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HOLISTIC CONCEPTS ABOUT ARTHRITIS, LAMENESS & STEM CELL THERAPY

John Simon — Thu, 06 May 2010 01:08:23 +0000

Arthritis is probably the most common of the chronic diseases that progressively steels quality life from our senior dogs. Osteoarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can effect any size dog or cat but is seen much more often in larger breed dogs. Arthritis often starts with stiffness and is first noticed when the older dog has a hard time rising in the morning. In time the owner may noticed that their dog is slower going up the stairs and may be reluctant to jump into the car.. A dog with hip displasia or hip arthritis tends to run like a rabbit using both back legs at once. As the arthritis progresses the dog may begin to hold up or favor one limb. He or she may walk with short stiff steps and the dog’s gait may show a hind end instability (swaying). At the end stages of arthritis the pet may not be able to rise without the owners help. It is a sad thing to see otherwise healthy animals euthanized because their caregiver is undable to lift them up in order to get them outside when they need to eliminate.

It is my opinion much of the arthritis our dogs experience could be eliminated by changing their diets from a grain based food to a more meat based recipe. Just because the first ingredient on the ingredient list is meat does not make the diet meat based. The only way to distinguish if a food is meat based is to asked the company’s nutritionist (not customer support person) “what percent of their food is meat when measured on a dry matter basis ?” Judged on this basis, most pet foods are no more than 20% meat. Grain based diets are hard for carnivores to digest and the poorly digested large grain protein molecules act as allergens which damage the intestinal lining and result in a “leaky gut syndrome”. This leaky gut allows grain protein molecules to get into the blood stream where they can migrate to the pet’s joints and set up an inflammatory reaction. Feeding a meat based diet helps to prevent the above sequence of events. Supplementing the diet with digestive enzymes, fish oil, and antioxidants will help reduce the likelihood of arthritis.

If your dog has already developed arthritis there are a number of ways to help slow the progression and reduce the discomfort from the disease. Injections of “chondroprotective” substances which increase joint fluid production and encourage cartilage repair can be very effective arthritis remedies. Personally I am not a big proponent of using non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce inflammation and pain because their long term use may result in gastro intestinal, liver, and kidney disease. It has also been shown that long term use of NSAIDs in humans actually results in cartilage degeneration. Providing glucosamine, chondroitin , MSM, Gerizyme, Adequin, Legend, Zeel , systemic enzymes, hyaluronic acid, Comfort Zone and antioxidants in place of NSAIDs can help restore joint integrity and, in my opinion, is a much preferred approach.

Other ways to treat advanced arthritis include physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, “infra-sonic therapy”, “pulsed magnetic therapy”, prolotherapy, gold bead implants, cold laser therapy, Electro Crystal Rebalancing and massage therapy. Teaching pet owners how to massage their pet and provide passive range of motion can be very helpful in extending and enhancing their pets quality of life.

Finally, I want let my readers know about a very exciting advance in arthritis therapy. Adult stem cell technology is now available to help treat advanced arthritis. The stem cells are harvested from the patients own fat. These stem cells can be injected intravenously or directly into joints. These injected primitive cells will develop into connective tissue and cartilaginous cells which will help to rejuvenate the damaged joint. This technology is has already been used successfully in hundreds of dogs and horses and although still on the expensive side is now available to the family pet. Presently I am one of the few veterinarians certified to provide such therapy.

Detecting the early signs of arthritis and instituting early treatment can make a huge difference in the success of therapy. Providing a high quality meat based diet, with omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants along with weight management can help prevent the onset of arthritis and help extend both the quality and quantity of the pet’s life.

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Woodside Animal Clinic sees pets from all over the greater Detroit Michigan area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson, Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Waterford, Union Lake, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica, Romeo, Windsor, White lake and Toledo

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Back Pain & Hind Leg Lamenes: Ruptured Disks and Other Spinal Cord Disease

John Simon — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:14:06 +0000

There are a number of diseases involving the spinal cord that produce paralysis, weakness and incoordination and consequently are easily confused with each other. These diseases include inter-vertebral disk disease, , degenerative myelopathy, Wobblers, lumbo-sacral stenosis, spinal cord tumors, and fibro-cartilagious infarcts. On initial physical exam all these diseases have a number of symptoms in common. Diagnostic tests which help further define the problem include radiographs, myelograms, and MRI’s. All of the above diseases can cause hind leg weakness, incoordination and gait abnormalities. All cause a break in communication between the brain and back legs such that the head does not always know what the back legs are doing . Such a communication breakdown results in the paws knuckling over, the hind end swaying or collapsing, the dog having a hard time rising or going up stairs and the loss of bladder control. Of these diseases, we can expect that pain may be present with only 3: disk disease, wobblers and lumbo-sacral stenosis. Of the six diseases mentioned, inter-vertebral disk disease, wobblers and fibrocartilaginous infarcts usually have the a sudden onset. .

Intervertebral disk disease in the dog is an all to common problem especially in breeds with long backs and short thick legs, aka. chondrodystrophoid. These breeds include dachunds, bassets, beagles, welsh corgis, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, American cockers, and French bulldogs. In these breeds the problems may occur as early as 1 to 2 years of age. IVD may also occur in non chondrodystrophoid breeds but usually at 6 to 10 years of age. The most common symptoms of disk disease are pain, weakness, loss of coordination, and paralysis. The disease can also affect bladder control. However in very early stages of disk disease the dog may experience only pain and display an anxious uncomfortable attitude and decrease in activity. As the condition advances the pain commonly becomes very severe and the dog may cry out when he or she moves in a particular way. The next stage of disk disease is often hind leg weakness, incoordination and/or paralysis. At this point the pain may or may not disappear. Commonly this progression happens within days but can extend to weeks. If the disk protrusion occurs in the dog’s neck the pain is often more severe. Just petting the dogs head may cause him or her to cry out. The dog will hold his head and neck in a rigid head down stance and will will turn his whole body instead of bending his neck. Cervical (neck) disk disease can cause neurological problems in both the front and back legs whereas disk disease in the mid back will affect only the back legs.

It is difficult to distinguish cervical disk disease from a disease commonly known as Wobblers. Wobblers (aka cervical vertebral instability) is, as the name implies, a result of an unstable joint in the neck producing pressure on the spinal cord. Wobblers is usually a disease of large, fast growing dogs. Great Danes usually develop the disease as puppies where as in Dobermans the problem occurs more often in adults. The disease most commonly presents as a dog with severe neck pain and gait abnormalities in both front and back legs. To distinguish this disease from a ruptured disk or a spinal tumor requires either a myelogram or an MRI. Of course it is possible for the above symptoms to be caused by a blood clot in the spine or spinal tumor, neither of which occurs with any frequency. Finally, if the breed of dog is correct for disk disease, and if there has been no sudden onset or trauma then there is approximately a 95% chance that a disk rupture has occurred.

Another disease that can easily be confused with inter-vertebral disk disease is Degenerative Myelopathy. Degenerative myelopathy is a slow progressive disease of large older dogs, most commonly the German Shepherds. In its early stages the dog owners often mistakes it for arthritis. Degenerative myelopathy is an insidious, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that develops slowly over years. It is a result of degeneration of the fatty myelin sheath that surrounds most nerves and acts as an insulator. The first sign of degenerative myelopathy is the dragging of the top side of the nails on the back feet. This dragging can be detected either by the sound of the gait or by examining the top side of the back nails for abnormal wear. As the disease progresses the hind limbs become weak and an obvious incoordination develops. The hind legs may cross with one another and the dog may look drunk in the hind end. He or she may stumble. If you place the dog’s foot in a position where the top of the toes are on the floor, the dog will often not return the foot to the proper position or take a long time doing it. This is because there is a loss of “conscious proprioception” which means that the brain does not know the position of the back legs. If a dog has Degenerative myelopath then pushing on the dog’s rear end from side to side often causes the dog to fall over or have a hard time keeping his balance. In the later stages of this disease the hind end will become so weak and uncoordinated that the dog will be unable to get up. If the dog does manage to rise he or she will quickly fall down after taking only a few steps. The only good new about this disease is that there is never any pain involved. It is important to rule out a chronic disk disease before accepting degenerative myelopathy as your pet’s fate. Unfortunately that requires an expensive MRI or myelogram to make such a decision.

