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  • Drugs For Arthritic Dogs – Are There Alternatives?

    Folks want natural solutions for their pets as much as they do for themselves – we frequently field questions like the following from regular reader and correspondent Ann who writes:

    Hi again
    Am wondering if you could suggest something for my dog.  She is around 12 years old and getting very stiff.  She does have the cardio and regular vitamins.  Some of the stiffness is arthritis and occasional limping. especially from an old truck accident before she came to live with me.  I have tried Metacam and that worked for awhile.   The next step is Remadyl (?sp) and I am hesitant to use that.
    Thank you, Ann

    We are NOT vets, and cannot legally offer veterinary advice – but we do have animals – dogs, cats, chickens, – and we love our pets and give them the best care possible.

    Hi Ann,

    As you know, we are not veterinarians – so we cannot offer professional veterinary advice. Having said that, here are my personal thoughts on the matter as a person who belongs to 3 dogs and 3 cats. (certainly they are all quite sure where “ownership” resides…) This is my personal, non-professional opinion only, of course…

    The Pet Cardio and Dog Vities that we have on our website are a great start – we have them there because we keep them for our own animals.

    Much of the troubles that our animals have can be traced back to their high-carbohydrate diets – our pets (dogs and cats) are primarily carnivores – they eat mainly meat – and that is what they are genetically designed for. A return to a high-protein, high-fat diet will likely help. Ask your butcher for “cutting scraps” – fat, gristle, and non-people-grade meat bits – and cut these up into cubes and try feeding that to your dog – I’m betting she’ll love it! The increased protein will give her the raw materials her body needs for healing, and the increased fat intake will provide the raw materials that her body will use to naturally produce such things as steroid hormones. Beware of feeding “trans-fats” to your animals the same as you would beware of eating them yourself – they are poison in our opinion as they so adversely affect cellular structure.

    Next, when it comes to joint care, many of the same supplements that we would suggest for us humans will be helpful for your dog. Glucosamine Sulfate, (be sure you get the “real deal” – the fully reacted molecule as found in products containing “Glucosapure” – a patented form of glucosamine), MSM, flax oil, and fish oil are all very beneficial for the joints. Nutritional brewers yeast is also reported to be very good.

    Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that seems to have some serious concerns surrounding it – some people have had excellent experiences with it, while many others have had less happy outcomes with the drug – some even attributing the death of their pet to the use of the drug. All the NSAIDs (and Metacam is also a NSAID and shares the same possible side effects) have the potential to produce some very serious side effects including G.I bleeding, nausea, loss of appetite, blood clotting problems, liver or kidney problems, and others. The FDA has issued an informational brochure discussing NSAID use in animals – find it here: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/506_nsaid.html

    Personally, I would avoid the use of NSAIDs in any animal of mine. I would be more likely to use Bromelain for our animals if they needed an anti-inflammatory, and it also has the happy side-benefit of aiding digestion. Better yet would be the product Nutri-Joint For Pets.
    Though 12 years old is certainly going on being “senior” for many dogs, there is no reason that you cannot improve her health and stiffness with some careful diet changes and supplementation. As her stiffness improves she will be more willing to play and exercise, which will strengthen her muscles and improve her health and mobility even more.

    Let me know how she does!

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

  • Can’t Afford Natural Care And Treatments – So What To Do?

    We encounter this same problem, the same requests, over and over and over. The problem is that natural, holistic medical care and therapies and treatments are not generally covered by most "insurance" plans, and because of this many people do without natural care since they simply refuse to pay for it out of their own pockets. How sad. These people will subject themselves to all sorts of toxic, risky conventional Big Pharma drugs and treatments simply because they can have them without having to shell out much of their own hard-earned cash.

    Recently a woman called here for advice – reassurance actually, that the nuclear scan that she was scheduled to undergo would be as harmless as her conventional doctor and the technicians were telling her. This woman is concerned, and rightly so – regular readers of HealthBeat are aware that neither Dr. Myatt nor I are big fans of willy-nilly x-rays, scans, and other radiological examinations that use ionizing radiation.

    Kathy called here in the late afternoon of a busy day wanting extensive advise – I told her I would discuss her situation with Dr. Myatt and get back to her by email later that evening. She then emailed an hour or two later to take me to task for not emailing sooner and left messages on our answering service expressing her disappointment at my failure to email more promptly – here is part of the exchange:

    Hi,
    I spoke earlier to someone about my thyroid concerns. I have nodules in in both thyroids and am scheduled for a pill tomorrow [for a nuclear scan of the thyroid]     at 9am. I spoke to someone about this earlier and was told I would get info in my mail this eve but have not. I have other pressing health concerns and am taking loads of tests. I don’t have much money but I am in desperate need of advice. The problem is conventional medicine is limited and natural medicine is expensive and doesn’t take my insurance, so I suffer. I am so terribly upset and anxious.
    thank you, Kathy

    Dr. Myatt and I did eventually discuss Kathy – over a late working supper here in the office – and this was my answer to her late that same evening:

    Hi Kathy,

    Sorry for the delay in sending this email – our patient day ran late, and then Dr. Myatt and I had considerable conferencing and debriefing to do with regard to the day’s patient’s. This is the first opportunity we’ve had to discuss your call.

