Dogs and their food – why are their tummies upset?

More and more of my dog clients have been having food issues – allergies and stomach concerns – even being “prescribed” or “recommended” foods only found at the vet’s office.  Dog food is big business and I believe fillers are being used to make more money, with less nutritional value for the dogs.  (I have not found the same issues with my cat clients – but if you are having a concern with allergies or stomach issues this message will apply.) Please understand I do believe in Western, Eastern and Holistic healing methods –when appropriate.  However, when I look at the first five ingredients in many of these “recommended” by the vet, “can only get at the vet’s office” products, I have a problem.  

Check out the first five ingredients on the labels as they are listed by volume content.  Do you know what they are?  Are they real and nutritious food (i.e. meat, vegetable or vitamin) or fillers with words that include wheat, whey, corn, grain, meal, flour?  If you don’t know what an ingredient is, look it up – I did this while with a client.  We discovered the definition of the item was “no nutritional value, added to pet food as filler.” 

I highly recommend checking out the Blue Buffalo brand.  I am not endorsed by them or paid by them.  I have just found my clients are very happy when they are fed products by this company.  I know there are other great brands out there – read the labels – that is my message to you.

Why does my dog bark and lunge at the TV?

I am finding it more and more prevalent with my clients this past year or so.  Our TVs are getting bigger and bigger and the resolution is just so life like that our pets think they are real people, with real issues and "they are talking about ME!!!" 

When I speak with the animals, I try to stay within a “child-like” view of the world.  They are very simple beings who see things on face value – in this case the faces on this “box” that are talking about them, threatening them or possibly a threat to their family.  They may bark or lunge at the TV thinking they are in “protective mode” – or fearful of the people coming out of the box and into their home.  

I explain to them that the stories they hear on this box are make-believe or stories based on someone else’s life.  I assure them they and their family are safe from the voices they hear and people they see on the box.

Billy's Message from the Other Side

Frances:  Hi Billy –how are you?

Billy:  I’m fine – I wish mom would stop blaming herself.   She did nothing wrong.  She did everything she could and more.  My body was only going to last just so long. 

It saddens me to see her so upset – thank you for talking with her.  She

was the perfect mom – I know she didn’t think so – but she made the best food and served it with love.  Love was all around – she had so much to share with

me.  I want her now to share that love with herself.  To treat herself like she did me – even half as much would be so good for her. Please tell her I love her very much and will always love her.  I will always be in her heart and she can call on me whenever she wants me by her side. 

Please tell her to light a candle for me tonight and know that when it goes out – I will still be around her in her heart.  She will never be forgotten – she was the best mom a dog could ever have. 

Frances:  Thank you, Billy – I will share this with your mom.

Billy:  You’re welcome and thank you from all of us on this side of the veil.

More Messages Your Pets Want You to Know

An excerpt from my new book.....

Available now at

FrancesWGreenspan.com

My horse won't allow me to put a halter on him

Peter, is quarter horse, he is a gelding, 11 years old, we’ve had him for 5 ½ years.

I haven’t been able to put a halter on him for two weeks. Nothing to my knowledge happened as far as a trauma or accident.  We keep him here at the house on our property with one other horse and a menagerie of other animals.  I can pet him, hug him but get that halter near his head and he bolts.  He didn’t used to do that.   I just don’t understand what has happened. 

Reading:

There have been conversations out loud or thinking about that he has been hearing regarding taking him someplace, lending him to someone, someplace or someone that scares him.  He loves his home and doesn’t want to go or live someplace else.  He feels if he allows the halter to be put on him he will be taken away forever.

[Before the phone reading, the client said he was such a changed horse today – what time did I speak with him?  Sure enough, I had spoken with him in the late morning for the initial insight and later had the conversation with him right before the appointment time.  He had been a “gentleman” again – like he had been before the incident when he stopped allowing her to put on his halter.

After the reading the client confirmed her daughter is away at school and they were discussing whether she should take him with her back to school. ]

Why Does my Dog Bark at the Animals on TV?

Ethika & Frances

Question:  Why does my Yorkie bark at the animals on the TV?

 Answer:  I don’t want them coming through the box into our house.  I’m protecting my family from the animals.  I know I’m small but I have a big bark and I use it to scare them away.  (I understand you are small and mighty – but let me assure you the animals in the box that are moving are not going to be able to come into your home.  The moving pictures in the box are the same as the pictures on the wall that are not moving – they can’t come and hurt your family.  Does that make sense?)  But they look so real – like they are going to come in at any moment.  (No honey, they are on the TV in a film – pictures that are not able to come into the box of the TV.  I promise you and your family are safe.)  Oh, so I don’t have to bark at them? (No honey, they can’t hear you – but it is quite annoying to your family.) It is? (yes, it is.)  Oh I’m sorry – I don’t want to be annoying to them – I just want to protect them.

Bob's Unusual Pet Family

Luiz Higa Junior of São Paulo, Brazil, says that his golden retriever, Bob, is a little less than two years old. In the beginning, he just had Bob, a cockatiel and a parakeet. 

“Since the beginning I put them together to see their behavior,” he tells us. “It was nice, so I decided to have them play together sometimes during my free time.” 

He then added more birds and a hamster to the group.  You can now see the group posing, playing, exploring, and resting together.