DMSO in Dogs & Cats

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.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Collapsing Trachea in Dogs

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.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Treating Disc Disease in Dogs, Low Dose Dexamethasone

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.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

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

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

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Amitriptyline for Dogs, Anti-depressant & Anti-infective

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.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Using Tylenol (Acetaminophen) In Dogs

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.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad