Jazz, Mini Australian Shepherd for adoption

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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.

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

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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

Back Pain, Acupuncture Significantly More Effective Than Other Therapies

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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.

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

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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.

Dogs Make Good Listeners, Get Yourself a Border Collie

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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.

Choosing a Puppy

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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.

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

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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.

Dog Behavior Problems, TTouch Workshop

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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.

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

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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.

Acupuncture to Treat Pain in Dogs & Cats

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When our pets have injuries so painful they don’t want to be touched, acupuncture of a nonpainful area can help.

Research published in International Journal of Sports Medicine in Oct, 2011, showed that 10 min of acupuncture and 20 min of heating of one ankle increased blood flow and oxygenation in both ankles. The study was conducted in humans, but the same benefit occurs in cats & dogs.


Dogs bite when in pain
Has your dog ever had such a sore area it snapped when you tried to touch it? Ever been playing in the park with your dog when it suddenly became toe-touching lame and wouldn't let you examine its leg? You recognize your pet needs help but because the leg hurts, your dog won't let you to go near it.

What not to do
Don't bully your dog into making you take a look and don't give a NSAID. Bullying your dog only teaches it not to trust you and giving a pain medication like aspirin, Metacam, Rimadyl, Etogesic or Piroxicam, all examples of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), is unwise because inflammation sends the signal needed to heal the injury.

How to relieve pain when your pet won't let you touch it
Studies like the one published in the Journal of Sports Medicine show that we can improve blood flow and oxygenation by treating the opposite limb. Improving blood flow and oxygenation reduce pain because the blood can carry off waste products formed when the area was injured.

Common approach in TCM
The practice of treating the nonpainful area to benefit the painful area is common in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). For example, if the right knee is sore, we treat the left knee; if the right ankle is sore, we treat the left. By treating the nonpainful area, we allow the body to relax rather than remain in a hypervigalent, painful state, and we increase blood flow and oxygenation of both limbs.

After treating the nonpainful limb, use laser therapy
Once the pet is comfortable, I follow acupuncture treatment of the nonpainful area with laser therapy of the sore area. Because laser therapy creates no sensation, pets that settle following acupuncture allow treatment of painful area. With this form of treatment, we're not asking pets to be brave and suck it up when they feel pain, but we're showing them they can trust us to take care of them without causing pain.

Treating anxious dogs
This same approach is helpful with dogs who would never bite but are so anxious they tremble when coming to the clinic. Anxious dogs are already at the threshold of not being able to accept more stimulus, even a needle in a painful area, so treating a nonpainful area first is both kind and effective.

The original research
If you’d like to read the original research, which was done on human ankles, look for: Changes in blood circulation of the contralateral achilles tendon during and after AP and heating. The principal authors were Kubo K, Yajima H, Takayama M, Ikebukuro T, Mizoguchi H, Takakura N. Life Science (Sports Sciences), Univ of Tokyo, Japan.

Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture Benefit the Aging

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Here is Sophie, a 13-year old Maltese-Poodle. After receiving acupuncture, Sophie is receiving a soft laser laser therapy treatment from her mom, Peggy.

Research on helping the senile
Research on humans with senile dementia shows benefit in their intelligence, living ability, and daily habits following combination of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and rehab medicine. We expect dogs & cats to also benefit.

As pets and humans age, we become less alert, more likely to get lost, unable to remember, and less able to handle daily tasks—in a word, senile. The medication piracetam can help with senility, but a study from researchers in Beijing China showed that piracetam was not as effective as a combination of TCM herbal formulas, acupuncture and rehab in benefiting the senile with vascular dementia. What this means for our geriatric dogs & cats is that we can boost their short-term memory, comprehension, directional ability, and living ability with the same techniques: herbs, acupuncture and rehab.

Herbs to benefit geriatric dogs & cats
One of the best TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) herbal formulas for geriatric dogs and cats is Rehmannia Eight (Ba Wei Di Huang Wan). This formula strengthens the kidneys, controls incontinence, eases pain especially of the lower back, increases warmth especially of the back and legs, improves pulmonary function to ease asthma, and benefits the brain and nervous system. You can see why it is ideal for many aging pets.

Acupuncture to benefit geriatric dogs & cats
Acupuncture points to benefit aging pets can include BL 23 to strengthen the kidneys, GB 34 to help with arthritis, GV 20 to focus the mind, HT 7 and PC 6 to ease anxiety which often accompanies reduced vision and hearing. In addition to these points, we may acupuncture BL 52 to strengthen the will to live.