Lumbo Sacral Stenosis is known by a number of names such as lumbo-sacral instability, lumbo-sacral malformation, lumbo-sacral malarticulation, spondylolithesis, and cauda equina syndrome. All of these describe arthritis involving the last lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum which is a part of the pelvis. This disease often involves the disk as well. Together both problems progressively narrow the spinal canal which in turn puts pressure on the spinal nerves and causes pain and dysfunction. The most common symptom is pain which involves the back, both hind legs, and the tail. Dogs usually have trouble rising. Defecating and urinating are difficult because of pain. Dogs with this problem find defecation and urination difficult due to pain on squating. They may become incontinent and may be seen biting at their rear end.

Blood clots and fibro-cartilaginous infarcts can also cause similar spinal cord disease but they are quite rare and so I will not discuss them at this time.

Now back to intervertebral disk disease (IVDD). Conventional treatment for IVDD involves medicating with steroids, antioxidants, muscle relaxants, cage rest and surgical decompression. If surgery is indicated a myelogram or MRI must be performed to pin point the exact location of the lesion and confirm the physical diagnosis. These tests commonly can run into many thousands of dollars and should only be considered if the owner is planning to follow through with any surgery indicated by the information these tests provide. Disk fenestration surgery or a vertebral hemi-laminectomy are the surgeries performed to reduce pressure on the spinal cord. Both surgeries can run into the thousands of dollars and the diagnostics plus the surgery could easily run between 4 to 5 thousand. If you have a dog that may require these surgeries you should know that the surgeries are not always successful in restoring function and on occasions dogs can come out of surgery in worse shape than when they went in. You should also be made aware that these surgeries especially those involving the neck require long periods of recuperation.

Owners who are hesitant to put their injured older dogs through anesthesia, surgery, and an extended recuperative period may want to consider holistic modalities as an alternative. For those who cannot afford the expense of high tech diagnostics and surgery I also suggest you take a look at alternative or holistic modalities. The holistic therapies I am talking about include electro acupuncture, cold laser therapy, infrasonic therapy, pulsed magnetic therapy, chiropractic, electro crystal rebalancing, nutritional therapy, prolotherapy, bio identical steroid therapy, antioxidant therapy, megavitamin therapy, and systemic enzyme therapy. Please understand that there are no guarantees with any one or a combination of the above alternative therapies, each case being unique in its own right. We have, however, had some excellent results with these alternative approaches and can offer testamonials to their effectiveness.

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Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique, very personal, one doctor practice where, for over 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine. Dr. Simon is the author of 4 pet care books and he writes a monthly pet care column in the Mirror newspaper. He is the past president of the Oakland County Veterinary Medical Association.

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Physical Rehabilitation for Pets

John Simon — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:59:42 +0000

Physical therapy is something that people who are injured or who have undergone surgery expect to go through as part of their recuperation. Unfortunately it has only been within the last 8 years that physical therapy has been readily available for injured animals. Orthopedic injuries, neurological problems, trauma, and arthritis are all maladies that can benefit from physical therapy.

There are number of therapies that can be utilized to help rehabilitate injured or painful pets. Among them are acupuncture, chiropractic, nutritional and herbal support, intravenous and transcutaneous lasers therapy , pulsed magnetic therapy, infrasonic and ultrasonic therapy, microcurrent stimulation, underwater treadmill, hydrotherapy, prolotherapy, range of motion and therapeutic exercise, massage therapy, balance and proprioception equipment. Other supportive measures we use are systemic enzyme therapy, antioxidant therapy, DMSO, homeopathy, and herbal therapy

The following conditions are just a few we have successfully treated with rehabilitation therapy: Wobblers and intervertebral disk disease, arthritis, cruciate ligament tears, post surgical cruciate ligament repairs, lumbo-sacral stenosis, hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy and any soft tissue injury involving post surgical wounds, damaged tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

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Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique, very personal, one doctor practice where, for over 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine. Dr. Simon is the author of 4 pet care books and he writes a monthly pet care column in the Mirror newspaper. He is a past president of the Oakland County Veterinary Medical Association and has served on the board of both the South Eastern Veterinary Medical Association and the American HolisticVeterinary Medical Association.

