sweaters for cats: May 2011

How Much Do We Spend On Pets?

In 2011, it is estimated that we will spend over $50 billion on pets in the US.
The largest expenditure is on pet food.

19.5 billion on pet food
14 billion on veterinary care
11.4 billion on supplies and over the counter meds
3.65 billion on other services
2.15 billion on live animal purchases

Overall, spending on pets is increasing 5-6% a year. The percent increase in vet care is higher than average, at 8.5%. This is good news as vet care helps pets live longer, healthier lives. Your holistic vet can help you with nutrition, vaccine advice, homeopathy, and herbs.

Swimming Cats, Therapeutic Warm Water Fun for Carmen & Tanya at Waterworkz

Even cat lovers might not believe how easy it is to get a cat to enjoy a therapeutic swim for arthritis, but just look at these photos of Tanya Morin-VanderHammen swimming Carmen Negrich in the warm salt water pool at Waterworkz. Carmen took to it, well, like a duck.

Waterworkz approach to swimming
Tanya, the owner of Waterworkz, is used to swimming dogs and now she’s willing to swim cats--nice cats.

Tanya is a great person to swim cats because she doesn’t just plop a pet into the water; she uses heart-to-heart training to help cats relax as they swim. Tanya counts the number of laps the cat does around the 20 foot pool, and when she thinks the cat should take a break, she coaxes it into relaxing and floating.. You can see Carmen floating in one picture, her tail and legs completely relaxed.

Warm salt water eases arthritis pain
The cat in these pictures with Tanya is a sweet-natured calico who benefits from the warm salt water because she has arthritis. Warm salt water is excellent at reducing lameness, easing pain, and taking the creak out of the joints. For shy, anxious cats, swimming can build self-confidence and self-esteem, just as it builds muscle .

Swimming safety
To ensure a cat’s first swimming experience as safe as it could be, we select a harness from those leant to us by PAWS, the Point Roberts Pet Rescue Society. For Carmen. we chose a wide-webbed, step-in, harness that fit comfortably. We attached two leashes, one for Tanya and one for me as I assisted alongside the pool. If any problem had arisen, both Tanya and I would have pulled on the leashes to lift Carmen in her harness right out of the water. As you can see from the pictures, Carmen was so good in the water, she was soon swimming without leashes.

Swimming cats so they enjoy the experience--open pool is more calming than water treadmill sessions.
Swimming cats is not a new idea, but Waterworkz is the first facility to swim cats without putting them into a glass-sided treadmill. Certainly cats benefit from walking on a treadmill in water, but most of the time cats think of treadmill exercise as work, not play. What we want for cats at Waterworkz is that they enjoy themselves. We want cats to experience complete relaxation. As Tanya says, “They shouldn't know it’s therapy; they’re just having a good time.”.From the look on Tanya’s face, she is having an equally good time.

Wanted swimming cats!
So, dear cat families, if you want to give your cat the benefit of warm water therapy, call Waterworkz and set up a vet visit. Together, we'll ensure your cat is physically and mentally a good candidate for swimming.

As you can see from these photos, and the video we'll be posting on Youtube, there's joie de vivre for both Carmen andTanya. If you could have seen Carmen's mom's face, you'd have seen her smiling, too. Thanks Elaine, for letting us play in the water with Carmen.

Waterworkz Contact Info
604 435 0002
3831 Still Creek Ave
Burnaby, BC

Top 10 Cat Health Problems of 2010

The pet insurance company, VPI, lists the following as the 10 most common cat problems in 2010. In previous Caring for Pet discussions, we've covered many of these conditions.

Cat
1. Lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD)
2. Gastritis and vomiting
3. Chronic renal failure
4. Hyperthyroidism
5. Diabetes
6. Enteritis and diarrhea
7. Skin allergy
8. Periodontitis and dental disease
9. Ear infection
10. Upper respiratory infection

Use the search function to find how to help your pet using holistic veterinary approaches such as homeopathy, herbs, nutrition, and acupuncture.

