Using Real, Energetic, Living Foods and Remedies – for Natural Pet Healing
Why I Wanted to Interview Raw Vegan and Pet Healer, Julz Kolar
If you love your pet, you’ll truly enjoy this interview.
You’re going to learn there are holistic options for healing the sweet furballs in your life.
You’re also going to learn a few tips on overcoming grief and challenges.
And we even touch on a few controversial topics like, can a dog be healthy and vegan?
I met Julz through the raw vegan community on Instagram, and we stayed in touch throughout a lot of life adventures and challenges.
Through all of our communication, we became friends and gratefully cheered on each others’ successes.
She also came to my immediate rescue when a friend’s pet had an ailment. Just like she does for countless others through her Pawriffic pet guidance business.
Almost everybody I know has a four-legged loved one – either in the home or within their family. And not everyone wants to use drugs, surgeries, and doctors when their pets have an issue.
That is one of the many reasons I’m so happy to introduce her to my audience.
Two of my sweet kitties went through the “c-word” about ten years ago, and the treatment choices throughout that journey were heart-wrenching. I never knew if I was doing the right thing. And I never wanted finances to be the reason for a decision.
It’s not that I don’t trust vets – they’re true heroes in many instances. It’s just that I wish I knew back then that were other options.
This is where Julz comes in. At least we now all have more options.
She’s extremely well-researched, she has a ton of experience, and she has a true heart of gold.
It’s no accident you’re reading this – and it’s a blessing to know kind people in the world who want to help our furry angels on Earth.
At the very least, save her contact information in case you ever need a second opinion.
SHARI
Why don’t you start by sharing a short summary about your background, your own healing journey (how you landed on a living food, plant-based diet), and how you learned about healing our furry friends holistically?
JULZ
Sure, my PAWriffic friend, but first, I wanna let you know that I feel very honored and want to say thank YOU so PAWriffic much for asking me to be one of your special guests here.
You are definitely one of the sweetest and most supportive peeps I know.
So, I’m gonna throw out a close guess here as to when I first got into health, but it was likely right around 2009.
Back then, I started diving really deep into the “toxic” world of beauty and household cleaning products. I spent hours back then researching the best so-called “natural” products to purchase.
Things like shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, laundry soap – you get the idea.
I look back and have to laugh now, though, because although those things definitely are a part of health, I wasn’t focused at all back then about what the heck I was even eating.
I was eating all kinds of things I no longer eat now; some of my faves were soda pop (zero water), pasta, bread, cheese, pizza, burritos, steak, mashed potatoes, donuts, and crème brulee too.
Back then, you would NEVER find me in the kitchen fixing any of my own food. YES! My hubby and I were always eating out.
Not only was I rarely, if ever, eating any fruits and veggies, but at times I was also unknowingly doing silly and crazy things that definitely were creating further poor health for myself, like calorie counting and taking weight loss drugs a few times to lose a few pounds.
I was on birth control for over 25 years + I took loads of antibiotics for acne, and sometimes I even took over-the-counter energy pills.
In my teen years, I suffered from significant acne and was always feeling tired and low in energy.
At 18, I even ended up with “mononucleosis.”
Later came pre-cancerous cells found after a pap smear, ovarian cysts, skin cancer, a bulging disc in my neck with “neck radiculopathy” pain that took me down significantly for quite some time, back pain, shoulder pain that kept me up at night, hot flashes, night sweats, dandruff, and other skin issues, eyes burning and stinging, sores on my tongue, hair loss, blood vessels bursting in my eyes where I looked like I had been in some kind of a bar fight.
I mean, the list goes on.
The thing that really led me down the path to what I call true health, though, was when one of my two little dogs (Cj) started struggling with a health issue that 7 different vets and us paying thousands of dollars to help him led to nowhere.
I started seeking answers on my own.
I spent hours on the internet doing deep dives researching all kinds of things that I could do to help him.
I mean, this is probably going to make me sound like I’m some kind of drama queen or something, but I can still recall this one night… this one night, Cj woke up in the middle of the night struggling with his issue, and so I got up with him, and we went and sat at the computer, and as I was holding him on my lap and he was sitting there struggling, I was just so heartbroken for him.
Tears were rolling down my face as I sat there typing into Google, “Help!” and “911 for my dog!” and “Please, someone help us!”
I just felt so helpless and wanted so much to help him.
Healing Animals Holistically
JULZ
It took over a year before I finally came across someone out there that knew exactly what was wrong with Cj and how to help his body heal.
Not only did that someone out there help me with Cj, but he guided me to his mentor, who helped me on my journey to healing myself too.
I call them both my PAWriffic health wizards.
They both have helped me tremendously, and it was through them that I first heard about the importance of eating raw, living foods.
