My Herbal Dog - Organic Vitamin and Mineral Supplement for Holistic Total Pet

Kirk McLinn and Jayne West-McLinn

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About Us

When Kirk met Jayne in the winter of 2006, he realized immediately her love and passion for animals. Marrying and combining households in the fall of 2007, meant finding a home large enough for Jayne’s three dogs and four cats, and Kirk’s one dog. They settled in Plain City, OH, on two acres of land; plenty of room for the dogs to run and play.

But shortly after settling into their home tragedy struck. Chloe, a toy poodle, developed thrombocytopenia after receiving her yearly vaccinations and antibiotics. The deadly combination took Chloe at the young age of 6.

Katie, a 9 year old border collie mix, was strong and healthy in the spring of 2008. She visited the vet regularly for her yearly examination. However, this time she was visiting because she would occasionally experience a dry, hacking cough; a diagnosis of cancer was the last thing expected. It was late stage Pulmonary Neoplasia (lung cancer). Within 4 months Katie had passed away.

Katie stole Jayne’s heart in December of 1999. She found Katie, about 8 months old, at my local shelter. One could tell from her demeanor that she had been abused or neglected. Any sudden movement or noise caused her great anxiety. Two women had found her cowering under a car on campus during the time of year when many college students return home for Christmas break turning their newly adopted pets out into the streets. Katie became Jayne’s constant companion.

Jayne was struck by the sensitivity in Katie’s eyes and her ability to sense emotions. When she retrieved the ball in the adoption room at the shelter, Jayne’s heart melted.

The vet described Katie as stoic. Even when she wasn’t feeling well, she still wanted to please. As Katie’s breathing became more labored, Kirk and Jayne kept her as calm as possible, but finally she succumbed to the cancer.

If we had only known then what we know now, I believe Katie would still be with us. There are precautions that owners can take to lower their pet’s risk for developing cancer.

Dog Cancer on the Rise

More than a pet, Katie was a faithful companion, friend and confidant. We miss her everyday.

Hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are diagnosed with cancer each year, yet shock is a typical reaction among caretakers who learn that their pet has cancer. There are about 64 million pet dogs in the U.S. today and the experts predict that half of them will have some type of cancer in their lifetimes... eighty percent of dogs over the age of 10 will die from cancer... the dismal statistics go on and on. There are, however, two pieces of good news.

A scoop of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Naturally, prevention is preferable to treatment! The chemicals used in many lawn care products are cited as a leading cause of lymphoma in dogs. Dogs and cats are particularly susceptible to the overspray of hair sprays and cleaners since they are constantly sniffing the ground. Failure to spay or neuter leads to mammary and testicular cancers in dogs and cats. Over-vaccination and exposure to the sun may cause many cancers, including mast cell cancers as well as some sarcomas and carcinomas. Diet and genetic predisposition are also factors.

Many types of pet cancer can be treated successfully with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. But, those treatments can be invasive and expensive. Last year I underwent surgery and radiation for a lyposarcoma wedged between the quadricep and gracillis muscles in my left leg. After surgery to remove the tumor, I received 36 radiation treatments. The pain in the last few weeks was unbearable. My skin burned away leaving a raw patch approximately 6”x8” on my thigh. I would not wish this on my enemies, let along my beloved friend and companion.

Prevention is the most important component of a successful fight against pet cancer. Start with a healthy diet designed to build up the immune system, promote resistance to disease, and detoxify the body. Dogs cannot survive without protein in their diets. Dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids that dogs cannot make on their own. Known as essential amino acids, they provide the building blocks for many important biologically active compounds and proteins. In addition, they donate the carbon chains needed to make glucose for energy. High-quality proteins have a good balance of all of the essential amino acids. Studies show that dogs can tell when their food lacks a single amino acid and will avoid such a meal. Dogs are known to selectively choose foods that are high in protein. Whether this is simply a matter of taste or a complex response to their biological needs for all 10 essential amino acids is not known. However, dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet as long as it contains sufficient protein and is supplemented with vitamin D.

Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed oils of various plants, provide the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. They supply essential fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the body and serve as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins. Fatty acids play a role in cell structure and function. Food fats tend to enhance the taste and texture of the dog’s food as well. Essential fatty acids are necessary to keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy. Puppies fed ultra low-fat diets develop dry, coarse hair and skin lesions that become increasingly vulnerable to infections. Deficiencies in the so-called “omega-3” family of essential fatty acids may be associated with vision problems and impaired learning ability. Another family of essential fatty acids called “omega-6” has been shown to have important physiologic effects in the body.

These twelve minerals (Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Chlorine, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Manganese, Selenium, Iodine) are known to be essential nutrients for dogs. Calcium and phosphorus are crucial to strong bones and teeth. Dogs need magnesium, potassium, and sodium for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and cell signaling. Many minerals that are present only in minute amounts in the body, including selenium, copper, and molybdenum, act as helpers in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions.

The unique blend of herbs in TOTAL DOG™ work to build up the immune system, detoxify the body, provide essential vitamins, minerals, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, calcium and amino acids, and strengthen cell renewal, growth and repair.

http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/dog_nutrition_final.pdf

A FEW CANCER STATISTICS

· Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs and cats over ten years old.

· Average lifespan of a dog treated for lymphoma is 15 months.

· Over 8,000 dogs are affected by osteosarcoma each year.

· 80% of dogs with advanced oral and digital melanoma die within 8 to 10 months of treatment.

· Hemangiosarcoma accounts for 5% of all non-skin malignancies in dogs.

· 60 to 70% of all oral cancer is squamous cell carcinoma.

· Approximately 450 out of 100,000 dogs will develop some sort of skin cancer.

· 20 to 30% of all dog skin tumors are malignant.

· About 12% of all canine skin growths are histiocytomas (benign tumor).

· Perianal growths are the third most common growths in dogs of which 91% are benign.

· Lymphoma affects 84 in 100,000 dog over ten years old.