Our pets get old so much more quickly than we do- it often seems like only yesterday they were chewing up our best shoes, or climbing the curtains… and suddenly the muzzles are turning grey, and the old bodies are slowing down, and getting rickety.

Arthritis is an insidious thing- (it sneaks up on you!). And when you live with your pet day to day, the onset of symptoms are so slow and subtle, that sometimes you don’t even notice that your old friend is starting to be a bit slow and stiff to get up after they have been lying down for a while.

Arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints- so once it has happened, there is no way of actually repairing the damage, short of doing a huge operation, and replacing the entire joint. (This is not something I would consider for my own pet, especially if they were very old…)

Treating Arthritis Early is Vital!

I can’t stress this enough- many people see their old friend getting a little bit slower and think- “Oh well- it’s just because Fred is getting old, and he seems to be happy enough…”

WRONG!

Please- do something when you first notice any slowing down, or the slightest stiffness- especially when your old friend has been lying down for a while, or when there is a cold and/or damp change in the weather, or any sign of limping.

Why? Because if you do nothing, the damage to your pet’s joints will simply get worse and worse- BUT if you start to treat your pet for arthritis early, you may well slow down, or even temporarily prevent further damage to the joints.

The earlier you treat this problem, the longer your old friend will be with you- it is as simple as that.

The Best Thing to do Is?

I will walk you through how I believe is the best way to help your old friend-  (Please take your old friend to your own local vet, or invite a home visit vet to come and see you, before you do anything else.)

• Make sure that your pet has a healthy, natural and preferably non-processed diet, and access to as much fresh water as they need, can make a huge difference to overall well being- read my article healthy diet here.

• Make sure your pet is not overweight! (and most are…) You should be able to distinctly feel the bumps of all the ribs as you gently run your fingers along your pet’s sides. If you can’t, start a diet now! Every extra pound adds to the wear and tear on your pets joints, and accelerates the progress of arthritis.

• Have your pet checked for back pain and any other structural problems of the musculoskeletal system.

(I have to be honest- many vets are not well trained in assessing pets in this way, let alone treating them to relieve the problems. I know this because I have a special interest in back pain and such problems in animals, and have spent years developing a method to gently and easily realign their bodies into comfort and ease (Whole Energy Body Balancing/WEBB Sessions)).

Many vets will simply prescribe Anti Inflammatory drugs, and/or muscle relaxants, and tell you to rest your pet… This will NOT cure the underlying body imbalance! You may need to find a pet care professional with good qualifications  to help you with this- Pet Physiotherapists, Masseuses, Body Workers, Reiki/Energy Workers, Chiropractors etc may be helpful.  I also advise using such pet care professionals regularly as an integral part of your pet’s arthritis care plan.

• Reduce your pet’s exercise to a point where it is not making the symptoms any worse.

Medicines; What to Use, and When…

I start with the healthiest, most natural treatments or medicines, and then use stronger ones as needed, on a case by case basis. Remember!- Arthritis is a degenerative dis-ease. So- any damage already there will not be healed by the medication. The symptoms may be reduced, or even vanish altogether, BUT- the degenerative process is very likely to continue, even with treatment. Using natural supplements rather than prescription medicines will most certainly slow down the progress Your pet’s arthritis very much, and could even halt it altogether for a while.

In my experience, as your pet gets older, and the arthritis worsens, you will eventually need to add prescription drugs (usually Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory drugs/NSAIDs)  into the mix to maintain your pets quality of life.

This is not always the case, and is far less likely if you treat the problem as soon as it begins.

• Green Mussel Extract: This is the first thing I prescribe- totally natural, and it works very well- I have had dogs improve to the point where I got them off daily NSAIDs simply by giving a daily dose of GME. I have treated a lot of pets with this, and never had any sort of adverse reaction (Of course, if it should by chance disagree with your pet, please stop using it immediatly). One capsule a day is a good dose, unless you have a giant breed. It does take about a month to take full effect. ‘Southern Deep’ is the best quality and value for money GME product I have been able to find. You can order it from this link (And yes, this is an affiliate link, and I will be paid a commission if you order from here! This helps me help you even more.) Order Green Mussel Extract Here. (Top row, second from LHS)

• Homeopathy: This is a more complementary/alternative approach- there are a couple of homeopathic remedies which I have found to help your pet feel better as well- Rhus tox, Ruta grav, and Arnica are probably the three main ones- I tend to use them at low potency, and I always add in the Bach Rescue Remedy for a more symptomatic homeopathic treatment. If you were to take your vet to a qualified homeopath, they may prescribe a ‘constitutional’ remedy, which is designed to stimulate your pets vital energy to move towards greater health overall, more from the inside out.