Rehab to benefit geriatric dogs & cats
For rehab therapy, dogs and cats often benefit from swimming. Families can use hot tubs and backyard swimming pools, but my favourite is the warm, salt water pool at WaterWorkz. Swimming is excellent rehabilitation because it works the muscles, stimulates wide range of joint motion, and gives pets a great sense of accomplishment. At WaterWorkz we swim both dogs & cats and find that while it's just as much benefit for cats as it is for dogs, but it's even more fun to see the cat's parents watching their pets swimming because they're so amazed at the results.

Want to read more?
If you’d like to read the original research detailing the benefit of these therapies, go to the Sept, 2011 issue of Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Clinical Research on Comprehensive Treatment of Senile Vascular Dementia. The authors are Chen LP, Wang FW, Zuo F, Jia JJ, Jiao WG.

So if your pet is aging and becoming senile, ask for the treatments that have been shown to work: TCM herbs, acupuncture, and rehab. Keep your pet bright, alert, happy and intelligent. Your pet will love you for it.

Feeding Dogs & Cats Fruits & Vegetables

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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, the scenario is cell death, organ death, whole organism death.

The fact that single cells can live or die is good because every little thing we do to benefit a cell benefits the whole organ. One way to benefit a cell is to prevent its DNA from being damaged by oxidation. Oxidation inexorably leads to cell malfunction, cancer, or complete cell destruction. We can prevent cell oxidation by eating deeply pigmented fruits & veggies.

To protect your pet’s cells, feed them deeply pigmented fruits & veggies, too. Your pet’s cells simply do not have oxidative protection when they're fed kibble, dehydrated, or packaged food. Your pet needs raw, juiced, steamed or lightly processed fruits and veggies to receive full oxidative benefit.

There's nothing wrong with kibble or packaged foods any more than there's something wrong with canned laughter--it's just not the real thing. Don't you want your pet's cells to have real happiness? Then feed deeply pigmented fruits & veggies as part of every meal.

Arthritis in Dogs & Cats, Pets Suffer Just Like We Do

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If you`ve got arthritis, then you know how our older pets feel; they ache, especially when it’s cold or damp.

Dogs and cats are just like us—their backs ache, their knees ache, their little wrists and ankles ache. Probably even worse than our necks ache, their necks ache. Dogs and cats are so much shorter than we are that they must crane their heads up and torque their necks just to see us. Head height and neck comfort are two reason that our pets are so eager to get up on the furniture – their necks becomes more comfortable when they’re the same height as we are. Doesn't it make you sick imagining the long-term arthritic neck problems that arise just so our pets can look up at us.

If you have arthritis, you’re probably taking something for it.

We`ve developed some incredibly good arthritis treatments for humans, and we also have some for dogs and cats. The easiest way to think of these treatments is to divide them into two categories: those that address pain and those that actually change joints so there is less pain produced. Treatments that actually change a condition are called disease modifying treatments. My approach when treating pets with arthritis is to use as many disease modifying treatments as possible because, in the long term, the pets feel better, are happier, more frisky, and need less medication.

Disease Modifying Treatments
Disease modifying treatments for pets with arthritis:
• Acupuncture
• Adequan
• Cartrophen
• Fish oil (Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet or Cod Liver Oil)
• Massage
• Niacinamide
• Perna containing oral joint supplements (Sasha`s Blend)
• SAMe
• Swimming in warm salt water

NSAIDs, Meds That Don't Improve Joints
Medications that control arthritis pain but don’t improve the condition:
• Acetominophen (Tylenol) dogs only
• Carprofen (Rimadyl)
• Etodolac (EtoGesic)
• Meloxicam (Metacam)
• Piroxicam (Feldene)

Unfortunately, many medications that control pain have the potential for damaging the stomach, liver, and kidneys, especially the group of medications called NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. All the medications listed above are NSAIDs.

