Acupuncture and Cancer in Pets

Posted on October 25, 2012 by hpiadmin

You recommend acupuncture for treating cancer. However, acupuncture is contra-indicated, as it is liable to spread malignant cells.

Hello,
Yes, you are correct that the stimulating properties of acupuncture can increase the activity of a cancer cells. But, acupuncture treatments of points distant to the tumor to correct the underlying imbalance of the body that initiated the cancer appear to be safe and are used commonly. Acupuncture can also be used for the secondary pain and loss of appetite that often occurs with cancer.

Some acupuncturist will only use herbal therapies, some will use both, it very much depends on the specific condition and presentation of the individual animal. This is the advantage of Acupuncture/Traditional Chinese Medicine in that the individual is treated for the cause/root of the disease to support the body’s immune system. The goal being to maintain a good quality of life during the healing and recovery process.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Support for Cushings Disease II

Posted on October 24, 2012 by hpiadmin

I have a wire-haired pointing griffon that was the village stray dog. It took me 6 months to get up to him. Someone had shot out an eye. We have had him for about 5 years and he is a very special dog. He has been urinating as he walks across the room.  He pants a lot. He also has little growths on his head and back. He has gotten a pot belly and has trouble jumping up on the bed and sometimes when he gets up off the floor, his back leg acts like it is asleep.  We have had tests and they come back not consistant with cushings but from what I read he has all the symptoms.  I have been making most of his food from chicken broth, rice and ground chicken and turkey and then give him a good quality dry food.
Do you think the drops that you have for cushings would help him?

Hello,
Thanks for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Since I don’t know what tests have been done (ACTH stim, low dose dex, urine cortisol:creatinine ratio tests, or abdominal ultrasound) and I’m not sure if he has been tested for diabetes, hypothyroidism, or kidney disease all which can show as weakness and/or incontinence, you may offer the Cushex Drops to see if there is any improvement in signs, but I hesitate to advocate it because you don’t have a definitive diagnosis.

I would first highly recommend you seek a holistic or veterinary acupuncturist that practices Chinese medicine to evaluate whole body function. If your dog needs to be treated, there are some alternative treatments for Cushings such as Trilostane and Anipryl that don’t destroy the adrenal gland itself as does the commonly used drug Lysodren.

Also a re-evaluation of the diet would help. You can offer a higher quality of foods and supplements such as salmon, brown rice and sweet potato with fish oil, probiotics, and vitamins C and E. The Canine Plus Senior vitamin from Vetri-Science may be excellent dietary support for an aging dog. Best of luck.
Sincerely,

Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Corneal Ulcers in Dogs

Posted on October 22, 2012 by hpiadmin

My Pekingese  has had several corneal ulcers due to him rubbing his eye and in fact he had surgery on one of his eyes for this condition. Now one of his eyes has got a corneal ulcer which was healing but we noticed in the last day that there is cloudiness on the bottom of the eye and it seems that he’s not seeing well from it. We spent over $2000 on our dog a few months ago for his other eye and we can’t afford to spend more money at this point. I read about the Ocu-Clear and  hope that this supplement may help heal the problem with his eye. Can you give me some info about benefits. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. The Pekingese are in medical terms a brachycephalic breed, which shows the traits of short snouts, prominent eyeballs and often inwardly curved front legs. There are respiratory issues that accompany the short snout anatomy but the eyes are the issue I will address here.

Since your dog has had previous complications this situation is very delicate. Corneal ulcers can go from bad to worse in less than 24 hours so you need to watch the progress of his ulcer hourly. I’m also very concerned about the cloudiness. While I understand you have unfortunately spent a large amount of money on the other eye condition, this is not a situation to wait on if he is starting to loose his vision. The cloudiness needs to be addressed to identify if it’s nuclear sclerosis, which is age related change, or a cataract, which can cause vision loss.

Ocu-Clear works well for vision health and I would recommend it especially for older dogs. Ulcers though are involved with the cornea and if they get worse can cause the loss of the eye due to perforation if non-responsive to treatment. The supplement will support the vision but the cornea disease needs to be addressed if it gets worse. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Support for Dogs with Parvovirus

Posted on October 16, 2012 by hpiadmin

I HAVE A PUPPY WITH PARVO, HE IS CURRENTLY UNDER TREATMENT WITH AN IV, WHICH WE ARE ADMINISTERING IN HOME CARE. STILL I NOT SURE IF THIS IS ENOUGH AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE OF WHAT I CAN DO. HE IS NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET AND STILL REFUSES TO EAT. ALTHOUGH, HE IS TAKING IN FLUIDS. ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Parvo is a very deadly and contagious disease. How long has your puppy been on fluids? It usually takes 3-7 days for the puppy’s appetite to return. The fact that he is drinking is a good sign. Since you have your dog on fluids has your vet also given you antibiotics? Antibiotics are not for the virus but to help the intestines while recovering from the “peeling” effect the virus has on the inner lining.

