A Halloween Story ——— Cochliomyia hominivorax - “ eater of man “

Screwworms are the larval stage of the blue bottle fly, aka blow fly, with a scientific name of Cochliomyia hominivorax - “ eater of man “. 

The screwworm has been eradicated since the 70s, but its recent discovery in a population of Key Deer has the USDA and veterinarians on high alert to contain them. They are a potential danger to ranchers of cattle and sheep, but also to people, horses, pets, and wildlife. 

An adult female fly will “blow” her eggs (100-400) onto a fresh wound. The eggs will hatch in 12-24 hours. Screwworms differ from other larvae in that they will burrow into and eat the healthy tissue. Other maggots eat only necrotic tissue so do not cause damage to the host. Screwworm infestations can cause deep, large wound tracts in flesh and bone. Any wound is an entry point, even a small cut, the navel stump of a newborn or the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and eyes. After 5 -7 days, they drop into the soil and pupate for only 7 days in a warm climate like South Florida. The adults can breed within 3 days after emerging from the pupa. They will mate 1 time in their life, lay eggs, and die within 2-3 weeks. 

Screwworm infestation was a huge problem for ranchers in the southern US, and in 1958, the USDA released millions of sterile males. The theory was that the sterile males would outcompete the wild males and decrease the population. Males eat only vegetation, not flesh. The program was successful, and the screwworm was eradicated in the US and much of Mexico by 1972. Small populations remain in South and Central America and the Caribbean , and this outbreak is most likely from an animal or person traveling from an infected area to the Keys.

Treatment includes removing the larvae manually, applying insecticide, and cleaning and bandaging the wound, so stock up on SWAT ! 

If you are in South Florida this winter, check your pets and horses. Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect screwworms in a wound on your animal or if you have a very smelly, slow-healing wound. ​

The larvae have dark pigment on their trachea, so they are easy to identify. Other maggot species do not have this. You may see a bottle fly similar to the adult shown here. There is a very similar species, C. macellaria - common name green bottle fly. C. macellaria are common in the US and only eat necrotic tissue.  They are used by forensic scientists to establish time of death. 

Food Therapy is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. It is a practice of healing using natural foods along with, or instead of, pharmaceuticals. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang-di-ni-jing) was written around 300 BC, around the same period of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, who said, “Let food be thy, medicine, and medicine be thy food.” 

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine classified food by Yin and Yang energies, five tastes, and by their natures and characteristics. For example, Yang foods are believed to warm the body’s Yang, tonify Qi, dispel Cold, move Qi and Blood, resolve Stagnation, and stop pain. Yin foods nourish the body’s Yin, cool Blood, clear Heat, and detoxify. Therefore, Yang foods (e.g., mutton and pumpkin) are used for conditions associated with Cold and weakness - Qi/Yang Deficiency, Qi-Blood stagnation, Wei syndrome (weakness), Lin syndrome (incontinence), and immunodeficiency. Yin Foods (such as turkey and tofu) are used for conditions associated with Heat and inflammation -  Yin Deficiency, skin itching, autoimmune diseases, Cushing's disease.

The practitioner uses selected food ingredients to:

1. Promote Health and Prevent Disease — to improve health and to prevent seasonal climate-related problems.
2. Treat Active Disease — to treat many clinical conditions
3. Adjunct Therapy — to complement the primary treatment of diseases 

Plus, it's fun to cook for your animals!  Subscribe to Dr. Ying's blog for more info on food therapy and some simple ideas to start incorporating home-cooked food into your animal's diet. 
​
Whole, fresh foods should be a big part of your animal's diet. Processed foods and vitamin isolates lack the phytonutrients, enzymes and building blocks of whole foods. The first step to good nutrition is a variety of quality whole foods.

When clients start home cooking for their dogs and cats, I recommend feeding a basic supplement like Platinum Performance for support as a good adjunct to your home cooking.

Here is the link to Platinum Performance, use code YIN when checking out. 

Herbal Medicine is an essential part of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. In China, TCVM treatment consists of 30% acupuncture and 70% Chinese herbal medicine.   Chinese herbal medicine has a rich history extending over several thousand years and has proven to be an effective treatment modality. 

Many formulas we use in practice today were developed many thousands of years ago. Some were developed for both animals and people, while others were developed specifically for animals. Formulas are used more commonly than individual herb, so the actions of the herbs are balanced, and the actions of one herb, say a warming herb, are not as damaging to the body because it is counteracted by a cooling herb. This balance can also be accomplished with diet ( see the Food Therapy page)

All our herbal formulas come from Jing Tang Herbal in Ocala, Florida. Jing Tang products are made from high-grade herbs cultivated in pollution-free areas, screened and tested multiple times for purity and safety. There are no illegal or environmentally controversial substances in our herbal products, ie, no ephedra or rhino horn. 
​

Laser is an acronym for :

• Light
• Amplification by 
• Stimulated
• Emission of
• Radiation

Laser therapy is a powerful yet non invasive and painless tool to provide the animal with relief of pain and swelling, as a local and systemic anti inflammatory, as an enhanced method of healing wounds and injuries, a stimulation of acupuncture points and helps the body heal itself. Recovery periods and treatment times can be reduced and several pre and post performance athletic enhancement protocols are available. ​

Life with ponies is not always smooth sailing. One day they are superstars, the next they are dumping the kids in the ring. Some are tough as nails while others are hot house flowers. The key to a healthy and happy life with ponies is balance and Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is one way to help. 


