May
2001
Helping
Animals to Heal Naturally through Nutrition and Touch
By Alecia Evans
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Three years ago, I took a trip to Hawaii to swim with
wild dolphins and study a method of animal communication that is performed
telepathically (from mind to mind, using no spoken words) with animals.
The experience changed my entire life, as I learned that animals experience
emotions and feelings, as well as a far greater spiritual understanding
of our purpose here than do most humans. As a result of this awareness
I became a vegetarian. I decided that if animals possessed the same
qualities as I did, who was I to eat them? I wouldn’t eat a human,
so why an innocent animal?
Veggie Dogs?
With my new skill of animal communication, I asked my two dogs
if they would be willing to follow suit and embrace this lifestyle
change.
They happily obliged. And so I embarked on a two year research and
development project that led to the creation of “Yummy, Yummy in My Tummy”—an
all natural, fresh cooked, human grade, vegetarian diet for dogs and
cats.
Good nutrition is the foundation of good health. If you ate crummy food
every day without a break you would probably end up getting sick, and
this is unfortunately what happens to many of the animals we care for.
Through my research I discovered that there are horrific and toxic ingredients
in most commercial pet foods, such as preservatives like BHA, BHT and
ethoxyquin which have been found to cause cancer in lab animals. The
flesh ingredients in such foods are most often unfit for human consumption,
provided by animals with cancer and other diseases, as well as the corpses
of euthanized dogs and cats and rotted road kill. Lastly, the foods
are cooked at such high temperatures that it destroys or makes rancid
the majority of healthy ingredients.
In my research I also learned that proper supplementation is important.
Two supplements that I can recommend are Animal Algae and Vegedog; they
are vegetarian and work beautifully.
After three weeks on this home-cooked diet my dogs’ coats looked
so healthy, their eyes were shiny and bright and their weight stabilized.
They had a vibrancy like that of puppies. I also noticed a dramatic
change in my chocolate lab Barney’s personality. After a few weeks
on this diet he started to relax, and became more affectionate and
less
stand-offish.
The biggest learning experience of all was that dogs can easily and
healthily make the transition to a vegetarian diet. Many people say
that dogs are carnivores, so you should feed them a meat-based diet.
In the wild, when a dog or even a lion makes a fresh kill, the first
thing they eat is the stomach. The stomach contains predigested, nutrient
dense and enzyme-rich plant food from animals that are primarily herbivores.
One other thing to consider is that dogs have been domesticated over
thousands of years and as a result, their digestive systems are not
quite the same as their wild cousins the wolves. Moreover, how many
domestic dogs do you know that would take down a cow or even kill a
chicken? Yet these are in most of the foods that we serve our animals.
So that ‘dogs should eat only flesh’ logic kind of goes right
out the window.
Also, please bear in mind that because animals kill their own food
it is fresh. They are not subject to the decayed and rotting meat from
slaughtered animals who live in horrible conditions on commercial farms
and who are pumped full of antibiotics and steroids. Did you ever wonder
how your dog’s food can stay in an open bag for almost a month?
A lot of these overprocessed and nutrient-lacking foods develop molds
that weaken the animal’s immune system, causing many allergies.
The biggest eye-opener is that most veterinarians recommend commercial
foods to their clients. I have found very few to have a thorough knowledge
of animal foods and even fewer to know much about the amazing benefits
of a vegetarian diet.
Contrary to popular belief, cats can be vegetarians. Cats need an essential
amino acid called taurine in their diets, without which they can develop
a number of ailments such as kidney disease, heart problems and retinal
myopathy which can cause blindness. If you properly supplement taurine
and arachadonic acid (a type of fat found only in meats and dairy)
in
a cat’s diet, they can successfully be vegetarian. However, a vegetarian
diet may not work well for every cat and you may need to partially supplement
with flesh of some type. I highly recommend James Peden’s book,
Vegetarian Cats and Dogs for detailed research and some amazing testimonials.
Loving Touch
The diet is one half of the wellness picture, touch is the other
part. I noticed how much my dogs loved to partake in my daily Qi Gong
practice (a meditative martial art used to strengthen one’s health).
Each day when I would begin my routine, my dogs would come into the
room and go into a very deep sleep. Eventually when I would finish,
each one would come over and want to be massaged and touched by this
energy that I was building. I noticed a big change in my lab who had
suffered a torn ligament in his knee and whose back and hips were beginning
to be affected. He walked more evenly and was able to run and play
longer
after these sessions.
This evolved into what I call Loving Touch for Animals, an intuitive,
heart based modality that assists in re-awakening the body’s innate
healing abilities. It is performed by gently and lovingly “tuning
in” to the animal’s energy system to notice areas where energy
flow has become blocked or restricted. Through simple circular strokes
we can help to release these blockages before they turn into an illness.
These blockages may be a result of physical, emotional, psychological,
or spiritual trauma suffered by the animal.
For humans, stress is a part of our daily lives. Studies have shown
that excessive levels of stress can contribute to a weakened immune
system and an increased susceptibility to disease. Research has shown
that touch therapy is highly effective with retarding many types of
illnesses and helps to boost the immune system’s ability to fight
off disease.
Animals experience stress in much the same ways that humans do, so
it is important to recognize early signs and symptoms of stress-related
illnesses in your animals as well as in yourself. Loving Touch is a
healthy way in which to alleviate the harmful effects of built up stress
in one’s system, so that energy can flow unimpeded.
I have used Loving Touch with cases of arthritis, hip dysplasia, irritable
bowel syndrome, allergies, anxiety, nervousness, aggression, knee problems,
disc problems, emotional and behavioral problems, depression, lethargy
and grief. I have found it to be a wonderful gift in my work to help
animals live as healthily and happily as possible. In addition to enhancing
health, Loving Touch will also bring a deeper connection between you
and the animal.
I have combined Nutrition and Loving Touch for Animals into a 12 Weeks
to Wellness program. Over the course of 12 weeks on healthy foods, with
one session of Loving Touch per week, you will notice a dramatic difference
in the health and vibrancy of your best friend.
Alecia Evans is a Wellness Consultant for Animals who utilizes
various holistic modalities and animal communication. She can be reached
at 212 502-3446 or aleciaevans11@hotmail.com.