• Bach Flower Essences: This is another treatment designed to strengthen your pet’s health from the inside out- it is not aimed at symptoms, like the more typical western medical model. The individual essences are carefully chosen and/or blended to best suit each unique case. I have found in my practice that these essences seem to help your pet feel a lot happier, and stimulate wellness.

• Yucca Extract: 2-3 Drops a day can have very good results… I have not used this a lot myself, but when I have there has been improvement. I have seen some very encouraging testimonials on the Internet though, so it is well worth considering.

Another thing to remember!- every animal is subtly different, and some treatments will work really well for one pet, and not at all for another- you may need to trial several different  treatments, or combination’s of treatments, to get the best result… Another way to more easily tailor the treatment to your pet is to consider using a reputable Intuitive to tune into and match the best treatments for your pet. This is a very effective way to take the trial and error out of selecting the right medicine for your old friend… (Please contact me if you are interested in this service…)

Now we move to medicines that need a prescription, and so you will need to have the help of your vet.

• Cartrophen: This is a series of injections given once a week  for four weeks, followed up with a booster anything from 6 monthly down to monthly, depending on the severity of your pets arthritis. It contains special molecules like those which lubricate the special fluid inside the joints. I use this in my practice a lot- nearly all patients show good improvement, some are almost miraculous! (There is the very odd one that doesn’t improve.) If you live in Canada or Australia, your local vet can help you with this. If you live in the USA, it is not quite so easy- you may have to ask your vet to fax a prescription to a company like this, and then have it sent to you, and then take it to your vet to be administered.

• Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs: These are like aspirin- but much more advanced, so that they don’t have the same nasty side effects of gastric ulceration and so on (or at least not as much- some pets still get these problems- so if your pet shows any signs of digestive upset whilst taking these drugs, stop immediately and see your vet as soon as you can.) They are potent pain killers, and will improve your pet’s quality of life a lot. I don’t like to use them until you really need to, but when you do they can make a huge difference. There are heaps of different brands, talk to your vet…

• Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs: Cortisone… This can give great symptomatic relief, but at a cost… It has multiple side effects, and long term use really takes a toll on your pet’s inner health. I avoid it as much as possible, but it does have it’s place in palliative care.

Integrative Care

So many different things!- I usually start with GME if it is only very mild arthritis, and offer to use Cartrophen as well. I like to give a special Homeopathic/Bach flower remedy to each patient, I find this is a great help. I also like to use regular WEBB sessions, and I feel it is best to continue all of these treatments for the life of your pet, and to bring in the bigger guns as more complementary methods become less effective in relieving your pets pain and discomfort.

Once you begin treating arthritis, the aim is to have your pet as free of symptoms as possible, and if the symptoms worsen in any way, then that is the time to seek further treatment… For instance- things may be going well, and then a cool change may make things worse- so you may need to add in some yucca, or perhaps NSAIDS at the lowest possible dose for a while to help.

Eventually it’s likely you will have to use a full time veterinary treatment, as you pet gets very old, and the dis-ease progresses. And one day even that may no longer give your pet ease. This is never an easy thing to consider… Because we all love our pets to bits.

If you have any questions, please ask in comments below.

Happy Pets until next time!

Dr Edward

I remember so well the day Martus came into my life… In those days I was managing a vet clinic on Magnetic Island, and one of my less pleasant jobs was to euthenase feral cats trapped in the local rubbish dump. Then in came this huge black tomcat, with a baby possum clinging to him. I sedated him and removed the possum, and then we desexed him, and he moved in… And left several pound of dirt and fuzzy black hair on my bed end over the next 6 years!

Over the past few weeks, Martus started sneezing blood, and then one side of his face and head swelled out- most probably a tumour in his sinuses- and then, just the other day, I could see he was in distress, just not happy…

So… How do you know when it is time?

Sometimes it is easy, sometimes a little harder to know- animals don’t ’suffer’ with pain like we do- they just seem to accept it, and be. However- I know that (as long as you are not too attached to your pet- but more about that in a bit) you can nearly always tell when they reach that point- suddenly they will seem to be ‘not right’, or ‘not happy’. This can happen gradually, which may make it a bit harder to discern, or they may be going along ok one day, and then quite clearly NOT ok the next. Every pet is unique.

There are a few signs that it is definitely time though…

• When your pet stops eating altogether.
• When your pet can no longer get up to go to the toilet.
• When your pet is crying out in pain.
• Or… when you simply look at them and know it is time.

Take heed of these signs! And if you are not sure, please talk to your vet.

And now we will step back to the attachment issue…

Our pets have no fear of death- for them it is as natural as breathing.

It is usually us who have a fear of losing the unconditional love that our pets so freely bless us with. And sometimes this can make us keep our pets alive longer than perhaps we should. I also believe our pets love us so much that they will hang on through any amount of suffering for us.A good question to ask yourself is if you are willing to let your pet go. I encourage you to be willing to.

So- It’s time… What next?

Now you need to either take your pet to the vet, or have a vet come to your home, and gently put your good friend to rest. I prefer in home euthanasia, as it is so much less stressful for our good friends- since I started home visits, I have helped many a gallant old soul pass in the peace and love of their own home space.

Afterwards it is normal for you to be sad, and to grieve- our pets are members of our family! You may need to dig a grave, and bury your friend, or in some areas there is access to pet cremation and burial services. I find it is a lovely thing to have some sort of ritual or ceremony to celebrate the life of your good friend.

I also think it is a good idea to involve the whole family, kids if you have them. I believe that one of the greater reasons that pets share our lives is to teach us about life, and death. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the reality that we all must face one day. Some people avoid being there, or keep their children away… And whilst I honour their choice, my truth is that it is better to face, accept, and embrace the feelings of sadness, grief, and pain that come up- otherwise one tends to lock them inside, and this is not healthy.

What if I don’t believe in Euthanasia?

It’s ok to let old humans die naturally, so I can’t at all see how it can’t be alright for you to allow your old pet to do the same, as long as you make sure that adequate pain relief is provided. I actually think we are more compassionate with our pets, to be honest.

Life Goes on…

I always encourage people to consider getting another pet, especially if they only have one, and even more so if they are old and live alone. Who knows- if you believe in reincarnation, they might even come back again!

I hope you enjoy every minute of the time your pets share with you…

Until next time,

Dr Edward

Genetically, there is effectively no difference- so there is no way that it can be proven that a particular dog is a particular breed! Even if it is pretty obvious- (though funnily enough, there seems to be a lot of red nosed Staffordshire terriers around here these days…)

I have met some dangerous dogs in my working life as a vet- the most dangerous was a Japanese Akita- I took one look, and just knew. “It would be suicide to step out from behind my table…” So I examined at a distance, without eye contact. Scary dog! Then again, the most aggressive dog I have ever treated was a Chihuahua!

I also had a friend (another vet) who had a client with a small fluffy dog- and you know what?- If the dog got onto the bed before her at night, she slept on the floor!

My point is this- ANY breed of dog is potentially dangerous…

Nearly all of this has to do with how the dog is treated and trained, especially from about 8-12 weeks of age (this is when the dog is most impressionable). Many people who buy ‘aggressive’, or ‘dangerous’ breeds, buy them because they want that sort of dog- and then they make them so by how they treat and train them. Some of these breeds do have more aggressive tendencies than others, but I believe it is how they are treated that leads to how they behave.

Dogs have personalities, just like people- some are harder, or more aggressive, even within a breed.

So- No- we should not be banning certain dog breeds! We should be banning certain people from owning any sort of dog, more like it!- however, this opens a whole other can of worms.

I believe that 99% of puppies can make a good dog, and I also believe that some dog breeds are not for ‘beginner’ owners. Be responsible- take your puppy to puppy school, and obedience, keep them properly confined, never leave them alone with kids (what would your dog do if a little one poked him in the eye, hard?).

Enjoy your dogs, they are such wonderful friends!

Dr Edward

This is my Dog- Pearl- when she was a big puppy- we had a LOT of fun together.

First Things First!

It might be worth reading my previous post about choosing a new pet.

When your new puppy arrives, it is a HUGE change for them- they have been happily living with mum, and their litter-mates, where everything is familiar. And then this strange smelling person arrives, and picks them up and takes them away to a totally strange place, sometimes where there is no other dog at all, sometimes where there is another dog who is very put out at this little intruder- or maybe there’s this huge, scary cat. And these people are starting to do puppy training stuff already, and he is missing his mum, and…

Imagine what it must be like for them! Pretty scary…

There are a few little things you can do which will help your new friend settle in.

• Make sure he has a safe haven, or a den, to retreat into- a crate, or a box, or sometimes just under the couch! It would be a great idea to ask the people you get him from to give you a cloth the puppies and mum have been using to sleep on, so there is something that smells like home.

• Find out exactly what he has been fed- and try to at least start with a familiar food- offering a little feed as soon as he gets home is a great way to make him feel at home. Make sure he has clean water as well.

• Be clear about the boundaries from day one- if he is going to be an outside dog, make sure you get him in the morning (to allow heaps of time to settle in). If he is to be an inside dog, plan ahead where you will sleep him- and remember that he might be small and cute now, but he will get a lot bigger. Have a place all ready for him to sleep. Be warned, he will most likely feel lonely, and yell for mum. Only go to him when he is quiet- No matter HOW long it takes. He will eventually run out of steam. If you want him in your bed- start NOW to teach him that YOU own the bed, and he must get off it when you ask. (I had one Veterinarian friend with a client who was owned by a small, white, fluffy dog- and if the dog got on the bed first, this lady slept on the floor! I kid you not…)

• Give him a hot water bottle in bed (not too hot, mind )- he will be used to snuggling up with something warm, and a ticking clock can be a great help also (it sounds like mum’s heartbeat).

• Give him plenty of healthy attention, and make sure you have plenty of good toys to play with. They will give him something to do when you are not available. Play is great bonding.

• Make sure you give him regular opportunities to go to the toilet- probably take him out every 15-30 minutes to start with. (And if he does make a mess, be kind to him!)

• DON’T give him attention all the time, especially every time he asks for it- You are the boss dog, and he needs to learn to respect your personal space from the very beginning! Turn away, ignore him until he goes out of your space and stops hassling- then give him the reward of your attention. (This is VERY important!)

The Most Important Thing…

Is to be kind, and patient. This little soul you have chosen to share your life has a huge learning curve with you, and he is NOT doing anything more than being a normal puppy when he bites your fingers, or he messes on your floor, or he chews up you good shoes, or… You should be getting the picture by now. Kind, gentle, firm teaching is the way to go, preferably reward based, rather than by punishment.

Socialization, and why it is VITAL to do this well!

Hopefully he will be between 8-10  weeks of age when you get him- the period between 8-12 weeks is a very important window, when puppies can easily get used to new things, and people. I advise taking your puppy everywhere you can at this time, meeting as many different people, dogs, cats, and places as is possible. It is also a great time to get into a puppy preschool, and start learning a bit about how best to teach your new friend all the things he needs to know to be a happy member of your family.

There is always the issue of  vaccination at this age- many vets will advise that you don’t take you puppy anywhere until they have had all of their shots. I know that the benefits outweigh the risk of catching something. Another thing you can do is to treat your puppies with Homeopathic Nosodes for the dangerous diseases- You can do this in addition to standard vaccination, and it seems to give an equivalent protection (and without the potential harmful side effects of vaccinations). You can see a blog report on the (very successful) use of homeopathic nosodes  to treat and prevent Leptospirosis outbreaks in Cuba here. This is with humans, it works just as well for pets!

I don’t vaccinate my pets at all, but I will discuss that thorny issue in a later post.

General Health Tips.

Make sure you feed a good quality food- as little processed food as possible (by this I mean especially tinned food, and also dry biscuits)- as much as possible raw, and maybe healthy home cooked food, or table scraps. NEVER cooked bones though. Worming every couple of weeks until 3 months old is advised.I worm my adult dogs little or not at all if they are healthy- though if you live in an area where hydatid tapeworms are present, you MUST worm your pet regularly.

Vaccination… is widely recommended- as mentioned before, you may wish to use Homeopathic Nosodes as a stand alone protective measure, or you may elect to use them in conjunction with vaccination, or you may simply choose to vaccinate your pet. Please NEVER vaccinate your puppy if they are in the slightest way unwell or off colour. Some places mandate vaccination- eg for rabies in the USA- Nosodes will help reduce adverse side effects, and there are other remedies one may use which help even more on this front. Please contact me for further information- and I will post at length around this topic in the future.

I recommend:

Revolution for flea and heart worm prevention.

Taking time every day to roll him on his back, get him used to you opening his mouth, and touching his paws (important if ever you need to give tablets etc)- if he doesn’t like it, be gently persistent, try using food rewards to help him learn…

Regular bathing.

Lots of exercise.

Training.

Fun games…

and most of all, lots of LOVE and ATTENTION!

Enjoy your pets!

Until next time, Dr Edward.

You might notice that Bert looks a little bit bedraggled…

This morning he woke me up, yelling for HELP- I had left the toilet seat up, and he had fallen in! He did NOT look very happy- so I fished him out, and then gave him a small bath, and shut the lid-

So- Remember, if you have a kitten, always put the toilet lid down!

Until next time, Dr Edward

This is Beau- a dog we used to have… And you will learn why by the end of this post.

Oh- He’s So, So Cute! We just have to have him…

And this is how most of us choose a pet! (Hint- this is NOT the best way to go about it!)

In my day to day work as a veterinarian, I see quite a few people who have some problems with new pets. So- today I am going to share a few tips that might help you approach this more sensibly. Believe me, this may make your life a lot more comfortable, especially when you consider that your average pet is a long term investment- on average, anywhere from 9 to 15 years (or even longer).

The MOST Important Thing to Consider is… PERSONALITY!

So- forget about all those things you thought you wanted! Most of them are simply eye candy, in any case… I must admit that the sex of your new pet can be important, especially if you already have other pets. So do bear this in mind. Still- it is not nearly as important as you might think. If you look around the people you know, it is clear that their personalities vary widely, within the men, and the women.

It’s exactly the same with dogs, and cats!

Most people think that a given breed will produce a certain personality. Whilst this is true to an extent, you will find that there is a very wide range of personality types within the overall “vibe” of the breed personality. It’s almost as if a given breed really only colours the individuals personality with an undertone. (Not always in a good way, either- “line” breeding can concentrate or produce unusual traits.)

Every animal is unique- We have just had a litter of kittens in our house- and it is totally amazing to see just how different the personality of each is.

What Sort of Pet is the Best (for You)?

This will depend on so many things- your house, your yard, how much exercise you like to do (if you are choosing a dog), how much time you have to spend on training and playing, your family (little kids?), and… well- I could go on for a lot longer. I suggest that you actually consider all of these things, and then write them down, and take a few moments to have a good long look.

For instance- if you live in a unit, in the city, and only have enough time for 2 or three walks a day- say 45 minutes all together, then a breed that is high energy, has a strong work focus, and intelligent- (eg Border Collies, Labradors, Jack Russels, etc) is quite likely  to destroy your home, and be driven stir crazy by the lack of exercise. A small white fluffy of some sort might be better!

And as for cats- a very vocal, demanding Siamese might be less suitable than a quite, retiring Rag doll, or Persian.

You need to consider long coats versus short coats, and veterinary bills, and food, and everything else you can think of.

PLEASE- let go of what you thought you wanted! And have a moment of honesty about what sort of animal best suits you.

How do You Tell?

Step 1.

Ask the people selling the pet all about the parent’s personalities. And go into depth! One good way is to ask them to tell you what they would be like if they were a person. Ask them how they behave with other animals, with strange people, around food, with children, thunderstorms- and anything else you can think of. Ask about the health history of both parents (look out for allergies in particular). It is a very good idea to do this before you even see the puppy or kitten.

Because they are so, so cute, and then you’ll be lost!
Step 2.

Meeting them for the first time-It would be ideal to meet both parents as well, and see what they are like.

***HINT- take someone you know with experience with animals along with you, for a more detached point of view***

Beware! one of them will be the first to bounce out and approach you! This one will take a lot more time and attention, and exercise, and likely get into loads more trouble, than the other one that is hanging back a little (hopefully not scared or timid, just calmer, more self assured). Check them all out, very carefully, clap your hands, see how they respond when you pick them up, have fun!

To be honest, one of them usually seems to choose you, in the end.

Then What?

You will need to train and socialise your new pet… I will go into this in depth in a future post!

And Beau- the lovely black Lab at the top of this post. Beau was always very nervous, and unable to cope with change, or anything at all strange- he barked at a towel I hung on the washing machine for an hour one afternoon! When Beau arrived, I was in the throes of separating from my ex wife- and he never got socialised. Now with 19 out of 20 Labs, I might have gotten away with that.

But not this fella!
He was great with me, awful with everyone else, and very difficult to train. (He was always his own dog!) Then we moved into town, and he became very, very aggressive through the fence to anyone walking past. One day I dropped a bag of turkey necks on the lawn, went back to pick up something, and…

He bit me quite badly on the hand.

I have a 5 year old child, and I couldn’t accept the risk. He was unrehomable, so I helped him back to spirit, put him to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and we both miss him dearly.

I only share this to illustrate how his personality was totally NOT Labrador like!

Good luck with choosing your new pet!

cheers for now, Dr Edward