pets

Is New Dog Food a Cure for Seizures?

The Animal Doctor by by Dr. Michael W. Fox
by Dr. Michael W. Fox
The Animal Doctor | January 6th, 2013

DEAR DR. FOX: My 7-year-old Lhasa apso, M.C. Fraggle, has had seizures since he was 2. They happened at least once a month, though often more frequently. Many were dreadful and lasted an hour or more, leaving him whimpering and unable to walk.

My veterinarian finally prescribed phenobarbital, despite the risk of side effects, since his quality of life was so bad. One day M.C. Fraggle had a fever of 106 degrees. I took him to the emergency clinic and spent $1,500 for one night of intensive care and several tests. The tests showed a low white blood cell count, allowing an infection to run rampant. The most logical diagnosis was lymphoma.

I was despondent. Even if I could write another four-figure check for chemotherapy, I knew it would keep him alive for only a few months, and a second treatment is rarely effective in dogs.

However, on our way out of the clinic, the doctor stopped us and suggested that I discontinue the phenobarbital. She'd been hitting the books and discovered that sometimes phenobarbital impairs the production of white blood cells. Within a week, his white blood cells were back to normal.

Three weeks later, the seizures returned. At this point, our doctor (who, for practical reasons too complicated to explain, lives 3,000 miles away) assumed authority and said we were going to try something that she had read about: putting our dog on a grain-free diet. Within a month, the seizures became shorter, milder and more rare. Nine months later, they stopped, and he hasn't had one since March 2012.

I feed him a diet of one part ground turkey mixed with two parts assorted canned vegetables, including pumpkin, carrots and beets. When I'm done cooking it, I mix in the water because I know it's where all the vitamins and minerals end up. I add fish oil, CoQ-10, vitamin D and SpiruGreen. -- G.F., Derwood, Md.

DEAR G.F.: Your letter is one of the stars that helps shine a light on a long-ignored diet-related connection with an all-too-common canine affliction: epilepsy.

Genetics can also play a role, and there are other reasons dogs develop seizures -- from adverse vaccine reaction to calcium deficiency and brain infection.

Spend time in a specialty pet store and check out the increasing number of grain-free canned and dry dog foods sold. It seems that some pet food manufacturers are aware of the problems some dogs and cats face consuming grains and cheap protein substitutes such as soy. I like to believe that the book I co-authored with two other veterinarians, "Not Fit for a Dog," has contributed to this revolution in ingredient formulation and nutritional quality. But, as we document, the pet food industries (like the human food and beverage industries) have a long way to go. The key, of course, is educating consumers to make informed choices in the marketplace.

DEAR DR. FOX: I know this is not a pet question, but I would like an answer because it is indirectly related to how we treat animals in society. You write about ethics and bioethics, and as one who supports animal rights, I would like your definition of these terms to see how they fit in with animals' rights to humane treatment and proper veterinary care when they need it. Is there any hope for animals in these violent times and in a society that condones animal exploitation and suffering? -- H.L., St. Louis

DEAR H.L.: Everyone should support animal rights if we are to make any claim that our society is civilized. My e-book, "Inhumane Society: The American Way of Exploiting Animals," digs deep into this issue and sets out an agenda that needs to be addressed if we are to see any progress as a civil society.

To answer your specific question: Ethics is the science of impartially examining moral choices and the consequences of beliefs and actions to ensure the greater good and protect the rights of others. Bioethics, as I have written in my book "Bringing Life to Ethics," broadens the scope of moral concern and human responsibility by considering how our beliefs, attitudes and actions affect all living beings and the environment. It should be part of the curriculum from grade school on.

When I opened my local newspaper here in Minnesota and saw a photo lauding an 11-year-old girl beside the deer she killed, I felt the schizoid nature of our culture and species and mourned the loss of empathy, ethics and compassion in these times, as well as the slaughter of innocence, human and nonhuman.

The world was shocked by the Dec. 14 shooting and killing of 20 children and six teachers in a school in Newtown, Conn. I was profoundly saddened because it is a symptom of a violent society, a cultural dystopia that fosters alienation, hopelessness, despair, hatred and rage. These emotional reactions can be sparked by mental illness, bullying, ridicule, unemployment, believing one's life has no future and a multitude of other factors. Since 1982, there have been 62 mass killings with firearms in the U.S. according to Mother Jones magazine -- and they are happening more frequently.

It is not simply an issue of better gun control, but of self-control, of children developing empathy and respect for one another and for all living beings and the natural environment. Many sociopaths and psychopaths have a childhood history of animal cruelty and destructive behaviors that indicates a lack of empathy. So long as we deny the violent, dark side inherent in our species, we will see neither understanding nor self-control and will continue to bring suffering into the world.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

pets

Dog With Vomiting and Diarrhea Needs to Detox

The Animal Doctor by by Dr. Michael W. Fox
by Dr. Michael W. Fox
The Animal Doctor | December 31st, 2012

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 3 1/2-year-old Lab/golden cocker retriever female named Maddie. Her ideal weight is around 40 pounds. Since November 2011, we have been having the same issue. This came on suddenly and is still happening.

It started the day before Thanksgiving, when she started throwing up and having diarrhea. This continued for a day or two, then we thought she bounced back. Well, she continued this pattern of being sick for three or four days and then OK for two or three days. Each bout got worse and worse. We began seeing the vet shortly after she got ill, and we were at the vet's regularly for about three months until he said he didn't know what else to do.

Her illness consists of the following symptoms: vomiting for several days at a time; diarrhea; not eating; squinting her eyes like she has a headache; loud, gurgling noises from her stomach; drooling; staring off into the distance, including sitting outside in the rain and staring; and weight loss -- at the worst of her condition, she had lost about 8 pounds.