As Cj and I started slowly healing and as I kept taking in all the things my PAWriffic health wizards were teaching me, plus I was researching and learning a whole lot on my own too… well, true health just really became this huge passion for me.
I can’t help but share it all with others. You know?
I just know how heartbreaking, frustrating, helpless, and exhausting it was for us to find real answers.
I know how terrible you can feel when you or a furry one that you love so much is suffering from pain, problems, and symptoms, and I’ve learned it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
All of it led me to eventually go from helping others part-time to finally following my heart 100% and quitting my full-time workers’ compensation claims adjuster job.
I went 100% all in to show others the way to PAWriffic Health.
Owning Pets and Veganism
SHARI
Now for a controversial question.
Do you think dogs can be healthy, exclusively plant-based? And if so, would you be OK with them eating a bone they find outside?
JULZ
Oh, I just knew you were likely going to ask me if a dog can be healthy, exclusively plant-based.
It’s a PAWriffic question and one that I have definitely researched and dived deep into over the years.
So much so that I put together a pretty lengthy article that goes over a lot of the pros and cons of it in detail, and it’s an article that I have sent to many PAWrents too.
If you’d like a copy, please email Julz (contact info. at the bottom).
I honestly never imagined this would work, I almost felt as if I was getting sucked into an infomercial gimmick or something.
I just didn’t think there was that much difference in what we ate that would cause this significant difference in her health.
Client Testimonial
JULZ
When it comes to a dog eating plant-based only, so far, my knowledge, experience, research, thoughts, etc., and all that other jazz about it…
You ready? Here’s my answer…
I really have to say I have mixed feelings about it.
Part of me has seen/heard enough to say, “Yes, most definitely, if it’s done right!” But there’s still a part of me that has some reservations about it too.
I’m kind of torn.
I would say the main reasons I have mixed thoughts about this is because so far, yes, we’ve definitely seen it work for a few dogs, BUT it doesn’t align with the natural laws of mother nature, and I feel like we are really still at the experimental phase of it all.
What I will tell you is that we have worked with a couple of previously really unhealthy dogs, and every time the PAWrent feeds exclusively plant-based meals, their dog has no issues, but when they add meat to their diet, their dog’s symptoms come right back. So that’s pretty interesting.
We have also worked with a few PAWrents that want to feed their dog exclusively plant-based, and so far, we have had success with it.
So, YES, I can and definitely will work and help a PAWrent navigate feeding a dog exclusively plant-based, but I make it known that by no means am I claiming 100% that it is completely healthy and that it is in the best interest of their dog because right now I don’t think anyone 100% really knows that yes, it is, or no, it isn’t, including myself.
As far as whether or not I would be okay with my dog finding a bone outside and eating it…YES, I totally would.
From what I have seen and studied so far – when it comes to a dog chewing RAW bones – is that there may be health benefits to it.
From healthy bacteria to emotionally satisfying for a dog, to nature’s toothbrush, to chewing and exercise and it may even stimulate a dog’s happy hormones.
The last thing I would want to do is take something away from my dog that he/she is enjoying (of course, as long as it isn’t harmful).
SHARI
As a vegan, I have considered getting another kitty one day, but struggle with the ethical side of getting a pet that requires I buy meat.
Because I do believe that cats are obligate carnivores and require meat as part of their species-specific diet. But I don’t want to make their meat meals myself.
How do you feel about buying meat-based cat food if you owned a cat?
JULZ
Wow. Yeah. It sounds like you want to one day have another kitty, but you know if you do, that they have a species-specific diet that includes meat, and that for you is tricky because you don’t want to be prepping meat yourself.
I really admire the fact that you know where you are at with that, and I love the fact that you are thinking about it NOW before you decide to get another kitty, and you are brainstorming ways on how you could make it work.
First, about the “meat-based cat food,” what I will tell you is that I have yet to see anything out there (and I’ve looked at A LOT of pet foods) that I would recommend.
Even the so-called “best of the best” that I have seen are problematic in one way or another, and personally, I wouldn’t feed them to my own kitty, and that means I also wouldn’t recommend them for anyone else’s kitty either.
There is a difference in feeding meat that a human may consume vs meat that is sold by any kind of commercial pet food company.
Next, there’s this saying out there, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before ~ “Where there is a will, there’s a way.”
What I would really recommend is to find a way that works for you, but also that is in the best interest of your kitty too.
Can you find a local hunter in your area and have them prep and pre-cut the meat for you?
Can you have a local butcher pre-cut the meat for you?
Can you hire a friend, a neighbor, or someone else to cut the meat up for you?
Can you find a meat company that will grind or pre-cut the meat for you?