Top 10 Dog Health Problems of 2010

Pet insurance companies keep track of claims filed for dogs & cats each year. According to Veterinary Pet Insurance, the most common dog problems in 2010 were:

Dog
1. Ear infection
2. Skin allergy
3. Skin infection and hot spots
4. Gastritis and vomiting
5. Enteritis and diarrhea
6. Arthritis
7. Bladder infections
8. Soft tissue trauma
9. Non-cancerous tumors
10. Hypothyroidism

As a holistic veterinarian, I recommend natural approaches for these problems. Use the search function in this blog to find how to help your pet using holistic approaches such as homeopathy, herbs, nutrition, and acupuncture.

Constipated Cats, Flax as an Alternative to Mice & Bird Bones

Constipation
Constipation is a problem that plagues cats fed many modern commercial kibble diets. In previous Caring for Pets discussions, we’ve covered many facets of cat constipation, including increasing water, increasing exercise, supplements, medications, and resolving joint pain so your cat can squat to defecate. We’re going to cover flax as a fiber source once again because some readers misunderstand why holistic veterinarians recommend flax for obligate carnivores.

Mice & bird bones are a source of natural fiber
Cats evolved eating mice, and they had to eat a lot of them because there is not much meat on a mouse. A 9 lb (4 kg) cat evolved over millions of years eating 8-9 mice a day. About half a mouse is muscle and internal organs (heart, kidneys, lungs, liver) and half a mouse is skin, and bones and connective tissue. Thus, cats evolved eating plenty of fibrous material.

Unfortunately many modern cats don’t eat mice. Many eat kibble. And, many modern cats are constipated because they eat kibble. Kibble has less than 10% moisture. Mice, like other mammals, are 2/3 water and blood; so eating a mouse provides a cat with a very moist diet that is naturally high in fiber.

Making the switch to raw diet with bones can cause problems
When the modern cat becomes constipated, many pet parents make the switch from kibble to a healthier raw meat and bone diet. Unfortunately making the switch too fast can cause constipation. Bones don’t contain moisture and too much bone in a diet definitely constipates cats, but the right amount of bone keeps them regular. So, the if your pet has become constipated, consider slowing down the rate at which you transition it to raw bone and meat diet and ensure plenty of water consumption.

Flax as a mouse & bird bone alternative
There are constipated cats that won’t or shouldn’t have a raw diet with bones. For example some cats shouldn’t be fed a raw diet because of their health—the fragile geriatric cats with poor immune systems. Other cats live in families with immune-compromised humans and the family cannot risk having a cat that might develop salmonella diarrhoea. So, what can we feed these cats to provide fiber if they can’t eat bones? Feed flax.

Slow transition with flax, just as with bone
Just as we can feed too much bone too quickly, we can feed too much flax too quickly. And just as we can feed bone without sufficient water, we can feed flax without sufficient water, so make changes slowly. Carefully increase fresh ground flax from ½ teaspoon to 1-2 tablespoons over a couple weeks.

Best source of flax? Missing Link Feline
Missing Link Feline or the vegetarian Missing Link Well Blend are two of the best fiber sources we have for cats. Cats like the taste, the product is packed in nitrogen so that it doesn’t oxidize sitting on the shelf, and flax is a good source of lignin to combat cancer—about 1/3 of our cats develop cancer.

Missing Link Feline
I wish I had stock Designing Health, the company that makes Missing Link but I don’t, and I don’t receive any money from them. I simply believe in their product. Why? Well, my patients proved it was good. About 10 years ago Jim Wagoner gave me Missing Link samples at the Central Vet Conference in Kansas City. Before recommending it to my clients, I fed it to my own pets could see the difference in their coat. What we see on the outside reflects the health of the organs on the inside, so these pets were becoming healthier. Being curious, I stopped the Missing Link for a couple months and it was obvious that the coats lost their bloom.

Seeing is believing, what I tried
Because the primary ingredient in Missing Link is flax, I decided to feed just freshly ground flax rather than Missing Link but the pets never looked as good as they did when on Missing Link. That’s when I decided to recommend Missing Link to my clients. I believe pets benefit from the synergy of ingredients in Missing Link. Over the past 10 years many supplements have come and gone; many have reverted to cheap ingredients, but Missing Link has only gotten better.

