ANIMAL WELLNESS
For a long, healthy life!
WELLNESS
IS SHE SCARED OF
THUNDER?
3D PRINTED
BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION CAN CALM HER FEARS
LASER THERAPY
PROSTHETICS FOR PETS
FOR YOUR DOG
HOW TO READ AND UNDERSTAND
PET FOOD LABELS
THE LATEST IN
NATURAL ARTHRITIS TREATMENTS
4
Chloe
SAFE SPORTS FOR SENIORS
TAKE YOUR DOG TO
Kardoggian
THE BALLGAME!
THIS FAMOUS 13-YEAR-OLD CHIHUAHUA WITH THE LARGER-THAN-LIFE SENSE OF HUMOR IS ON A MISSION TO PROMOTE SENIOR DOG ADOPTION.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 Display until September 13, 2017
$6.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 19 ISSUE 4
AnimalWellnessMagazine.com
BONUS INSIDE!
Contents August/September 2017
Features
18 3 EFFECTIVE “FIXES” FOR CANINE JOINT PROBLEMS
Learn how gold bead implants, prolotherapy and CMO can help heal hip dysplasia, knee injuries, arthritis and other joint issues in dogs.
22 3-D PRINTING AND HOW IT CAN HELP PETS
Though still in its early stages when it comes to veterinary medicine, 3-D printing is being used for prosthetics as well as disease research.
26 CHRONIC INFLAMMATION AND YOUR PET – PART 1
A look at the connection between chronic inflammation and obesity, and how keeping your dog or cat at a healthy weight can reduce inflammation in his body.
30 UNDERSTANDING PET
FOOD LABELS
Make healthier and more informed pet food choices for your dog or cat by learning how to read and interpret pet food names and ingredient lists.
36 LASER THERAPY –
LIGHT ENERGY TO HEAL DOGS AND CATS
Separation anxiety can manifest in many ways. How therapeutic laser can treat and manage multiple conditions in pets – from arthritis and joint injuries to skin wounds and nerve degeneration.
40 CHLOE KARDOGGIAN
50 SAFETY TIPS FOR NIGHTTIME DOG WALKING
If you take your dog for walks when it’s dark out, be sure to follow these steps to keep him – and yourself – safe.
60 IS YOUR DOG SCARED
OF STORMS?
Shaking, whining and pacing are signs of thunder phobia in dogs. Instead of dreading summer storms, see how behavior modification can help your pooch cope with his anxiety.
68 4 SAFE SPORTS FOR
SENIOR DOGS
Like people, dogs get more fragile as they age. But this doesn’t mean they can’t participate in canine sports. Check out these safe options for your senior dog.
72 CAN CHIROPRACTIC
CARE MAKE YOUR PET HAPPIER?
This sweet 13-year-old Chihuahua has shared her life with many different people – but she still has endless love to give her devoted fans, and is a “spokesdog” for senior dog adoption.
Misalignments in your pet’s spine can cause nervous system changes that impact his emotional well-being. Chiropractic adjustments mean a calmer, happier animal.
46 COMMON LAB TESTS FOR PETS – PART 2
76 NATURAL HELP FOR CANINE SPINAL PROBLEMS
Take a close-up look at some of the most common lab and diagnostic tests, and what they can tell you about your dog or cat’s health.
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Animal Wellness
How TCVM, homeopathy and other approaches can help treat intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and spondylosis in dogs.
82 TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE BALLGAME!
Did you know most Major League Baseball teams allow you to take your pooch to the park to enjoy the game with you?
92 THE CAT NETWORK
This organization plays a huge role in reducing cat overpopulation in South Florida, and has so far helped over 100,000 felines.
94 SENIOR CATS – ACUPRESSURE SUPPORT
Older cats are prone to developing kidney disease and other age-related issues. Find out how acupressure can improve your senior kitty’s longevity and quality of life.
96 NATURAL REMEDIES FOR
ARTHRITIC CATS
From acupuncture and weight management to nutritional supplements and Reiki, there are many natural ways to help relieve the pain and stiffness of arthritis in cats.
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82 Columns
12 Yakkity yak 43 Business profile – Back on Track
54 Rewind 64 Passages 67 Business profile –
50
Zuke's
80 To the rescue 88 Book reviews 89 Tail end 91 Cat chat
Departments 8
Editorial
49
Product picks
58
Animal Wellness resource guide
75
Social media
79
The scoop
86
Marketplace
Tips, pet photos, and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine
87
Events calendar
Crafts, laughs, and more! AnimalWellness
87
Classifieds
98 FW book reviews
Social media Tips, contests and more! AnimalWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ AW_magazine
August/September 2017
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3 By Deva Khalsa, VMD
EFFECTIVE “FIXES” FOR COMMON CANINE JOINT PROBLEMS
LEARN HOW GOLD BEAD IMPLANTS, PROLOTHERAPY AND CMO CAN HELP HEAL HIP DYSPLASIA, KNEE INJURIES, ARTHRITIS AND OTHER JOINT ISSUES IN DOGS.
Dogs of all ages can suffer from musculoskeletal problems. The pain, stiffness and lack of mobility these problems cause can severely affect a dog’s quality of life. I’d like to share three unique “fixes” for some common joint problems afflicting dogs, including arthritis, hip dysplasia and knee injuries. Gold bead implants, prolotherapy and CMO often provide permanent help for these conditions, working quickly to heal your dog and saving you both time and money.
1
GOLD BEAD IMPLANTS FOR DYSPLASIA AND ARTHRITIS OF THE HIPS Let’s begin with the hips. Hip dysplasia is a genetic trait resulting in abnormal formation of the hip socket. It can cause lameness and painful arthritis. Older dogs without hip dysplasia can also get arthritis in their hips. Conventional treatment involves placing the dog on NSAIDS for long periods of time. Yet, there’s a jewel of a therapy that usually fixes the problem for good and can even prevent future degeneration. Gold bead implants provide reliable, dependable relief that often lasts the rest of the dog’s life.
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Animal Wellness
Gold bead implants can be likened to a permanent form of acupuncture. Tiny gold beads and/or small pieces of gold wire are permanently and precisely placed in certain acupuncture points. Gold bead implants for use in people were pioneered by Dr. Grady Young in the early 1970s. In 1975, Dr. Terry Durkes began doing clinical research on gold bead implants in pets, and found that they dependably provide significant improvement in all the symptoms of hip dysplasia and hip arthritis while stopping or greatly slowing progression of the condition. He saw a 98% success rate using gold bead implants for dogs under seven years of age with hip dysplasia, and a 75% success rate with dogs between seven and 12 years old. That’s pretty impressive. Dr. Durkes feels that gold beads stop excess movement within the hip joint, which in turn stops the pain. What follows is a gradual
reabsorption of the arthritis and excess boney formations in the treated joints. He found that after about six months, he could actually see improvement on films of the affected joints. The tiny gold beads also exert a positive charge on the surrounding tissues, which in turn helps relieve discomfort and prevents future arthritic deposits. Today, many veterinary acupuncturists are trained in this technique. The tiny gold beads or wires are inserted through a needle while the patient is under light anesthesia or sedation. The implants stay in place permanently and provide constant stimulation that promotes healing. The procedure is not expensive and when compared to the expense and the dangers of years of anti-inflammatory drugs is a very valid option.
2
PROLOTHERAPY FOR KNEE INJURIES Knee injuries are another all-too-common problem in our canine companions. The knee is a complex joint. Two of its four ligaments are attached in a crosswise fashion and are called the cranial and caudal cruciate ligaments. These ligaments act together with the lateral collateral ligament to maintain stability of the stifle joint through its full range of motion. Recent research has found that cruciate injuries are not as simple and straightforward as was once thought. It has been found that
spayed or neutered dogs over four years of age are considerably more likely to suffer cruciate tears than dogs that remain sexually intact. Cruciate ligament damage is also seen much more frequently in overweight, neutered middle-aged dogs. It’s important to understand that ligaments heal very, very slowly. A fresh ligament is pure white because it has very little blood supply; yet it’s the blood flowing through a tissue that brings it the nutrients it needs to heal. When ligaments finally do heal, they often retain only 20% of their original strength, making them more prone to re-injury. The jewel treatment for knee injuries is prolotherapy. It has been practiced for well over 50 years, and is inexpensive and very effective. Research back in the 1950s showed that damaged ligaments treated with prolotherapy increased almost four times in size. Prolotherapy is defined as “the rehabilitation of an incompetent structure, such as ligaments or tendons, by the induced proliferation of new cells”. The treatment is simple and straightforward. Injections of a specific mixture of proliferative substances are placed into the ligaments around the
August/September 2017
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