Are you concerned when your pet eats grass, then throws up afterwards? You’ll probably feel relieved to know that dogs and cats eat grass because their bodies need it.

Pets have been eating grass for a long time. In fact, grass is so popular with dogs that one species, dog grass (also known as couch grass and quack weed), is named after them. Dog grass grows everywhere except the southern-most states.

Think of grass as an herbal medicine. It acts as an internal cleanser, expelling excess mucus, bile, and other impurities. It also cleanses the bowels and expels worms. Cereal grasses contain enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Grass also contains chlorophyll which, prior to the use of antibiotics, was used to relieve pain, treat infections, ulcers, skin diseases, and anemia.

Some pet owners grow grass specifically to give to their cats and dogs to prevent or treat diarrhea, anemia, cataracts, fleas, tumors excessive shedding, and other health problems. Pets that are fed grass on a regular basis are less likely to crave outdoor grass. So, if you don’t feel comfortable with your pet eating the grass in your lawn, consider growing your own grass for them to eat.

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With Thanksgiving just three weeks away, I thought this would be an appropriate message to share.

Which table foods are dangerous to cats and dogs? ‘Today’ pet contributor Tamar Geller discusses what you shouldn’t feed your four-legged friends

By Tamar Geller
Contributor
TODAY
Updated: 10:55 a.m. MT Dec 23, 2005

The holidays are a time to enjoy the company of loved ones, including your pets. Inform your guests about all pet rules: no feeding bones or other table scraps; candy and alcoholic beverages should be kept out of reach; keep gates and outside doors securely closed. Many of us will indulge ourselves with a big holiday meal, but we must remember to be very careful about what we feed our pets.

Rich fatty foods can be a cause for concern

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Everyone is getting older … including our pets. In the United States, it’s estimated that more than 18 million dogs and 22 million cats are considered “senior citizens.”

What’s considered “old” for a pet? Generally, a dog or cat older than seven years is considered middle-aged because our pets age seven times faster than we do. In other words, an eight-year-old cat would be 56 years old in “people years.” That’s why we might not easily notice our pet is beginning to show the signs of growing older.

All pet owners need to be aware of the signs of aging. Common ailments affecting older pets include arthritis, cancer, diabetes, kidney and liver diseases, and thyroid problems.

Unfortunately, our pets can’t tell us if their limbs are aching, their teeth are hurting, or their appetite is waning because they just don’t feel well. That’s why veterinarians strongly recommend that “senior” pets get twice-a-year checkups to detect any problems before they become serious. Early detection is the easiest way to treat canine or feline ailments and diseases.

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Do you make a lot of trips to the vet’s office? Do you spend your hard-earned money on vet bills because your dog suffers from chronic ailments? Give your dog or cat the nutrition he needs, and chances are you can spend your money on other things rather than giving it to your veterinarian.

Nutritional deficiencies are often the cause of chronic ailments in pets. Most holistic vets believe that improving a pet’s diet will boost health and vitality and often restore chronically ill dogs to health.

Pets need to eat a variety of fresh, whole foods. A balanced, raw, home-made diet provides the nutrients pets need to heal from the inside out.

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Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do you spend time and money at the veterinarian’s office trying to bring relief to your beloved pet, only to find that another infection appears over time? If so, you may want to try some more natural approaches to preventing and treating your pet’s ear infections. Dogs and cats have an incredible sense of hearing. To protect their hearing and prevent damage to the ear drum, their ear canals are L-shaped. The problem with this design is that it allows the ears to trap parasites, moisture, debris, and earwax, and any of these can lead to ear infections. Up to 80 percent of ear problems in dogs are linked to allergies, and ear mites are often the cause of infection in cats. The traditional treatment for ear infections is to give antibiotics, antifungal medications or other drugs. The problem with this approach is that drugs upset the normal chemistry inside the ear and can possibly turn a simple infection into a long-term problem. It makes more sense to deal with underlying allergies and strengthen the immune system so that it is able to fight bacteria and other germs BEFORE they cause infection. Also, there are many natural treatments for cleaning the ears and stopping infections without using drugs.

These are the Signs of an Ear Infection:

*Pet shakes head or holds it to one side.
*Pet scratches or rubs ears, or rubs head against furniture or carpet.
*There is a yellow, brown or black discharge in one or both ears.
*Ears smell bad or are tender or red.

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If you have pets, you probably know all too well how difficult it is to control a flea problem. Those pesky creatures cause discomfort for your pet and ‘camp out’ in different areas of your home. How do you get rid of these pests? Since commercial flea killers are probably unsafe for your dog or cat, try natural approaches instead.

Problems with Commercial Flea Killers & Traditional Flea Bite Treatments

Chemicals that act as poisons are strong enough to kill fleas, but the long-term effects on pets are unknown, although they are probably not safe to use. (Employees manufacturing these products must wear protective clothing and use respirators. Plus, the product labels warn against skin contact. So, if the chemicals are potentially harmful to humans, they are probably an unhealthy product for pets. ) Prednisone & other corticosteroid drugs used to give relief from flea bites help to stop itching & inflammation. But, they also suppress a pet’s immune system and have possible long-term side effects: water retention, liver or thyroid damage, hypertension, obesity, & heart attack.

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