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EXCERPT:
From Chapter 7 - What Causes These
Diseases?
Consider the rather vicious cycle we have just discussed:
Puppies experience initial intestinal scarring and protein
infiltration when weaned on to commercial food at an
early age. Intestinal scarring interferes with the re-absorption
of bile salts.
Eating a lifetime diet of processed food places a great
demand on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.
Unable to keep up with demand, the pancreas becomes enlarged
and inflamed. White blood cells bring additional enzymes
to supplement digestion, neglecting their job to protect
the body from invaders.
Digestion is slowed. Slowed digestion allows ample time
for harsh chemicals and foreign molecules to irritate
the pancreas, liver and intestinal lining. The irritation
and otherwise-occupied white blood cells provide continued
opportunities for large grain protein or other foreign
molecules to infiltrate the intestine.
Constant inflammation of the pancreas, liver, and intestinal
lining results in a sustained production of cortisol.
The adrenal glands, exhausted from this sustained effort,
may produce cortisol that is biologically inactive, which
fails to shut off the ACTH feedback loop. The pituitary
gland may become hypertrophied and exhausted. Excessive
cortisol production, prescription steroids, intestinal
scarring, and the otherwise-occupied white blood cells
hamper IgA production.
IgA deficiency allows for the continued infiltration
of large protein molecules into the body. Additional
antibodies are deployed, which memorize the amino acid
chains of the large protein molecules, and attempt to
destroy them. These antibodies later recognize that same
amino acid chain elsewhere in the dog’s own body.
Unable to distinguish between self and non-self, the
antibodies destroy these tissues, which results in a
variety of autoimmune diseases.
The whole situation seems a bit like the chicken-and-the-egg
puzzle. Dog owners want to know which of their dog’s
health problems initiated the others. In reality, these
conditions are not precipitated by one another, at all.
These problems are simply different expressions of the
same root problem — commercial pet food.
Think of metabolic disease as a continuum. It develops
over time and follows a gradual progression. During this
time, the body repeatedly substitutes one metabolic function
for another. Depending upon where a dog falls along the
high-cortisol continuum, he may or may not actually test
positive for specific conditions like Cushing’s
disease. In some respects this is a credit to how well
the body can continually adapt to physiological stress.
Many dogs today exhibit some degree of leaky gut syndrome
and excess cortisol-production. They suffer from chronic
skin infections, allergies, autoimmune disorders, vomiting,
diarrhea, obesity, hypothyroidism, urinary tract infections,
and incontinence. Which particular disorder they develop
is likely a matter of genetic predisposition, but clearly,
many of our pets are experiencing the same underlying
problem.
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REVIEWS:
This book has a wonderful, in-depth, natural as well as allopathic approach to several disorders common to Mini Schnauzers (and other breeds) covering Cushing’s, Pancreatitis, Diabetes and more.
I followed Levin’s holistic approach to Cushing’s and within three weeks I saw a noticeable change in Meesha’s excessive thirst. Her symptoms continued to improve over the next few months. At three months we re-ran her blood work. There was a drastic improvement in all her blood work: alk/phos had dropped 1500 points, triglycerides 1300 points, and the others are now in the normal range. She also no longer exhibited any of the symptoms I described when she was first diagnosed.
I have a friend with an 8-year old Mini that also has borderline Cushing’s. I encouraged her to buy the book and try the protocol. Within one month her dog’s blood levels dropped in half. My vet is so impressed with Meesha’s progress that she wanted to try it on another client with a Cushingoid dog.
This is one book I highly recommend to anyone with a dog that has any of the health problems described above.
— Kathy Thom, The Mini Magazine
It is such a wonderful resource for anyone who has a
pet with an illness. It explains everything!
— Debbie Jarrell West, SE Miniature Schnauzer
Rescue
Dogs, Diet and Disease by Caroline
D. Levin RN was awarded
the very prestigious honor of Best
Healthcare Book 2001 at the annual dinner for the Dog Writers Association
of America at the Westminster Kennel Club Show.
— The
Oregonian newspaper
This book is a wealth of practical ideas on what and
how to feed dogs as well as sound advice on traditional
treatments. Dogs, Diet and Disease should
be recommended to all those individuals caring for
the diabetic dog, and is a "must read" for
their veterinarians. Related conditions, such as Cushing’s
disease, are covered in chapters explaining hormonal
dysfunction. Levin examines the adrenal glands for
their role in stress and their relationship to the
immune system. She includes the role of dietary factors
as both a major contributing cause and as an effective
management strategy for these conditions. Dogs,
Diet, and Disease provides reassuring answers
for dog owners in an easy to read approach, an owner’s
manual for the conscientious and caring pet owner.
- Albert J. Simpson DVM
Dogs, Diet and Disease is an indispensible
guide for anyone with a Cushinoid or diabetic dog...or
anyone who wants further, very sound, evidence about
the links between commercial diet and immune related
diseases. This is the most thorough, well researched
and clearly explained book I have ever read about the
connections between commercial food and disease...and
I have read everything I can get my hands on... Let
me also say that this book is finding its way into
the hands of more and more veterinarians...the ones
I have spoken to have been very impressed with it's
content and how well grounded it is.
- Elizabeth Knight, Portland, Oregon
I am totally impressed with this book, particularly
for anyone new to diabetes because it is set up to
walk a person right through what to expect and how
to deal with it. It is a total goldmine for diabetic
care - and not just dogs. There is so much information
in there that pertains to all animals that it would
be a sin for anyone to miss out on getting a copy thinking
it is only for dogs. I can't say enough good about
this book, and think that, particularly for those with
newly diagnosed pets this would be an excellent book
to have. It will answer so many of your questions and
so many you don't even have yet and give you a very
clear picture of what you'll be dealing with.
- Susan Flewelling, Alberta, Canada;
Owner of the Muffin
internet list-serve for diabetic-pet owners
I can't say enough about this book, either. It is,
in my experience, the only documented resource available
to lay-persons in regards to dog nutrition and auto-immune
diseases. I get no benefits or proceeds from this book
or from Caroline except the knowledge that every dog
would benefit from its humans having read it. And that
is my personal bottom line.
- Dee & the K9 Crew, Los
Angeles, California
I just want to tell you how much I love your book.
Thanks for keeping it simple, and easy to understand.
Worth every penny.
- Sue Placer, Lansing, Michigan
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