The Importance of a Healthy Immune System

Just as the world is filled with disease-causing organisms, the body is filled with defenses to resist
them.  In fact, no matter what your pet is confronted with, her body is well-designed to fight back. 
Studies have shown, for example, that cats that have suffered serious nerve injuries can recover
complete muscle function.  When pets take medications (or eat poisons), the liver produces extra
enzymes to detoxify them.  Even something minor as a pulled muscle is swiftly addressed with an
increase in blood flow, which brings additional oxygen and nutrients and carts off wastes.  The main
reason a pet gets sick, according to holistic veterinarians, is that something is interfering with the
body's natural healing powers.

The key to self-healing is a strong defense system, which protects dogs and cats from everything
from the flu germs to cancer cells.  More than their mainstream counterparts, holistic veterinarians
believe that a weak immune system plays a key role in causing disease.  Antibiotics fight infection,
but they don't affect whatever weakened the immune system in the first place.  This is why
holistic veterinarians focus less on things that cause diseases and more on those that affect
the body's defenses.

For instance, some veterinarians believe that there is a type of energy, or life force, that surrounds
and flows into every living thing.  You are not aware of this energy.  You can't see it or hear it,
and scientists still don't know how to measure it.  But it is every bit as real as the invisible germs
that surround us.

When this energy is flowing freely, dogs and cats have a superb ability to resist disease.  But when
the energy is blocked or unbalanced due to such things as stress or injuries, pets become vulnerable
to illness.  And once they get sick, the energy becomes even more unbalanced, making it much
harder for them to recover.

Everything dogs and cats experience, from the quality of afternoon light to an upsetting afternoon,
can affect the body's energy balance.  But a few things in particular, such as diet, stress and
exercise, play the biggest roles in determining whether pets get sick or stay healthy.

Nutritional Risks

Just as the wrong fuel causes car engines to knock and ping, certain diets make the body vulnerable
to problems.  Most pets eat commercial foods which are loaded with artificial dyes, preservatives,
and additives.  Dogs and cats have spent eons eating 'wild', natural foods, and this is what their
systems are designed for.  It is only in the last several decades that they have been exposed
to commercially prepared foods, as well as the chemicals these foods contain - chemicals that their
bodies simply aren't meant to handle.  In addition, artificial ingredients can trigger an immune response
that can, quite literally, make pets sick.

The immune system is designed to attack foreign invaders while ignoring 'normal' molecules, such as
those found in food.  The chemicals in foods certainly aren't natural.  If the immune system perceives
them as threats, it will mount a defense.  A meal of dry kibble can unleash a flood of basophils and
other immune-system cells, which in turn, release chemicals such as histamine.  Unfortunately,
these chemicals aren't entirely benign.  In some cases, they can trigger a rash of itching, vomiting or
diarrhea.

Diet affects the immune system in other ways as well.  Among the most important components of
immunity are antibodies.  Antibodies are nothing more than specialized germ-fighting proteins. 
The only time your pet can make enough antibodies is when she is healthy and well-fed.

In addition, the digestive track has evolved to digest and process certain kinds of foods.  Extra
ingredients such as food additives put a strain on the whole body as it works to break them down. 
It is especially hard on the kidneys and liver because these organs cleanse the boy of impurities
and unnecessary nutrients.

Holistic veterinarians believe that diet - more specifically a diet consisting of highly processed foods
of questionable nutritional quality - is the main reason pets get sick,  This is why holistic care nearly
always involves changes in diet, regardless of other treatments your vet may recommend.

The immune system is truly too complex to go into anymore detail at this time!  But it is important
to know and remember that it is designed to defend your pet against millions of bacteria, microbes,
viruses, toxins and parasites that would love to invade their body at anytime!  All of these open the
door wide to a variety of diseases that will pray on your pet's health including, but not limited to,
diabetes, cancer, leukemia, toxic conditions, tumors, neurological conditions, allergies, kidney
problems, infectious diseases, respiratory illness, kennel cough, mange and more.

How to Boost Your Pet's Immune System

Aside from feeding a high quality and natural diet, there are several ways to boost your pet's
immune system, the first of which is highly endorsed by Judy's Health Cafe and veterinarians.

Purine pyrimidine complexes are the active fractions found in colostrum, the first milk
produced by mammals. Colostrum contains cytokines and other protein compounds that
can act as biological response modifiers. Research supports its use in the treatment of
rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis as well as other autoimmune conditions. Nucleotides
also may play an important role in essential fatty acid metabolism, and may have a positive
effect on the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. Nucleotides are usually
given to pets in the form of colostrum or a product called Transfer Factor.  See chart below to
see for yourself how Transfer Factor compares to other popular immune boosting products.

Transfer Factor Plus™ Offers Unprecedented Immune Boosting Ability 
Tests from The Institute of Longevity Medicine - Darryl See, M.D.

 

Nutraceuticals Tested	Percent (%) Rise in NK Cell Activity Over Baseline
Noni	15%						Transfer Factor Plus™ is 5 times more effective in creating NK cell activity than IP6 - which was the highest of the previously tested group of 196 Nutraceuticals.
Aloe Vera	15%
Bovine Colostrum	23%
Cordyceps Formula	28%
Shitake Mushroom	42%
Echinacea	43%
IP6	49%
Transfer Factor™	103%
Transfer Factor Plus™	248%

Using nutritional supplements to boost the immune system in times of illness is very important for any
sick pet. While supplements can be used to support the immune system during any illness, I am
most often asked to recommend something for pets with the following problems: any infectious
disease (especially feline respiratory disease, kennel cough, distemper;) cancer; mange; and any
condition in older pets that just "aren't acting quite right."  In this article, I'll discuss some of the
more commonly used immune-boosting supplements, along with recommendations on how to keep
your pet's immune system acting as healthy as possible all year long.

Antioxidants are among the most commonly used supplements to help pets with a variety of
medical disorders. Antioxidants are specific vitamins (such as vitamin C and vitamin E) and plant
and animal compounds (bioflavonoids such as grape seed extract, quercetin, coenzyme Q-10,
ginkgo biloba) that are responsible for maintaining health. Technically, they do not boost the
immune system (although proanthocyanidins appear to potentiate the immune system via enhancement
of T-lymphocyte activity and modulation of neutrophil and macrophage responses) but rather clean
up the products of cell damage (oxidizing chemicals.) Antioxidants also decrease various chemicals
(histamine, interleukin, tumor necrosis factor) that cause cell damage. Because antioxidants
minimize damage to cells, they are useful whenever disease is present and immune support is needed.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, E. angustifolia, E. pallida) is the most commonly known immune
stimulant, which also functions as an antimicrobial (antiviral and antibacterial) herb. In people,
echinacea is the number-one cold and flu herbal remedy. There are a number of classes
of pharmocologically active chemicals in echinacea, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, caffeic
acid, essential oils, alkylamides, and polyacetylenes. Currently, to prevent long term immune
system problems, most doctors recommend using echinacea for a short period of time
(3-4 weeks) followed by a resting period (3-4 weeks) before the herb is resumed.

Arabinogalactans are polysaccharides mainly derived from larch tree (Larix occidentalis.) Studies
have shown that these compounds may enhance natural killer cells and cause a release of
interferon gamma. Arabinogalactan has strong immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties. Arabinogalactans can be used as part of the integrative approach to cancer treatment and anytime
immune stimulation is needed (viral, bacterial, or fungal diseases.) The product ImmunoSupport by
RX Vitamins for Pets is the only arabinogalactan product currently available.

Purine nucleotides are the final class of supplements that can be helpful for pets needed immune
system support. These compounds are involved in virtually all cellular processes and play a major
role in structural, metabolic, energetic and regulatory functions. Like arabinogalactans, they have
been shown to stimulate the activity of natural killer cells.

Boosting your pet's immune system, and keeping it in tip-top shape, is one of the best gifts you
can give your precious pet!