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The most effective approach to arthritis uses multiple drugs and therapies rather than a single drug. This multi-modal approach allows us to use the lowest dose of each drug or supplement and achieve the best results.

For dogs & cats I recommend the following: ·          Injectable glucosamines ·          Fish oil or flax to provide Omega 3 fatty acids ·          SAMe ·          B Vitamin ·          Acupuncture ·          Laser therapy ·          Weight loss ·          Warm-water swimming
The specific products from the categories listed above that dogs & cats receive the greatest benefit from are: ·          Adequan or Cartrophen ·          Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet ·          Missing Link Vet Plus ·          Zentonil ·          Niacinamide   When necessary, we add an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to the above: ·          Deramaxx ·          Rimadyl ·          EtoGesic ·          Meloxicam (Metacam)
For dogs, but not for cats, we can also use Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is especially helpful when the dog cannot be given an NSAID because it has kidney or liver disease.

With our stiff, arthritic seniors, we have the greatest potential for improvement when we use this multi-modal approach. We put them on good diets, swim them in our warm salt-water pool once or twice a week, see them regularly for acupuncture, and watch them enjoy their lives rather than live with discomfort.
The multi-modal approach for arthritis is one example of how holistic veterinary medicine looks at the whole picture and treats the whole pet, rather than just the symptom of arthritis.

Arthritis & Aging Pets, Helping Geriatric Dogs & Cats

To contact us Click HERE



It’s easy to take care of aging pets because we have so many new supplements and treatments to keep pets healthy mentally and physically.

If you have a geriatric dog or cat, start by checking if the pet has any symptoms of arthritis. The questions to ask are does your pet:

·          hesitate before climbing stairs
·          walk more slowly than you when on the leash
·          need help to climb onto the sofa or bed
·          hesitate or circle several times before lying down
·          make a soft thudding sound when lying down because it actually falls over rather than flexes its joints and lowers itself to the ground
·          wobble when it squats to urinate or defecate
·          urinate or defecate without bending its knees
·          have constipation (hard stools) because it hurts its back & knees to pass stool

The odds are your geriatric dog and cat have arthritis. Remember, cats and dogs evolved to hide signs of illness, which is the opposite of what humans do, so we need to train ourselves to look closely at their behaviour. Don’t wait to treat your pet until its arthritis is so severe it cannot hide the symptoms any more. With our geriatrics, often the arthritis is so severe they cannot hide all the signs.

 The multimodal approach we discussed in a previous blog listed nearly a dozen different ways to help pets with arthritis. Some of them will be ideal for your geriatric dog and cat.

Geriatric Dogs & Cats, Supplements & Therapies

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Hallelujah there’s help for aging pets. Help for their brains and their bodies.  The more of the following you use for your geriatric dog and cat, they better they will feel and think.
 The following actually reduce the rate at which cells die. They increase cells’ ability to make energy in the mitochondria. Some act on neurotransmitters (acetylcholine) to keep them around longer by preventing their degredation. Several of these supplements and activities act as antioxidants. Melatonin, in addition to being a potent antioxidant regulates circadian rhythm.


·          Acupuncture
·          Antioxidants
·          Donepezil (Aricept)
·          Exercise program
·          Ginkgo
·          Lecithin
·          Massage therapy
·          Melatonin
·          Neutricks
·          Omega 3 fatty acids
·          SAMe
·          Swimming and floating

We call these supplements and therapies disease modifying agents because they actually improve the body, rather than just treat the problem.  Your pet will experience the most profound benefit during its senior years, the greatest chance of delayed or prevented senility, if it receives a multimodal approach of disease modifying agents.

 Holistic veterinarians are good resources when you’re looking for help with your senior cat or dog. Ask them for recommendations for specific products. For example, I recommend ProtectACell, Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet and Missing Link to provide antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Geriatric Dogs & Cats, Acupuncture Benefits Aging Brain

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Remember how disappointed you were to learn there was no Fountain of Youth? Well, there still isn’t but acupuncture has been shown to delay brain aging, so it might be called a Spring of Youth.

Research published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion used swift aging mice and normal aging mice to show that the gene expression of the swift aging mice was altered when they received acupuncture so that their rate of aging was slowed: 15 genes down-modulated and 2 genes up-modulated. The acupuncture points chosen were to replenishing Qi, regulate blood, and reinforce essence.

Our aging dogs and cats are equally likely to benefit from similar acupuncture treatment.

 

To read the full research,  go to “Influence of acupuncture on cortical senility-related gene expression spectrum in swift aging mice,” by Ding, X. R., YU, J. C., Yu, T., and Han, J. X. in the Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion [2006, Vol. 25(01) p.39-42].

