Question:
Thank you for your wonderful column. I'm so pleased with your approach to animal care using holistic/natural remedies rather than using so many drugs.I appreciate your support on minimizing vaccinations for animals, especially house pets. I hope you will continue writing about natural diets for animals, as I am learning a lot from your column on how to feed my cats.I had a recent experience that might be helpful for others to hear about. My cat has had recurring ear infections, which could be mistaken for ear mites. Luckily, I knew enough to have my vet check his ears for mites before treating them. It would have been horribly painful if a tender, infected ear was treated with the harsh ear-mite medicines available in stores.My vet repeatedly diagnosed my cat with an ear infection, and for seven years my cat got ear antibiotics two or three times a year. Then I found a holistic vet who immediately recognized the ear discharge as an allergy. She recommended that I eliminate all grains in my cat's diet and use
N.B., Blaine, MN Mar 26, 2006
Answer:
Thank you for your kind words and important confirmation of what I have emphasized in my column. Cats and dogs with chronic ear and skin infections that won't go away (despite antibiotic and steroid treatments, which often make things worse) often have a food allergy or hypersensitivity that is disrupting their immune systems. Cats are especially sensitive to corn, wheat gluten and related byproducts. Antihistamine treatment helps in some cases but does not correct the root of the problem. In dogs, sometimes the thyroid gland is not functioning properly.I am glad you found a veterinarian who is up-to-date in applying holistic principles to animal patients.
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