Comments for Health For Dogs http://www.health-for-dogs.com Information and Resources to Ensure the Quality of Life for Your Dog Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:02:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Staph Infection by Cammy http://www.health-for-dogs.com/staph-infection/comment-page-1#comment-2979 Cammy Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:02:37 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=344#comment-2979 Thank you Helga! We and Max have been thru a lot. He was put on several diff antibiotics and then was tested for staff....so hopefully he is on the mend. Max has only been on the new meds since Wednesday evening and I can tell he is healing...he is an amazing dog and I will take your advice. What is a probiotic? We regularly give Max organic yogurt ....?? We do have coconut oil so I may add a little of that to his diet....also like the honey suggestion as well.....Really Really appreciate your advice and support..thanks Cammy :o) Thank you Helga! We and Max have been thru a lot. He was put on several diff antibiotics and then was tested for staff….so hopefully he is on the mend. Max has only been on the new meds since Wednesday evening and I can tell he is healing…he is an amazing dog and I will take your advice. What is a probiotic? We regularly give Max organic yogurt ….?? We do have coconut oil so I may add a little of that to his diet….also like the honey suggestion as well…..Really Really appreciate your advice and support..thanks Cammy :o )

]]> Comment on Staph Infection by helga http://www.health-for-dogs.com/staph-infection/comment-page-1#comment-2974 helga Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:28:28 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=344#comment-2974 Hi Cammy, I am very sorry to hear of your beagle getting a staph infection! Please be very diligent in following your vets protocol. I hope you have a holistic veterinarian who is willing to embrace all methods of healing modalities. I would strongly suggest giving your dog a really good probiotic daily to counteract any yeast infections from the antibiotics he is on. In addition to this, supplementing with chlorophyll in his food will help boost the immune system to fight this infection. Coconut oil given daily has also been proven to prevent or fight off staph infections. Another product that has been used with success is manuka honey of 15+ properties. This honey comes from New Zealand and can be found in health food stores. Talk to your vet and use whatever is suggested for your dog to recover. I wish you the best and send healing vibrations for your beloved companion's full recovery. Hi Cammy,
I am very sorry to hear of your beagle getting a staph infection! Please be very diligent in following your vets protocol. I hope you have a holistic veterinarian who is willing to embrace all methods of healing modalities. I would strongly suggest giving your dog a really good probiotic daily to counteract any yeast infections from the antibiotics he is on. In addition to this, supplementing with chlorophyll in his food will help boost the immune system to fight this infection. Coconut oil given daily has also been proven to prevent or fight off staph infections. Another product that has been used with success is manuka honey of 15+ properties. This honey comes from New Zealand and can be found in health food stores. Talk to your vet and use whatever is suggested for your dog to recover. I wish you the best and send healing vibrations for your beloved companion’s full recovery.

]]> Comment on Staph Infection by Cammy http://www.health-for-dogs.com/staph-infection/comment-page-1#comment-2969 Cammy Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:26:11 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=344#comment-2969 Help!! Our 7 year old beagle had a fast growing benign tumor in his front arm pit....it was removed but was bigger than expected because it was under muscles. He has a 6inch incision! It's been 10weeks and incision started bleeding and pus....sent out blood and pus and came back as staff infection....he is now on trimethoprim 480mg.... Help!! Our 7 year old beagle had a fast growing benign tumor in his front arm pit….it was removed but was bigger than expected because it was under muscles. He has a 6inch incision! It’s been 10weeks and incision started bleeding and pus….sent out blood and pus and came back as staff infection….he is now on trimethoprim 480mg….

]]> Comment on Post ACL Surgery by helga http://www.health-for-dogs.com/post-acl-surgery/comment-page-1#comment-2413 helga Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:40:04 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=254#comment-2413 Hi Janelle, It will be 10 weeks post surgery for Cassie and she should not be running around loose at this stage. I don't know if you have let her off leash yet, and if so, she may have re-injured her knee. It is really challenging with a high energy dog when they have this surgery. One of the safest and most beneficial environments you can provide for her is to take her to a canine pool for therapy. This is controlled and non-weightbearing so is easy on her joints, helps build the supporting muscle mass and keeps her stretched. The pool is also fantastic for expending that energy without hurting herself again. If you have no access to a pool, an underwater treadmill is also great. Cassie needs to be on leash still and if she is favouring that leg at times by holding it up, I suggest you get her checked at your holistic vet. It could be just that she is sore and has overdone it. On leash only, short walks of 10 min three times a day, gradually increasing to 15 min. It is best to err on the side of caution in case she hurt her leg. It is much better than to have to redo a surgery, and I have seen that too many times. Try entertaining her mind, that can be just as tiring. All the best and let me know how it goes! Hi Janelle,
It will be 10 weeks post surgery for Cassie and she should not be running around loose at this stage. I don’t know if you have let her off leash yet, and if so, she may have re-injured her knee. It is really challenging with a high energy dog when they have this surgery. One of the safest and most beneficial environments you can provide for her is to take her to a canine pool for therapy. This is controlled and non-weightbearing so is easy on her joints, helps build the supporting muscle mass and keeps her stretched. The pool is also fantastic for expending that energy without hurting herself again. If you have no access to a pool, an underwater treadmill is also great. Cassie needs to be on leash still and if she is favouring that leg at times by holding it up, I suggest you get her checked at your holistic vet. It could be just that she is sore and has overdone it. On leash only, short walks of 10 min three times a day, gradually increasing to 15 min. It is best to err on the side of caution in case she hurt her leg. It is much better than to have to redo a surgery, and I have seen that too many times. Try entertaining her mind, that can be just as tiring. All the best and let me know how it goes!