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Treating Pet Behavior Problems Holisticly With Neurotransmitters and Nutrition

John Simon — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:07:39 +0000

At Woodside Animal Clinic we have been having increasing success managing fearful, aggressive, and destructive behavior with minerals, anti anxiety herbs, homeopathics, flower essences, essential oils, nutritional and dietary changes and especially “neurotransmitter therapy”. Often several of these supplements are used in combination and then combined with behavior modification techniques. The use of the neurotransmitter therapy along with dietary modification and nutraceuticals appears to place an animal in a state where they are calmer, less dominant, and less fearful so they are easier to manage and train.

Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals derived from specific amino acid precursors. The brain produces foue primary neurotransmitters which in turn produce distinctly different brain states. These different states of mind create a mood which affects the rest of the body thru both nerve pathways and endocrine (hormonal) connections. Neurotransmitters appear to be the master conductors of the body. Of course there are other neurotransmitters besides these major four but , for the sake of space, I will limit my discussion to these four.

Communication between the brain and the body, between the various endocrine organs, and between various cells of the body is necessary to maintain balance and have all parts of the body work in harmony. Think again of an orchestra with its many different instruments playing their distinct parts each of which must harmonize with the whole. In order for this to happen there must be a conductor to guide the individual orchestral sections. The conductor not only cues the various instruments he also calls for greater or lesser volume, and maintains the tempo depending on what the music calls for. Of course the orchestra we call a living body is much more complicated and therefore a much more sophisticated line of communication is needed. In the paragraphs to follow I will discuss neurotransmitter and how they conduct the bodies vast communication network.

Whether you are a human being or a pet your brain produces 4 major neurotransmitters each of which cause the brain to operate at distinctly different frequencies which in turn produces distinctly different mental states or moods. Below is a chart listing these 4 distinctions as they relate to humans. Since the brains of animals are anatomically similar and produce these same neurotransmitters we can only assume that they experience similar mental states. The basic personality differences we find in young animals may be a result of excesses or deficiencies in these chemicals. ie. shy fear biters or aggressive dominance etc. As we learn more about these 4 major neurotransmitters we may be able to adjust or balance them in people and pets in order to correct basic personality disorders.

Neurochemical Frequency Brain wave Amino acid Mental state Function .

1) Dopamine (12-16 hertz) Delta waves Tyrosine Sleep Voltage

2) Acetylcholine (8-12 hertz) Theta waves phosphotidylserine

3) GABA (4-8 hertz) Alpha waves Glutamine Daydreaming Rhythm

4} Serotonin (1-4 hertz) Beta aves tryptophan Thinking

These brain states, however, are not limited to the brain, they affect the entire body via their connection to the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system, and secretion of information molecules. Here is where the body mind connection is born.

If any one the nutritional precursors (amino acids) used to manufacture these 4 major neuro chemicals is deficient then the associated neurotransmitter will be deficient and the body’s mental state will be affected. Adding one of the above amino acids to the diet can help correct a neuro-transmitter deficiency and re establish balance between these 4 neuro chemicals. The 4 amino acid precursors tryptophan, tyrosine, phosphatidylserine, and glutamine can be used to change an animal’s or person’s overall tone and personality.

Allow me give you a very quick course in neurotransmitters. The nervous system is made up of individual cells called neurons. They act more or less as the body’s wiring. Electrical nerve impulses pass down this wiring. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of a neuron it is able to jump over to the next neuron using chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. These neurochemicals are stored in tiny sacs at the end of each neuron. When the nerve impulse reaches the end of the neuron it triggers a response which causes these sacs to empty there contents into the gap that separates one nerve from another. These spaces are known as synapses. When the secreted neurotransmitters reach the other side of the synapse they cause the next neuron to fire and the impulses continues down the nerve accordingly.

Now lets talk in more detail about the four major neurotransmitters:

GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid) is the brain’s natural Valium. It is synthesized in the body from its precursor amino acid Glutamine. Vitamin B6 and pyridoxine 6 phosphate are also precursor needed to form GABA. GABA is involved in the production of endorphins which produces the GABA quality of calmness. GABA is also the body’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter and the major controller of brain rhythm. A rhythmic brain creates and receives electricity in a smooth and even flow as contrasted with bursts. Rhythm determines how we handle life’s stresses. GABA hinders the transmission of impulses from one neuron to another and slows neuronal transmission. It has a calming and quieting influence which provide relaxing, anti anxiety and anti convulsive effects. Inositol enhances the effects of GABA.

Serotonin is the brains natural Prozac. The body manufactures Serotonin from the precursor amino acid tryptophan. By increasing the amount of tryptophan in the diet you can elevate the serotonin levels thereby producing the same effect as Prozac. Balancing the brain means synchronizing the right and left hemispheres. When our hemispheres are “in sync” we feel peaceful and secure.

Dopamine is the 3rd major neurotransmitters. Dopamine manages brain voltage . The nervous system manufactures dopamine from the amino acid precursor Tyrosine. Tyrosine is converted to L Dopa and then to Dopamine. Dopamine has many important roles in behavior including sleep, mood, attention and learning. It is associated with stimulation of the pleasure centers of the brain . Deficient dopamine is linked to attention deficit disorders and loss of creativity in humans. Dopamine has been associated with the processing of pain such that decreased levels of dopamine encourage painful conditions such as fibromyalgia in people. Insufficient dopamine can cause Parkinsons , in which the body loose its ability to execute smooth controlled movements. It is important to point out that we must always balance Serotonin with Dopamine. If we just add tryptophan with out tyrosine to the diet we will drive down the dopamine neurotransmitters and loose brain voltage.

Acetylcholine is the 4th major neurotransmitter. Acetylcholine works primarily at the synapse and allows for the transmission of nerve impulses across the synapse or space between two nerves or at the neuromuscular junction. If too little of the amino acid precursor, phosphatidlyserine , is present in the diet there will eventually develop a deficiency of acetylcholine. Such a deficiency will cause nerve transmission to slow down and consequently communication between different parts of the brain and body will be affected Providing increased levels of either choline or phosphatidylserine in the diet will stimulate the production of acetycholine in Alzheimers patients and dogs with cognitive disorders.. It helps them to think more clearly. Choline loading has been used with senior pets to help them remain more aware, reduce urinary incontinence and help prevent seizures. This form of therapy is known as “choline loading.” We have had good success treating urinary incontinence and senility in dogs and cats by stimulating acetylcholine production.

Anxiety and depression problems can be treated with neurotransmitter therapy combined with one or more of the following supplements: B vitamins especially niacinamide; Minerals primarily magnesium; Herbs such as valerian, St Johns Wart, kava kava, and chamomile; Essential oils such as Lavender; flower essences and homeopathics; laser therapy, electro crystal rebalancing and acupuncture.

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Woodside Animal Clinic is a unique, very personal, one doctor practice where, for over 35 years, Dr. Simon has been healing dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and reptiles with both conventional and alternative medicine. Dr. Simon is the author of 4 pet care books and he writes a bi monthly pet care column in the Natural Awakening magazine. He is a past president of the Oakland County Veterinary Medical Association and has served on the executive board of both the Southeastern Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association

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Pet Cancer: causes and treatments in dogs and cats

John Simon — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:39:30 +0000

Since I began practice over 40 years ago the incidence of cancer in companion animals has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, veterinarians diagnose cancer in dogs, cats, birds, ferrets and rodents on a daily basis. Some of the more common cancers seen in dogs and cats are mammary tumors, skin tumors, bone tumors, squamous cell tumors, sinus tumors, anal gland tumors, lymphosarcomas, mast cell tumors, gum tumors, hemangiosarcomas of the spleen, and testicular tumors. Birds develop more cancer than any other species of animal on the planet. In my opinion the increased incidence of cancer is a result of the polluted environment our pets live in and the poor quality, mineral deficient soil we grow our crops in. Furthermore, the hormones, antibiotics, and parasiticides we feed our food producing live stock ends up in the commercial dog and cat food we give our pets. There is little doubt that the poor quality of our pets air, food, and water results in overstimulation of their inflammatory processes and suppresses their immune system. To add insult to injury we then process our commercial pet food and add more toxins in the form of coloring agents, artificial flavorings, texturizers, and preservatives.

Any time you notice a lump or swelling on your pet have it promptly checked out by your veterinarian. Although veterinarians can often make a good guess as to whether the lump is benign or malignant he or she can never be certain without first obtaining a biopsy sample. The biopsy may be obtained with a needle, key punch device, biopsy forceps or by excising the whole growth or a portion with a scalpel blade. When the biopsy is taken with a needle and syringe it is called “an aspiration biopsy”. Although aspiration biopsies are perhaps the most common approach to identifying malignancy they do provide more chance for misdiagnosis because of the small size of the sample. Any new growth should be biopsied even if it looks like a benign fatty tumor. Benign fatty tumors (lipomas) can not be visually distinguished from malignant mast cell tumors. At a recent oncology seminar I attended the speaker made the following very important point: “Do not wait to see if a growth continues to grow before trying to determine whether it is malignant with a biopsy”.

Of course there are many cancer growths which can not be seen because they involve internal organs. Cancers like hemangiosarcomas of the spleen, may get huge before they produce obvious outward symptoms. Below are what many veterinary sources consider to be possible signs of cancer.: weight loss for no apparent reason, loss of normal appetite, bleeding from a body opening like the nostril, a foul odor from the mouth, difficulty eating and swallowing, difficulty breathing, non healing wounds, lameness that persists..

So what can we do to protect our pets from cancer or treat them once they are diagnosed with it . Of course, keeping your pets in optimal health by providing them a healthy diet, environment and life style, and plenty of exercise is the foundation for a strong immune system . Please visit my website Doc4pets.com for details on how to choose a healthy diet. As for a healthy environment, this would include minimal exposure to poisonous plants and chemical toxins on the grass, in the house, and in the garage. Radon levels in the basement should be checked. Don’t smoke around your pet

With regard to healthy life style, this should include plenty of companionship and minimal stress. Stress do to isolation can suppress a pets immune system and make him or her more susceptible to cancer. Exercise can be in the form of jogging, fetching, or competitive sports such as “fly ball”.

Conventional treatment of pets diagnosed with cancer include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Alternative approaches include organic raw meat diets, liver support and detoxification, intravenous vitamin C, antioxidants therapy, herbal formulas, acupuncture, and immune stimulants.

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Dr. Simon is the owner of the Woodside Animal Clinic in Royal Oak, Michigan where, for 30 years, he has been treating dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, ferrets, rodents, iguanas with both conventional and alternative medicine.

He is the author of 4 pet care books and writes a monthly column for the Mirror newspaper.

Woodside services the Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb county area including the cities of Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Madison Heights, Hazel Park, Southfield, Birmingham, Troy, Warren, Clawson, Sterling Heights, and Farmington Hills.

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Arthritis in Dogs — What a Pain!

John Simon — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:26:43 +0000

It is estimated that 25-30% of all dogs will suffer the agonizing and crippling pain of arthritis during their lifetime. Large dogs are the most susceptible to arthritis but dogs of any breed, age or size can be victims of this disease. Early signs of arthritis may be first noticed when your dog starts to get up slower from a lying position, however, arthritis may eventually become devastating with your dog becomes unable to rise.

