Health

It’s not uncommon for animals to show signs of stress or trauma at the veterinarian’s office. These kinds of reactions at a veterinary hospital can become a conditioned response. Housecalls, then, offer a particularly desirable option for those who wish to limit their dog’s exposure to infectious agents, such as guardians who practice natural rearing methods and either don’t use vaccinations at all or limit their use significantly (particularly for well-puppy exams), or people whose dogs have a compromised immune system.

The lampshade, satellite dish, or cone – no matter what you call it, it is hard not to alternately laugh and feel sorry for any dog wearing one. Often used after surgical procedures, these cone-shaped collars are designed to keep dogs from licking sutures or wounds, potentially opening the wounds or tearing the stitches. They are also used to keep a dog with an injury or surgical site on his head from scratching it with his paws.

My brother's Lab retriever-mix was diagnosed with extensive cancer about a month ago. One vet estimated that she only had three weeks to live. My brother is not a very alternative health" type of guy

Anti-inflammatory drugs are life-savers for many arthritic dogs, but used improperly, they can cause injury or even death. Veterinarians at the CVM regard canine NSAIDs to be safe and effective as long as consumers take precautions and pay attention to the labels and insert warnings.

An herbal extract from China is showing great promise in slowing cancer growth, and giving dogs more quality time with their guardians. When researchers at the Chinese Institute of Material Medicine discovered a region of China that did not have malaria, they found that its people drank a decoction (simmered tea) of Artemesia annua L. at the first sign of malarial symptoms.

Does your dog mark his territory with urine – in your house? We’ve got solutions to this icky problem.

A reluctance to perform may indicate that your dog is injured or ill. The sooner you investigate, the more successful any needed treatment will be. Acute or chronic health problems - from spinal misalignments or torn muscles to the development of disease - are commonly to blame for the onset of performance failures in well-trained and well-conditioned dogs.

Unlike conventional drug therapies and surgical interventions, effective herb use does not focus on suppression or removal of disease symptoms. Instead, the herbalist begins his work from a more holistic perspective, one that starts with identification and correction of underlying issues and external influences that cause or contribute to illness.

The premise seems simple - if your dog has liver problems, feed him liver. What if it's a kidney, thyroid, or adrenal problem? Then feed kidney, thyroid, or adrenal tissue. This is, in its simplest form, glandular or organ therapy. The process has become much more refined over the years. Now your dog can experience the benefits of glandular therapy even when you can't find the raw glands or other organs to feed him. Now, glandulars (the common term for products containing animal cells even if they aren't from glands) are available in tablet, capsule, and liquid form, depending on the manufacturer.

The signs of this potentially fatal condition mimic those of many other diseases. Treatment can be complex and expensive. Holistic medicine can help. Addison’s disease is the common name for hypoadrenocorticism, or adrenal insufficiency. The adrenal glands do not produce enough, if any, of a number of hormones, including aldosterone, which maintains sodium and potassium levels to regulate blood pressure (among other important functions), and cortisol, which helps the body metabolize glucose and deal effectively with physical and mental stresses of all kinds.

Promoting the health of your dog's liver may be the key to preserving his long-term health. The liver, located centrally in the dog's body as the link between the breathing and circulatory activities of the chest and the digestive functions of the abdomen, works hard at its many tasks. The liver manufactures blood proteins and fat, and stores energy, fat-soluble vitamins, and iron.

Now more than ever, vaccine titer tests are readily available, not terribly expensive, and offer multiple advantages over the practices (intentional or not) of over-vaccination and under-vaccination. Few issues in veterinary medicine are as controversial as the debate about administering annual vaccinations to our dogs. Long considered part of the standard of baseline, responsible veterinary healthcare, and credited with conquering some of the fiercest canine viral and other infectious diseases, vaccinations now are also suspected of creating vulnerability to illnesses and chronic conditions such as anemia, arthritis, seizures, allergies, gastrointestinal and thyroid disorders, and cancer.