Ways To Treat Pet Food Recalls & Salmonella Poisoning

Posted on 13 March 2013
By Dr. Jill Tack
Posted in Alternative health, dangers, natural therapies, pet food recalls, what to do if your pet has been exposed to salmonella
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We hear about recalls almost weekly now-a-days. It’s unfortunate for many companies because it automatically makes the public not trust any manufacturer anymore and could seriously affect a small pet food manufacturer. When you look at the bigger picture, cats and dogs can typically handle salmonella because of their highly acidic gut functions and much shorter digestive tract. I firmly believe a small percentage of animals could become very ill from a salmonella issue.

Those animals that have compromised immune systems such as:

cancers
over vaccinations
leaky gut or any gut disorder
severe allergies
even chronic longstanding illnesses should be aware of recall news for the sake of their pet.

What Is Salmonella?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, salmonella is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacilli that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or other animals. Strains that cause no symptoms in animals can make people sick, and vice versa. If present in food, it does not usually affect the taste, smell, or appearance of the food. Commonly it is contaminated raw meat or meat juices that cross contaminate and have been recalled for salmonella from a tainted source.

Not All Recalls Are The Same

Voluntary recalls for salmonella shouldn’t be the demise of our more favorite pet food manufacturers. It’s unfortunate that it happens in the first place but no matter how careful the resourcing of their ingredients, things happen. And maybe they are supposed to happen? The world does have a funny way of working. I think any company is shooting themselves in the foot if they boast “no recalls”. Look at The Honest Kitchen who has their pet food made in a human food facility with all of their ingredients sourced from the human food supply. Nobody is perfect but we all have high expectations. And we should, especially when it comes to the longevity of our pets.

Case Study: Honest Kitchen

In the case of the latest recall for The Honest Kitchen, it made them scrutinize their suppliers and ask more questions (at least that’s what I would expect with any reputable company). The Honest Kitchen has already decided to change their parsley sourcing which was the culprit in their latest voluntary recall that was already received from a human-grade facility. So they are taking action. It’s obvious they don’t want to repeat the same mistake.

Many manufacturer’s, big and small, outsource ingredients for the simple reason that it would be far too expensive for a small independently run business to grow their own organic vegetables, have a farm with grass-fed/free-range meat plus have a manufacturing facility on site. With all of that in mind, the pet food made would also have to change with the seasons depending on the location. In today’s age, we have all sorts of sensitivities to deal with when it comes to our domestic pets. Each pet food manufacturer is aiming to produce food that only slightly varies batch to batch because of what the general public has come to expect and in hopes of not causing any digestive upset.

What To Do If Your Pet Gets Salmonella

There are many alternative options you can you explore if you feel your pet has salmonella. My first action would be to fast the animal for 12-24 hours to let the digestive system rest. Next I would review the following homeopathic remedy options and herbs listed below. I would use either or both of these modalities prior to reintroducing food slowly and in smaller portions.

Homeopathic Remedies

Arsenicum Album – This is the number one food poisoning remedy. With this remedy you will find a regurgitation of acrid matter or of bitter greenish mucus with frequent and excessive nausea, sometimes rising event to the throat with inclination to vomit. Vomitings, sometimes very violent. Vomiting of food and of drink, or of mucus with a yellowish, greenish, brownish or blackish color. Aggravation of suffering of conversation, as well as after a meal, in the morning on rising, in the evening in bed, on lying on the part affected or during repose. Rapid failure of strength and weakness. Inability to walk.

Bryonia – Often a loss of appetite with loss of appetite after the first morsel has been eaten. Disgust for food. Regurgitation of the food after every meal. Nausea and inclination to vomit especially after eating or on rising after lying down. Nausea with inclination to vomit and anxiety. Nausea in the morning. Vomiting of solids and not fluids. Vomiting of blood sometimes with hiccoughs and retching or vomiting of water or bile. May also have inflammation of the stomach.

Ipecacuanha – Retching especially after drinking anything cold. Vomiting of drink and of undigested food sometimes immediately after a meal. Vomiting of blood. Vomiting with diarrhea. Swelling in the region of the stomach. Excessive emaciation. Extreme nausea with copious salivation. After vomiting the tongue and mouth appear clean. Fits of uneasiness, with dislike to all food, and excessive and sudden debility.

Phosphorus – This remedy is good for food poisoning symptoms with signs of blood. Vomiting of blood. Vomiting with diarrhea. Can be made worse with cold drinks. Vomiting soon after water or food becomes warm in the stomach. Greenish or blackish type vomit. Blood or vomit with streaks of blood. Diarrhea in great quantities and can be exhausting to the patient. Urgent and distressing want to evacuate. Diarrhea with undigested particles and worse in the morning.