As arthritis progresses there is a steady degeneration of the dog’s joint cartilage. This cartilage is a cushion in the dog’s elbow, knee, ankle, shoulder, or hip. Cartilage gives the dog the mobility to run and play. As this cartilage begins to be rubbed thin, the bones will begin to grind against each other, causing excruciating pain.

Dogs in the earlier stages of arthritis may have mild pain and lose as much as 20% of their joints range of motion. Consequently, they appear stiff when they get up and walk. As their arthritis progresses, as much as 50% of their joint’s range of motion may be lost. Because they are often in severe pain they will be reluctant to move and the less they move the more weight they gain. This added weight puts additional stress on their joints. Lack of movement and reduced exercise results in weaken musculature. Pain, added weight and weakened muscles are all part of a vicious cycle that leads to less and less movement until the pet can no longer get up and must be carried out to go to the bathroom. If the pet is large and can not be easily carried, euthanasia can sadly become the only alternative.

In addition to making walking difficult, severe arthritis often results in personality and behavioral changes. A dog’s pain may cause them to withdraw from the family and seek secluded places. Because rising may be very painful arthritic pets may soil the rug where they lie rather than ask to go out. Because squatting is painful arthritic pets often become constipated. Dogs and cats in pain can become aggressive and ornery and start to bite. Dogs that were once friendly will not want to be touched by anyone including trusted family members.

So what’s the solution? Conventional medicine attempts to solve the problem with laboratory manufactured corticosteroids or non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. Both these products are usually effective in reducing inflammation and pain but ultimately result in further joint deterioration and can damage other organs such as the stomach, liver, and kidney.

On the other hand the alternative medical approach is to use nutritional joint support substances, weight loss, medicinal herbs, anti- oxidants, mega vitamin and mineral therapy, omega 3 fatty acids, chiropractic care, physical therapy, and acupuncture to reduce pain and inflammation and to support joint health rather than simply removing the symptoms. A special injection combining nutritionals Adequin and Legend has worked remarkably well at rehabilitating a joints. This approach is much gentler on the body and rarely results in any serious side effects.

Of course it is not necessary to wait until your dog is lame before you take steps to help your pet. Being proactive makes much more sense. Feeding your healthy dog or cat a high quality, free range, meat based diet and supplementing with raw vegetables, digestive enzymes, and omega 3 fatty acids will go along toward preventing the onset of arthritis. A special combination injection of Adequin and Legend we

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Woodside Animal Clinic sees pets from all over the greater Detroit area including Royal Oak, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Warren, Centerline, Clawson, Troy, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Birmingham, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Wixom, Brighton, Livonia, Plymouth, Commerce, Ann Arbor, Ortonville, Waterford, Union Lake, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Utica, Romeo and Flint..

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Arthritis Therapies for Dogs and Cats

John Simon — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:15:40 +0000

Arthritic pain and lameness is probably the most common of the slow, chronic, diseases that progressively steel quality life from our senior dogs. Osteoarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that can effect any size dog but is seen much more often in larger breeds. Arthritis often starts with stiffness and is first noticed when the older dog has a hard time rising in the morning. In time the owner may noticed that their dog is slower going up the stairs and may be reluctant to jump into the car. A dog with hip displasia or hip arthritis tends to run like a rabbit using both back legs at once.

As the arthritis progresses the dog may begin to hold up or favor one limb. He or she may walk with short stiff steps and the dog’s gait may show a hind end instability. At the end stages of arthritis the pet may not be able to rise without the owners help. It is very sad when an otherwise healthy animal is euthanized because their owner is unable to lift them up to get them outside when they need to eliminate.

It is my opinion that much of the arthritis our dogs experience could be eliminated by changing their diets from a grain based food to a more meat based recipe. Just because the first ingredient on the ingredient list is meat does not make the diet “meat based”. The only way to distinguish if a food is meat based is to asked the company’s nutritionist (not customer support person) “what percent of their food is meat when measured on a dry matter basis ?” Judged on this basis, most pet foods are no more than 20% meat. Grain based diets are hard for carnivores to digest and, consequently, the poorly digested large grain protein molecules act as allergens which damage the intestinal lining and result in a “leaky gut syndrome”. This leaky gut allows grain protein molecules to get into the blood stream where they can migrate to the pet’s joints and set up an inflammatory reaction. Feeding a meat based diet helps to prevent the above sequence of events. Finally, keeping your pet on the slender side in old age and better yet all his or her life will definitely reduce the risk of arthritis developing, Supplementing the diet with digestive enzymes, fish oil, antioxidants, and herbal anti inflammatories will help reduce the likelihood of arthritis.

If your dog has already developed arthritis there are a number of ways to help slow the progression and reduce the discomfort from the disease. Injections of “chondroprotective” substances which increase joint fluid and encourage cartilage repair can be very effective. Personally I am not a big proponent of using non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce inflammation and pain because their long term use may result in gastro intestinal, liver, and kidney disease. It has also been shown that long term use of NSAIDs in humans actually results in cartilage degeneration. Providing glucosamine, chondroitin , MSM, Adequin and antioxidants in place of NSAIDs can help restore joint integrity and, in my opinion, is a much preferred approach.

Other ways to treat advanced arthritis include acupuncture, chiropractic, “infra sonic therapy”, “pulsed magnetic therapy”, prolotherapy, low level laser therapy, physical therapy and massage therapy. Teaching pet owners how to massage their pet and provide passive range of motion can be very helpful in extending and enhancing their pets quality of life.

The only problem with stem cell therapy ithat it is relatively expensive and requires the pet be anethetized for the harvesting of the adult stem cells from body fat. Prolotherapy is a less expensive option and one sense could be seen as the “poor man stem cell therapy” because it also stimulates the body produce more supportive connective tissue around the unstable joint.

Detecting the early signs of arthritis and instituting early treatment can make a huge difference in the success of therapy. Providing a high quality meat based diet, with omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants can help prevent the onset of arthritis and help extend both the quality and quantity of the pet’s life.

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Alternative Therapies for Dogs and Cats with Arthritis

John Simon — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:05:39 +0000

Dear Dr. Simon,

I have a 12 year old Labrador Retriever named Joe who has had arthritis in his hind legs for the past 3 years. My veterinarian has put Joe on cortisone tablets which have helped allot but have also made him eat and drink too much. Do you know of any alternative approaches to treating arthritis ?

Dear Reader,

I am glad you asked this question. Far too many old arthritic dogs have been put on long term cortisone therapy. Although cortisone is very effective in treating arthritis it can produce many detrimental side effects. One serious problem accompanying cortisone therapy is that it stimulates the animal’s appetite and thirst and consequently he or she gains weight, which puts additional stress on the already painful hind legs and back.

If Joe is at all overweight he should be put on a high fiber low fat diet until he reaches a weight that you might consider “slightly thin”. You should also make sure that his nails are not overgrown and hurting his feet.

One of the most common alternatives to cortisone therapy is to use drugs like aspirin. These “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory” drugs frequently work well in treating the symptoms of arthritis but are not really getting at the cause of the problem. Non-steroidals also tend to irritate the lining of the digestive tract and can result in ulcers.

Fortunately, there are a number of other approaches to the treatment of arthritis. The use of anti-oxidant enzymes, vitamins, and minerals along with medications that encourage the regeneration of joint cartilage and increase the production of joint fluid is a very effective and safe way to begin anti-arthritic therapy.

Frequently arthritis is the result of stretched ligaments, which produce joint instability. Injections into these ligaments know as “prolotherapy” along with supportive oral medication can encourage the ligaments to thicken and reduce abnormal movement.

Other alternative approaches to treating arthritis are acupuncture and magnetic field therapy both of which are considered mainstream medicine in Japan. Western and Eastern herbal therapy, chiropractic, and homeopathy have also been found to be extremely helpful in treating arthritis in pets and humans. Very recently stem cell therapy has become available for helping horses and dogs with arthritis.

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