Hands On Animal Healing

04/08/2022

This is Borago officinalis AKA Starflower
It is rich in essential fatty acids, a good anti-inflammatory, and supports adrenal health and detoxification. Due to all these properties it is often used to support animals with arthritis or skin health issues. It is also a lovely addition to calming mixtures.
It does contain very small amounts of PA (Pyrrolizidine alkaloid) which over time can cause issues, therefore we do not recommend it for long term use.
Dr. Jordan's favourite way to use it is to add the flowers to a salad!

06/05/2022

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HERBS TO EVER ADD TO YOUR PET’S DIET!

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers looked for the presence of toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. Of the more than 400 chemicals tested for, 287 were detected in umbilical cord blood. Of these, 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain or nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animals. - Environmental Working Group

Hello toxic planet and the skyrocketing occurrences of cancer in our pets (and in ourselves)!

Let me introduce you to one of my top 5 most important herbs that needs to be in your pet’s life, if it isn’t already!

Milk thistle!

This herb has been used for over 2,000 years to help fix a zillion different problems!

Recently, scientists from the Radiological Physics and Advisory Division in India found in their study on milk thistle that silibinin, found in milk thistle, programmed cell death in breast cancer.

“Early laboratory studies show that silymarin and other active substances in milk thistle may have anticancer effects. These substances appear to stop cancer cells from dividing and reproducing, shorten their lifespan, and reduce blood supply to tumors.” - University of Maryland Medical Center

Personally though, I love it for its allergy-fighting properties! If your poor pet is constantly itching and scratching, milk thistle can help!

According to The Truth Cause of Allergies – It’s In The Liver:

“The liver has to process toxins and when it can’t do its job it stores them. If it stores them it also produces additional histamines to protect itself. If an allergen is present the brain sends a message: ‘Send out a few histamines! I think there’s an invader!!’ and the liver proceeds it releases too many, and you have the allergic response. Cleanse the liver and maybe [...] you’ll become allergy/asthma free.”

Dosages:

Use ¼ of a teaspoon per 20lbs of body weight.

Detoxification is such an important process, not only for us humans, but also for our pets. We can be feeding our furry loved ones the best foods in the world but pores clogged with toxins will not allow essential nutrients to pass, causing a weakened immune system. A pet’s weakened immune system equals a multitude of problems! Milk thistle is the boss of detoxifiers!

Rodney Habib Pet Health Media

18/01/2022

There have been many articles and textbook chapters written on the topic of hypothyroidism. Maybe too many because when that...

12/01/2022

Yintang is a commonly used acupuncture point. You can massage your pet here to get a similar calming effect!

02/12/2021

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR BEST EQUINE FRIEND?

Losing a horse or pony is one of the most painful things we will have to go through as horse owners. I think nothing can prepare us for their loss. For me, losing my horses has been just as hard as losing a human family member – realistically my horses are my family.

It can take years to process the death of your beloved horse friend and some people never get over their loss. Everyone deals with death in their own way. You may want to keep yourself busy, find another horse friend or you may want to remove yourself from seeing horses altogether while you grieve.

Grief is a strange process – one day you can feel heartbroken and not want to get out of bed, the next you feel fine and that you can move forward and then the sadness comes flooding back tenfold.

What is most important is to talk about how you feel. Sharing your story with others can give you an opportunity to process what happened and help ease your feelings of isolation. No one should have to face grief alone.

This week is National Grief Awareness Week – an initiative which aims to raise awareness of all aspects of grief and loss. I believe this applies to those who have lost animal friends just as much as those who have lost human friends and family members.

The British Horse Society has a great initiative to help horse owners - ‘Friends at the End’. They offer free, confidential support to horse owners/carers/sharers/loaners before, during and after the death or loss of a horse. You can contact them by phone or email and you will receive support from trained BHS staff or volunteers. https://www.bhs.org.uk/our-work/welfare/our-campaigns/friends-at-the-end

The Blue Cross also has a Pet Bereavement Support Service. This is a confidential telephone and email support line that offers emotional support and information for all ages. https://www.bluecross.org.uk/preparing-say-goodbye-your-pet

The Good Grief Trust also offers help to all those in the UK affected by grief: https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org

You don't need to put a brave face on – it's okay to reach out and ask for support.