We carry Missing Link at Waterworkz
Missing Link Feline was the first feline product we began to carry at Waterworkz, and it remains the single best product we carry for cats, constipated or not. Missing Link ranks more highly than Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet as a cat supplement because about 1/3 of cats simply do not like fish—Missing Link and Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet would be neck and neck if all cats ate fish.

Fortunately, almost all cats, constipated or not, accept Missing Link Feline. Be sure to start slowly and mix it into the moist food so your pet doesn’t sniff the fine powder up its nose.

Using Missing Link, water, pumpkin, raw or canned diets, exercise and meds when necessary will help your cat have normal stools. Your cat will appreciate everything you do to keep it regular, even if it doesn’t tell you in this lifetime.

Acupuncturing dogs for headaches

Dogs have as many aches and pains as humans, from headaches to haemorrhoids; fortunately acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal formulas will help.

This dog is being treated for headaches. In addition to the two needles visible in her head, she has needles at the back of her skull, her front paws, and her back paws. I suspect this dog has a brain tumor. She doesn’t have that long to live, but while she is with us, she is going to have the best holistic veterinary care I can give her.

Lameness and Stem Cell Therapy, Stimulating Stem Cells with Soft Laser

Stem cell therapy is a new technique that offers hope for lame dogs and cats that have not responded to common treatments for arthritis. While surgical methods of obtaining and implanting stem cells are expensive and potentially dangerous, laser therapy is neither dangerous nor expensive.

What are stem cells?
Do you remember when you were young and dreamed you could do anything in life—well, stem cells actually have the potential to do almost anything. Stem cells are undeveloped cells that have the potential to become whatever type of cell that is needed. For example, inside joints they can become cartilage.

Where are stem cells?
There are stem cells throughout the body, even in the fat, but they are present in low concentration.

Stem cell harvesting and re-injecting
Several years ago, scientists found a way to harvest stem cells from fat cells (lipocytes). First the scientists harvested the fat by removing it from the belly or back. They placed the fat in a special centrifuge that was able to separate out the stem cells from the fat cells., The stem cells were Immediately stimulated to multiply, and within 24 hours were injected back into the body. Stem cells injected into the joints become cartilage and this new cartilage made the joints more comfortable. Thus, stem cell therapy became a treatment for arthritis.

Potential for harm
While scientists agree that stem cells have the potential to improve aging tissues, they also acknowledge that the steps involved in current techniques can cause harm.
1. Harm can be caused by anesthesia required to harvest the cells, especially when candidates for stem cell therapy are geriatric. The stem cell recipient requires two anesthetic procedures: one to harvest the fat and the second a day later to inject the stem cells directly into the joints.
2. Harm is also caused if injections introduce blood or bacteria into joints along with the stem cells. There has been an instance of a therapy dog who was so sore after stem cell implant that he required opoid drugs to control pain. I suspect the injection either instilled foreign material in the dog’s joints or the surgeon stretched the dog’s joints beyond normal range of motion. The therapy was done under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. In the long run, I did not feel the benefit and cost was justified in this therapy dog. Nor did the family.

Other dogs I’ve known who have received stem cell therapy have done better than the therapy dog, however, not all have benefited. When I ask the pet’s parents months after the stem cell procedure if they would repeat it, many say no. Some say it was the cost, which usually runs $3,000-$5,000, didn’t justify the results. Others say the anesthetic took too much out of their pet.

At the same time, I’ve seen pet parents who feel even a small benefit justifies the risk. These folks say they would be willing to repeat the therapy in the future.

Laser therapy, an alternatives to surgically implanted stem cells
When lame pets come to me requesting help, I discuss stem cell therapy, pros and cons. If they ask, my opinion is that the surgical approach to this technique needs to be perfected before it should be widely recommended. And, new research suggests there may be an alternative—laser therapy.

Research published in the Journal of Photochemistry & Photobiology Feb 7, 2011, showed that we can increase stem cells in planarians (worm) with commercial 5mm light emitting diodes (~1.0 mW/m(2) in power density and ~0.01 J/cm(2) in radiant exposure). The increase in stem cells was noted within 4 days of laser therapy. If photobiostimulation of stem cells by soft lasers is as effective in vertebrates as in the invertebrate planaria, then laser therapy may be great method to help dogs & cats with arthritis.

