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For a comprehensive (and perhaps exhaustive) look at canine hip dysplasia, don’t miss this article from Clinician’s Brief. It’s written for veterinarians but there’s a lot of great information in there for those of us on the other end of the leash!
http://www.scoutshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Canine-Hip-Dysplasia-Part-I.pdf
Our post on how to keep your dog out of rehab sparked a conversation here at Scout’s House about some of the most common conditions we see. We were sure we knew what we saw the most, but after running a few statistical reports, even we were surprised at the results.
Number One complaint? Osteoarthritis–by a landslide. Not surprising when you think about it–most animals coming in for physical rehab therapy are bound to have arthritis, along with other ailments, but we thought we saw more dogs with neurological issues. We were wrong.
We were wrong, too, about the second most common complaint: knee problems related to the cranial cruciate ligament, or CCL. Many of the dogs we’ve seen were recovering from one of the various surgeries used to fix a CCL rupture–TPLO, TTA, tightrope, or extracapsular–although a handful were hoping to avoid surgery with conservative management. Of course, some of them had had surgery years before and were having problems with that knee (or stifle) now. Can you say arthritis?
And while we would have guessed stifle problems were the third most common complaint amongst our patients, disk issues win there. Intervertebral disk disease, disk ruptures, laminectomy surgeries–we see them all.
Wrapping up our Top 6: unidentified “rear limb weakness,” hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy.
Coming up next: Some of the unbelievable predicaments our patients have gotten into–and ended up in rehab because of!
I’m always amazed by the scientific rigor that goes into clinical studies, but sometimes the results just confirm what seems like plain old common sense.
In this study, researchers found that overweight dogs with osteoarthritis who went on a diet and received intensive physical therapy lost more weight and moved better after 30 days than did dogs who just went on a diet or who dieted and received moderate physical therapy. If your dog has arthritis and you’re wondering whether rehab therapy can help, read on:
http://www.avma.org/avmacollections/obesity_dogs/javma_229_11_1756.pdf
Cats are stoic creatures, which means they’re often very good at hiding pain. But as this article points out, the things our cats do that we think are just normal signs of aging–becoming less active, finding new sleeping spots that don’t require jumping up, even pooping alongside, and not in, the litter box–may be signs of arthritis instead. Although this was written for veterinarians, it’s a good overview of feline arthritis, including symptoms, how it’s diagnosed, and what treatment options are available. From Veterinary Focus, courtesy of IVIS:
http://www.scoutshouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Feline-Arthritis.pdf
For more information about Scout’s House, go to scoutshouse.com
Ever wonder how your veterinarian decides which joint supplement to recommend for your pet’s arthritis? Here’s an excellent article from Clinician’s Brief that helps veterinarians choose the right neutraceutical for a pet’s joint health. (Don’t be put off by the medical-speak; there are some really interesting facts in here.)
There’s a thought-provoking article in this month’s Veterinary Practice News by Dr. Narda Robinson that raises some good questions about the safety of stem cell therapy, which is being used more frequently in veterinary medicine to address a number of health issues, including arthritis and spinal cord damage.
If you’re considering stem cell therapy for your dog or cat, you might want to take a look:
Rush to Stem Cells Carries Some Risk.
Also, be sure to read this post from the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Although meant for human patients, it’s applicable to animal patients, too:
http://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/Top_10_Stem_Cell_Treatment_Facts.htm
From the September issue of Veterinary Practice News, an overview of options for treating arthritis in dogs and cats using integrative medicine. It’s written for veterinarians so might be a bit dry in parts.
One interesting note, the author warns that fish oil can prolong clotting time in pets–good to keep in mind if your dog or cat gets fish oil supplements and is due for surgery.
by Lisa Stahr
I was so excited by the paper in the March issue of JAVMA (the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs with osteoarthritis. How wonderful that something as simple as omega-3 fatty acids can help pets with arthritis move better and live with less pain.
But then I saw the article in the San Francisco Chronicle on March 22nd (“Wading into fish oil supplement safety“) that said that ten popular fish oil supplements taken by people were found to contain PCBs (which can cause cancer and reproductive problems in humans), even though the manufacturers didn’t list PCBs in their products as mandated by California’s Proposition 65 disclosure rules. Tested by the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation of Eureka, all ten fish oil supplements showed levels of PCBs and three of those ten exceeded California’s standard for “no significant risk” from carcinogens.
Not great news, but I don’t take fish oil supplements—however, my dog does. On the advice of our veterinary oncologist, I’ve been giving Rerun omega-3 fatty acid capsules everyday for the last two years because omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help fend off Rerun’s particular form of cancer: T-cell lymphoma. And that’s why the article alarmed me, because it made me realize that if the supplements tested—supplements that are over-the-counter fish oil products made for humans—contain PCBs, what do you suppose is in the fish oil supplements made for pets? There’s no regulation regarding the purity of pet supplements, which means we really don’t know what’s in the stuff we’re giving our dogs and cats, do we?
Now I’m freaked.
So I called the manufacturer of Omega-3 Pet, which are the fish oil supplements we sell at Scout’s House. Our pet nutritionist at Scout’s House, Sandy Gregory, insisted that we buy these supplements from Nordic Naturals because Sandy had faith in the purity of their pet products.
And, it turns out, for good reason.
Bonnie Johnson of Nordic Naturals explained that third-party tests show that their Omega-3 Pet soft gel capsules have no detectable levels at one part per trillion of Non-Ortho and Mono-Ortho PCBs. And, she added, the Pet capsules use the same oil as is used in the Omega-3 product for humans, so its held to the same standards. Although this doesn’t guarantee that there are no PCBs in my dog’s omega-3 supplements, it does tell me that the numbers are very low.
And thanks to Bonnie, I understand a little more why that’s true. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet oil is derived from anchovies and sardines, which are smaller fish, and that’s important because PCB concentrations in fish depend, in part, on what kind of fish is used to make the oil (older, bigger fish build up more PCBs in their fatty tissues than smaller fish), as well as on where the fish live. Nordic Naturals, I was glad to hear, harvests anchovies and sardines from the Norwegian Sea and the Southern Pacific Ocean, which are some of the world’s healthiest waters.
I can’t completely protect my dog from cancer, I know that. She got T-cell lymphoma despite all my best efforts. But I can maintain a healthy skepticism about the supplements I give her. And so can you about the supplements you give your pet. Don’t just assume a pet product is good for your dog or cat just because it says so–or worse, because your friend says so. Read the labels, call the company for more information, and—above all—ask your veterinarian. Until there are regulations regarding the food, treats, and supplements we give our pets, it’s up to you to determine the purity of what goes in your pet’s mouth.
Scout’s House Friends & Fans may benefit from a research study just published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on dogs with arthritis. The study by Fritsch et al showed that that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the dose of carprofen (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories marketed as Rimadyl® and Novox®) needed for pain relief in dogs with chronic osteoarthritis. And research showed that dogs whose diets were supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids showed significant improvement in their abilities to get up and move around after 12 weeks of supplementation over dogs who did not receive the fish oil.
Friends & Fans who would like to see if it can help their arthritic dog or cat can go to our Health Supplements section of our online store (http://www.scoutshouse.com/store) and get 15% off their first purchase of Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet, which we believe is the highest quality omega-3 fatty acids you can find for your dog or cat. Just enter discount coupon code FFNN at checkout for your 15% discount on either 90-count or 180-count bottles.
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