Alternative Treatment For Incontinent Dogs

by Dr. Michael W. Fox

The Animal Doctor | November 19th, 2017

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m on my sixth and seventh rescued German Shepherd dogs (GSD). It is clear they are highly intelligent and can be trained to a point that they respond to actual conversational instructions.

The downside is their relative short lifespan: 10 to 12 years. Even with a carefully controlled diet, they can end up with mobility problems and cancer. The benefit of adopting an older GSD is that you can somewhat evaluate the dog to reduce the chance of having to deal with hip dysplasia. But just like humans in their 60s, an 8-year-old GSD may show indications of pain during or after exercise.

Over the years, I have tried alternative medical approaches with my companion GSDs. For example: My 5-year-old male was highly driven to exercise. After a couple of hours in the dog park one day, he developed minor incontinence. He would have a wet spot on his bed or leak as he pushed himself up from the hardwood floor. Regular vet examination, analysis and medication for the incontinence quickly ran up a $900 bill. The medication did nothing to remedy the problem.

I then took him to a holistic vet, who prescribed two Chinese herbs: Cuscuta 15 and Restorative tablets. The incontinence symptoms were gone within 24 hours, and have since been easily controlled with the herbs. This vet reacted positively to hearing I had added blueberries, chopped spinach and other fresh produce to my dog’s meals. He talked about the benefits of the micronutrients in the fruit and vegetables.

My 7-year-old male GSD was developing joint pain, so I tried regular use of Cosequin DS. I was not seeing any improvements so I sought another solution. I had seen information on humans using turmeric to control inflammation, so I followed the recipe I found: Chop up kale and saute it with a light spray of olive oil, then shake a teaspoon of turmeric and a little black pepper over it. After mixing well, spread it on a cookie sheet and bake it at 270 degrees F for about 40 minutes, turning it a couple of times, until it is fully dried.

When preparing my dog’s twice-daily meal of high-quality, grain-free kibble, I mix a quarter-cup of the dried kale mixture with the kibble and soak it with a half-cup of warm water. I have observed a marked reduction in him showing joint pain symptoms.

I recently read about calls for formal scientific studies to evaluate the benefits, if any, of turmeric on humans. I can testify that my GSD is not experiencing the placebo effect, because he doesn’t know that I’m giving it to him, or why. -- T.W., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR T.W.: Your letter should be noted by all, as it gives affirmation of effective treatments prescribed by a veterinarian practicing alternative and integrative holistic medicine.

As more clinical studies and conferences bring together more such evidence -- especially of the benefits of herbal treatments for various conditions -- more organized veterinary (and human) medicine in the U.S. and abroad will have to take note and reconsider its close financial ties with the big drug companies. Those same companies see such advances as competition to be squashed.

There is considerable literature on the benefits of turmeric for a variety of human ailments, and the same benefits may well be seen in dogs and other animals. The anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties are widely recognized, and in my opinion, there could be synergy when an equal amount of ginger is provided. I would recommend twice-daily doses of 250 mg of turmeric and of ginger (both in powder form), given with food, for a 25-pound dog, along with a few drops of anti-inflammatory fish oil. (Do not use krill oil, since the krill harvesting deprives whales and other marine life of a vital food source.)

I would not cook the turmeric since it is possible that high heat may denature beneficial components.

Yes, GSDs are wonderful dogs, much burdened by hereditary diseases arising from idiotic American breed standards, and all too often they seem far more aware and sensitive than their owners/handlers. Having worked with them in the military Bio Sensor/Superdog project to improve their in-combat performance and stress tolerance during the Vietnam war, I can attest to their many virtues. Their abiding loyalty is rarely seen in our own kind.

Dog Eating Other Animals’ Droppings

by Dr. Michael W. Fox

The Animal Doctor | November 13th, 2017

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 5-month-old miniature poodle puppy, and we walk her on a leash in the backyard to urinate and defecate. There are wild rabbits in the area, and they often leave their pellet droppings in the grass. Our puppy gobbles them up like dog treats when she finds them.