And it’s not my first preference since fresh is best, but you can always store pre-cut-up meat in the freezer and then thaw it as needed for meals.
Whatever you do, I highly encourage you and every PAWrent out there to find a doable way to feed real food.
What Do You Typically Eat in a Day as a High Raw Vegan?
SHARI
Since you healed so much personally, I’m sure the readers would love to know what you typically eat in a day?
And then we’ll get more into pet healing later.
JULZ
Ah ~ so many of us, especially if you are into health, love this question, don’t we?
Before I answer this one, though, I really feel like I need to say a couple of quick things first ~
1 ~ It isn’t necessary to eat ALL raw living foods to be healthy.
And…
2 ~ Please don’t take what I eat to mean that’s exactly what you need to eat in order to be healthy either.
Breakfast
Pretty simple here, but I usually start with a fruit or green juice smoothie and then a bit later, I eat some fruit.
I really love what I call my banana smoothie, which is bananas, Medjool dates, a bit of spring water, and some ice.
Lunch
Most of the time, it’s a huge salad.
I know.
To some, that might sound pretty boring.
But, what I have learned is if you don’t really enjoy a salad, you probably don’t have a PAWriffic dressing, and/or you don’t have the right combo of veggies that go along with it.
Years back, I definitely didn’t think I’d be enjoying a salad as much as I do now that’s for sure.
Dinner
This kind of changes.
Sometimes it’s baked potatoes with some veggies, other times, it’s another huge salad, and I also eat pizza, pasta, soups, chili, burgers, and wraps – BUT, I make these things myself using RAW living foods.
Snacks/Treats
Refer to breakfast because that’s how I roll for snacks, too, including banana ice cream.
As you can probably see, I focus on eating at least 2 out of 3 meals a day that are RAW, living foods.
I also like to eat a pretty good variety of living foods too, although I admit, the banana/date slurpee is on repeat quite a bit for me!
I also take a couple of high-quality plant enzymes before each of my meals as well as a couple of high-quality superfoods that support the whole body that include over 60 nutrients, over 60 minerals and 13 vitamins, including B-12 too.
I look at it as insurance because, sadly, right now to me, there is just no guarantee that the fruits and veggies have the nutrition in them that they once did years ago.
We are using fertilizers and chemicals and they are being picked several days, sometimes even months in advance, and therefore, they are not at their highest peak of ripeness, freshness, and as nutrient dense.
And why do I eat this way?
In a nutshell, because everything that I have taken in and learned when it comes to health and food is RAW foods are living foods and since we are living beings, we should be eating them.
If you plant a baked apple in the ground, nothing grows, but plant an alive apple, and you get an apple tree.
Raw living foods give the body nutrition, enzymes, hydration, energy, and electricity and when we eat them, we feel alive and well.
So, now that I know all this stuff, I’m not going without them.
How to Handle Adversity
SHARI
Can you tell me about a time when you faced a difficult challenge and how you overcame it?
JULZ
Hmm…Interesting that you ask that question, I like it.
That question right now for me is also kind of crazy timing too because recently, my hubby and I were talking to my dad and his wife, and at one point, I ended up asking each one of them, “What three things in your life have been the hardest or most difficult to go through.”
I found it interesting because one of the three things each of them came up with (including myself) had something to do with the loss of a loved one.
It seems to me that the loss of a loved one – even a divorce or a breakup from someone is definitely a really difficult challenge. Not only that, but it’s a difficult challenge that ALL of us are going to have to go through at some point in our life.
That leads me to one of the hardest things in my life that I will share that I have had to go through, which is the loss of my little dog Peanut, who has been gone since June 18, 2015, and also my little dog Cj who passed on March 14, 2021.
I’m sure when I say this, many out there will agree with me too when it comes to someone that they have lost that not a day goes by that you don’t think about them, right?
Every dang day I think of my Peanut and Cj. In fact, every dang day, I still even talk to them too.
Now ask me or anyone else to explain how they overcame the loss of their loved one, and I think what you will find is it’s still a challenge.
It is one of those challenges that never 100% completely goes away.
As much as I know, everyone (myself included) wants this quick fix, a magic cure for things when really there just isn’t one.
I think one of the biggest things that gets me through difficult, hard, challenging, tricky times in life is…
ENDURING IT. When I say endure, I mean being able to just hold on.
I continue to push through it. I’m tenacious. I continue to carry on. I never give up. I think that never giving up mode matters and that it is something to be proud of.
Two other things that I often think about too when I am going through a difficult or challenging time are…
CHOICE ~ I can choose to be positive and choose to move forward and overcome the difficult and challenging thing and look at how it will open some new doors for myself, OR I can continue to focus on only the pain, the misery, and what I have lost.
And one other important thing I keep in the back of my mind too during those difficult and challenging times is “THIS TOO SHALL PASS,” as they say.
I’ve had moments where I’ve been home here all alone and have cried massive tears over my Peanut and Cj.
I’ve even screamed through my house because of the immense pain I have felt.
And then, as crazy as it sounds a few hours later, I’m back to feeling pretty good again, smiling, and doing something like jumping on my rebounder and jamming to a cool 80s tune.
Music, I have found, is a powerful tool that also helps pull me through.
Finding a Qualified Pet Healer
SHARI
How Do You Respond to People Who Like to See Certificates on the Wall?*
JULZ
I have not had “formal” courses or classes when it comes to pet health or diet/nutrition.
Sadly, what I have found when it comes to health is that A LOT of information that people have learned (including ones that have received certifications/degrees) is not accurate.
My two main mentors now have over 35 years of knowledge and experience helping dogs, cats, and humans regain their health.
A lot of what I have learned comes not only from them but also from others who are an expert in their field.
So, all of my knowledge is self-taught by researching and learning, as well as having many experiences working closely now with helping many dogs, cats, and humans regain their health.
I feel that real-life experiences and positive results are of greater importance than any kind of degree or certification will ever be, and we really do have a high success rate at doing what we do.
There’s also an analogy that I share too when I get asked this question.
Let’s say you go out into the woods and end up lost.
Lucky you, though – you come across two guys that you can choose from to help you survive and find your way out of the woods.
The 1st guy is someone who has had hands-on experience living and navigating the woods for over 30 years.
The 2nd guy is someone who just recently graduated from some kind of school and now holds a degree that indicates that he is a certified wilderness/nature instructor.
Which of the two guys would you pick to help you navigate, survive and find your way out of the woods?
I know a few people sadly may take a pass on having me help them because they believe certifications or degrees are really important.
I get it because I was once there myself, but now I see it much differently, and I don’t believe someone needs initials after their name to be educated.
It’s really up to each individual who desires help to determine whether or not the someone they might choose to help them is qualified or not.
The 3 big things that make me qualified to do what I do, in my opinion, are as follows:
1) I know and understand a lot about how the body really does work and how the body heals itself.
2) I have helped my own little dog Cj regain his health, and I have also helped myself regain my health back too. So, I’ve been through the fire myself.
3) I’ve helped many others do the same too with their own dog, cat, and/or themselves for over ten years now, and I can definitely help you too.
You asked me to be patient and stick to the plan – as of today 5/10/14 the large bladder stone is completely dissolved!!!
All smaller stones also gone, no crystals, no infection, CBC and Chem Panel completely normal!
When she was first diagnosed, both vets encouraged me to pursue surgery to remove the stone.
But because we connected with you, our path to wellness changed and thank goodness for that…no surgery needed, just time and patience.
Client Testimonial
SHARI
A final question – can you give us an example of something simple that can be healed naturally that most pet owners don’t know?
JULZ
Something simple…. well, first, sadly, I really think most don’t have any idea at all that there are even natural paths to take when it comes to healing the body.
I know years back, I was really in the dark about it all, and I really wish I would have come to know what I know now a heck of a lot sooner than I did.
Runny eyes, bad breath, skin breakouts, itching, butt scooting, allergies, and a few ear infections. I think those are just a few things that not only do quite a few PAWrents think can’t be healed naturally, but they may even think those kinds of things are just normal.
All of those things, though, are not normal, and if they aren’t healed, those so-called simple or little things can and likely will eventually become a big thing. What I have learned is that treating and chasing symptoms are not the answer.
It’s best to ask why the problem is there in the first place.
To me, before you can really heal or fix a problem, including a simple one, the first place to start is to understand what caused the problem to begin with.
That’s one of the reasons when someone reaches out to me for help, I put together FREE personalized recommendations for them first.
No matter how small, simple, big, or difficult the problem is, I know the body can and does heal itself.
If we get a cut on the outside, we see it heal, and that same thing can happen on the inside, but there must be enough time where the body can turn things around, and we need to have patience and give the body the proper tools it needs so it can heal.
SHARI
I love that. Thank you, Julz.
Thank you for being such a kind, supportive human, for helping others to see that natural healing is possible when we simply give the body the tools to heal – and thank you for turning your darkest challenge into a bright light for our world.
You are a blessing in my life – and I know you’ll continue to be a blessing in everyone else’s.
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*Medical Disclaimer
This article is not intended to provide medical advice or recommendations.
All content, including text, graphics, and information on this site, is for entertainment, general informational, or educational purposes only.
The blog is also not intended to be a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment for you or your pet.
You are encouraged to make your own healthcare decisions based on your research and in partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
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