For the original research, look in PubMed for “Increased mobility and stem-cell proliferation rate in Dugesia tigrina ind uced by 880nm light emitting diode. Authors were Wu HP and Persinger MA from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

Holistic Veterinarians Provide Laser Therapy
If you have an arthritic dog or cat, don’t let it suffer. Ask your holistic veterinarian to provide Adequan, Missing Link with glucosamine, acupuncture and laser therapy.

Among the pets I've treated with laser therapy, I've seen most have immediate relief of pain. I've been treating these dogs and cats for disc herniation, neck injury, ACL injury, and arthritis. Since becoming familiar with potential for lasers to stimulate stem cells, I'll also look for long-term benefit as a result of increased stem cells.

Holistic Veterinarians Help With Shoulder Pain, Benefits of Laser Therapy & Exercise

Shoulder pain is common in dogs and cats. Two of the common causes of shoulder pain are rotator cuff injuries and inflammation of the biceps tendon (biceps tendonitis).

Laser Therapy & Exercise Decrease Pain, Increase ROM
In research done on humans (isn’t this a delightful switch!—usually we do research on dogs and cats and use what we’ve found to help humans, but here we can use what we found in humans to help pets.), a combination of laser (pulsed infrared laser) and exercise was significantly more effective in relieving pain and increasing range of motion than was exercise alone. Dogs and cats with shoulder injury should also have significant pain relief and increased range of motion (ROM)when treated with laser and exercise.

For many pets, even cats, swimming in warm water would be an ideal exercise to benefit the shoulder.

How can you tell if your pet has a shoulder problem?
Suspect shoulder pain if your pet is
1. Slow to go downstairs.
Dogs or cats take weight on the front legs and shoulders when going downstairs. If your pet is slower going downstairs than upstairs, it may have a shoulder injury.

2. Limping and head bobbing.
Dogs and cats that walk with a head bob often have shoulder pain. The head goes up to pull weight off the sore shoulder, and goes down when the leg with the good shoulder is used. The up and down motion of the head is called a “head bob.”

3. Suffering from a chronic knee injury.
If your pet has a knee injury, such as an ACL tear (anterior cruciate ligament) it will put more weight on the front legs to keep weight off the back legs. Over time, the front legs become as sore and painful as the back legs. The pain can be distributed over the entire front leg, from the shoulder to the toes.

4. Cursed with hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia causes pain and arthritis because the pelvis doesn’t have deep sockets for the femur to nestle into. The entire back end of the animal will be weak if the hips are abnormal. Often this abnormality is visible: Look down over the body of your pet. If the shoulders are wide and the thorax is large, but the hips are small and narrow, then structures in the front legs, including the biceps and rotator cuff are susceptible to injury.

5. Hit by a car.
Dogs & cats that have been hit by car (HBC)and injured in falls can have hip injuries that leave them with chronic pain. To help decrease the pain, they transfer as much of their weight as possible to the shoulders and front legs.. Extra weight overworks the shoulders—causing inflammation of tendons (biceps tendonitis) and inflammation of tissues around the shoulder joint (subacromial syndrome).

Holistic Veterinarians Can Help
If any of these conditions describe your pet, ask for help from your holistic veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian to provide acupuncture, laser the shoulder, and prescribe an exercise routine that includes swimming. Swimming in warm salt water would be ideal.

The Research
For a look at the original research , go to the journal of Clinical Rheumatology just published May 4, 2011. The article is titled: Additive effects of low-level laser therapy with exercise on subacromial syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial. Scientists who published the research are: Abrisham SM, Kermani-Alghoraishi M, Ghahramani R, Jabbari L, Jomeh H, Zare M. Orthopedics Dept, Shahid Sadoughi . These medical researchers are from the University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran—good comes from many corners of the Earth.

Holistic Veterinary Care, Using Acupuncture to Reduce Pain

As a holistic veterinarian, I’m always looking for the best ways to reduce pain in dogs and cats, and I’ve come to rely on acupuncture because it does such a good job. Two of the most commonly used pain-relieving points are ST 36 and PC 6.