NSAID Side Effects
We all have friends who need Pepsid because they have taken an NSAID like aspirin or Ibuprofen and developed stomach ulcers. Stomach ulcers, liver and kidney damage occur in pets just as in humans. In fact, side effects of pain meds are so common that the government has warnings about using them on FDA websites:
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/00/slides/3627s2_06_kent/sld008.htm

Another FDA site discussing NSAIDs is specific for dogs: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm055434.htm

NSAID Potential Problems
What the FDA does not discuss on its site that you should know is
• EtoGesic can cause dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS).
• Metacam can cause odd, unwelcome behaviors. For example, dogs may become fearful when they weren’t fearful or anxious prior to receiving Metacam. Thus, the vacuum or broom may frighten a pet that had not previously been afraid of them.
• NSAIDs may make it more difficult for dogs to think; a study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found long-term use of the NSAID ibuprofen made it more difficult for rats to think. Dogs with hip dysplasia are often given NSAIDs for long-term use. Some of these dogs are already senior pets so they may be experiencing a natural decline in cognitive ability. If they react to NSAIDs in a fashion similar to rats, the drugs may create thinking difficulties.

What Should You Do If Your Pet Has Arthritis?
So, as your pet ages and develops arthritis, request disease modifying techniques. Don’t settle for simply using an NSAID when there are treatments that don’t have the same risk for side effects and will actually make your pet’s joints better. Your pet will love you for it.

Homeopathic Medicines For Dogs & Cats, How To Give Them

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My two favourite homeopathic meds
Homeopathic medications like Traumeel and Zeel are lifesavers for dogs & cats. Traumeel is used when a pet has a trauma—fall down stairs, broken tooth, surgery, etc. Zeel is used when a dog or cat has arthritis. Research shows Zeel is as helpful as NSAIDs, or aspirin-like drugs.

Combination homeopathics
Traumeel & Zeel are examples of combination homeopathic medications. They’re designed to alleviate multiple problems with one medication and are ideal for complex problems. Unfortunately, many classically trained homeopaths don’t believe they can be useful so they don’t prescribe them. It’s a pity since there are some amazing combination meds available for dogs & cats. I think the combination products tend to be more like traditional Chinese herbal formulas in that they include many herbs balanced to solve problems and prevent side effects.

Single ingredient homeopathics
We also have single ingredient homeopathics, like sulphur or nux vomica. Sulphur is helpful for skin diseases, such as demodex; nux vomica is helpful for illness caused by over indulgence, such as ingesting too much roast beef.

Difficulty in administering homeopathics
As useful as they are, homeopathics aren’t used very often in veterinary medicine. I think they’re under-prescribed because they are difficult to give correctly and if not given correctly they don’t work. When they don’t work, they get a reputation as being useless.

Homeopathics will work when given by themselves and into an empty mouth, so the pet cannot have eaten for a while. Homeopathics are given so they are absorbed into the body through the mucous membranes of the mouth rather than swallowed and absorbed through the stomach. This method is unlike that used for herbs and most conventional meds that can be given with food and are intended to be swallowed.

Homoepathic medications are like the smell of a rose, profound, but subtle.
It helps to understand why homeopathics are given in an empty mouth if you think of them rather like the scent of a rose. In a busy kitchen full of smells, the scent of a rose won’t be perceived; it’s just too subtle. In a mouldy basement, the smell of a rose would be lost. In a slaughter house, even the word rose seems lost, and the concept of the smell of a rose, ridiculous. Pet mouths can be like a kitchen full of odors if they’ve just eaten. When the pet has severe dental disease or oral injection, the mouth odor can be as oppressive as a basement or slaughter house—not the environment in which a homeopathic has a hope of working.

Timing of homeopathics
For homeopathic meds to be effective, they need to be given in isolation. Thus, homeopathics are usually given half an hour before meals or at least an hour after, but these are just guidelines. What’s really important is what does the mouth smell like?. Here’s a human example: if we brush our teeth with a strong toothpaste or gargle with a strong mouthwash the smell will last much longer than if we drank some green tea. Thus, we’d wait longer after brushing our teeth to take a homeopathic than we’d need to wait after drinking green tea.

For dogs and cats, if we feed sardines, it will take longer for their mouths to be clear of the fish essence than if they have consumed only light broth.

Medicating sick dogs and cats
Many ill pets are fed only a light broth, and this makes giving homeopathic meds easy because we don’t have to wait long after meals to medicate them. As pets recover and receive regular diets, we have to wait longer after meals before we can give homeopathic meds. Thus, in terms of how much time we have to spend medicating dogs and cats, it’s often easier to use homeopathics for really sick pets than it is to use them in normal pets.

Crushing the homeopathic pills & tablets
The best technique for giving homeopathics is to use pellets or tablets which are crushed into a powder. I crush them between two spoons then use the spoon to slide the powder inside the lower lip so that the powder rests between the lip and gum.

