HAPPY BIRTHDAY LANCE

According to longevity statistics, the average male Golden lives 11 years, so Lance should have been dead three years ago. And, Lance should have died months ago following surgery for abscessed cancerous mass in the liver (hemangiosarcoma). Even with successful surgical removal, the average life expectancy after surgery is only 19-61 days. So, it’s easy to see why Lance’s birthday this month is worth celebrating. Happy 14th Birthday Lance!

Lance survives because his family loves him dearly, providing him with optimal nutrition, herbs, acupuncture, and supplements. Lance is fed wheat grass, probiotics, Omega 3 fatty acids, home-cooked meat, vegetables, and fruit. Lance receives Yunnan Pai Yao to prevent internal bleeding. He receives Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six Gentle Pets) for weakness and cancer. He has also received Xiao Chai Hu Jia Qin Jiao Tang (Benefit Hips & Knees) and Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum) for his liver and joints.

In addition to helping Lance survive cancer, his family ensures he is free of arthritis pain. Like most large dogs, Lance suffers from hip and knee arthritis. To prevent this arthritis from becoming crippling, his family injects him with Adequan and provides oral joint medication (Joint Optimizer). In addition, Lance receives regular acupuncture treatments.

As important as acupuncture, medications, food, and herbs are, they only support the life energy that Lance has. What keeps that life energy flowing is the love and support Lance receives from his family. Bernadette and Bruce have kept Lance happy to be alive during the tough times with hypothyroidism; hot, inflamed joints; abscess liver tumor; and bloody diarrhea. Their love is what truly makes the difference.

Congratulations Lance, and thank you Bruce and Bernadette. Your love for Goldens makes the world a better place.

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Panza, a Cancer Survivor

Let’s hear it for little Panza who is doing well despite cancer.

Cancer is a devastating disease that affects half our dogs and one-third of our cats. For many forms of cancer we don’t have tremendous success with conventional approaches. For example, even with surgical removal of a cancerous spleen (hemangiosarcoma), dogs live an average of 19-61 days. Panza had surgery last February and, 6 months later, is still doing well.

Several things contribute to Panza’s ability to live beyond the normal lifespan of a dog with a splenic tumor, the most important of which is her family’s love. Every day she has fun. Panza receives short walks and weekend outings. She receives hot, home-cooked food, skin care, & baths.

In addition, holistic therapies have helped extend Panza’s life:
1. Premium nutrition with emphasis on proteins, fresh deeply pigmented fruits and vegetables
2. Herbs such as Yunnan Pai Yao that help limit bleeding
3. Herbs such as Blood’s Palace that promote movement of energy and prevent “blood stasis”
4. Homeopathy for toxin clearance
5. Acupuncture tune ups

When Panza’s family first began working with me after her surgery in February, we were realistic. We discussed the possibility that Panza, like many pets with this type of cancer, could develop a sudden internal hemorrhage and die. Still, we created a plan that looked at Panza’s overall health, including her allergies, arthritis, tendency to diarrhea with a diet change, anal sac scooting, and proceeded. We came up with a whole new way of feeding her. We selected ideal supplements, fatty acids, vitamins and herbs. We acupunctured her weekly, then monthly. We did everything we could from a holistic veterinary perspective, including prayer, and Panza has benefited.

Panza is one example of how well a pet with a loving family can do given holistic veterinary support. In upcoming Caring for Pet blog entries, we’ll talk about some of the others.

HERE’S TO PANZA’S FIRST SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING SURGERY FOR CANCER!

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Anesthetic and Non-anesthetic Dental Cleaning for Pets

Should your pet have dental work done by a veterinarian while it is anesthetized? Or, can your pet take advantage of the less expensive non-anesthetic dental work that is being offered by some vet clinics?

There’s a big difference in the price of anesthetic dental treatment compared with the price of non-anesthetic dental treatment, but there is also a big difference in what can be done to your pet’s teeth. How do you know which is best?

Here are six questions that I use to help clients understand whether anesthetic or non-anesthetic dental treatment would be best for their pet:

1. Does this pet have a truly stinky mouth with abscesses? Yes, then it’ll need teeth pulled, so please request an anesthetic.

2. Does this pet have painful teeth that should be extracted? Yes, then please request anesthetic.

3. Does this pet hate to have its mouth handled? Yes, then allow it to be sedated. This either can be full-blown anesthesia or an injectable sedation rather like valium.

4. Is this pet naturally haywire? Yes, then request sedation or anesthesia so the miniature jack hammer used to bust off tarter will not accidentally put a hole through the roof of your pet’s mouth.

5. Does this pet have a so that positioning it in a technician’s lap for the nonanesthetic dental can be painful? Yes, then request anesthesia or sedation so your pet’s head and neck can be positioned and maintained in comfortable way.

6. Does this pet have serious dental problems and serious heart, kidney, or liver disease? Yes, then request a sore neck nesthesia, but also request a cardiac and blood oxygen monitor, IV fluids, and herbs to help the liver detoxify the anesthetic.

Anesthesia scares many pet families and they are right not to take it lightly. If families have pets that are calm and have minimal dental disease, they’re candidates for anesthesia-free dental care. If pets are aggressive or regular rodeo candidates, they need anesthesia or sedation. If the dental disease is severe, pets need anesthesia.

There’s a delightful video on non-anesthesia dental care by Jan Rasmussen, the author of Scared Poopless. The video is at http://www.dogs4dogs.com/.

After you watch the video and answer the questions above, you’ll have a good idea whether your pet is a good candidate for non-anesthesia dental care.

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