TCVM theory is balancing the the Yin and Yang in body and mind for health and happiness. Yin and Yang are opposing forces, hot and cold, dark and light, sympathetic and parasympathetic. 


TCVM has 5 branches, Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, Tui-na Therapy, Food Therapy and Qi-gong practice. 


Acupuncture uses needles or laser to stimulate acupuncture points. Many points are at areas dense with nerves and vessels and some are in trigger points of the myofascia. Stimulation alerts cells to release chemical messengers that flow though the body and tell cells in other parts of the body to react. Veterinarians can use their knowledge of acupuncture points and their actions to help the body heal itself. Some examples of these actions are to release endorphins to reduce pain and decrease anxiety or to release nitric oxide to dilate blood vessels or to release histamine which mobilizes white blood cells to help fight off infection. 


Acupuncture is often described as energy medicine and indeed it is. We have many different forms of energy flowing through us. Depolarization of neurons by chemical gradients, like a battery, cause electrical impulses in our brain and spinal cord to control our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems which control all our body’s functions like breathing, heart beating, hormone balance, thought and movement. We have chemical energy in our cells breaking down molecules from the food we ingest and transforming it to the building blocks of our bodies. We have kinetic energy in our DNA that winds and unwinds to control translation, transcription and protein synthesis. By using acupuncture to stimulate or calm these reactions, we can balance the whole body from the macroscopic to the molecular level.  


Chinese Herbal Therapy uses formulas developed for medicinal purposes made from a variety of plants, roots, fungi, minerals and animal products. In modern herbology, most formulas are vegan and we do not use products such as rhino horn or deer antler velvet but some formulas contain insects, shells or bone from commercial livestock like cows, pigs and chickens. Most of our modern day pharmaceuticals are derived from plants and animals but then isolated and highly concentrated so they have a specific action, are stronger, work immediately and can have strong side effects. Herbal therapies are slower to work and gentler on the system because they have a wider range of action and the formulas are balanced to counter act the side effects that herbs in the formula may cause. They come in powder, pill and biscuit forms. Herbs are not supplements, they are medicine so they may be given for a short duration for an acute problem like hives or an upper respiratory disease or may be prescribed for longer periods for chronic disease like cancer, arthritis and for geriatric patients. 


Tui-na therapy is Chinese physical therapy. Chiropractic Care and physical therapy techniques have their roots in Tui-na techniques. Joint manipulation, stretching and massage techniques are used to restore range of motion and decrease pain and stiffness. The spinal nerves exit the vertebral column between a canal made by a pair of adjacent vertebrae. These nerves transmit signals to all parts of your body to control muscles, organs, heart rate, ect. If these vertebrae are not moving freely or moving too much, this canal can change shape and squeeze or pinch the nerve. You are aware of muscle contraction and pain but proprioception (the way your brain knows where your hands and feet are) is caused by information gathered at your extremities and sent back to your brain. You are not actively telling your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe or your intestines to digest food but any blockage in nerve conduction to these organs can cause systemic problems. 


In modern practice, Chiropractic care is performed by a DC or DVM to restore the normal motion of the joints. The massage and stretching portions of Tui-na can be done by the owner on a more frequent basis. You may be doing some Tui-na techniques already if you use a curry, hay wisp, rub down legs, do tail pulls or carrot stretches in your grooming routine. So your pony club DC was right, grooming is the first step to good health ! 


Food therapy is based on the energetics of foods and we classify them on different tastes. A good rule of thumb is crisp, refreshing foods such as cucumber, celery, watermelon rind and radish are good for Heat conditions. Warm foods are ones that take energy to digest so oats, sweet potato and pumpkin can help keep your pony warm in winter. Neutral foods are bland like potato, corn, cabbage, apples and carrots. The more processed a food is, the more heat it contains so raw is cold, while extruded nuggets are hot. Most ponies don’t need more than hay but you can supplement his diet seasonally with foods based on temperature. 


More in depth food therapy  decisions are based on the 5 tastes :


Sweet foods tonify the Qi(give you energy), which makes sense because they are filled with carbohydrates. 
Sour foods tonify the liver and helps regulate fluid balance. The sour tasting foods are the citrus fruits, rose hips, green tea, pomegranate which are antioxidants. Some sour foods contain tannins like dark beer which may help increase sweating and help grazing animals digest foods with high soy content. 
Bitter foods Tonify the Heart (circulatory and nervous system) and Clear Heat (reduce inflammation and infection). These are plants containing glycosides and alkaloids. Some common drugs made from plant glycosides are aspirin(anti inflammatory, anti pyretic), morphine (pain relief and sedation), quinine (antimalarial antipyretic) and digitalis (regulates the heart rhythym). 
Astringent foods are associated with the Metal element ie Lungs, skin, reducing mucous and opening the airways. Acrid foods have a burning feeling on the tongue because they contain essential oils like ginger, mentha, mint, cinnamon, and corriander. 
Salty foods Tonify the Kidneys and softens masses so we use salty foods in cancer patients, thyroid disorders, constipation and geriatric patients. Seaweed such as kelp and laminaria are commonly used. 


Qi-gong translates to Life energy cultivation. It is similar to Tai Qi by using gentle movements, breathing and mediating to relax the body and mind. Stress produces cortisol, an endogenous steroid that increases blood sugar, suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation. So you ask, how do I get my pony to meditate ? We all know when we have a bad day you should just not ride because your pony will be bad and you will leave the barn frustrated. Horses are very in tune to our feelings and emotions. My suggestions for pony mediation are to do your grooming/Tui-na sessions with a relaxed attitude and rhythmic breathing, take a long trail walk on a loose rein enjoying nature or try centered riding. 


