turmeric Root

One potential side effect of many pharmaceuticals is their negative impact on the immune system. Corticosteroids are one example. This class of drugs works by mimicking hormones which help control inflammation, but they also suppress the immune system. Immune suppression may reduce symptoms, but it also makes the patient more susceptible to bacterial and viral infections. In other words, the immune system cannot work as it should and defend the body against other invaders.

Herbs, on the other hand, are often known for their immune-modulating effect. That is, they can to regulate the immune response and restore the body’s natural healing capabilities. Some herbs can even help boost the immune system, and these are often helpful in treating acute illnesses.

At The Holistic Horse, we offer ten different herbal blends designed for specific equine conditions. These formulas were created specifically for us by a leading equine veterinarian specializing in endocrinology, herbs, and nutrition.

They include:

Bjute—Natural Pain Relief
Gastrox—Ulcer Support
Herbiflex—Joint Support
Allergex—Allergy Support
Breezee—Respiratory Support
Balance—Natural Support for Hormonal Mares
Vyrex—Natural Immune System Support
Lymex—Support for Horses with Lyme Disease
Osoleen—Support for Glucose Metabolism
Zen Zone—Calming Formula

All of our Signature Line Organic Herbal Formulas range in price from $120-$135 and include free shipping. When compared to the cost of many pharmaceuticals (for example, Gastrogard which costs between $30-$50 per day), these herbs are often the more affordable option.

We also carry other individual organic herbs for a variety of health issues and immune system support for horses and other animals. These include slippery elm, cinnamon, Chaste tree powder, and garlic.

Sources:

A Brief History of Herbalism

Introduction to Herbalism

Herbalism Through the Centuries

Drugs that Can Harm the Immune System and Lungs

Why Probiotics?

October 14, 2017 by Casie

It seems probiotics are all the buzz these days, but many people may not understand exactly what are they and why they can be beneficial for both us and our animals.

Probiotics are a type of bacteria or yeast which promote good health. They’re the good kind of microbes—the kind that keep our digestive systems functioning properly.

It’s unfortunate that many people have come to associate the word bacteria with being bad because this simply isn’t the case. In a world where we’re almost obsessed with using anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners, we’ve forgotten that many types of bacteria are not only helpful, but actually necessary for maintaining good health.

As soon as babies leave the womb, they begin ‘collecting’ bacteria. Some of the mother’s healthy bacteria are passed on to babies through the birth canal and then through breast milk. Over time, more beneficial bacteria make their way to the GI system where they help to balance out any harmful bacteria which may have also taken up residence.

So if these good bacteria find their way to the digestive system shortly after birth, then what’s the problem? Well, a lot unfortunately. Babies born via C-section don’t get the same microbes from the start. And those fed with formula likely have even less beneficial bacteria.

Add to that, a number of other factors which can reduce the number of good bacteria, including the use of antibiotics (which wipe out both beneficial and harmful bacteria), chronic stress, poor nutrition, and even the overuse of NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories).

Illness can more easily arise when the balance of the bacterial population within our GI system is disrupted.

Our animals are exposed to many of the same things that we are, so probiotics can often be beneficial for them as well.

Here are a few benefits of probiotics for our horses and other animals:

Improve the digestibility of feed;
Reduce digestive upset which can lead to colic and diarrhea;
Improve the balance of good bacteria in the gut;
Assist in reducing inflammation; and
Promote a healthy immune system.

For horses, specifically, it’s often a good idea to feed probiotics in the following situations:

After long transport;
During the busy competition season;
After an illness or the use of antibiotics;
For older horses who have trouble maintaining their weight; and
When transitioning from grass to hay or vice versa.

Here at The Holistic Horse, we not only have probiotics for horses, but also for dogs, cats, goats, and cattle. Our ProGuard Probiotics digestive enzymes work with the gastric juices to start the breakdown process, making feed usable and absorbable, thus protecting the animal against stress and disease.

Our ProGuard Probiotics come in a 1 lb. bag and contain five lactic acid bacteria including Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus bifidus—not less than 10 million CFU (Colony Forming Units) per gram.

So if your horse or other pet is struggling to stay healthy, consider adding probiotics to your feeding regimen. It might make all the difference!

Sources:

9 Weird Things Killing Your Gut

Nurturing a Baby’s Microbiome, Before and After Birth

The Benefits of Multi-Species Grazing

September 19, 2017 by Casie

When we think of the typical farm, we may picture cattle in one pasture, horses in another, and goats or sheep in a third. But a savvy farmer knows the benefits of either rotating pastures between species or even pasturing certain animals together.

In nature, species don’t live in an isolated bubble all by themselves. They interact and share their environment with many other animals. When left in balance, this is part of what creates a healthy ecosystem to begin with. When we mimic nature more closely, there are benefits to both our animals and our pastures.

Here are a few types of livestock which do well when pastured together and offer benefits to either one or both species.

Horses and Goats

Horses are notorious for leaving behind rougher patches of grass or weeds (especially around manure piles). When these uneaten plants go to seed, they can spread all over the pasture. Goats, however, are much less selective and will eat these rough, weedy patches, as well as brambles and other ‘undesirable’ plants in the horse pasture.

Aside from their ability to ‘clean up’ a pasture, goats can also make great companions for a lone horse. The only requirement is good fencing!

Cattle and Sheep

Grazing cattle with sheep is another popular option with benefits for both species. Since cattle are resistant to most sheep parasites and vice versa, grazing them in the same pasture can cut down on the parasite load for each species. This works because when sheep consume grass contaminated with cattle parasite eggs, the larvae cannot develop within the sheep’s digestive system. It’s basically a dead end of these parasites. The same happens for cattle eating grass contaminated with sheep manure.

If done appropriately, grazing these two species together can also help to improve the soil and vegetation. The key is to have a higher sheep to cow ratio and not to overgraze your pasture.

Large livestock and Chickens

Chickens can be very beneficial when housed with larger livestock for two reasons: parasite control and fertilizer. When chickens scratch through manure piles to eat bugs and remnants of grain, the manure is spread out which speeds the drying process. This has essentially the same effect as harrowing a pasture (only you’re not spreading the manure everywhere)—the parasite eggs are often killed in the process.

Another plus to having free-range chickens is that their manure makes great fertilizer for overgrazed fields.

Llamas and Goats

Llamas may not be the most popular type of farm animal, but they can make great livestock guardians, especially for smaller livestock such as goats who may fall prey to coyotes. In fact, a single llama can protect a herd of several hundred goats. Another great thing about llamas is that they are social animals by nature and tend to adapt well to other animals.

Things to Consider with Multi-Species Grazing

Though there are many benefits to multi-species grazing, there are a few things to keep in mind. One, is that overgrazing pastures is never healthy for plant or animal species. Make sure the number of animals is appropriate for the allotted space. Also, certain diseases can be spread from one species to another (zoonotic diseases), so make sure you’re aware of any diseases which may affect your animals and help to protect or treat them accordingly.

Sources:

Multi-Species Grazing: Horses and Cows and Goats, Oh My!

Guardian Llamas: Pros and Cons