Is she likely to contract a disease from this habit? We pull her away quickly whenever we see her doing it, but she likely gets a pellet or two before we can react. -- R.K., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR R.K.: It is natural for dogs to eat fecal material, a habit called coprophagia, especially from rabbits, sheep, calves and deer. In poor countries, this also includes human poop, especially of toddlers, which endows the dog with an important community hygiene service where there are no diapers. Through this behavior, dogs derive nutrients and potentially essential bacteria (probiotics) for their digestive systems, as well as prebiotic fiber.

Many species engage in coprophagia and geophagia (eating dirt), including humans. Some, like the rabbit, engage in refection, wherein each batch of the animal’s semi-digested poop is eaten again to extract more nutrients.

Dogs indirectly play a role in the spread of beneficial bacteria and associated immunity to other species within the ecosystem. Children from homes with dogs have fewer allergies and shorter duration of infections with fewer antibiotics being prescribed, because they have more beneficial bacteria from their canine companions.

I say “all things in moderation,” and that goes for allowing a dog to eat dirt and the feces of other species, as well. The risk of infection and digestive upset are low, but not improbable. With your dog, consider how many disinfectants you use in and around the home and his virtually bacteria-free diet of cooked canned dog food and baked kibble. He needs to get into some good dirt on occasion. Try some raw foods, and supplements such as good quality probiotics, and bacteria-rich unpasteurized organic plain yogurt and kefir.

Also, it is best to have your dog on a harness when walking: A sharp pull-away command could cause serious neck injury if your young dog is leashed to a collar.

DEAR DR. FOX: My wife and I have just returned from a photo safari in Tanzania. We did see some great wildlife, but also a lot of sad and starving street dogs. Away from the “safe” tourist spots, we were advised that we were more at risk from people than wild animals. You seem to know a lot about what is happening to animals in various countries. What is your take on East Africa? -- L.P., Washington, D.C.

DEAR L.P.: Having given lectures to veterinarians and done field work in Tanzania, I admit to feelings of some deep ancestral connection with this incredible continent, as well as a great sadness for the plight of many people and the demise of the wild. So I offer this brief opinion:

Internecine strife seems inevitable where there is no effective family planning; continued intertribal conflict over natural resources; and disenfranchisement of those resources by corporate colonial agribusiness, mining, energy, timber and other industries. These issues are exacerbated by nonsustainable aid and development projects. Distributing vaccines, antibiotics and antimalarial drugs without food security will only extend human suffering.

The distance between improving the human condition and environmental and wildlife CPR (conservation, protection and restoration) is closed only by enlightened self-interest. The enlightened collective sense of humanity redefines itself as part of the Earth community and not master, slave or owner. Wildlife poaching, illegal trophy hunting, the trade in “bush meat” and land encroachment must all be more effectively policed and prosecuted.

With empathy for indigenous plants and animals and the ecologies shared, a bioethical foundation can be laid for socially just and economically sustainable communities, as I outline in my book “Bringing Life to Ethics.” Eco-tourism can do more harm than good where there is corruption and no local engagement and transparency.

But there are glimmers of hope: There are in-country organizations involved in conservation, wildlife protection, sustainable organic farming and livestock husbandry, as well as the neutering and vaccinating of those wonderful aboriginal village dogs I know well.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

pets

Bad Reactions To Anti-Flea Drugs In Dogs and Cats

by Dr. Michael W. Fox

The Animal Doctor | November 12th, 2017

DEAR READERS: By the end of every summer, I have received several accounts from dog and cat “parents” whose animal companions have suffered physically after the use of common anti-flea products: shaking and trembling, even having seizures; seeming more anxious; and developing loose stools or vomiting.