    Nodules / cysts / lumps / bumps in the thyroid and in other organs are very common in persons who are deficient in iodine. Thyroid problems can also occur in persons who consume too much iodine, though in North America this is a rarity. Please see our webpage where we discuss iodine: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/Iodine.htm The thyroid is a very important gland – and perhaps less prone to "cancer" than conventional medicine would have us believe. Please see our page discussing the thyroid here: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/hypothyroid.htm

    Your nuclear scan that you have scheduled for tomorrow morning is unlikely to reveal much beyond what you know already from the ultrasound examination that you described to me over the phone. The most likely result of this test will be a recommendation that you undergo a biopsy. Our recommendation might be (in such an instance) that you could consider having a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy performed under Ultrasound Guidance. Many nodules, cysts, lumps, and bumps on the thyroid resolve quickly when a person is given optimal supplementation with natural forms of iodine.

    An iodine test (see: http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/medicaltests.htm#IODINE) will quickly and inexpensively provide some definitive information in this regard and allow guided recommendations to be made for optimal supplementation. Surprisingly, a great many other physical complaints may be found to improve with optimal intake of iodine as well.

    Hope this helps,

    Cheers,
    Nurse Mark

    I followed up with Kathy, in reply to her telephone calls, to offer her the opportunity for a very brief (and inexpensive – ie: at reduced cost) consultation with Dr. Myatt on her lunch hour. It became quite clear that Kathy was not willing to spend any of her own money but rather wanted a free consultation and reassurance that the scan that her conventional doctor was promoting and that her conventional medical insurance was willing to pay for would be entirely harmless and safe.

    My final advise to Kathy? Have the conventional scan; for it is clear that while she claims to want alternatives, she does not want them badly enough to find the money to pay for them. Conventional medicine will provide her with conventional drugs that will cause conventional side effects, conventional scans and x-rays with conventional risks, and conventional surgical treatments with conventional outcomes – all paid for by conventional insurance. Is this the very best health care? Not in our opinion – but at least it’s covered by conventional "disease insurance" and for people like Kathy that is what really matters.

    As Dr. Myatt and I talked about Kathy’s situation she recalled a similar situation that she encountered a few years ago: A attractive, active woman in her 30’s came to see Dr. Myatt in her clinic. She was seeking help with her very severe colitis – so severe that her conventional doctors wanted to remove her colon and leave her with a permanent colostomy. Now, in conventional medicine colitis is a very difficult disease to deal with – but for us, with natural, holistic approaches, it is usually able to be controlled and resolved – even (dare I say it?) cured fairly quickly. The surgical removal of the colon is not something we would considered to be a humane or ethical option. This woman listened to Dr. Myatts explanation of what treatment would entail, and then asked the fateful question: "Will this be covered by my insurance?" The answer of course was "No." That was all this attractive, active young woman needed to hear – for her natural treatment was now no longer an option, and she would return forthwith to her conventional doctor to have a barbaric surgery committed and to spend the rest of her life defecating into a plastic bag glued to the side of her abdomen. All because "insurance will pay for it!" How sad.

    "I’ve been sick", "I’m on disability ’cause I can’t work", "I have no money because I’m sick, on disability, and can’t work" – we hear this refrain daily. My answer? Gee, sorry – my heart goes out to you. But let’s be honest: i
    f you really want to be well, get back to work, and get back to earning money, you’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that – even if it means finding the money from your own pocket for natural, non-insurance-paid health care, maybe even if it means taking a loan from family to pay.

    After all, if your car broke down you would find the money to fix it, right? So that you could use it to visit your doctor for that insurance-paid conventional treatment… Or find the money for a taxi, or the bus…

    See also: The Shaman’s Lesson Of Worth

  • A Response To “Blood Pressure Meds – Are the side effects worth it?”

    It never ceases to amaze me; the side effects from prescription drugs that people are willing to put up with – even consider to be a “benefit.” Here is an example:

    Iggy writes:

    I take Hytrin, mainly for my prostate, but my blood pressure was occasionally a little high. Fortunately, my only side effect has been that I sleep much better. Now 7 or 8 hours, compared to 3 or 4 before.
    I believe I will add hawthorn to my supplement regimen as you recommend. I’ll be 69 in May.

