Holistic Veterinary Medicine in Vancouver, Burnaby & Lund, BC Caring For Pets

Malachy, Best in Show at Westminster 2012, Receives Holistic Veterinary Care

2012-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Malachy, the Pekingese who just won best in show at the 2012 Westminster Dog Show in New York.

Dr. Carvel Tiekert, a Maryland veterinarian, reported that Malachy has been treated with acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and other forms of holistic veterinary medicine.
Dr. Tiekert has personally helped thousands of dogs and has influenced the treatment of thousands more by organizing national AHVMA meetings and participating on the holistic vet list serv.

All dogs, even champions, benefit from acupuncture and holistic care to keep them at the top of their game. From now on, I’m going to tell all my clients they’re getting the royal Westminster champion dog treatment. All that jabber won’t mean as much to the dogs as the liver treats I give them, but it may mean a lot to their parents. All of us want our dogs to have the same opportunity for glowing health as the elite dogs have.

Dog Behavior Problems, TTouch Workshop

2012-02-13T13:58:00.003-08:00

At our Humane Societies, more pets are euthanized for behaviour problems than for health issues. Pets are relinquished for barking, tearing up furniture, biting and fighting with other pets. What’s sad is that families visiting the animal shelter don’t want to adopt another family’s problem.

Fortunately, families with pets that misbehave don’t have to give them up. Instead, these families can change their pet’s behaviour by
• changing the diet,
• spraying DAP on bedding,
• feeding supplements such as ProQuiet with L-tryptophan, or
• using anti-psychotic meds, such as Clomicalm.

Another effective approach for pet behaviour problems is Tellington TTouch. TTouch is especially helpful for dogs that misbehave because they’re anxious.

This month, Catherine Stewart is presenting another of her excellent Tellington TTouch workshops at WaterWorkz. Catherine will focus on body work techniques and exercises developed to help pets relax and focus. Once relaxed and focused, the pet can learn positive, new behaviors.

To register for the TTouch workshop Sunday, Feb 19, contact
Catherine Stewart at doggiesinparadise@yahoo.com
360 945 1447.

Or, contact us at
WaterWorkz info@waterworkzpawspa.com
604 435 0002.

We look forward to seeing you at the TTouch Workshop February 19th.
Two spots left.

Treating Cats with Kidney Disease, the Importance of Blood and Urine tests

2012-02-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

About one-third of our pet cats will develop kidney disease. With odds like these, if you’ve had three cats in your life, you’ve probably had one with kidney disease.

You may already know that holistic & conventional veterinary medicine are a big help for kidney cats, but if you’re not aware of how much help there is, let me give you some good news.

We help cats with kidney disease by changing the diet to decrease phosphorus, provide moderate protein. We select drugs that don’t damage the kidneys, and use our drugs in smaller dosages or give them less often as drugs aren’t cleared from the body efficiently, so have longer benefit. We give herbs, such as Rehmannia Eight, which is also called Si Wu Xiao Feng Yin. We use SQ fluids and can put water-soluble Vitamin B 12 in those fluids. We can use a human product (EPO) to stimulate the bone marrow when cats become anemic. Of course, we can use acupuncture to stimulate the bone marrow (GB 39), benefit the kidney (BL 23), help the body conserve fluids and stay warm (K 3 & K 7). Homeopathic meds can help, too.

There are several other conventional drugs that some families want to use. For example, aluminum hydroxide helps lower phosphorus. Calcitriol helps prevent calcium from being pulled from the bones and reaching abnormally high levels in the blood. When we use these meds, though, we need blood tests to assess that they are safe for the particular pet, and that the dose is correct.

While we can do minimal blood and urine tests, they don’t provide the depth of information needed to tell how severe kidney disease is, and whether it is safe to use conventional medications. The minimum database needed to use the meds we have available to help cats with kidney disease include:

Red Blood Cells (PCV or HMT)
Reticulocytes
Total protein
Calcium, (ionized calcium if total calcium elevated)
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Urine specific gravity
Urine protein

When we have less information than this, it’s like trying to predict the outcome of a chess game with most of the pieces on the board covered—there isn’t enough data to tell what’s happening. Without knowing, for example, what the phosphorus level is, it’s not possible to say whether the cat should be on aluminum hydroxide. Without knowing what the calcium level is, it’s not possible to say whether the cat can be given calcitriol or whether the dose should be adjusted.

When clients who live far away from our office request a telephone consult, I cannot offer them all the medical help that is available if we don’t have complete blood & urine data on their pet. That’s why I request Idexx geriatriac panel, which includes a urine test, before providing a consult. With this level of information, we’re able to use all the approaches we have to keep kidney cats healthy for as long as possible.

Choosing a Puppy

2012-01-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

Choosing a puppy is one of the most joyful experiences we have whether getting a pup from a breeder or from a rescue organization. You’ll decide how active a dog would be ideal, how long and thick a coat it should have, and what sex would be best. You’ll consider whether the pup should be genetically inclined to love any particular activitiy, such as swimming or herding, or doing tricks. All this is a lot to decide, but don’t stop there.

Here are 6 more points to consider when you look for your new puppy:

1. Genetics contribute to calmness and anxiety, which means if the parents are calm it increases the likelihood the pups will be calm.

2. Dogs with erect ears (Border Collies, German Shepherds, Shelties etc) have more “yang” energy forward than dogs with drop ears (Bloodhounds, Labradors) and require different behavioural approaches than dogs with drop ears.

3. Dogs that have been bred to be smaller than their ancestors, such as the minis and toys, may lack confidence and be more anxious than dogs of a standard size.

4. The smallest dog of the litter may be more anxious than the large dogs in the litter. Size is in part determined by growth hormone: the more growth hormone released, the larger the dog; the less growth hormone, the smaller the dog. How much growth hormone is released is partially regulated by the stress hormone, cortisol. The more cortisol is released, the less growth hormone. Thus, the smallest in the litter, with the least amount of growth hormone are often the dogs with the highest cortisol levels, the dogs that have experienced the most stress. These stressed dogs may perceive their world as being more dangerous or it actually may be more dangerous for them.

5. Stressed puppies have permanently different brain chemistry than unstressed puppies, thus they tend toward having more anxiety their entire life. The stress hormone cortisol released when the pup is in utero and during the first few weeks of life signals the developing brain to make more receptors for stress hormones. The more stress receptors a brain has, the easier and the faster the brain picks up on stress.

6. In dogs, as in many species (foxes, cats, rats, & horses) research has shown there is a correlation between coat color and trainability. In dogs, white patches, such as found on belly and feet, are associated with domestication and the ability to be tamed. In contrast, many believe that a red coat is associated with animal that is more intense, flighty, and less trainable.

To prove the correlation between coat color and temperament, researchers showed that shown behaviour is linked to pigment production, and pigment production is linked to hormones & neurotransmitters. Researchers found that the neurotransmitters released when stressed (dopamine, adrenalin and noradrenalin) have the same biochemical precursor as melanin. Melanin is found in the skin and the brain, including brain areas affecting mood.

Dogs Make Good Listeners, Get Yourself a Border Collie

2012-01-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Research shows what all dog lovers know:
dogs understand when we want to communicate with them.

Researchers used cameras and computers to prove what we see all the time in the dog park: dogs listen to human voice and look at us when we speak.

Most Dogs look the human directly in the eye and follow their hand gestures to see what is being communicated. I’ll bet you’ve seen many dogs cock an ear toward you and look you in the eye when you’re speaking with them. Then, if your gaze goes toward an object, the dog will turn to look where you’re looking. This is precisely what József Topál of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences described in an article in the Jan 5th issue of Current Biology showed: dogs look up and make eye contact when spoken to, and follow human hand or eye signals to observe what the human is indicating.

Topal states that his research proved that humans and dogs share the same social skills.

In my experience, herding dogs are especially good at picking up the human desire to communicate, and my advice for any woman who ever says, “Honey, you’re not listening to me.” Is to go out and get herself a border collie.

Harley, the Dachshund with Inter-vertebral disc disease (IVDD)

2012-01-17T22:52:00.000-08:00

Handsome Harley Receiving Acupuncture
Here is little Harley who is as tough and as handsome as the motorcycle he was named for. Two weeks ago, Harley ruptured discs in his back and was paralyzed. When his discs ruptured, nerves making it possible for Harley to urinate and defecate were also damaged; in addition to losing control of his legs, Harley lost control of bowls and bladder.

Two weeks on the road to recovery
Today, with the help of acupuncture, laser therapy, and conventional medical care, Harley is recovering. Harley can walk 8 steps without having his rear legs buckle; he and can urinate and defecate on his own. To help Harley recover maximum use of his nerves, his family is using moxa to treat two special acupuncture points, Small Intestine 3 and Bladder 62. His family is limiting his activity and keeping him on non-skid surfaces so his little feet have traction they need to stay under him.

It will be several weeks before Harley’s engines are fully revving, but he is headed in the right direction. He is receiving dark green & orange vegetables to provide antioxidants, Adequan to help lubricate his joints, and controlled exercise.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Herbal Formulas for Disc Disease
While Charlie is in the acute phase of IVDD (intervertebral disc disease), we may start him on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formula Invigorate the Collaterals or Huo luo xiao ling dan). Invigorate the Collaterals helps relieve stasis (phlegm), treat pain & spasm, move & tonify. In a few weeks, when Harley has passed from acute to chronic disc disease, the TCM herbal formula that would be most helpful is Supple Spine or Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang. These herbal formulas, along with acupuncture and laser therapy, remove pain, return function, and help prevent disease in the future.

Harley's Family
As important as holistic medicine has been in Harley’s recovery, Harley’s family has been even more important. Harley’s family provides him with the love and security that promote a healing state of mind. Harley's family is the key to his happiness, and happiness is key to health.

Back Pain, Acupuncture Significantly More Effective Than Other Therapies

2012-01-08T23:20:00.000-08:00

A Canadian study from Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at the Univ of Ottawa examined efficacy of acupuncture, massage and spinal manipulation on back pain. The authors reviewed over 150 trials and found that acupuncture was significantly more effective in reducing pain and disability than usual treatments, including physical therapy (exercise and electrotherapy).

Although the studies were done on humans, similar results would be expected in other animals, including dogs & cats. What does this mean? It means when your pet hurts its back, request acupuncture. In over 150 studies acupuncture significantly reduced the pain and disability compared with other modalities.

For details on the study, look in the Nov 24, 2011 issue of Evidence Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. The authors are Furla, AD, Yazdi F, et al. The title of the study was A systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and safety of selected complementary and alternative medicine for neck and low-back pain.

Treating Skin Infections in Dogs, Herbs, Oils, & Extracts

2012-01-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

Bacteria & yeast are common causes of skin infections in dogs. The first step is determining whether it’s bacteria or yeast that is the problem, or if both bacteria & yeast infect your pet.

Diagnosing & treating yeasty skin infections
In general, yeasty skin infections have a strong odour and develop in moist skin folds, such as the armpit (axilla), deep face wrinkles, around the tail. If yeast infections include the nails, a brown material develops at the junction of the nail and the toe. If yeast infections include the external ear canals, a waxy brown (not black) cerumen debris collects in the external canals.

Many shampoos help control yeasts, including Miconazole & Nizoral. They are used twice a week and left on for 10 min before being rinsed off. Then, a very dilute vinegar & water solution can be used as a rinse and allowed to dry on the skin. To help prevent yeast from developing between shampoos, products containing tea tree oil or lavender oil can be applied twice a day.

Diagnosing & treating bacterial skin infections
If the problem is bacterial, often there are tiny red swellings like little pimples that develop at hair follicles. These can increase in size and become large and bright red or remain tiny and faintly pink. Some skin bacteria cause moist circular red areas surrounded by a ring of flaking or peeling skin. These are called collarets. Because bacteria loves moisture, skin folds are often the first places to show bacterial infections: areas around the vulva and anus, axilla, lip folds. The belly and lower abdomen are also good place to look for bacterial skin infections.

If your pet has a bacterial skin infection, bathing with an antibacterial shampoos or solutions, such as Pyoben and Chlorhexadine, will physically remove the organisms so that the immune system can come in and clean up the infection. We can help the immune system by applying herbs & oils to the skin, such as yucca, dilute lavender oil, and yucca.

Herbs, extracts, oils that help the skin
• Aloe vera
• Arnica
• Bromelain
• Calendula
• Curcumin (turmeric)
• German chamomile
• Grape seed extract
• Lanolin
• Lavender oil
• Green tea
• Pomegranate
• Rosemary
• Tea tree oil

Jazz, Mini Australian Shepherd for adoption

2011-12-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

This is Jazz, my foster dog. (Bradley got adopted into the best family ever!)

Jazz is a 3-4 year old Miniature Australian Shepherd. I think she looks both sad and shell shocked.

Jazz is from MARS, Mini Aussie Rescue Society. It is believed that she was kenneled for so long she has lost her faith that she can have a loving family. Jazz doesn't bite or bark, but has a difficult time looking humans in the eye. She reacts equally well, which is shyly, to men & women. She is great with other dogs.

Jazz'll be with me until a retired family or someone working at home can give her the stability she needs. As her foster mom, I love her dearly, but recognize that it's hard for her to enjoy spending her days at the clinic. When I am treating a difficult or aggressive dog, Jazz can't stay in the treatment room; she thinks she's being punished when she is asked to stay in the massage room.

Let's find her a home where she'll never be alone. She'd be fine in a home with another dog or with cats. Not sure how she'd be with children. She's not an ideal dog for anyone who is not nimble because she weaves in front of her person when she walks and could easily trip them.

Jazz weighs about 35 lb and is spayed. She has a happy time swimming at WaterWorkz. She loves hiking in the woods and rolling on the ground like a little tumbleweed.

Let me (vetpollen at yahoo.com) or MARS know if you're interested in this delightful little girl.

Urinary Retention Treated with Acupuncture, Help for Cauda Equina Syndrome

2011-12-08T22:46:00.000-08:00

What's Cauda Equina Syndrome?
The last few nerves from the spine spread like a horses tail, and are called Cauda Equina. When the caudal equina is damaged, the bladder can be lose the ability to contract so that it’s not possible to urinate voluntarily. To prevent the bladder from exploding, a catheter is inserted or the bladder is manually expressed several times a day.

Pets that can't pass urine are often euthanized
In pets, cauda equina damage that leads to inability to void often drives the pet’s family to request euthanasia. Fortunately there’s hope with acupuncture. Research published in Acupunct Medicine this September. The article is: Electro-AP improves voiding function in patients with neurogenic urinary retention secondary to cauda equina injury.

The Chinese scientists showed that acupuncture helped humans with difficulty voiding due to cauda equine. For these patients, who had not responded to medication, acupuncture was given 5 times a week for the first month then 3 times a week for 2 weeks. Researchers used electroacupuncture at BL32, BL33 and BL35. When the patients were rechecked in 6 months, and 8 of the 15 in the study had regained the ability to void and maintained it.

Would your pet benefit?
If your pet develops urinary retention due to damaged cauda equina, request acupuncture. Be willing to go for multiple treatments and perhaps you will offer your pet a 50-50 chance for improvement. When euthanasia is the alternative, try acupuncture first.

This research is available on Pub Med: PMID: 21984981.

Acupuncture Increases Glutathione

2011-12-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

We all die one cell at a time.
Usually we think whole organs die, like the kidney, liver or brain, but what actually happens is that enough cells within an organ die that the organ cannot function so the entire organ dies. Unless there is a transplant, we mortals, and our pets, experience cell death, organ death, then whole organism death.

The fact that single cells can live or die is good
Every little thing we do to benefit a cell benefits the whole organ. The best way to benefit a cell is to prevent its DNA from being damaged by oxidation. Oxidation inexorably leads to complete cell destruction, cell malfunction or cancer. This is why eating deeply pigmented fruits & veggies that are full of anti-oxidants is important. The antioxidants naturally present in food support glutathione, which is one cellular system that prevents oxidative damage.

Acupuncture increases glutathione levels
Recent research from doctors in Brazil has shown that acupuncture also increases glutathione activity. Thirty minutes of electroacupuncture to ST 36 and CV 12 significantly increases glutathione levels within the liver & kidney. So, if your dog won’t eat its broccoli, bring it in for acupuncture support of its organs.

Would your pet benefit from increased glutathione
You bet! Glutathione is the primary intracellular antioxidant. Any pet with chronic disease is working its antioxidant system overtime to prevent free radical damage that leads to cell death. This includes pets with kidney and liver disease, as well as those with osteoarthritis. Glutatione is not available as a supplement, but some supplements such as SAMe increase glutathione levels. The difficulty with giving SAMe is that it must be done on an empty stomach. I have so much respect for folks that can get up and give their pet a pill an hour before breakfast or remember to give one late at night several hours after supper. If, like me, you can`t, then use acupuncture periodically to support your dog & cat`s glutathione levels. They will live longer for it.

More details on the research are in Pub Med: PMID: 21971660.

Acupuncture Can Help Diabetic Cats & Dogs by Clearing Lactate

2011-12-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

According to research published by scientists from the Dept of Surgery UFC, in Brazil acupuncture at ST 36 and CV 12 improved clearing of lactate in hyperglycemic rats.

Like rats, humans, dogs, and cats also have increased lactate when they have diabetes and high blood sugar. In addition, lactate levels are increased post exercise. Elevated lactate levels can be reduced using needles inserted in CV12, which is on the tummy, and ST 36, which is below the knee. Stimulation of these points was shown to clear lactate from both the kidney and liver.

The researchers hypothetized that acupuncture stimulated liver & kidney cells to convert lactate to pyruvate more quickly than normal. Rats that did not receive acupuncture had high blood lactate levels, but treated rats showed marked decrease with 30 minutes of treatment.

In clinical practice with dogs and cats, it appears that cells often function more efficiently following acupuncture because pets have more pep. For the first day following treatment, pets often sleep very deeply, then they are full of piss & vinegar.

How can this help your pet?
If you have a diabetic cat or dog, just using two acupuncture points, we can improve the way kidney & liver cells clear waste lactate.

If you have a working dog or a pet who exercises hard, acupuncture can help clear the waste lactate that accumumulates and leads to delayed recovery. These two points, ST 36 and CV 12 have additional benefits, too, especially for the stomach and digestion. Let me or your local holistic veterinarian show you how to massage these points for your pet. You'll be able to get some of the benefit achieved with needles and you can treat your pet easily at home.

More details about the study are in Pub Med: PMID 21971657.
.

Surgery, How Acupuncture Can Help Dogs & Cats

2011-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Many families are afraid that their dogs and cats experience negative effects from anesthesia & surgery. While anesthetics and surgical procedures can be hard on pets, there is a lot we can do to help pets breeze through procedure, including acupuncture.

Recently, researchers from the Dept of Surgery UFC in Ceara, Brazil, showed that electroacupuncture of two points, ST 36 and CV 12, reduced oxidative stress in the liver & kidney of anesthetized rats. Dogs & cats are likely to have the same benefit as the rats showed.

How Acupuncture Helped Reduce Harm of Anesthesia
During surgery, the liver and kidney work very hard to change the anesthetic drugs. First, the liver metabolizes the drugs into less harmful products, then the kidneys excrete the drug metabolites in the urine. As the liver and kidney work, they build up free radicals, and the free radicals can harm the liver and kidneys. In addition to being harmed by free radicals, low blood flow through the organs of hypotensive anesthetized dogs & cats pets also increases free radicals.

What Are Free Radicals?
Free radicals are tiny electron swords that tear holes in DNA and molecules within the cell. With enough damage, the cell can no longer work, and cell by cell, the organ dies.

Controlling Free Radical Damage
The body has several mechanisms for controlling free radicals including glutathione (GSH). In this study, researchers were able to measure the activity of GSH, and of other enzymes (G6PDH). They found that the liver and kidneys of rats receiving acupuncture had reduced oxidative stress and free radical formation than rats not receiving acupuncture.

How Can You Help Your Pet?
If your pet is scheduled for anesthesia or surgery, request electroacupuncture of CV 12 & ST 36 at 10 Hz and 10 mA for 30 minutes during the surgery. Acupuncture is safe and won’t interfere with any drugs your pet is taking. The use of other acupuncture points can also help your pet experience less pain.

Research Publication
This research was published in Acta Cir Bras. 2011;26 Suppl 1:47-52. Electro-AP stimulation using different frequencies (10 and 100 Hz) changes the energy metabolism in induced hyperglycemic rats. Figueiredo LM, Silva AH, Prado Neto AX, Hissa MN, Vasconcelos PR, Guimarães SB. Dept of Surgery, UFC, Ceara, Brazil.