When do pets benefit from acupuncture at ST 36 and PC 6?
Pets with the following problems have pain and often benefit from needling at ST 36 and PC 6:
• Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, immune-mediated arthritis)
• trauma (hit by car, overdoing it at agility, fall out of pickup)
• Disc disease (Hansen’s Type 1 or Type 2)
• Cancer (mast cell, squamous cell, melanoma, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma)
• Bladder infection (urinary crystals or stones, E coli, cystitis)
• Ear infection (otitis externa, otitis interna, yeast overgrowth)

How do these acupuncture points work?
Research just published in China showed that ST 36 and PC provide pain control because they change the brain. ST 36 changes the brain neural responses in pain-inhibition areas; PC06 specifically induces activities of the insula and amygdala.

This research was published in Chin Med J (Engl). 2011 Apr;124(8):1229-34. Differential temporal neural responses of pain-related regions by AP at acupoint ST36: a magnetoencephalography study. Cheng H, Zhang XT, Yan H, Bai LJ, Ai L, Wang FB, You YB, Chen P, Wang BG. Dept of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical Univ, Beijing 100050, China.

If your dog or cat is in pain, visit me at Waterworkz, or seek out another holistic veterinarian. We can show you how to massage PC 6 and ST 36 so that after acupuncture session, you can stimulate the points at home. Your pet will love you for it.

Acupuncture for Dogs & Cats, Benefits for Radiation Therapy for Cancer

When dogs and cats develop cancer in the mouth or head that requires radiation to control the spread of tumor, the salivary glands can stop producing saliva. This dry mouth (xerostomia) is debilitating because your pet will
• have difficulty swallowing
• won’t feel like eating, and
• is susceptible to increased oral pain and infection.

Research published in Brazil shows that acupuncture minimized the effect of radiation and patients treated with acupuncture produced more saliva than those not treated.

If you’d like to read the original research, check Braz Oral Res. 2011 Apr;25(2):180-5. AP for the prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer. Braga Fdo P, Lemos Junior CA, Alves FA, Migliari DA. Dept of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, Univ of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

If you’d like acupuncture for your dog or cat who is undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, come see us for holistic veterinary care at Waterworkz Paw Spa in Burnaby. We’ll do everything we can do help your pet, including acupuncture.

Acupuncture Helps Lower Blood Pressure

We’re looking at recently published medical research that describes the benefits of acupuncture. The research described here shows the effect of acupuncture at PC 6 on blood pressure. What does this mean for your dog or cat? This research reinforces the use of PC 6 to affect the heart and blood pressure.

Acupuncture at PC 6 can potentially help lower blood pressure in dogs and cats with
• Brain injury
• Heart disease (cardiomyopathy, cardiomegaly)
• Kidney disease (acute renal failure, chronic renal failure)
• Cushing’s disease
• Diabetes
• Pheochromycytoma

Previous research has shown that applying a unit TENS over acupuncture points helps the heart rate slow down after exercise and helps restore hemodynamic stability after open heart surgery. In a study published in Am J Crit Care. 2011 May;20(3):e67-74, TENS acupuncture at PC 6 helped modulate BP changes by affecting arterial blood vessels. One of the authors of the study was Darren E. R. Warburton is an associate professor in the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Experimental Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Univ of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. was from the Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Experimental Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

If you have a dog or cat with heart disease or kidney disease causing high blood pressure, your pet may be able to use less conventional medication if it receives acupuncture. If you’re in the Vancouver, Burnaby, or lower Mainland BC area, make an appointment and come see me for holistic veterinary care at the Waterworkz facility, and I’ll be happy to acupuncture your pet. I can also show you how to massage PC 6 so you can help your pet at home. No pet should have high blood pressure, and this is one way to work with your pet to avoid hypertension.

Tramadol & Gabapentin Treat Pain in Dogs & Cats

We`re covering methods of treating pain, and two conventional medications that are great for dogs and cats are Tramadol and Gabapentin. These meds are similar, but different. We often use both at the same time.

Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup
Tramadol and Gabapentin both alleviate pain by short circuiting pain messages running through the brain. A pet with pain eventually develops a rapid transit pathway for pain messages and then all pain signals flow easily through the thalamus and into the cortex. The name for the rapid, constant flood of pain signals is windup. Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup; that is, Tramadol and Gabapentin prevent repetitive firing of neurons in the brain.

