I’m going to need to start at the beginning and tell you a bit about Stem Cells and then move on to explain the miracle of VSELS.  Most of you have heard of Stem Cells. Stem cells are oftentimes advertised as a powerful healing therapy in the field of integrative and regenerative medicine. They’re considered the key to health, youth, regeneration and anti-aging in both humans and pets.

Without these cells, we wouldn’t be able to heal.  Ever!   A wound would never heal.

In fact, and let this sink in, without our Stem Cells, there would be no way to survive.

That’s because we wouldn’t be able to regenerate and make new cells.

The Stem Cells in your bodies and your pets’ bodies are nothing short of miraculous.

With all this hullabaloo, there’s quite a bit of false advertising, touting products that use the words but do little or and oftentimes nothing. Gimmicks, so to speak. They’re not really stem cells.

As the subject can be more than a bit confusing, I’m going to take some time to fill you in.

Find the Truth about Stem Cells

Let’s look at what stem cells are and what triggers them to heal and repair tissues.   I’d wager that you never thought of healing in this way.

Stem cells and what they can do will vary from species to species. Salamanders can regrow their tails, but we certainly can’t regrow our fingers! Horses and cows have stem cells that cause their teeth to grow throughout their lives. In human, dog and cat bodies the stem cells in the skin and those that line the gut regenerate very well. How well a stem cell can regenerate depends on the organ it’s become. Organs differ in their ability to regenerate. For example, the liver regenerates much better than the heart or kidney.

The Science – Defining Stem Cells

When the egg and sperm join to become a fertilized cell, a new life is formed and the stem cells get to work, creating a baby!  These stem cells then go on to develop into different parts of our body.

As we grow and go through life some of these stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out, damaged tissues.  The cells in our liver, gut, skin, hair and bone marrow work 24 hours a day monitoring and making needed repairs.

Yet, in some other organs, such as the pancreas and the heart, these stem cells only divide under certain conditions and only when there is tremendous amount of damage.

That’s why some organs are more regenerative than others. You may have heard about how quickly a liver can repair itself.  A liver can grow back even after two thirds of the liver is surgically removed. [In fact, I think a human body can do this almost a dozen times!] And yes, the liver does grow back ONLY because of its stem cells. But the heart, unlike the liver, will not regrow well at all when damaged.

A Stem Cells Journey

 At the very beginning the primordial stem cell can become anything.  Think of a GPS.  They can choose any direction they need go to and become any organ or body tissue.  But once they head down a road, they lose, forevermore, the opportunity to change.  Liver cells have become liver cells and kidney cells are kidney cells.

These primordial cells that can become anything have a special name. ‘Totipotent’ means that they can make totally anything.

But they’re only Totipotent before the GPS sets their path.

Some parents save their baby’s umbilical cord cells. These cells can do quite a lot. They’re called Multipotent. Think of this as being able to make multiple tissues but not totally all tissues.

In veterinary medicine, fat cells are harvested and treated to wake up the stem cells in fat. These cells are even more limited. With this, they’re called Mono-potent which means they can give rise to one thing; connective tissue. In pets, fat is often used as a source of stem cells to help with joint problems as they also have anti-inflammatory effects.

The last CELL the Stem Cell becomes will have, within that chosen organ or tissue, a measured ability to regenerate, depending on the organ cell it has become.

There are many active stem cells in the skin and bone marrow and gut regenerating every day.  The stem cells in the liver are also very active.  Stem cells grow hair and fingernails.  In the horse and cow these cells will grow their teeth throughout their lives.

 Our stem cells age along with us [we humans] just as our pets’ stem cells age along with them.

Our stem cells age just as we do. Every time any cell in our body replicates and multiples the DNA gets copied and replicated for the new cell. With each replication, the end-caps of the DNA [called Telomeres] shorten. A Telomeres job is to cap the DNA, which protects it. As the Telomeres shorten, the DNA gets progressively less protection. This is what causes aging.

Because of scientific advancements, we have the ability to measure Telomeres in order to assess age. This little tidbit about Telomeres will be woven into the next part.

Finally, I can explain VSEL Cells to you!

 Very Small Embryonic Stem Cells are in your blood and your pets’ blood. These are Toti-Potent cells. [this type of stem cell can make anything and everything]

Many people call them little Miracle Cells and there is a reason for this.

VSEL cells are both trapped and asleep in our blood. They circulate around in our plasma and in the plasma of our dogs and cats.  They are fast asleep.

This very tiny yet very powerful stem cell has been hidden in the blood of humans, dogs and cats- along with every other animal. They’ve been prisoners- sort of like Superman sealed in Kryptonite- in the plasma portion of blood. These cells have also been fast asleep; think Sleeping Beauty.  In fact, they’ve been completely dormant [asleep] since you or your dog or cat or horse has been born so these cells have NEVER AGED.  The Telomeres on these little miracle cells are as healthy and plump as the day one was born. These cells have been in a dormant state since the time you [and your dogs and cats!] were conceived.

These VSEL cells are so tiny they can slide right through membranes that no other stem cell can penetrate and can even go into the brain and nervous system. They appear to be so powerful that they seem to be able to repair areas in the body that have long been deemed to be irreparable.

VSEL therapy is one of the most exciting regenerative medicine therapies. These cells are small and powerful and can pass through the lungs and brain where other stem cells can’t. They are also very robust and when they reach their target they rapidly multiply. Importantly, the VSELs that we use belong to the patient who receives them.

I want to tell you the story of how they came to be awakened. Dr. Todd Ovokaitys and his team at Johns’ Hopkins developed a patented QiGen laser system which works to release millions of VSELs from the patient’s own plasma.  This special laser is called the SONG Laser and it was developed by Dr. Todd Ovokaitys and the Scottish physicist Scott Strachan [who also developed the Ultrasound]. There are 3 granted US and international patents for the laser activation and 3-dimensional guidance of these miraculous stem cells through tissue.

Dr. Ovokaitys has also worked with leading scientists such as Harvard University professor David Sinclair and has validated that this treatment can reverse biological and cellular age. This profound effect of being able to turn back the biological clock will allow a person [and a pet!] to live a lot longer in a much more youthful body. We talked about Telomeres and aging above, and VSEL therapy works to protect our Telomeres, as well as help regenerate each organ to anti-age them.

The VSELs are prepared by drawing blood into specifically designed tubes, separating out the patient’s serum/plasma and then applying the SONG laser to fractionate out the VSELs. After this is done the newly awaked VSEL are returned to the patient… and they get right to work!  It’s like having the Seven Dwarfs whistling as they work, except, rather than 7 workers, we have about 80 million tiny workers enthusiastically healing the patient. They’ve woken up from their long nap and are raring to go!   These VSEL cells can even be directed to areas of the body using the SONG laser right after they’re placed back into the patient. This innovative technique is also protected by a US patent. The areas of the body that need healing are mapped out and we send the cells directly to that area.

Health Mapping for Pets    …………‘a whole new way of healing the whole body’

The precision fusion that happens when the most powerful stem cells in our pet’s bodies are awakened and then carefully directed to where they are most needed.

Very Small Embryonic Stem Cells are Tiny but mighty miracles. 

You can achieve maximum health for your pets using your pet’s very own, incredibly powerful embryonic stem cells.

These ‘little miracles’ are tiny but mighty.

When awakened they activate your pets hidden internal healing mechanisms.

These V cells, lie dormant in your pet’s blood.  The extraordinary, newly invented SONG laser awakens these cells.

It’s as simple as taking some blood from your pet, activating these mighty health warriors and returning them to your pet, in your pet’s own serum.  Is as close to nature and as natural as you can find.

Once these cells activated, they are then carefully guided to the areas which need to be regenerated, rejuvenated and healed.

No other stem cells have the power of these mighty miracle stem cells, working tirelessly to heal the areas they are directed to. After activation, the SONG laser guides them to their workplace where they heal and correct problems in the body.

The precision fusion that happens when the most powerful stem cells in our pet’s bodies are awakened and then carefully directed to where they are most needed.

IN A NUTSHELL

VSEL Therapy uses very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), which are known to have an amazing healing capacity. VSELs are tiny, measuring only 3-5 micrometers in diameter.

Within the plasma are dormant embryonic stem cells (VSELs), which are, for lack of a better word, are “sleeping.” However, these embryonic stem cells can be activated and enlivened by treating them with a special laser called the SONG laser. Once activated, the VSELs are introduced back into the body, where they can travel to sites of injury, inflammation, or disease and promote healing.

These cells may also help restore the natural balance of stem cells in the body so that everyday repair processes can occur more efficiently. VSELs have also been shown to secrete molecules that reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration.  In addition to its therapeutic benefits, VSEL therapy also directly impacts the improvement of the patient’s overall health due to its ability to enhance cell renewal and regeneration.

What Conditions Can VSEL Therapy Help?

VSEL therapy has been used to treat a variety of conditions and diseases, including:

• Allergies and itching
• GI conditions and IBD
• Hind leg weakness
• autoimmune conditions
• heart disease
• ACL/MCL Knee injuries
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Soft tissue injury and damage
• Skin conditions
• Organ failure
• Heart failure
• Spinal cord injuries
• Arthritis in dogs
• Arthritis in cats
• spinal column problems IVDD

The post These Very Small Stem Cells [VSEL’s] dramatically change a pet’s health permanently! first appeared on Natural Remedies for Dog Allergies.

It’s interesting to note that when we enter the realm of energetic holistic medicine, we leave the field of biology and enter the field of physics. Every day, new research in physics challenges old beliefs about how the body works and heals. Even though the Chinese recognized energy pathways (called acupuncture meridians) more than 6,000 years ago, it has taken the advent of new scientific methodologies to recognize how changes in energy fields affect and determine health.

The autonomic nervous system plays an integral role in recognizing what the body’s computer has deemed enemies. It then calls the immune system into action to defend the body against the enemy.

Allergy-elimination corrects the autonomic nervous system’s perception of the allergic substance so it is no longer perceived as a threat. It all happens within the realm of physics on an energetic level, and it translates into physical healing. Each treatment teaches your pet’s body that an allergen is a friend rather than an enemy.

The technique I have designed and use is called Allergy Elimination 4 Pets.

The typical scenario of the owner of an allergic pet is a path of avoidance—and it’s a lifelong job. It simply doesn’t have to be that way. If you’ve been dealing with your pet’s allergies for years, it may be hard for you to believe that there exists an allergy-elimination technique that transforms an allergic pet into a nonallergic pet. It may seem too good to be true that you can turn your pet’s chronic problems around, but it happens all the time.

After first identifying a pet’s allergy triggers through muscle response testing (applied kinesiology), I work with the pet owner to correct the blockages or imbalances. I do this by correcting the immune system’s misperception of the allergen, which, in effect, enables the body to heal itself by restoring the unrestricted flow of energy. Think of it as corrective reprogramming.

It all happens within the realm of physics on an energetic level and translates into physical healing. A specific program is created for each pet. The energetic resonance of each allergen combination that your pet needs is placed in a vial. The vial containing the allergen is placed directly on the animal, and specific acupuncture points on the body are lightly stimulated. This

readjusts the autonomic nervous system’s perception of the substance, and the allergic reaction to the substance is eliminated. It may be amazing to learn that something so simple can work so well, but the proof is in the rewarding results.

The first step is identifying the substances to which the patient is allergic. In the first comprehensive assessment on approximately 2000 items.

designed for this purpose are checked using muscle response testing. So what exactly is muscle response testing?

Professional medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and veterinarians use muscle response testing, or applied kinesiology, to determine exactly what a person or pet is allergic to. The inventor of applied kinesiology is George Goodheart, Jr., DC, a Detroit chiropractor. After his first seminar in 1974, many other practitioners began using the technique with great success to determine the causes of problems that had previously seemed to defy diagnosis.

In the decades since then, this method of testing for the causes of various conditions has blossomed into a major diagnostic art, with many more medical professionals, including veterinarians, adopting it in their practices. (The book Your Body Doesn’tLie by John Diamond, MD, is an excellent source of information on the subject.) Allergy-elimination treatments do not only relieve the symptoms but also correct the inappropriate response.

I’ve been practicing different varieties of allergy elimination techniques for so many years, and, with my extensive clinical experience, I pretty well know what vials need to be used with most dogs or cats with allergies. That’s good news for you and your pet because my protocol has been tested over time with many, many patients.

After I’ve identified the allergens through muscle response testing, I decide in which order to treat the allergens and create a program for the patient. I then mail the vials to the pet owner along with clear instructions on how to gently massage easy-to-find acupuncture points (cats particularly appreciate this!) and carry out the treatment in the comfort of his or her home.

Truman’s Story, Told by His Owner

Truman is a Bouvier des Flandres. He was six years old when we began Dr. Khalsa’s Allergy Elimination 4 Pets technique.
We brought Truman home as a puppy in October 2008, and in November 2008 he began frantically biting at his rear legs and licking and chewing on his feet. Many times, his feet would be raw from chewing. He

had constant ear infections and suffered from terrible gas, accompanied by soft and runny stools. After countless visits to a slew of different veterinarians, the episodes of chewing and gas continued.

We tried different foods, including grain- free and limited-ingredient diets, with no improvement. Before I went to Dr. Khalsa, another veterinarian treated him and changed his diet to all-beef raw. I gave the raw diet for more than two months, but the stool problems, gas, and itching remained.

Many years ago, when Dr. Khalsa had her practice in Yardley, Pennsylvania, she was my veterinarian for many of my cats and dogs. I would drive an hour and a half each way because the drive was worth it to have her treat my pet kids. In April of 2014, I reached out to Dr. Khalsa again and scheduled a phone consult with her to discuss Truman’s itching, chewing, and gas. We discussed her Allergy Elimination 4 Pets technique, and I decided to go with it. The great part was that I could do it all at home.

After the Allergy Elimination treatment, I slowly started introducing different foods into Truman’s diet. Finally, more than six years after we brought Truman into our life, he is itch-free, he no longer chews his feet, and he has no more horrible episodes of gas. He eats a raw diet with protein sources other than strictly beef. I add vegetables and garlic to his diet, and I give him Deserving Pets Canine Everyday Essentials supplements.

Many veterinarians prescribe drugs that mask the symptoms rather than cure the ailment. After years of Truman’s suffering, going to numerous veterinarians, and having him tested, all it took was a phone consultation with Dr. Khalsa to find the treatment that finally gave Truman the relief I had sought for years. Dr. Khalsa offered a drug-free approach to freeing Truman of his allergies.

Goose’s Story, Told by His Owner

Goose, our gray cat with green eyes, started plucking tufts of hair from his back around the age of one. At first, it was occasional and hardly even noticeable. As the problem escalated, I would come home from work to find piles of hair in all of his usual hangouts.

the food was working? Some hair would start to grow back, and then, suddenly, the telltale piles would appear again, often accompanied by bouts of diarrhea and almost daily vomiting.

Goose was scrawny, usually weighing around 7 pounds, and the 2 × 4-inch bald patch on his back was beyond unsightly. This ebb-and-flow cycle continued for more than two years.

We concluded that Goose’s allergies were partly food-related and partly seasonal. We would control what we could with diet and then medicate through the bad stretches. I knew he didn’t feel well, but I was helpless and certain that we had exhausted our options.

Then I found Dr. Khalsa and had a consult. She did Allergy Elimination 4 Pets with Goose. My husband, who wasn’t into holistic practices, had a field day with my journey into the world of holistic veterinary medicine. He delighted in telling friends and family that I had invented new and unusual ways to spend money on our cat.

As we did the treatments (totally noninvasive, by the way), my husband adopted the same look each night: part resignation and part disgust. Our friends were in stitches over the stories of these holistic treatments, and I played along, figuring that, at the very least, I had bought a great way to entertain others.

But then…

Before we knew it, months had passed without Goose plucking one hair. I thought maybe it was just an unusually long good stretch, and surely it was only a matter of time before I would happen upon a nest of plucked hair and feel the wave of dread wash over me (I can be pretty dramatic). But there was no denying it: this was out of the ordinary. Not only had Goose’s hair grown in, but he was filling out, had stopped vomiting, and was playing like a kitten.

I was so afraid of a relapse that I said nothing, figuratively holding my breath with hope. When Goose had his regular check-up, he had gained more than a pound. Really? My mother, who affectionately referred to Goose as “Rat” because of his pathetic appearance, remarked, “That’s not

Goose’s gray coat is now healthy, full, and shiny.

To watch him do it was painful. He would attack his back and rip the hair in frenetic bursts. My cat was self-mutilating.

I made an appointment with my regular veterinarian. She did blood tests, fungus tests, bacteria tests, parasite tests, even IQ tests (just kidding)—all were inconclusive. My vet’s best guess was food allergies.

We started trying different prescription limited-ingredient diets. We had three cats at the time, and there was always
one of them who didn’t like the food. Separate feedings were nightmarish.

Weeks would pass, and it would seem as if the plucking was subsiding. Maybe the same cat.” I welled up when a friend, fishing for the latest comedic update, inquired, “How’s kitty’s treatment going?” and my husband answered, “I think it worked.”

Maddie’s Story, Told by Her Owner

At our first appointment with Dr. Khalsa, we read some testimonials and prayed that someday we could also write one. I had been brainwashed to believe that traditional medicine was the best and only way to treat our four-year-old English Bulldog, Maddie. The nightmare had started in July 2000, when 44-pound Maddie developed an extreme case of diarrhea. Every time we stopped the medication that our veterinarian gave us, her stools became liquid. Her weight plummeted
to 35 pounds in three weeks. Blood tests showed elevated pancreatic and liver enzymes with the albumen and total protein in her blood dropping. Our regular vet recommended that we see a gastrointestinal specialist, so we made an appointment immediately.

Maddie was diagnosed with an extreme case of IBD and a small liver, which could complicate things due to the medication that the vet prescribed: prednisolone, azathioprine, furosemide, metronidazole, and metoclopamide. The specialist told us that this approach was around 70 percent successful and that it would take a month to see results. Two weeks after beginning the medications, she was down to 32 pounds. The fluid in her abdomen worsened, and she was now vomiting.

In late August, Maddie went into convulsions, and we drove her to a renowned veterinary hospital in our area. After three days there, she was rediagnosed with the same problems plus lymphangiectasia, a condition in which the GI tract loses its ability to absorb nutrients. Four weeks of treatment in intensive care and $14,000 later, the vets recommended that we put Maddie to sleep. She now weighed 25 pounds and was just skin and bone. We took her home and kept her alive with calcium injections and special intravenous feedings that would increase the protein in her blood.

In mid-October, Maddie had her first appointment with Dr. Khalsa and began Allergy Elimination 4 Pets treatments. After the first treatment, Maddie’s condition remained stable, and on some days she had semiformed stools and some energy. Her leaky gut also began to stabilize. After just two treatments, we were able to stop the calcium injections and special IV feedings. Her blood-test results started moving toward normal. By January 2001, Maddie no longer needed any medications. She weighed 36 pounds and was jumping on the sofa and playing like she used to.

(Dr. Khalsa’s note: Maddie went on to live a normal, long life, and she died at a ripe old age for an English Bulldog.)

The Path to Relief

Owners of allergic pets: I’ve created this blog just for you—to fully educate you about allergies and sensitivities. We’ll talk about how to prevent them, how to treat them, and why they’re so awfully common in today’s world. . I hope, someday you can have a success story like Truman’s, Goose’s, or Maddie’s.

The post Interested in TRULY ELIMINATING ALLERGIES, FOOD SENSITIVITIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE IN YOUR DOG OR CAT? Can you imagine that you have a healthy pet with no problems? No more diarrhea? No more itching? No more ear infections? first appeared on Natural Remedies for Dog Allergies.

It’s touted as “a fast-acting and safe treatment for the control of acute and chronic canine pruritus.”

Pruritus means itching … and if you’ve got an itchy dog you’re probably desperate to make your dog more comfortable.  Apoquel is said to ease your dog’s itching in as little as 4 to 24 hours. And dog owners report that it does relieve their dogs’ itching.

Sounds like something you might want to try, right?

Well, not so fast …

Before you expose your dog to the risks associated with this drug, read on. And if your dog is already on Apoquel you’ll probably want to stop the drug as soon as you can, once you find out how it demolishes essential parts of your dog’s internal disease fighting systems.

Allergies And The Immune System

An allergy is an exaggerated and inappropriate response of the immune system. Imagine a young child with a peanut allergy. All his friends are eating Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Where’s the problem? Is it the peanut or that one child’s immune system response?

 Conventional medicine loves to suppress symptoms.

Suppressing can be defined as getting rid of the symptoms without helping the body to rid itself of the illness or disease. So if allergies are an improper response of the immune system, what are the kinds of drugs that have typically been used to suppress and destroy that same immune system?

The History Of Dog Allergy Drugs

First came prednisolone, prednisone and other steroids, which work by suppressing the functioning of the immune system.

Then, when allergic dogs stopped responding to steroids, veterinarians started using Atopica (cyclosporine). Cyclosporine was initially developed to prevent organ transplant rejections in humans. It works by suppressing the immune system so that the patient doesn’t reject the transplanted organ.

And then they started using it for dogs with allergies. Atopica has a devastating and destructive effect on the immune system.  

Atopica is still harming dogs today. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has 17 pages of adverse effects that have been reported for oral use of Atopica (cyclosporine) in dogs!

And now, there’s another drug called Apoquel^® (oclacitinib maleate) that suppresses your dog’s immune system in a different way.

Read on to learn what it does.

What is Apoquel For Your Dog And How Does It Work?

Apoquelaffects kinases. Kinases are important signaling compounds that the body’s cells use to communicate with each other.

In the 1980s, an Australian chemist discovered some new ones, known as JAK1, JAK2, JAK3 and TKY2.

JAK initially stood for Just Another Kinase but was later renamed Janus Kinase.

JAKs are key elements in controlling both growth and development. These particular JAKs do the work of:

1. Policing the body against tumor formation
2. Controlling body growth and development
3. Forming white and red blood cells
4. Providing immunity with proper functioning of your dog’s antibody-producing cells (B cells) and the “policing” cells (T-cells)
5. Regulating inflammatory response

Recognizing the epidemic of dogs with allergies, pharmaceutical companies saw the opportunity to create a drug would stop these JAKs in their tracks.

They sure succeeded.

Oclacitinib maleate, under the brand name Apoquel^®, is a Janus kinase inhibitor. That means it stops JAKs from doing their job.