These are the treatments we have tried: several different antibiotics; gastrointestinal medications; X-ray with barium; sonogram; blood work (twice); stool samples; changed to a no-grain food; changed to chicken and rice made at home; changed to a venison-based prescription dog food (which then added a hacking/wheezing cough to the above symptoms); and the last thing was to try a course of Prednisone. No test turned up any abnormalities.

Lo and behold, the steroids seemed to help. She ate regularly and gained back her weight and energy. When we tapered back off the steroids, she got sick immediately. We tried a different dose with the same results. As a last-ditch effort, I played a little with the dosage and determined that she needed 1/4 dose twice a day.

I am worried because today I found last night's 1/4 pill and she didn't eat her breakfast. By 4 p.m., she was exhibiting all her old symptoms.

I have seen three different vets, and they have run out of options. I am looking for a suggestion. -- J.C., North Potomac, Md.

DEAR J.C.: Clearly, the attending veterinarians have done their best to treat and cure your poor dog. You give no indication of liver and pancreatic function tests, nor the judicious use of probiotic supplements, digestive enzymes, special low-fat diet or elimination diet testing to rule out food allergy. Dysbiosis -- a bacterial imbalance in the digestive tract possibly complicated by pancreatic and hepatic dysfunction -- can lead to inflammatory bowel disease, which the Prednisone temporarily alleviates.

Above all, I would suspect that your dog has a congenital abnormality called a portosystemic shunt, which your veterinarians need to rule out before trying the following diagnostic elimination and detox dietary approach. This entails a 24-hour fast on rice or hemp milk, then another 24 hours on boiled rice, quinoa or buckwheat with probiotics and digestive enzymes. After this detox, begin an elimination dietary regimen, adding an animal protein ingredient under veterinary supervision. Let me know the outcome.

DEAR DR. FOX: I see that you have dropped kelp as an ingredient in your home recipes for making cat and dog foods. I recently read a feature article in a pet wellness magazine about the benefits of giving seaweed to dogs. So why are you not using seaweed in your recipes or recommending it as a treat? -- K.V., Silver Spring, Md.

DEAR K.V.: I decided to drop the seaweed ingredient in my home-prepared pet food recipes when it is not the only food given to dogs and cats. I made this decision after my veterinarian friend Dr. Jean Dodds alerted me to recent research that indicated a connection between high dietary iodine and thyroid disease in dogs and cats. Seaweed is high in iodine, so it would be advisable not to include this in the diet of companion animals. Fluoride is also a concern. For more details visit my website, DrFoxVet.com.

Dr. Dodds wrote to me stating, "Most commercial kibbled foods given to dogs and cats already contain more than enough iodine -- this can promote hypothyroidism and thyroiditis in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats. So, when anyone also supplements kelp or other iodine-rich supplements daily, the animal is being overdosed on iodine. We recommend using these supplements, if desired or needed, no more than two to three times a week. If people feed raw or home-cooked diets, adding iodine-rich supplements should be safe and even useful."

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

pets

Cat's Litter Box Habits Stink

The Animal Doctor by by Dr. Michael W. Fox
by Dr. Michael W. Fox
The Animal Doctor | December 30th, 2012

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a great, healthy cat, Monty, who is more than 12 years old. I adopted him from the Humane Society 10 years ago. He was there for more than a year.

He has always used the litter box, but the problem is that he never covers his urine or feces. He turns around to leave the box and scratches as if he is covering, but nothing's covered. I have tried for years to teach him, with no success.

And there is, of course, the smell. Do you have any suggestions? -- J.A., Naples, Fla.

DEAR J.A.: Since your cat is probably set in his toilet behavior, I would accept this as a blessing insofar as he does at least evacuate only in the box. Besides, from the odor you know when his litter box needs cleaning.

I do worry about cats having to evacuate in covered boxes, even the costly ones fitted with an automatic cleaning system, because of the odor of urine and feces being trapped inside. Ironically, in a recent edition of the Humane Society of the United States' All Animals magazine, there is an article advising cat owners to not use covered or hooded boxes because they may develop an aversion because of the odor; on the next page is an advertisement for a hooded, self-cleaning litter box.

For your Monty, the issue could be an aversion to scented litter or clay or other clumping litter that sticks to his paws. He may like one of Purina's better products, Yesterday's News, consisting of recycled newspaper as pelleted cat litter, which neither clumps nor sticks easily to cats' paws.

SOME NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS TO CONSIDER

-- Support your local animal shelter/humane organization. Adopt an animal or do volunteer work.

-- Give your animal companion an annual veterinary checkup. If you need a veterinarian, look for a holistic one in your area. A searchable list can be found at holisticvetlist.com.

-- Become a "kitchen anarchist" and cook more meals at home, including for your animals. Look for the USDA Organically Certified food label, shop for GMO-free produce and support your local farmers markets.

-- For your health's sake and for the Earth's sake, go vegetarian. But remember: Cats are carnivores, so no corn or soy for them.

-- If you are not a vegan, for farm animals' sakes, buy only free-range produce, not from factory farms.

-- For wildlife's sake, find safer alternatives to using Roundup and other herbicides and petrochemical insecticides around and in your home.

CLAUDIA'S CANINE CUISINE DOG TREAT RECALL

Claudia's Canine Cuisine issued a voluntary product recall for its Dog Candy Fruit Hound Cake and Dog Candy Blueberry Hound Cake due to the potential for mold. Claudia's Canine Cuisine has not received any reports of illness associated with the affected products. If you suspect that your Claudia's Canine Cuisine product may have mold growth, return it to your closest PetSmart store for a full refund. If you have any questions about this voluntary withdrawal, call the company's customer service at 501-851-0002 or email Irma@claudiascaninecuisine.com.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

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