Incorporating TCVM practices into your pony’s daily activities is easy to do when you know a few basic theories and can help you live a long and happy life together. ​

Turmeric is a powerful anti inflammatory. Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases like arthritis, skin allergies, cancer, neuropathies and dementia. I recommend adding it to your home cooked pet foods, alternatively you can make "golden paste" see the recipe below with this great graphic made by Pet Nutrition blogger, Rodney Habib. 

To find out more about the benefits of Turmeric, go to Australian vet Dr. Doug English's page Turmeric Life and join his turmeric users group on facebook and be inspired as pet owners share their experiences about new found health and wellness with food therapy. 

What do those grades mean on your veterinary report anyway ? Use this chart to demystify the code and listen to the Driving Radio Show episode 214 to hear the discussion. 

“ Hot Dog ” Base diet for Sarasota Dogs

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey

3 TBS Turmeric


2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

5 carrots

1 bag of celery heart

1 TBS of fresh ground ginger

1 head of kale

1 bag of frozen spinach

1 lbs of Barley

3-4 tablespoons of Local honey

 __________________________________________

Chop carrot and celery 

Saute in large pot with ginger and coconut oil until soft

Add ground meat,  brown and season with salt

Add 3 TBS Turmeric, 2 tsp Black pepper and Barley

Stir, cover with water and season with salt

Bring to a boil and then partially cover and reduce to simmer until barley is cooked (approx 30 min) 

Add other veggies, honey and stir. 

Taste and adjust seasoning. Yes taste. This is a healthy meal made from whole food ingredients. Would you eat canned dog food ? No, me neither, but then again, I don't eat hot dogs for the same reason :)

Let cool and serve. 

Store for 1 week in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer. If you are going on a trip, freeze in individual servings and put in the cooler for travel. 

Make any dietary changes gradually over a 2 week period. You can start by top dressing it on regular kibble. If you want to continue with good quality kibble, that is ok too. Variety is key so as long as they are getting a variety of foods, they will be healthier than eating processed foods all the time.  

If your dog has medical issues, cancer, arthritis, hot spots, obesity, chronic vomiting, your local TCVM vet can advise you about food therapy or you can email or call for a consult. 

So now we know some of the basics of interval training but how do we design a plan for our horses ? 

First answer these questions : 

1. What is my breed type ?
2. What is my discipline ?
3. How long do I have until peak fitness is needed ?
4. What is my horse's attitude towards exercise ?


You need to know what your goals are, what will you be asking of your horse and how capable is he at achieving those goals while maintaining a healthy body and spirit. 

We are using Glenn and Scooter for our example so you can listen in on the driving radio show episode 198 to hear the discussion. 

Scooter is a hackney pony. He is currently very sound but was rescued 1 year ago and was severely malnourished.
Glenn wants to train for a training level CDE at the Florida horse park in January 2016. 
Scooters attitude about work is good and he happily trots around the neighborhood. 

Currently Glenn trains to a lightweight 2 wheel cart with no passengers for a combined weight of about 500 lbs on flat ground, usually pavement. 

So What will we be asking Scooter to do at training level ? 

The max distance on marathon can be 12 km. Usually there is a 5 km sec A at 13 km/h, 1 km walk at 5km/hr, 10 minute rest and vet check and a 6 km B section at 13 km/hr with 4 hazards. Glenn's hazard times are not counted at training level but we know he is going to get in there and go for it so we need to plan on doing some training for sprints in the hazards so Scooter doesn't get too tired and/or sore after the show. Hazards are usually about 600 meters from start to finish flags. Some of the upper level singles can sprint as fast as 25 + km/hr in hazards. We will be challenging Scooter in his aerobic zone here and Scooter and Glenn rarely raise their heart rate high enough to train for this at home so we have to make a plan. This is the maximum that would be asked of him so if we set our training goals here, we can rest assured that he is prepared for the challenges we are asking of him. 


We need to monitor heart rates and recovery rates to make sure we are training in the right zone. 

Resting heart rate is 25-40 b/m
Aerobic range is 150 b/m and is currently where Scooter is when he is trotting down the road at about 10 km/h
Anaerobic range is 180 b/m - this is his orange zone and at this heart rate, he starts to build up those fast twitch fibers and produce lactic acid in his muscles so he doesn't need to be here long. This will be a strong road trot or canter. 
max heart rate for horses is 220 - 240 b/min. Too much for Scooter. Don't go here.

Time of recovery rates decrease as our fitness increases. A really fit horse's heart rate will quickly drop back to down when walking or slow trotting between hazards.

A good rule of thumb is that after 2 mins, the pony's b/min should drop from 150-180 during exercise to about 100 b/min and after 10 min should drop down to about 60 b/min. This is what they are looking for in the vet checks at CDEs. They want to see significant recovery rates. Make sure to note the temperature, humidity, footing and carriage weight as these factors can all affect your pony's work load.

To take the heart rate, feel the pulse at the base of the neck in the jugular groove, under the chin or listen with a stethoscope on the left side of the chest just behind the elbow. Count for 15 sec and multiply by 4. 

So now we need to develop our work out sets.

Glenn needs to start out slow. If you ever had tried started jogging yourself you know you can just go out and jog 5 K. You jog for a minute or so and then you are out of breath so you walk for a minute then resume. We will do this for Scooter. 

