Cat with Liver Disease

Posted on December 6, 2012 by hpiadmin

I would like to purchase Liver Aid for my 15 year old cat who has been diagnosed with liver disease. She also has Hyperthyroidism and takes Felo-form, Sam-E, Methimazole, and receives sub-q fluids at home. Are there any drug interactions I need to worry about with Liver Aid?
Thank you!
Gina W.

Response:

Hello Gina,
Thanks for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Liver Aid has no ingredients that are contraindicated with the medications your cat is receiving. This is a homeopathic and herbal remedy that is very compatible with a majority of other medications.

Additionally, with the multiple organ and endocrine issue your cat has, I highly recommend a balanced whole protein and whole grain diet. Limiting food dyes and preservatives should decrease the toxic load on the liver and thyroid. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Cat with Symptoms of Diabetes

Posted on December 4, 2012 by hpiadmin

Hi, my cat has all the symptoms of diabetes, including hind leg weakness. She’s about 10 years old. Can your product help her including the weakness in her hind legs? It’s kind of difficult getting her to do exercise, she can hardly stand up. I’ve started giving her Methyl B-12 which seems to help and chromium as well which also helps in the sense she doesn’t drink as much water therefore doesn’t urinate as much. I’m trying to change her diet but all my cats are so fussy. Please let me know. Thank you.

Response:

Hello Michele,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Before I can recommend any supplements or dietary changes, the issue of your cat having diabetes must be definitively diagnosed. Diabetes is an extremely serious and life threatening condition, and this condition cannot be managed with supplements alone.

I absolutely recommend to first go to your vet and have blood work and an exam done to diagnose why your cat at 10 years old is having weakness and difficulty standing. There are other conditions that can cause these signs and I would be negligent not to advise a complete veterinary evaluation.
Once your cat has been diagnosed, stabilized and hopefully treated, I would be very happy to give you many suggestions to support your cats balanced health. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Canine Arthritis – Supplements and Acupuncture

Posted on December 3, 2012 by hpiadmin

I have 2 Standard Poodles, 10 years in age. We walk 5-6 miles daily and I have recently noticed them lagging and slowing down. I feed a “grain free” high quality kiddble and add meat, vegetable, fruit, egg, and yogurt. Both are in excellent health. They are on a joint supplement from Foster Smith, but I haven’t noticed any difference, what would you suggest in the way of supplements for their age and joint health?
Thank you in advance.

Response:

Hello Pene,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. You are doing a great job with the diet and supplementation for older dogs. Two questions though before suggesting additional supplements. Have you had your dogs x-rayed for arthritis in the hips or knees and also had the heart evaluated. Both of these conditions can cause the lagging and slowing down.

If you have a diagnosis of arthritis there are several other supplements you may try. Arthroplex by Thorne and Arthrisoothe-Gold by NatureVet, Glyco-Flex by vetri-Science as they all contain additional ingredients that help repair cellular damage and decrease pain and inflammation.

Also, an excellent treatment for chronic and aging condtions would be acupuncture. You may try www.ivas.org or www.tcvm.com to find an acupuncturist in your area. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM,CVA

Follow up question:

Thank you Dr. Smith. I have not had a diagnosis for arthritis and will soon be making an appointment with our vet. Would giving the Arthroplex be harmful before a diagnosis? Are there supplements, vitamins for seniors that you like?
Thank you again, this is very helpful.
Pene

Response:

Hello Pene,
Arthroplex would not be harmful nor would it compromise a proper diagnosis. If there were arthritic changes, x-rays would show the changes on the joint surfaces.

As long as your dogs are receiving a high quality, well balanced diet supplemental vitamins aren’t critical. Though Canine Geriatric Basics by Thorne and Canine Plus Senior by Vetri-Science are both excellent and provide additional ingredients like antioxidants, probiotics and digestive enzymes. These formulas provide essential elements for geriatric and aging dogs to support the heart, liver and immune system. Hopefully this will give you enough information to help maintain your dogs good health no matter the diagnosis.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Dog with Allergies and Mange

Posted on November 30, 2012 by hpiadmin

I am interested in one of your product, Kelp Help for my pet Pekingese who is suffering from allergies and demodectic mange. He bites his tail frequently.

I wonder if this product suitable for pets with such problems. Does it contains ingredients that should be avoided by pets with allergy problems?

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Response:

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. There are 3 components to allergies: fleas, food and environmental. If he has demodectic mange, is he being treated for this condition? This is not an allergy but rather an external parasite that can cause itching. Also, what allergies has he been diagnosed with? If it’s fleas, then the proper topical can help tremendously with the tail biting. Have you placed your dog on a food elimination trial to rule out any food allergies? If it’s environmental such as grasses or trees, then supplements will be of great help.

The itching will not resolve without finding out the primary cause of the itchiness. I strongly recommend you take your dog into your vet or holistic vet to help determine the source of the allergy. Immugen and Moducare by Thorne, are excellent supplements to support the skin and immune system. Kelp Help by Naturvet and Super EPA by Thorne are good for the skin especially if there are deficiencies in the diet. Unless your dog has an allergy to beef, Kelp Help should not be a problem.

Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Dental Health in Dogs

Posted on November 27, 2012 by hpiadmin

Does the product Gumz-n-Teeth help to get rid of plaque on the teeth?  I have a 16 year old Welsh Terrier whose teeth were cleaned a year ago, but I no longer want to have them cleaned because I do not want to put him under sedation. I need to keep his teeth clean. He eats a raw diet.

Also, I just read that Gumz-n-Teeth contains calcium fluoride. I thought fluoride was not good to ingest. I am very careful to avoid it in all my dental products, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. Please advise.

Thank you,

Response:

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. While Gumz-n-Teeth  does not get rid of plaque, it is a product to help prevent gingivitis and maintain the matrix of the enamel and dentin. The primary way to remove plaque and tartar is by physically brushing or scaling the teeth. Gumz-n-Teeth is an excellent product to use after a cleaning and polishing procedure.

This is a homeopathic combination therefore the nature of the product contains minute amounts of the ingredients. Ingested fluoride in dogs can become toxic but as a homeopathic preparation, this should not be a concern. You can use a finger brush, canine tooth brush or dental chew bone to help remove soft plaque; this may be enough to keep his teeth reasonably clean. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Cat with Back Spasms

Posted on November 26, 2012 by hpiadmin

My mother has a cat who gets back spasms and does not want to be touched. Do you have anything that would take care of that?
Thank you,
Response:

Hello Melani,
Thank you for your inquiry to holistic pet info. The back spasms are very likely caused by skeletal problems such as arthritis or previous trauma. The muscles may be reacting to pain by continuing to contract to protect soreness in the back or hind end.

I would recommend offering the cat supplements to support joints and decrease inflammation. Arthroplex by Thorne or Glyco-Flex II for Cats are both excellent products to help joints. Also Super EPA will help reduce inflammation and therefore pain, which should help the muscles relax.

I highly advise to take the cat to a veterinarian to eliminate any other possibilities, as cats that don’t want to be touched may also have abdominal pain or even bladder issues. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Toxoplasmosis in Cats

Posted on November 23, 2012 by hpiadmin

I just received two items from Holistic Pet Info.com – Immunity and Liver Support by PetAlive Detox Plus from PetAlive. I ordered these because my formerly stray cat was treated for Toxoplasmosis with antibiotics for one month. She is still jaundiced and has abdominal swelling.
Friday, she had an ultrasound that showed an obstruction in the gall bladder duct. The liver and gall bladder were very extended. We are waiting for results from needle aspirations.
Will the above products help with this condition? Would SAMe be helpful?
Can you offer any other suggestions?
Thank you for your help.

Response:

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holisitc Pet Info. Both Immunity and Liver Support and Detox Plus are excellent products to support the liver and gall bladder. Sam-e also aids the liver in neutralizing toxins, free radicals and carcinogens. Carnitine, Arginine, Taurine and Vit E also may modify damage from bile acids in addition to enhancing their excretion.

I would also recommend placing your cat on a balanced diet with vegetable and dairy proteins as the greater part of the protein in the case of chronic hepatitis. Limiting corn, white rice and wheat ingredients will decrease the burden on your cats’ liver. Eliminating preservatives and food dyes in the diet will also decrease the workload on the liver and immune system. Slowly introduce the supplements, as you don’t want to affect her appetite while she is sick and trying to recover. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Cysts and High Fat Diets

Posted on November 19, 2012 by hpiadmin

My dog is 8 yrs. old, and had kidney failure when she was 4 yrs. old, and through a holistic doctor, she had rejuvenated her kidney function in 5 months time. She is now 8 years old, and she is having cysts appear on her skin. She has a lipoma, and I had that checked, it is not cancerous. Shortly after I changed her food from Innova senior food to Innova Evo-without grains, she had these cysts develop. She also needs to lose 5 lbs. She is pretty active, and I only feed her 1/2 cup of dog food 2 times a day. But the Innova Evo has alot of fat content in it.

I need help making better food choices for her, and when she was having kidney problems, I did a raw meat, white rice, and vegetable diet, and continued it for 2 years. I am trying to help my dog, but I need to know what I can do to keep these cysts at bay. Besides the dog food, she has a Canine Food Supplement from Wysong, she takes dandelion tincture, Moducare for her immune system, and shark cartilage to amnage the lipoma. She used to take horsetail.

What can I do to better help her manage her body? Any help you can possibly provide I will be gratetful. Thank you.

Response:

Hello Karen,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. It really seems you are on the right track based on your information. If your holistic vet practices traditional Chinese medicine, there are herbs that have been used for skin masses. These masses are considered phlegm stagnation, which may have been influenced by her previous kidney disease. Without getting into too much detail about Chinese medicine, phlegm can also be caused by high fat diets. In Lucky’s case it may be helpful to have a diet analysis done to determine what exact foods are recommended for her condition. There are specific proteins and carbohydrates that may best fit her Chinese medical diagnosis.

I recommend continuing her immune support and food supplement; I feel the best results for Lucky may come from specializing her diet. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

Follow up Question:

Thank you for the information you gave me to help with my dog, however, I need to ask you is there a website that I can get specific ideas on my dog’s exact foods she needs? Thank you for being so helpful, this is very complicated, but my dog continues to teach me lots of things.

Hello,
There is a human acupuncture site that has a very large and helpful selection of diet and nutrition information based on Chinese Medicine. It is www.acupuncture.com and click on diet and nutrition in the left hand column. It gives details and recommendations based on energetics and medicinal actions of foods.

There are also some books that may give you some resources to develop a new diet for your dog.
“The Tao of Nutriton” by Dr. Maoshing Ni
“Healing with Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford
“Chinese Nutrition Therapy” by Joerg Kastner

I hope this give you more concrete information to make a well-balanced and exceptional diet for her. Happy cooking.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Canine Papilloma Virus

Posted on November 16, 2012 by hpiadmin

Hello,
My 1.5 year old Miniature Pinscher has Papillomas on his eyelid and his lips. I’m looking for a natural anti-viral nutritional supplement to help him deal with these. Could you recommend anything?
Thanks.

Response:

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. In young dogs, the canine papilloma virus is a common but benign tumor. With most cases they are not painful though sometimes cover the entire mouth. There is no known cure but supporting the immune system with the supplement Immugen by Thorne may help the body rid the warts sooner. Commonly the warts will resolve in a few weeks to months on their own. Best of luck.
Sincerely,

Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Liver Disease in Cats

Posted on November 15, 2012 by hpiadmin

Dear Dr. Smith,

My cat was diagnosed with a liver disease after we had bloodwork done, but we were unable to afford further tests to determine prognosis, so our vet recommended taking medications – Prednisone 5mg 2x/day and a antibiotic – Baytril. I was hoping to take a holistic approach, but due to our cats quick weightloss we just started the dosages. Is it possible to use any supplements to take along with the allopathic medicine in order to build up his liver and help repair it?  PLEASE would you give me a suggestion, I am so desperate, my cat is only 4 years old.. I am truly grateful for any suggestions.

Hello ,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. There are several liver diseases that may be causing your cat’s liver dysfunction, hepatic lipidosis, general hepatitis or cholangiohepatitis. Was your cat previously overweight, is he vomiting, and is his appetite decreased? The liver serves as a storage reservoir for many vitamins and mineral, therefore malabsorption and alterations in blood flow will decrease their availability.

I highly recommend Nu-Cat by Vetri Science to supplement necessary nutrients such as taurine, Vit B12, Vit K and selenium. Secondly, liver support is crucial and I would recommend Hepagen-Fc by Thorne.  Most importantly if your cat is not eating, aggressive nutritional support with a high percentage of protein, moderate fat and very low carbohydrates is necessary to minimize stress on the liver. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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