TAKING AN ‘ARTHRITIC’ CASE IN A DOG
An alarming number of dogs have been diagnosed as ‘arthritic’ only for the chiropractor to find it may be a spinal problem, and the arthritic ‘changes’ are as a direct result. Always look at body alignment if your animal has problems with luxating patellas and cruciates. Breeders of dogs with these problems should consider looking at the whole dog’s structure, not just focusing on the apparent problem. A four-year old Golden Retriever was brought in with lameness and non-weight-bearing in the left fore limb. The onset was sudden nearly two years ago, and since then the limb had been examined and X-rayed many times, to no avail. Our chiropractor found a pinched nerve proved to be the problem and, with some supportive medication from our dispensary, the dog was weight-bearing by the time she left the Centre an hour and half later! She continued to improve and the ‘diagnosis’ of arthritis was removed from her medical file.
When you receive a diagnosis of arthritis it may be but is that the underlying cause?
PET SKELETAL ALIGNMENT
Our dog and cat skeleltons work well, providing it’s in alignment. Many of our pets are true athletes but they don’t receive the treatment that goes with that. When my dog was very sick he could hardly move his neck, so stiff and sore from the tension of pain and trying to move his body. Regular Bowen Therapy allowed him to loosen up and contributed to his recovery. I would place a bet on it that if we had not worked on his neck he would have developed a permanent loss of movement in this area and be labelled ‘arthritic’.
DRUGS CAN DISGUISE AND DISTORT
Some medicines can be deceiving in what we perceive as a movement problem too. Again when my dog was really ill I was using Gabapentin but weaned him off as soon as possible. But in the meantime I noticed he was losing his balance when he tried to pee or his hind legs would fumble a little. Was it the result of his illness or the result of the Gabapentin. As soon as the Gabapentin was stopped his co ordination came back. (See video)
THE GABAPENTIN GAIT
Gabapentin is being prescribed like cornflakes for breakfast and I have concerns about using it with impunity and a one-size –fits- all approach.. It’s use for cats with veterinary attendance anciety is most uneccessary, a little mix of Bach Flowers or homeopathics will fix that without resorting to supporting heavy drugs with side effects.
Gabapentin (brand names: Neurontin®, Aclonium®, Equipax®, Gantin®, Gabarone®, Gralise®, Neurostil®, Progresse®) is an anti-seizure and pain medication that is used with other medications to treat seizures and is also used to treat chronic pain, primarily nerve pain. It has also been used in cats to treat fear and anxiety associated with veterinary visits.
Gabapentin is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. Gabapentin treats seizures by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. Gabapentin relieves the pain of PHN by changing the way the body senses pain.
Originally approved as an anti-seizure medication, gabapentin (Neurontin) is one of the most popular drugs in the country. In addition to treating seizures, gabapentin is widely used today to treat nerve pain related to diabetes, lumbar spine disc disease, and shingles.
May not be safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Gabapentin is most commonly prescribed to treat dogs suffering from chronic pain associated with arthritis, cancer, hyperalagesia (a heightened sensitivity to pain), or allodynia (a sensation of pain to normally non-painful stimuli)
The most common side effects of Gabapentin include sleepiness, occasional diarrhea, and incoordination. Gabapentin should be used with caution in animals with decreased liver or renal function. Gabapentin should not be stopped abruptly because withdrawal can precipitate seizures or rebound pain. The dosage should be decreased over the course of two to three weeks. ( I must admit, I did not do this, I wanted my dog off the dreaded stuff asap). A benefit from using ‘natural ‘ meds is that it gives a better leeway into weaning our pets off high powered drugs.
The effect of gabapentin on pain has recently been linked to the anti-inflammatory action of the drug.
Note that recent drugs have all focused on the AVOIDANCE/ SUPPRESSIVE FACTOR, not on healing! This allows vets to prescribe for a wide range of conditions, which is just a sticking plaster over the wound. We really need to change that if we are going to make a difference to the health of our pets.
CHOICES IN ARTHRITIS VETERINARY CARE
Plus our extensive homeopathic and herbal preps for the symptoms of muscular – skeletal discomfort that includes improved mobility, pain relief and enjoyment of life. And then there’s our other tools in our get-better-soon box – alkalizing food, Tissue Salts, Neutroceuticals, Light Therapy (used this on Rowan with marvelous effect), hands-on Bowen., Chiro, Cranial-sacral, the list is endless.
We should be relying on the talents of ourselves and our planet medicines rather than pouring money into drug company coffers who offer little but the occasional miracle and mostly misery from money and side effects.
More people and pets die from drugs than natural causes.
Next Post – what are your ‘healthy alternatives’ to the treatment of muscular-skeletal problems, you will be surprised at their effectiveness!
We will discuss MSM, Bromelain, Curcuma, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Boswellia and a few other important herbs and homeopathics plus nutritional supplementation.