Diabetes, How Acupuncture Can Help Dogs & Cats

2011-10-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Diabetes in Dogs
Diabetes in dogs is common in the following breeds:
• Beagle
• Cairn Terrier
• Chow Chow
• Dachshund
• Doberman Pinscher
• Golden Retriever
• Keeshond
• Labrador Retriever
• Malamute
• Miniature Pinscher
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Poodle
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Samoyed
• Schipperke
• West Highland White (Westie)

Diabetes is most likely in middle-aged and senior dogs, especially in females that have not been spayed.

Diabetes in Cats
Diabetes is also common in cats, especially middle-aged and older cats. There is a higher incidence in neutered males, and in Burmese cats.

Acupuncture Helps Lower High Blood Sugar
Researchers in Brazil looked at whether electroacupuncture could lower high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Electroacupuncture at St 36 and CV 12 lowers high blood sugar and lowers lactate levels. The researchers believed the decrease in lactate occurred because electroacupuncture increases rate at which lactate is converted to pyruvate. Low frequency (10 HZ) stimulation was more effective than higher frequency stimulation.

Researchers used rats for the study, but stimulation of these points is likely to cause similar response in small animals, including dogs & cats. Diabetic pets may benefit, and pets recovering from exercise or work that produces high lactate levels.

Research Publication
The research can be found in PubMed or Acta Cir Bras. 2011;26 Suppl 1:47-52. Electro-AP stimulation using different frequencies (10 and 100 Hz) changes the energy metabolism in induced hyperglycemic rats. Figueiredo LM, Silva AH, Prado Neto AX, Hissa MN, Vasconcelos PR, Guimarães SB. Dept of Surgery, UFC, Ceara, Brazil.

Holistic Help with ACL Tears, Hip Dysplasia, Arthritis, Anxiety & Aging

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

October Saturday Series at WaterWorkz
What are the most common pet problems? We see:
• ACL tear & knee injury
• Disc disease and back problems
• Hip dysplasia
• Arthritis
• Anxiety and
• Aging Issues

So, for our Saturday Series, we’re going to cover these topics. Come, bring your questions and let’s discuss how acupuncture, herbs, warm water therapy & massage can help dogs & cats.

We’re meeting in the WaterWorkz lobby, 3831 Still Creek Ave in Burnaby, BC.
Discussion is from 12-1 on the next three Saturdays, October 15, 22, and 29.
Everyone is welcome. Peaceful dogs always welcome; rambunctious spouses on leashes.

Helping Overweight Pets With Herbal Formulas

2011-10-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

How to tell if your pet is overweight
One way to tell if your pet is overweight is to run your hands along its sides. If it is difficult to feel your pet’s ribs under the skin, it’s too chubby.

Reasons for being overweight
Some chubby pets have poor metabolism and others have endocrine problems such as hypothyroid disease or Cushing’s disease. Choosing the right herbal formulas can help these pets be healthier and to lose weight.

Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Hypothyroid Disease
To help pets with hypothyroid disease, I prescribe Ba Wei Di Huang Wan, which is also called Rehmannia Eight. This wonderful formula is a basic kidney tonic that helps boost the endocrine system, relieve back pain, and treat neurologic problems due to deficiency. It is an ideal formula for a tubby older cat or dog, especially if they have arthritis and are stiff when they get up in the morning. Rehmannia Eight, along with thyroid hormone supplement helps pets lose weight and become more energetic.

Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Cushing’s Disease
To help overweight pets with Cushing’s disease, I may prescribe Rehmannia Six (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) or Four Marvels (Si Miao San). Rehmannia Six is ideal for older pets with dry skin, for pets who are easily chilled, or have back pain. Rehmannia Six helps pets who are restless and have trouble settling down at night, are incontinent because they drink so much water, have dry eye or dry stools (constipation).

Four Marvels (Si Miao San)
Four Marvels helps with many of the same problems that Rehmannia Six helps, but Four Marvels is more ideal for hot pets or those with inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory disease can range from one end of the pet to the other: anal sac inflammation, yeast ear infections, gut infections or inflammation ( colitis) and bladder infections (cystitis).

Herbal Formulas to Help Chubby Pets with Poor Metabolism
To help pets that are overweight because they have poor metabolism, I may prescribe Spleen Support Formula (Wei Ling Tang) or Subdue Internal Wind, which is also called Pinellia Atractylodes & Gastrodia Decoction or Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang.

Spleen Support (Wei Ling Tang)
Spleen Support (Wei Ling Tang) is ideal for pets with Metabolic Syndrome, which is the tendency to gain weight and become diabetic. Spleen Support Formula also decreases spasm and helps relieve pain. It helps treat greasy or clumping hair coat and dander. It helps pets who eat grass, vomit slimy material or tend to bloat. It improves blood flow to the skin. It can help with calcium oxylates, but is not for general bladder inflammation (cystitis). Spleen Support is very warming so it is not used in animals that tend to be hot. For chubby dogs & cats who are hot and have cystitis, For Marvels (Si Miao San) is a better formula.

Subdue Internal Wind
Subdue Internal Wind (Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tiang Ma Tang) is based on herbal formulas first published in 1085 AD. It has been augmented with the addition of other herbs and is excellent for dogs with epilepsy, especially those that respond well to diet change that eliminates starches. Subdue Internal Wind also helps pets that are dizzy, sleepy, chubby, and tend to have benign growths.

Work with your holistic veterinarian to choose the right herbal formula to help your chubby cat or dog become healthy and lose weight.

Helping Pets Lose Weight

2011-10-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

The closer our pets are to their ideal weight, the longer they live. It’s that simple.

So how do I help clients who want their pets to live longer?

1. Prescribe ideal nutrition for each pet because each breed is genetically predisposed to do best with a particular diet. A whippet shouldn’t eat what a Labrador Retriever eats; a Chihuahua shouldn’t eat what the Golden Retriever or Maltese eat.

2. Move away from kibble and toward home-cooked or raw diets. Serve foods warmed to body temperature. Increase the darkly pigmented fruits & veggies.

3. Increase the enzymes in the food and decrease the amount fed. The pet will get more nutrient in each bite, but will not have excess that packs on pounds. I prescribe RxEzymes for pets that need help with enzymes.

4. Treat pain with herbal medication to increase mobility. Nothing is better than the right herbal formula to allow a pet increased mobility. Among the herbal medications we can use for pain are Supple Spine (Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang), Benefit Hips & Knees (Xiao Chai Hu Jia Qin Jiao Tang) and Four Marvels (Si Miao San).

5. Treat arthritis that prevents pets from walking and exercising with Adequan injections. Adequan lubricates the joints. Adequan is the kiss of Yin to dry, creaking cartilage. Adequan injections don’t sting and can be done with a tiny needle so that pets aren’t painfully poked. I want them running because they feel good not because they’re afraid of the needle. Adequan is done as a series, twice a week for 3 weeks, then once a week for 4 weeks, then as needed.

6. Use Acupuncture to boost metabolism. When we want fat to melt off, we stimulate energy to flow through the body and not get stuck in the middle. Among the acupuncture points we use for tubby pets are Stomach 40 and Stomach 36.

7. Use herbal formulas to treat stagnation in the gut and tendency to develop fatty tumors (lipomas). Among the herbal formulas I prescribe for obesity due to stagnation are Wei Ling Tang and San Ren Tang.

If your pet is over weight, ask for help. Weight loss is not only possible, it can be fun for our furred family members.

Herbs Help Pets Lose Weight

2011-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love to help pets lose weight. Dogs & Cats & Birds who are the right weight live longer, have less arthritis and joint pain, and have fewer infections than pets who are overweight.

Every chubby pet deserves a holistic veterinary consult to put them on the right path, including diet and the right Traditional Chinese herbal formula. Because obesity is such an overwhelming problem for so many pet families, let’s spend time discussing all the ways we have of helping pets lose weight. Let’s include a discussion of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas that help with obesity.

We’ll cover herbal formulas that treat
• poor digestion (Spleen & Stomach disharmony),
• over eating (Stomach heat)
• poor liver and gallbladder function ( Liver qi disharmony),
• weak metabolism (Kidney Yang deficiency).

To choose the right formula, I take the whole pet into consideration so that the herbal formula that helps with weight loss addresses the pet’s underlying nature. Among the herbal formulas I prescribe for tubby pets are Miao San, San Ren Tang, Bu Gan Tang, Ba Wei Di Huang Wan.

In addition to herbs, many obese pets benefit from
• Adequan or Cartrophen injections and to relieve the pain that prevents exercising.
• Acupuncture to relieve pain and boost metabolism.
• Enymes (Rx Zyme) so that pets can be fed less and get more nutrient from the food.
• Swimming in warm salt water where the muscles can relax and work at the same time.

Disc Disease, Acupuncture Is As Effective As Surgery

2011-09-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

When discs are suddenly herniated most dogs experience intense pain. A study published Aug 31, 2011, by doctors from the Orthopaedic Department, East Chamber, Beijing Military General Hospital, Beijing 100026, China showed that effects of acupuncture treatment were comparable to the effects of surgery.

Which Dog Breeds Are Predisposed to Develop Disc Disease?
There is a high incidence of ruptured discs in dogs with chondrodystrophy or those with long backs and short legs:
• Beagle,
• Bichon Frise,
• Chihuahua,
• Cocker Spaniel,
• Corgi,
• Dachshunds,
• Lhasa Apso,
• Miniature Poodle,
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi,
• Pekingese,
• Pomeranian,
• Pug,
• Tibetan Spaniel.

Disc Disease also occurs in large breed dogs, but is more often a slow compression of the disc than a rapid injury. Large-breed dogs prone to develop disc disease are the:
• Dalmatian,
• Doberman Pinscher,
• German Shepherd,
• Great Dane,
• Labrador Retriever,
• Rottweiler,
• Siberian Husky.

If your pet is one of these dog breeds, take steps to prevent disc disease. If disc disease occurs and you cannot afford surgery, have your holistic veterinarian treat your pet with acupuncture.

Senior Dogs & Arthritis, Roscoe the Rescued Rottie Shepherd

2011-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Roscoe has a great story. He is a geriatric 120-lb Rottie-Shepherd rescued through PAWS in Point Roberts, WA, two years ago. These last two years may have been the best in Roscoe's life; he is no longer tied up in a yardand he receives delicious food and love. But, like many seniors, he has developed mobility issues.

Proprioceptive Placing
When Roscoe first came to us, he did not know where his feet were in space. This is called proprioceptive placing (PP). With dogs like Roscoe, we can flip the feet over and they will stand on the back of the foot.

Pain Causes Stiffness
Roscoe also had pain over his hips and had stiff legs. When dogs have stiff legs, it’s because they have stopped bending their knees and ankles and elbows and wrists. Arthritic joints don't hurt when they aren’t moved, so dogs like Roscoe walk stiffly.

Metacam
To help with stiffness & pain, Roscoe's vet put him on the most commonly prescribed Canadian pain medication for arthritis, Metacam. Because Metacam doesn't improve the joints, Roscoe wasn't getting better. Fortunately, his family brought him in for holistic veterinary treatment. And, the fun started.

Holistic Vet Help for Arthritis
For dogs with severe musculoskeletal pain, there are plenty of changes we can make in diet, medications, supplements and therapy. First, we changed Roscoe’s diet to best reflect the natural German Shepherd diet, increasing the vegetables, fruit, and meat he received. We recommended increased fiber, such as cabbage. We recommended increased Omega 3 fatty acids, such as Missing Link, and recommended weight loss.

Acupuncture and Soft Laser Therapy for Arthritis
At his first visit, Roscoe received acupuncture. His back was very sensitive and only a few needles were tolerated. We used the soft laser to stimulate points that were too sensitive to needle. By the second acupuncture treatment, Roscoe was very comfortable receiving needles and soft laser therapy. We began electroacupuncture. By this time, Roscoe's proprioceptive placing had returned and he knew where his feet were in space. He was swimming with delight in the warm salt water pool.

Adequan and TCM Herbs for Arthritis and Pain
We started a series of Adequan injections. Adequan is given twice a week for 3 weeks then once a week for 4 weeks. We recommended a Traditional Chinese Herbal formula called Invigorate the Collaterals (Xiao Huo Luo Dan Wan). Invigorate the Collaterals reduces severe, persistent pain, reduces muscle spasm and helps with nerve compression and osteoarthritis, especially of the hin dlimbs. It moves, tonifies and transforms "phlegm."

Moxa for Arthritis & Pain
The family began using moxa to warm acupuncture points and extend the benefit of his treatments in clinic. Moxa is an herb rolled into a cigar shape. The herbal cigar is lit with a match and held near acupuncture points to warm them. It is also used along the back to relax the epaxial muscles.

Happy Dog
Using acupuncture, soft laser, herbs, Adequan, moxa, and therapeutic swimming, we're able to bring the joie de vivre back to Roscoe. You can see by the expression on his face that he is happy. I believe that like all rescued dogs, he is truly grateful for everything his family has done for him.

We cannot make Roscoe live forever, but we can give him an excellent quality of life for as long as he is with us.

Pain in Dogs & Cats, Knee and Back Pain

2011-09-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Knee and back pain are the two most common problems I see in practice. Knee pain is caused by patella luxation, ruptured cruciate ligaments, partial ACL tears, osteoarthritis. Back pain is caused by any limb injury that throws the back out of alignment, hip dysplasia, lumbosacral stenosis, and disc disease. Dogs & cats also have back and knee pain if they have bone infection, Lyme’s Disease, or joint infections.

Among the pain-relieving approaches we provide these dogs & cats are conventional medications, warm, salt water swimming, massage, herbs, and acupuncture.

Just this month, another study showing the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in relieving back and knee pain was published in Brain Research by doctors & scientists from the Center for Integrative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland in the US and the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200001, P.R. China.

I use electroacupuncture (EA) on many of the painful dogs & cats. Like most acupuncturists, I’ve found that pets with chronic pain often respond best to low frequency EA (10 Hz). The benefit of low frequency electroacupuncture is what Meng, Li, Xin, et al showed in their research. They found that electroacupuncture of 10 Hz is even better than electroacupuncture at 100 Hz at producing opoids that relieve pain.

When we use electroacupuncture, we generate opoids within the dog & cat. The opoids bind receptors in the pet’s body and provide a natural pain relief. Thus, pets that cannot use NSAIDs such as Meloxicam or Rimadyl because of poor kidney function, bleeding ulcers, or because they have elevated liver enzymes can receive significant pain relief.

For details on this study, which was electronically published ahead of print publication, check Pub Med, PMID: 21872220, or go to the Aug 7, 2011, issue of Brain Research for the article:The effects of opioid receptor antagonists on electroacupuncture-produced anti-allodynia/hyperalgesia in rats with paclitaxel-evoked peripheral neuropathy. Meng X, Zhang Y, Li A, et al.

Acupuncture Treats Pain--Decrease in Neuropathic Pain with Acupuncture

2011-09-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

There is research showing many different types of pain are helped by acupuncture, including pain that’s aching, piercing, sharp & stingy, and deep and slow. There is also a type of irritating numbness & tingling pain called neuropathic pain that is helped by acupuncture.

A study just published by a British group provided additional evidence that neuropathic is improved by acupuncture. In this study, patients with neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy were treated with acupuncture. An amazing 82% of the patients treated by acupuncture improved. Patients were treated for 6 weeks using PC 6, ST 36 or LV 3.

How is this information helpful for pet families? We can assume that pets have pain as often as humans, even though they are often better at disguising their suffering than we are. We can assume that just as humans have neuropathic pain, pets have neuropathic pain. For example, dogs & cats with conditions may experience neuropathic pain:

nerve impingement,
lumbosacral stenosis,
dislocations,
diabetic neuropathy,
chronic B vitamin depletion,
small bowel intestinal overgrowth,
inflammatory bowel disease
chemotherapy
diabetes.

Because dogs and cats usually respond to acupuncture in the same way that humans do, we might expect a high percentage of dogs and cats with neuropathic pain to benefit from acupuncture.

The study will be published this month in Acupunct Med. 2011 Sep;29(3):230-3. Evaluation of acupuncture in the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Donald GK, Tobin I, Stringer J. Complementary Therapy Service, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road,
Manchester M20 4BX, UK; graeme.donald@christie.nhs.uk.

ACL Injury in Dogs, Treatment includes Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula Benefit Hips & Knees

2011-09-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL) injuries are the most common sports injury in dogs. The ligament can become weakened over time until it is completely shredded, or the ACL can have one gut-wrenching tear.
When the ACL is completely torn, dogs are toe-touching lame. The knee isn’t stable when the ACL is damaged and dogs don’t want to put their weight on the injured leg, so they just touch the foot lightly to the floor.

Because the anterior cruciate holds the upper leg bone (femur) squarely over the two lower leg bones (tibia and fibula), when the ACL is torn, the upper and lower bones slide back and forth damaging knee cartilage. White blood cells (WBCs) rush to the knee and it becomes swollen and warm. The tiny enzyme packets released by WBCs pit the cartilage and over time, the inside of the knee looks like a fireworks test kitchen.

If the ACL injury is minor, the treatment is rest and quad and biceps muscle strengthening. Swimming these dogs and slowly building muscles is ideal.

If the ACL injury is major and the ligament is completely torn, the best treatment is surgery. When the family chooses not to have surgery, some pets will also benefit from slowly swimming to build muscles around the knee and increase stability provided by external structures.

Dogs with ACL injury also benefit from a series of Adequan injections and from the herbal formula Benefit Hips & Knees( Xiao Chai Hu Jia Qin Jiao Tang). Benefit Hips & Knees has been used since the time of Christ, that is 2000 years because it is so effective.

In addition to helping dogs with ACL injury, Benefit Hips & Knees helps dogs with
• Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)
• Hip dysplasia
• Hind limb paralysis due to disc disease.

Benefit Hips & Knees contains bupleurum root, Chinese red ginseng, gentian root, skullcap root, pinellia, licorice root, dried ginger and red jujube fruit. This combination of herbs expels pathogens, stops nausea and vomiting, generate Chi to give the limbs more strength.

If your pet has an ACL injury, bring it into WaterWorkz for swimming, Adequan, and Benefit Hips & Knees. When your dog is so sore it walks with toe-touch lameness, it will appreciate everything you do for it.

Dogs & Cats Get Herbal Help with Four Marvels

2011-09-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

In a previous Caring for Pets discussion, we looked at all the bone & joint & muscle conditions that benefit from Four Marvels, from arthritis to gout, and now, let’s consider all the other pet illness that Four Marvels will help.

Four Marvels helps pets with
• anal sac infection
• bladder problems & cystitis
• chronic ear infections (fungal otitis externa)
• chronic skin infections from allergic dermatitis to pyoderma
• Cushing’s disease due to pituitary tumor (not adrenal)
• degenerative myelopathy
• epilepsy
• foot infections or pododermatitis
• IBD and colitis
• immune thrombocytopenia
• lymphoma
• pancreatitis
• vestibular syndrome
• vomiting
• weakness

The brain can benefit from Four Marvels just as the body can. Pets with behavorial problems that benefit from Four Marvels are
• aggressive when confined
• characteristically bullies

Pets benefit from Four Marvels whenever the illness or mental problem is characterized by heat and moisture. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), moisture can range from tissues in the body being too wet and sticky (damp) to tissues having been thick and sticky for so long that they solidify (phlegm). Thus in TCM, a pet has a problem with moisture (damp or phlegm) if it has lipomas, round abdomen, masses, bladder crystals or stones,

Pets also benefit from Four Marvels whenever the illness is characterized by heat: red, warm swollen, hot, or stinky.

Some pets have only heat conditions; some, only damp conditions, but when pets have both heat and damp conditions is when they really benefit from Four Marvels.

Where in the body your pet develops heat & damp depends upon genetics, diet, & environmental exposures. For esample, if your dog or cat doesn’t drink enough water, the heat & damp is seen in bladder infections or bladder stones. If your pet has a genetic tendency to develop skin disease, such as Schnauzers & Spaniels do, we see seborrhea. In the bully breeds, including Old English Bulldogs and Staffys, we see skin fold infections (pyodermatitis) and feet infections (pododermatitis).

Ask your holistic veterinarian for herbal help if your pet has any heat/damp condition and it will be able to benefit from thousands of years of research and experimentation in herbal medicine.

Dog Lameness, Herbal Help with Four Marvels

2011-09-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Four Marvels is the most commonly prescribed herbal formula for pets with all sorts of health problems, including lameness. Four Marvels has been around for over a thousand years because it treats so many conditions.

Examples of pain and lameness conditions benefiting from Four Marvels:
• arthritis
• gout
• infected joints
• knee pain
• leg pain
• low back pain
• muscle spasm
• numbness
• swollen feet
• weak limbs with muscle atrophy

Although Four Marvels is available from many sources, I use only Chinese medications that have met North American good manufacturing practice standards. Two trusted companies providing Four Marvels are Kan Herb in California and Natural Path in Edmonton. The herb is available as tablet, liquid and powder. What a blessing.

In a future Caring for Pets blog, we’ll discuss many other pet conditions that can be helped with Four Marvels.