Putting windup in human terms For some pet parents it is easiest to understand windup in terms of irritability. Ever have a day when things piled up and suddenly you exploded? You hadn’t been paying attention but your mind & body registered every insult until suddenly someone spoke to you rudely or pulled out in front of you in traffic and you exploded.

There are some differences between Tramadol & Gabapentin
Tramadol has some pain relieving qualities, and Gabapentin doesn’t. Unfortunately, the pain relief Tramadol offers is not sufficient by itself to be good pain medication.

Gabapentin helps with tremors or seizures & with neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is used to help treat epilepsy in humans.

Benefits of Tramadol & Gabapentin
Pets on Tramdol & Gabapentin are more comfortable. They can walk longer distances. They can bend their legs and lie down to sleep without circling a dozen times because it hurts to bend their joints. They can flex their hips and knees so that it`s not painful to squat and defecate. They can take smaller amounts of NSAIDs like Metacam and Rimadyl and this reduces the potential for NSAID damage to stomach, liver and kidneys.

Pets with arthritis, hip dysplasia, patella luxation or problems with bones & joints register pain in their brains but don’t show it to us. The brain pathways for pain are so well travelled that they are “primed” to feel the next sensation. Tramadol, Gabapentin, and acupuncture help decrease constant pain messages, lessening windup. They are a blessing for dogs and cats in pain.

Treating Pain in Dogs and Cats

Many of the pets I see are in pain. Some have cancer; some, arthritis; some, injuries. The best way to help these pets and alleviate their pain is carefully combining small amounts of several different medications. Using smaller amounts of each medication decreases the risk of side effects while providing full pain control.

Dogs and Cats are different than humans in how they show pain
With pets, genetic programming has ensured the dogs and cats that survived where those that did not show pain or distress. Over the millions of years of dog and cat evolution, those that showed pain or injury attracted attention of predators and invited challenge of young who wanted their territory or place in the pack. All dogs & cats feel pain, but those that didn’t show it were the ones that survived and passed on their genes. Thus the pets in our homes have descended with the behavioural programming that disguises pain. They still feel pain; we can measure it with elevated cortisol levels, increased respiration, increased heart rate; they just hide it really well.

If dogs and cats hide their pain, which ones need pain control?
At some time in their life, all dogs and cats need pain meds. Dogs and cats are in pain just as often as humans are. They have headaches. They have knee aches. They have neck pain because we often use collar & leash to control them. They have gut pain from constipation, bladder infections, and fibrous scarring after spay and neuter surgery. They have pain from pancreatitis, gastric ulcers, cancers, and inflammatory bowel disease. Their teeth hurt, their gums are sore, they get TMJ. They have hip dysplasia, cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler disease), patella luxation, ankle arthropathy, even toe arthritis.

Helping dogs and cats with pain
Fortunately, we can ease pain in dogs and cats with
• Acupuncture,
• Adequan,
• Herbs,
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),
• Laser,
• Homeopathic meds,
• Reiki, and
• Conventional medications.

Among the conventional medications we have for pain are Tramadol and Gabapentin. In the next Caring for Pets blog entry we`ll cover these two medications.

Help For Anxious, Biting Dogs

Many dogs are given up to humane society when they bite. These dogs often go into temporary or foster homes. We have special problems with anxious, biting dogs in foster homes. These dogs understand they’re living in limbo and they feel insecure no matter how much love exists in limbo foster home.

Our army of approaches for anxious biting dogs in foster homes include
• flower essences
• pheromones
• herbs
• homeopathic medications
• conventional drugs.

It is difficult to know which of the above remedies will be most beneficial without trying them. They all help, but in slightly different ways.

Flower Essences
For flower essence, check out the foster care, stress stopper, and nervous nellie at www.spiritessence.com. Their remedies are fabulous.

Pheromones
For pheromones, get DAP. Use the spray or atomizer. Collar has to be too tight to work. In Canada, DAP is only sold through veterinarians, but it is available at pet stores and online in the US.

