ANIMAL WELLNESS
For a long, healthy life!
NATURAL WAYS TO ALLEVIATE
ALLERGIES
GROOMING CLIPPER AND SCISSOR SAFETY
5EASY WAYS to enrich his environment
TOP10
herbs that ease the
The best
itch
ESSENTIAL repelling OILS for pests
How to get rid of ugly TEAR STAINS Controlling FLEAS
get to know
Norbert!
He’s only seven inches tall, but this diminutive therapy dog is a real dynamo!
with diatomaceous earth APR/MAY 2016 Display until May 11, 2016
$6.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 18 ISSUE 2
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
BONUS INSIDE!
Contents April/May 2016
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38
Features
18 SURVIVING ALLERGY SEASON WITH AN ITCHY DOG
In dogs, seasonal allergies usually manifest as skin problems and scratching. Here’s how to ease the discomfort.
22 MELATONIN FOR DOGS AND CATS
Along with promoting sleep, melatonin may also help with Cushing’s disease, separation anxiety and other dog and cat health problems.
26 DIATOMACEOUS
EARTH FOR NATURAL FLEA CONTROL
Food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is an effective way to get rid of fleas without exposing your dog to toxins.
30 SPROUTS – THEY’RE GOOD FOR DOGS AND CATS TOO!
Environmental enrichment goes beyond basic dog care. It includes things like mental stimulation, engaging his senses, and satisfying his instinctual needs.
46 ESSENTIAL OILS REPEL PESTS FROM YOUR DOG
Check out the best essential oils for protecting your dog against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.
56 EASE YOUR PET’S
EMOTIONS WITH EFT
Sprouts are mini-powerhouses of nutrition, and make a simple and healthy addition to your pet’s diet.
Emotional Freedom Technique, or Tapping, can help with anxiety, phobias and related problems in dogs and cats.
32 FOLLICULITIS IN DOGS
60 WESTERN HERBS FOR
This common condition is caused by an inflammation of the dog’s skin follicles. Here are some natural ways to ease the itch of folliculitis.
36 EMERGENCY CARE FOR THE ALLERGIC DOG
Bee stings, certain foods or accidental drug ingestion can cause extreme allergic reactions in some dogs. Here’s how to stabilize him until you can get to the vet.
38 A VISIT TO
NORBERTHOOD
Meet Norbert, a tiny but big-hearted therapy dog, social media sensation and children’s book “author” who loves doing high-fives.
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42 5 EASY WAYS TO ENRICH YOUR DOG’S ENVIRONMENT
Animal Wellness
PET ALLERGIES
Keeping your allergic dog or cat itch-free can be done with herbs ranging from ashwaganda and astragalus to dandelion and Echinacea.
64 DOG TEAR STAINS
Clean up those ugly brown tear stains under your dog’s eyes with a healthy diet and some extra attention to his facial hygiene.
72 DOG BREEDS OF MEXICO
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a look at Mexico’s native breeds – the Chihuahua and Xolo.
78 CUTTING YOUR DOG’S HAIR?
Depending on your dog’s coat, he may need regular trimming with clippers or scissors. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to do it safely.
90 CITY THE KITTY
This polydactyl cat with the bob tail is a “spokescat” against declawing and uses his social media presence to help spread the message.
93 FOREVER LITTER TRAYS
These litter trays combine ease of use with ecological responsibility.
94BREAST CANCER IN CATS
Malignant breast tumors are common in felines. Here’s what you need to know about mammary or breast cancer.
96 THE FERAL CAT DEBATE – PART II
Are Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs for feral cats the right solution?
66 ROXY’S REMEDIES
East Indian sandalwood oil (EISO) is the key ingredient in these grooming products for dogs with allergies and sensitive skin.
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18
Columns
72
12 Yakkity yak 50 Case study 52 Rewind 67 To the rescue 70 Passages 76 Warm & fuzzy 84 Book reviews 87 Tail end 98 Feline Wellness book reviews
Social media Tips, contests and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ AW_magazine Tips, pet photos, and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine Crafts, laughs, and more! AnimalWellness
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Departments 8
Editorial
48
Product picks
58
Animal Wellness resource guide
63
The scoop
82
Marketplace
85
Social media
86
Events calendar
86
ClassiďŹ eds April/May 2016
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MELATONIN for dogs and cats By Shawn Messonnier, DVM
Along with promoting sleep, melatonin may also help with Cushing’s disease, separation anxiety and other dog and cat health problems.
D gs Cats
Melatonin as a nutritional supplement is often used by humans for sleep problems, but it also has several health applications for dogs and cats. Melatonin possesses a number of reported actions: • Regulates the immune system – lymphocyte white blood cells synthesize and release large amounts of melatonin • Induces restful sleep • Acts as an antioxidant – it’s a potent free radical scavenger • Reduces skin damage caused by UV radiation, when applied topically • Opposes degenerative side effects caused by elevated levels of corticosteroids • Is being used as part of the therapy for hormone-induced cancers • Reduces (at high doses) side effects and enhances cancer-killing abilities of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, by promoting cancer cell death and the release of immune-modulating chemicals called cytokines. In people, melatonin is also used for insomnia arising from many causes (lack of sleep, ADHD, beta blocker blood pressure medication, etc.); sleep problems in autistic individuals; dementia
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Animal Wellness
and Alzheimer’s disease; depression; chronic fatigue syndrome; epilepsy; numerous cancers; as an anti-aging supplement; and for weight loss. As more research continues, it is likely additional uses of melatonin will be found.
HOW IS MELATONIN USED IN ANIMALS?
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In dogs and cats, melatonin has been prescribed for several conditions. Sleep problems: Melatonin can induce restful sleep. This may be helpful for older animals that have trouble with normal sleep-wake cycles, typically seen in those with cognitive disorder (i.e. dog or cat “Alzheimer’s”).
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Cushing’s disease: This condition involves an overproduction of hormones, most commonly cortisol, in the dog’s adrenal glands. It’s usually due to a benign tumor of the pituitary gland in the brain (some cases are caused by malignant tumors of the adrenal glands).
What is melatonin? Flax seeds
Melatonin is currently used as part of the natural therapy regimen for some dogs with the pituitary form of Cushing’s disease, although its exact mechanism of action is unknown and its effectiveness varies among patients. Suggested actions of melatonin include the inhibition of certain enzymes needed for the conversion of one hormone to another; for example, the inhibition of aromatase enzymes, which decreases androstenedione and testosterone conversion into estradiol and possibly the 21-hydroxylase enzyme (which would decrease cortisol levels.) In addition to various herbal and homeopathic remedies to help patients with Cushing’s disease (as well as those with pre-Cushing’s elevations of ALP enzymes), melatonin may be added to the treatment plan along with flax seed. The lignans in the freshly-ground flax seeds may lower the estradiol levels that can increase in animals with adrenal disease. Continued on page 24.
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5methoxytryptamine) is a hormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland. The amino acid tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which is then converted into melatonin. Photosensitive cells in the retinas of the eye modulate the production of melatonin by their action on the pineal gland: melatonin levels rise in darkness (night, preparing the body for sleep) and fall in light (day, preparing the body to be awake.) Melatonin is often referred to as the “biological timekeeper” of hormone secretions because it regulates a number of hormones which in turn regulate other hormones.
April/May 2016
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