Holistic Look At Pancreatitis

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Dr. Becker is the resident proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian of HealthyPets.Mercola.com. 

You can learn holistic ways of preventing illness in your pets by subscribing to MercolaHealthyPets.com, an online resource for animal lovers. For more pet care tips, subscribe for FREE to Mercola Healthy Pet Newsletter.

OK, I Am A Sucker: We're Going Through With The SLIT

OK, I am a sucker. After a month of deliberation, we're going through with the sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT). I should have known better and just have agreed to it to start out with; could have saved myself the inner turmoil.

No, I am still not convinced that allergies are the cause behind Jasmine's episodes.

I really don't think so. I am sure—but am I right? That is the question.

If I don't think that allergies are really Jasmine's problem, why did I decide to agree to the testing and potentially the treatment? (We have to do the test first to find out whether Jasmine is a good candidate for the SLIT treatment or not)

Because I could be wrong. There would always be the question:

What if?

What if it really WAS allergies and the treatment could help Jasmine?

We love her vet for a reason. He is extremely smart, competent, and he really cares about Jasmine. He would also be the first one to tell us not to waste our money on something  he felt wouldn't have real benefit, or the money would be best spent elsewhere.

Is he right about the allergies?

I don't know. He believes so. I guess there is only one way to (potentially) find out. Potentially, because about 30% of dogs do not respond to immunotherapy, be it SLIT or injections. So there isn't much assurance that all this will lead anywhere.

Bottom line is, I couldn't bear passing on something that COULD help Jasmine.

The fact that we're not at all that convinced that allergies are to blame for Jasmine's episodes aside, other criteria which should be considered do check out.

1) Is the testing invasive or risky?

No, it's just a blood test and even though Jasmine hates getting her blood taking, there is no risk to her to speak of.

2) Is the treatment invasive or risky?

There is some risk with any treatment, but the allergy drops have reported as quite safe, and substantially safer than the injections.

3) Will the treatment improve Jasmine's quality of life?

Well, that is the question, isn't it? If allergies are causing her trouble after all, then it might.

The main reason we were struggling with this decision was

4) Will going through with the testing and treatment use up funds that might be more needed elsewhere?

To address this we decided to test for indoor/outdoor environmental allergies only at this time. That would bring the testing bit down to $300 plus whatever the cost of the proposed treatment ($135 or $195). It would be nice to revisit the food allergens as well, but since it is not pertinent to the SLIT treatment, it can wait.

So we're booking an appointment to get the blood drawn and then we'll have to wait and see whether Jasmine is a good candidate or not.

***

During our back and forth discussions with Jasmine's vet (God bless his patience) we revisited some of the other possible causes, and one of them kind of made it back on the table.

Could it be that Jasmine's episodes are caused by some kind of heart arrhythmia?

We know that there is nothing structurally wrong with her heart, but could it be an electrical problem? Something like that could certainly cause

• stress
• poor circulation in extremities (possible explanation for the paw chewing)
• could last a few hours or couple days
• could start at an early age

Not that I like that possibility better...

But it made its way back on the table and we are figuring out how to best confirm or exclude that one. Frankly, it would fit with my observations better than the allergies. But I'd still prefer if it was not it.

***

Note to self: you're a sucker, no point fighting it. Next time just get on with the program and save yourself the grief.

Related articles:
OK, I Am A Sucker: We're Going Through With The SLIT 
Jasmine's Episodes: Back To The Allergies Dilemma 
This Is What Jasmine's Episode Looks Like
Gotta Try Everything Once (Or Twice): On The Quest To Figure Out Jasmine's Episodes 
Thundershirt vs. Jasmine's Episodes
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Another Experience With VetLiveThe Diagnosis Is In: Jasmine Has An Interdigital Cyst
Jasmine's Mysterious Swelling And Interdigital Cyst Update  
Is Crawling Under Things Some Kind Of Secret Physical Therapy?  
Is There No Place Safe? Jasmine's Acupuncture Session
Senior Sensory Systems Function: Zero Defects  
It Looks Like A Keeper: Jasmine's New Integrative Vet 
Jasmine's Acute Lameness
Jasmine Doesn't Like "Doing Time"
Our Of Jail Free Pass
When It's Looks Too Good To Be True … The Lameness Returns
The Day Of The Treatment
First Time For Everything: A Healing Crisis(?)  
From Zero To Sixty In Four Days: Stem Cells At Work
The Calm After The Storm 
If It Was Easy, It Wouldn't Be Jasmine
Practicing What I Preach: Jasmine's Semi Annual Wellness Exam  
No Skimping On Oral Care   

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Meet Jasmine
I'm Still Standing! (Happy Birthday, Jasmine)
How Dogs Think (Well, Jasmine Anyway)
How The Oddysey Started: Jasmine's ACL Injury
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child!
Rant About Quality Of Life Versus Quantity, And Differential Diagnoses
Jasmine Is Headed For Her Next Stem Cell Treatment
Jasmine's Stem Cells Are In
Arthritis? What Arthritis? 
Guess Who Is An Ever-Ready Bunny And Really Liking The Bit Of Snow We Got? 
Don't Knock It Until You Tried It: Animal Chiropractic 
Jasmine's Fur Analysis
Back At Chiropractic Care

Veterinary Highlights: The Golden Idea For Prostate Cancer In Dogs?