Herbs
Many Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas help dogs with anxiety. Among my favorites are Calm Repose (Ian Ma Gou Teng Yin) and Blood’s Palace (Xue Fu Xue Yu Tang). We can also consider Rambling Ease Powder (Xiao Yao San), Heavenly Emperor’s Nourish the Heart pills (Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan), or Snake & Dragon (Long Dan Xie Gan Tang).

Homeopathic Medications
For homeopathy, we consider over a dozen remedies and make the choice based on the dog’s behavior. Among the homeopathics we consider are anacardium, Ars alb, Belladonna, Ignatia, Lachesis, Lycopodium, Nat mur, Nitric acid, Nux Vomica, Sepia, Staphisagria, Sulfur, and Thuja.

Conventional Drugs
For conventional drugs for anxiety, we might use clomiprimine. It takes at least 3 weeks to kick in and doses may need to be adjusted. There are other antipsychotics and anxiolytics consider, too.

We realize when we accept biting dogs into our homes that we need to protect ourselves and our families. There are many methods to try to help them, and the greatest opportunity for success lies in having a dedicated family, a permanent home, and holistic veterinary care.

Great Veterinarians, Bad Veterinarians

Today I went to VanCity a local bank and got taught a lesson in how not to run a vet clinic. My experience at VanCity Bank reminded me that I don’t have to practice medicine like bankers practice banking. I vow to my clients that I will be a great ve and not a bad vet. I will:
• Greet you sincerely.
• Offer a peaceful place to rest—even your weary feet.
• Let you know that there is nothing else I would rather do than solve your pet’s problem.
• Solve your pet’s problems, even thinking outside the box when necessary.
• Appreciate how busy you are and provide evening , weekend or housecall appointments.
• Keep your confidences.

So, hold me to it. Ensure I am a great veterinarian. Expect a safe, clean, helpful & considerate experience every time you bring your pet to me. When you come visit, bring cash or checks since I wasn’t able to wade through the requirements at VanCity in the time I had to set up a debit machine in the office.

WaterWorkz Warm Salt Water Indoor Pool For Dogs In Vancouver Area

WaterWorkz, Opportunity to enjoy indoor pool for dogs.
WaterWorkz Paw Spa, an indoor warm salt water dog swimming pool, is having an Open House Sunday, May 15, 2011, from 11 am to 3 pm. The WaterWorkz facility is at 3831 Still Creek Ave, Burnaby, BC.
Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the free
pet photography,
BBQ, & refreshments,
gift basket draw.

Tanya VanderHammen will give a swim demonstration to show how much dogs love swimming in the warm salt water pool.

Carol Fuegi, internationally recognized wildlife and pet photographer, will be taking photos of people and pets during the event.

Dr. Susan Pollen, the WaterWorkz in-house holistic veterinarian, will be available to discuss how swimming in warm salt water can help your pet.

Jolena Kusec, the in-house massage therapist, will be available to discuss the benefits of canine massage.

During the Open House, WaterWorkz will be accepting new and used toys and donations for the Burnaby SPCA.

There will be a free draw for a $300 Gift Basket that includes swim, doggy massage, holistic veterinary consult; plus, delightful goodies.

The WaterWorkz facility is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with appointments for dogs from 10 am to 7 pm. Puppies and dogs that haven’t learned to swim can become competent and safe in the water; dogs with lameness or mobility issues can experience the delight of being buoyant and mobile.

With the clean, bright facility it’s hard to say who enjoys trips to the spa more—the parents or the pets.

Dogs are always welcome at WaterWorkz, and for the Open House, please bring them on a leash.
For more information, contact
WaterWorkz Paw Spa
Tanya VanderHammen 604.435.0002
Dr. Susan Pollen 888.774.8889 vetpollen@yahoo.com
Jolena Kusec 604.551. 8116 jolena@shaw.ca

Kidney Disease In Dogs & Cats, Using Calcitriol

Canine Kidney Disease & Feline Kidney Disease
Kidney disease affects about 1/3 of our pets. In previous Caring for Pet blog entries we covered the difference between kidney disease and kidney failure, signs a pet has kidney disease, causes of kidney disease. We covered treatments, including holistic therapies and conventional medications. Now, let’s discuss Calcitriol, a new conventional medication used for cats & dogs with kidney disease.

Role of Calcitriol
Calcitriol helps prevent calcium from increasing in the blood. High calcium levels shorten pets’ lives because organs stop functioning when their cells are full of gritty calcium deposits. To make it worse, pets with high calcium levels are uncomfortable.

Signs of High Levels of Calcium in the Blood or Hypercalcemia
Calcitriol is a drug given to pets with kidney disease to help prevent calcium from increasing in the blood to levels that make pets sick. Dogs & cats with high calcium may have these symptoms:
• anorexia
• lethargy
• vomiting & stomach upset
• increased drinking and urination ( polyuria/polydipsia)
• bladder stones (calcium oxylates)
• strange behaviour (neurologic signs).

Other Causes of Hypercalcemia--Cancer
Cats and dogs with cancer of skin, lymph nodes, bones and bone marrow (lymphosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas, leukemias, multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, sarcoma, and bronchogenic carcinoma) can also have increased calcium and these pets would benefit from treatment for cancer but not from calcitriol.

Deciding Whether or Not to Use Calcitrol
The first step in using calcitriol is to confirm the pet’s elevated calcium is from kidney disease. The second step is to prevent phosperous from increasing through diet and aluminum hydroxide (covered in previous Caring for Pets discussion).

Deciding How Much Calcitriol to Give, and When to Give Calcitriol
We look at the blood to decide how much calcitriol to give. If serum creatinine is higher than normal (>3 mg/dl) but phosphorus is controlled (<6 mg/dl) calcitriol is started at 3.5 ng/kg/day. The best time to give calcitriol is at bedtime on an empty stomach. This is especially true for pets on high doses. For pets on low doses of calcitriol, the drug can be given with food in the morning. Calcitriol can be given every day, and this schedule is best for those of us with poor memories who can remember to give the same medication every day. However, the safest way to give calcitrion is to give ½ the week’s dose th twice a week, such as Wednesday night and Sunday morning.

Blood Tests Required to Prevent Calcitrol From Causing Harm
Calcitriol can help pets with kidney disease, but it can also cause harm because it affects the amount of calcium in the blood. Blood tests measuring calcium help us adjust the dose so that the potential for harm is minimized. Blood tests are done one week, two weeks and six months after starting the medication.

For pets that have had kidney disease long enough that the parathyroid gland was affected, blood tests to measure parathyroid hormone (PTH) should be done in addition to tests measuring calcium. If the pet is responding to calcitriol as hoped, parathyroid hormone (PTH) will be in the normal range. If PTH is elevated, the pet can have increased dose of calcitriol (1-2 ng/kg increase). If your pet needs a dose of calcitriol that is 6.6 ng/kg/day or higher, then it needs blood tests that measure both total calcium and ionized calcium. Pets on these high doses of calcitriol also need to be off the daily dosage schedule and on the twice a week schedule (3.5 times the daily dose).

What Will You See if Your Pet Benefits from Calcitriol?
How will your pet benefit from calcitriol? You should see improved appetite, more energy, and slowing of the kidney disease. Blood tests with BUN and creatinine livels should hold steady. Urine specific gravity should hold steady. Amount of protein lost in the urine should improve or hold steady.

My Recommendations for Pets With Kidney Disease
Do I recommend Calcitriol for all pets with kidney disease? NO. Whether you have a dog with kidney disease or a cat with kidney disease, always start with supplements and herbs that benefit without causing harm. Then, consider drugs. My recommendations are:
• Omega 3 fatty acids from either fish (Nordic Naturals) or ground flax (Missing Link)
• Herbal fromulas with Rehmannia such as Rehmannia Eight ( Ba Wei Di Huang Wan)
• Home cooked diet or raw diet that controls phosphorus by decreasing organ meats and high phosphorus foods, yet maintains healthy protein levels
• Acupuncture (BL 23, K 3, K 7, ST 36)
• Injectable Vitamin B 12
• Subcutaneous fluids

After doing all these, consider medications: aluminum hydroxide, potassium, calcitriol.

Kidney Disease Isn’t A Death Sentence
Dogs & cats with kidney disease can live long happy lives with our help. Do not despair when your vet says your pet has kidney disease, instead get help from a holistic veterinarian. Every pet can benefit from these suggestions so that it continues to have a life with joy and comfort.