Min-Pin with Congenital Disc Disease

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Dr. Colleen Smith

Louie, our  6 3/4 year old miniature pinscher, has congenital disc disease, a fused spine and pancreatitis.  He is male, neutered, and normal weight.  He eats Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat Low Fiber Canned food.  I don’t like the inferior ingredients, but it is the only food he can tolerate. His stools are good and he urinates more frequently now on his medication.  He has been on prednisolone for almost two years and may
have Cushing’s disease his vet now believes from it.   We have the dosage down to 1/2 tablet (4 mg) of prednisolone every three days.   I have been giving him Mercola’s digestive enzymes and his heartburn and digestive problems have improved greatly.  He is
also on Omega 3 oil…1/4 teaspoon every day.

He became unable to walk for 6 weeks and we were told this would happen and he would need a cart as they could not operate on his 5 or 6 discs because of his severely fused together spine.  The Omega 3 and God’s grace got him walking and up on his feet again…nothing short of a miracle…even in the vet’s eyes.   I would like to give him antioxidants to improve his health.  I read milk thistle is not good to take with prednisolone.     I want to boost his immune system, which is much more vulnerable being on  the prednisolone.   I have to be careful with his pancreatitis and his prednisolone.  The prednisolone they say keeps him walking, and he will never be able to get off of it,  but I hope to be able to get him off it completely some day.  He is so anxious and angry and not himself when he takes it.  The first day his behavior is so aggressive.  Thank you for your time.

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. It’s good to hear your dog is doing
well though being on steroids for two years is very detrimental to his overall
health. Has your vet considered placing Louie on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
medication instead? If you are concerned about the liver and milk thistle you
may offer CurcuVet by Thorne. It does not contain milk thistle but is great for
hepatic support and joint health. You may also offer Immugen by Thorne it is a
great formula for immune system function and cellular support.

Louie is an excellent candidate for acupuncture and chiropractic treatments. I highly
suggest you take Louie to a holistic vet as they can help with whole body health. His diet should be addressed as well, as an optimal diet makes a vast differenceon intervertebral disc health. Best of luck.
Regards,

ColleenSmith DVM, CVA, CVCP

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Dosing Option – Use Smaller Capsules

Posted on February 8, 2012 by hpiadmin

I just ordered Immugen for my cat with the bad fungal problem and I just wanted to let you know that I went to the health food store and purchased x-small empty gelatin capsules to administer the powder.  It works great.  I just open the empty one and put half of the power in and closed it up.  I opened my cats mouth, put it down the back of his throat and down it went.

This worked like a charm!  Didn’t have to try and disguise it or use a syringe and liquid to get it down his throat.  Now we just have to wait and see how the product works on Lucky. Being into natural products, I am hoping this will be the answer for him.  I am not ready to put him down yet…

Sincerely, DJ

Great idea DJ! We have many pet parents who have suggested this method.  Holistic Pet Info carries oral dosage syringes, maybe we should start carrying empty capsules as well!

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Omega 3s in Fish Oil Supplements

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Dr. Colleen Smith

Do you recommend Flaxseed in a raw diet? If so, do you carry a product you recommend? I can’t seem to find it on your site?
Thank you, Debra
A Happy Customer

Hello Debra,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info.  Flax seed is primarily used as a supplement for its Omega 3 benefits. You may offer it with a raw diet but it’s much more digestible in milled form than whole seed.  You can find it at your local health food store.

If you are offering it for Omega 3 properties (anti-inflammatory and immune support) you may want to consider fish oil instead. It has higher levels of Omega 3s and is more palatable than flax seed. I recommend Animal Essentials Fish Oil or Super EPA.

Please keep in mind if you are preparing a raw diet that it is balanced with calcium, vitamin and mineral supplements. Best of luck.

Regards,

Colleen Smith DVM, CVA

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Cats Vomiting After Digestive Enzymes Added to Food

Posted on February 7, 2012 by hpiadmin

One of our customers emailed us to report that some of her cats (she has 24) began vomiting after they were given NaturVet’s Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics and/or OptaGest.  One of the cats had blood in their vomit.  We replied that this is not normal and to stop administering the supplements and take the cats to their veterinarian.  A week later, we received an email from her saying all the cats were fine, that after a few days, most of them vomited up a rather large hairball. Her vet commented that the digestive enzymes were “cleansing” the stomach and that sometimes a blood vessel can be broken in the process, thus the blood in the vomit.  Our customer reports that the cats are now taking the enzymes regularly and “feel good.”

Holistic Pet Info sells quite a lot of both supplements and this is the first time we have received a report of cats vomiting after taking these supplements.   As with any medicine, it is important to watch for any changes in your pet’s health and/or behavior after taking a new supplement.

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Vitamin C is Safe for Dogs

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Dr. Colleen Smith

I want to give my miniature pinscher an antioxidant supplement.  I have read that Vitamin C can be harmful to a MinPin.  I have then read the contrary on this page under the sub-heading Vitamin C:  http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=vitamins Could you tell me if it is harmful to supplement my miniature pinscher’s diet with vitamin C?

I am aware that dogs make their own vitamin C, so there is no need to supplement them with it, but can it be harmful to some dogs?

Thank you. JV

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Vitamin C works with vitamin E and helps regenerate vitamin E, potentiating its antioxidant effect. Vitamin C supplementation does no harm, since the excess is excreted through the kidney. If a dog has kidney disease or compromised kidneys, then supplemental Vitamin C is not recommended.

While dogs produce vitamin C in their bodies (unlike human beings and guinea pigs who must have it in their diet), under stress or disease, they may need vitamin C in excess of their manufacturing capacity. In excessive dose, vitamin C can cause flatulence and diarrhea.

I am not familiar with Vitamin C being an issue with MinPins in any Veterinary Medical research literature. Just as with people, there can be individual issues with foods and supplements for canines. The toxicity issues in other breeds are minerals and vitamins that are not water soluble and therefore stored in the body.

Ideally Vitamin C should not be an issue if the dog is on a well balance home cooked or raw diet. Fortunately, there are now excellent commercial dehydrated raw diets available for dogs and cats. Best of luck.

Regards,

Colleen Smith DVM, CVA, CVCP

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PetAlive Formulas – Amount of Individual Ingredients

Posted on November 30, 2011 by hpiadmin

Dear Holistic Pet Info,

Why don’t you include the amount (in IUs or mg.) of the ingredients that are in your PetAlive products? I would like to try your formulas but don’t know if I will be giving my pet too much of an herb that he is already taking.

Note: We sent this question to the manufacturer of the PetAlive products and here is the response from Native Remedies:

The exact proportions of the ingredients in our remedies are proprietary information. You can be assured however that all ingredients in our products are present in the recommended therapeutic dose according to the relevant Materia Medica. We can let you know single ingredient amounts if your pet is currently on other supplements.

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Poodle with IBD and Shellfish Allergies

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Dr. Colleen Smith

Hi Julie:
I am concerned about giving my little 5 lb poodle Gastriplex, per the warning about the shellfish—–she has the stomach/small intestine IBD that involves occasional vomiting & “crinkle tummy” (she was on Sensitive stomach Eukanuba & egg diet, which I discontinued after the Eukanuba recall).  Then I tried for one day the Blue Basics which contains salmon and she was very sick with crinkle tummy almost immediately.  We then tried a brown rice with egg diet , adding a VERY strong probioitc – this put her in the hospital with vomiting 2 weeks ago (too much egg yolk).

Her doctor switched her to Gerber’s chicken baby food to which we have slowly added fresh carrots & fresh boiled potatoes, with excellent results—–thus her system is full of probiotic—-her poops are now fully formed. 

I am really frightened of rocking the boat now & giving her something with shellfish that might make her vomit. 

Dear Pam,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info.  Gastriplex does contains N-Acetyl glucosamine that is derived from the outer shells of shellfish. Pets (and people) with shellfish allergies are allergic to the meat of shellfish, not the shell and so N-Acetyl Glucosamine does not usually cause an allergic reaction.  However, your poodle appears to have a very sensitive digestive system so you might consider one of the other probiotic supplements we carry — Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probioics or Complete Probiotics forPets.

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PetAlive Products Contain Lactose?

Posted on November 10, 2011 by hpiadmin

I see that Lactose is listed as an inactive ingredient in many of the PetAlive products you sell. I thought that most adult cats are lactose intolerant. Won’t this upset their digestive system?

We contacted Native Remedies, the manufacturer of PetAlive products and here is their response:

You will be pleased to know that the amount of lactose contained in our remedy is so minute that even lactose intolerant animals safely take this remedy with no adverse reactions. You can therefore feel quite confident in using Native Remedies as your trusted supplier of herbal and homeopathic medicines.

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FiV Positive Cat with Conjunctivitis

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Dr. Colleen Smith

My FiV positive cat has all the symptoms of conjunctivitis –  the redness is on the lower area of eyeball. It’s only his left eye, his right eye is clear. He’s had a runny eye for a couple of days but  today it has gotten worse: 1, Runny eye, some discharge,  gunk at times
2. Can see swollen third eye
3. Bottom of eyeball when I lifted lid is red

What does it sound like to you?  Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,   K.

Hello,

Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Unfortunately without examining your cat’s eyes I can’t make a diagnosis. With an FIV positive cat it could be a chronic issue because the immune system is suppressed by the virus. Often FIV positive cats have calici or herpes virus in the eyes and immune support is the best course. But if it is an eye infections antibiotics are the best treatment. Please keep in mind that cats can also get corneal ulcers and that is an emergency because it can cause the eye to rupture if untreated.

I would suggest you go to a holistic vet in your area that can monitor the FIV and work with you to support your cat’s immune system and help treat outbreaks.  The American Holistic Veterinarian Medical Association (www.ahvma.org) has a directory of holistic vets.  Best of luck.

Regards,

Colleen Smith DVM, CVA, CVCP

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Vitamin A Levels for Cats and Dogs

Posted on November 8, 2011 by hpiadmin

I’ve read that too much Vitamin A can be toxic to animals. I want to give my dog Ocu-Clear but I’m concerned about the Vitamin A. The minimum daily requirement for Vitamin A for dogs is 50 IU/lb. or 1,250 IU daily for a 25 lb dog. The toxic level of Vitamin A is 2,500 IU /lb or 62,500 IU for a 25 lb. dog. One capsule of Ocu-Clear contains 7,500 IUs  so you would be well within the safe dosage level.

Additionally,  the level of Vitamin A in Ocuclear is safe for cats also.  The minimum daily dose of Vitamin A for cats is 2272 IU/lb of food consumed on a dry matter basis.  The toxicity level is 340,900 IU/lb of food consumed on a dry matter basis.  What this means is that if your cat eats 1 cup of dry food (8 oz or 1/2 pound) then the toxicity level of vitamin A is 170,450 IU.

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