Liquid homeopathics contain alcohol
I don’t recommend liquids because they are preserved with alcohol for two reasons. First, pets dislike alcohol. Occasionally you’ll find a horse that drinks beer, but I’ve never seen a dog or cat like alcohol. The second reason is that I can’t understand the wisdom of surrounding a homeopathic med with alcohol. It is, afterall, as subtle as the smell of a rose.

Injectable homeopathics
Injectable homeopathic meds come in little vials. Injectables are balanced with saline so they don’t sting when injected. These meds can be used orally, too. They are pulled up with a syringe, the needle removed and the syringe used to place drops the space between the lip and gum. This method is well tolerated, even by cats.

Using Tylenol (Acetaminophen) In Dogs

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The pain medication Tylenol can be used in dogs but never in cats.

Here is how to safely use Tylenol for your dog:
• Give 5-10 mg of Tylenol per kg of body weight
• Use only once a day
• Give supplements to strengthen the liver, such as milk thistle or SAMe (Zentonil)
• Use other pain meds in addition to Tylenol, so that the Tylenol dose can be kept as low as possible: Zeel or Traumeel, Joint Optimizer, Tramadol, Gabapentin, Adequan, and Sasha`s Blend.


When Tylenol Isn’t Safe
Don`t give Tylenol if your dog
• has kidney disease.
• is not eating (anorexic)
• is vomiting
• is taking prednisone or an NSAID such as Metacam, Rimadyl, EtoGesic or aspirin.

Tylenol isn’t my first choice in pain medication for dogs, but I will consider adding it to a dog’s treatment plan if the other meds we’re using aren’t sufficient to keep the pet pain free.

Amitriptyline for Dogs, Anti-depressant & Anti-infective

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Amitriptyline has been around for half a century, used primarily as an antidepressant in people. With the advent of behaviour veterinary medicine, it is also being used for behaviour problems in dogs.

According to new research, Amitriptyline is not just an anti-depressant, it`s also a medication that can help dogs with resistant infections. Some dogs develop infections that don`t respond to antibiotics and it`s easy for the family to become frustrated. This is especially true for dogs with reoccurring bladder infections (cystitis). New research shows that adding amitriptyline to your dog`s drug treatment protocol increases your dog’s ability to clear the infection.

Amitriptyline can be prescribed to be given once or twice a day, and it can be combined with other medications such as loperamide and chlorpromazine to help fight infection.

Cerenia or Maropitant for Dogs & Cats Helps with Cough, Constipation, Nausea, & Itching caused by Allergy

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Cerenia is a wonderful new medication for pets that can treat many different conditions.

• Cerenia can help reduce chronic coughing, whether from kennel cough or collapsing trachea.
• Cerenia can help stop vomiting whether from Parvo virus, kidney disease, pancreatitis, or garbage eating.
• Cerenia can help stop itching from allergies.
• Cerenia can be used along with antihistamines for nasal discharge. A cat with sinuses so clogged it can hardly breathe will really appreciate this. If the cat`s nostrils are plugged, the liquid injectable Cerenia can be mixed with 1% saline and used as nasal flush.
• Cerenia can be used for constipation is a common cat problem, especially with cats. Constipation is treated with multi-drug regimen that can also include raw or canned diet, Miralax, cisipride, and pilocarpine .

In summary, Cerenia helps treat the following:
• Constipation
• Coughing
• Itching skin
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sinusitis caused by allergies

Treating Disc Disease in Dogs, Low Dose Dexamethasone

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Disc disease is one of the worst illnesses a dog can develop because the dog can be paralyzed for life. Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to treat dogs with disc disease, including use low dose dexamethasone.

Disc Disease or IVDD
Disc disease, (also called IVDD or intervertebral disc disease, has two forms: sudden onset and gradual onset. Either form of disc disease can cause paralysis, but it is more common with sudden onset disease.. These dogs are often unable to walk, to urinate, or to defecate.

Here's little Sophie receiving a laser treatment from her mom, Peggy. Sophie has chronic disc disease. Fortunately, we have so many ways to help Sophie stay healthy and happy.

We can make a profound improvement in dogs with disc disease by using acupuncture, laser therapy, and homeopathy. And, research suggests using a very small amount of dexamethasone is also helpful. This is good to know because in the past, research has shown that large doses of prednisone or dexamethasone, or solu delta are harmful. While large doses are not helpful, current data suggest that low doses of desamethasone will help by decreasing inflammation. The dose is between 1/10 and 2/10 of a ml of 4 mg per ml dex. It is administered at the time of initial injury.

