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Volume
II, Issue XI November 2006 IN THIS ISSUE •
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Upcoming Events •
Improving Joint
Function in Dogs •
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Upcoming Events |
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When you first open your web browser such as Internet Explorer
or Netscape, the first page that appears is YOUR
homepage. It is very
often the page that Microsoft or your internet service provider has chosen for
you. Make YOUR
homepage a page that works for you.
Choose Springboard, a free service of Healing Springs. Springboard gives you more service and
options in a fast-loading page than most homepage options. Imagine, everytime
you open your web browser you have immediately available: ü
Two top search
engines ü
Animal news and special interest headlines ü
Local Weather ü
All the latest World News Headlines One Click Away: ü
Local movie showings and times ü
Phone directory for people and businesses ü
Driving directions ü
Detailed & ten day weather forecast ü
Animal News Stories ü
Top World News stories ü
Pet Portals Login Click Here for more details and
instructions on how to change your
homepage. |
Customer Appreciation Day Tuesday, December 12,
Healing Springs will serve refreshments all day in the lobby to show our
appreciation for you. We will also
have a drawing for door prizes. Remember,
Healing Springs is now open from 8 am to 7 pm on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. |
We’re still signing up contestants. Express your
interest now. Use this fun contest to get
lots of support and discounted, high-quality food to help your chubby buddy lose weight.
The winner gets 100 pounds of free Purina dog or cat food, and
everyone gets a healthier pet. Healing Springs will team up
with Purina to see whose dog or cat can have the highest percentage weight
loss in three months. Contestants must
use Purina
OM Dog Food or Purina
OM Cat Food. All contestants will get $10
off all OM Food purchases (this makes some package sizes free). Contestants will all have an initial
weigh-in and will weigh in every two weeks at Healing Springs. Contestants need not be clients of Healing
Springs, but the discounted Purina OM must be purchased
at Healing Springs. Want
to participate? Sign
up to be notified when the date for the initial
weigh-in is set. Or
call us at (276) 236-5103 |
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Improving Joint Function in Dogs The winter months are the
time you are most likely to see joint stiffness and discomfort in pets. Arthritis is so common, that it affects one
in five dogs over the age of seven. Severity
can range from uncomfortable to disablingly
painful, and the condition often progresses in severity with age. Arthritis and joint pain in dogs typically
affects the shoulders, elbows, hips, neck, and back. Signs that your dog may be suffering from
stiff or painful joints include favoring one leg over another, reduced range
of motion in the elbow or shoulder, difficulty in sitting or standing,
reluctance to jump, and decreased activity levels. Pet owners have a number of options for
improving their dog’s quality of life including a newer nutritional therapy
called hyaluronic acid.
In human medicine, some
doctors offer injections of an upgraded form of hyaluronic acid directly into
problematic joints (Current Opinions in
Rheumatology: Advancements in the Surgical and Alternative Treatment of
Arthritis). Human studies seem to
indicate that hyaluronic acid proves most effective in mild cases of
arthritis. In veterinary medicine,
nutritional supplements providing hyaluronic acid are most common. Supplements are available for both dogs
and horses. Because of its energetically stable
chemical structure, hyaluronic acid consumed by mouth (orally) travels
directly into the body without being broken down by
digestion. A supplement manufacturer
tested mammalian digestion by radiolabeling hyaluronic molecules and feeding
them to beagle dogs and wistar rats. They found that the body absorbs hyaluronic
acid in as little as 30 minutes and that absorption peaks at about five to
seven hours.
Glucosamine is a building
block that helps the body manufacture glycosaminoglycans,
a substance that works to maintain cartilage structure. Chondroitin helps attract water into cartilage
for added structural strength and joint lubrication. Chondroitin may also inhibit enzymes that
destroy cartilage. Other strategies for
reducing joint pain in dogs include: • Control
weight: obesity puts unnecessary pressure on joints. See Healing Springs for high
quality, weight control food and treats. • Improve
food quality: Foods high in corn, wheat, or soy (the primary ingredients in
low-cost dog foods) may increase joint inflammation and aggravate
arthritis. Give buying preference to
foods that have quality meat ingredients listed as the first (and therefore
most prominent) ingredient. For dogs
aged 7+, the vets of Healing Springs strongly recommend Science
Diet Senior which is enriched with glucosamine, chondroitin, antioxidants,
and other nutrition formulated to support joints, cartilage, and immunity. • Keep
your pets and horses warm and cozy. See “Thinking of Cats
and Dogs During Cold Weather” and “Care for Horses
in Cold Weather.” • Raise
food and water bowls to more ergonomically comfortable heights. • Give
your dog a massage. Most
dogs enjoy massages just as much as people do. Gently rub around affected joints and
surrounding muscles. The tactile
stimulation, heat from your hands, and possible improvement of muscle action
can help reduce discomfort. If you suspect that your pet
has arthritis, make a specific appointment or bring it up during your senior
wellness visit. A vet can give you
individual consultation on arthritis care.
In severe cases, a Healing Springs vet will devise for your pet a drug
regimen that will minimize the risk of future organ damage while maximizing
pain control. |
Conquer
K9, vet recommended for improving joint pain Dental Hygiene –
more important than many pet owners know Care for cats and
dogs during cold weather Order Pet ID Tags
conveniently online and get free shipping |
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The holidays sometimes
present new hazards and considerations for cats and dogs. Here are a few reminders that may make the
holidays more enjoyable for you and your pets. Uncooked Bread Dough: When pets consume bread
dough, the animal’s body heat causes the dough to rise in the animal’s
stomach. In addition to the size
problem, alcohol produced during the fermentation process can cause alcohol toxicosis. This is
primarily a problem for dogs that get on counters to steal bread dough, but
can also happen to a lesser extent when cooks give dough to dogs as treats. Pets who have
eaten dough may experience abdominal pain, bloat, vomiting, disorientation,
and/or depression. If you see these
signs in your pet, you may need to bring the pet to Healing Springs for
evaluation. Bones from Human Meals Healing Springs sees
multiple cases of problems caused by consuming ham bones, turkey bones, and
other bones from human meals. Bones
can cause choking or intestinal blockage.
They also can splinter and perforate the stomach or intestines. Cats Sometimes Eat Tinsel Mistletoe Can Be Toxic Don’t let pets nibble on
it. Keep mistletoe in high places such
as over doorways. If ingested in large
enough quantities, mistletoe can cause stomach irritation, excessive thirst
and urination, a drop in blood pressure and heart rate, seizures, coma, and
/or death. However, most cases of
mistletoe ingestion involve only a couple of sprigs and mild stomach upset
that resolves without treatment. Poinsettias Not Good, But Not So Bad The toxic effects of
poinsettia consumption may have been exaggerated in
the past. Studies show that cases of
poinsettia consumption have good outcomes, and that the effects of poinsettia
consumption are mild. If your cat or
other pet is nibbling on a poinsettia, take it away. Pets must consume a large volume of
poinsettia to cause serious effects. A
50lb dog would have to consume 1.25 lbs or 500 to 600 leaves to reach toxic
levels. The most common signs of
poinsettia consumption are vomiting, anorexia, and depression. The effects are self-limiting and typically
require minimal treatment. Dogs Can Sniff Out Food Gifts If just one of your gifts
under the tree contains food, don’t be surprised if
your dog chooses that gift to unwrap when you aren’t around. This can cause multiple problems from the
dog consuming packaging to the dog consuming chocolates or other candies that
are bad for pets. Large Amounts of When a pet consumes a large
amount of fat to which the body is not accustomed, an acute episode of pancreatitis can result.
Fat excess can result when humans serve pets a sizable portion of
turkey, roast beef, ham, etc. Pancreatitis is a painful, life-threatening inflammation of
the pancreas that forces digestive enzymes into the body cavity. Signs include severe vomiting, tense &
painful abdomen, tiredness, refusal to eat, refusal to drink. Chocolate Doesn’t Like Pets: Chocolate can be toxic to
pets – especially dark chocolate. For
more details on how chocolate affects pets, read the Halloween article
from October 2005 (second to last paragraph). |
Pet
enthusiasts should make Springboard their homepage Dogs’ Flea
Control Can Kill Cats |
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Humane Society’s Pet Tree
Attn: Pet Tree Submit photos size 4”x6” or smaller. Put a story on an index card. Pictures cannot be
returned. |
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The Animal Health Bulletin is a FREE service of (276) 236-5103 Visit our website at www.HealingSpringsAnimalHospital.com |
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Administrative: Request an article topic. Click
Here. To ask questions about a
specific pet, call Healing Springs at (276) 236-5103. You have permission to forward this bulletin in its
entirety to a friend. If you did not receive the Animal Health Bulletin
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distributed with the assistance of Brazzell Marketing Agency specializing in healthcare marketing. © BMA 2006 |
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