Posts Tagged ‘dogs’

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Dogs With Arthritis

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Studies Detail Possible Benefits of omega-3 Fatty Acids for Dogs With Arthritis.

A series of studies published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) offers new insights into the possible benefits derived from feeding foods containing high omega-3 fatty acid concentrations to dogs with osteoarthritis.

The results of the three studies, according to contributing author Dr. Kevin Hahn, director of research and chief medical officer at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., show that the dogs that were fed the foods experienced less pain associated with the disease and greater mobility.

“Many of us write off mobility problems in dogs as a part of the aging process,” Hahn said. “These studies demonstrate that feeding a food containing omega-3 fatty acids to a dog with osteoarthritis significantly improves mobility and quality of life. All three studies showed significant mobility improvement as assessed by either pet owners, veterinarians, or both.”

The studies, published in the January 1, 2010, and March 1, 2010, issues of JAVMA, included 274 dogs with osteoarthritis that took part in clinical studies at dozens of privately owned veterinary clinics and two university veterinary clinics. The researchers focused on three areas: the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on clinical signs of osteoarthritis in dogs; the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on weight bearing in dogs with the disease; and the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) dosage in dogs with osteoarthritis.

In the first study, dogs with chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis showed improvements in their ability to play and rise from rest at six weeks after being switched to a diet containing high concentrations of fish oil omega-3 fatty acids. The second study showed that limb strength in dogs improved with omega-3 dietary intervention, Hahn said.

In the third study, veterinarians were able to reduce the dosage of carprofen, a common NSAID used for pain relief in dogs with osteoarthritis, while still providing pain relief to dogs that were fed food supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids.

These studies show that omega-3 fatty acids provide pain relief and improve mobility in dogs with osteoarthritis. They also indicate that proper use of a food containing a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids may result in a lower dosage of medication required to manage joint pain and improve mobility in a dog with osteoarthritis. This finding is especially important because it allows veterinarians to better understand that complications that may arise from pain relief medications could be reduced when the medications are used in combination with proper nutrition.

“First and foremost, dog owners should always rely on their veterinarian when making decisions regarding their pet’s health,” Hahn said. “But it’s also very important for dog owners to know that osteoarthritis can be a silent and unrecognized problem that affects both the pet’s and the owner’s quality of life. With proper nutritional intervention, we can enrich and lengthen that special relationship between people and their pets.”

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Back Pain In Dogs

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Elsie, a ten year old neutered female terrier suddenly started trembling all over. She refused her food, and she looked miserable. Her owner knew that something was seriously wrong, so she brought Elsie in to see me.

It was obvious as soon as Elsie walked into the consulting room that there was something wrong with her. She was moving slowly, and trembling all over, from her head to the tip of her tail.

When an animal is brought to the vet, the problem is sometimes very obvious. Other times, like with Elsie, it can be more difficult to identify what is wrong. This is a classical example of the difficulty caused by the fact that animals cannot talk. I could not ask Elsie to tell me what she was feeling.

Vets need to use other methods than speech to try to work out what is happening with their patients. We need to look for clues by asking owners questions, and by carrying out a series of examinations and tests. The process can be similar in some ways to solving a crossword puzzle, or a mystery in a detective novel, and it can be very rewarding to finally discover the cause of a problem.

First of all, I asked her owner for a very detailed account of exactly how Elsie was behaving at home. I discovered that Elsie had been completely normal the previous day, so the problem had a very sudden onset. This fact immediately ruled out certain slow-onset illnesses. Elsie had very few physical symptoms apart from the dullness and trembling. She not coughing, her breathing was normal, and there were no signs of a digestive upset.

I also found out that there were some specific aspects to Elsie’s behaviour that gave useful clues about the cause of her problem. She would not bend down to eat her food, but if she was fed morsels by hand, she would take them. And she was able to walk around the room slowly, but she completely refused to do normal activities like going up steps or jumping into the car.

Next, I carried out a careful physical examination of Elsie. This is a standard procedure that vets do every day with each patient, checking everything to make sure that there are no abnormalities. I started at her head, looking at her eyes, mouth and ears, and worked back along her entire body. I took her temperature, and listened carefully to her chest with my stethoscope. Elsie seemed generally very fit and healthy, although her heart was beating more rapidly than normal, and she continued to tremble like a wobbling jelly.