We will either mark out some Ks on our road to do distance sets or use our watch to do timed sets. If you are doing timed sets, remember 12 kph is 5 minutes for 1 k, 13 kph is 4:36, 14 kph is 4:17 and 15 kph is 4:00.

This is a basic example of a work out set for the endurance phase of training.

Start with a 10 min warm up of walk and slow trot to get the blood flowing and warm the muscles. 

Trot for 5 minutes, then walk for 2 minutes. 
or 
Trot for 1 k, then walk for 200 meters
Do 4 sets
Walk and measure recovery rate after 2 minutes 
Walk for 8 more minutes and measure recovery rate after 10 minutes. 
Do this 2-3 times per week and follow it with a day of rest or an easy drive down the road.


This will give you your baseline and you can increase or decrease the workload or number of sets to match your pony's current level of fitness. This is about a 45 min workout or about 5 km drive. Try to gradually increase either the number of sets or the trotting distance each week with the goal of working up to 12 k.

If you are starting from no exercise what so ever. Start with walking and slow trotting for 4-8 weeks to give your pony time to strengthen muscles, tendons and bones before attempting an interval training plan.


After 6-8 weeks or however long it takes our pony to be able to easily do 12 k with good recovery rates, we can add the anaerobic phase of our training. This will be short bursts of strength and speed training to build our fast twitch fibers. 


You can modify your current interval training routine to include the sprints

Warm up 10 min

Set 1 Trot for 10 min : walk for 1 min
Set 2 Trot for 10 min : walk for 1 min

Set 3 Trot for 3 min : strong trot or canter for 1 min : walk for 2 min
Set 4 Trot for 3 min : strong trot or canter for 1 min : walk for 2 min
Walk and measure recovery rate after 2 minutes 
Walk for 8 more minutes and measure recovery rate after 10 minutes. 
Do this no more than 2 times per week and follow it with a day of rest or an easy drive down the road.

If you have access to hills, you can substitute hill climbing at slower speeds for the strong trot or canter. You can also achieve the strength training by using different footing. If you always drive on hard ground, driving on long grass or in arena footing is much harder work. Make sure your pony is ready to pull in deeper footing if you attempt this as this can be very hard on tendons and hind limb and back muscles.

As your pony gets stronger, you can increase the number of sprints or work load. For our example we want Scooter to be able to comfortably work up to 5 or 6 sprints over a period of 6-8 weeks.

As we said earlier, the maximum asked of Scooter at the CDE will be a distance of 12 km with 4 hazards. We know he can easily make this distance walking and trotting and can easily do 6 sprints. At the show he will have a 10 min brake after the first 5 k. We are now totally in tune with his recovery rates so at the vet box we can assess if he is at the top of his game and ready to continue. A tired pony does not have any fun on marathon but a fit pony well trained to handle the challenges you ask of him will be happy and healthy for many show seasons to come.

I just joined Orange Theory fitness with is interval training for couch potatoes with heart rate monitors so you can get into the "orange zone" to increase your aerobic fitness and burn more fat. As I was on the tread mill, listening to the trainer say "keep going, this should feel uncomfortable", I thought about our horses and how important it is, even more so than for humans, to be properly conditioned so they can not only perform safely at their best but be able to perform at a higher level than we compete so they don't feel uncomfortable ! We can't inspire them to push on with motivational quotes, dance music and the hopes of 6 pack abs. 

Interval training is a workout composed of short burst of intense work followed by partial recovery periods with the goal of increasing cardiovascular fitness, strength and speed. Interval training increases aerobic fitness faster so the horse can exercise for longer periods of time before lactic acid and fatigue set in (pre-tying up). 

To understand the benefits of interval training we need to know about slow and fast twitch muscle fibers. 

Slow twitch fibers (type 1) are for long, slow work. They use oxygen to produce lots of energy for long periods of time, aerobic metabolism. The muscles you use for standing, or sitting up are mostly slow twitch fibers. For example the intrinsic muscles of your spine. They are happy to stay engaged at low level for the day. 

Fast twitch fibers (type 2b) are for high speed, strong contractions, like sprinting or hill climbing. They generate energy without oxygen, anaerobic metabolism. They use the glycogen stored in the muscles for energy and produce lactic acid as a by product and can lead to pain and cramping (tying up). Your gluteals and thighs have lots of fast twitch fibers. Do a few squats or run some stairs and the burning you feel is your fast twitch muscles fatiguing. 

Then of course, there are some muscle fibers that have both characteristics (type 2a). These are use both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Your gluteals and thighs also have lots of intermediate fibers to so you can run or ride for long periods of time. 

Different breeds have have different ratios of slow and fast twitch muscles. Most TBs and Qh have around 90% fast twitch fibers to 10 %. They are bred for sprinting. While most draft breeds are more like 60%:40% fast to slow so they can walk all day. Arabians are somewhere in between, 75%:25% fast to slow which is why they excell at endurance racing.  

Exercise can't change the amount of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers but it can increase the size and working capacity of the types of fibers we want to train for. Say we want to get ready for our first CDE, interval training can help us build our slow twitch for endurance and our fast twitch for speed and strength in the hazards. Just road work at a 14 kph trot will improve endurance but not improve your times because it targets your slow twitch muscle. A workout that includes a 15 min walk/trot warm up with some 3-5 min trot and canter sets at varying speeds with 1 min walk breaks can rapidly increase fitness by building up those fast twitch fibers too. 

Now we have some questions we need to answer before we design our workout plan.
1. breed type
2. discipline
3. time line
4. Attitude

In part 2, we will walk you through an exercise plan. 

What is equine and canine rehab ? No, it is not a support group for animal hoarders. It is physical therapy for our animals. Physical rehabilitation's main goals are to reduce pain and bring the body back to its normal function. That is why Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care work so well together. Acupuncture restores the pain and brings the body back into balance and chiropractic mobilizes the joints and restores the body's normal functions. We can also use manual therapies like tui na (meridian massage), passive and active range of motion and exercise. We teach many of these exercises to the caretaker so you can become a partner in your pet's recovery.

Whether the injury is acute, like an accident or post op, or chronic like arthritis or compensation from an old injury or poor conformation, a solid rehabilitation plan is the fastest way back to normal function and performance. 


We all know that a weak core leads to lumbar pain, that is why Dr. Kyle sends his human patients home with core stabilization exercises and yoga moves. We design exercise programs for dogs and horses to help them develop these muscles too. For horses, the exercises can be done under saddle or in hand. For dogs, we do positional exercises and even use tiny cavalettis for strength and paw awareness. One big difference in core strengthening in animals is...they get to eat treats during exercise ! Think about that next time you are doing crunches. 

People ask me, does my animal need rehab ? Well in a way yes, all animals need a baseline amount of exercise and a healthy diet, just like people to stay healthy well into their golden years. Many diseases are caused by a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes, tendon injuries because they lack the muscle to protect themselves in a stumble, even general stiffness or a poor gait. Did your older horse go from an 8 mover to a 6 ?  Does your old lab not want to jump in the truck anymore ? Maybe its not just that he is old. Maybe he needs some help to keep his joints moving and muscles firing so you can keep enjoying the company of your best pal. 

Ellen Ettenger joins us to talk about the new website, DrivingEntries.com, Wendy has exciting news and we learn that Chia is a healthy thing, not just a Christmas gift. Listen in.....

The TCVM segments starts at 35:11

Cha Cha Cha Chia Pet ! We all know the benefits of Chia. It makes a great last minute gift for your buddy who has it all and it has a great jingle but did you know that Chia was the Aztec Warrior's superfood and can help your pets too ? 

In TCVM terms, Chia tonifies the kidney qi. It is cool and damp so it also tonifies the lung and large intestine Yin. This means we would recommend Chia for lethargy and inflammatory issues, like arthritis, skin inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain. 


The properties of Chia that made it the ancient cross fitter's superfood to give them endurance and stamina are what makes it my number one choice for a supplement for pets and horses. 

1. Chia is a complete protein : A complete protein contains all 9 of the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids must be ingested because the body can not make them itself. Meat, fish, dairy and eggs are great sources of complete proteins but in our modern world, pet food has a very limited amount of meat (unless you home cook, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more). Horses are vegetarians so must have a high quality protein source to get their essential amino acids. Vegetarian sources are soybeans, hemp,quinoa, seaweed and spirulina. Chia is around 20% protein so helps to build lean muscle mass and stimulate the metabolism.

2. Chia is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids : in the Aztec language, Chia means oily. Chia oil is 63% omega 3 and has the proper 3:1 ratio of omega 3:omega 6 fatty acids. Chia's omega 3 oil is in the form of Alpha linolenic acid (ALA made famous by Dr. Oz on Oprah). ALA is an essential fatty acid so it can not be made in the body and must be consumed. Fats give you endurance and stamina. Supports the immune and nervous system ( bone marrow and brains are made of fat ). Hormones are also derived from fats, so a healthy amount of fat in the diet can help the body regulate it's hormone balance to increase fertility, soothe endocrine dysfunction and irregular cycling. Omega 3s are also a natural anti inflammatory so can reduce the pain of arthritis, nerve pain and decrease the severity of allergies. 1 tablespoon of chia has 2g of ALA, which is the recommended daily amount for a 150 lbs person.


3. Chia is high in fiber : Chia seeds can absorb 12 times their weight in water and quickly turns into a gel. Our 3 biggest digestive problems with horses, ulcers, colic and metabolic disease can all be helped with Chia. The gel can soothe stomach ulcers and protect the stomach lining. The gel hydrates the intestines so can help reduce the incidence of sand and impaction colics. The gel slows the breakdown of carbs into sugar so reduces sugar spikes and regulates insulin levels.  Chia gel also keeps the body hydrated and keeps electrolytes in the body longer. 


4. Chia is high in Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin B and antioxidants : Helping the body regulate its own vitamin mineral balance along with an even carbohydrate absorption will greatly enhance mood leading to better performance in the show ring or be better able to deal with separation anxiety. Commercial supplements that claim to calm animals by overdosing them with minerals just puts the body more out of balance robbing Peter to pay Paul. Giving animals a balanced whole food supplements allows them to have access to the building blocks they need be healthy and happy.


5. Chia oil has a long shelf life, even in Florida. Chia's high levels of antioxidants keep it stable from -20 to 110 degrees for up to 5 years and unlike flax seed, Chia does not need to be ground for the body to absorb the oils. This makes it very practical to keep in the barn and to buy in bulk. 


6. Chia is now grown in America : A strain of Chia has been developed in KY that thrives in US climates so now we can support US farmers and purchase Chia from a reliable, non-GMO source. 
Click here to go to US Chia

No wonder Chia was the Aztec Warrior's super food, high protein, high fat to give them energy. High fiber to keep them hydrated and give them endurance. High in minerals and vitamins to keep the body in balance. Easy to store and carry while pilaging neighboring tribes and it grew in abundance locally. Thanks to the smart folks at US chia for giving our animals a local, healthy source of Chia. 

Want to hear more about Chia from Zack Pennington, CEO at US Chia ? Listen to our interview on the TCVM segment of the driving radio show on the horse radio network. 

Bone Marrow Soup

I talked about this on the Driving Radio Show this week. Here are some step by step instructions. 

I always encourage my clients to cook for their dogs and cats but just like cooking for yourself and your family, it usually takes a big health problem to make the change from processed foods to fresh home cooked. Its ok to start slow. Even if you don't want to or can't cook every day. Fresh foods as treats or a few days a week is a great starting point. 

Ingredients : 

Marrow bones
Turkey Thighs
1 lime
1 TB apple cider vinegar
3 cups of chopped root vegetables
Carrots, squash, beets, celery - I used carrots because I always have that on hand :)

Directions : 

Cut long bones to expose marrow. I used a big cleaver and hammer, see photos

Put bones, veggies, the juice of 1 lime and 1 TB apple cider vinegar into a large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered overnight. You can also do this in your crockpot. As the bones simmer, the acid of the vinegar and veggies extract the nutrients and essence of the marrow. Check water level every few hours and add more water if the bones are uncovered. 

Let cool and strain broth. 

Keep in fridge for up to 1 week.

Feed small (start with 2 TBs) frequent meals throughout the day to your sick doggie or kitty.  The cooked veggies can also be added to the food if they are strong enough to eat them. 

This is a great way to get them back eating after an insult, like after eating a week old dead squirrel in the yard, post chemo, post parvo, ect. 

Variations : 
you can make this with any marrow bones, beef, pork, even a whole organic chicken. Consult with your TCVM vet to see what protein would be best for your pet. 

I usually make this with the left overs from Tamika and Rolly's turkey roast, which is just roasted turkey thighs on a bed of chopped green veggies like zucchini, green beans, ect. 

Roast in the oven @ 350 for 1 hr. 
When cool, remove the meat from the bones. The bones go into the soup pot and the meat is chopped up and added back to the veggies. I then add in some cooked brown rice, millet or their favorite, red quinoa ! 
Then mix it all up and I put it in tuperware and store 1 weeks worth of food in the fridge and freeze the rest in 1 week aliquots. When traveling, we freeze individual meals and put them in the cooler and defrost when needed. 

This is a great article by Kathy Farrokhzad  on her blog Horse Listening.  See her intro below and click on her link for the whole post. 






"Do you have a horse that seems to regularly trip or stumble, either in the front or hind end?The footing is good. The path is clear. There were no sudden changes to your direction.

The horse is sound and you know the tack fits well. His feet are trimmed. There are no other underlying physical issues that you are aware of.

Yet your horse stumbles here, trips there, and as time goes on, you learn to just quietly ignore it. After all, the horse is trying his best and there’s nothing you can do, right?

WRONG! 

If you listen carefully, you might even discover that you are more a part of the equation than you give yourself credit for.

It might be something you are doing. Or it might be something you are NOT doing!

Be an active rider so you can help your horse through these moments. Your strong problem-solving skills are just the ticket to helping your horse develop better balance during riding. "



http://horselistening.com/2013/07/04/how-to-ride-the-stumble-out-of-your-horse/

So we have expanded into the garage with our new fish hospital ( 2 laundry tubs, a styrofoam box/treatment tank and a bubbler) ! 

2 goldfish were rescued from their old pond by Ben of Myakka Aquatics and are being treated with antibiotics, laser therapy, herbal medicine and a diet of superfoods (kale, watermeal and shrimp). One has a large ulcer on the side and the other has bruising and dropsy. This is my first attempt at treating pet fish but they seem to be responding well. Many thanks to my fish expert friend Charley Gregory (soon to be DVM in the class of 2014 ! ) for all his advice. For more fish info check out Charley's page http://www.healthyaquatics.com/

Autumn is the season for the Metal




Autumn is just around the corner, the weather will be cooler and drier. According to TCVM principles, dryness becomes a major problem affecting the metal element.

The Metal horse is clean, quiet, confident and disciplined. They like to follow the rules and do not like change. They learn quickly but it is quite a task to train them for a new job. They tend to be aloof.

The associated meridians and Zang Fu organs of the metal are the lungs and large intestine. The external orifice is the nose and the tissue is the skin and hair. The metal element is involved with respiration and digestion due to its relationship with the lungs and large intestine but it also is deeply involved with the skin and hair coat and the immune system. 

As the seasons change from hot humid summer to cooler drier fall weather, the lung can be weakened by the dryness. This leads to symptoms such as 

dry flaking skin, dry nasal cavity, frequent nose bleeds, sore throat, coughing and constipation. The weakened immune system leaves us open to infection by external pathogens, ie virus, bacteria, mold and allergens.

Drinking enough water and avoiding losing too much fluids are always important, but are even more so at this time of year. After a hot summer with numerous reminders to rehydrate, cooler temperatures cause us to take in less water. You don’t feel hot and parched so you drink less. This makes you more susceptable to the effects of dryness as your mucosa in your nose, mouth and throat ( your 1st line of defense against pathogens) dries out and becomes less functional. 

Symptoms of dryness include impaction colic, respiratory distress of COPD, skin itching, flaking, rain rot, nasal discharge, susceptability to respiratory diseases, decreased energy, cracked hooves and dandruff. 

So what can you do to prepare for the fall season ? 