Veratrum Album – Violent empty risings. Frequent and violent hiccoughs. Violent nausea and generally with excessive thirst. Great nausea before vomiting. Violent vomiting with continued nausea, great exhaustion and want to lie down with shuddering over whole body accompanied by general heat. Vomiting of food. Vomiting of froth and of yellowish green or white mucus. Vomiting of mucus at night. Excessive sensibility in region of stomach. Swelling of the abdomen. Watery diarrhea worse from motion. Sudden involuntary evacuation of liquid feces. Unsuccessful urging to stool.

Herbs

I would also review the top herbs that fight nasty bacteria’s including salmonella and E. Coli. Foods and herbs that have natural antibiotic powers are not going to strip the good bacteria from the gut like prescription antibiotics. When you feed the body plant foods, the body is able to recognize and completely synthesize the full use of the plant without causing any gut dysbiosis. Besides oregano, peppermint, elderberry, and licorice, more popular herb choices would be sage, Echinacea, garlic and ginger. Below are some of these herbs in detail.

Sage (salvia officinalis) – Is a great universal herb treating many ailments ranging from skin disorders to digestive issues. Sage is best used as a tea or tincture and has antiseptic, astringent, antispasmodic, and antihydrotic qualities. It is an efficient herb for infections or ulcerations of the mouth, skin or digestive tract. Due to its significant antimicrobial constituents it is very effective against many bacterium such as e-coli and salmonella. It is also very effective against fungal infections and does a reasonable job at taking care of ringworm without other interventions. You can use sage tea as a compress, or the leaves themselves as a poultice on the skin infection directly. Another one of my favorite ways to use sage is with a tea infusion for any mouth infections such as ulcers, gingivitus, or sore throats. Sage is very easy to grow and you can have your own supply year round. It is best to harvest the sage leaves for use just before the flowers appear.

Echinacea (echinacea angustifolia) – This is a fantastic immune building herb for many species with the root, flower, or stems being used. The root is the most significant part used. It is best to harvest the root in the fall, after it has matured at three years old, which is when it displays its strongest healing components. Echinacea is also a good antimicrobial herb and can enhance its powers when combined with other herbs such as goldenseal, cleavers, couch grass or oregon grape. This herb is the primary go-to herb to rid the body of microbial infections. It can be particularly helpful with upper respiratory infections, as well as, with nose and sinus troubles. Echinacea has been used for both internal and external ailments. Native Americans used the plant externally to heal burns, septic sores and cuts. Internally, Echinacea is good for rheumatism, streptococcus infections, laryngitis, catarrhal conditions, pyorrhea, gingivitis, and cystitis. You can make a tea infusion of the root and feed it to your pet for an immune booster.

Garlic (allium sativum) – One of my favorite herbs with widespread uses for many body systems and endless healing powers. It is best to use individual cloves when they are freshly minced. Garlic contains antibacterial, anticancer, nutritive, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-parasitic properties. It has many nutritional properties including potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, taurine, zinc, and many others. Garlic is also known for its immune boosting constituents and its uncanny ability to seek out and destroy cancerous cells. When consumed on a consistent basis it is also a good natural defense in repelling fleas, ticks, and other pests that hassle our pets when outdoors. With its antimicrobial powers it can also be used against protozoan infestations, such as giardiasis. Don’t underestimate garlic’s authority with all of its healing and strengthening capabilities.

Ginger (zingiber officinale) – Ginger is used often in cooking, juicing and as a natural way to ease nausea, indigestion or stomach aches by simply chewing on a fresh piece. Extracts of ginger can be active against bacteria in the intestinal tract including diarrhea. Ginger is also beneficial for fungus and yeast including candida infections. When using it for a cough or cold you can infuse fresh ginger in honey and take it by the spoonful or add it to your tea. It can help thin bronchial mucous and clear up airways. It also discourages intestinal worms. Because studies have shown that heat deactivates the antibacterial effect, it may be best to consume ginger raw, or in tincture or capsule form.

Homeopathic Session with Jill

If you feel that your dog or cat would benefit from any of the above homeopathic or herbal remedies you can set up a homeopathic appointment with Jill to help you out. Just call the store at 248-548-3448.

References: Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica by J.H. Clarke, Repertory of the Homeopahtic Materia Medica by J.T. Kent, Cuffman, The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffman