Tuesday, Feb. 2nd 2010

Specialists, disc disease, foods that fight pain

Veterinary Alternatives E-Newsletter—Information about pet health as well as yours, holistic therapies, and the house-call veterinary acupuncture business.

Updates: Did you know that veterinarians may have specialties just like medical doctors?  In Kansas City, there are specialists in dermatology, behavior, soft tissue and bone surgery, ophthalmology (eyes), internal medicine, oncology (cancer treatment) and more.  These require 4-10 years of further education beyond veterinary school, and special tests and licensing to obtain.  Acupuncture, chiropractic, and similar therapies are not considered specialties.  These require only a few months to 2 years of continuing study to obtain “Certification”.  So Dr. Leonard is NOT a specialist, but she is certified in veterinary acupuncture and this spring will be taking a course in veterinary food therapy.

Improving your health: From February’s Vegetarian Times, an article by Neal Barnard, MD (author of “Foods That Fight Pain”) talks about ways diet may fight pain.  Natural plant oils such as flax, evening primrose, and borage may cool inflammation.  Certain foods may trigger pain such as dairy, eggs, citrus, meat, artificial sweeteners, and wheat.  Avoiding one class of these foods for several weeks then reintroducing it may reveal sensitivities.  Certain diet changes such as avoiding meats and eliminating smoking may improve the body’s circulation.  This in turn may aid in control of back or joint pain by improving circulation to those tissues.  Finally, diet changes may rebalance hormones (ladies!).  Increasing fiber by eating less meat and more veggies, fruits, whole grains, and beans helps pull excess hormones from the body.  Other food-related pain control includes capsaicin (hot pepper extract) creams or eating ginger for joint pain, and vegan diets to ease diabetic nerve pain and prevent kidney stones.

Health News: Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs (IVDD) is a fairly common condition in certain breeds, particularly those with a long back such as Dachshunds and Shi Tzus.  The fibrous disc that acts as a shock absorber between the spinal vertebrae develops a weak spot that allows material to protrude through the disc.  This material sometimes is expelled forcibly.  Either way, it causes pressure or bruising of the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves, which can lead to neurological problems, pain, or even paralysis.  Activity restriction while the tissue scars and swelling reduces is often recommended.  Surgery may be required in more severe cases.  Pain control and nerve healing may be improved by using acupuncture in addition to other therapies.  Vitamin and fatty acid supplements may add antioxidants that will improve the outcome.  Keeping the pet’s weight to average or slightly below for the breed may aid in recovery and prevention of further problems, which are unfortunately not unusual.  Many pets with this condition will have multiple episodes.


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