Start with food therapy. Eat more soups, stews or cooked vegetables. This will increase your water intake and cooked food is easier to digest and warming so boosts your qi. Cooked yams or pumpkin with ginger is a good addition to your animal’s diet at this time of year. Pear is also an excellent choice to tonify the lung. Pear reduces cough, relieves dryness and tonifies the qi. Any yellow, orange and/or red foods are good to incorporate into the diet, so bananas, lemons, apples, beets, yams, squash are great to incorporate into the diet. 

Grief is the emotion of the metal. Your horse may seem sad or depressed with the shortening of the days. This is a time of the year to be reflective. Look over your goals for your horse. Is it time for a rest before the season gears up in the winter early spring or is it time to push on for the finally before the winter ? Organize and make a plan for your metal horse that involves rest or sufficient support to get him through the end of his season. For people, we say now is the time to let go of negative emotions. For horses, they may have more off days than usual in the fall. Maybe it is time for a trail ride rather than dressage school or do shorter sessions with rest and praise in between sets. 

If symptoms persist, seek additional treatment such as acupuncture, herbal therapy and chiropractic care. An immune supplement such as Standard process immune support can help boost qi and fight off colds.

UUUUUGHHHH my dog has fleas !! 
A common veterinary complaint this time of year is the abundance of fleas both on your pets and in the house. Sometimes the mass bloom feels like an over whelming invasion leading you to toxic chemicals and flea bombs. There are some simple steps you can take to make you and your pet flea free. 

As we all have experienced, fleas bites cause itching and redness. They can also lead to a more serious form of allergic dermatitis that has a vicious feed back cycle of itching and scratching, eventually leading to crusty, oozing sores or your poor puppy. They can transmit tapeworms and some blood born diseases. 

The first step in your battle against the flea is to know your enemy. The flea has a multistage life cycle. Adults live on mammalian hosts and lay eggs on the skin which fall off and hatch in the environment. Larvae emerge in as little as 4 days and live off organic debris ie. skin cells, dust bunnies, ect. They then pupate like a catapillar and grow into their adult form then hatch and look for a host. At any one time, the majority of the fleas in your environment are in the egg, larval and pupal stage with only about 5% living as adults on your and your pets. As you kill off the adults, the new generation emerge so flea control must include killing young stages too. 

I recommend trifexis which is spinosad with milbemycin oxime) for a monthly oral treatment for fleas, intestinal parasites and heartworm. Spinosad has high efficacy, a broad insect pest spectrum and low mammalian toxicity. Spinosad is considered a natural product derived from a mold found on crushed sugar cane and is approved for use in organic agriculture. Comfortis is the name brand of spinosad alone and can be used in cats and dogs.

(Warning : there are certain breeds sensitive to milbemycin oxime so as always, check with your veterinarian 1st before starting this medication.) These products will start killing fleas in 30 minutes and kills 100 % of fleas within 4 hours. 

One of the best and easiest ways to break the flea lifecycle is to vacuum at least 1 per week and wash your bedding and the pets beds with diatomaceous earth. This is a white powder made from tiny fossilized skeletons of Diatoms, tiny phytoplankton made up mostly of silica. The edges of the diatoms slice into the insect and cause it to dry out. Sprinkle a very thin layer around the house before vacuuming and make sure to change your vacuum bag or container as soon as you finish as the eggs can live in the bag. Light traps ( small desk lamp shining on a tray of soapy water is also an effective adult trap and will give you an idea how many fleas you have and if your efforts are working. 

Start with a dusting of diatomaceous earth into your pets skin and wait a few minutes and then using a flea comb, manually extract the fleas. This is your best choice with very small pets or weak or sick animals.

A warm soapy bath will do wonders to get rid of the bulk of the fleas. Fill the tub or sink with soapy water and put your puppy in it. Be prepared for mass exodus as they try to jump ship. With your flea comb, try to remove as many fleas as you can and submerge them in the soapy water. Diatomaceous earth does not work when wet so wait a day or so after the dusting for the bath. 

The dusting and the bath are great treatments for a sudden surge in fleas or between monthly treatments.

The addition of yeast and apple cider vinegar to your pet’s diet will also greatly help his battle against fleas. 

If your pet is suffering from flea bite dermatitis, you may need to add in a little TCVM along with some TLC to help break the itch scratch cycle. 

You rescue a starving pony and the first thing you want to do is feed him all the grain, apples and carrots he will eat right ? Well that is very well meaning but can be life threatening for your new little pal because of re-feeding syndrome which is a metabolic crash when the body is introduced to carbohydrates again. (metabolism geeks - see box below)

So before your neighbor calls the humane society on you, how do you know if your pony is actually starving or just skinny ? Ask yourself these 3 questions.

1.  Is he a body condition score of less than 3 ?

2. Has he eaten any food in the last 5 days ?

3. Has he lost more than 15 % of his body weight within 2 months or less ?

If you answered yes to any of these, call your vet, resist temptation to deworm and vaccinate for 2 weeks, get some probiotics and follow the rule "go low and slow ". Low sugar and carbohydrates and multiple small meals throughout the day gradually building up to free choice food over 14 days. Feed a high protein low carb food, like Alfalfa and make sure he has access to fresh, clean water and salt.

Day 1-3
Feed 1 lb (1/4 flake) of alfalfa hay every 4 hours.

Day 4-7 
4 lb about (1 flake) and decrease the frequency of feeding to every 8 hours 

Day 7-14
Continue feeding at this rate while  
slowly increasing the amount and decreasing the frequency until the horse is receiving all the hay it wants in a day. 


If feeding grass hay, feed 2x the amount at the same rate.

