Ava Frick

Ehrlichia is transmitted by ticks. The carrier tick for dogs (brown dog tick) rarely bites people. The main vector for humans is yet another tick species. Canine infection probably occurs when salivary secretions from the tick contaminate the attachment site during the ingestion of a blood meal. An adult tick is capable of transmitting E. Canis for at least 155 days following detachment from the host. Another tick can obtain the E. Canis only if engorgement (a blood meal) occurs during the acute (early) phase of the disease in dogs.
Once inside the body, Ehrlichia seeks out cells (monocytes, neutrophils, or platelets) of the vascular system upon which to infect. After an 8 to 20 day incubation period, the dog begins a 2 to 4 week acute phase. A sub-clinical phase commences 6 to 9 weeks after onset. Many dogs with a functional immune system will be able to combat the disease by this time. Those unable to mount an effective immune response will become chronically infected. Symptoms include: fever, weight loss, depression, enlarged lymph nodes, anemia, and alterations in blood values. The disease may appear as a joint or muscle illness, respiratory infection, neurological disease, or hemorrhaging.

Ehrilichiosis is a big name for a disease caused by a small organism that enters the body via the mouth of a tick. When I worked in Arizona in the 1980’s Ehrlichia was a common dog ailment. Since that time, the problem has spread nationwide. The disease producing rickettsial organism in dogs is Ehrlichia Canis and E. Platys. In horses, it is E. Equi, and in humans it is E. Chaffeensis. Studies are still being done to show the transmission and species of Ehrlichia that cause the disease in cats.

The damage to the grass has to do with the nitrogen content and concentration.
Urine is the nitrogenous by-product resulting from protein breakdown by the functioning kidneys. Carnivores have a significant protein requirement and therefore more nitrogen can be found in the excrement (urine and feces). Urine is a more serious problem for lawns over feces because it is applied all at once as a liquid fertilizer. The nitrogen overload at the center causes the burn, but as the urine is diluted toward the periphery, it has a fertilizer effect. Feces has the slow release effect, not to mention someone is out there picking those landmines up.

Any chemical or drug is foreign to the body and carries with it some potential to be harmful. Everything that enters the body must at some time and in some form pass through the liver or kidneys. If the dog or cat has organs of elimination that are already stressed or overloaded, then the potential is even greater for a reaction or breakdown to occur elsewhere in the body.

WHEN TO GET A FUR ANALYSIS DONE ON YOUR ANIMAL:

Chronic conditions, anything that is not normal and does not go away in less than 3 to 6 months, can persist because of just a few reasons:

1. Inadequate nutrients or mineral imbalances,

2. Insufficient energy or electrical potentials in the body to get the healing process completed,

3. Build up of toxins and weakening of body systems.

The liver and gallbladder work together. The bile acids, which are critical for digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine, are stored in the gall bladder. Many waste products are eliminated from the body by secretion into bile and elimination in feces. Without a gall bladder a body will accumulate cholesterol and toxins. (Note: Neither rats or horses have a gall bladder)

February is the month we think of hearts and loving each other. If you really love your animals you want to show them your love by helping them via their liver. The liver has many jobs that focus on metabolic pathways and synthesizing molecules that are utilized in other parts of the body to support homeostasis and energy balance. Some of the main areas of function are associated with carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism, prevention of allergies, and the formation of hormone precursors. Hepatocytes, the liver cells, concentrate and house vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to help it do its many tasks.

The solution to treating autonomic nervous system imbalances and
auto-immune diseases is this. FIND THE BALANCE!

1. Lifestyle -Owners need to identify areas of potential stress and work
at eliminating it. Remember that your stress transfers to your pet and they
become stressed! Also important is getting more and better sleep.

2. Exercise – Find something that you can both enjoy doing together.
Keep a log of what you are doing and take it with you the next visit to your
veterinarian or fitness trainer. Cats can be exercised too.

The major barrier for anything toxic in this world is the gut flora. It produces antibiotics, anti-fungal and anti-viral substances. It is the first protection from carcinogenic and toxic substances by neutralizing them and sending them out in the feces with bacteria. The gut flora produce enzymes, release minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients, ensure transportation across the gut wall happens while synthesizing other nutritious substances for transportation of water soluble vitamins into the bloodstream. Many auto-immune (AI) diseases are linked to microfloral imbalance; diabetes, systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis to mention just a few. Here we have the opportunity to utilize nutrition to prevent, reduce, or eliminate many AI diseases.
The four steps to establishing normal gut function are:
1. Remove any dietary antigens, pathogenic organisms, or dysbiosis. This can be accomplished without using more ‘good flora’ killing antibiotics.
2. Replace hydrochloric acid to aid digestion and inhibit bacteria and digestive enzymes. The enzymes will also inhibit bacteria, aid digestion, and reduce the antigenicity of food proteins.
3. Reinnoculate with probiotics.
4. Repair the integrity and function of the mucosa, the quality and quantity of gastric, biliary and pancreatic secretions and the intestinal immunity. Plus the intestinal motility and the intra- and extra-intestinal regulatory processes that involve the endocrine organs and the autonomic nervous system.

Dr. Royal Lee devoted his lifetime to researching whole food nutrients and the precise balance of vitamins and minerals that each organ requires. He recognized early on that, “The adrenals are the first glands to fail under various stress conditions, including malnutrition. Endocrine exhaustion, in general, is due to the use of refined foods.” Causes of adrenal stress are many. The stressors list includes anger, fear, anxiety, excessive exercise, sleep deprivation, light-cycle disruption, trauma, chronic pain, chronic inflammation, toxic exposure, malabsorption, maldigestion, chronic illness or allergies, and nutritional deficiencies. Left unaddressed the body over time can develop chronic maladaptation leading to adrenal exhaustion or insufficiency. This phase of exhaustion is a precursor to Cushing’s Disease. It is caused by the body’s prolonged exposure to excess cortisol levels and the loss of hypothalamic sensitivity of the inhibitory effects of cortisol. Symptoms and consequences of impaired adrenal gland function are low body temperature, unexplained hair loss, nervousness or irritability, difficulty building muscle, melanin pigmentation to skin, inability to concentrate, increased panting, tendency toward inflammation, indigestion, poor memory, alternating diarrhea and constipation, poor resistance to infection, food or inhalant allergies, inability to mobilize fat from tissue, dry and thin skin, and auto-immune diseases.