16/11/2021

Angelica can dramatically improve appetite and strengthen the overall function of the digestive system. We use Angelica in cases of abdominal gas, mild abdominal pain, and to support the overall digestive health of our patients.
Gut health is one of the cornerstones of patient health and wellness!

11/11/2021

Adaptogens like ashwagandha help us adjust and re-calibrate to changes physically, environmentally, and emotionally.
We give it to patients in a powder form that can be added to their food.
We could all benefit from the addition of adaptogens in our lives!

01/09/2021

31/08/2021

Fairuza, ride of Roberta Sheffield from the Canadian Paralympic Team enters the main arena to act as Sir Lee Pearson CBE and Breezer's friendly horse

30/08/2021

I have seen this herb save so many lives, literally drop elevated liver enzymes🩸 by half in just a few weeks!!

According to multiple studies, if you have a dog (or cat) with liver issues and you aren’t already giving your pets’ milk thistle (silymarin), you are missing out on the most important liver-restoring, “life-saving🆘" herb on the planet!

Just released last week, a new study on milk thistle showed the herb had incredible hepatoprotective properties when fed to dogs. “Hepatoprotection” is the ability of a substance to prevent liver damage.

Not only does it help to regenerate a damaged liver, but it’s also anti-aging according to longevity researchers!

In our new book, The Forever Dog, Dr. Karen Becker and I have it listed in our “Supplemental Habits for a Long and Healthy Life” section as one of our most important supplements to rotate into a dog’s🐶 diet plan. We also list the best “detox” dose🥄 to give a dog using the latest research. Available for pre-order now: https://foreverdog.com/about/

Rodney Habib

26/07/2021

If you have a dog🐶 or know someone who has a dog that seizures🤯 and they haven’t tried a diet change, they are truly missing out on the potential to reduce seizures in their pet!

This new study highlights when epileptic dogs had MCT Oil (derived from coconut oil🥥) added to their food, 71% of the dogs experienced a reduced seizure frequency. MCTs provide medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and ketones as auxiliary brain🧠 energy and can reduce seizures in rodent seizure models, dogs and humans with epilepsy.

Multiple studies have shown that certain seizures frequencies can be reduced by changing to a higher fat/low carb diet (i.e. a ketogenic diet) and/or adding more clean fats to their dogs’ food, like MCT Oil. In approximately 50% children and adults with certain types of epilepsy, seizure frequency can be effectively reduced as long as the diet is continued.

In our new book, The Forever Dog, we discuss ketogenic diets, which also mimic the beneficial effects of fasting (including a reduction in seizure potential) in the chapter titled “De-Aging through Diet.” The Forever Dog is available for pre-order, worldwide, right now! www.ForeverDog.com

19/01/2021

I see a lot of rehab horses, with owners that are hoping to bring their horse back into work after a period of time off due to lameness. In my experience, the "return-to-work" approach can be crucial in maintaining soundness long term - we can't just hop on our horse because he's "sound now" and gallop off into the sunset (although wouldn't that be nice?).

This is a conservative plan targeted to bringing horses back slowly from soft tissue damage, but that being said, I have had varying cases of pathologies using this as a guideline with great results. I always say, you probably won't regret moving too slow when bringing them back into work, but you certainly might regret moving too fast!

This might also be beneficial for horses that have hoof related lameness issues where diagnostics have been inconclusive, and obtaining an MRI hasn't been feasible. I find many of my "navicular" clients do well with this protocol. As always, involve your veterinarian, hoofcare provider, and other members of your rehab "team" when incorporating management changes for your horse.

Special thank you to Dr. Martina Neidhart for helping with the rehab timeline in this graphic - she has been great with chatting with me about various ways to rehab these kinds of cases, and how biomechanics come into play.