ANIMAL WELLNESS
For a long, healthy life!
IS GARLIC SAFE FOR DOGS?
HERBS FOR JOINT HEALTH
Find out inside
and why they’re better than NSAIDS
9
MAKE A
splash WITH
TREATMENTS FOR LIPOMAS
DOCK DIVING!
How to keep your old dog YOUNG
Elbow DYSPLASIA Large and giant breeds are most at risk
Harlow, Indiana & Reese
GET FIT WITH FIDO – exercise classes for dogs and people
Why this inseparable trio of best buddies is so popular! AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Display until September 14, 2016
$6.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 18 ISSUE 4
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
BONUS INSIDE!
Contents August/September 2016
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38
Features
18 HERBS IMPROVE YOUR PET’S JOINT HEALTH
Herbs go deeper than NSAIDs to alleviate the inflammation at the root of arthritis and other joint problems – without the side effects.
22 IS GARLIC SAFE FOR DOGS?
The answer is yes! Find out why garlic has received such a bad rap, and how it can actually benefit your pet’s health.
26 DOCK DIVING
This exciting canine water sport is becoming a favorite for thousands of dogs and their people. Learn what dock diving is all about and how your own dog can take part!
30 9 TREATMENTS FOR
LIPOMAS IN DOGS
Lipomas are benign lumps that often develop as dogs get older. An integrative approach with a variety of treatment options is the best way to treat these fatty tumors.
36 CHANGING OUR VOCABULARY TO HELP DOGS BUILD THEIRS
Teaching your dog the meaning of a range of words strengthens your bond through communication and collaboration.
38 HARLOW AND FRIENDS These dogs are inseparable and enjoy
posing for photos together. Harlow, Sage, Indiana and Reese have captured the hearts of millions with their lovable and playful images.
42 IS YOUR DOG ALWAYS
LICKING THINGS?
A recent study has shown that ELS (excessive licking of surfaces) is a telltale sign of gut disease in dogs.
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Animal Wellness
44 ELBOW DYSPLASIA AND HOW IT AFFECTS DOGS
76 KEEP YOUR OLD DOG YOUNG – PART 1
Knowing the signs of elbow dysplasia, getting a diagnosis, and establishing an integrative treatment plan limits damage, relieves pain and inflammation, and improves quality of life.
Good health and quality of life ensure your dog’s golden years are the best they can be. A look at pain management, safety and comfort at home, and immune system health.
48 SIDE EFFECTS OF CORTICOSTEROIDS IN DOGS AND CATS
This company lives up to its name by ensuring its food and treats for dogs and cats are made from whole, quality meats.
While they definitely have their place, steroids are frequently over-prescribed and misused, and can lead to serious health consequences in pets.
52 COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR IN
DOGS
Does your dog seem obsessive-compulsive? Does he do the same strange things over and over again, without apparent reason? He could have Canine Compulsive Disorder or CCD.
80 THE REAL MEAT COMPANY
81 THE ENERGETIC BOND BETWEEN PEOPLE AND DOGS
Many people say they share a connection with their dogs that goes beyond the five senses, and while we often can’t explain it, the phenomenon can’t be denied.
94 WHY DO CATS KNOCK
THINGS OFF SHELVES?
58 GRIZZLY PET PRODUCTS High quality Alaskan salmon oil for dogs and
They’re not just being naughty. There are instinctual and natural reasons for this behavior.
68 EXERCISE CLASSES FOR PEOPLE AND DOGS
This little Scottish Fold boy had a hard time finding a home – until he met the right person. Now he’s known the world over, has millions of fans, and even a cameo in a new movie!
cats is the hallmark product for this natural supplement and treat company.
Human-dog fitness classes are springing up all over. They’re a fun way for you and your dog to stay fit together, both physically and mentally.
73 ANIMAL LOVER AJ BROOKS
This former WWE Diva has a soft heart for dogs. Here’s what she’s doing to make a difference.
96 WAY TO GO, WAFFLES!
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18 62 Columns
12 Yakkity yak 59 Warm & fuzzy 62 Rewind 66 To the rescue 88 Tail end
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90 Case study 92 Passages
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Social media Tips, contests and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ AW_magazine Tips, pet photos, and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine Crafts, laughs, and more! AnimalWellness
Departments 8
Editorial
34
Product picks
50
Animal Wellness resource guide
56
The scoop
72
Social media
84
Events calendar
84
Classifieds
86
Marketplace August/September 2016
5
IS
By Lisa S. Newman, PhD
SAFE FOR DOGS? The answer is yes! Find out why garlic has received such a bad rap, and how it can actually benefit your pet’s health. Garlic has long been regarded as a beneficial herb. Yet many people believe it’s harmful to dogs and should never be fed. The truth is, garlic is as safe and healthy for our pets as it is for us! So why do so many think it’s toxic?
SOME BACKGROUND ON GARLIC For centuries, garlic has been used as a primary remedy for a large number of symptoms. And as long as people have been using garlic, they have also been feeding it to their animal companions. Every textbook I have researched on herbal medicine that also mentions pet care recommends garlic, especially for its incredible anti-parasitic, anti-carcinogenic and antiseptic properties. In my own experience, garlic has also benefited animals with valley fever (Coccidioidomycosis), heartworm/fleas/ticks, IBS, diabetes, liver, heart and kidney disease, allergies, uncontrollable staph infections (that are non-responsive to all antibiotic protocols), and a host of other conditions. Garlic is also a staple in my preventative protocols.
SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION For the last few decades, however, garlic has been regarded as toxic to dogs. This is primarily because it’s a “kissing cousin” of the onion, which definitely is toxic to dogs. Onions trigger Heinz body hemolytic anemia. This is because they have a high concentration of thiosulphate. Garlic, on the other hand, simply does not contain the same thiosulphate concentration as onions do. In fact, the thiosulphate in garlic is barely traceable and readily excreted. “Onions have about 15 times the ability of garlic to damage red blood cells,” says nutritionist Dr. Dave Summers on IndigoPetz.com.
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Animal Wellness
It’s important to note that there can be multiple causes for Heinz body hemolytic anemia. Veterinarian Dr. Wendy Wallner says that conventional medications such as acetaminophen and benzocaine-containing topical preparations can cause this disease in dogs. The latter preparations probably account for many cases of Heinz body hemolytic anemia, since ingredients in creams are absorbed through the skin, allowing toxins to build up in the bloodstream.
USING GARLIC AND CHOOSING A PRODUCT As with any supplement, talk to your integrative or holistic veterinarian before giving your dog or cat garlic, and be sure to choose a quality product. •P owdered garlic, and indeed encapsulated dry herbs of any kind, are so weak that they barely perform. • “ Deodorized” garlic lacks active allicin (enzymatic actions are noticeably stinky).
GARLIC’S SULPHUR-INCLUSIVE COMPOUNDS Garlic contain alliin (a noted sulfoxide) and alliinase (an enzyme). When garlic is chopped, crushed, minced or chewed, the alliinase enzyme is activated, and combines with the alliin protein to produce allicin, the therapeutic component of garlic. Heat inactivates enzymes, so if you’re cooking the garlic, wait at least ten minutes after chopping so the enzyme has completed its reaction with the alliin and the therapeutic value is maximized. Allicin is heat stable.
• Tableted supplements weaken digestive processes with potentially toxic binders (brewer’s yeast, flavoring). • Glycerol-suspended garlic products, although tasty, form a moisture barrier inhibiting mucous membrane and cellular assimilation. • Avoid companies that source garlic extract from China; it is often contaminated with high levels of arsenic, lead and added sulfites. • Cold pressing garlic maximizes the benefits – for example, Azmira's Garlic Daily Aid provides 1,000 mg of cold pressed garlic plus 500 mg of parsley oil in individual gelcaps, which also protect against oxygen exposure.
ARE THERE ANY CONTRAINDICATIONS? While garlic is safe to use, keep the following in mind: • Garlic can interfere with some conventional medications, especially blood thinners. • Raw garlic fed directly is high in insoluble fiber and certain sulfur compounds, so it could be a potential issue for dogs with oral ulcerations, esophageal obstructions, reflux, IBS or colitis.
SAFE RAW GARLIC DOSAGES FOR DOGS Many veterinary practitioners and authors follow the dosage recommendations in Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s book, The Complete Herbal Book for the Dog. She recommends the following raw garlic dosages according to the dog’s weight: • 10 to 15 pounds – ½ clove • 20 to 40 pounds – 1 clove • 45 to 70 pounds – 2 cloves • 75 to 90 pounds – 2½ cloves • 100 pounds and over – 3 cloves A 2008 report published by the National Research Council, meanwhile, is more conservative in its dosage information. While the committee that prepared the report was unable to determine the safe upper limit of garlic intake for dogs and cats, it used “available research to recommend a range of acceptable intakes according to historical safe intakes (HSI) and estimated presumed safe intakes (PSI)”. For example, based on a clove weighing 3 g, the PSI for a 50 lb dog is 1.2 g or .045 ounces/day, equivalent to approximately ½ clove per day.
Remember that garlic cloves vary greatly in size, ranging from 3 g to 7 g. As with any herbs, I believe it is always a good idea to take a week off from garlic every couple of months. So if you want to garnish your dog’s dinner with a bit of garlic, go ahead. Again, talk to a vet before supplementing with garlic, but don’t be afraid of these healthful little cloves!
August/September 2016
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