Apoquel Stops Life-Sustaining JAKs

Apoquel’smechanism is to interrupt JAKs and prevent them from working.

Without JAKs your dog’s immune system, along with other systems, cannot function correctly.

JAK1 is vital for the constant surveillance within your dog’s body to find and destroy abnormal cells that have become cancerous before they form tumors.

JAK1 also is an imperative messenger necessary for destroying invading parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses.

JAK2 is central to the production of bone marrow stem cells that then become red and white blood cells and platelets.

Your dog’s antibody system (B cells) and its killer-cell system (T cells) need JAK3 in order to work well.

These JAKs all talk to each other and share information to keep your dog’s body healthy. So you can see that by preventing JAKs from working, Apoquel seriously undermines your dog’s immune system.

What The Research Says

“There were no fatalities and no abnormal health events that necessitated hospitalization in either the study phase [day 0–7 (+3 days)] or the continuation phase [day 8–28 (±20 days)] of the study. Given that the majority of dogs in the placebo group withdrew after the completion of the study phase, the incidence of abnormal clinical signs was similar in both groups (Table 3).”

o, it seems from these comments and Table 3 showing adverse effects that the drug is fairly safe – but did you notice the duration of the study? That’s right – only 7 days!

There was a “continuation phase” after the 7 day study period, from 8 to 30 days. The researchers report:

“Six dogs (four oclacitinib and two placebo group) were withdrawn from the study during the continuation phase for abnormal health events. Abnormal health events were reported in 11 of 179 oclacitinib-treated dogs post-study. These were as follows: diarrhoea (four dogs; severe enough to warrant cessation of treatment in one dog); vomiting (four dogs); fever, lethargy and cystitis (one dog); an inflamed footpad and vomiting (one dog); and diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy (one dog).”

So about 6% of dogs tested had abnormal health events. That doesn’t seem very high.

But that was only for 30 days!

If your dog takes this drug, he could be on it for years!

Years when his immune system will be compromised by the drug – because that’s how it works!

And although the manufacturer quotes a study that says it is safe for long term use, the study results say something different. Here are some of the serious side effects:

• One dog was euthanized after developing abdominal ascites and pleural effusion of unknown etiology after 450 days of APOQUEL administration.
• Six dogs were euthanized because of suspected malignant neoplasms.
• Two dogs each developed a Grade II mast cell tumor after 52 and 91 days.
• One dog developed low grade B-cell lymphoma after 392 days.
• Two dogs each developed an apocrine gland adenocarcinoma (one dermal, one anal sac) after approximately 210 and 320 days.
• One dog developed a low grade oral spindle cell sarcoma after 320 days.

Is it worth the risk? I don’t think so.

Does Age Matter?

The manufacturer has limited Apoquel for use only in dogs over 12 months old.

That’s because, when they conducted “margin of safety” studies on 6 and 12 month old dogs, they had to discontinue the study for 6-month old dogs when the dogs developed bacterial pneumonia and demodectic mange infections!

Here’s the warning on the company’s website:In the margin of safety study on 12-month old dogs, some of the symptoms that were considered likely to be related to Apoquel included:
Papillomas (warts)
Interdigital furunculosis (cysts) with related dermatitis symptoms (local alopecia, erythema, abrasions, scabbing/crusts)
Edema of feet
Pneumonia
Lymphadenopathy (abnormal or swollen lymph nodes) in peripheral nodes
Yes, you read right … the side effects include various types of skin disease in dogs who are being treated for allergies!
The drug was also found to lower white and red blood cell count and affect certain types of lymphatic tissue and lymph nodes as well as bone marrow.

Lastly, here is the letter written by the FDA to the pharmaceutical company that makes Apoquel:

Case Closed!

https://www.fda.gov/media/113909/download?fbclid=IwAR1u8H2cW9yuUI7dSq_D7Kis8RXXi56yEsz953o5v2oWcw9yKRPAxICQeTY#:~:text=Do%20not%20use%20APOQUEL%20in,existing%20cancers%20to%20get%20worse

The post Apoquel- The Drug that will cause generations of immune problems- in my opinion first appeared on Natural Remedies for Dog Allergies.

In fact, the skin’s first line of defense actually
consists of a bunch of bugs, living in harmony. The collective
group composed of all these bugs is called a microbiome.

These many different types of bacteria and yeast live on our pets’
skin in balance, sort of respecting each other’s boundaries. When
a yeast called Malassezia steps over the line and overgrows its
boundaries, the result is most often some pretty intense itching.

This intense itching is oftentimes misdiagnosed as skin allergies.

What’s important to know is that the increase in heat and moisture on a dog’s skin, due to allergies, gives this yeast a leg up and it overgrows and causes itchiness all by itself.

Just like any other yeast, Malassezia likes to grow in moist,
dark areas where the “sun don’t shine.” This yeast likes ears
(where it is commonly mistaken for a dark sweet smelling ear-
wax), underarms and groins, under the chin and around the
anus and private parts.

Malassezia is lipophilic, which means having an affinity for fats
or lipids, so dogs who tend to have a lot of oils on their skin will
be more prone to the overgrowth of this yeast.

Dogs who are particularly greasy, such as the Labrador Retriever, have more
problems with Malassezia. Dogs who swim a lot, leaving damp
areas where the yeast can thrive, can also have more problems.

That said, almost any dog can have a problem with Malassezia.
Many people confuse Malassezia with candida and attempt to
treat dogs with starch free diets, thinking this will handle the
problem. This is internet misinformation !

In fact, the problem with Malassezia is the change in
the microbiome of the skin, and not a candida of the gut.

ALLERGIES AND MALASSEZIA GO HAND IN HAND

Allergies encourage Malassezia overgrowth by causing inflammation.
Skin inflammation from allergies, followed by scratching and
biting, makes the skin irritated and moist, resulting in yeast
overgrowth and giving the allergic dog a double whammy. It’s a
vicious cycle because the yeast is, in itself, extremely irritating
and itchy.

A dog with both allergies and Malassezia, which is
very common indeed, has two very good reasons to itch.

There’s also a triple whammy as over 60 percent of dogs who have Malas-
sezia overgrowth are actually allergic to the Malassesia and this
allergy to the yeast intensifies the entire situation.

Malassezia is commonly found on the thickened, denuded areas
of the skin of dogs with chronic allergies. A dog with Malassezia
can have skin in the groin or underarm that looks like someone
sprinkled pepper on it, or have little red bumps in areas, or gray-
ish crusts that flake off the skin, or an orange-peel appearance
to the skin, or hairless, elephant-like darkened skin. Dogs with
Malassezia often smell, with an odor similar to old musty shoes.

SUBTLER SIGNS

Malassezia isn’t always this obvious. It can have a variety of
sweet, yeasty smells and can appear as just
a reddening between
the toes or some brown crud on the top border of the toenail, or
even as a dark grey-black patch on the skin. Malassezia can pres-
ent itself as a reddened groin area or red inflamed areas under the
folds of the front or rear legs. When it occurs in the ears, which
is very common, you may find thickened ear flaps with an orange
peel texture inside the flap, along with very itchy ears and brown
ear secretions. If you put a cotton ball down your dog’s ear canal
and find dark brown stuff on it, then it’s very likely your dog has
Malassezia overgrowth in the ear. A dog’s ear canal is much lon-
ger than ours and you’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Oftentimes, but not always, the budding yeast organisms can be
found by placing tape on the skin and then staining it under the
microscope, appearing as blue round or oval cells.

TREATING MALASSEZIA

While bacterial infections of the skin are typically recognized
and treated, fungal and yeast infections can often go unde-
tected, resulting in years of frustration because one of the real
causes is unidentified.

It’s important that you know if your dog has Malassezia in
addition to allergies because Malassezia will cause the itching to
persist even after the allergies begin to improve. That’s why I
recommend that you treat for the yeast infection concurrently if
you believe it’s present.

In my consulting practice, I prescribe and
prefer an energetic allergy elimination procedure because it’s so very effective. This stops the itching, irritation, increase in temperature and moistness of the skin and slows the growth of this yeast. Basically, we eliminate the allergies with Allergy Elimination 4 Pets technique which I have Trademarked.


SAY NO TO IMMUNE SUPPRESSING DRUGS

I specialize in treating allergies and have treated many patients
who’ve been given Apoquel (or other immune suppressing drugs)
because they have been incorrectly diagnosed with allergies –
when they actually have a simple overgrowth of yeast. As I said
earlier, it’s far more common to see a combination of allergies
with concurrent Malassezia, playing off each other and creating a
more intense itch.

The bottom line is that skin problems in dogs
are epidemic with younger and younger dogs succumbing to both
allergies and yeast or yeast alone. I predict that the reckless use
of these new allergy drugs will produce next generation dogs that
have even more problems. Steroids like prednisone are meek and
mild when compared to what Atopica and Apoquel do.

SHAMPOOS CAN MAKE IT WORSE
I recently got a new English Labrador Retriever puppy from a
very devoted breeder. She adamantly told me that Labradors
should never be bathed, but simply hosed down with water. She
said the only shampoo she used if she really had to, was an enzy-
matic shampoo. Her dogs all had beautiful coats and no smell. It
makes sense, because by not using a detergent shampoos, we’re
keeping the microbiome intact and healthy. Once the imbalance
sets in, the yeast has the opportunity to overgrow.
Washing your dog with a non-abrasive detergent shampoo, such
as a Castile soap shampoo, will prevent the oil and microbiome
from being stripped from his coat and skin.
Conventional veterinarians will often prescribe medicated sham-
poos for skin conditions. But washing your dog repeatedly with
detergent based, medicated shampoos is the last thing you want
to do when he has a skin problem. Harmless-appearing shampoos
with essential oils may actually be stripping your pet’s micro-
biome, and many shampoos labeled “natural” are anything but,

often containing potentially toxic chemicals like sulfates, which
they disguise by calling them “coconut-based.”

You’ll, perhaps, indulge me in a personal story. I got an area with Malassezia overgrowth, because
I treat so many new patients who have Malassezia. So I treated
myself with ketaconozole, which is a very good antifungal drug,
for two weeks with no results. Then the dermatologist told me
that I only needed to take one pill once only, then eat a little food
and then go to the gym an hour later and work out till I was really
sweating. I did it and it worked.

Here’s the rub, dogs sweat through
their feet, but that’s about it. They can get Malassezia all over their
bodies. So that’s another reason to avoid conventional drugs.
The yeast grows slowly, yet tenaciously. It can be difficult to get
rid of because once it’s established it’s slow to recede.

In my clinical experience, an unsettling number of dogs are pre-
scribed immunosuppressive drugs when they simply have
a Malassezia yeast problem causing them to itch. The problem is
that this drug eviscerates their immune system while we need to
actually increase immune function to help handle the problem.
The moral of the story is that we should not lose sight of the
forest for the trees. The bugs on our pets’ skin make up their first
line of defense. It seems, in treating Malassezia, many of the
common treatments are backfiring and that’s why so many dogs
continue to have this problem.

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OUR DOG NEEDS HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM TO PROTECT HIM FROM DISEASE. DOG ALLERGY MEDICATIONS CAN DAMAGE THE WAY IT WORKS … SOMETIMES PERMANENTLY.