Zylkene, an Anxiety Medication for Dogs & Cats

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Do you think your pet is anxious? Is your dog reluctant to jump into the car or does your cat run and hide when company comes? Does your pet cower when there’s thunder & lightning? Does your dog tremble and shake when you load it in the car or your cat cringe when you get the carrier to travel to the vet clinic?

Trembling, shaking, hiding, cowering are all signs of anxiety. So, too, is biting. That’s right, for some dogs and cats, anxiety provokes aggression rather than cowering. These pets often display signs of anxiety & fear before they bite, such as moving backwards, pulling the head closer to the body, or looking away. If we don’t stop whatever is causing anxiety, they lash out.

Zylkene may help. Zylkene is a milk-based tranquilizer that calms pets without causing harm to the liver or kidney. Zylkene is an over-the-counter med, which means you don’t need a prescription to use it.

We carry Zylkene for dogs & cats at WaterWorkz and encourage everyone to keep some on hand for travel & holidays with fireworks. It is a capsule that’s easy to open and mix with food or wrap in a treat and give on its own. Zylkene is not likely to interfere with any other meds a pet is taking, but if you’re concerned schedule a visit with your holistic veterinarian to discuss your pet’s using Zylkene.

Zylkene is given once a day. It is best to give it for 2 days prior to anxiety-producing event, then again on the day of the event. By the 3rd day, pets are calmer and less upset by factors that normally trigger alarm bells. When necessary, such as with kennelling, Zylkene can be given daily for an extended period.

Although Zylkene is made from casein in milk, it is lactose free, so not likely to cause problems in lactose-sensitive dogs & cats.

In addition to Zylkene, we encourage pet families to use calming herbs, homeopathy, flower essence, essential oils, pheromones Adaptil and Feliway, body wraps or Tellington TTouch thundershirts, and conventional tranqs, such as Alprazolam, to reduce anxiety.

If your pet has a brain, it’s able to think, and some of its thoughts are going to be anxious thoughts. Anxiety reduces a pet’s quality of their life is, but you can change that. Discuss using Zylkene and all the other techniques we have for bringing peace of mind to the pets we love.

Zylkene is licensed for use in Canada and England, but not in the US, so it is not available through Amazon or US internet pet suppliers.

To contact us Click HERE




The most effective approach to arthritis uses multiple drugs and therapies rather than a single drug. This multi-modal approach allows us to use the lowest dose of each drug or supplement and achieve the best results.

For dogs & cats I recommend the following: ·          Injectable glucosamines ·          Fish oil or flax to provide Omega 3 fatty acids ·          SAMe ·          B Vitamin ·          Acupuncture ·          Laser therapy ·          Weight loss ·          Warm-water swimming
The specific products from the categories listed above that dogs & cats receive the greatest benefit from are: ·          Adequan or Cartrophen ·          Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet ·          Missing Link Vet Plus ·          Zentonil ·          Niacinamide   When necessary, we add an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to the above: ·          Deramaxx ·          Rimadyl ·          EtoGesic ·          Meloxicam (Metacam)
For dogs, but not for cats, we can also use Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is especially helpful when the dog cannot be given an NSAID because it has kidney or liver disease.

With our stiff, arthritic seniors, we have the greatest potential for improvement when we use this multi-modal approach. We put them on good diets, swim them in our warm salt-water pool once or twice a week, see them regularly for acupuncture, and watch them enjoy their lives rather than live with discomfort.
The multi-modal approach for arthritis is one example of how holistic veterinary medicine looks at the whole picture and treats the whole pet, rather than just the symptom of arthritis.

Arthritis & Aging Pets, Helping Geriatric Dogs & Cats

To contact us Click HERE



It’s easy to take care of aging pets because we have so many new supplements and treatments to keep pets healthy mentally and physically.

If you have a geriatric dog or cat, start by checking if the pet has any symptoms of arthritis. The questions to ask are does your pet:

·          hesitate before climbing stairs
·          walk more slowly than you when on the leash
·          need help to climb onto the sofa or bed
·          hesitate or circle several times before lying down
·          make a soft thudding sound when lying down because it actually falls over rather than flexes its joints and lowers itself to the ground
·          wobble when it squats to urinate or defecate
·          urinate or defecate without bending its knees
·          have constipation (hard stools) because it hurts its back & knees to pass stool

The odds are your geriatric dog and cat have arthritis. Remember, cats and dogs evolved to hide signs of illness, which is the opposite of what humans do, so we need to train ourselves to look closely at their behaviour. Don’t wait to treat your pet until its arthritis is so severe it cannot hide the symptoms any more. With our geriatrics, often the arthritis is so severe they cannot hide all the signs.

 The multimodal approach we discussed in a previous blog listed nearly a dozen different ways to help pets with arthritis. Some of them will be ideal for your geriatric dog and cat.