Sometimes these adverse reactions are reported by veterinarians to the government and manufacturers. But other times, cats and dogs may not be taken to a veterinarian, or no immediate association is made between the animals’ evident distress and their oral and/or topical exposure to various pharmaceuticals. While rarely fatal, little is known yet about the long-term consequences -- to animal health, public health and the environment -- of these widely used products.

I would like to hear from readers about their experiences with their animals this past summer and fall, which, in many U.S. regions, have been favorable for the proliferation of fleas and ticks.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old Bluetick hound. During her first year, she developed hot spots, constant ear infections, dull fur, and was overweight and lethargic (especially for a 1-year-old dog). After numerous switches to vet-recommended foods that were supposed to help her, I switched her to your homemade dog food recipe. She immediately improved, and has had none of those issues since.

I recently took her to her veterinarian for a regular checkup, where they performed both urine and blood tests. He said her specimen came back with a lot of struvite crystals, and that I needed to take her in to do an X-ray to see if she has any stone formation. He also told me that she needed to be placed on a special food that would dissolve the crystals. Obviously, with how well everything else has gone on her current diet, I am not eager to change back to a commercial brand.

Is there another route to take to help improve the struvite crystal formation? I searched online for suggestions and found very little. She is not a big water drinker, so I have been trying to get her to drink more in hopes that this would help. I also reduced the grain amount in her food, while increasing the meat. -- S.K., Fort Pierce, Florida

DEAR S.K.: I am glad that my home-prepared recipe helped your dog recover from the various maladies that so often arise when a dog is fed commercially manufactured dog foods that are nutrient-deficient and unbalanced. It is quite possible that the adverse dietary consequences of “nutrigenic” disease persisted in her urinary bladder as a chronic inflammation coupled with secondary bacterial infection, common in young female dogs. This creates the conditions, along with alkaline urine caused by cereals in the diet, for struvite crystal formation.

If urine tests indicate no chronic bacterial infection, I would simply make the changes to the home-prepared diet you have initiated and add a tablespoon of stewed chopped tomatoes to each meal (twice daily, since I presume you feed your dog two meals a day). This is an old remedy for struvite crystals as a urine acidifier to prevent crystal formation. In addition, I would give your dog a daily probiotic and a tablespoon of canned, unsweetened pineapple once daily as an additional acidifier and source of beneficial digestive enzymes.

Add a little chicken or beef bouillon to flavor your dog’s drinking water to encourage more drinking, which is one of the best remedies for this problem.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 12-year-old male Persian cat who has suddenly begun biting his tail about 1 inch from the tip.

He has basically removed all the fur. I have taken him to the vet (I use a cat-only vet), who has done a CBC, as well as checking for possible infected anal glands. All tests are negative, and nothing in our lives has changed since this behavior began in May.

Both my vet and I are at a loss as to the cause. What can I do to get him to stop chewing his tail? -- M.K., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR M.K.: You must be a detective to find some source of irritation/discomfort that is being redirected to the tip of the tail, possibly as a displacement behavior.

This can be due to stress/anxiety or to a physical condition such as anal gland inflammation, lower urinary tract problems and even dental issues. In my book “Cat Body, Cat Mind,” I write about one grieving cat who chewed off his tail after his companion cat died. On some occasions, cats have started to chew their tails after part of the tail was accidentally damaged in a refrigerator or other kind of door, and this may be worth considering.

If nothing can be found to account for this behavior, then your cat should be put on a sedative medication and possibly wear a “lampshade” collar or neck corset to stop him from reaching his tail easily until it is healed.

CALIFORNIA PET STORE LEGISLATION

The historic Assembly Bill 485, the Pet Rescue and Adoption Act, has been signed into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown.

This has made California the first state to ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits from commercial breeders in pet stores, and encourages retailers to facilitate the adoption of animals from local shelters. This is a major step forward in animal protection, in response to animals in our culture still being treated as commodities and mere objects of property. For animals’ sakes, every state should adopt this kind of legislation.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxVet.net.)

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