Lameness in Dogs due to Lyme Disease

2011-09-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

What signs of illness in your dog suggest Lyme disease? LAMENESS, and fatigue, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Humans report headaches, dizziness, numbness, muscle and joint pain, and it’s likely that dogs also have these symptoms. If your dog has nonspecific lameness that doesn’t improve with rest, ask your holistic veterinarian for doxycycline and herbs to boost the immune system.

Lyme disease is carried by ticks and is spread when the ticks’ mouth parts penetrate the dog’s skin. Ticks attach to dogs to suck their blood and obtain the nourishment they need to mature to nymphs and adults.

After attaching to the dog’s skin, ticks release anticoagulant secretions from their mouths that keep the dog’s blood flowing. Along with these secretions come tiny little bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, that cause the disease we call Lyme’s disease.

We can prevent the spread of Lyme disease by removing ticks before they have time to attach strongly to our dogs, that is within 12 hours. We can use topical medications, such as Frontline or Advantix, to repel or kill ticks and prevent disease transmission.

If the tick attaches and transmits Lyme bacteria during its feeding period, some dogs have effective immune system that attack and eliminate the bacteria, but many dog’s have immune systems that are easily fooled by the bacteria. Borrelia has a sneaky method of evading the immune system—it hides within white blood cells, the very cells that the immune system uses to kill the bacteria. The unsuspecting white blood cells transport the bacteria throughout the body, and the bacteria flourish when they are transported to joints or to the brain and nervous system.

Fortunately, there is a treatment for Lyme disease, the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxy is given twice a day for up to 3 weeks. Pets taking an antibiotic like Doxy should also take a probiotic to replace the good bacteria in the gut that are inadvertently killed. The beneficial gut bacteria help make vitamins and fatty acids; if they’re wiped out by the nonspecific killing action of the antibiotic, pets are at risk for developing chronic diarrhoea and malnutrition.

How do we know if a pet has Lyme disease, because dogs can be lame for many reasons--get a blood test. Recently, improved tests to identify Lyme infection were developed by Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) at the College of Vet Medicine. The new test helps clarify whether an animal is infected, and if so, for how long it has been infected. The test can also distinguish between an infected animal and an animal that has antibodies to Lyme disease because it was vaccinated. Veterinarians can send serum or cerebral spinal fluid for testing to AHDC. http://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu or phone, 607 253 3900.

When I treat dogs with Lyme disease, I use Benefit Hips & Knees (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) from Kan Herbs or Open the Liver Channels, which is Xiao Chai Hu Tang with Turmeric. These herbal formulas help the immune system, give the pet more energy, and strengthen the liver & adrenals. Pets with deep-seated pathogens like Lyme disease strongly benefit from Xiao Chai Hu Tang in either formula.

Our pets have the best opportunity for healing when we combine both conventional medicine’s antibiotic and holistic medicine’s herbal formulas. Why have a pet needs that is lame, has headaches, and feels poorly when there are effective antibiotics and herbs available.

Dog Breeds With Lower Than Normal Cancer Rates

2011-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Each dog breed has its own rewards and the following dogs have something special, less cancer than the average breed. If you've been heartbroken by having dogs die of lymphoma, sarcomas, or other cancers, consider having one of the following as your next pet.

Even with one of these dogs, you’ll want to feed your dog as close to the genetically natural diet as possible, avoid toxins, limit vaccines, maintain a good weight, and have fun every day.

Akitas
Bichon Frise
Bloodhounds
Bullmastiffs
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Chihuahua
Great Pyrenees
Mastiffs
Miniature Pinschers
Newfoundlands
Papillions
Pekingese
Pomeranians
Saint Bernards

Dog Breeds with Higher than Normal Cancer Rates

2011-08-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's heartbreaking when our dogs develop cancer, and for pet families with one of the following breeds the incidence of cancer is higher than normal. If you have a dog that is genetically predisposed to develop cancer, work with your holistic veterinarian to decrease the liklihood cancer will develop.

Beagles
Boxers
Cocker Spaniels
Doberman Pinschers
German Shepherds
Golden Retrievers
Miniature Schnauzers
Poodles
Rottweilers
Shetland Sheepdogs
Shih Tzus

Saving Money at the Vets

2011-08-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

I love rescue associations.
From the Burnaby Humane Society to RAPS in Richmond, PAWS in Point Roberts, and Turtle Creek, we are blessed with organizations that provide care for unwanted pets. Unfortunately, many rescues are overflowing. This occurs more often when the economy is not robust and for many Canadian and American families, that’s the case.

What we’re going to do this Saturday at WaterWorkz is discuss saving money on veterinary bills. We want to help pet families be able to provide great care for their dogs and cats without busting the bank.

Saving money on vet bills is the last presentation in our Summer Saturday Series. Come have this discussion with us so that you never need to relinquish your pet for financial reasons. Everyone is welcome.

We meet from 12 am – 1 pm
Waterworkz facility
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
Call for more info: 604 435 0002

How to Save Money at Veterinary Clinics

2011-08-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

You love your pet; it's part of your family, and you want to provide it with good medical care but you have a limited amount of money. How can you spend that money wisely. That's what we're going to discuss in the last of our WaterWorkz Summer Saturday Series, How to Save Money at the Vets.

Join us and discuss saving money on vaccines, blood tests, titers, special diets, prescription medication, and dental care. Learn what’s necessary now and what you can put off for the future. There are times you'll want to spend money to avoid bigger costs in the future, and other times when your money should stay in your wallet.

Pets always cost money, but lets discuss spending money on the things that matter and avoiding unnecessary expenses. Everyone is welcome!

We meet from 12 am – 1 pm
Waterworkz facility
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
604 435 0002

Signs of Pain in Dogs & Cats

2011-08-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

When dogs and cats are painful, their behaviour changes. If you see any of the following ten signs, get help for your pet:

1. Loss of appetite. Any pet that won’t eat has a problem.

2. Inability to sleep. Any pet that won’t sleep has a problem.

3. Circling many times before lying down. A joint that does not move doesn’t hurt. In order to lie down, the joint must bend and this flexion is painful for pets with arthritis. Often, pets with severe arthritis choose to fall down rather than squat before lying down. These pets need help.

4. Unusual posture, such as sitting with legs extended. You’ll see dogs sit with their hind legs straight out when they have knee problems, such as patella luxation or ruptured ACL. Cats can sit like this, too. Pets that sit with their rear legs extended often limp. They need help.

5. Licking or rubbing an area. Pets that are anxious or in pain often lick or rub an area, in the same way a baby sucks its thumb. Pets lick because repetitive licking releases endorphins, which will ease both pain and anxiety. If your pet is anxious, use DAP pheromone for dogs and Feliway pheromone for cats. If your pet is in pain, get help from your holistic veterinarian.

6. Limping or not bearing full weight on a limb. Easy to see if your pet walks in the sand. Also easy to see if the body lists to one side or the other.

7. Won’t play with toys. Pets in pain lose interest in even their favourite toys. If you have to beg your pet to play, look for a problem.

8. Gaining weight due to inactivity. Pets that hurt don’t enjoy exercise. Nothing’s worse than being a pet and not wanting to move. For many dogs & cats so painful they don’t want to move, floating in warm salt water and treating with Adequan can help restore activity.

9. Ratty appearance. Pets with sore backs can’t bend and groom themselves. If your pet’s coat is unkempt, it may have back pain.

10. Change in temperament. Pets that become grumpy or asocial are may be in pain. We often see this in senior pets that have always been good with kids but now snap at them when the kids bump into them or try to pet them.

Dog Food, Which Dogs Naturally Eat Fish?

2011-08-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are essential for dogs and cats to develop normally. Omega 3s promote smarter, healthier pets, with shiny coats, healthy stools, good joints. The two common sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are fish and flax.

For all those dogs that evolved eating fish, it’s ideal for them to have fish. Feed these dogs sardines, salmon, and sea food when possible. Or, supplement with Nordic Natural’s Omega 3 Pet or Cod Liver Oil. If you want the best fish oil for your pet, hands down, it’s Nordic Naturals.

Dog breeds that evolved eating fish:
Akita
Alaskan Malamute
American Eskimo
American Staffordshire Terrier
American Pit Bull Terrier
American Water Spaniel
Bedlington Terrier
Belgian Malinois
Bichon
Bloodhound
Border Collie
Boston Terrier
Bouvier
Briard
Brittany Spaniel TROUT
Cairn Terrier
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Chinese Crested
Coton de Tulear
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Flat-coated Retriever
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer FRESH
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Ibizian Hound
Irish Terrier
Irish Water Spaniel FRESH
Irish Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Keeshond
Kerry Blue terrier
Labrador Retriever
Lakeland Terrier
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Newfoundland
Norwegian Elkhound
Norwich Terrier
Nova Scotia Duck Toller
Otterhound
Pekingese
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Pharaoh Hound
Pointer
Pomeranian
Miniature Poodle
Standard Poodle
Toy Poodle
Portuguese Water Dog
Samoyed
Schipperke
Shetland Sheepdog
Shiba Inu
Siberian Husky
Silky Terrier
Skye Terrier
Swedish Vallhund
Welsh Terrier
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

Dog Food, Which Dogs Don't Naturally Eat Fish?

2011-08-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

It’s common for us to have fruits, veggies, meat, and fish from all different corners of the world. We get kangaroo in Canada, ostrich in Ontario, avocados to the Artic Circle, but we did not evolve eating such a wide variety of foods.

For thousands of years, hundreds of generations, we and our canine and feline companions have only eaten what was available locally. We evolved and thrived on local cuisine. Thus, some of us and our dogs & cats evolved eating fish and some did not.

The following is a list of dogs that evolved in regions where they would not have been routinely fed fish. If your dog’s breed is on this list, it may be more natural for your pet to have flax as a source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids than to eat fish. If so, Missing Link is an excellent source of flax for cats and dogs. If your dog is on this list and you'd like Missing Link, come see us at WaterWorkz. We carry both the Puppy and the Missing Link Plus Professional Strength with 1000 mg glucosamine per tablespoon.

Dogs that did not evolve eating fish:
Affenpinscher
American Cocker Spaniel
American Foxhound
Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Terrier
Basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle
Bearded Collie
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Tervuren
Bernese Mountain Dog
Black and Tan Coonhound
Border Terrier
Borzoi
Boxer
Bull Terrier
Bull Mastiff
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Clumber Spaniel
Collie
Dachshund?
Doberman
English Cocker Spaniel
English Foxhound
English Setter
English Toy Spaniel
Fox Terrier
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Great Dane
Greater Swiss Mountain
Harrier
Irish Setter
Irish Wolfhound
Komondor
Kuvasz
Miniature Pinscher
Miniature Schnauzer
Norfolk Terrier
Old English Sheep Dog
Papillon
Pug
Rottweiler
Sealyham Terrier
Sussex Spaniel
Tibetan Spaniel
Tibetan Mastiff
Tibetan Terrier
Weimaraner
Vizsla??
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Whippet
Yorkshire Terrier

Dog Nutrition. What should your dog eat? Consider its genetics!

2011-08-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

We’ve all got special ways of spoiling our pets--toys, treats, going to the park, splurging for the raincoat or kitty stroller. Most of us have got the love & play corners covered. But, are we also gving our pets the best nutrition they could have? Nutrition is important not just because it’s a pet’s first interest but because food strongly influences health. Here are my recommendations for providing excellent dog nutrition.

Consider genetics
Not all dogs should eat fish. Not all dogs should eat beef. Not all dogs can eat grains. How do you know what’s best for our dog? Start answering that question by considering what your pet’s ancestors ate. Our pets’ ancestors didn’t have foods shipped in from around the world, they thrived by eating what was available locally. For the hundreds of years over which they developed, our pets’ ancestors ate locally. This type of food is what our pets should still be consuming.

Let’s have some examples:
Tibetan Spaniels
Tibbies evolved eating rice, barley, sweet potatoes, soy, and tubers. They had little beef or fish, and no tomatoes.

Chihuahuas
Chihuahuas evolved eating tomatoes, avocadoes, pork & poultry.

Border Collies
The Border Collie evolved eating wheat, corn, lamb, fish & poultry, but no avocadoes or tomatoes.

Australian Shepherds
Aussies evolved in Western US from Spanish herding stock. They ate beef & lamb, but not much fish.

Staffordshire Terrier
The Staffy or Bit Pull, which was bred in Florida ate a high fiber diet of corn, beef, poultry and some fish. They usually tolerate citrus fruits better than Samoyeds and Northern breeds.

Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkies evolved eating beef, wheat, rye & barley. No salmon, corn or soy.

Golden Retrievers
Goldens evolved eating, you guessed it, fish. They also ate wheat, corn, poultry, but only small amounts of beef.

Labrador Retrievers
Labs evolved eating fish, poultry, lamb and vegetables, but only a little beef.

After considering what a pet’s ancestors ate, consider your pet’s medical needs. For example, if your pet has arthritis, it shouldn’t eat potatoes, egg plant or tomatoes. That’s because these vegetables are in the Solinaceae family which predispose pets (and humans) to arthritis. Thus a Chihuahua with arthritis should not be given tomatoes even if that was a common food for its ancestors. Labs with arthritis shouldn’t have duck & potato diets. The Golden, Border Collie, and Aussie with arthritis shouldn’t have potatoes.

Want to learn more?
We’re discussing nutrition in depth this week at the WaterWorkz Summer Series. Every Saturday we cover different topics, and we’ve been asked to repeat the discussion on nutrition, so that’s what we’ll do this week. Come and discuss what food and supplements your pet should have. Bring what you’re feeding and we’ll evaluate it for the ability to nourish your particular pet.

Everyone welcome!
Saturday August 13 from noon to 1 pm
WaterWorkz
3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC
Call for more information: 604 435 0022

Pet Euthanasia, When it’s time to let go

2011-08-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry when pets are suffering. It is heartbreaking to realize that a situation develops over which we are powerless. We may be powerless because the pet’s illness is untreatable; other times, we’re powerless because we do not have the money to pay for treatment. Yes, there are times when money makes a significant difference in a pet’s health, but often no amount of money will change the outcome.

Whenever we’re feeling powerless it helps to remember that our pets have chosen to belong to us. They would rather belong us and have us love them than to belong to the richest person in the world.

As a holistic vet, I often get letters from folks whose pets are critically ill. The pet’s family finds it difficult to think clearly and make the right decisions. The same thing happens to me when my pets are critically ill. What helps me is to view the pet’s circumstances as nature would view it. In nature, pets that are not mobile, or cannot feed themselves, cannot defecate, cannot clear waste from their blood, or cannot interact with other creatures, are quickly eliminated. Because creatures with chronic illness did not survive, our pets have not evolved with skills to help them cope with chronic illness.

As I`ve watched dogs & cats & birds, most of them have been anxious and ill at ease when chronically ill. This is unlike humans, and perhaps elephants and whales, who have developed strategies for chronic illness. We have evolved to care for and to be cared for when chronically ill. Pets have not evolved with this approach and are often distraught when they cannot move about or care for themselves. Nature would not have allowed them to get to the point where they experience long periods of distraught helplessness. They would have been eaten or would have died quickly from their illness.

Fortunately, we can be kinder to our pets than nature would be by choosing to euthanize in a humane manner. From my experience with euthanasia, pets feel immense relief at being allowed to pass from this earth when they are ill. Euthanasia is often the kindest step we can take for the chronically ill pet that is in pain and there is no significant, enduring method of relieving their pain.

All holistic veterinarians are saddened by pain & suffering, but we are comforted by the ability we have to end a dog or cat’s suffering in a manner that honors them.

Cat Vital Signs, What’s the normal feline heart beat, respiration & temperature?

2011-08-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Normal Vital Signs for Cats
• Cat respiration: 20-30 breaths per minute
• Cat heart rate:130-240 beats per minute
• Normal cat body temperature Fahrenheit: 99.5-102.5
• Normal cat body temperature Celsius: 37–39.2
• Skin turgor: skin springs back from a pinch in less than 2 seconds
• Capillary refill time: Press on the gums and they turn white. Normal color returns to the gums in less than 2 seconds.

Cats are smaller than dogs and have faster metabolism than dogs so the cat’s vital signs will always be faster than a dog’s. That’s because smaller creatures have higher metabolic rate and burn energy faster than larger creatures. The smaller the creature, the more surface area it has and the more heat it loses through the skin. So, the smaller the creature, the faster it loses heat and the faster its cells work to burn fuel. Thus, the faster heart beat and faster respiration in cats than dogs.

Kittens have faster metabolism than adults; thus, kittens’ hearts beat faster and they breathe faster than adult cats do.

Even though cats have hearts that beat more often than those of dogs, and cats take more breaths per minute than dogs do, cats bodies don’t wear out as fast as dogs’ bodies do. Cats live many years longer than dogs do, and housecats can live into their twenties. Feral cats don’t fare as well, and most die before they are 10 years old.

Dog Normal Vital Signs, What’s the normal canine heart beat, respiration & temperature?

2011-08-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what's a normal heart beat for your dog or how fast it should breathe? Well, there's a wide range of normals so it's best if you get familiar with how your dog's heart usually beats, and how your dog usually breathes. Then, you'll know if there is a problem. Below is a list of normals. If your dog isn't in the normal range, let your veterinarian know.

Normal Canine Vital Signs
• Large dog respiration: 10-34 breaths per minute
• Small dog respiration: 20-30 breaths per minute
• Large dog heart rate: 60-110 beats per minute
• Small dog heart rate 100-140 beats per minute
• Normal dog body temperature Celsius: 37–39.2
• Normal dog body temperature Fahrenheit: 99.5-102.5
• Skin turgor: skin springs back from a pinch in less than 2 seconds
• Capillary refill time: Press on the gums and they turn white. Normal color returns to the gums in less than 2 seconds.

There is variability in how fast a normal heart will beat and how fast a normal dog will breathe. The smaller the dog, the faster it will breathe and the faster its heart will normally beat. So, Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese have hearts that normally beat faster than the hearts of Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers.

The same is true for respirations: Yorkies and Maltese normally take more breaths per minute that Labs and Goldens.

Puppies have faster metabolism than adults; thus, puppies’ hearts beat faster and they breathe faster than adult dogs do.

Even though little dogs take more breaths and have hearts that beat more often than large dogs, the little dogs live years longer. Amazing.

Pet Emergencies, When Do You Need To Go To the Vet Immediately?

2011-08-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Emergency or Not?
When do you need to take your pet to the veterinarian immediately for emergency care, and when can you treat your pet at home? Our discussion this Saturday, April 13, at noon, covers this vital topic.

We'll discuss what’s an emergency, and what isn’t. We’ll review normal vital signs for dogs & cats and how to tell if your pet’s heart is circulating blood efficiently.

There is a handout listing medications to have on hand for emergencies. The handout also contains suggestions for meds to use to prevent problems from becoming emergencies. Many of the medications are non-prescription items you can pick up without a prescription.

Everyone is welcome. We meet in the comfortable WaterWorkz lobby at 3831 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby, BC from 12 – 1 pm. Phone if you’d like more information: 604 435 0002.

Last week, WaterWorkz was full to bursting with folks interested in the presentation on TTouch. We look forward to having you all for this vital information.

Allergic Dogs, Diets for Dogs, Tomatoes & Pork

2011-07-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

This Pork & Tomatoes diet was formulated by Dr. Ihor Basko and is taken from his book, Fresh Food & Ancient Wisdom.
Don’t use the Pork & Tomatoes diet if your pet is allergic to tomatoes, pork or milk. It is not a complete diet and should be used for 6 weeks max.

Pork & Tomatoes
• 3 cups cubed pork , rump or shoulder roast
• 1 cup canned tomatoes, (drained & rinsed)
• ½ cup celery
• 3 cups cooked barley or millet
• 4 tab olive oil
• 1 tab parmesan cheese

Stir fry the pork in olive oil for a few minutes then add celery and broccoli for another 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in grain, sprinkle with cheese, cover and cool to body temperature (98 F or 37 C) and enjoy. This provides 4-6 meals for a 10 kg dog.

Dr. Basko's book contains dozens of recipes that are so good it makes us want to eat what our dogs eat. He also writes about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and how we can use herbs and food to help dogs with allergies and other chronic health problems.

If your pet is allergic or has chronic health problems, use Dr. Basko’s book, Fresh Food & Ancient Wisdom for guidance. Then, work with your holistic veterinarian to fine tune your pet’s diet.

Dog Allergies, Diets for Dogs, Sardines & Tofu

2011-07-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Allergic dogs need special diets, and here's one to consider:
Tofu & Sardine Diet
This diet was formulated by Dr. Ihor Basko and is taken from his book, Fresh Food & Ancient Wisdom.