    Nurse Mark replies:

    I have to congratulate Iggy on making it all the way to 69 years, in spite of the best efforts of conventional medicine.

    The following is information taken directly from the government website MEDLINE regarding the drug Hytrin, aka terazosin:

    Terazosin is used in men to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), which include difficulty urinating (hesitation, dribbling, weak stream, and incomplete bladder emptying), painful urination, and urinary frequency and urgency. It also is used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Terazosin is in a class of medications called alpha-blockers. It relieves the symptoms of BPH by relaxing the muscles of the bladder and prostate. It lowers blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body.

    Terazosin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms or those listed in the SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS section are severe or do not go away:

    • weakness
    • tiredness
    • stuffy or runny nose
    • back pain
    • nausea
    • weight gain
    • decreased sexual ability
    • blurred vision
    • swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
    • pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet

    Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

    • hives
    • rash
    • itching
    • shortness of breath
    • rapid, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
    • painful erection of the penis that lasts for hours

    Terazosin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

    A few comments:

    Terazosin looks to me for all the world like “A drug in search of an indication” – really not all that good at anything, but not dangerous enough to not be sold for something, so the drug companies are promoting it for anything and everything that they can think of. Therefore, any condition which might respond to increased small-vessel blood flow is “an indication” – fair game for a trial of this drug. I’m sure that Iggy is sleeping better – two of the top side effects are weakness and tiredness.

    Hawthorn, which works by dilating (opening) coronary and peripheral blood vessels and improving oxygen utilization in the heart muscle is a great choice for Iggy, though if he uses it and then complains to his doctor then that his blood pressure is becoming too low, he will most likely be told to stop the Hawthorn so that he can continue to use the Big Pharma Drug!

    Further, the proanthocyanidins (PCO’s) in Hawthorn have been shown to lower cholesterol levels and decrease the size of cholesterol-containing plaques in the arteries. This will not be popular with conventional medicine either, as it might cut into the profits they rake in from their expensive statin drugs…

    For improved sleep, Iggy might want to try a more natural solution in the form of Melatonin taken before bed – it is an excellent antioxidant that should be part of any anti-aging and longevity program, and oh, by the way, it helps most people sleep better.

  • More Definitions of Medical Terminology:

     By Nurse Mark 

    Medical terminology, the language used by medical people to communicate with, is often filled with large, unfamiliar words, obscure terms, and confusing phrases. As a service to HealthBeat subscribers we from time to time publish definitions and translations of medical terminology so that our readers can better understand this language of medicine.

    Today I’ll provide a definition to a diagnostic term that you have likely seen before, and will certainly see more often over the coming year.

    This term refers to a delicate subject that may offend some sensitive readers. Parental guidance is advised when discussing this problem with children – if that must be done at all…

    Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.

  • Deficient in Iodine, But Allergic – What to do?

    Our recent article on Iodine stirred plenty of interest – it truly is a forgotten and misunderstood mineral. One of the more prevalent medical myths is that of the “Allergy to Iodine” – a frequently asked question by both doctors and nurses – who should know better. What they are really asking is “are you sensitive to Providone/Povidone-iodine (Betadine) topical (skin) solutions or iodine-containing injectable contrast medias?”

    Marilyn B writes:

    I’ve had low thyroid all my life, but am allergic to iodine (the doctor gave me iodine drops and my jaws locked). I use iodized sea salt. I have just about every disease you mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph… arthritis (everywhere), fibromyalgia, lumps on my thyroid and low thyroid, ovarian cysts (hysterectomy), breast cysts, chronic bronchitis… what can a person who is allergic to iodine do?

    Nurse Mark replies:

    No-one is truly allergic to iodine, any more than one could be allergic to water – iodine is a trace mineral that is essential to life. It is naturally present throughout our bodies. Many people have reactions to other components of things that may contain iodine, and iodine has been unfairly implicated – it is important to be sure that one is not reactive or sensitive to other ingredients or components of preparations or products that also contain iodine.

    It is interesting to note that Marilyn describes using iodized sea salt. Iodine is iodine, and iodized means iodine has been added. Obviously, the problem that Marilyn experienced when given “iodine drops” (and we don’t know what these were nor how they were administered) was not due to the iodine but to some other ingredient or component of the “drops.”

    What can someone like Marilyn do? She can work with an iodine-savvy holistic physician like Dr. Myatt who will help her to correct the iodine deficiency that is causing so many problems. A skilled physician will get to the bottom of the “allergy” so that appropriate forms of iodine supplementation can be used and the deficiency is corrected.