Why we Recommend Nature's Sunshine Products

As a company, Nature’s Sunshine Products takes enormous pride in the quality of the products that are offer. The health products Nature’s Sunshine offers are the very best in the world, and they are committed to leading the industry in product testing and overall product quality. This is the hallmark that separates Nature's Sunshine Products (NSP) from all other herb-based products offered by health food stores or other direct sales companies. In order to produce high-quality products, NSP starts with the finest raw materials available. NSP subjects each incoming shipment of raw materials to a battery of tests to establish the quality of the material before it is used it in any of the products. Because quality is so important, they continually test raw materials and products throughout the entire production process. read the entire article.

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Bandit's Story

I remember the day back in 1992 when I was visiting some friends and saw a “little black dog,” as I called him, wandering around in their yard. I inquired about who he was, and they said, “Oh just a stray, he won't leave.” Well, we had our visit and it was time for me to go and that “little black dog” followed me down the long road as fast as his little legs could take him ... following behind my car. I stopped at the stop sign, he ran up to the car door and I scooped him up, took him back, and he refused to get out of the car. I said to him, “Well, little black dog, I guess I will take you home with me then.” Click here to read the rest of the story.

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Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis looks painful and is actually quite painful for pets. Discharge can be clear, yellow or green puss. It may occur in one or both eyes. Its causes may include foreign matter, chemicals, bacteria, viruses or other germs, polluted water, or smoke.

Cheryl Schwartz, DVM in her book Four Paws, Five Directions on page 154, recommends the following using the herb Eyebright : Internally: Steep ½ teaspoon of the powdered dry herb in 1 cup of sterile boiling water, strain and cool, add to wet food at 1 teaspoon for cats and small dogs and 1 tablespoon for larger dogs. Topically: Squeeze the tea from a dropper into the eye three times daily. Store the tea in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Prepare fresh every 2 days.

She further notes, “This Western herb, provides nutrition to the eye itself….improves vision and has astringent, pungent, bitter and cooling qualities. It can be used both in deficient conditions when the eye is dry and has begun to form mucousy discharges, or in hot type infectious conditions with conjunctivitis…” Note: Preparations for use in the eye should always be made under sterile conditions.

Mary Wulff-Tilford states in her book, All you ever wanted to know about Herbs for Pets page 298, states “Goldenseal or Oregon grape root offers further assistance by fighting infection and quickly reducing inflammation and soreness."

Read more about eye health.
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Aloe

The aloe vera plant has been used for thousands of years for skin benefits such as cuts, burns, abrasions insect bites and stings. Cats and dogs can get into all sorts of trouble in the summertime: rough ground and hot pavement that can be an irritation to the paws, flea bites, summertime allergens that cause itchinga nd scratching and even sunburn.

Many companies manufacture aloe vera, but most products on the market have lost much of the plant’s original benefits due to overprocessing. Nature's Sunshine aloe vera is processed in a special way to avoid the loss of essential vitamins, minerals and other constituents. The leaf is filleted; then the green outer portion that contains aloin is removed, leaving the gel that remains in the leaf. The gel remains thick when the leaf is first cut, but after a few minutes, an enzymatic reaction causes it to become liquid and freely run out. It is this 100 percent pure liquid that NSP collects. To prevent bacterial contamination, we add sodium benzoate as a preservative. Sodium benzoate is effective in very small quantities, and it properly and safely preserves aloe vera juice.

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Summertime Shampoo

Looking for a nice summertime shampoo for your dog?

Revitalizing Shampoo is a conditioning formula that works itself into a luxurious foamy lather to gently deep cleanse without stripping natural oils and rinses completely, leaving a soft, delicate fragrance of natural fruit extracts.

Natural antioxidants from organic rosemary and sage help prevent damage from weathering and environmental factors. Natural emollients help soften, detangle, and give the coat more body. As your pet dries, odors are cleaned away and in its place your pet will have a clean, beautiful coat fragrant with the delicate aromas of kiwi and mango.

Revitalizing Shampoo neutralizes Odors – does not just cover them up. Your pet will stay cleaner, longer. Between baths, use Bath Fresh Mist to keep your pet cleaner, longer.

Ingredients Include: Certified Organic Herbal Infusion of Salvia Officinalis (Sage) and Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)¹, Natural Essences of Mangifera Indica (Mango), Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit Oil) and Citrus Limonum (Lemon Oil)

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Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo

I have heard of many folks using baby shampoo to bathe puppies, kittens and dogs to kill fleas. Below is information about the toxins in this product:

Consumer group pushes J&J on chemicals in shampoo
by Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press
May 25th, 2009


A coalition of health, environmental and consumer groups is demanding that health products giant Johnson & Johnson remove tiny amounts of two chemicals suspected of causing cancer from its Johnson's Baby Shampoo and other products.

In a letter sent late Friday by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to J&J's chief executive, William Weldon, the seven-year-old group asks the company by the end of August to reformulate its personal care products so that they are free of 1,4-dioxane and any preservatives that release formaldehyde....

The chemicals in question are 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of the manufacturing process, and the preservative formaldehyde, which is slowly released by a chemical called Quaternium-15 to kill bacteria. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde both are probable human carcinogens; formaldehyde also is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant.

"There's really no excuse for a baby shampoo marketed as the No. 1 choice of hospitals to contain chemicals suspected of causing cancer," Lisa Archer, the campaign's national coordinator, told The Associated Press in an interview.

Tests by an independent laboratory commissioned by the campaign, Analytical Sciences of Petaluma, Calif., found Johnson's baby shampoo had 210 parts per million of formaldehyde, and about two dozen other products out of 48 tested had similar or higher levels.

Johnson's baby shampoo also had a low level of 1,4-dioxane, a chemical banned by the European Union that was also found in three Aveeno baby wash products made by J&J, Johnson's moisture care and oatmeal baby washes, and about 25 baby and personal care products made by other companies.

Read the entire article.


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Spot On Flea Killers...safe?

...Absolutely not, says our author, despite what the commercials say.Tempting as it may be to simplistically consider fleas as horrible insects, the bane of dogs everywhere, poisoning your dog in a vain attempt to wipe fleas out of existence doesn’t really make sense. Even though more than half a billion dollars annually are spent on products that kill fleas in that vain pursuit. Of course fleas can make dogs (and everyone else in the household) perfectly miserable. But it’s not as if using toxic fleakilling chemicals is the only way to control fleas. When we attempt to get rid of our dogs’ fleas by utilizing chemicals that are toxic to the brain and nervous system, that may disrupt hormone (endocrine) systems, and that cause cancer, it’s sort of like burning the house down to get rid of ants – effective, sure, but what are you left with? In the next issue of WDJ, we will describe effective, nontoxic methods of flea control. No dogs (or any other members of the household) will get sick from these methods, and no dogs (or any other members of the household) will die from them. In contrast, dogs do get sick and die from the toxic chemicals we will describe in this article.

New products not safer

All pesticides pose some degree of health risk to humans and animals. Despite advertising claims to the contrary, both over-thecounter and veterinarian-prescribed flea killing topical treatments are pesticides that enter our dogs’ internal organs (livers, kidneys), move into their intestinal tracts, and are eventually eliminated in their feces and urine. Not only that, but the humans and other household animals who closely interact with dogs who have been treated with these chemicals can be effected by the toxins.

What happens to the health of all exposed individuals during this systemic absorption and filtration process varies from animal to animal, but the laboratory and field trial results clearly indicate toxicity on the chronic and acute levels. Read the entire article.

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Mosquitos - Peppermint

An extract of a common herb is being touted as a cheap alternative to existing pesticides in the war against mosquito-borne disease.

Peppermint oil is recommended by fans of alternative medicine to ease symptoms like indigestion, nausea and even to treat colds and flu, reports New Scientist magazine.

However, research by malaria experts suggest that the herb extract can not only repel adult mosquitoes, but kill their larvae before they even hatch. Read the entire article.

Read more about Peppermint Oil.
Read more about dealing naturally with the summertime pesky bugs.
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Atlanta Seminar on Aging Pets

This is from Dr. Susan Wynn's site:
****************
If you're in Atlanta....
Caring for aging and ailing pets...

It’s a tender and emotional subject, but one in which many people have many questions. Georgia Veterinary Specialists (GVS) is here to help.

GVS, a multi-specialty veterinary referral hospital and 24-hour emergency center in Sandy Springs, will offer a free seminar to the public to help pet owners navigate the often unfamiliar road we face when supporting an aging or ailing pet.

What: Caring for Your Aging or Ailing Pet: The Road Ahead

This seminar with feature discussions from veterinary specialists, Nick Berryessa DVM, DACVIM and Dr. Susan Wynn CVA, CVCH, experts in caring for our geriatric canine and feline friends. In addition, Robin Chisolm-Seymour, M.Ed., will address loss and grief.

· What to expect with elderly pets
· Myths and Facts: age is not a disease
· Understanding the changes: evaluating quality of life
· How a pet owner can help
· Knowing when to say goodbye
· Coping with loss: before, during and after

When: Saturday, July 18th
10 am to 12 pm

Where: Georgia Veterinary Specialists
455 Abernathy Road, NE
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
The seminar is free to the public, but seating is limited. To make a reservation, please contact: Kimberly DeMeza, 404.459.0903. ext. 193, or email kdemeza@gvsvet.com.

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Housetraining!

The Complete Guide to Housetraining Your New Puppy or Adult Dog
The Secrets of Successful Housetraining

Understanding that dogs have no moral or physical attachments to your new carpet or freshly waxed hardwood floors is the first step to helping your canine companion learn the ins and outs of housetraining- literally and figuratively! Housetraining is easy if you can simply relax and understand that dogs are just dogs, and they eally don’t care where they eliminate until you teach them differently. The challenge you face is that you will need to communicate to your dog or puppy that “going” where you prefer will be worth his time and effort.

In other words, in your dog’s mind, the carpet is just as good as the grass, the tile floor is more convenient than the cold patio, or the rug by the doggie door is faster than going outside through that flapping thing that touches him on the butt as he exits.

Good housetraining behaviors not only include the physical mechanics of training, (coupled with a good reinforcement history), it also requires a realistic view of dog. read the entire article.

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Porch Potty

Live in a condo or apartment?

Not having a yard for your dog can be frustrating -- taking the dog out multiple times a day, down stairs or even an elevator. The Porch Potty puts the backyard right on your porch.

No hose connection? No problem. The Porch Potty Standard is watered manually. Pour two gallons of water over the grass 1-2 times a week. That's it. Grass stays fresh and odor free. Synthetic grass rinses clean with fresh water poured over it.
How do I choose?

Grass is the key to training.

The included Synthetic Grass is great for years of use. But nothing works better for training your dog, than the smell of REAL GRASS. The Training Sod is a special soil-less sod that is easily placed in the Porch Potty in seconds. It eliminates the dirt and mess of typical sod and has the scent of real grass dogs are familiar with.

How it works.

The Synthetic Grass is a perforated waterproof nylon grass that looks and feels like natural grass. Simply water the grass with a watering can (or the Premium built-in sprinkler) to flush any urine down the 14 foot drain tube. You don't have to worry about dumping an awkward flimsy pan like other dog potties on the market. Just lead the drain tube to a nearby floor drain, rain gutter, or planter area.
Click here for details.

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Dogs: Hot Spots

Hot Spots

“The term "Hot Spots" refers to a range of painful skin conditions typified by moist, inflamed lesions with acute, superficial-to-deep pyoderma. Most lesions are secondary to self-trauma. In most cases, surface bacterial colonization becomes significant. The inflamed skin is irritating and painful to the pet and upsetting to the pet owner. Once the condition begins, the pet frequently aggravates the problem. Irritation leads to scratching and/or licking of the wound, which in turn, causes further damage to the skin and increased irritation. This "itch-scratch-itch" cycle can quickly turn a small lesion into a large wound.” Getting to the source of skin problems in our pets can be difficult to determine. Most skin problems in dogs are caused by external parasites such as fleas and mites. Read the entire article.


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How to remove a tick from your pet

When you find a tick, carefully remove the entire tick from the pet’s body using tweezers or a tick scoop. Tick scoops, are available at most pet supply stores. To remove a tick using tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible by trying to grip its head. Steadily pull up until it releases its grip on your pet. Do not squeeze to the point of crushing the tick. If the head is left in the skin, use a sterile needle to remove the head similar to how you would remove a splinter. Wash the tick bite and your hands with soap and water. Note: The old wives tails that says using petroleum jelly, alcohol and a hot match do not work to loosen ticks from the skin. Remember: Ticks do not drown in water, so get rid of them by wrapping in tissue and flushing them down the toilet, or drown them in rubbing alcohol or tea tree oil. Crushing a tick risks the spread of disease.
Read more tips for managing fleas and ticks.


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Sunshine Blend Essential Oil

Nature's Sunshine has a special summer blend available. I am excited about it and plan to use it as a refreshing spray for both me and the dogs. I think it would be a great addition to pet shampoo! NSP's essential oils are like no other. Because an enormous amount of raw material is used to make pure, natural essential oils, a surprisingly large amount of products on the market have been mixed with chemical substances or diluted with lower quality, commericial-grade oils! (Yuk!)

After discovering that many manufacturers taint their essential oils with foreign substances in order to save on production costs, Nature's Sunshine resolved to find premier sources of genuine and complete essential oils.

For a limited time only: SUNSHINE BLEND

This special combination of essential oils reflects NSP’s outlook—sunny and warm! It contains 100% pure, cold-pressed essential oils from Lemon, Orange, Pink Grapefruit and Lime. This bright, clean aroma helps uplift, invigorate, inspire and bring balance to the body, mind and spirit.

Available while supplies last.

Click here to order.

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Instinctive Choice

Cats evolved as desert animals, so their sense of thirst is not as well-developed as in other mammals. In fact, cats will only drink an average of two milliliters of water for every gram of dry food they eat.

Our veterinarian formulator, Dr. Jane Bicks, used a unique approach to formulating our premium canned cat food. Based upon feline physiology, and taking evolutionary factors into consideration, she created a canned food to ensure that cats receive adequate hydration. Instinctive Choice Premium Canned Health Food for Kittens & Adult Cats is a revolutionary canned food that is formulated to provide your cat with a meal that is similar in moisture and nutrition to how felines have fed in the wild for millennia.

Instinctive Choice contains superior-quality proteins from certified-organic chicken, tender turkey and succulent shrimp. And figuring prominently in this savory feast is nutrient-rich water, offering the nutritional components found in chicken broth and the other proteins in this food, which allow your cat to obtain moisture closer to the way a cat in the wild would get it. And mixed in this unique recipe is dog grass extract, which mimics the grasses cats in the wild found in their prey.
Other highlights of this tasty food include added Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, Taurine, and a superior blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help kittens grow strong and healthy, and to maintain the health and wellness of adult cats.
And all of these fine ingredients are cooked in a delicious broth that is seasoned with a touch of rosemary, for a flavor that even finicky cats can’t resist. With Instinctive Choice Premium Canned Health Food, you can give kittens and cats the nutrients they truly crave,with the fluid intake they need to thrive.

Click here for more information.

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Flea Control Safety Issues

if you are using a spot on or topical flea control on your pets, please take note of safety concerns:

Imidacloprid (often sold as Advantage)

Imidacloprid is toxic to animal nervous systems. In a test conducted by an midacloprid manufacturer, it caused tremors in laboratory animals.

Fipronil (often sold as Frontline)

Fipronil insecticide products disrupt hormone function. Scientists at the Universidade Federal do Parana in Brazil showed that an application of Frontline to laboratory animals caused dramatic changes in the levels of two sex hormones and disrupted the animals' reproductive cycle.

Link to the article: http://www.pesticide.org/fleainsecticides.html



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Are Flea Control Products Safe?

Are Flea Control Products Safe?

Many pet owners feel that if they buy a flea control product in a grocery store it must be safe. Or, if they have their homes treated by a "professional" applicator or use products recommended by their veterinarians, the products must be safe. In fact, researchers found that many pet owners were so complacent about pesticide hazards that even during pregnancy and the first 6 months of a new child's life parents "failed to recognize and reduce the pervasive exposures associated with the use of no-pest-strips and flea collars." 1 To dispel this myth of safety, it is crucial to understand a few points about how pesticides work and how they get on the market.

First, pesticides are poisons; they are primarily intended to kill living organisms. Many pesticides affect a broad range of living things. For example, organophosphate and carbamate compounds (two classes of pesticides commonly used for flea control) act on the nervous system of insects and mammals in the same manner.2 When you use these chemicals you can affect not only fleas, but your pet and yourself.

Second, the law that regulates pesticides - the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) - does not use safety as the fundamental basis for allowing a pesticide on the market. FIFRA is based on a risk-benefit standard. This allows pesticides to be used even if they pose hazards to humans and the environment so long as the benefits outweigh the hazards.3 Any health or environmental hazards can be acceptable if the estimated economic benefits are large.

Third, many products on the market today do not meet current standards for health and safety testing. These products were already registered when FIFRA's testing requirements were passed in 1972. While the law was amended in 1988 to set deadlines for bringing the testing up to current standards, the deadlines have not been met.4 This means that we have limited information on some older pesticides.

Fourth, pesticide products are made up of more than one chemical. Most pesticides are composed of "active" ingredient(s) , whose identity must be listed on the label, and "inert" ingredients whose identities most manufacturers claim are trade secrets. The term "inert" is misleading, because these secret ingredients are neither biologically, chemically, nor toxicologically inactive. Much of the testing required for EPA registration is done on the active ingredient only.5 Therefore, adverse effects of the pesticide as it is used are untested and unknown.

1. Davis, J.R., R.C. Brownson, and R. Garcia. 1992. Family pesticide use in the home, garden, orchard, and yard. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 22:260-266.

2. Cremlyn, R.J. 1991. Agrochemicals: Preparation and mode of action. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. Pp.123 and 149.

3. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act 2(bb).

4. U.S. EPA. Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 1992. Pesticide reregistration. Washington, D.C., May. Pp.2-3.

5. U.S. EPA. 1987. Inert ingredients in pesticide products; Policy statement. Fed. Reg. 52(77):13305, Apr. 22.
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Bug Repellant - Natural

Lemon Spray: Take a large lemon (the thicker the rind the better!) and slice it paper thin. Place the slices in a bowl and add a tablespoon of crushed rosemary leaves (or a sprig of fresh). Pour over, a quart of hot, nearly boiling, water. Steep overnight. Strain and put into a large spray bottle. Refrigerate. Shake well before applying – do not wet the coat, lightly mist. (not intended for the face) Click here for more recipes.

Don't have any lemons? Try lemon essential oil!

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Animal Hospice

Animal Hospice Compassionate Crossings is not a place, but rather a philosophy that promotes healing through shared understanding. We provide support, compassion, and most of all a sense of connection. You are not alone in your time of grief, even if you live in a remote area.

We offer our services to anyone anticipating or coping with the loss of a beloved animal companion. Our group of trained volunteers will visit by telephone, mail, e-mail, or in person with anyone who asks for help in dealing with the loss or impending loss of an animal. We will support the person through visits before, during, and after the death. We provide ideas and planning for memorial services, designing and conducting these services for those in our neighborhood of Idaho and giving others the tools for their areas.

We provide ongoing support groups, direct people toward appropriate reading material, and encourage people to share together their feelings of love and loss surrounding their animal. When we suffer a loss, rarely can we find unconditional support and acceptance for our pain. When an animal dies, people who do not understand the depth of love possible between animals and humans are unable to give much comfort to a grieving person during or after the death of an animal. But we understand!

Our telephone helpline is answered daily and calls are returned by a trained and caring volunteer who is there to listen. We are happy to take your call, no matter where you live. You can also set up a home visit if you are a Wood River Valley resident in Idaho where AHCC has its headquarters. There are no charges for our services but toll calls are returned collect to allow our operating expenses to better serve the Wood River Valley community. www.animalhospice.org

Read more....

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July 4th Safety Tips

Top Tips to Keep your Pets Safe on July 4th

As much as we all enjoy watching the "big lights go boom" in the sky every Fourth of July, our pets arenot so up on the holiday. Courtesy of our friends over at the ASPCA, here are some top tips to keep your pets calm and safe during the Independence day activities and prevent them from becoming one of the thousands of missing "July 4th doggies" that are traumatized every year by fireworks and other scary noises (...like Uncle Stan at the Karaoke machine, etc.)

Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems

Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.

Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.

Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.

Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.

Consider calming your pet with a homeopathic calming remedy, available over the counter at most natural pet stores. If your pet has severe anxiety with loud noises, you might consider consulting with your Veterinarian for other options.

Please pass these tips on to any new pet parents you might know, to make sure they understand how to best prepare their pup or kitten for the holiday weekend and feel free to leave a comment with other tips you have found helpful. Happy Fourth!

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