While your dog is in treatment you may try Parvo-K by Pet Alive to help reduce the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Due to the fact that Parvo is so contagious (it can live in the environment for over 30 days) I rarely recommend for an owner to take the animal home for treatment. Also, since an animal is likely vomiting it is prudent to give all treatments by IV. Antibiotics, electrolytes, anti-emetics and B complex are part of the protocol I follow and it is very difficult for owners to do this at home.

Once your puppy has recovered, I highly recommend you have the puppy vaccination series completed. Also do not allow any unvaccinated animals into your home for 1-2 months due to contamination. Continue the fluids as directed by your veterinarian and if your puppy does not start eating after being on fluids for over 5 days, I would highly recommend having the dog treated at your veterinary clinic. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Urinary Stones and Bladder Health in Dogs

Posted on October 15, 2012 by hpiadmin

My Dachshund just had surgery to remove a very large bladder stone. I would like info on how to change her diet or give a supplement, that is natural and will help prevent any further stones.

Thank You.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Bladder stone and crystal management is truly a complicated matter. Some important issues here are: what was the stone made of, what was her previous diet and did she have a preceding urinary tract infection? If she had a UTI, has she been treated with antibiotics? Was the stone calcium oxylate or stuvite, this is very important because the pH of the bladder can be affected by bacteria and therefore influence the type of crystals/stones that form. Also, the type of stone is very important to identify to choose the proper diet.

If your dog had a prior UTI you may offer UTI-Free by PetAlive to maintain urinary tract health. It is crucial to watch your dog closely in the future to watch for UTIs because it is much easier to treat a dog for an infection or crystals before it escalates and become serious with stones.

If you would like to offer a home cooked diet for crystal/stone issues I would recommend “Home prepared Dog and Cat Diets” by Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD. There are several excellent recipes for dogs with urinary tract stone disease. If you prefer a prepared dog food speak with your veterinarian about available quality commercial diets. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

 

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Support for Dogs with Cushing’s Disease

Posted on September 27, 2012 by hpiadmin

My miniature american eskimo has symptoms of Cushings; tests done come back normal.
The only test not done is that which has to do with the sex hormones which produce Cushings.

What holistic medicines do you suggest to treat this? She is on a medicine called enalapril because of protein in her urine.

Thank you in advance.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. If all tests so far have been normal, I would highly recommend the ACTH stimulation test to be absolutely positive your dog has Cushings disease. Otherwise medical treatment could do harm.

Once the diagnosis is definite, along with medical treatment, I would recommend Cushex Drops by Pet Alive, Thorne Research’s Small Animal Antioxidant to support other affected organs and Hepagen C to help detoxify the liver.

A natural and holistic diet is also crucial for a healthy animal during treatment. The supplements cannot cure your animal from Cushings, but are ideal during treatment.

The urine test is a cortisol – creatinine ratio, most commonly protein in the urine is indicative of kidney disease. Enalapril is primarily a cardiac medication but sometimes is used for kidney disease due to diabetes. I would also make sure your dog does not have secondary diabetes mellitus. Best of luck.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

Learn more about Cushing’s Disease

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Immune Support for Lyme Disease

Posted on September 24, 2012 by hpiadmin

My dog was recently tested by the C6 test as being highly positive for Lyme Disease, yet he has no symptoms to show otherwise. I live in a highly endemic area and the chances of him coming in contact with ticks in the future are inevitable. He is now on an antibiotic for 14 days as directed by the vet, but I also want to start him on a vitamin program in order to keep his immune system strong. I noticed your section on Lyme Disease treatment and wanted to know whether or not I should use both Immugen and Immunity and Liver Support on a daily basis to keep his immune system up.

Also, do you have any more advice regarding Lyme Disease? It seems to be a very controversial and increasingly common disease for dogs, but my vet hasn’t told me much about the prognosis and future impact on dogs lives.

Thank you.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Lyme Disease is still in great debate with many veterinarians. Those practicing in endemic areas will vaccinate more often as well as treat a non-symptomatic positive dogs. If your vet is treating for the positive test, your dog should be on doxycycline for a long duration, at least for 30 days. Also, if you get a positive on the C6 SNAP test, a follow-up test should be done, called the Lyme Quantitative C6 Antibody Test. This has to be sent out. This will establish the baseline values you’ll want to see affected by treatment, making it a useful tool for therapy and not just diagnosis.

To support your animal now that he has tested positive, using a holistic approach of a natural diet and supplementation should help strengthen his immune system against the virus. Immugen and Immunity and Liver Support are both excellent supplements to help long term in this case. TF-Defense is formulated to help support pet’s with Lyme Disease.  Probiotics are also essential while your dog is on antibiotics to keep his digestive system healthy.

It is important to watch your dog for clinical signs such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, lameness and loss of appetite. If they appear immediate treatment should again follow. Best of luck.

Sincerely
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Adding Fiber to a Dog’s Diet

Posted on September 21, 2012 by hpiadmin

My 6 year old lab’s anal glands keep swelling and a holistic vet told me that he needed more fiber in his diet. My dog goes regularly and eats Nupro for adults, and takes Nupro powder to prevent arthritis and joint pain which is common in this breed. Any suggestions for a product? Thank you.

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. There are several ways you can add fiber to your dogs diet. The most natural ways would be adding pumpkin or canned green beans to your dog’s food daily. You also may try adding Benefiber to the food, it appears to be more palatable to cats and dogs than other commercial fiber supplements and comes in powder form. One thing to consider with dog food, the higher the starch in the food such as rice, potato and corn the less fiber it contains. With diets that contain whole grains such as wheat, oat bran and barley the higher the fiber in the food. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

Posted in Digestive Issues | Leave a comment

Cat with IBD and Constipation

Posted on September 18, 2012 by hpiadmin

I have a 17 year old male kitty. He has a history of IBD (3 or 4 bouts in a couple of years). He is very sensitive to foods so he no longer gets anything soft because it flares up his IBD. So he only gets his dry cat food (Eukanuba Renal failure) and some hypoallergenic cat treats. He is also on Prednisolone every other day for the rest of his life. He goes on it everyday when he gets an IBD flare-up.

Now for my question, He is constipated on a regular basis (unless he is having a bout of IBD and then he has diarrhea and vomiting). I’ve been using CatLax for about 8 months now (every day) but I was hoping to find something else less messy. I ran across the Natural Moves by Pet Alive and was wondering if this would be a worth while investment for long term use? He is small (7.8-8lbs) and extremely sensitive to anything. I also don’t want anything that may interfere with his Pred or flare up his IBD.

Any thoughts would be great!

Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. The primary issue of concern here is nutrition. Many cases of IBD with cats and dogs respond much better on a balanced home cooked diet. Commercial diets contain too many carbohydrates for felines, which are true carnivores. They also contain preservatives, food dyes, meat by-products and high starch foods that are low in fiber. I’m also concerned that your cat is not well hydrated which manifests with the constipation.

Natural Moves by Pet Alive is an excellent supplement, as well as possibly adding pumpkin or fiber as Benefiber to the food. It’s very debilitating to the rest of your cat’s body being on Prednisolone for the rest of his life. I have had very good success with animals on a natural diet with high fiber to decrease or even eliminate the bouts of IBD.

I recommend speaking with a holistic veterinarian as a referral just to get more information on naturally treating your cat. An exceptional reference for diets is Home-prepared Dog and Cat Diets: The healthful alternative by Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Using Gastriplex and Antibiotics

Posted on September 17, 2012 by hpiadmin

My Malumute/Shepherd, 10, 90 pounds, has had diarrhea for almost 4 weeks. His stool analysis said no parasites, worms so we put him on flagyl. While he is on Metronidazole this week, is it all right to also give him Gastriplex? Should the Gastriplex be given not near the time of the antibiotic?
Many thanks.

Hello,
Thanks for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Gastriplex should be given 1 hour before or after the antibiotic. The lactobacillus may bind to the Flagyl, which decreases the efficacy. Gastriplex is an excellent supplement for healing the intestinal lining and restoring healthy bacteria.

I would also suggest re-evaluating your dogs diet; both the malamute and shepherd are breeds that have sensitive gastrointestinal issues. A natural holistic dog food without preservatives, food coloring or added sugars often helps keep the GI in balance. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

Follow up question:

Thank you, Colleen, good to know. I already have him on Merrick without preservatives, hormones in chicken products, etc. but the least little change causes upset because of his sensitivity, as you understand.

I would appreciate knowing whether Gastriplex could alone heal the problem rather than reliance on an antibiotic. I stopped Gastriplex until the antibiotic is finished at which time I was hoping to return to Gastriplex to heal the ravages of the antibiotic.

Hello,
I would actually recommend continuing the Gastriplex while on the antibiotic rather than wait to support his system and not let it become more irritated. Gastriplex alone most likely is not the silver bullet here because he has had chronic and multiple GI issues. It may also help to increase the fiber in his diet with Medibulk by Thorne, the extra fiber often helps decrease the inflammatory reactions in the intestines. The goal here is to maintain a healthy response for his sensitive system.
Sincerely,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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