What Is A Dog’s Immune System? Your dog’s immune system is an extraordinary network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to defend against attacks from foreign invaders that cause infection and illness. The immune system is amazingly complex, recognizing and remembering millions of enemies and able to wipe out each one of them. I’ve always thought that if a country’s military commanders did an in-depth study of how immune systems worked, that country would never lose a war.  One important secret to the success of this system is an elaborate communications network that’s organized into swarming subsets, passing information back and forth. These cells rapidly enlist their fellows and direct recruits to trouble spots with special helpers. Unfortunately, most of the conventional medications we routinely use for the most common problems in dogs work to sabotage, if not destroy, this most precious asset. Allergies are a good example. In the case of allergies, the dog’s immune system responds to a false alarm.  Harmless material such as pollen is mistaken for a threat and attacked as an environmental allergy. The immune system considers healthy foods to be enemies and responds with food allergies.  Dog owners resign themselves to reading ingredients, changing foods and purchasing product after product to find relief. Yet, dogs (and people) tend to get allergic to what they contact all the time.As an example, in my 35 years of specializing in allergies, I’ve found that in almost every case, dogs given fish oil every day become allergic to fish after 3 to 6 months. The attempted fix becomes a problem, and the unsuspecting owner keeps giving that fish oil capsule every day, only increasing the allergic reactions within their dog. In the case of allergies, food sensitivities and food intolerances, the immune system is misbehaving. Food sensitivities and intolerances are 15 times more common than allergies. Importantly, they have a delayed reaction … from 7 to 28 days or so. This can be quite confusing if you’re diligently watching your dog’s reaction to any and all foods.Itching and chronic diarrhea are both so very common in our dogs nowadays so it’s important we understand what’s going on inside our fuzzy friends! Vaccinations are the largest contributor to the epidemic of dog allergies. They confuse the immune system, activating it against substances your dog’s body should consider friends. For example, bovine serum and chicken embryo are used as proteins to culture dog vaccines. And then your dog’s immune system identifies these proteins as attackers. This starts the beginning of the immune system corruption and confusion.An allergy is due to a misbehaving immune system. The immune system is reacting to something it shouldn’t be reacting to. Think of a person with peanut allergies. All his friends may be eating all kinds of peanut candies and peanut butter sandwiches, but he can’t touch them. Is the problem the peanuts or the immune system? That’s right, it’s the immune system.So how do conventional treatments handle this misbehaving immune system? By abolishing it. No matter what drug I mention below, it’s an immune system extinguisher.  How Allergy Drugs Work  Conventional veterinarians have one basic avenue of approach and that’s to weaken, if not destroy the immune system.  The prescription medications used have become more and more frightening … particularly in a world where a functioning and active immune system is so important.Side Effects Of SteroidsIt used to be that vets dispensed steroids like prednisone excessively. Veterinarians had little choice about what to use for dogs with allergies. Steroids worked because they suppressed the immune system. Steroids caused side effects like excess drinking and urinating, along with fur loss. That’s why dogs were weaned off as soon as they were comfortable again.But often, within months most doggies would have to go back on another round of steroids. Lots of dogs had seasonal allergies so they would go on prednisone in, let’s say, just the spring and fall seasons. At least they were only on these immune-suppressing drugs for short stints. For the most part, the steroids did not change how the immune system would function after the pet stopped them.Side Effects Of AtopicaThen a new dog allergy drug called Atopica (cyclosporine) became available. Some veterinarians began using Atopica instead of steroids. It didn’t cause excess drinking and urinating and panting. But the side effects of Atopica inside your dog’s body were considerably worse, with a far more devastating effect on the immune system. Cyclosporine was developed in Switzerland in the 70s. It was designed to prevent the rejection of organs in transplant patients. In order to do this, it had to knock the immune system to smithereens. Dogs were getting cancer (one of the many noted side effects of cyclosporine) because they were on this drug. Nurses, who had to suit up before administering cyclosporine in the hospital to their patients, would call me for consultations on their pets after they had been prescribed this drug. They couldn’t understand how they needed to suit up in protective gear for work and then were casually told to handle and give this drug to their dog.  Side Effects of Apoquel When this drug- Apoquel- came onto the market, it seemed to be a dream come true. There was no excessive drinking as with steroids. There were no apparent serious immediate immune-depressing side effects as with cyclosporine. Dogs simply stopped itching and were, once again, comfortable in their own skin. Veterinarians loved it, as it worked well in just about every case. The dogs loved it because they stopped itching. Pharmaceutical companies and vets loved it because people had to buy it and refill it each month … for the dog’s entire life.And that’s because the dogs who start it can’t seem to get off of this drug.  When a 7-month-old puppy is put on Apoquel, the itching is often way worse when the owner attempts to wean him off than it was before the pup ever went on the drug. (In the old days, the puppy would have had 10 days of prednisone and been OK for months.) Dogs weren’t taking Apoquel. for some short period in the spring or fall when they had their allergies. Once they started the drug, the dog would seem to need it forever. I specialize in allergies and I see it all the time. You try and try to wean your pet off, with no success, so you wind up refilling and refilling … to Big Pharma’s delight. Apoquel works because it slays the kinases, which serve as the communicators in the body.The capacity for internal communication in the body is compromised. Earlier I noted that the secret of the incredible success of the immune system is the elaborate communications network. Apoquel demolishes this network because it kills the kinases, which serve as very important communicators. Kinases coordinate absolutely everything in the body. One talks to another and that one talks to 1000 more kinases and the immune system works because of them. Apoquel Damage Can Be PermanentOK … so wouldn’t the kinases just start working again when the pet is taken off the drug?  I personally don’t see this happen. With prednisone the adrenals come back up to par quickly after a short course of the drug. But with Apoquel, the whole system of communication within the body has been changed. Let’s use a military example again. Roads previously used get closed, trains get shut down. Cell phones don’t work in certain areas. Suddenly the roads open. But all the soldiers are now used to taking the long route – or no route at all –and there is no one to tell them to go back to the old way of doing things. So they continue to work inefficiently and with less communication. They have adjusted and they pretty much stay that way. I do have ways to help the communication systems return to normal as I see so much of this in my practice. The patient who has been on Apoquel and is now cured of the allergies, food sensitivities and intolerances using my holistic methods, still keeps getting the yeast Malassezia which overgrows on the skin and/or secondary bacterial infections. Their immune system is not kicking back in.  In these cases, I need to super-boost the immune system with a somewhat unusual product that works well. .

