Sacha Tarkovsky asked:


Cats Claw may not be as well known as some other herbs but the protection it can give to the body and its overall health benefits have seen it rise dramatically in popularity.

Let’s take a closer look at Cats Claw and its immense health benefits.

Description

Cat’s Claw is a tropical woody vine that grows in the rain forests and jungles of Peru and has been referred to as “Miracle Herb of the Rain Forest “.

The vine derives its name from the small thorns at the base of the leaves, which look like a cat’s claw.

Medical research

It has been drawing increasingly more interest among the proponents of natural health care and Cats

Claw has been the subject of medical research since the 1970′s.

These studies suggest that Cats Claw may help in the treatment of:

Arthritis, bursitis, allergies, diabetes, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, herpes, organic depression, menstrual problems and also beneficial for conditions of the stomach and intestines.

Protection of the immune system

Cats Claw is proven to boost the immune system.

Cat’s claw is valued largely because of its immune-building properties and although not as well known as more popular herbs such as Echinacea, goldenseal, Pau D’Arco, garlic, and ginseng is seen as being just as important.

With the spread of HIV medical research has intensified in this area as well.

Active ingredients

The active ingredients in Cat’s Claw are alkaloids, tannins and several other phytochemicals such as oxinole alkaloids, triterpines, glycosides, and sterols. These phytochemicals have adaptogenic, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Health Benefits

• Helps the body fight off infections by helping the body’s immune system

• Helps Protect the body against degenerative diseases and aging

• Seen to reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks by reducing the heart rate lowering blood pressure, improving circulation as well as controlling cholesterol

• Used to treat and protect against arthritis and rheumatism, as well as, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, PMS, lupus, and prostrate problems

• Used in the treatment of cancer, acne, diverticulitis, parasites, hemorrhoids, as well as varicose veins.

• Helps treat digestive disorders including ulcers, gastritis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and conditions involving chronic inflammation

• Used in the treatment of herpes infections

• Acts as an all round powerful antioxidant to help protect the body from free radicals.

When looking at essential herbs to take for better overall health don’t overlook Cats Claw, as we have seen its benefits are immense.

D.J.C. asked:


Cat hairballs are hair that was not digested, accumulated and coughed out. Cats will either pass hair through their digestive system or the hair will build up in their bodies causing the retching and heaving required to get rid of it. Cat hairballs are masses of fur that form in your cat’s stomach. They are one of the most common health problems of cats.

Cat hairballs are a normal phenomenon in feline and there are many ways to manage them. The three most common remedies to help decrease the frequency or size of hairballs are hairball lubricants, fiber supplements, and improved grooming. There are some dry commercial cat foods specially formulated for hairball remedy. The best way, of course, is prevention.

According to some vets who operates a large cat practice, the biggest problems with intestinal lubricants are not using enough each time or not using it frequently enough. In almost all cases, the most effective dose is a two-inch strip from the tube of lubricant twice daily for two days.

With regard to diet, usually, a higher fiber diet can assist in the passage of hair through the digestive tract.  Additionally, some pet food companies manufacture food for cats with recurrent cat hair ball problems. Ask your veterinarian about these.   Be aware that most cat hairball diets on the market have 2-10 times the normal amount of fiber, which is potentially irritating to the tender lining of the gastrointestinal tract. If you try one of these foods, make the switch gradually, and be sure to watch closely for too-loose or too-dry stools; either may result.

Brushing your cat and helping with its grooming lowers the chance of it swallowing a lot of hair and will help keep its fur shiny, smooth, and free of tangles. The act of licking themselves helps to untangle and remove loose hair. Their tongues are specifically made for the task.  Long-haired cats especially need more protection from hairballs.

Cats shed heavily in a change of season especially from winter to spring and summer.  Shedding can also be caused by a lack of adequate diet and care.   Most cats adore being gently brushed, so keep a cat brush next to each of your favorite chairs. When kitty jumps in your lap, the brush will be handy.

 Cat hairballs can only be predicted once a cat starts retching and vomiting. We can only hope that the cat gets that blockage out without trouble. Hairballs are a common problem with cats simply because it is part of their nature to keep themselves clean.  In fact there are very few animals that are so meticulous about keeping themselves clean as a cat. Cat Hairballs are made up of all of the tiny hairs that the cat swallows while grooming.

As already stated, although vomiting may be a sign of hairballs, it may also be a sign of other problems, particularly if your cat doesn’t bring up hairballs or if it vomits more than about once a week. A visit to the veterinarian may be in order. Longhaired breeds especially need special attention. During the spring when all cats shed, daily brushing is most important.

If vomiting fails to expel a hairball, this hair can get lodged in the stomach or intestine where larger clumps of hair can build up.   It can compact with undigested food in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. Impactions are serious business, and sometimes must be removed surgically.  At the very least, it could compact and cause constipation. Cat hairballs are considered the leading cause of constipation in cats.

Alison Grimston asked:


(c) 2008 The Naturally Healthy Pet.com

Animal health care is so vast and complex, and the central nervous system in particular is still largely uncertain territory. Diseases of the nervous system are rare, but sadly often severe.

The commonest neurological problems in cats and dogs are due to road accidents and other forms of head injuries, chemical poisoning, and infections such as rabies. Any of these can induce fits (seizures).

Seizures (fits) tend to be seen as uncontrolled shaking, although other sorts of fits with the dog going vacant can also occur.

It is important to try to find the reason for the fit. There may be signs of injury from car accident or fight. Evidence of having ingested poison may or may not be obvious – antifreeze with ethylene glycol is particularly dangerous, causing seizures.

Always call or take your animal to a vet. Your vet is essential in helping you to work out what the cause of the symptoms are. Neurological problems are so complex that even they may not be able to find the cause. Be guided by your vet on management.

If your cat or dog has a seizure: Keep away from your cat or dog’s mouth, as he or she may bite you accidentally. Try to move your animal away from hazards. If electricity is involved, use a stick or some other non conducting material. It may help to put a soft cushion or blanket under its head. If the fit lasts more than 6 minutes, take the animal to the vet immediately. Animals can die during prolonged seizures.

After a fit an animal may be sleepy but also anxious and confused. Comfort it; Rescue Remedy, healing and massage may be helpful here. If this is your animal’s first fit, take it to the vet anyway to try to find the cause. Also see you vet if you have any concerns, or there are changes to the pattern of fitting.

It is important that anyone who spends time looking after your pet for you is aware that he or she may have fits, and how to manage a seizure if one occurs. Make sure that your friend has a list of actions to take, as above, as well as the emergency phone number of your vet, or a nearby vet if your pet is being cared for further from home.

As with most illness, being calm and prepared in a crisis makes it easier for all concerned.

Harris R. Sherline asked:


How many people do you know who think their Congressperson has the answers to providing health care in America?  Or, their Senator?  George W. Bush?   Barack Obama or  Hillary Clinton?  Or, for that matter, any politician?  Do they really have the answers?

 

If they can’t do it, then how about the politicians in Canada, or Great Britain?  Have they solved the problem in their societies?  Some people believe they have.  However, in England, where the private practice of medicine was outlawed when socialized medicine was first established there, they were eventually forced to reverse their policy and permit the public to go outside the government’s system to obtain health care from private physicians. 

 

In Canada today, the story is much the same.  Many Canadians come to the U.S. for emergent needs, such as bypass surgery, because the waiting time in Canada is interminable, often many months before their citizens can get life-saving treatment when they need it.  

    

State-Run Health Care

All state-run health care systems have one thing in common: rationing.  Not necessarily involving the use of ration cards, but rationing nonetheless.  Rationing of resources.  The cause is a devilishly simple principle that’s present in all nationalized health care programs.  That is, it’s free, or so low cost that it’s almost free.  Basic economics clearly demonstrates that whenever something is free, the demand quickly becomes unlimited.  The lower the price, the greater the demand.  Give something away and you can “sell” everything you have and more.

   

However, the flip side of unlimited demand is a shortage of supply.  And, not having enough doctors, nurses, or expensive equipment, such as CAT Scans and MRIs, eventually leads to rationing.  Without enough health care to go around, rationing becomes a necessity.  That has been the failing with nationalized health care in England, Canada, Germany, Japan, the former USSR, everywhere it has been tried.

    

So, if there are no politicians who really know what should be done to solve our health care problems why do we keep expecting them to come up with the answers?

   

Just exactly what are the problems?  Too many uninsured?  Too high cost?  Poor quality?  Lack of availability?  All of the above?  Do you know or think you know?

    

What have been the government’s (read politicians’) solutions to date?

 

Health Care Policy

National health care (socialized medicine) in one form or another is the primary health care policy that is gradually being adopted in America.  And it is slowly but surely lowering the quality of the health care we are getting.  Talk to any doctor you trust and see if they don’t agree.  They will tell you that they are working much longer hours for far less money, that many physicians are retiring early or converting to “concierge” practices because they are fed up with the government and insurance company bureaucrats telling them how to practice medicine.  Consequently, there is a growing shortage of doctors and nurses.

    

But, you may say, we don’t have socialized medicine in America!  Perhaps not yet, but we’ve been moving in that direction for some time, and we seem to be going further down that path as the years progress.  It’s a slippery slope.   For example, consider Medicare. 

   

But, Medicare is not socialized medicine, you may insist.

    

Unfortunately, it is, or is headed that way.  Why?  For one thing, it’s a system that’s based on price controls. 

    

Price Controls

Price controls have never worked, ever, in any society at any time in history.  They were tried as early as 301 A.D. by a Roman emperor, Diocletian (243-316 A.D.) who implemented price controls under penalty of death.  But, even that didn’t work, and it hasn’t worked since.  What price controls do is cause shortages, increased costs and disrupted markets.