Prostate cancer (adenocarcinoma) isn't very common (about 1% of all malignant tumors found in dogs) but it is aggressive with high incidence of metastases. It affects both intact and neutered dogs.

There has been no golden treatment for prostate cancer in dogs.

Surgery is typically not a good solution and traditional radiation treatment and high-dose chemotherapy, that is required, come with serious side effects. The treatment might destroy or shrink the tumor, but also damage vital organs.

What if the golden treatment was literally that—golden?



Scientists at MU College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a new type of treatment for prostate cancer in dogs, using radioactive gold nanoparticles. These nanoparticles can deliver the radiation treatment directly to the tumor, leaving other organs alone.

This could guarantee maximum therapeutic outcome with minimal side effects.

Certainly interesting research.

Source article:
Gold Nanoparticle Prostate Cancer Treatment Found Safe in Dogs, Study Shows

Further reading:
Gold nanoparticle cancer treatment in dogs has no observed side effects

Veterinarians Answer: What Do You Consider The Biggest Breakthrough In Veterinary Medicine?

Are you curious what veterinarians consider the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine? 

I broke the question into two parts:

a) what do they consider the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine of all times
b) what do they consider the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine in the last decade

Are you ready to find out?

I believe that the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine of all times is the distemper, parvo and rabies vaccines. Hands down these have saved more lives for puppies and dogs then anything else.

The biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine in the past decade is a toss up. Interestingly, considering my all time breakthrough, one of my choices  is the realization that we have been over vaccinating our pets and we have changed vaccine protocols.

Equally as important is the more wide acceptance of complementary and alternative medicine and therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, nutritional therapies, and equine and canine rehab.

—Dr. Daniel Beatty, DVM, Dog Kinetics
    Dr. Dan on Facebook and Twitter

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I think that the spay and neuter (surgical and the new chemical) procedures have been the biggest breakthrough in vet med, if you can call it that. I do believe the procedures are more of a game changer to the health of pets and the pet population worldwide than anything else.

As for this decade, the increasing prevalence of generic drugs available for pets. The barriers to allow pets access to non-brand name drugs have been extensive, and still are. Many vets have dug in their heels, and the bill requiring vets to provide prescriptions didn't get passed  (it did have some flaws indeed), but there are hundreds of generics now available for pets.

More importantly, attention has been drawn to this area and many vets are embracing this. Imagine that—veterinary medicine where vets get to practice medicine and not push Rimadyl off their shelves before it expires. I believe in another 10 years veterinary medicine will have advanced leaps and bounds in this regard, and I can't wait!

—Dr. Laci Schaible, DVM, VetLIVE
    Dr. Laci on Facebook and Twitter

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Vaccines have to be the biggest medical breakthrough of all time for animals be it those on 2 or 4 legs. It has caused the fading from the collective memory of the diseases that vaccination has pushed to the periphery of our awareness. This has somewhat unfairly left issues related to side effects, real or imagined, more forefront in the current lexicon than they warrant.

However standing back and considering the effect to the individual , the population, and the economy of the diseases that vaccination has controlled more than overcomes the negatives, real or perceived. Diseases that vaccination has controlled include, Rabies, Tetanus, Distemper, Parvovirus,Kennel Cough, Brucellosis, Small pox ,Polio, Equine Rhinopeumonitis, Atrophic Rhinitis, Feline Leukaemia, Infectious Laryngitis-Tracheitis , Newcastle's Disease, Infectious Bursal Disease, Erysipelas, Leptospirosis, Measles, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis ,Anthrax, Botulism, Rinderpest., and many many more.

Not only have these listed diseases been managed, currently and in the future there are vaccine solutions being pursued for types of cancer, parasites like malaria, and therapies  derived from vaccine technology are being  adapted to deliver gene therapy for inherited diseases.

The big leap forward recently would be the general improvement in parasite management. With rare exceptions parasites can be readily controlled with the products available now. Fleas, Heartworm, Hookworms, Roundworms, Strongyles, Warbles, Lice, Whipworms, Tapeworms, Sarcoptes, Ear mites and so on are parasites that succumb to the currently available products..  Admittedly some parasite diseases also require rigorous management of population densities, care in mixing different generations and identification of those individuals lacking in innate resistance. That being said the impact of parasites on the development of other secondary diseases such as allergies, anemia, hypoproteinemia, starvation, intestinal obstruction, heart -lung disease, and so on is now a rare rather than common event.

—Dr. Rae Worden, DVM , Fergus Veterinary Hospital
    Dr. Rae on Facebook and Twitter

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I thought long and hard on this one.

I decided to narrow down the list by just sticking to veterinary exclusive products, (those designed for pets only... Because so much of our products have trickled over from the human side).

I think the biggest breakthrough in vet medicine of all time is vaccines. Can you imagine where we would be without a rabies vaccine? Or distemper? Or any if the rest of them. I am lucky enough to have not had to practice during the times before "routine vaccines" were available. I don't know if my heart could endure watching whole litters of  puppies die from what we now consider "preventable diseases."

I think the last ten years biggest breakthrough is micro-chipping. At my clinic I provide them for free to every patient because I have witnessed first hand how many lives it saves. Tragically many pets never find their homes if they end up at a shelter. Those with micro-chips have a considerably better chance of being reunited with their family if they have a micro-chip. I tell my clients that it costs me $12 bucks to give it to them for free, and that I hope they never need it, but if they do it will be there for both of them.

If I could answer part B with the greatest breakthrough in the last 25 years I would say flea & tick and heartworm preventatives. They to have saved millions of pets lives AND provided a safe, effective, and easy way to control the parasites our pets face daily.

—Dr. Krista Magnifico, DVM, Diary of a Real-Life Veterinarian
    Dr. Krista on Twitter

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In my mind the biggest breakthrough (the one that has had the greatest impact on the largest number of animals) in the last decade was the discovery that taurine deficiency was the major cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (a uniformly fatal disease) in cats.

Perhaps I am biased because Dr. Paul Pion who was one year behind me in veterinary school at Cornell made this discovery. With the addition of taurine to commercially prepared cat foods, dilated cardiomyopathy in cats has virtually disappeared.

In terms of all times....... I would say vaccinations have saved more lives than anything else.

—Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM, Speaking for Spot
    Dr. Kay on Facebook and Twitter

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I think the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine of all times is when (many) animals made the transition from being tools to companions. This freed veterinarians from being something akin to mechanics (e.g., why pay to fix the mouser when I can get a new one for less) to actually practicing medicine because the individual in question has inherent value.

The biggest breakthrough in the last ten years is regenerative medicine, in other words the use of a patients own stem cells to repair damaged tissue. I think we are on the cusp of something truly revolutionary and am beyond excited to see where this field of study is going to take us.

—Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM, Fully Vetted

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The biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine...in my opinion would be the use of diagnostic imaging such as MRI, ultrasounds and digital radiography.  Allows us to get a better appreciation of what is going on with our patients while minimizing the invasive nature of many procedures.

The biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine over the past decade....in my opinion it would be proper and adequate pain recognition and treatment.  There has been a lot more research recently in how to assess pain in our patients and how to adequately treat the animals level of pain.

—Dr. Roxane Pardiac, DVM

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The biggest breakthroughs in the last 30 years are the parvo vaccine and ivermectin.

In the last 20 years would be Frontline / Advantage and/or Rimadyl.

In the last 10, social media. :)

—Dr. Greg Magnusson, DVM (Leo's Daddy), Leo's Pet Care
    Dr. Greg on Facebook and Twitter

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The biggest breakthrough of veterinary medicine of all time is the concept of vaccination. If you made me choose the most important veterinary vaccine of all time, it is the rabies vaccine.

The biggest breakthrough of the past ten years is more difficult! My top one is advances in anesthetic safety.

Also big are the melanoma vaccine and other cancer prevention and treatment advances, heartworm treatment advances, digital radiography and improved nutrition for dogs, cats and small mammals.

—Dr. Shawn M. Finch, DVM, Riley & James 
    Dr. Shawn on Twitter

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Is that what you expected or did the answers surprise you? What do YOU think has been the biggest breakthrough in veterinary medicine?

Is there a question you would love to hear the answer to?

Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Suffixes (-oma)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed the same way. Just like with any other words, the main parts of veterinary terms are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically originate from Greek or Latin.

The suffix is the bit that will tell you about what procedure, condition, disease or disorder you're dealing with.

-oma [oma] from Greek - swelling, mass, tumor

This is probably the most despised of all veterinary (and medical) suffixes, because it's associated with cancer. What the suffix itself really tells you, though, is that there is a lump or bump. Nothing more.

Not all medical terms that end with -oma mean a death sentence.

For example, a hematoma (hemo - blood) stands for a localized swelling caused by accumulation of blood due to damage of a blood vessel(s). An ear hematoma is really just a bruise gone wild. Seroma is similar, except it's a pocket of fluid/serum, rather than blood.

Aural hematoma. Image Pet Doctor Mom

A glaucoma is a condition caused by increased pressure in the eye. It's not a good thing but it is not cancer either.

What about the masses and tumors?

What does the word tumor mean anyway? A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue. That by itself doesn't tell you whether the tumor is benign (mostly harmless) or malignant (cancerous).

A good example of a mostly harmless tumor is a lipoma. Lipoma is a fatty growth which can generally cause problems only when it gets in a way or when it has something else hiding inside it.

Papilloma (papillomatosis) is a wart-like growth, typically caused by a virus.

Papilloma. Photo Organic Pet Digest

Some tumors can go either way.

For example, mammary gland tumors in dogs can be both either benign or malignant. Hair follicle tumors (trichoepitheliomas and pilomatricomas) are generally benign, but not always.

Melanomas (tumors of melanin/pigment producing cells) can be either benign or malignant.

Unfortunately, some tumors are always evil.

For example, a lymphoma (lymphosarcoma), a cancer of lymphocyte cells (type of white blood cells); Jasmine's best buddy died of that.

Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, very evil, unfortunately the most common bone tumor in dogs.

Some -omas are evil, but not all. Before getting a heart attack at the sound of the suffix, find out what exactly you're dealing with.

Other suffixes:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)

Tucker Gets His Life Back With Stem Cell Therapy

by Vet-Stem

Tucker was a 4 year old Boxer who was EXPLOSIVE in his energy level.  He would run and play outside for 4-6 hours a day.  One day he saw a cat and followed it off a 12 foot embankment at a dead run.

He sailed through the air and when he landed his right rear leg buckled.  

When he got up he was limping and it got worse after a few days, so his pet parents took him to the vet and he was put on anti-inflammatory medication.

This went on and off for the next 12 months as his hind leg deteriorated to the point that he could not walk up steps and stopped playing outside.  

He did not want to go on walks anymore, other than to go outside and take care of business.  His pet parents were scared that he would not be able to walk at all in 6-12 more months.

Then they found out about Vet-Stem and, 1 month past his 5th birthday, Tucker got his stem cell treatment.

Well, it took 6 months to fully take effect, but Tucker was back to his old self of running, jumping, and playing for hours outside.  

It's been almost three years since Tucker had the treatment and he is like a young Boxer again.

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Since its formation in 2002, Vet-Stem has endeavored to improve the lives of animals through regenerative medicine. As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, Vet-Stem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine.

 Looking to the future, Vet-Stem is actively investigating stem cell therapy for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, as well as organ disease and failure. Vet-Stem works with its human medicine partners in the hope that Vet-Stem’s work in the veterinary field will lead to advances in human medical treatment, so that both animal and owner will reap the benefits of these efforts in the form of a markedly improved quality of life.


You can follow latest Vet-Stem news on Arthritis in Dogs Blog
or connect with Vet-Stem on Facebook or Twitter

Related articles:
In The Beginning There Was Fat: From Vanity To Revolutionary Therapy 
Digging Deeper: The Science Behind Adipose Derived Stem Cell Therapy
Stem Cells for Dogs? Oh yeah, baby!
Interview with Dr. Robert J. Harman, D.V.M., M.P.V.M. - CEO and founder of Vet-Stem
Jasmine is Vet-Stem's poster child! 
Zeus Gets Stem Cell Treatment 
Jasmine Is Headed For Her Next Stem Cell Treatment 
Jasmine's Stem Cells Are In 
Running With The Wind: Trago's Elbow Dysplasia Surgery And Stem Cell Treatment
Were All Stem Cell Treatments Created Equal? 

Adoption Monday: Selena, Labrador Retriever Mix, Deerfield, NH

Check out this wonderful girl at Mary's Dogs Rescue & Adoption!

Selena is a sweet and amazing girl. 

She is a 1-2 year old black Lab mix and she is as sweet as can be. 

She walks calmly on the leash and she is gentle; an absolute darling.  Selena is house trained, spayed and up-to-date with routine shots.

Want more info on Selena? Call Mary's Dogs: 603.370.7750 or send along an email: marysdogsrescue@gmail.com

Ready to bring Selena home? Tell us about yourself and your interest in Selena in our adoption questionnaire. Check out all the wonderful dogs on Mary's Dogs Facebook Fan Page.

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Mary’s Dogs rescues and re-homes dogs and puppies from Aiken County Animal Shelter, a high-kill shelter in South Carolina, USA. They also serve as a resource to communities in Southern New Hampshire and pet owners nationwide by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition.