Bravo To The Healing Pet Artist!

The Healing Pet Artist –

Because I view great pet health as an art, and myself as a healing artist, I use a creative process similar to that of a painter. The minute anything seems out of balance with one of my pets, I pick up my paint brush, identify the problem, prepare the palette, paint, step back to evaluate the whole picture, and retouch as necessary.

Each of my paintings begins with the finished masterpiece in mind. For Bravo, my Australian Shepherd, I envisioned a glowingly gorgeous, flea free coat, a strong and muscular build, colorful radiant eyes, white teeth, fresh breath, healthy pink tongue and gums, clean ears, happy tail, and boundless energy.

There is an ebb and flow to life and nothing is ever perfect all the time. If we approach great health methodically, we can always make alterations to keep the body as strong as possible with some basic techniques. Let’s walk through these steps together. All recipes and remedies mentioned can be found in my book, complete with the rationale for each ingredient.

Identify the problem and look beyond the symptom

Bravo was scratching incessantly. I checked his skin, and he definitely had an irritation. I also noted he was eating less and was not as energetic as usual. I suspected chemicals infiltrated his system and later, while watering the garden, I discovered a hole he’d dug underneath the fence. No doubt he’d been rolling in the neighbor’s yard and probably eating the grass. I couldn’t blame him. The thick beautiful dark green, St. Augustine lawn was certainly inviting. I remembered, my neighbor had mentioned a yellow spot full of chinch bugs he had to treat with insecticides. That evening, I checked Bravo’s stool, and sure enough, it was a bit green in color and much softer than usual. I knew his immune system was weaker because he was starting to attract fleas, and he was drinking more water than normal.

To look beyond these symptoms, we did what we always do — extensive research. Much of our findings for this and other problems are in my book. Our hope is that after you complete the Whole Pet Diet 8-Week Program, you’ll be able to use it as a handy reference tool and easily find the recipes and remedies you’ll need. You can also revisit The Whole Pet Diet website for further updates, more recipes and remedies, book lists, and frequently asked questions.

Prepare the palette

To bring Bravo back into balance, we first filled the hole and fixed the fence. I concocted an herbal flea spritz to clean the outside of the body, while Voyko prepared a plate full of live enzymes, protein, and super greens to soothe the stomach and heal the inside of the body. He started with plain, organic yogurt to benefit the intestinal tract, and beat in a raw organic egg with a pinch of chopped garlic and some fresh chopped parsley to help assimilate into the system quickly. I knew from previous taste tests, Bravo didn’t care much for the smell or taste of garlic, so I suggested we hold off on that and add it a little later to his dinner, mama’s healthy homemade chicken stew.

Paint Your Pet Well

I rinsed Bravo’s coat thoroughly with water, then used a Castile shampoo with a couple of drops of an herbal flea potion added in for good measure. For the next seven days, I misted him with the herbal flea spritz every time he came in from the outdoors, and gave him the raw egg and yogurt mix for a mid morning snack. Knowing he was drinking more water, I made sure to replenish his bowl with fresh, spring water a couple of times a day. I also continued to sneak a little extra fresh garlic in his evening meal. As you’ll read in my book, garlic is one of the most controversial, yet versatile healing herbs. In Bravo’s case, it helped get rid of fleas and boosted his immune system.

Step back and evaluate the whole pet picture

Bravo’s skin cleared up, his scratching stopped, there were no more signs of fleas, his stool looked fine, but his energy hadn’t returned to normal. I was worried about his compromised immune system with rainy winter weather on the way, and I also wanted to lift his skin and coat back to its original luster.

Retouch

We gave Bravo a raw marrow bone to chew so he could create more of his own digestive juices. I also added some extra Vitamin C and Vitamin B Complex (best source of B is the Vita-Mineral Mix) to every meal. I have full chapters on the benefits of both these water soluble vitamins, but briefly, they’re fabulous for the immune system and do wonders for skin and coat. Voyko also served him a liver and alfalfa shake (more live enzymes, protein and super greens) twice a week for the next month.

In no time at all, my beautiful Bravo was back in balance.

Pick Up Your Brush and Heal Your Pet

Whether you have minor problems, like Bravo’s skin irritation above, or more serious ones, like diabetes, feline leukemia, or even cancer, you can create a healthier pet. The Whole Pet Diet is an 8-week plan to help you heal your pets. We hope it will help you see the world through your pets’ eyes, and in turn, help them heal themselves, and live happier, healthier lives. We are all unique creatures with a distinctive set of genes, and we hold within us the power and the creativity to express ourselves fully and completely. Voyko and I have provided the basic colors for your palette, recipes to mix, and our basic principles to help get you started. We know your pet will guide you in your knowledge and your applications, and help you shape your own healing method. If you log it in your Whole Pet Diet Journal, I promise, you as a healing artist can paint your own path and help your pet live life more fully.

Wisdom is achieved through our own experiences, and it is our responsibility to the ones we love to foster new ideas and draw keenly upon observations. Achieving great health is an art, and you truly hold in your hands the power to paint your pet well. All you have to do is pick up the brush and begin the healing process: identify the problem and look beyond the symptom, prepare the palette, paint your pet well, admire your painting, and retouch as necessary. Believe in yourself, trust yourself, and remember: for the Healing Artist, the masterpiece is never finished. There is always something to retouch, so we keep our brushes close in hand.