At the end of 2 weeks you can introduce grain. Choose something with high fat, high fiber, low starch, low sugar. Senior feed is best as it is nutrient dense, high fat and easy to chew. 

Feed ½ pound of concentrate twice a day then increase grain by ½ pound a day every 3 days until the horse is being fed ½ to 1 pounds of grain per 100 pounds body weight per day in 2 feedings. So a 500 lb pony will be eating
5 pounds of senior feed per day. A safe rate of weight gain is about 1 lb per day. Make sure to have your vet or a friend who does not see your pony every day asses your progress. 

At the end of 2 weeks you can now work on his other problems which may include any and all of the following : 

• parasites
  
• dental issues
  
• sand
• ulcers
• diarrhea
• vaccinations
  
• chronic diseases 
  
• bad skin
  
• allergies 
• heaves
• bad feet
• ect 

Choose one problem at a time to work on as you peel the layers of the onion away on your road to recovery. Start with parasites and just assume this pony has never seen any dewormer in his life and is full of worms.  On day 14, give ½ dose of one of the paste dewormers containing one of the 
Here again, resist the "more is better " approach and buying the best dewormer there is that kills everything. Intestinal parasites in horses live in various stages in the body. Some are imbedded in the tissues, some are living in the gut lumen and some are eggs on their way out to infest your pastures. You want to start with fenbendazole (Panacur or Safe-guard) which is a mild dewormer because it only kills the adults in the lumen of the intestines. Killing all the larva lurking in the tissues can lead to an inflammatory reaction in the gut leading to colic and laminitis. 

Day 14 - 1/2 dose of Panacur
Day 21 - 1/2 dose of Panacur
Day 28 - full dose of Panacur
Day 42 - 1/2 dose of Ivermectin
Day 56 - Power Pac - 5 day treatment of Panacur
then continue on a maintenance deworming schedule

The theory behind this schedule is to kill off the parasites in the gut and then wait a week to let some larva emerge, kill off the next round and treat again so you are treating the wave of emerging parasites. The Ivermectin kills bots (fly larve in the stomach) and thread and neck worms that cause inflammation in the skin and eyes. The 5 day power pack kills the rest of the larva (encysted strongyles) which hopefully by now are down to a reasonable number and will not cause an inflammatory reaction. 

Of course this is a general guideline so consult with your veterinarian so you can decide whether your pony is ready for this treatment.  

Some things to consider : 
Dos

• Provide free choice salt and water
  
• Use a good quality probiotic supplement
  
• Keep him in a temperate environment (not too cold or hot)
  
• Isolate him from other horses
  
• Call your vet if you see any decline. During the 1st 2 weeks consider your pony in critical condition and you are never wrong to ask for help.
  

Don'ts

• Feed an electrolyte in a sugar base for at least the 1st 2 weeks 
  
• Stress him - keep change to a minimum 
  
• Let your neighbors feed him treats. Let everyone who comes in contact with him know the fragility of this 1st 2 weeks. 
  
• Start back to work too early - his body has had to break down tissue to survive. His bones, joints, tendons and organs are all compromised so "go low (intensity) and slow" and your new buddy will be fat, happy and healthy in good time. 

Re-feeding syndrome - occurs when a starved horse is fed too quickly during his rehabilitation. During the period of starvation, the body goes into a state of ketosis and uses fats for its main source of energy because it doesn’t have carbohydrates. Ketosis changes the electrolyte balance in the cells and depletes the body’s stores of essential minerals like phosphate, potassium and magnesium. Because the animal is not eating, he can not replenish these stores. If carbohydrates are introduced too quickly, the body releases large amounts of insulin to process the carbs. Carb metabolism requires large amounts of phosphate, potassium and magnesium but because the starved animal is running on empty already, he suffers symptoms related to electrolyte depletion like heart palpitations, respiratory distress, paralysis, organ failure, confusion, and weakness. This occurs in all mammals but in horses some of the consequences can also include laminitis (founder) and rhabdomyolysis (tying up).

This condition was first fully understood in people in 1950 when prisoner of war veterans who were malnourished in captivity were released back to the American military and is a common consequence in anorexic patients. 

As I'm traveling through LAX on the busiest travel day of the year, I'm thinking, 1. I need ginger tea STAT and 2. I'll blog about herbs to relieve sinus congestion.

The beautiful sweet smelling Magnolia (officinalis) blossoms are commonly used in chinese herbal formulas. The flower bud, aka Xin Yi, is used for treatment of sinus congestion and sinus headaches, and is taken orally and is also used as a transporter of the herbal medicine to the nose and sinuses, meaning I would use this herb in conjunction with a for example, a general anti cancer herbal, like stasis breaker to treat a nasal tumor.

Magnolia bark aka Hou Po is also used and has a very wide range of applications. Many of the formulations with magnolia bark are aimed at treatment of lung disorders (including cough and asthma) or intestinal disorders (infections and spasms); magnolia bark is also a common ingredient in the treatment of abdominal swelling and general edema. Recently researchers in Nanjing isolated 2 compounds from the bark, magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenolic compounds that have demonstrated both anti-anxiety and anti-angiogenic (decreases the growth of new vessels) properties.

So the next time you catch the fragrant aroma of sweet magnolias, take a deep breath for health... I'm hoping it will save me from baby shipping fever on the plane.

This picture is of Marged Harris's table @ Beggars Ride Bed,Barn & Breakfast in Southern Pines , NC. 

In addition to the healing properties of magnolia, taking time to enjoy the natural beauty around you and spending time with loved ones can greatly reduce anxiety :)