    

Look at what has happened to the Medicare program since 1984, the year the government changed its method of paying for hospital services from a “cost plus” to a system called DRGs (Diagnostic Related Groupings).  DRGs are a method of classifying illnesses and assigning a comparative value and a specific authorized payment to each.  At that point, many hospitals began to lose money because the government started dictating the prices that are paid for inpatient care.

 

As much as 70% of many hospitals’ patients are seniors, whose bills are paid by Medicare.  The Federal Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) determines, in its sole discretion, the prices that can be charged for seniors’ inpatient hospital care, and then pays only 80% of those amounts.  The differences between a hospital’s standard fees for service and the amounts that Medicare pays must be written off.  They cannot be collected from the patient.  That’s price control.

    

Furthermore, because Medicare payments are determined solely by the government, annual cost of living increases are limited, generally to between 1-1/2% and 2-1/2%, in spite of the fact that hospital costs have been rising for years at an annual rate of anywhere from 6% to 14%. 

    

Another little known fact about Medicare is that seniors are prevented from seeking care outside the Medicare system, even if they are willing to pay the bill themselves.  Any doctor who accepts payment directly from a senior who is covered by Medicare is automatically disqualified from providing care to all Medicare patients for a period of two years.  This is especially important in situations where a patient wants a second opinion and would like to see another doctor.  That type of regulation is certainly an element of socialized medicine.

    

Many Hospitals Lose Money

Between health insurance contracts (HMOs) and Medicare limits on their charges, hospitals generally collect only about 50% of their total billings.  The rest is written off.  The result of all this is predictable: many of them are losing money.  About one-third of all hospitals in California are currently operating at a loss.  With a national health care plan, at some point, many hospitals would either be closed or services curtailed.  That’s been the pattern in every country that has nationalized its health care.  Nonetheless, that seems to be where we are headed, in spite of compelling evidence that it doesn’t work. 

    

Like the proverbial frog being cooked in a pot of cold water, Americans are gradually becoming aware that the quality of their health care is declining, even as costs continue to rise.  It just hasn’t sunk in yet.  When it does, they will undoubtedly be led into believing the government has the answers and demand more government control, regulation and oversight.  And, our politicians will be only too willing to oblige. 

    

Nationalized Health Care

Nationalized health care in America is gradually overtaking the free market, and we are all being slowly cooked in the pot of government intervention.   So, don’t be surprised at the type of health care program we get as time progresses.  Whatever your own conclusions, remember one thing: that our politicians won’t have to rely on whatever health care plan they establish for everyone else.  As usual, they will have their own, superior plan.  And, it will not be a part of the nationalized health care system that the rest of us will be required to use.  If you doubt that assertion, just look at the health care plan that our Federal legislators and government employees have now. 

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m one of those seniors who has Medicare health insurance coverage and I ran a hospital for about seven years.

 

© 2008 Harris R. Sherline, All Rights Reserved

Lee Dobbins asked:


Americans love cats. In fact, these regal creatures have invaded millions of homes across the country and currently number about 60 million. You’ve probably heard that people don’t choose cats – it’s the other way around and with that in mind, we should be honored. It’s just that with that honor and that unique companionship also come certain responsibilities — like cleaning the nasty bits, for example.

The solution? Flushable cat litter – a newer, friendlier alternative to the older, messier litter boxes.

How they work

Forget what you saw in that Ben Stiller-Robert de Niro movie. Cats may be trained to use toilets designed for humans, but very few have gotten around to perfect that flushing mechanism. Besides, training is a two-way process and not all cat owners can train their kitties to do as they wish. Automatic flushable cat litters may hold the answer, without driving a wedge between your cat and yourself.

Automatic flushable cat litters are self-cleaning litter boxes that keep the cat box clean through the use of a raking system that gets rid of the solid waste by pushing it into a waste receptacle. A cat owner can then remove this plastic part and dispose of the waste easily. Some models even have an exit ramp that cleans the cat’s paws to prevent them from leaving track marks.

For the well-cared for cat, there’s LitterFree (TM). Dubbed as the ‘ultimate’ cat litter box, LitterFree is a new design from Pet Food Express and takes cat litter boxes to a whole new level. The product is connected to the water and drainage system and cleans automatically using water to wash the wastes and flush them down the pipes.

It also features a blower that dries the granules to prepare them for the next use. When the manufacturers labeled it ‘flushable’, they meant it. So if you want an innovative, worry-free cat litter box and are willing to spend more, this is for you.

Instead of ordinary litter granules, those that are used in flushable cat litters are dust-free and washable. The problem of unpleasant odor is also corrected by the flushable cat litter’s automatic system of treating the granules with a cleaning solution that both disinfects and deodorizes, ensuring that your kitty’s little toilet is kept clean and fresh.

No simple task

Flushable cat litters are the result of years of design, engineering and testing, as evidenced by the company that produces LitterFree