Low dose Dexamethasone Is Safe with NSAIDs
Low dose dex can be given once post-op even in pets that are receiving pain controlling NSAIDs, such as Aspirin, Rimadyl or Metacam, EtoGesic or Piroxicam. This is good because we cannot use other steroids, including prednisone, with NSAIDs.

Combine Holistic & Conventional Vet Medicine
If your pet has disc disease, request both conventional medication with low dose dex, and holistic veterinary care. Just like Sophie, your pet will have the greatest opportunity to experiencea life that is full of health and joy.

Collapsing Trachea in Dogs

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What's a collapsing trachea?
The trachea is a tube that carries air from the back of the throat to the lungs. The trachea is held open by cartilage rings. The rings don’t go completely around the tube, but about 80 % around. The little portion of the trachea that is not supported by cartilage can collapse into the trachea. Over time, the collapsing tissue stretches so far it reaches the other side of the tracheal wall. This process is called tracheal collapse.

When anything, including the body’s own tracheal membrane, touches the inside of the trachea, the body responds by coughing. If the material touching the trachea is dust or debris, the cough expells the material and clears the airway.

With tracheal collapse, the membrane of the trachea touches the inside and no amount of coughing gets it out of the way. Once the membrane has stretched far enough that it sags against the inside of the airway, the pet is cursed with a chronic, explosive, harsh cough.

Breeds predisposed to develop tracheal collapse
Pets most disposed to develop collapsing trachea are those with tiny throats: Maltese, Poodles, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Yorkshire Terriers, & Silky Terriers, for example. We try to protect these little ones throughout life, but if they develop a chronic cough from tracheal collapse, they need medications.

Medications that help treat tracheal collapse
These meds help treat cough of collapsing trachea:
Tessalon + hydrocodone +/- promethazine + Cerenia.

Tessalon helps because it contains lidocaine and anesthetizes the stretch receptors.
Cerenia helps with cough by affecting the brain.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas for collapsing trachea
Two TCM formulas help with collapsing trachea:
Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Xue Fu Zhu Ye Tang. Xiao Chai Hu Tang is present in multiple formulations. If the pet has knee and back problems in addition to tracheal collapse, Then Kan Herb formula Benefit Hips & Knees is helpful. If the pet has liver problems in addition to tracheal collapse, then Open the Liver Channels is helpful. For pets that may have cancer, heart or lung problems in addition to tracheal collapse, Xue Fu Zhu Ye Tang is helpful.

If your pet has an explosive cough that occurs with excitement, it may have tracheal collapse.Use holistic veterinary care to help your pet be as comfortable as it can be.

DMSO in Dogs & Cats

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DMSO, or dimethyl sulfoxide, is a marvellous anti-inflammatory topical medication that is under-utilized in dogs and cats.

DMSO, Why Infrequent Use?
DMSO helps reduce swelling and helps decrease pain, so why don`t we use it more often?
• DMSO is applied topically so the hair must be clipped;
• DMSO drags whatever is on the skin deep into the body with it, so the skin must be clean before DMSO is applied;
• DMSO causes a strong garlic taste in the mouth.

When would we use DMSO?
DMSO is ideal for tendonitis because it penetrates, reaching the tendons in a way that blood-borne pain medications do not. If you’ve ever examined a chicken or turkey drumstick and noted the clear, tough tissue that stretches from the muscle to attach to the bone, you’ve seen tendons. Tendons are clear because they don’t have blood vessels inside them, like muscles have. This means medications have to diffuse thorough surrounding tissue to reach tendons, unlike the route medication can make directly into muscles. Thus, medications that travel through the skin to the tissues directly underneathare ideal for treating local tendon problems. DMSO does this.

Thus, we can apply DMSO to a sore limb and it will go straight down to the tissue below the skin. We just need to clip the hair and clean the skin before applying the DMSO.

Conditions Treated With DMSO
DMSO helps with these conditions
• DMSO can be applied topically post surgery to relieve pain and inflammation.
• DMSO can be applied topically to relieve tendonitis.
• DMSO can be used to flush bladders and help eliminate cystitis.
• DMSO can be mixed with triamcinolone and injected into tendons.

DMSO Is Similar to Laser Therapy
DMSO penetrates tissue directly beneath and eliminates inflammation. This is very similar to the action of a laser. So, for dogs or cats that cannot be shaved or have dirt on the skin that cannot be removed, laser would be a better choice for treating tendons.