DOES IT HAVE TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER? CHANGING FOODS, READING LABELS AND AVOIDANCE … OR THE ALTERNATIVE OPTION OF HAVING YOUR BELOVED FRIEND ON AN IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUG?     WITH ALLERGIES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS MISBEHAVING AND CONVENTIONAL DRUGS SIMPLY WHACK-A-MOLE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.  YOU DO HAVE OTHER OPTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE THERAPIES THAT WORK … AND WORK PERMANENTLY … TO PERMANENTLY ELIMINATE ALLERGIES, SENSITIVITIES AND INTOLERANCES IN YOUR DOG. LEARN ABOUT ALLERGY ELIMINATION 4 PETS.

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Aloe Vera 

There’s a real difference between aloe vera gel you can buy in the store and that which comes from the live plant. The live plant has important enzymes that last for less than three days in the refrigerator. These special enzymes are incredibly powerful and work rapidly to heal itchy skin, but they are not present in bottled aloe vera gel.

Soothing gel from the aloe vera plant. Each aloe leaf contains a jellylike substance that rapidly regenerates damaged tissue; it also contains antibiotic and coagulating agents and can be used for wounds, fungal infections, and insect bites in addition to itchy areas. Gel from the aloe plant increases the rate of healing in the cellular matrix and decreases inflammation.

Obtain fresh aloe gel by splitting a leaf. Use the hard cuticle of the leaf to apply the green-tinged jelly inside the leaf to itchy areas. If you cut a leaf and use only part of it, store the rest of it in the refrigerator. Remember—after the leaf is cut, the ingredients will remain active for less than three days.

You can find aloe plants at nurseries and garden centers, and they are easy to maintain in your home. Place a terra-cotta pot with an aloe vera plant on your windowsill, and it will always be available to you.

Witch Hazel 

Witch hazel, also known as winter-bloom or spotted alder, is a flowering shrub common in North America. The leaves, bark, and twigs of witch hazel are high in tannins, which are found in any natural astringent because of their ability to tighten, dry, and harden tissues. Witch hazel liquid, easily and inexpensively purchased at any drugstore, is actually a steam distillation of the bark, leaves, and twigs of the witch hazel shrub. When applied directly to the skin, witch hazel helps soothe itchy skin, reduce swelling, repair broken skin, and fight bacteria.

Some other wonderful things about witch hazel are that it’s 100 percent natural, it smells fresh, and it doesn’t stain furniture or carpets when you apply it to your pet. To use, simply soak a cloth or cotton ball in witch hazel and rub it on your pet’s skin. It’s also great for itchy paws. You can put some witch hazel in a plastic bowl, dip your dog’s feet in it, and then pat dry.

Calendula Officinalis 

This herb is a favorite first aid treatment among herbalists, and for good reason. It has an almost magical effect in healing wounds. Calendula has a more powerful ability to hinder bacteria than many antibiotics, and it also has the important benefit of an anti-inflammatory effect while promoting the healthy growth of new cells. It also helps eliminate fungal infections.

The Romans coined the name calendula to reflect the herb’s blooming schedule because it would flower on the calends, or new moon, of every month. Officinalis refers to its official medicinal value. Calendula tincture diluted with water from 1:5 to 1:10 is effective and dependable for the treatment of itchy spots, and it can stop a hot spot in its tracks. You can buy tincture of calendula from a health food store or an herbal or homeopathic supply store. After diluting and mixing the tincture, apply it with a spray bottle or just pour some on the area and rub it in.Alternatively, you can steep dried calendula petals to make your own tincture. Pour a cup of boiling water onto five tablespoons of calendula petals and steep for fifteen minutes. This tincture does not have to be diluted the way a purchased tincture does.

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Apis mellifica 6c—This is recommended for itching with hot, puffy sores or hives and sometimes facial swelling.

Arsenicum album 30x—Typically, this is used with a pet who is seeking heat because warmth relieves the itching. He or she has dry, scaly, itchy sores; is restless; and has intense itching even though the skin may appear normal.

Grindelia 30x—This is more of an acute remedy to slow the itching down while the other remedies begin to work. It can be given three times a day for several weeks with no problems.

Ledum 6x—This works to relieve itchiness from flea or tick bites.

Psorinum 200c—This is a deep-acting remedy for the skin, particularly skin that looks unhealthy and heals slowly. It’s often a good remedy to make the body more receptive to other remedies, helping them work better. Unfortunately, it is not available in the United States, but it can be purchased overseas.

Rhus toxicodendron 6x—This remedy is made from poison ivy. It works for symptoms that resemble the rash and itchiness caused by the plant.

Silicea 30x—This works for recurrent skin infections with persistent but not intense itching, including infections that may begin after vaccination.

Sulfur 6c—This is a chief remedy to soothe itching in the pet that avoids heat and seeks cold. Bathing may aggravate the skin condition.

Thuja 6c—A key antivaccinosis remedy, this is indicated if skin problems began within weeks to months of vaccination. Also good with pets who tend to develop warts, have poor hair growth, and have skin that tends to become pigmented or turn black in areas.

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