The final part of my examination was to feel carefully along her spine, starting with her neck, and moving backwards. This was where I finally found out what was bothering her. She did not mind at all as I examined her upper back, but when I moved down and gently prodded her lower back, she yelped in pain, and stared at me indignantly with her big brown eyes. I had found the site of her problem.

Elsie was showing all of the classical signs of lower back pain. Her behaviour (such as not going up steps) was typical of a sore back, and the physical examination had confirmed the location of her pain.

There are many causes of back pain in dogs, and I admitted Elsie to our hospital for further investigations. I took a series of x-ray pictures of her entire spine. These showed changes in her lower back that were consistent with a slipped disc, a problem that is as common in dogs as it is in humans.

Treatment of slipped discs in dogs usually involves a combination of pain relief and strict rest. In a minority of cases, spinal surgery may be needed.

It is difficult to force a dog to rest. As soon as Elsie was given pain relief, she would feel much better, and she would be as keen as ever to go for a long, energetic walk. Unfortunately, if she did this, her slipped disc would be likely to slip even further in the wrong direction, causing a severe aggravation of her pain, or even progressing to paralysis of her back legs. To prevent this, dogs with back pain need to be physically forced to rest.

Her owner bought a collapsible wire metal cage which became Elsie’s home for the next three weeks. She was only allowed out of the cage on a lead, for ten minutes twice a day.

Elsie stopped trembling within a few hours of being given pain relief. She brightened up and she started to eat normally. She soon grew used to living in her cage, and after two weeks of rest, she was allowed out to go for her first walk on a lead. Since then, she has gradually increased her activity, week by week. Elsie may have further episodes of back pain in the future, but for now, she has returned to living a normal, active life.

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Difference Between Arthritis, Hip Dysplasia and Old Age In Dogs

Friday, May 15th, 2009

What is the difference between hip dysplasia, arthritis, and just old age in dogs. I have a 10 year old rotwieller. Believe it or not. Sometimes when he gets up from laying he seems stiff. After he walks around it goes away. He can still jump off the couch and go after the ball or rope easily though. He only does that about twice a week though because his puppy energy is long gone.lol

Anyway what’s the difference between just old age and something else?

Hip Dysplasia is the result of improper joint formation at birth, In short, “the ball doesn’t fit in the socket”. this could mean the socket is too large, or doesn’t have the appropriate depth or shape to maintain proper control while allowing smooth and unrestricted movement. This also causes the ligiments and muscles to form improperly, and are generally not strong enough to support the leg. If it isn’t treated at a young age, it generally results in arthritis.

Arthritis (in it’s common form) is the collective effects of the degeneration of various parts of the joint. The cartilage breaks down, leaving less padding for the joint, and the natural lubrication of the joint is decreasing. This causes inflammation in the joint, resulting in arthritis pain.

At his age and size, it would be very possible that the stiffness is a result of arthritis. If it were hip dysplasia, i would suspect you would have seen more severe symptoms well before now. What is described as “old age” is generally arthritis. Arthritis pain is easily controlled, as well as supporting the joint tissue.

Supplements like a glucosamine/chondroitin mix will enhance the lubrication of the joint, preventing extensive cartilage wear. There are several minerals that are required in order for the body to use glucosamine, which is why I would insist you use a specially formulated supplement like Cosequin, Dasaquin, or Glycoflex.

The inflammation is controllable with anti-inflammatories – “doggy advil”. Rimadyl, Deramaxx, and Previcox are most common, and can be paired with Tramadol for extended relief.

Personally, I use Glycoflex on my dog, and have seen a huge difference in her motility and attitude in general. I do use Previcox on an as-needed basis, although I have had dogs in the past that required daily anti-inflammatories.

Some dogs respond better to some medications than others. Just like I prefer Ibuprofen, you may prefer Tylonol. If you try say, Rimadyl and don’t see the result you’re looking for, try another before giving up.

I do want to encourage you to try a joint supplement, no matter how you decide to treat. You can prolong your dog’s joint health and increase his quality of life without using a drug. The anti-inflammatory will only create comfort, while the supplement will support joint health.

Correct and Functional muscle is going to do alot for your dog, since that is what allows movement of the joint to begin with. Light, physical activity can promote overall health. Any extra weight needs to be lost with diet and light excercise – there is careful balance between keeping the muscles in shape and straining the joint. Swimming (or wading) is wonderful for circulation and muscle maintainance. Light walks (the softer the surface, the better) are also great.

Lastly, it could absolutely be something else. Cruciate tears, spinal damage, Lyme disease are all possibilities, although much less likely. A veterinarian could tell you much, much more.

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