Don’t use this Tofu & Sardine Diet if your pet is allergic to soy or fish. It is not a complete diet and should be used for 6 weeks max.
• ½ cup firm tofu (minced)
• ½ cup zucchini (cubed)
• 1/2c cup cooked barley or white rice
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 2 tab ripe avocado
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp parmesan cheese
• ½ cup sardines (in olive oil or water)

Stir fry the zucchini in sesame and olive oil for few minutes. Add tofu and continue stir fry for 5 minutes. Add rice, barley, avocado and parmesian cheese. Continue cooking for 5 min. Remove from heat and cool. When body temperature (40 C), stir in sardines and serve. Makes two meals for 10 kg (25 lb) dog.

Dr. Basko's book is full of useful recipes and information on using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help dogs with allergies and other chronic health problems.

If your pet is allergic, ask your holistic veterinarian for help with diet and herb recommendations.

Behaviour Problems in Dogs & Cats, Changing Behaviour with Diet & Training

2011-07-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Behaviour problems ruin more good human-pet interactions than any other problem. Among the most common problems are barking, separation anxiety, jumping up, challenging other dogs, & biting. Fortunately, we can take steps that change our pet’s behaviour.

1. Feed appropriately. When pets are aggressive, cut back on the carnitine and chromium in their diet. I find carnitine and chromium make pets “hotter” and more reactive. Carnitine and chromium are often included in supplements. Fruit (cubes of watermelon, a blueberry) are often better than supplement pack full of proteins and minerals that are not given in the way nature intended.

2. Decrease protein and increase complex carbohydrates such as pumpkin and sweet potatoes. There’s a craze now about high protein diets. For some dogs, proteins at 25-33% are ideal.

3. Feed a natural diet for your pet’s genetics. For example, Yorkshire Terriers, German Shepherds and Rottweilers did not evolve eating ocean fish and should be given meat based rather than salmon-based diets. In contrast, Labrador Retrievers evolved eating fish and a natural diet for Labs should include fish. Supplements for the Lab could include fish oil, but use ground flax supplements for Rotties, Shepherds and Yorkies.

4. Train pets with a quiet, calm (almost a whispering) voice so they strain to hear your words. This is very difficult to do when we’re upset with something a pet has done and want to explode, but the reason we have the pets we have is to learn something. When a pet is driving us nuts, one of things we’re to learn is how to remain calm. When we can talk to our pets with a whisper and they strain to listen, they’ll stop engaging in rambunctious behaviour just so they don’t miss what we’re trying to communicate.

5. Reward desired as though there is no tomorrow. Give great treats, great praise, great play sessions.

6. Ignore unwanted behaviour. If we don’t like what just happened (jumping, barking), that’s the time to turn and walk away.

7. Exercise even more than you ever thought necessary. Make sure your pet is always one step in front, though, rather than dragging behind. Stop and reassess whenever your dog is not walking alongside or a little in front. Dogs that walk behind often have lameness issues. Please do not ask lame dogs to run behind a bike or jog down the street until you put a rock in your shoe and become as lame as the dog. Then, you’ll walk at the right pace for the dog.

8. Keep pets busy with mind games. Cats & dogs love thinking, so challenge them.

9. Treat any medical problems that prevent our pets from expressing the joie de vive that comes so naturally to them.

10. Use Tellington TTouch techniques to create an aura of good energy between pets & humans. To catch up on the latest in TTouch, come to the Saturday Session at WaterWorkz, July 30. There will be an in-depth discussion by Catherine Stewart of the ways to massage, exercise and work with your pet so that it behaves to its full potential. Everyone’s welcome.

Tellington Touch TTouch at WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series

2011-07-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

The WaterWorkz Summer Series has Catherine Stewart discussing Tellington Touch (TTouch) this Saturday at noon.

Catherine has done amazing work on rescue dogs and pets, so you'll want to hear her stories. She'll cover TTouch bodywork, groundwork and special tools for your dog!

Everyone is welcome noon, July 30 at WaterWorkz.
3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC
Call if you've any questions: 604 435 0002.

Dr. Pollen & Tanya are looking forward to welcoming you all!

WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series, Benefits of Warm Water Swimmng

2011-07-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

The WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series has Tanya on board this Saturday, July 23. She'll discuss all the benefits dogs experience floating and swimming in warm salt water. You'll learn why she takes pet families up to the pool and says, "This is where the magic happens."

Dr. Pollen will be available to answer questions of a technical nature, such as "Can a dog with a torn ACL benefit from swimming?" and "How is swimming good for dogs with degenerative myelopathy and disc disease?"

Everyone is welcome. The time: noon. That's 12 - 1 pm.
Place: 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC.
Phone: 604 435 0002.

Acupuncturing Cats

2011-07-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

Cats are good candidates for acupuncture and it is surprising how well many of them accept needles. Here, you can see it even surprised the cat’s mistress who took photos of how well she did with needles in.

Summer Saturday Series at WaterWorkz this Saturday on July 16 with George Halpern

2011-07-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone's welcome to enjoy practical advice on how to interact with your dog from George Halpern. George is offering behavior advice, so bring your questions. George is part of the Summer Saturday Series at Waterworkz and he’ll be there to help Saturday July 12 from 12 to 1 pm.
What's coming next in the Saturday Series at WaterWorkz?
July 23, it’s all about therapeutic swimming. Tanya will discuss the benefits and joys dogs & cats experience from playing in warm salt water. Nothing better than salt water therapy that feels like fun.

Then, July 30 it’s Tellington Touch with Catherine Stewart. TTouch helps us calm dogs and helps them get beyond unwanted behaviors.

Where are the sessions?
Waterworkz, 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC

Call if you’d like more information: 604 435 0002

Check the website for details about what’s coming on the Saturday Summer Series: www.WaterWorkzPawSpa.com

A great group of people came last week to discuss Pet Nutrition & Supplements for Dogs & Cats. I'm sure we'll have a great group again, so come enjoy being with other dog families who want help with their pets.

Medications for Dogs on Boats or Cruising

2011-07-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are loaded in the car ready to go to the boat and sail up the sunshine coast. Might just look like a car load of dogs, but there is also a ton of home-made dog food, toys, Kongs to slowly release food, a harness for each of us so we can be pulled out of the water safely, and our medicine kit.

When packing medications and supplies for travelling on your boat, take the following:

PROBIOTIC
Prevent or treat diarrhea
RX Biotic is excellent and doesn't need refrigeration.

CLAY
Treat diarrhea
RX Clay helps whatever the cause of diarrhea, bacteria like Salmonella or protozoa like Giardai.

FLAX for BULK
Prevent constipation. Constipation and hard stools are a problem in pets that aren't eating well or pets that have gotten hot and dehydrated.
Missing Link is the best source of flax because it's sealed in nitrogen and has not formed harmful free radicals that are created whenever oils are exposed to oxygen.

MOTION SICKNESS
Prevent or treat nausea, vomiting, dizziness
Meclizine tablets or scopolamine patches

ANTIBIOTIC CREAM
Skin infections, scrapes, flea bites, wounds, burns
Silver Sulfadiazine

ANTIBIOTIC ORAL
Infections from ticks, such as Lyme disease, Anaplasma; respiratory infections, especially those that hang on and are difficult to shake; food-borne infection such as Listeria
Doxycycline

ANTIBIOTIC ORAL
Gut infection that doesn't clear up following clay and probiotics, such as reoccurring giardia
Metronidazole

ANTIBIOTIC EYE OINTMENT
Dogs that travel with their heads out the window often have eye irriations, If an infection develops, use an antibiotic effective against many different bacteria
Terramycin ophthalmic or Polymyxin B

INJURY TRAUMA
If your dog falls, gets a leg shut in the car door, gets rolled down a hill, give a homeopathic medication because it's safe no matter what other meds your pet is taking. Homeopathics come in liquids, pills, and injectable forms.
Traumeel

BLEEDING BRUISING & PAIN
For severe bleeding or deep bruises, this can be applied onto the injury or can be swallowed
Yunnan Baiyao

ARTHRITIS OR BONE & JOINT PAIN
If your pet outdoes itself and is so sore it cannot walk, rest, ice & elevation. Also use a good pet medication that is rather like aspirin. Take care not to give more than the recommended dose. More has the potential to be harmful.And, even the right amount has been known to cause kidney & liver problems.
Meloxicam, Piroxicam, Etogesic, Rimadyl

SPASM PAIN
With muscle spasm, use a homeopathic. The spasm can be muscle traction injury, an internal spasm such as when a kidney or urethral stone; colic, abdominal pain with diverticulitis, constipation or diarrhea. This is med helpful as you're waiting for treatment.
Spascuprel

CHRONIC PAIN
Nagging arthritis, chronic sciatica, try this homeopathic.
Zeel

STOMACH ULCERS
Stomach ulcer pain especially if taking Aspirin or Meloxicam
Sucralfate

SKIN WOUND ANTISEPTIC
Skin injuries with grit or embedded dirt. This can sting.
Hydrogen Peroxide

DISINFECTANT
To pour over the embedded fish hook before cutting the end off and pulling back through the skin. This also kills bacteria on skin, but it kills healthy skin cells, too, so don't use it if you can use soap & water.
Rubbing Alcohol Isopropyl

WHAT ELSE TO PACK IN PET MEDICAL KIT?
Take along:

Gauze
Q-tips
Cotton balls
Vet Wrap
Scissors

My hope is that you'll pack a great medical kit for your dog or cat and never need a single thing. Enjoy the world without worry.

Dogs on Boats

2011-07-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

Six important things to help you keep your dog safe & happy on board your travels with boat.
1. Single most useful word to have on your dog’s tag if it travels on your boat?
Not the dog’s name, it’s the name of the boat.

2. Single most useful piece of safety equipment on your dog?
Not a collar; it’s a harness. Easier to grip a harness with a boat hook if your dog a over, and you’ll never break your dog’s neck in rough seas hauling it out with its harness.

3. Single most important decision to make before you leave shore?
Decide not tot take a dog if you can’t pull it out of the water and get it onto the boat deck.

4. Safest way to feed on board?
Canned food. The kibble will mold, and the freezer might stop working and you’d lose the fresh frozen food.

5. Best way to teach your dog to go to the bathroom on board your boat? Train it on land. Use a large sweater box with low sides into which you’ve put a piece of artificial turf. Place soil that has been urinated on in the box until your dog realizes, where its new toilet is.

6. How to keep your dog from driving you nuts on the boat?
Play mind games. Hide it’s toys or treats. Play tug of war. Play hide and seek. Offer the slowly releasing food dish and treat ball. Don’t throw the ball from deck into the cabin and have it run up and down the stairs to the cabin as this is hard on the knees.

Fostering Dogs

2011-07-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone with a border collie knows how extraordinary they are, but like any pet parent, I always knew I had the best dog in the world, Star, the brown & white border collie. Three weeks ago Star died in my arms.

Not only was she the best when she was living, Star continues to be the best now that she’s gone by herding me with her spirit: “Give more treats; play more; and share the house with another dog lickety-split.”

So, I'm looking dog to come into my life—with the help of some wonderful border collie rescue folks. I almost fostered a dog from Richmond Animal Protection Society, a Newfie/border collie cross, but the dog was too large for me to lift into the car, and too stiff-legged to jump into the car and climb the steps to the house. We're going to work on lameness with medication and acupuncture so the dog can move comfortably and be pain free.

Summer Saturday Series at WaterWorkz with Dr. Pollen

2011-07-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Two wonderful topics this week at the Summer Saturday Series,
Nutrition and Supplements, and
Dogs on Board.

So, what, in addition to your questions, will we discuss?

Pet Nutrition & Supplements
• Single most important factor with food
• Quality, quantity, ingredients
• Different breeds need different foods
• Why some supplements cause harm
• Which supplement companies to trust

Dogs on Board
To increase the joy & safety of taking our dogs camping or yachting with us, we’ll discuss
• which 2 medications to pack
• safety afloat, single most important word on the microchip
• toilet training
• mental stimulation
• danger of too much raw fish
• danger of kibble in the bilge

Our Summer Saturday Series is
at WaterWorkz facility
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
604 435 0002

See you from 12 am – 1 pm.

WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series, 12 - 1 pm Nutrition & Supplements

2011-07-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Nutrition & Supplements
Because feeding right is the single most important thing we can do for our dogs & cats--ok after love and play--we're going to start the WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series with a discussion of Nutrition & Supplements.

Each dog is different
Bring your pet's food and let's read the ingredients. Is this an ideal food for your particular pet? Did you know Labradors and Staffys don't have the same getetics and don't have the same nutritional demands. Did you know that Yorkies should eat differently than Goldens?

Let's discuss kibble, raw diets, canned and dehydrated foods. What's right for your pet? How about home-cooked diets? How difficult is it to keep a pet healthy using what you have in your refrigerator?

Supplements
What does your pet need? Who makes the best? Does it matter where you purchase your dogs joint meds? Your cat's fish oil? Let's discuss supplements, suppliers, and what's best for your particular dog and cat.

Come
Saturday, July 2, from 12 to 1 pm
to
WaterWorkz 3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC
604 435 0022

WaterWorkz Saturday Summer Series

2011-07-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday in July & August, there’s a discussion of incredibly useful pet information. Everyone is welcome. These discussions are as free as the sunshine and just as likely to make you grow.

at Waterworkz, 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC
www.WaterWorkzPawSpa.com
604 435 0002
from 12 to 1 pm

The discussions cover the following topics:

July 2 Nutrition & Supplements
Are you feeding your pet right? Bring what you’re feeding and let’s see whether it's healthy or making your pet sick.

July 9 Dogs on Board Your Boat
What to take to make your dog safe on a cruise. Medications. Pet rescue & safety practicss. Dogs going camping will benefit from this too. Won't it feel good to know you can travel safely on land or water.

July 16 Behavior Tips with George Halpern
Guided behavior techniques based on the indidividual dog. George is bringing Lucy to demonstrate his behavior tips, discuss the importance of exercise. You'll learn how leash walking strengthens your relationship with your dog.

July 23 Swimming Dogs, Benefits of Warm Salt Water
Having fun & getting healthy! Warm salt water therapy benfits dogs with arthritis, disc disease, ACL tears. We can strengthen muscles and increase range of motion, and most importantly, DECREASE PAIN.

July 30 Tellington TTouch with Catherine Stewart
Calming techniques that make it possible to relax your dog. Learn how to increase trust and deepen your relationship with your pet. Catherine will fill you with the knowledge and faith in yourself that makes it possible for you to bond ever more deeply with your pet.

Aug 6 Is it an Emergency?
How to tell if your pet is really sick. What signs to look for that mean it must go to the vet without delay? What signs mean you need to visit the vet but can wait a day or too? How to handle your pet while you're waiting for your vet appointment.

Aug 13 Pet Nutrition
Not all pets should eat fish. Not all pets should eat tomatoes, or avocados, or beef. We'll discuss which breeds normally do well on which foods. Knowing what's genetically right for your pet will help you choose food that makes your pet as healthy as it can be.

Aug 20 Pet Massage with Jolena Kusec
Dogs and cats love being massaged. Jolena will discuss how she does it and what it does for your pet. She'll discuss massaging pets in a lap and while swimming in salt water. AHHH.

Aug 27 Saving Money on Vet Bills
How can you give your pet great care and save money on vet bills? Come discuss how often pets need vaccines, titers, special diets, and routine care. Learn when you should ask for blood tests and when are they unnecessary.

We look forward to answering your questions and providing you with useful information. You'll get advice from Dr. Pollen, a holistic veterinarian, Tanya the owner of WaterWorka, Jolena the WaterWorkz massage therapist, George Halpern and Catherine Stewart. It's going to be a beautiful summer.

Treating Golden Retrievers with Cancer, Using TCM Herbal Formulas

2011-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Golden Retrievers develop a high rate of cancer and many benefit from conventional therapy including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. For Goldens receiving conventional therapies and for Goldens whose families choose not to use conventional approach to tumors, I recommend change in diet, use of supplements and herbs.

In previous Caring for Pets blog entries we’ve discussed diet (no simple carbohydrates, give complex carbs in deeply pigmented vegetables, oils from fish & ground flax, and organic meats to avoid hormone-enriched meats. We’ve also discussed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas to support pets before cancer develops.

If cancer develops the TCM formula will be chose based on the individual pet. Among those that might be prescribed are

Bu Gan Tang
Chai Hu Shu Gan San
Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Gui Pi Tang
Liu Jun Zi Tang
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
Si Miao San, Xiao Yao San
Xue Fu Zhu Ye Tang

Each formula has herbal ingredients that make it specific for different problems. We consider the whole pet, including tongue and pulse, blood tests, and tumor type to choose the best TCM formula.

These are just a few examples of TCM herbal formulas used for Golden Retrievers or other pets with cancer. In addition, there is Hoxsey formula, which is based on North American & European herbs.

A holistic veterinarian will assess your pet and prescribe the best formula.

I wish we could say these formulas performed miracles—they do not. What they do is help bring the body into balance so the body can do its job of fixing itself.

Using TCM formulas, good nutrition, prayer and play that brings joie de vivre to your pet offers it the best opportunity to heal itself. Golden Retrievers and all dogs are worthy of this level of care if they have cancer.

Golden Retrievers, Using Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal Formulas to Help Prevent Cancer

2011-07-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

When we love dogs, it’s heartbreaking to have them develop cancer. Among the dog breeds that we love deeply and have a high rate of cancer are the Golden Retrievers.

Goldens are ideal companions because of their temperament, intelligence, and beauty. They are great with kids and make good therapy and assistance dogs for the handicapped.

With such a remarkable breed, it’s devastating to see about 50% develop cancer. Knowing the rate is so high, I encourage families with Goldens to start early in the pet’s life to support a healthy immune system.
The white blood cells of the immune system are naturally equipped to sense and eliminate cancer cells. Among the steps we can take to support a healthy immune system are feeding well, using herbs, and providing herbal support when cancer develops.

Feeding to prevent cancer
The single most important thing we can do to support the immune system and help prevent cancer is to feed Goldens correctly. This does not mean kibble. Dogs cannot be healthy eating only packaged food. For suggestions on what and how to feed, check previous Caring for Pets blog entries because they’re full of tips on using deeply pigmented fruits & vegetables, Omega 3 Fatty acids from fish and flax to provide optimum nutrition.

Using herbs to prevent cancer
After feeding correctly to support health, we can use herbs to keep Goldens healthy. The herbal formulas that have been perfected for thousands of years—not just 10 or 20 years like many herbal formulations, but literally hundreds of hundreds of years, are the Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formulas. These formulas are ideal to help Goldens, and to help Goldens immune systems so cancer doesn’t develop.

What is cancer from a TCM point of view
If we look at cancer from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view, cancer occurs when material collects as sludge in the body. This sludge or “phlegm” starts out as a rather ephemeral substance and thickens over time. Without a change in lifestyle & diet, a physically visible mass will become evident. The mass can be small and multiple like multicentric lymphoma or it can be a large and singular like hemangiosarcoma.

Best herbal formula for each pet
To help prevent Golden Retrievers from developing large or small masses, I recommend using herbs that nourish blood & keep liver & spleen healthy. Because each Golden is different, an in-depth consultation is necessary so that we can choose the best formula for the individual dog.

Gui Pi Tang
For example, we might use Gui Pi Tang to nourish blood and “tonify” the body. Gui Pi Tang in a Golden that is anxious or obsessive. The Golden that benefits from Gui Pi Tang may have frequent dreams and be tired during the day because it doesn’t get restful sleep. The blood may be anaemic with a low hematocrit. The blood may lack clotting factors (thrombocytopenia) so that they bruise easily. The stools may be soft and their appetites lackluster. Using Gui Pi Tang helps restore harmony to the body and will help bring about changes that keep immune system flourishing and able to do its job.

One of the companies that makes Gui Pi Tang in Canada is Natural Path. Natural Path has given this TCM formula an easier name, Restore the Spleen.

Bu Gan Tang
For a Golden with different predisposing problems, for example, a Golden that is noise sensitive and timid, has fear aggression or thunder phobia, and tight muscles or muscle spasms, Bu Gan Tang is a good formula. This TCM formula also helps nourish itchy or greasy skin, supports the liver and lowers elevated blood enzymes, such as ALP and ALT. Bu Gan Tang (called Nourish the Liver Decoction by Natural Path) is especially helpful for Goldens that have seizures.

Correct herbal formula brings balance
By choosing the correct herbal formula to help each dog come into balance and have optimum health, we support the dog’s immune system. When each pet has the formula that addresses its health challenges, the pet is less likely to become one of those developing cancer.

Herbs to treat cancer
What do we do if cancer has already developed? The two formulas discussed here can be used before cancer occurs, but for some pets it will also be the formula best for them after cancer is diagnosed. In addition, there are several formulas that are more specific for cancer and I’ll discuss them in an upcoming Caring for Pets blog.

Golden Retrievers & Cancer

2011-06-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Golden Retrievers are one of the breeds most likely to die of cancer. Research shows about 50 % of Goldens develop some form of cancer. So, what can we do to protect our Goldens? Let’s discuss using nutrition, herbs, happiness & vaccines in a way that will help limit development of cancer in the next few Caring for Pet entries.

Nutrition
To help prevent cancer, feed optimally. And what does that mean? It means feeding food that still has enough healing energy that you can tell what it is. Kibble cannot bring health

Feed deeply pigmented veggies: carrots, green beans, broccoli, bok choy, pumpkin, & kale. Steam and puree vegetables as Gloldens don’t have as long a large intestine as we humans do and they aren't able to absorb vegetable nutrients very well when served raw. Sure offer some raw veggies, but that’s for the teeth. Give the majority of vegetables pre-digested by your blender. Veggies can make up about 1/3 of total diet. Start slowly and gradually increase what you're offering. You'll eat better too. And, much as we push deeply pigmented veggies, cauliflower is ok, too.

Feed deeply pigmented fruits: blueberries, blackberries, watermelon & cantaloupe. Go slowly. Some Goldens are allergic to food, and if so, they’re more likely to react to strawberries than to watermelon, so try watermelon first.

Feed Omega 3 fatty acids from fish: sardines in water, salmon skin, and oily fish. Tuna has had oil processed out of it and that’s why canned tuna is more “dry” than canned salmon. Give Nordic Natural’s cod liver oil or Omega 3 Pet. You can purchase it on line Nordic Naturals or from your holistic veterinarian.

Feed Omega 3 fatty acids from flax: Nothing beats Missing Link. Missing Link Vet is a great product for dogs because it provides lignin in the flax, which helps decrease cancer. Flax oil is ok, but it doesn’t have a high concentration of lignin. There are some new products on the market that are lignin enriched, but they’re expensive and don’t have years of research behind them yet. For safety's sake, stick with a product with a good track record, Missing Link. You can purchase it on line Missing Link or from your holistic veterinarian.

In our next entry, we’ll cover Goldens, cancer, and how herbs can help.

What diseases kill dogs?

2011-06-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Having looked at 20 years (1984-2004) of data that included almost 75,000 dogs, researchers find that different breeds of dogs have inherited genetic tendencies to die of different diseases. The most commonly inherited tendency is the genetic predisposition to develop cancer. Other fatal diseases that dogs inherit affect the
• heart
• stomach & intestines (GI tract problems such as bloat)
• brain & spinal column (neurologic disease)
• bones & muscles (musculoskeletal disease)
• lungs (respiratory disease
Knowing what disease characteristics your dog inherited is helpful because your holistic veterinarian can recommend steps to take to decrease the likelihood it will occur or steps that delay the age at which it will occur. For example, if a client with a border collie comes for a holistic visit, we’ll discuss diet & supplements to support healthy brain as the incidence of seizures is increasing in border collies.

When you read the list below and realize so many illnesses are inherited do not feel your pet is doomed to develop them. Instead, work with your holistic vet to prevent them.

Cancer affects nearly 50% of Golden Retrievers, Boxers and Bouvier de Flanders.

Heart disease affects about 20% of Chihuahuas and Fox terriers . Other breeds commonly dying of heart disease include Newfoundlands, Maltese, & Doberman Pinschers.

GI diseases such as bloat (GDV or gastro-dilatation volvulus) are the most common cause of death in Great Danes, Akitas, Gordon Setters, Shar peis and Weimaraners.

Neurologic disease is the most common cause of death in Doxys, Pugs, Min Pins and Boston Terriers.

Musculoskeletal disease kills Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhounds, Great Danes & Greyhounds.

Respiratory disease kills Bulldogs, Borzoi, Yorkies, and Afghan hounds.

While the above mentioned diseases develop with age, some dogs are born with diseases (congenital) that lead to their death. Breeds with a high incidence of congenital disease inclues Newfies, Bulldogs, Yorkies, Akita and Maltese.

The saddest fact is that all our pets will die, but knowing what might affect our pets we can do our best to protect them.

Swimming Cats & Swimming Dogs Together

2011-06-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Wonder of Wonders, we're swimming cats and dogs together at Waterworkz. Here, Tanya and Jolena are swimming the calico cat, Carmen, and the standard poodle, Beau.

Carmen & Beau are housemates and both enjoy holistic veterinary care. Both have arthritis and receive Adequan injections and acupuncture, but warm water swimming has made a real difference in their joie de vivre.

After swimming, pets are especially receptive of acupuncture as they are deeply relaxed. We have more profound effects when pets are relaxed so swimming and acupuncture together are a great combination.

If your cat or dog are candidates for warm water swimming, come visit us at Waterworkz.

How Much Do We Spend On Pets?

2011-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

In 2011, it is estimated that we will spend over $50 billion on pets in the US.
The largest expenditure is on pet food.

19.5 billion on pet food
14 billion on veterinary care
11.4 billion on supplies and over the counter meds
3.65 billion on other services
2.15 billion on live animal purchases

Overall, spending on pets is increasing 5-6% a year. The percent increase in vet care is higher than average, at 8.5%. This is good news as vet care helps pets live longer, healthier lives. Your holistic vet can help you with nutrition, vaccine advice, homeopathy, and herbs.

Swimming Cats, Therapeutic Warm Water Fun for Carmen & Tanya at Waterworkz

2011-05-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Even cat lovers might not believe how easy it is to get a cat to enjoy a therapeutic swim for arthritis, but just look at these photos of Tanya Morin-VanderHammen swimming Carmen Negrich in the warm salt water pool at Waterworkz. Carmen took to it, well, like a duck.

Waterworkz approach to swimming
Tanya, the owner of Waterworkz, is used to swimming dogs and now she’s willing to swim cats--nice cats.

Tanya is a great person to swim cats because she doesn’t just plop a pet into the water; she uses heart-to-heart training to help cats relax as they swim. Tanya counts the number of laps the cat does around the 20 foot pool, and when she thinks the cat should take a break, she coaxes it into relaxing and floating.. You can see Carmen floating in one picture, her tail and legs completely relaxed.

Warm salt water eases arthritis pain
The cat in these pictures with Tanya is a sweet-natured calico who benefits from the warm salt water because she has arthritis. Warm salt water is excellent at reducing lameness, easing pain, and taking the creak out of the joints. For shy, anxious cats, swimming can build self-confidence and self-esteem, just as it builds muscle .

Swimming safety
To ensure a cat’s first swimming experience as safe as it could be, we select a harness from those leant to us by PAWS, the Point Roberts Pet Rescue Society. For Carmen. we chose a wide-webbed, step-in, harness that fit comfortably. We attached two leashes, one for Tanya and one for me as I assisted alongside the pool. If any problem had arisen, both Tanya and I would have pulled on the leashes to lift Carmen in her harness right out of the water. As you can see from the pictures, Carmen was so good in the water, she was soon swimming without leashes.

Swimming cats so they enjoy the experience--open pool is more calming than water treadmill sessions.
Swimming cats is not a new idea, but Waterworkz is the first facility to swim cats without putting them into a glass-sided treadmill. Certainly cats benefit from walking on a treadmill in water, but most of the time cats think of treadmill exercise as work, not play. What we want for cats at Waterworkz is that they enjoy themselves. We want cats to experience complete relaxation. As Tanya says, “They shouldn't know it’s therapy; they’re just having a good time.”.From the look on Tanya’s face, she is having an equally good time.

Wanted swimming cats!
So, dear cat families, if you want to give your cat the benefit of warm water therapy, call Waterworkz and set up a vet visit. Together, we'll ensure your cat is physically and mentally a good candidate for swimming.

As you can see from these photos, and the video we'll be posting on Youtube, there's joie de vivre for both Carmen andTanya. If you could have seen Carmen's mom's face, you'd have seen her smiling, too. Thanks Elaine, for letting us play in the water with Carmen.

Waterworkz Contact Info
604 435 0002
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC

Constipated Cats, Flax as an Alternative to Mice & Bird Bones

2011-05-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Constipation
Constipation is a problem that plagues cats fed many modern commercial kibble diets. In previous Caring for Pets discussions, we’ve covered many facets of cat constipation, including increasing water, increasing exercise, supplements, medications, and resolving joint pain so your cat can squat to defecate. We’re going to cover flax as a fiber source once again because some readers misunderstand why holistic veterinarians recommend flax for obligate carnivores.

Mice & bird bones are a source of natural fiber
Cats evolved eating mice, and they had to eat a lot of them because there is not much meat on a mouse. A 9 lb (4 kg) cat evolved over millions of years eating 8-9 mice a day. About half a mouse is muscle and internal organs (heart, kidneys, lungs, liver) and half a mouse is skin, and bones and connective tissue. Thus, cats evolved eating plenty of fibrous material.

Unfortunately many modern cats don’t eat mice. Many eat kibble. And, many modern cats are constipated because they eat kibble. Kibble has less than 10% moisture. Mice, like other mammals, are 2/3 water and blood; so eating a mouse provides a cat with a very moist diet that is naturally high in fiber.

Making the switch to raw diet with bones can cause problems
When the modern cat becomes constipated, many pet parents make the switch from kibble to a healthier raw meat and bone diet. Unfortunately making the switch too fast can cause constipation. Bones don’t contain moisture and too much bone in a diet definitely constipates cats, but the right amount of bone keeps them regular. So, the if your pet has become constipated, consider slowing down the rate at which you transition it to raw bone and meat diet and ensure plenty of water consumption.

Flax as a mouse & bird bone alternative
There are constipated cats that won’t or shouldn’t have a raw diet with bones. For example some cats shouldn’t be fed a raw diet because of their health—the fragile geriatric cats with poor immune systems. Other cats live in families with immune-compromised humans and the family cannot risk having a cat that might develop salmonella diarrhoea. So, what can we feed these cats to provide fiber if they can’t eat bones? Feed flax.

Slow transition with flax, just as with bone
Just as we can feed too much bone too quickly, we can feed too much flax too quickly. And just as we can feed bone without sufficient water, we can feed flax without sufficient water, so make changes slowly. Carefully increase fresh ground flax from ½ teaspoon to 1-2 tablespoons over a couple weeks.

Best source of flax? Missing Link Feline
Missing Link Feline or the vegetarian Missing Link Well Blend are two of the best fiber sources we have for cats. Cats like the taste, the product is packed in nitrogen so that it doesn’t oxidize sitting on the shelf, and flax is a good source of lignin to combat cancer—about 1/3 of our cats develop cancer.

Missing Link Feline
I wish I had stock Designing Health, the company that makes Missing Link but I don’t, and I don’t receive any money from them. I simply believe in their product. Why? Well, my patients proved it was good. About 10 years ago Jim Wagoner gave me Missing Link samples at the Central Vet Conference in Kansas City. Before recommending it to my clients, I fed it to my own pets could see the difference in their coat. What we see on the outside reflects the health of the organs on the inside, so these pets were becoming healthier. Being curious, I stopped the Missing Link for a couple months and it was obvious that the coats lost their bloom.

Seeing is believing, what I tried
Because the primary ingredient in Missing Link is flax, I decided to feed just freshly ground flax rather than Missing Link but the pets never looked as good as they did when on Missing Link. That’s when I decided to recommend Missing Link to my clients. I believe pets benefit from the synergy of ingredients in Missing Link. Over the past 10 years many supplements have come and gone; many have reverted to cheap ingredients, but Missing Link has only gotten better.

We carry Missing Link at Waterworkz
Missing Link Feline was the first feline product we began to carry at Waterworkz, and it remains the single best product we carry for cats, constipated or not. Missing Link ranks more highly than Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet as a cat supplement because about 1/3 of cats simply do not like fish—Missing Link and Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet would be neck and neck if all cats ate fish.

Fortunately, almost all cats, constipated or not, accept Missing Link Feline. Be sure to start slowly and mix it into the moist food so your pet doesn’t sniff the fine powder up its nose.

Using Missing Link, water, pumpkin, raw or canned diets, exercise and meds when necessary will help your cat have normal stools. Your cat will appreciate everything you do to keep it regular, even if it doesn’t tell you in this lifetime.

Acupuncturing dogs for headaches

2011-05-20T17:24:00.001-07:00

Dogs have as many aches and pains as humans, from headaches to haemorrhoids; fortunately acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas will help.

This dog is being treated for headaches. In addition to the two needles visible in her head, she has needles at the back of her skull, her front paws, and her back paws. I suspect this dog has a brain tumor. She doesn’t have that long to live, but while she is with us, she is going to have the best holistic veterinary care I can give her.

Lameness and Stem Cell Therapy, Stimulating Stem Cells with Soft Laser

2011-05-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Stem cell therapy is a new technique that offers hope for lame dogs and cats that have not responded to common treatments for arthritis. While surgical methods of obtaining and implanting stem cells are expensive and potentially dangerous, laser therapy is neither dangerous nor expensive.

What are stem cells?
Do you remember when you were young and dreamed you could do anything in life—well, stem cells actually have the potential to do almost anything. Stem cells are undeveloped cells that have the potential to become whatever type of cell that is needed. For example, inside joints they can become cartilage.

Where are stem cells?
There are stem cells throughout the body, even in the fat, but they are present in low concentration.

Stem cell harvesting and re-injecting
Several years ago, scientists found a way to harvest stem cells from fat cells (lipocytes). First the scientists harvested the fat by removing it from the belly or back. They placed the fat in a special centrifuge that was able to separate out the stem cells from the fat cells., The stem cells were Immediately stimulated to multiply, and within 24 hours were injected back into the body. Stem cells injected into the joints become cartilage and this new cartilage made the joints more comfortable. Thus, stem cell therapy became a treatment for arthritis.

Potential for harm
While scientists agree that stem cells have the potential to improve aging tissues, they also acknowledge that the steps involved in current techniques can cause harm.
1. Harm can be caused by anesthesia required to harvest the cells, especially when candidates for stem cell therapy are geriatric. The stem cell recipient requires two anesthetic procedures: one to harvest the fat and the second a day later to inject the stem cells directly into the joints.
2. Harm is also caused if injections introduce blood or bacteria into joints along with the stem cells. There has been an instance of a therapy dog who was so sore after stem cell implant that he required opoid drugs to control pain. I suspect the injection either instilled foreign material in the dog’s joints or the surgeon stretched the dog’s joints beyond normal range of motion. The therapy was done under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. In the long run, I did not feel the benefit and cost was justified in this therapy dog. Nor did the family.

Other dogs I’ve known who have received stem cell therapy have done better than the therapy dog, however, not all have benefited. When I ask the pet’s parents months after the stem cell procedure if they would repeat it, many say no. Some say it was the cost, which usually runs $3,000-$5,000, didn’t justify the results. Others say the anesthetic took too much out of their pet.

At the same time, I’ve seen pet parents who feel even a small benefit justifies the risk. These folks say they would be willing to repeat the therapy in the future.

Laser therapy, an alternatives to surgically implanted stem cells
When lame pets come to me requesting help, I discuss stem cell therapy, pros and cons. If they ask, my opinion is that the surgical approach to this technique needs to be perfected before it should be widely recommended. And, new research suggests there may be an alternative—laser therapy.

Research published in the Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology Feb 7, 2011, showed that we can increase stem cells in planarians (worm) with commercial 5mm light emitting diodes (~1.0 mW/m(2) in power density and ~0.01 J/cm(2) in radiant exposure). The increase in stem cells was noted within 4 days of laser therapy. If photobiostimulation of stem cells by soft lasers is as effective in vertebrates as in the invertebrate planaria, then laser therapy may be great method to help dogs & cats with arthritis.

For the original research, look in PubMed for “Increased mobility and stem-cell proliferation rate in Dugesia tigrina ind uced by 880nm light emitting diode. Authors were Wu HP and Persinger MA from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

Holistic Veterinarians Provide Laser Therapy
If you have an arthritic dog or cat, don’t let it suffer. Ask your holistic veterinarian to provide Adequan, Missing Link with glucosamine, acupuncture and laser therapy.

Among the pets I've treated with laser therapy, I've seen most have immediate relief of pain. I've been treating these dogs and cats for disc herniation, neck injury, ACL injury, and arthritis. Since becoming familiar with potential for lasers to stimulate stem cells, I'll also look for long-term benefit as a result of increased stem cells.

Holistic Veterinarians Help With Shoulder Pain, Benefits of Laser Therapy & Exercise

2011-05-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Shoulder pain is common in dogs and cats. Two of the common causes of shoulder pain are rotator cuff injuries and inflammation of the biceps tendon (biceps tendonitis).

Laser Therapy & Exercise Decrease Pain, Increase ROM
In research done on humans (isn’t this a delightful switch!—usually we do research on dogs and cats and use what we’ve found to help humans, but here we can use what we found in humans to help pets.), a combination of laser (pulsed infrared laser) and exercise was significantly more effective in relieving pain and increasing range of motion than was exercise alone. Dogs and cats with shoulder injury should also have significant pain relief and increased range of motion (ROM)when treated with laser and exercise.

For many pets, even cats, swimming in warm water would be an ideal exercise to benefit the shoulder.

How can you tell if your pet has a shoulder problem?
Suspect shoulder pain if your pet is
1. Slow to go downstairs.
Dogs or cats take weight on the front legs and shoulders when going downstairs. If your pet is slower going downstairs than upstairs, it may have a shoulder injury.

2. Limping and head bobbing.
Dogs and cats that walk with a head bob often have shoulder pain. The head goes up to pull weight off the sore shoulder, and goes down when the leg with the good shoulder is used. The up and down motion of the head is called a “head bob.”

3. Suffering from a chronic knee injury.
If your pet has a knee injury, such as an ACL tear (anterior cruciate ligament) it will put more weight on the front legs to keep weight off the back legs. Over time, the front legs become as sore and painful as the back legs. The pain can be distributed over the entire front leg, from the shoulder to the toes.

4. Cursed with hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia causes pain and arthritis because the pelvis doesn’t have deep sockets for the femur to nestle into. The entire back end of the animal will be weak if the hips are abnormal. Often this abnormality is visible: Look down over the body of your pet. If the shoulders are wide and the thorax is large, but the hips are small and narrow, then structures in the front legs, including the biceps and rotator cuff are susceptible to injury.

5. Hit by a car.
Dogs & cats that have been hit by car (HBC)and injured in falls can have hip injuries that leave them with chronic pain. To help decrease the pain, they transfer as much of their weight as possible to the shoulders and front legs.. Extra weight overworks the shoulders—causing inflammation of tendons (biceps tendonitis) and inflammation of tissues around the shoulder joint (subacromial syndrome).

Holistic Veterinarians Can Help
If any of these conditions describe your pet, ask for help from your holistic veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian to provide acupuncture, laser the shoulder, and prescribe an exercise routine that includes swimming. Swimming in warm salt water would be ideal.

The Research
For a look at the original research , go to the journal of Clinical Rheumatology just published May 4, 2011. The article is titled: Additive effects of low-level laser therapy with exercise on subacromial syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. Scientists who published the research are: Abrisham SM, Kermani-Alghoraishi M, Ghahramani R, Jabbari L, Jomeh H, Zare M. Orthopedics Dept, Shahid Sadoughi . These medical researchers are from the University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran—good comes from many corners of the Earth.

Holistic Veterinary Care, Using Acupuncture to Reduce Pain

2011-05-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

As a holistic veterinarian, I’m always looking for the best ways to reduce pain in dogs and cats, and I’ve come to rely on acupuncture because it does such a good job. Two of the most commonly used pain-relieving points are ST 36 and PC 6.

When do pets benefit from acupuncture at ST 36 and PC 6?
Pets with the following problems have pain and often benefit from needling at ST 36 and PC 6:
• Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, immune-mediated arthritis)
• trauma (hit by car, overdoing it at agility, fall out of pickup)
• Disc disease (Hansen’s Type 1 or Type 2)
• Cancer (mast cell, squamous cell, melanoma, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma)
• Bladder infection (urinary crystals or stones, E coli, cystitis)
• Ear infection (otitis externa, otitis interna, yeast overgrowth)

How do these acupuncture points work?
Research just published in China showed that ST 36 and PC provide pain control because they change the brain. ST 36 changes the brain neural responses in pain-inhibition areas; PC06 specifically induces activities of the insula and amygdala.

This research was published in Chin Med J (Engl). 2011 Apr;124(8):1229-34. Differential temporal neural responses of pain-related regions by AP at acupoint ST36: a magnetoencephalography study. Cheng H, Zhang XT, Yan H, Bai LJ, Ai L, Wang FB, You YB, Chen P, Wang BG. Dept of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical Univ, Beijing 100050, China.

If your dog or cat is in pain, visit me at Waterworkz, or seek out another holistic veterinarian. We can show you how to massage PC 6 and ST 36 so that after acupuncture session, you can stimulate the points at home. Your pet will love you for it.

Acupuncture for Dogs & Cats, Benefits for Radiation Therapy for Cancer

2011-05-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

When dogs and cats develop cancer in the mouth or head that requires radiation to control the spread of tumor, the salivary glands can stop producing saliva. This dry mouth (xerostomia) is debilitating because your pet will
• have difficulty swallowing
• won’t feel like eating, and
• is susceptible to increased oral pain and infection.

Research published in Brazil shows that acupuncture minimized the effect of radiation and patients treated with acupuncture produced more saliva than those not treated.

If you’d like to read the original research, check Braz Oral Res. 2011 Apr;25(2):180-5. AP for the prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer. Braga Fdo P, Lemos Junior CA, Alves FA, Migliari DA. Dept of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, Univ of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

If you’d like acupuncture for your dog or cat who is undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, come see us for holistic veterinary care at Waterworkz Paw Spa in Burnaby. We’ll do everything we can do help your pet, including acupuncture.

Acupuncture Helps Lower Blood Pressure

2011-05-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

We’re looking at recently published medical research that describes the benefits of acupuncture. The research described here shows the effect of acupuncture at PC 6 on blood pressure. What does this mean for your dog or cat? This research reinforces the use of PC 6 to affect the heart and blood pressure.

Acupuncture at PC 6 can potentially help lower blood pressure in dogs and cats with
• Brain injury
• Heart disease (cardiomyopathy, cardiomegaly)
• Kidney disease (acute renal failure, chronic renal failure)
• Cushing’s disease
• Diabetes
• Pheochromycytoma

Previous research has shown that applying a unit TENS over acupuncture points helps the heart rate slow down after exercise and helps restore hemodynamic stability after open heart surgery. In a study published in Am J Crit Care. 2011 May;20(3):e67-74, TENS acupuncture at PC 6 helped modulate BP changes by affecting arterial blood vessels. One of the authors of the study was Darren E. R. Warburton is an associate professor in the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Experimental Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Univ of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. was from the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Experimental Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

If you have a dog or cat with heart disease or kidney disease causing high blood pressure, your pet may be able to use less conventional medication if it receives acupuncture. If you’re in the Vancouver, Burnaby, or lower Mainland BC area, make an appointment and come see me for holistic veterinary care at the Waterworkz facility, and I’ll be happy to acupuncture your pet. I can also show you how to massage PC 6 so you can help your pet at home. No pet should have high blood pressure, and this is one way to work with your pet to avoid hypertension.

Tramadol & Gabapentin Treat Pain in Dogs & Cats

2011-05-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

We`re covering methods of treating pain, and two conventional medications that are great for dogs and cats are Tramadol and Gabapentin. These meds are similar, but different. We often use both at the same time.

Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup
Tramadol and Gabapentin both alleviate pain by short circuiting pain messages running through the brain. A pet with pain eventually develops a rapid transit pathway for pain messages and then all pain signals flow easily through the thalamus and into the cortex. The name for the rapid, constant flood of pain signals is windup. Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup; that is, Tramadol and Gabapentin prevent repetitive firing of neurons in the brain.

Putting windup in human terms For some pet parents it is easiest to understand windup in terms of irritability. Ever have a day when things piled up and suddenly you exploded? You hadn’t been paying attention but your mind & body registered every insult until suddenly someone spoke to you rudely or pulled out in front of you in traffic and you exploded.

There are some differences between Tramadol & Gabapentin
Tramadol has some pain relieving qualities, and Gabapentin doesn’t. Unfortunately, the pain relief Tramadol offers is not sufficient by itself to be good pain medication.

Gabapentin helps with tremors or seizures & with neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is used to help treat epilepsy in humans.

Benefits of Tramadol & Gabapentin
Pets on Tramdol & Gabapentin are more comfortable. They can walk longer distances. They can bend their legs and lie down to sleep without circling a dozen times because it hurts to bend their joints. They can flex their hips and knees so that it`s not painful to squat and defecate. They can take smaller amounts of NSAIDs like Metacam and Rimadyl and this reduces the potential for NSAID damage to stomach, liver and kidneys.

Pets with arthritis, hip dysplasia, patella luxation or problems with bones & joints register pain in their brains but don’t show it to us. The brain pathways for pain are so well travelled that they are “primed” to feel the next sensation. Tramadol, Gabapentin, and acupuncture help decrease constant pain messages, lessening windup. They are a blessing for dogs and cats in pain.

Treating Pain in Dogs and Cats

2011-05-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Many of the pets I see are in pain. Some have cancer; some, arthritis; some, injuries. The best way to help these pets and alleviate their pain is carefully combining small amounts of several different medications. Using smaller amounts of each medication decreases the risk of side effects while providing full pain control.

Dogs and Cats are different than humans in how they show pain
With pets, genetic programming has ensured the dogs and cats that survived where those that did not show pain or distress. Over the millions of years of dog and cat evolution, those that showed pain or injury attracted attention of predators and invited challenge of young who wanted their territory or place in the pack. All dogs & cats feel pain, but those that didn’t show it were the ones that survived and passed on their genes. Thus the pets in our homes have descended with the behavioural programming that disguises pain. They still feel pain; we can measure it with elevated cortisol levels, increased respiration, increased heart rate; they just hide it really well.

If dogs and cats hide their pain, which ones need pain control?
At some time in their life, all dogs and cats need pain meds. Dogs and cats are in pain just as often as humans are. They have headaches. They have knee aches. They have neck pain because we often use collar & leash to control them. They have gut pain from constipation, bladder infections, and fibrous scarring after spay and neuter surgery. They have pain from pancreatitis, gastric ulcers, cancers, and inflammatory bowel disease. Their teeth hurt, their gums are sore, they get TMJ. They have hip dysplasia, cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler disease), patella luxation, ankle arthropathy, even toe arthritis.

Helping dogs and cats with pain
Fortunately, we can ease pain in dogs and cats with
• Acupuncture,
• Adequan,
• Herbs,
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),
• Laser,
• Homeopathic meds,
• Reiki, and
• Conventional medications.

Among the conventional medications we have for pain are Tramadol and Gabapentin. In the next Caring for Pets blog entry we`ll cover these two medications.

Help For Anxious, Biting Dogs

2011-05-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Many dogs are given up to humane society when they bite. These dogs often go into temporary or foster homes. We have special problems with anxious, biting dogs in foster homes. These dogs understand they’re living in limbo and they feel insecure no matter how much love exists in limbo foster home.

Our army of approaches for anxious biting dogs in foster homes include
• flower essences
• pheromones
• herbs
• homeopathic medications
• conventional drugs.

It is difficult to know which of the above remedies will be most beneficial without trying them. They all help, but in slightly different ways.

Flower Essences
For flower essence, check out the foster care, stress stopper, and nervous nellie at www.spiritessence.com. Their remedies are fabulous.

Pheromones
For pheromones, get DAP. Use the spray or atomizer. Collar has to be too tight to work. In Canada, DAP is only sold through veterinarians, but it is available at pet stores and online in the US.

Herbs
Many Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas help dogs with anxiety. Among my favorites are Calm Repose (Ian Ma Gou Teng Yin) and Blood’s Palace (Xue Fu Xue Yu Tang). We can also consider Rambling Ease Powder (Xiao Yao San), Heavenly Emperor’s Nourish the Heart pills (Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan), or Snake & Dragon (Long Dan Xie Gan Tang).

Homeopathic Medications
For homeopathy, we consider over a dozen remedies and make the choice based on the dog’s behavior. Among the homeopathics we consider are anacardium, Ars alb, Belladonna, Ignatia, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Nat mur, Nitric acid, Nux Vomica, Sepia, Staphisagria, Sulfur, and Thuja.

Conventional Drugs
For conventional drugs for anxiety, we might use clomiprimine. It takes at least 3 weeks to kick in and doses may need to be adjusted. There are other antipsychotics and anxiolytics consider, too.

We realize when we accept biting dogs into our homes that we need to protect ourselves and our families. There are many methods to try to help them, and the greatest opportunity for success lies in having a dedicated family, a permanent home, and holistic veterinary care.

Great Veterinarians, Bad Veterinarians

2011-05-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today I went to VanCity a local bank and got taught a lesson in how not to run a vet clinic. My experience at VanCity Bank reminded me that I don’t have to practice medicine like bankers practice banking. I vow to my clients that I will be a great ve and not a bad vet. I will:
• Greet you sincerely.
• Offer a peaceful place to rest—even your weary feet.
• Let you know that there is nothing else I would rather do than solve your pet’s problem.
• Solve your pet’s problems, even thinking outside the box when necessary.
• Appreciate how busy you are and provide evening , weekend or housecall appointments.
• Keep your confidences.

So, hold me to it. Ensure I am a great veterinarian. Expect a safe, clean, helpful & considerate experience every time you bring your pet to me. When you come visit, bring cash or checks since I wasn’t able to wade through the requirements at VanCity in the time I had to set up a debit machine in the office.

WaterWorkz Warm Salt Water Indoor Pool For Dogs In Vancouver Area

2011-05-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

WaterWorkz, Opportunity to enjoy indoor pool for dogs.
WaterWorkz Paw Spa, an indoor warm salt water dog swimming pool, is having an Open House Sunday, May 15, 2011, from 11 am to 3 pm. The WaterWorkz facility is at 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC.
Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the free
pet photography,
BBQ, & refreshments,
gift basket draw.

Tanya VanderHammen will give a swim demonstration to show how much dogs love swimming in the warm salt water pool.

Carol Fuegi, internationally recognized wildlife and pet photographer, will be taking photos of people and pets during the event.

Dr. Susan Pollen, the WaterWorkz in-house holistic veterinarian, will be available to discuss how swimming in warm salt water can help your pet.

Jolena Kusec, the in-house massage therapist, will be available to discuss the benefits of canine massage.

During the Open House, WaterWorkz will be accepting new and used toys and donations for the Burnaby SPCA.

There will be a free draw for a $300 Gift Basket that includes swim, doggy massage, holistic veterinary consult; plus, delightful goodies.

The WaterWorkz facility is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with appointments for dogs from 10 am to 7 pm. Puppies and dogs that haven’t learned to swim can become competent and safe in the water; dogs with lameness or mobility issues can experience the delight of being buoyant and mobile.

With the clean, bright facility it’s hard to say who enjoys trips to the spa more—the parents or the pets.

Dogs are always welcome at WaterWorkz, and for the Open House, please bring them on a leash.
For more information, contact
WaterWorkz Paw Spa
Tanya VanderHammen 604.435.0002
Dr. Susan Pollen 888.774.8889 vetpollen@yahoo.com
Jolena Kusec 604.551. 8116 jolena@shaw.ca

Kidney Disease In Dogs & Cats, Using Calcitriol

2011-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Canine Kidney Disease & Feline Kidney Disease
Kidney disease affects about 1/3 of our pets. In previous Caring for Pet blog entries we covered the difference between kidney disease and kidney failure, signs a pet has kidney disease, causes of kidney disease. We covered treatments, including holistic therapies and conventional medications. Now, let’s discuss Calcitriol, a new conventional medication used for cats & dogs with kidney disease.

Role of Calcitriol
Calcitriol helps prevent calcium from increasing in the blood. High calcium levels shorten pets’ lives because organs stop functioning when their cells are full of gritty calcium deposits. To make it worse, pets with high calcium levels are uncomfortable.

Signs of High Levels of Calcium in the Blood or Hypercalcemia
Calcitriol is a drug given to pets with kidney disease to help prevent calcium from increasing in the blood to levels that make pets sick. Dogs & cats with high calcium may have these symptoms:
• anorexia
• lethargy
• vomiting & stomach upset
• increased drinking and urination ( polyuria/polydipsia)
• bladder stones (calcium oxylates)
• strange behaviour (neurologic signs).

Other Causes of Hypercalcemia--Cancer
Cats and dogs with cancer of skin, lymph nodes, bones and bone marrow (lymphosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas, leukemias, multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, sarcoma, and bronchogenic carcinoma) can also have increased calcium and these pets would benefit from treatment for cancer but not from calcitriol.

Deciding Whether or Not to Use Calcitrol
The first step in using calcitriol is to confirm the pet’s elevated calcium is from kidney disease. The second step is to prevent phosperous from increasing through diet and aluminum hydroxide (covered in previous Caring for Pets discussion).

Deciding How Much Calcitriol to Give, and When to Give Calcitriol
We look at the blood to decide how much calcitriol to give. If serum creatinine is higher than normal (>3 mg/dl) but phosphorus is controlled (<6 mg/dl) calcitriol is started at 3.5 ng/kg/day. The best time to give calcitriol is at bedtime on an empty stomach. This is especially true for pets on high doses. For pets on low doses of calcitriol, the drug can be given with food in the morning. Calcitriol can be given every day, and this schedule is best for those of us with poor memories who can remember to give the same medication every day. However, the safest way to give calcitrion is to give ½ the week’s dose th twice a week, such as Wednesday night and Sunday morning.

Blood Tests Required to Prevent Calcitrol From Causing Harm
Calcitriol can help pets with kidney disease, but it can also cause harm because it affects the amount of calcium in the blood. Blood tests measuring calcium help us adjust the dose so that the potential for harm is minimized. Blood tests are done one week, two weeks and six months after starting the medication.

For pets that have had kidney disease long enough that the parathyroid gland was affected, blood tests to measure parathyroid hormone (PTH) should be done in addition to tests measuring calcium. If the pet is responding to calcitriol as hoped, parathyroid hormone (PTH) will be in the normal range. If PTH is elevated, the pet can have increased dose of calcitriol (1-2 ng/kg increase). If your pet needs a dose of calcitriol that is 6.6 ng/kg/day or higher, then it needs blood tests that measure both total calcium and ionized calcium. Pets on these high doses of calcitriol also need to be off the daily dosage schedule and on the twice a week schedule (3.5 times the daily dose).

What Will You See if Your Pet Benefits from Calcitriol?
How will your pet benefit from calcitriol? You should see improved appetite, more energy, and slowing of the kidney disease. Blood tests with BUN and creatinine livels should hold steady. Urine specific gravity should hold steady. Amount of protein lost in the urine should improve or hold steady.

My Recommendations for Pets With Kidney Disease
Do I recommend Calcitriol for all pets with kidney disease? NO. Whether you have a dog with kidney disease or a cat with kidney disease, always start with supplements and herbs that benefit without causing harm. Then, consider drugs. My recommendations are:
• Omega 3 fatty acids from either fish (Nordic Naturals) or ground flax (Missing Link)
• Herbal fromulas with Rehmannia such as Rehmannia Eight ( Ba Wei Di Huang Wan)
• Home cooked diet or raw diet that controls phosphorus by decreasing organ meats and high phosphorus foods, yet maintains healthy protein levels
• Acupuncture (BL 23, K 3, K 7, ST 36)
• Injectable Vitamin B 12
• Subcutaneous fluids

After doing all these, consider medications: aluminum hydroxide, potassium, calcitriol.

Kidney Disease Isn’t A Death Sentence
Dogs & cats with kidney disease can live long happy lives with our help. Do not despair when your vet says your pet has kidney disease, instead get help from a holistic veterinarian. Every pet can benefit from these suggestions so that it continues to have a life with joy and comfort.

Kidney Disease in Cats & Dogs, Importance of Keeping Phosphorus & Calcium Levels Normal

2011-03-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Kidney disease is serious illness, but there is so much we can do to keep our dogs & cats as healthy as possible. In previous Caring for Pets entries we’ve discussed how helpful Chinese herbal formulas and Omega 3 fatty acids are.

Now, let’s talk about meds that help dogs & cats with kidney disease who develop hyperphosphatemia (high blood levels of phosphorus), and why phosphorus is a problem.

The kidneys & phosphorus
Normally functioning kidneys keep phosphorus levels low, and when a pet’s kidneys are failing, it will not excrete phosphorus into the urine. Failing to excrete the phosphorus allows it to increase in the blood. Dogs and cats weren’t designed to have high blood phosphorus levels, and this hyperphosphatemia throws the whole system out of wack.

1. The first thing to go awry is the balance of calcium and phosphorus.
Normally, the body has a balanced ratio of calcium and phosphorus. When the phosphorus increases, the pet’s body works hard to raise calcium levels to keep things in the normal balance. Calcium is raised by pulling it from bones.
2. The second thing, then, is soft, fragile bones.
3. The third problem is elevated blood calcium and deposition of this extra calcium in your pet’s heart, vessels and throughout the internal organs.

Preventing high phosphorus
To prevent calcium from damaging blood vessels and internal organs, we need to prevent the pet’s phosphorus levels from rising. Begin by feeding low-phosphorus meat and veggies and grains. I still recommend homecooked and raw diets over commercial kidney diets as they can be just as low in phosphorus as the commercial diets, but are often more delicious. Food needs to be delicious so that pets continue to eat even when ill.

In addition to low-phosphorus diets, pets with kidney disease should receive a supplement such as aluminum hydroxide to pull phosphorus from blood. Some pets don’t like the taste of aluminum hydroxide, and for them, it can be flavored. It is always given with food.

Why not Epakitin?
A newer supplement to lower phosphorus was developed—Epakitin. I don’t routinely use it for three reasons:
· research supporting it was done on very few animals.
· it is not as effective as aluminum hydroxide.
· it contains calcium, which is exactly what we don’t want.

The one good thing about Epakitin is that more pets accept the taste than accept the taste of alumunimum hydroxide. Fortunately, veterinary compounding pharmacies can tweek taste of aluminum hydroxide so your pet thinks it’s fish, or liver, or even butterscotch.

When to begin aluminum hydroxide
Pets with kidney disease should begin taking aluminum hydroxide before their phosphorus and calcium increase to unhealthy levels. It’s always better for the pet to prevent phosphorus elevations and subsequent calcium elevations than it is to try to lower them once they are elevated. Pets will feel better for longer periods if we can keep blood normal.

Up-coming: Calcitriol
In a future Caring for Pets discussion, let’s cover the new medication Calcitriol that helps keep calcium in check by influencing the brain. For many pets, Calcitriol may extend the period during which they can feel healthy even with chronic kidney disease.

Kidney Disease Treatment

2011-03-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

There is so much we can do for dogs & cats with kidney disease. The last few Caring for Pets entries have covered what the kidneys do, signs of kidney disease, what pets with kidney disease feel, what causes kidney disease, and the differences between acute and chronic disease. Then, we began discussing treatment, beginning with Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 FA can come from from fish or flax, or even hemp. Today, let’s cover Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula that benefit pets with acute or chronic kidney disease.

Unlike many Western treatments for kidney disease which have been developed in the last 10 or 20 years, Chinese herbal formulas have been perfected over two thousand years. They are more likely to do good and less likely to do harm than many of our newer medications for kidney disease.

Here are 8 examples of herbal formulas for our cats & dogs with kidney disease:
· Ba Wei Di Huang Wan,
· Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang,
· Er Xian Tang,
· Liu Wei Di Huang Wan,
· Wei Ling Tang,
· Xiao Chai Hu Tang,
· You Gui Wan, and
· Zhi Bai Di Huang.

Veterinarians trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), help guide clients toward using the formula that is best for their pet. Here are some of the questions I use when working with dogs & cats with kidney disease:
· How easily does your pet take medication? If the pet is picky, there is no point in recommending a formula with a markedly disagreeable taste.
· Does your pet seek out cool places to rest or warm places? Some herbal formulas are warming and some are cooling.
· Is your pet incontinent? Some formulas help pets hold their urine.
· How are the bones, and does your pet have problems with arthritis? Of the above-mentioned formula, 5 help with arthritis.
· Is your pet irritable? Some formulas help with restlessness and irritability.
· Does your pet have seizures or neurologic problems? One of the above formulas helps with seizures, and several formulas help with neurologic problems such as degenerative myelopathy.
· Does your pet have dry eye (KCS or keratoconjunctivitis sicca)? Three of the above formula help with KCS.
· Is your pet hyperthyroid? Two of the above formulas help treat hyperthyroidism in addition to kidney disease.
· Is your pet overweight or losing weight? Several formulas help thin pets gain weight and some help chubby pets lose weight.

Now, let’s have some examples of pets who use herbal formulas selected to treat both kidney disease and the pet's other significant health concerns:
· Meril has chronic kidney disease and arthritis; she benefits from Ba Wei Di Huang Wan.
· Rocky has problems with his kidneys and with itching, allergies, muscle twitching. He benefits from Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang.
· Gracie is hyperthyroid and has kidney disease. She benefits from Er Xian Tang.
· Sam had kidney disease, Cushing’s disease and cancer. Sam lived 5 years longer than predicted using Liu Wei Di Huang Wan.
· Chubby Megan has kidney disease. She benefits from Wei Ling Tang.
· Arnie has liver and kidney disease. He benefits from Xiao Chai Hu Tang—one of the very best formulas for pets with confusing symptoms.
· Nipper had leptospirosis causing an infection of the kidneys; he benefitted from Xiao Chai Hu Tang.
· Becky is incontinent, has hip dysplasia, and kidney disease. She benefits from You Gui Wan.
· Lucky is a thin, hyperthyroid cat who is always hot & thirsty. She benefits from Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan.

We’re only beginning to touch the surface of the benefit of these herbal formulas. For example, Xiao Chai Hu Tang also helps pets with Lyme’s disease, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, babesia and blood parasites.

To ensure you’re using the best TCM formula for your pet, have your veterinarian look at the whole picture. Usually it's best to have a vet trained in herbal medication Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In future Caring for Pet blog entries, we’ll cover more medications for pets with kidney disease.

Treating Kidney Disease, Omega 3 Fatty Acids

2011-02-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

The first thing to do for dogs and cats with kidney disease is to increase the Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet. Fatty acids help kidney cells function so that they can do the best job of clearing wastes from the blood.

The two best sources of Omega 3s are fish and ground flax. Nordic Naturals is an excellent source of fish oil and Designing Health, the maker of Missing Link, is an excellent source of ground flax.

In subsequent Caring for Pet entries, we’ll discuss conventional medications that also help pets with kidney disease, but no matter which conventional medication your pet needs, it first needs high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.

Canine Kidney Disease, Signs Your Dog Is Ill

2010-11-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Chronic kidney disease, which is also called chronic renal failure (CRF) is common in dogs, especially older dogs. How do you know if your dog has chronic kidney disease? Your dog will show you it is ill if you know what to look for.

Signs of kidney disease:

• increased water consumption or polydipsia
• increased urine production or polyuria
• loss of appetite
• lethargy and depression
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• very bad breath
• ulcers in the mouth

The signs of CRF are different from those of acute renal failure. Dogs with acute disease pass little or no urine and are severely ill. Dogs with CRF drink and pee excessively. Dogs with CRF develop increasingly worsening symptoms, but they may do so at such a subtle rate that we aren’t always aware of what’s happening until most of the kidney has been destroyed.

Confirm signs with blood and urine tests
When a pet has symptoms listed above, we want to confirm that it has CRF with blood and urine tests. Get these tests every 6 months if your pet is a senior because seniors are more at risk for kidney disease than are young dogs. For younger dogs, have blood and urine tests annually.

What's next?
In future Caring for Pet discussions, we'll cover what goes wrong with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and the red blood cells in a pet with CRF, then we'll discuss which herbs, medications, and supplements will prolong life.

The more we understand CRF, the better care we can give our pets.

Canine Kidney Disease, Acute and Chronic

2010-11-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

In previous Caring for Pets entries, we’ve covered what the kidneys do, what causes kidney disease, and how dogs with kidney disease feel. Now, let’s consider the two major classifications of kidney disease, acute and chronic, because they are vastly different and require different approaches.

The difference between acute and chronic kidney disease
When kidney disease hits a pet with sudden, severe illness, it’s called acute kidney disease or acute renal failure (ARF). When kidney disease sneaks up slowly, destroying kidney function bit by bit and causing a progressive illness, it’s called chronic kidney disease or chronic renal failure (CRF).

Major differences between ARF and CRF include
• Severity and affect on longevity
• Urine production
• Instigating factors

Difference in ARF and CRF Severity and Longevity
Dogs with acute kidney disease can die within a few hours. In contrast, a pet with chronic disease may live for months or years. A pet with acute disease requires hospitalization with intensive emergency care, and the best indication of how the pet will do is how well it responds to treatment. A pet with chronic disease is managed at home with clinic visits every 3-4 months.

Many dogs with chronic disease have such a gradual progression of symptoms that the family is unaware the pet is ill until the pet is brought in for its annual physical exam with blood and urine tests.

Dogs can have both ARF and CRF if slowly progressive disease destroys so much of the functioning cells that failure of the entire organ occurs.

Difference in ARF and CRF Urine Production
With acute renal failure, no urine is produced (anuria) and no wastes are cleared from the body so that urea builds up within the blood (uremia). In contrast, dogs with chronic renal failure produce an excessive amount of urine and clear some waste products. The more urine a dog with CRF produces, the more it needs to drink; this combination of increased drinking and urination is called polyuria (PU) and polydipsia (PD) or PUPD.

Although dogs with PUPD and are able to clear some waste products, over time this clearance decreases and uremia develops. The dog’s brain and other organs will tolerate slow increases in uremia much better than they will tolerate sudden increases. Thus, when blood tests show uremia, we are better able to predict how the pet will do if we know the rate at which the uremia developed.

Difference in ARF and CRF Instigating Factors
Acute renal failure can be brought on by medications (lasix, NSAIDs like Rimadyl, Meloxicam & Etogesic, cepholosporins, aminoglycosides), toxins, heat stroke, shock, transfusion reaction, infection such as leptospira bacteria, and blockage in the renal system by stones or tumors.

Chronic disease can be brought on by long-term infection or medication use, genetic malformation and malfunction, cancer, and aging.

Canine kidney disease is not the end of the world; many dogs can live months or years with minimal illness if we handle their illness wisely. The more we understand about kidney disease, the easier it is for us to manage it. In previous Caring for Pets entries, we’ve covered what the kidneys do, what causes kidney disease, and how dogs with kidney disease feel. In upcoming discussions, we’ll cover signs and symptoms that a dog has renal failure, tests and treatment.

Canine Kidney Disease, the Causes

2010-11-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

What causes kidney disease?
Kidney disease can be caused by so many factors that it’s a marvel all dogs don’t have kidney failure.

Causes of kidney disease include:

• Bacteria, such as leptospira and ehrlichia
• Cancer, such as lymphosarcoma
• Genetic malformations and malfunctions affecting dozens of breeds
• Blocked bladder, urethra, or ureters
• Stones caused by improper food or the pH of the food
• Chronic infections, such as dental disease, Lyme disease
• Toxins and poisons, such as radiator fluid (ethylene glycol), mercury & lead, arsenic & thallium
• Pain medications, such as Rimadyl, Meloxicam, aspirin, & ibuprofen
• Antibiotic medications, including aminglycosides, sulfas, & cephalosporins
• Shock and coagulation problems, including DIC
• Transfusion reactions
• Heat stroke
• Hypercalcemia

In an upcoming Caring for Pets blog, we'll continue our discussion of kidney disease in dogs by describing two different forms of this disease: acute and chronic. Then, we'll discuss what goes wrong and how herbs, medications, and supplements can help.

Canine Kidney Disease, How Dogs with Kidney Disease Feel

2010-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

We're discussing a dozen aspects of kidney disease and have covered what the kidney does, now let's consider how dogs with kidney disease feel:

From the expression on the face and in the eyes of dogs with untreated kidney disease I believe they feel awful.

Dogs with kidney disease:
• are anemic and lethargic
• have stomach pain and vomit
• have painful mouth ulcers
• don’t want to eat and become emaciated
• feel thirsty and dehydrated
• can be too weak to walk outside to urinate and pee on themselves
• have itchy skin
• have edematous limbs
• have headaches as waste products reach high concentrations in the brain
• become blind because high blood pressure damages the retina
• have strokes and seizures

What can cause kidney disease, how can we test for it, and how can we treat it? In a future blog, we'll cover more aspects of kidney disease in dogs.

Canine Kidney Disease, What the Kidneys Do

2010-11-17T17:09:00.001-08:00

We're discussing 12 aspects of kidney disease in dogs, and let's look first at kidney function:

What the kidneys do
Dogs’ kidneys perform so many important functions that each dog has two kidneys rather than just one. In fact, one entire kidney and a portion of the second kidney can be nonfunctioning and our dogs would still be ok. Only when a dog has lost 2/3 of its kidney function do we see signs of kidney failure.

Kidneys work with other organs and the endocrine system to control
• electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus.
• acid-base balance (the body’s pH) by regulating HCO3 (bicarbonate)
• how much fluid is in the body and in the blood
• blood pressure
• red blood cells and prevent anemia
• waste products, such as urea

In our next posting, let's consider how dogs with kidney disease feel.

Canine Kidney Disease

2010-11-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

Kidney disease in dogs
Kidney disease heartbreakingly affects many dogs we see in veterinary practice, especially geriatric dogs. Fortunately, we can slow the progression of kidney disease using diet, herbs, supplements and medications. Many dogs can be kept happy and healthy for longer periods than ever before.

To understand kidney disease, over the next few Caring for Pet blog entries let’s look at:
1. What the kidneys do
2. How dogs with kidney disease feel
3. What causes kidney disease
4. The difference between acute and chronic kidney disease
5. Signs a dog has kidney disease
6. What goes wrong with calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in kidney disease
7. What goes wrong with red blood cells in kidney disease
8. Which blood and urine tests are necessary for dogs with kidney disease
9. Which herbs, supplements and medications help dogs with kidney disease
10. What to feed dogs with kidney disease
11. How to get dogs with kidney disease to eat
12. Giving fluids and preventing dehydration in dogs with kidney disease

Geriatric Cat Health Problems, What's Common?

2010-09-18T08:53:00.001-07:00

What makes geriatric cats sick?

The most common senior cat problems requiring veterinary care:
• Dental disease
• Obesity
• Ear infections
• Bladder infection & inflammation
• Kidney disease
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis)
• Malaise
• Heart murmur
• Hyperthyroidism

Over the years writing this blog, I've discussed diagnosis and treatment for many of these common geriatric kitty health problems. Use the search function at the top of the blog to find information that will help you understand more about these conditions.

Kitten Health Problems, What's Common?

2010-09-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

What makes kittens sick?
The most common kitten problems requiring veterinary care:
• Fleas
• Respiratory virus infections
• Ear mites
• Ear infections
• Eye infections (conjunctivitis)
• Tapeworms & roundworms
• Tooth decay
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis)
• Chronic gut problems

Over the years writing this blog, I've discussed diagnosis and treatment for many of these common kitty health problems. Use the search function at the top of the blog to find information that will help you understand more about these conditions.

Senior Dog Health Problems, What's Common?

2010-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

What makes geriatric dogs sick?

We've discussed common puppy problems, now here's a list of the most common senior dog problems requiring veterinary care:
• Dental disease
• Ear infections
• Vision problems due to aging lens (nuclear sclerosis)
• Skin tumors
• Obesity
• Arthritis
• Heart murmur
• Skin infection & inflammation

Over the years writing this blog, I've discussed diagnosis and treatment for many of these common senior dog health problems. Use the search function at the top of the blog to find information that will help you understand more about these conditions.

Puppy Health Problems, What's Common?

2010-09-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what are the most common pet health problems? Ever wonder if your dog and cat have the same problems as others? Have you noticed that health problems change as pets age? For example, puppies and kittens have worms, but senior dogs and cats have tumors, obesity, heart and kidney disease.

Below are common puppy and kitten health problems followed by common senior dog and cat health problems.

What makes puppies sick?
The most common puppy problems requiring veterinary care:
• Ear infections
• Retained baby teeth
• Fleas
• Dental disease
• Skin infections & inflammation
• Tapeworms & roundworms
• Hair loss
• Vomiting & diarrhea
• Chronic gut problems

Over the years writing this blog, I've discussed diagnosis and treatment for many of these common puppy health problems. Use the search function at the top of the blog to find information that will help you understand more about these conditions.

Dogs & Cats with Diarrhea, Caring for the Bottom

2010-08-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

We’ve covered lots of information about diarrhea including a special diet and medications. We’ve also covered signs of dehydration, which is a common problem when pets lose water in the stool. Now, let’s consider how to treat the pet’s bottom.

Pets with diarrhea can have a painful bottom because liquid stool burns the skin. Help your pet by washing the anus and skin below the anus to remove any stool. A sprayer hose in the bathtub or sink works well for washing. A drop of shampoo applied to the skin & hair helps kill bacteria. When the bottom is clean, blot it dry. Moist skin, especially moist skin that is under a tail and “in the dark” is an ideal environment for bacteria to flourish.

If the skin appears red or irritated after it is dried, apply one of the following:
• dilute lavender oil in water (about 15 drops of oil in an ounce of water)
• Burt’s Bees cuticle cream
• aloe vera fresh from the plant.

Dogs & Cats with Diarrhea, What to Feed

2010-08-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

In a previous Caring for Pets post we discussed diarrhea and using probiotics and medications to treat it. In addition dogs and cats with diarrhea need a special diet.

Special Diet for Dogs & Cats with Diarrhea
When pets have diarrhea, the gastrointestinal tract (gut) should be rested. That’s right, rested--the same as we would do for a sprained ankle. Just as we don’t take sore ankles on long hikes, or up and down stairs, or even for short jogs, we don’t ask a gut with diarrhea to work. Instead, we give it easily digested foods. For most pets, this 4-day diet allows the gut to heal:

Day 1: Broth only
Day 2: Broth with mashed vegetable or mashed potatoes
Day 3: Broth with mashed vegetable or mashed potatoes, and the meat used to make the broth
Day 4: Broth with mashed vegetable or mashed potatoes, the meat used to make the broth, and pet’s normal diet.

Broth
Broth is made by cooking any meat or fish in water, for example, chicken or pork. Homemade broth is superior to store-bought because the odor of cooking stimulates the pet’s appetite.

Meal frequency
Serve small frequent feedings rather than two large feedings. For example, offer broth every hour or half hour.

Meal amounts
If your pet weighs 5 to 10 pounds (2-5 kg), offer ¼ cup of broth every half hour. If your pet weighs 50 lb offer it ½ to ¾ cup of broth every half hour. Offering too much too quickly may cause vomiting.

Meal temperature
Serve broth and all meals at 100 F or 40 C. This is about prey temperature and is the temperature the pet’s enzymes and digestive system work best.

Diarrhea in Dogs & Cats

2010-08-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

What is diarrhea?
Diarrhea is soft-to-runny stool.

Why is diarrhea harmful?
Diarrhea is harmful because it causes dehydration and can cause infection throughout a pet’s body. Diarrhea is also harmful because often the organisms that are making the pet sick can infect humans, spreading the illness to the pet’s family.

How does diarrhea cause dehydration?
With diarrhea, water that is normally reabsorbed by the intestines is lost in runny stool. The pet becomes dehydrated and doesn’t have enough fluid in its body to clear out toxins and rid itself of the infection. As diarrhea progresses, the amount of fluid in the blood declines and the blood pressure falls. As the pet’s body senses changes in the blood and blood pressure, its heart beats faster to maintain circulation. The pet’s body attempts to bring in fluid from the cells to maintain blood flow, and the cells and spaces between cells become dry. We can see how dry and dehydrated the pet is by pinching its skin. When dehydrated, skin remains tented up, failing to fall back into place quickly as it does when normally hydrated.

Measuring dehydration caused by diarrhea
How can we tell if a pet is dehydrated? Check the mouth, skin, and eyes. First, put your finger in the mouth and feel the gums. In dehydrated pets, gums are dry or tacky rather than moist. Then, check the skin by pinching skin into a fold along the back. Watch how quickly the skin springs back against the body. In well hydrated pets, the skin springs back instantly. In dehydrated pets, a “tent” of skin forms; the tent slowly returns to its original position. When dehydration is severe, eyes appear sunken and dull.

How does diarrhea cause widespread, or systemic, infection?
Diarrhea can cause widespread infection if the infection erodes through the gut wall and into capillaries. Capillaries are located just outside the gut; as the gut wall erodes, blood flows into the intestine, and infectious organisms flow into the blood. In the gut, blood combines with feces and produces a dark, foul-smelling stool. In the blood, infectious organisms are transported throughout the body. Pets with boss of the gut-blood barrier can develop fevers, headaches, and widespread skin and organ infection. For example, the kidneys can become infected and lose the ability to clear the body of wastes.

How to treat diarrhea
We treat diarrhea with

1. Probiotics
2. Prescription medications

1. Probiotics
Probiotics are living organisms that nourish gut cells and keep them healthy. The normal gut has hundreds of different types of bacteria & yeast organisms that surround and nourish the cells. For this reason, probiotics that supplement only a single type of organism are not as beneficial as probiotics that provide a variety of organisms. Fast Balance GI is an example of an excellent probiotic because it has a variety of probiotic organisms, and it does not contain corn (maltodextran) or animal byproducts that aggravate allergic pets.

2. Prescription Medications
Some pets with diarrhea need prescription medications to rid the gut of invading germs. Commonly used medications include antibiotics that kill giardia (Metronidazole and Fenbendazole), and coccidian (Sulfa). In addition, clay-based products (Diarsanyl) are prescribed to absorb toxins in the gut. In order to prescribe the best medication, your vet needs a fresh stool sample that can be sent to the lab. The lab identifies bacteria, yeast, microorganisms, and worms present in the sample.

Save Money on Vet Bills

2010-06-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to save money on vet bills. Here are 21 suggestions that will help you take care of your pet so that it needs less veteriniary care:

1. Preventive maintenance with acupuncture and herbs helps prevent or delay onset of chronic diseases like arthritis and dry eye.

2. Choose a mixed-bred dog or cat. Mixed breed dogs and cats don’t inherit the same number of genetic diseases that purebreds inherit.

3. Get a genetic consult if choosing a purebred pet. Learn which diseases your purebred is most likely to inherit, whether screening tests are available, and what to ask the breeder.

4. Meet the pet’s parents. Don’t select pets whose parents are shy, anxious, or aggressive as these behaviors are, in part, inherited.

5. If you’re interested in a puppy, ensure the pup’s dam eats bones. The pup will learn from its mom to gnaw bones safely. Pups that don’t learn this often attack bones with such enthusiasm they can break teeth or chew off such large hunks that bone hunks block the intestine. Gnawing bones benefits the teeth, decreases the need for dental surgery, and keeps pets playfully occupied.

6. Spay and neuter your pet before it becomes sexually mature. Spaying when a female is in heat is a more expensive procedure because uterine blood vessels are engorged and the procedure is more delicate. Spayed and neutered dogs are easier to adopt if you cannot care for your pet. Neutered males are less likely to spray or mark—behaviors that cause pets to be relinquished.

7. Feed foods high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent DNA damage that leads to cancer.

8. Roll up the bag if feeding dry foods. Open bags and food left out allows sunlight & air to combine with antioxidants. Your pet receives a lower concentration of antioxidants, which are the most expensive ingredients in food.

9. Get an annual exam to recognize problems in their initial stages.

10. Be aware of your pet’s habits and let your veterinarian know when there are changes: stools, urine, water consumption, coughing, odor, lumps, and ability to settle down at night.

11. Come in early when you find something rather than waiting to see if it is significant. For example, surgery times are shorter if masses are smaller.

12. Get to know the staff and befriend the technicians. If the techs & receptionists remember your pet, it is easier for them to give you proper advice when you call with questions. For example, if your pet is easy to handle and has never minded when the techs cut its nails and suddenly won’t let you touch the feet, the technician will recognize that your pet may have an infection or grass awn in its foot and suggest that you should be seen quickly.

13. Teach your pet to be handled when it’s young. Pets that are easily handled don’t need sedation for x-rays and simple procedures. Your pet will have a better time when it’s at the clinic.

14. Don’t let your pet get fat as obesity predisposes to the development of arthritis and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to cancer & diabetes.

15. Care for your pet’s teeth from the first day it’s in your home. Some pets can actually go an entire lifetime without needing anesthesia for dental care if teeth are well taken care of.

16. Trim the nails yourself. If worried, ask the techs for time when you can sit down with them and learn how professionals trim nails.

17. Have anal sac problems handled by your vet and not the groomer. If your pet is scooting or is not emptying its anal sacs on its own, it needs vet care, not grooming. Together you’ll work out a diet and therapy routine that will increase the likelihood your pet will express its glands in a normal manner.

18. Treat diarrhea immediately by having probiotics on hand and by knowing what diet your pet should have if diarrhea develops.

19. Treat bruising and bleeding immediately by using first aid herbal formula Yunnan Paiyao and the homeopathic Traumeel.

20. Prevent anxiety by using Feliway for cats and DAP for dogs. Anxiety causes release of cortisol and cortisol prevents white blood cells from leaving the blood vessels and traveling out through the cells to kill bacteria. Since all pets have a small population of potentially infectious bacteria and viruses in their systems that are kept at bay by WBC, preventing WBC from entering tissues allows infections to blossom. This is one reason that pets stressed by kenneling, changes in family membership, or travel come down with infection. Often anxiety is the biggest factor in cats developing urinary tract problems.

21. Get pet insurance. Get quotes from all companies: Petcare,Petsecure & Trupanion. Call the companies and ask specific questions about coverage. Read the policy wording.

Helping Geriatric Dogs & Cats with Herbs

2010-05-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what Traditional Chinese Medicine could do for your aging dog or cat? Lots! Here are examples of TCM formulas we might use for senior pets:

Heart failure: Zhi Gan Cao Tang, Xue Fu Zhu Yu tang
Stroke or vestibular disorder: Tian Ma Gou,Teng Yin Wan, Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang, Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang
Arthritis: Duo Huo Ji Shen Tang, Di Gui Pi
Kidney Disease: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan
Incontinence: Suo Quan Wan, Jin SuoGu Jing Wan, San Piao Xiao San

Therapies & Medications for Senior Pets

2010-05-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

The following help improve symptoms our senior dogs & cats experience due to aging:
• Acupuncture
• Chinese Herbs
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids
• Flower Essences
• Pheromones
• Homeopathics
• Medications to Strengthen Liver & Brain

Acupuncture
This simple therapy of inserting needles into specific points will tune up your pet’s system. Your pet will be more comfortable and will have optimum organ function—just as tuning up a car helps it to function as it should. Dogs and cats tolerate the tiny needles very well, and those that don’t can benefit from photon therapy or moxa.

Chinese Herbs
Over two thousand years have gone into the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas for senior pets. TCM formulas can address all problems for which we typically use drugs, such as arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, allergy, anxiety and confusion.

Omega 3 Fatty AcidsOmega 3 fatty acids benefit the brain because 60% of the brain is fat. The cell membranes of all nerve cells, and the myelin sheaths that wrap around and insulate the nerves, contain a high percentage of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids provide the materials that produce healthy nerve cells and have been proven to positively influence mood, behavior, and learning. The best sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are fresh ground flax seed, such as MegaFlax Digestive from Designing Health and fish oils, such as Nordic Naturals’ Omega 3 for Pets.

Flower Essences
Probems with psychological or spiritual aspects benefit from flower essences. Check out SpiritEssence (www.SpiritEssence.com) for a wide range of medications that can be dropped into your pet’s mouth, put into its water, misted into the room, or misted onto the pet.

Pheromones
Pheromones are chemical messages that alter behavior. Humans do not smell the pheromones in Comfort Zone D.A.P. for Dogs or in Comfort Zone Feliway for Cats but these pheromones have a calming effect on pets. D.A.P. can help make your dog feel as though it is back in the nest box with its mother; and Feliway can help make your cat feel as though the entire world is at its command.

Homeopathic
Homeopathic medications can be given safely without interfering with other medications. Among best meds for seniors are Zeel for arthritis and Traumeel for injury. If you’re creating a first aid kit, Traumeel is the single most important homeopathic med to put into your kit.

Medications to strengthen aging liver & brain
One of the liver’s jobs is to control the proteins circulating in the blood. As the liver ages, it allows proteins into circulation that are detrimental to the brain. Cholodin, Marin, S-Adenosyl (SAMe), and Denosyl help the brain, in part, because they promote liver health. As an additional benefit, S-Adenosyl (Zentonil) also increases mobility in pets with arthritis.

Physical Changes in Aging Pets

2010-05-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

We’ve been discussing changes that occur in senior pets and have covered behavorial changes. Now, let’s look at physical changes

Brain & Senses
Size and weight of brain decreases with aging. The fluid-filled ventricles can increase in size. Neurotransmitters change. Senses diminish and pets don’t see, hear or smell well. The lenses of the eyes become cloudy. The eyes become red and dry (keratoconjunctivitis sicca or dry eye) as tears lose their lubricating ability and thick discharge appears in the corners.

Bones & Muscles
Older pets lose muscle mass; the spine becomes more prominent. Seniors have weak and stiffened ligaments & tendons, and thin, ineffective joint fluid. Joint fluid cannot nourish the cartilage in their joints so that it dries and becomes brittle. Bones demineralize and soften. These bone & muscle changes make it difficult for seniors to take long walks, climb steps, jump into the car or onto the counter. Senior pets are stiff & wobbly; they fall over easily.

Mouth
Almost all aging pets have dental disease with inflammation of gums (gingivitis). Dental calculus (tartar) builds up. While some believe kibble and dry food causes less tarter than canned or soft food, this is not necessarily true. It is true that accumulated calculus leads to gum disease, pain, infection, and loss of teeth. The speed and severity of these problems is influenced by genetics, nutrition, infections such as Feline Leukemia, and feeding habits.

Stomach, Intestines & Digestion
Older dogs and cats may lose weight and become cachectic or gain weight and become obese. If they lose weight, it is because they don’t digest their food as well as a younger pet or have disease process such as cancer that demands more nutrient than they consume. Seniors are inclined to problems with constipation and diarrhea. They have fickle appetites and like a food one day, but not the next so that variety becomes important. Enzymes, probiotics, and B Vitamin injections are helpful.

Kidneys
Aging kidneys lose their ability to hold water so that pets drink more and urinate more (polyuria polydipsia or PUPD). In addition, several diseases (diabetes, Cushing’s disease, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism) cause pets to have PUPD. The large volume of urine in the bladder can cause house-trained pets to urinate in the house. With the loss of large volumes of water into the urine, the body dehydrates, stools become dry and are more difficult to pass so pets develop chronic constipation secondary to kidney disease.

Bladder
Aging kidney cells produce urine so dilute that it cannot prevent bacteria from growing within the bladder. Bladder infections (cystitis) cause frequent, painful voiding of small amounts. Pets with cystitis often urinate in the house or outside the litter box.

Skin
Pets have thinner drier skin and coats as they age. The skin loses its elasticity because vitamin C-dependent collagen doesn’t form. Cysts, warts, and tumors form. There’s an increase in chronic Staph and yeast infections. The coat becomes unkempt. Dogs will grey; cats maintain their coat color, although usually it is less vibrant than when young. Nails grow thicker and longer as the result of liver disease.

Weight
Aging pets increase total fat and decrease total muscle. To prevent obesity, they need joint medications and frequent, mild exercise. For most aging pets, senior diets are not as helpful as a good regular diet with herbs.

We've covered lots of material on senior pets. These are wonderful years that you can look forward to enjoying. If you prepare to spend a little more in veterinary care & supplements than you've spent for your young robust cats & dogs, then the days ahead will still be good.

Behavior Changes in Aging Pets

2010-05-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Aging pets have physical and behavioral changes. Let’s consider the behavior changes and what we can do to remedy them.

What behavior changes occur with aging?
Behavior changes with aging include problems with orientation, social interaction, activities & exercise, grooming, housetraining, sleeping, and eating. Here are some examples of these problems:

Orientation
Pets that aren’t orientated become confused and get lost in familiar locations. They may get stuck on the wrong side of the door, or sit at the hinged side of the door.

Social Interaction
Pets having trouble with social interaction no longer enjoy being petted and don’t come to greet you like they used to. In families with multiple pets, the pets may squabble and the stable inter-pet hierarchy may crumble. Pets experiencing arthritis may become so irritable that they snap at you rather than play with you.

Activities & Exercise
Your senior pet may have joint pain so that it cannot go for walks, climb on the bed, or jump into the car.

Grooming
Their coats appear bedraggled, and they don’t clean themselves after eliminating. There is an increase in scruffy or poor coats with diseases, such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease.

Housetraining
Pets may have trouble with housetraining because they cannot jump into the litter box, cannot walk to the door to go outside. Many senior pets lose bladder sphincter control and dribble urine. Many senior pets become chronically constipated and have difficulty passing stool. Straining to defecate causes pain and these pets associate pain with the litter box and learn to avoid it. Instead, they defecate around the house.

Sleeping
Aging pets often sleep poorly. They’re restless because of pain, anxiety, changes in their brain sleep center, and because they don’t get aerobic activity during the day to help them sleep. Pets may cry and pace. They may prevent you from sleeping, too.

Eating
Your senior pet may have a poor appetite (anorexia) because senses of taste and smell aren’t strong, and food loses its appeal. To compound the problem, senior pets may have dental disease and stomach ulcers.

Who gets behavior changes with aging?
Any pet can develop behavior changes with aging. If your pet has a disease that decreases blood flow to the brain, such as heart disease, behavior changes may be more severe. If your pet has liver disease, it may also have behavior changes because the liver controls the molecules that circulate in the blood. When the liver cannot rid the body of toxic materials, the toxins enter the brain and alter behavior. This is most apparent 1-2 hours after eating.

Pets fed diets low in antioxidants, phytonutrients (phyto=plant), and Omega 3 fatty acids may experience the greatest deterioration in brain function.

Signs & Symptoms of Aging
Pets with behavior changes secondary to aging often wander about confused. Pets that were independent may become clingy. Some pets snap when you try to pet them. Pets appear uninterested in food, their environments, and in themselves. They’re restless at night. They lose their housebreaking training.

Solutions for Aging Problems
For pets with disorientation:
Maintain a regular schedule.
Leave the furniture in the same position.
Speak calmly, but in a voice that’s loud enough for them to hear.
Teach hand signals to deaf pets.

For pets with problems with social interaction:
Engage in petting and interaction when your pet has the most energy during the day.
Allow your pet to come to you when it’s ready rather than expecting interaction when you’re ready.
Create a quiet place for your pet to retreat to if it feels stressed by hubbub in the house.

For pets with problems with activities & exercise:
Provide medication for joint pain.
Choose gentle activities, such as swimming, rather than jogging.
Go for shorter, more frequent walks.
Provide ramps for access to the car, sofa, and bed.

For pets with problems with grooming:
Use a gentle brush and remove old hair at least weekly.
Prevent hairballs in cats by providing fiber.
Wash your pet if it soils itself.

For pets with problems with housetraining:
Maintain a regular feeding and potty schedule.
Use an indoor litter pan for pets than cannot walk outside.
Provide fiber to promote normal bowel movements.

For pets with problems with sleeping:
Provide a soft, supportive bed.
Use a bed your pet can walk onto without making a step up that can hurt arthritic joints.
Consider supplementing with melatonin.

For pets with problems with eating
Heat the food to increase its aroma.
Use canned or fresh foods rather hard kibble.
Use foods with increased caloric density if your pet is losing weight.

In future Caring for Pet entries, we'll look at physical changes associated with aging and what we can do about them.

Aging Pets

2010-05-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

One-quarter of our cats & dogs are considered seniors—they’ve reached 75% of their life expectancy. We understand so much more about aging and it makes it possible to keep our cats & dogs healthy & happy.

Let’s think of aging as a natural process associated with gradual deterioration of body & mind. How rapidly a pet ages is governed by many factors including its genetics, toxin exposures, diseases, nutrition, immunity, and psychological state.

If we examine an aging pet’s body microscopically, we’d see fibrosis of the heart valves, liver and other organs, decreased enzymes for digestion, decreased lung and kidney function, loss of brain and bone, loss of muscle and cartilage. These microscopic cell changes lead to low metabolic rate, poor digestion, lethargy, pain, and behavior changes. Over the next few Caring for Pets blog entries, let’s discuss the physical changes with aging, then the behavioral changes.

If you’re in the Vancouver area, come to Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital May 15 at 1 PM and we’ll have an open discussion about aging that will cover all the ways we can help senior pets. We’re located at 105 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC. The session is free and open to all. Call if you’d like more information: 604 738 4664. See you there.

SERVICE DOGS

2010-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

Aren’t service dogs as good an indication of social evolution as symphonies, libraries, and hospitals? Aren’t we just as joyful watching a dog lick a child’s face, round up sheep, or walk alongside a wheelchair as when hearing a concert pianist? Sure we are. Service dogs are proof we’re civilized. We’re as evolved as wolves, whales and elephants, with the inclination to take care of each other. We even pass laws so that those needing assistance can take dogs into stores & offices.

My friend Hazel has a service dog. She has the best husband in the world, Sam; the best old service dog, Hams; and now she’s receiving a new service dog, Virgil. Hams is about to take arthritic retirement, which after working with Hazel for eight years is about the same as retiring from 56 years at a factory. Hazel eased Hams toward retirement with Omega 3 fatty acids, joint supplements, stem cell therapy, acupuncture, and hydrotherapy, so that as his arthritis is controlled, but it’s time for his old bones to spend the day on the sofa and let athletic young Virgil to take over.

Getting a new service dog like Virgil is not as simple as picking up a new pup at the Humane Society. Hazel has waited for two years for her pup to be conceived, trained, and educated at Bergin University in Santa Rosa. There’s a celebration on May 1st at BerginU as Virgil and Hazel, along with several others, acknowledge new lifetime relationships. Bring Kleenex and a camera; this celebration is just like a wedding considering the promises the dog and human make to take care of each other and to work together in harmony. Virgil will never replace Hazel’s husband, Sam, or her first service dog, Hams, but Vergil will soon be her constant work companion, and will sleep in her room.

It you’d like to take part in the celebration, check out BerginU on the web and show up at Finley Community Center 2060 W College Ave in Santa Rosa, CA. The celebration is from 3:00-4:30 on Saturday, May 1.

This is one of the most emotional, civilized events you’ll ever witness.

Fat Cats, Helping Chubby Cats Lose Weight

2010-03-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Unlike chubby babies, chubby cats are in trouble. Chubby cats are at risk for developing metabolic syndrome, diabetes, arthritis, etc.
Sometimes our cats plump up because they don’t have anything more fun in life than to eat. Other times, our cats are eating but not getting any exercise; or they have metabolic problems that predispose them to obesity. What can we do to help our chubby cats? Lots! Try at least one idea from each of the following to make significant change in your chubby cat’s life:
diet, play, herbs, acupuncture, moxa, and arthritis medications.

Diet
Transition your cat from dry kibble to a home-cooked or raw diet. Offer high amounts of protein (sardines, pork, beef, tofu); veggies cooked and run through a blender (sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, etc): some fruits (blueberries, cantaloupe). Use doll dishes so you’re not tempted to feed too much. Avoid buying canned foods with fancy labels & preposterous claims; instead, feed your cat the inner organs from chickens (heart, liver, kidneys). Find chicken gizzards and offer your cat a whole gizzard or slices of gizzard for something fun to chew. Pour boiling water over the gizzards to remove bacteria before feeding. In addition to giving cats something to eat that won’t put on calories, chewing rubbery ole gizzards is good for your cat’s teeth and gums.

Play
Make everything, especially eating, an adventure: rather than leave the food in the same place all the time, move it around so your pet has the pleasure of the hunt with her supper. Provide new toys and see how many you can make yourself. Give your cat a fish bowl with a goldfish to watch. Position a window seat so she can see birds. Carve 15 minutes from your morning and evening schedule to play chase & other cat games. Tie toys to doorknobs with bungee cords. Leave Animal Planet on the tele when you’re out of the house.

Herbs
Many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas can be used for cats. For example, chubby cats that cannot metabolize and utilize food properly (Spleen Chi-deficient) benefit from the TCM formula, Wei Ling Tang. Wei Ling Tang also helps with diabetes, hepatitis, urinary crystals, anal sac inflammation, and diarrhea. It’s is safe to use long term, has a bland taste, and is readily accepted by most cats.

If a cat is plumping up because it has arthritis, we use Wei Di Huang Wan. Liu Wei also helps with cystitis, restless behavior, chronic kidney disease, and constipation. If a cat is chubby and has a greasy coat, occasional eye & ear discharge, asthma and a moist cough, constipation, or chronic vomiting, then use San Ren Tang. Like Wei Ling Tang, San Ren Tang has a bland taste and is easily accepted.

Acupuncture
For a chubby cat, massage the acupuncture points St 40, SP 3, ST 36. Stomach 40 is on the outside of the hind legs, half way between the knee and ankle. It helps with mobilizing fat. Spleen 3 is on the inside of the back foot just where the first toe joins the long bones (metatarsals) of the foot. This point helps with metabolism. Stomach 36 is about two finger widths below the knees of the back legs. This is the single most useful point for all things digestive, including constipation.

Moxa
Moxa is a rolled up herbal cigar that we light and use to warm acupuncture points. Moxa is held close to the skin, taking care not to touch the skin or hair. Use moxa to warm acupuncture points such as those described above, areas of arthritis (hips, shoulders, elbows, knees), and the muscles along the spine.

Treat for Arthritis
If your cat is cubby because its joints hurt so that it cannot jump, spring, scoot, or race, request medication for arthritis. Two of the fastest, most effective arthritis meds are given by injection: Adequan & Cartrophen. Adequan (used in the US) and Cartrophen (used in Canada) are injected once a week for four weeks, then once a month. The injections can be given with a tiny needle and are not painful. And, we don’t need to struggle with trying to pill our cats.

So many ways to help our chubby cats return to their svelte selves.

Dog Training

2010-02-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

More dogs are euthanized for bad behavior than are euthanized for illness. This means when a little puppy comes to the vet clinic for vaccines, it is as important to discuss biting, potty training, and barking as it is to discuss parvo, distemper, and rabies. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time to do justice to all this material in one regular vet visit.

To ensure that pet families have help with training, I recommend books, videos, and local behaviorists to help. Among those I’ve traditionally recommend are the Monks of New Skete, Ian Dunbar, & Patricia McConnell. Now, there’s another behaviorist to add to this list: Cindy Scott. Cindy provides training classes and in-home consultations in Southern California, and she’s put the basics of her approach in a delightful e-book: The Zen Chien.

Cindy wasn’t just born knowing how to shape behavior, she’s had formal education, and lifetime of experience with an in-house circus. These days, she & her husband are down to three rings: 4 dogs, 2 kids, and 1 cat. Good things will happen when you read The Zen Chien—you’ll enjoy yourself and you’ll find the intelligent, calm, effective tactics you need to train your dog.

Cat Activity, Cat Sleep, Cat Play

2010-02-02T11:15:00.001-08:00

What we think cats do every day is not what they are doing. Surprise! They aren’t sleeping. Video records of 50 cats show that they spend most of their time looking out the window and hanging out with other pets. Cats are watching TV, looking at DVDs and playing with toys and climbing and hiding as much as they are sleeping or eating.

Here is a breakdown of how cats spend their time while we’re away:

22% looking out windows
12% being with other animals
7% climbing
6% looking at TV, computer or DVDs
6% hiding under tables
6% sleeping
5% playing with toys
4% eating
2% relaxing in sink or tub
30% other—leave that to your imagination.

Sore Feet in Dogs, Pododermatitis

2009-11-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Imagine having sore, infected feet. This is a common problem for many dogs, and it makes them miserable. You’ll notice your pet licking its feet—this is because they hurt and it’s trying to make the pain stop. If licking helped, your pet would be better in no time, but licking isn’t enough. Most cases of sore feet or pododermatitis don’t improve without medical help. Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do for this problem.

Our first step is to ensure the pet doesn’t have an endocrine disease such as hypothyroidism. Dogs with hypothyroidism are especially prone to skin problems, including nonhealing skin infections on the feet.

Our next step is to identify whether the problem is the skin and between digits or is the pad of the foot. Foot pad problems are more likely to be autoimmune disease, zinc-responsive dermatosis, or hepatocutaneous syndrome. Foot pad problems are diagnosed with biopsies. In contrast, problems involving skin between and around the digits, but not the pads are usually diagnosed with skin scraping and culture. The skin scraping and culture help tell us whether the problem is demodex mites, skin parasites, contact allergy, food allergy, bacterial, fungal or yeast infections. We choose a treatment based on the problem we’ve diagnosed.

The following are twelve recommendations & treatments used to improve sore feet. Your veterinarian will work with you to choose those that will most help your pet:

1. An elimination diet consisting of only two things the pet has never had before, one a protein source such as pork, and one a vegetable such as sweet potatoes. The diet is continued for several weeks, and when the pet improves, an additional food is added.
2. Keep feet dry.
3. Separate toes with little cosmetic sponges so toenails don’t scrape adjacent toes.
Prevent skin from contact with grass or pollens by putting your pet in booties when it goes outside. If it won’t wear booties, wipe the feet when your pet comes in from the outside. Have your pet walk on concerete rather than grass until the skin improves.
4. Soak feet for 5-10 minutes twice a day with Burrow’s solution or Epsom salts to kill bacteria and yeast. Rinse well and dry.
5. Bathe feet daily with anti-yeast/anti-fungal/or anti-bacterial shampoos: Malaseb, ResiKetoChlor, KetoChlor.
6. Give prescribed oral antibiotics or topical antibiotics, such as mupiricin or Bactoderm if resistant Staph is present.
7. Give prescribed oral antifungals if the problem is fungal infection: Terbinafine, Itraconazole or ketoconazole. These antifingal medications may be given daily, then gradually decreased to 2-3 days a week.
8. Give herbal formulas such as Si Miao San to change tendency to develop “damp heat.”
Give Omega 3 Fatty acids if your pet tolerates fish oils or the ground flax seed.
9. Acupuncture points to promote healing including LI 4, TH 3, TH 4
10. Photon (soft laser) to promote pain relief and skin healing regardless of the cause.
11. When necessary for a pet to sleep, use oral or topical steroids –as long as no demodex was found.
12. When necessary, use oral meds that block the immune system, such as Atopica. This controls symptoms but doesn’t bring about healing in the same way herbs can.

Infected feet hurt; they smell; they make life unpleasant. Whatever steps you take to make your pet’s feet comfortable, it’s going to love you for it.