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Hug A Grey For a Happy Father's Day |
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VoI 11, issue 2 |
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June 2006 |
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ALTERNATIVE CARE By Carole Oglesbee Approximately eight years ago, I had the great opportunity to meet up with a couple who ran a pet therapy organization that I was interested in joining with my greyhounds. I not only enjoyed the couple as friends but also enjoyed about five years of pet therapy activity. As Greyhound rescue became something that took up most of my time, little time was left for other activities, and I had to discontinue the pet therapy. However, being involved with this wonderful Golden Retriever owning couple, led me to another encounter. I was introduced to a marvelous chiropractor whose practice included horses and various breeds of canines. I started having Dr. Butch come to my home to work on my ex-racing greyhounds. The difference in their well being was nothing short of spectacular. My first greyhound, Addie, had a very bad neck problem. She would literally meet her new “best” friend at my front door and not let him enter the house until he worked on her. She knew he could make her feel so very much better. To this day, I’m sure that I had Miss Addie for two years longer than I might have had I not pursued monthly chiropractic care for her. One thing led to another as I began telling everyone who would listen about the benefits of chiropractic care for greyhounds. Before I realized it, we were holding regular clinics at my home. Eight years later many things have changed. I have moved as has the clinic location. Dr Butch specializes in horses with the exception of getting together with our greyhounds each month. We often have twenty to thirty greyhounds come through on clinic night in order to obtain help. Many need only one or two treatments to line everything up after the rigors of racing. Some do need additional treatments, such as my Addie, but the comfort and well being for our greys is worth the monthly visits. As many of you are aware, the Needle Nose Crew assisted with the IVAS Acupuncture Conference held in San Diego at the beginning of this year. To our delight, this second time around at the conference for the NNC brought an added bonus we had not counted on. We met up with Dr. Caroline, a vet from right here in our own Orange County back yard, who was taking the extensive acupuncture program offered by IVAS. Adding Dr. Caroline’s services to our monthly clinics were quickly arranged. Now, acupuncture takes much longer to administer than chiropractic which means that only four or five greys can be seen on a monthly basis. However, since Dr. Caroline is in the process of building her acupuncture practice, she will do home follow-up visits with those greys who need treatments on a bi-weekly or weekly basis. We are so very fortunate to have Dr. Butch and Dr. Caroline with us on a monthly basis. We can discuss our greyhounds’ health and look at alternative medical practices that might be of benefit to our loving companions. One very important factor that is prevalent during our sessions is that both our experts do not hesitate to let us know if we need to make appointments for our greys with our regular veterinarians. It is this combination of health care for our greys that has kept so many of them comfortable and well for long periods of time. We encourage all of you to consider having your greys evaluated by either or both of our alternative medical experts. It is your choice as to whether you proceed with any recommended treatments. However, it is to your and your greyhound’s benefits to at least check the clinics out. If you are interested, please e-mail me at gogreys@juno.com or call me at 949 552-1373. I’ll be more than happy to review the details of the clinics with you. COENZYME Q10 By Linda Brown This little jewel, better known to us all as CoQ10, is a vitamin like substance whose actions in the body resemble those of Vitamin E. But CoQ10 is an even more powerful antioxidant. CoQ10 plays a critical role in the production of energy in every cell in the body... aiding circulation, stimulating the immune system, increasing tissue oxygenation, and improving anti-aging properties. Deficiencies of CoQ10 have been linked to periodontal disease, diabetes and muscular dystrophy. CoQ10 has been a giant step forward in the treatment and prevention of heart disease. It can single handedly lower blood pressure without any additional medications. It has been proven that CoQ10 will strengthen the heart muscle - so if you have a pet that has been diagnosed with a heart murmur, this is the supplement for you. Other benefits include it's ability to relieve the symptoms of allergies, asthma and other respiratory diseases. But the primary uses of CoQ10 are for the heart and preventing gum disease (which we all know is a real problem with our greys). Natural sources of CoQ10 are mackerel, salmon and sardines. These contain the largest amounts of this nutrient. Beef, peanuts and spinach are also sources, but have less CoQ10 in them than the fish. If you read my Essential Fatty Acids article (February 2006), you can see how this all fits in together. Caution: Be careful when purchasing CoQ10. Not all products offer it in its purest form. It's natural color is dark bright yellow to orange, and the softgel capsules are the preferred form. It must be kept away from heat as it is perishable above 115°. Look for a brand that has a small amount of Vitamin E used to preserve the CoQ10. Maintenance dosage for both pets and humans: 50mg daily To lower blood pressure: 150mg daily (without any other medications). If you are already on blood pressure meds and want to go natural, make sure you consult with your physician or with a Homeopathic Doctor to get a 'change-over' regimen that will be safe for you. HERBAL CAUTIONS By Linda Brown As a footnote to my articles, I would like to elaborate on the following: I get a lot of calls and e-mails regarding natural supplements for our hounds, as well as for people, involving various ailments. Most of the time, my recommendations work well. However, let me be clear on this: I am not a vet nor would I ever be so egotistical to presume the same. I have been deeply involved with greyhounds for over 17 years and researching herbal remedies for over 14 years. That does not make me an expert, but it does make me experienced – and I am still learning! You all know that greyhounds are much different than any other breed of dog - and that, in itself, is a greyt thing. But with that comes a responsibility to know all we can regarding their health issues. I have found that with greyhounds, LESS is better. Remember, whatever you put into your pet's body (as well as your own), must be assimilated (processed) and dealt with by all the organs involved - bad or good. So when I recommend a dosage on a 'good' supplement, it's for a reason. Even too much of a 'good' thing can end up having a detrimental effect. As an example: If you think 50mg of CoQ10 is good for Fido - then 100mg will be better for him. WRONG! Whatever your hound eats, whatever meds or herbs you give them and whatever you put on their skin, goes directly into their blood stream. Greys have no fat cells to absorb the excess of anything - good or bad. And one more thing, if you read that a certain natural supplement is good for - let's say cancer - contact me or a homeopathic vet before giving it to your pet. For example: The newest craze is Turmeric - proclaimed to be a miracle cancer treatment. So after a few calls on this - I did my research. Turmeric is a good anti-cancer herb… just not for osteosarcoma. Turmeric seems to directly target uterine tumors. Unless someone out there has an unspayed female - this herb is useless for the types of cancer our hounds seem to develop. Herbs are powerful medicine and they do have side effects. So please, do your research before giving your beloved pet a natural supplement.
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Walk Around the Lake Come join our Wednesday night walks. We meet at Lake and Barranca in the Waters parking lot in Irvine at 6PM. Our scenic stroll around North Woodbridge Lake takes about an hour. Everyone is welcome. |
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Submit an article for publication. Send your story and pictures to: Editor, Needle Nose Notes 4857 Royce Road, Irvine, CA 92612 or, e-mail to:
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Contributions and donations are always welcome. Please send to: Needle Nose Crew P.O. Box 3012, Laguna Hills, CA 92654-3012 for more information e-mail to:
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