This article contains excerpts from my column, ‘The Holistic Parrot’,  that appears in the February 2011, #157 issue of Parrots magazine.

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A healthy, symptom free, Blue and Gold macaw.

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The dictionary defines health as the general condition of the body or mind, being free from disease or ailment, while also possessing vigor and vitality.  But how many of the birds under our care can actually be described as being completely free of the symptoms of illness and disease?  Many holistic veterinarians have told me that their human clients readily accept mediocre to poor health as being normal in their companion animals.  If you’re truly interested in the health of your birds – be mindful of the fact that healthy birds are symptom free and naturally resist illness and disease.

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Avian Natural Healthcare

Avian Holistic Nutrition is the foundation of my work with the birds.  Did you know that avian holistic nutrition is three decades – 30 years –  behind what is commonly available for dogs and cats?  It’s time for this to change.

One holistic veterinarian who treats my companion animals once told me, “If there’s life, there’s hope.”   This simple phrase has become an affirmation for me, an indicator that we can make a difference.

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Examples of Natural Healing -

Using Diet for Cataract Reversal

These photos show one example of the healing results in parrots we are seeing.

What is a Cataract?

Cataract, left eye, Amboina King parrot, photo: Feb. 2010

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A cataract is a condition in which the eye lens looses its clearness.  A grey-white film can be seen in the lens, behind the pupil. In people cataracts are surgically removed. (1)  When cataracts are present the lens of the eye thickens and becomes clouded, it becomes unable to focus or admit light properly into the eye.  The main symptom of a developing cataract is the gradual loss of vision.  Cataracts are commonly caused by free radical damage.  Free radicals attack the structural proteins, enzymes and call membranes in the lens of the eye.  The free radicals present in our food, water and the environment  are  a major factor in the development of cataracts.(2)

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Left eye cataract reversal, Amboina King parrot, photo: Dec. 2010.

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In this photo taken ten months later notice how the cataract in the eye of this same bird has become much less cloudy. We attribute this improvement to the personalized nutrition and diet plan she is on along with constitutional homeopathic treatment.

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This bird’s diet consists of 100% organic foods. Our Wheat-Free – Complete Protein – Sprouting Blend makes up 80 to 90% of her diet. The remaining 1- to 20% consists of organic raw fruits, raw or steamed organic vegetables with select nuts. Why was she fed a wheat-free diet?

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Are you beginning to see why the type of sprouting blend you feed your birds is so important?

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For information on how a Personalized Nutritional consultation can help the companion animals under your care, please contact info@MoransCritterConnection.com

(1) The Signet Mosby Medical Encyclopedia.

(2) Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Third Edition, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC.

For the entire published version of this column visit Parrots magazine.

Preventing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction – A Study
Leslie Morán

After a lifetime of unconditional love, wagging tails, faithful companionship, and memorable experiences it is heartbreaking to begin noticing the symptoms of this degenerative condition that affects a majority of canine seniors. The symptoms of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD), also called Canine Dementia, are similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans, and are caused by physical degenerative changes in the brain.

The behaviors associated with CCD include:

- Becoming lost in familiar places around the home or backyard
– Becoming trapped behind familiar furniture or in rooms
– Having trouble finding and using doors or stairways
– Does not respond to his name or familiar commands
– Is withdrawn and unwilling to play, go for walks, or go outside
– Does not recognize or is startled by family members or familiar toys
– Paces or wanders aimlessly throughout the house
– Frequently trembles or shakes – either while standing or lying down
– Soils in the house regardless how often he is brought outside
– Stares at walls or into space
– Is startled by inside lighting or the television
– Has a tendency to sleep more during the day and less during the night

Although many of these symptoms are often accepted as a part of a dog’s normal aging process there is hope. The body is capable of achieving so much more when given the nutritional tools it needs to be able to heal and regenerate itself. When we talk about the abilities the human body possesses for healing and regenerating specific health conditions, did we think this innate cellular intelligence is only present in people? Animals too possess these inherent abilities when it comes to supporting the natural healing and regenerative processes present in their bodies.

Numerous diseases, degenerative conditions, and even the aging process itself are attributed to free radical damage. A free radical is a highly reactive molecule that can bind to and destroy other molecules. Also known as oxidative damage, free radical damage can irreversibly impair body cells and physiological processes.

Antioxidants, also called free radical scavengers, are the only way the body can successfully manage free radicals. Antioxidants target free radicals at the molecular level. They do this by combining with the free radicals, preventing them from binding to and destroying the molecules that make up the cells that compose vital systems, including the brain.

Although the body’s natural biochemical processes actually produce most of the oxidative free radicals in the body, when free radical levels elevate above what the free radical scavengers can control this is when they begin destroying the cells of the body.

Past studies have shown that some older dogs with CCD had brain lesions similar to those that physicians see in Alzheimer’s patients. According to Roger Kendall, Ph.D., in his book, “Building Wellness with DMG”, by , “Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia in the elderly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately 4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease … [it] is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory deterioration, loss of comprehension and intellectual function, and changes in behavior and personality”.

Kendall continues by explaining that, “ Alzheimer’s is most likely caused by heavy metals or other agents that lead to plaque formation or oxidative stress and free radical damage of brain tissue. The brain is abnormally sensitive to oxidative damage. Oxidative stress or reactive oxygen species may cause damage to the brain. Oxidative damage interferes with cell function, damages lipids, proteins, and DNA. It is also linked with degeneration, dysfunction, toxicity, and inflammation as well”.

Kendall suggests that,” Therapeutic alternatives [for Alzheimer’s] should be aimed at limiting free radical production and oxidative stress to help slow the advance of neurodegenerative disease. For this reason detoxification and antioxidant support provided by DMG are important in reducing and delaying the advance of Alzheimer’s”.

With the similarities already having been drawn between Alzheimer’s and CCD the information available to those involved in this study on Preventing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction – and the results we document – could potentially help man’s best friend and Alzheimer’s patients.

About the study:

If you have dogs five years of age or older you are invited to join this study. The outcome will be to document the effects of providing specific nutritional support for the purposes of either preventing, stabilizing, or reversing the symptoms and behaviors associated with CCD.

As a participant you will be asked to complete a simple questionnaire regarding each dog in the study. You will be asked to update this information every six to 12 months. Upon enrolling we will outline a suggested nutritional and dietary supplement program for each dog at no cost to you. You are free to purchase the suggested nutritional supplements from the store or supplier of your choice. However, if you elect to purchase your supplements from Critter Connection we will provide you a discount for participating in this study.

The important thing is to get involved!

Enroll in the study, learn which supplements to give, feed them on a regular basis, and report your results back to us when we follow up with you.

We are projecting this study will last for five years. Participating in this study will be completely voluntary and no reimbursement can be offered to the participants at this time.

As a participant you can be proud of your involvement for several reasons. Firstly, you will be helping to determine vital information regarding the use and effectiveness of specific nutritional supplements in preventing, stabilizing, or reversing the symptoms of CCD. Secondly, once these results are published the information will be available to potentially help thousands – even millions – of dogs. Thirdly, you will be helping your own beloved canine companions deter the debilitating effects of CCD. Fourthly, after publication – and depending up the results we document – all information potentially helpful in preventing, stabilizing , or reversing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease will also be offered for publication in appropriate journals.

For more information contact 1-775-577-9676, or info@moranscritterconnection.com put “CCD Study” in the email subject line.

Copyright © 2007 Leslie Morán
Helping People Heal the Animals They Love

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