Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Holistic Case Study

HealthyLife.Net Radio Show
Wendy’s Animal Talk, Host Wendy Nan Rees,
Guest Russell Louie

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Holistic Case Study
December 15, 2009, 1-2:00 PM PDT

Russell, has studied holistic health and spirituality for over 30 years and lived a holistic lifestyle for over 57 years. He specializes in integrating his scientific background with his knowledge of health, to holistically help both people and pets. His greatest talent is being able to cut through all the marketing hype using his scientific background to tell people what is truly holistic. Today, our topic is “Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).”

Russell, so many pets seem to have inflammatory bowel disease. Why is that?
I feel there are multiple reasons. Keep in mind I am not a vet, so these are just my holistic perspectives. First, I see many pets with an imbalanced endocrine system and deficient immune system that also have IBD symptoms. I will explain how this relates to IBD shortly. Second, the current Western medical treatment of IBD only alleviates the symptoms and never addresses the cause. Third, when I see puppies and kittens fed a nutritionally deficient dry kibble diet in the beginning, I feel this contributes to the poor development of the digestive track and IBD symptoms later on in life. If more people would use your Natural Pet Food Cookbook right from the start, this issue could be alleviated. And finally, over breeding and poor breeding practices perpetuates a pre-disposition to IBD problems in offspring.

Wow, I know many of my listeners want to know this. Would you share your holistic perspectives with us?
Let us go back to my first point about an imbalanced endocrine system and deficient immune system. Dr. Alfred Plechner, after a 35-year practice, became dissatisfied with just treating the superficial signs of health problems with the conventional treatment. What he found was that his traditional veterinary treatment had little impact on pets, who seemingly were more susceptible to disease and allergies and who seemed to be living shorter and sicker lives. Through his research, he uncovered a hidden adrenal gland defect and thyroid imbalance that caused an endocrine-immune system imbalance. His research showed this endocrine-immune system dysfunction was caused primarily by poor genetics and over-breeding with a poor nutritional diet of dry kibbles, environmental pollutants, stress and age being secondary factors.

OK, how does that relate to IBD?
If this endocrine-immune imbalance is present, then the IgAs (immunoglobulin antibodies regulated by the endocrine system) that normally coat the mucus membranes of the gut for protection, go out of control and sometimes even attack the body itself (auto-immune response). The walls of the gut then become inflamed and thicken for protection. With the gut’s defense system compromised, harmful bacteria and other bad microorganisms can attack. When this happens, nutrients, supplements, as well as medication to treat the disease are not absorbed by the body and exit the other end. This is one reason why positive results may not be seen using the best holistic remedies and even medication. One must correct the endocrine-immune imbalance first, so that the mucus lining of the gut returns to normal and then the body can absorb nutrients again and heal itself.

Wow, that makes so much sense. Now you mentioned a third possible cause of IBD?
Yes, biologists tell us that cats are obligate carnivores meaning they need 70-90% meat protein in their diet to thrive in the wild. Dogs are more tolerant in that they only need 60-80% meat protein in their diet to be healthy. But if one raises their kittens and puppies on dry kibble, then they are supplying a nutrient deficient diet while these young bodies are developing and so one should expect health issues (such as IBD) as they grow older. It is like feeding our human babies nothing but fruit and vegetable-flavored cookies and wondering why they are obese, diabetic and have all sorts of health problems as adults. Cheap dry kibble only contains 20-40% meat protein at best and too much carbohydrates and sugar. That is why education on the proper diet for a carnivore and healthy options such as your Natural Pet Food Cookbook are so important for new pet owners.

And finally, your fourth reason?
We all know that “puppy mill” breeders do not care about the health and well-being of their pups. They just want to produce as many perfectly looking puppies for profit as possible. Therefore, they use only dry kibble to raise the pups (or kittens) to keep their costs down. For the reason previously stated, this does not give these growing bodies the proper nutrition to develop a balanced endocrine and immune system and a fully functioning digestive tract. Furthermore, they are not concerned with testing the parents to see if they have a balanced endocrine and immune system, they are only concerned about producing perfect looks and personalities. These breeders will, therefore, pass on to offspring the pre-disposition for Dr. Plechner’s hidden adrenal gland defect and thyroid imbalance that causes an endocrine-immune system imbalance and possibly IBD.

OK, so what if my pet already has IBD symptoms, what can I do?
The first step is to obviously go to a vet to get a proper diagnosis. One needs to rule out more serious conditions and make sure their pet does not need immediate treatment for bacterial infections, parasites, tumors, cancer, etc. Diarrhea and vomiting can be very dangerous in small pets because they can get dehydrated very fast and so this should not be neglected. If the vet diagnoses an IBD condition, they can treat the immediate symptoms so that the pet can return to somewhat normal digestive function.

OK, say my pet does get some relief from Western medical treatment, what next?
Typically, what will happen next is that the symptoms will appear to subside but over time they will come back, one might have to keep changing diets to avoid IBD symptoms or the vet will have to prescribe larger doses or different drugs to achieve the same effects. Like I said in the beginning of the show, most Western medical treatment only addresses the immediate symptoms. In other words, the medication will successfully calm down the digestive tract and suppress the immune system from attacking the walls of the intestines but it will do nothing to address the original cause of IBD, namely a hidden adrenal gland defect and thyroid imbalance that causes an endocrine-immune system imbalance. If you remember, with an endocrine-immune system imbalance the IgA (immunoglobulins) in the gut are not protecting the intestinal lining like they should (producing malabsorption), so the walls of the intestinal lining will thicken in defense and now you have a perpetual cycle that cannot correct itself.

Well, that is not good then. What can one do next?
The next step is to clean up the diet of an IBD pet. One must feed a hypoallergenic diet. Certainly avoid any food a pet has shown a sensitivity. Other potential allergens include wheat, corn and soy products as well as any poultry meats. Dr Plechner was so adamant about the importance of a good diet, he sometimes refused to treat a pet if the guardian would continue to feed a poor nutritional dry kibble diet.

So, is that the final step in alleviating IBD?
Not really. Ideally, one should be able to feed a pet a variety of meats so they get a well rounded nutritional diet. Also, one does not want to have to continually increasing the dosage of the veterinary IBD medicine prescribed. Long term use of steroids has horrible side effects. So, from my holistic perspective, if an animal guardian still has to feed a restrictive diet and continually give or increase the dosage of drugs to keep IBD symptoms at bay, then a more permanent solution is necessary.

How can my listeners find a permanent resolution from IBD symptoms in their pet?
Well, realizing that Western medical drugs only treat the symptoms of IBD and going back to my first reason of an imbalanced endocrine and deficient immune systems, I would look towards what is controlling the stomach, intestines, glands of the endocrine system and entire immune system. Holistically speaking, this is the brain. Dr Kiriac, the inventor of BioPreparation spent 20+ years in animal research to find a way to nutritionally eliminate cancer in the chickens, rabbits and mink population in Russia. Based on his research with animals he once told me, “Russell, IBD is a degenerative disease that begins in the brain. The symptoms may manifest in the intestines but the source of the problem is in the brain.”

So, I would agree with Dr. Plechner in that one needs to balance the adrenals and thyroid and especially the pituitary (master gland), pineal and hypothalamus glands in the brain. When the endocrine and immune systems are in balance, the IgA antibodies that normally operate in the mucus membranes of the gut will be produced and function as they should in protecting the intestinal walls. With the gut’s defense system back in control, harmful bacteria and other bad microorganisms can not attack. When one corrects the endocrine-immune imbalance first, the mucus lining of the gut returns to normal and then the body can absorb nutrients again and heal itself. In essence, we are working from the top-down and from the inside-out instead of just trying to fix the symptoms in the intestines from without.

Yes, I see now how that is a different approach. Do you have any successful case histories to prove that this new holistic approach works?
Here is a case study where the cat’s guardian spent over 6 months and over $9,000 on traditional veterinary treatment with no resolution. Scouter was an 11-12 year old cat that had Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and was hyperthyroid. He lost weight from 15 pounds down to 12 pounds because of severe IBD symptoms. The guardian fed him a good quality dry food and started to add, what they thought was an even better quality dry food to the mix. As soon as they changed foods, the cat developed instant diarrhea. Even after they went back to the original food, the diarrhea did not improve. Then Scouter was diagnosed as being hyperthyroid as well as having either IBD or intestinal lymphoma. Ultrasound showed slight intestinal wall thickening, while the liver and kidneys looked normal. Scouter tested negative for parasites. Vets prescribed an antibiotic, Flagil, for worms—did not work. Now on thyroid medication and also on Prednisone. The guardian has been feeding a prescription diet Z/D still with no resolution.

So, what did this poor cat guardian do?
He started out with our maintenance formula, BioPreparation-f2+ with some initial results in the first 2 days. He was so encouraged he switched to our therapeutic formula, BioPreparation-f3+, and Scouter’s IBD symptoms started to clear up. By the end of the first week, Scouter’s IBD symptoms were totally gone. Scouter’s guardian told us, what used to look like a “crime scene” in Scouter’s litter box now looks perfectly normal.

What a wonderful ending. Can you post this in my blog on my website?
I absolutely will as soon as the show is over.

You seem to have wealth of pet knowledge. How can we access more of your 57 years of holistic wisdom?
One way is to go to our website, www.OptimumChoices.com/, and sign up for our free monthly e-newsletters. We have written articles on such topics as, Is glucosamine the answer for arthritis? Healthy water for you and your pets and Whole Food Nutrition vs. Supplements. All past articles are archived online and one can search for a specific topic. If your listeners will check the box at the bottom of the subscription form, we’ll send subscribers a free report entitled What Pet Food Companies Don’t Want You to Know. This report contains 11-points some of which we covered today.

What other holistic resources do you have that would be of interest my listeners?
We have written a series of Holistic Choices e-Books. Readers can take advantage of the latest holistic research we find and absorb the information in a small chunk rather than a 100+ page book. The first three titles that have been published are:

• Save Your Dog or Cat
• Secrets of Longevity (for people )
• How to become a canine massage provider

How can me and my listeners get a copy?
Go to our website www.OptimumChoices.com and click on the [e-Books] button in the left column on our home page. As a special offer, I will give your listeners one e-Book of their choice free with a purchase of any BioPreparation or BioSuperfood product. Just have them say, “Wendy sent me” and ask for the free e-Book title of their choice with any product purchase in the Special Instructions box of our shopping cart. This is very important—the must mention the title of the e-Book they want free.

Thank you for sharing your holistic wisdom with my listeners today.
For more information on Optimum Choices and holistic options for your pet, go to Russell’s website at www.OptimumChoices.com/. You can call toll-free
866-305-2306 or e-mail them at info@OptimumChoices.com.

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Your Worst Nightmare - An Untrained Dog Around A Child

Dear Wendy,


Thanks so much for your invitation to chat on your Nov. 24, 2009 Animal Talk Radio Show. My hope is that dogs and kids are safe in each other’s company. Just think, we might have saved a dog from going to the pound or shelter or a child from serious dog bite because of your wonderful Radio Show! Here’s a recap of our lively discussion:


Children who love dogs but don’t know how to care for them can get into serious trouble! Until a child is about 10 or 11, I believe in direct adult supervision of a child near a dog. We don’t want either to “learn the hard way”, after the fact. Avoid the nips, snarls, and snapping from a fearful dog who is misunderstood or mistreated by a child. A dog is not a cuddly stuffed animal or doll baby. So be watchful of that stranger’s dog tied up outside your grocery store when you and your child go shopping! A leashed dog can often be more aggressive.


Just like we want our children to be individuals who are nice to be with, we want our dogs to be accepted and enjoyed. Dogs want to trust their DOG Guardians, to feel safe with children, to know that a kid is not going to hurt it, tease it, make it afraid, ignore it or make it lonely or unloved. Dogs react to everything their humans do.


Just like a child who is ignored and not well-tended, a dog will act-out badly if it isn’t included in family life appropriately. Give your dog every chance to learn YOUR rules. Take the whole family to Puppy School!


As a professional educator, I see that children learn best in hands-on, experiential ways so the best thing is to take them to Dog training classes. All can benefit from training – the dogs, the children, the whole family. Be on the same page for skills and techniques for success.


Dogs thrive in a kind world. My own Shiitzu, Elvis, was a shelter dog so badly teased by kids his life was miserable until we worked to regain his trust. Whereas, Fonzi, our Cockapoo is friendly, well-mannered and likes children because he was properly socialized by his breeder’s children who understood the correct ways to handle puppies.


Dog Training is a big “Learning Curve” that makes all the difference in kids’ and dogs’ lives. The cute little character in my activity book, Hap the Pup, says, “Teach Kidz 2 Train Dogz”! It’s Fun!


Suzanne Pierson
……songwriter, author and illustrator of
“Hap the Pup: a Dog’z Guide 4 Kidz” Activity Book and CD”
helping new dog families through activities, games, tips and more
featuring a favorite kid’s singalong and EZPlay Piano score of
“The Puppy Song”.
www.hapthepup.com
hapthepup@hotmail.com