]]> Comment on Post ACL Surgery by Janelle http://www.health-for-dogs.com/post-acl-surgery/comment-page-1#comment-2403 Janelle Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:44:05 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=254#comment-2403 Hi, My 2 year old Yellow Lab Cassie had regular acl surgery on Aug.24. She seems to get around fine now and keeps wanting to run around again but will limp and hold her repaired leg up occasionally. How soon is too soon for taking her for a walk to get some of her energy out and how can I tell if she has done any more damage to her repaired leg? Hi,
My 2 year old Yellow Lab Cassie had regular acl surgery on Aug.24. She seems to get around fine now and keeps wanting to run around again but will limp and hold her repaired leg up occasionally. How soon is too soon for taking her for a walk to get some of her energy out and how can I tell if she has done any more damage to her repaired leg?

]]> Comment on Canine Hydrotherapy by helga http://www.health-for-dogs.com/hydrotherapy/canine-hydrotherapy/comment-page-1#comment-2307 helga Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:07:51 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?page_id=81#comment-2307 Hi Bari, How unfortunate to have been beat up by a donkey! To say hydrotherapy is not scientifically proven to help is really unbelievable! When human patients from a hospital go to hydrotherapy it is because it works in the rehabiliation and recovery process. If it is a modality that is used on people, how would animals differ in the positive results? I suggest you look into Dr. Darryl L. Millis, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery; Dept. of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at University of Tennessee; Dr. David Levine, UC Foundation Professor of Physical Therapy, University of Tennessee, and many other postions; Dr. Barbara Bockstahler, DVM Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine at Veterinary University of Vienna, Austria. There are so many veterinarians today recognizing the benefits of hydrotherapy for dogs that many of them are incorporating underwater treadmills into their private practices. This form of treatment is used vastly in the UK and in Europe. Whatever the case is, please continue with hydrotherapy for your dog only if he/she is able to go, because I do not know what the injuries were. Some injuries are too risky for causing further damage (certain spinal/cervical). I wish you the best for your dog's speedy recovery! Hi Bari,
How unfortunate to have been beat up by a donkey! To say hydrotherapy is not scientifically proven to help is really unbelievable! When human patients from a hospital go to hydrotherapy it is because it works in the rehabiliation and recovery process. If it is a modality that is used on people, how would animals differ in the positive results? I suggest you look into Dr. Darryl L. Millis, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery; Dept. of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at University of Tennessee; Dr. David Levine, UC Foundation Professor of Physical Therapy, University of Tennessee, and many other postions; Dr. Barbara Bockstahler, DVM Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine at Veterinary University of Vienna, Austria. There are so many veterinarians today recognizing the benefits of hydrotherapy for dogs that many of them are incorporating underwater treadmills into their private practices. This form of treatment is used vastly in the UK and in Europe. Whatever the case is, please continue with hydrotherapy for your dog only if he/she is able to go, because I do not know what the injuries were. Some injuries are too risky for causing further damage (certain spinal/cervical). I wish you the best for your dog’s speedy recovery!

]]> Comment on Post ACL Surgery by helga http://www.health-for-dogs.com/post-acl-surgery/comment-page-1#comment-2305 helga Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:30:31 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=254#comment-2305 Hello Kelly, Sorry to hear of your Bentley rupturing both of his ACL's! Most dogs that rupture one ACL have a very high probability of rupturing the second one. The reason for this is one of many; over compensating for the other leg, possible weak cruciates in both stifles, if the dog is overweight and not really lean, too high of activity level following surgery, slipping and falling, and other various reasons. It is of my opinion from working with many dogs who have had cruciate surgeries to one stifle and then immediately to the other, and from dogs who had one knee rupture and wait before getting the second one repaired, that there are two ways to deal with it. Firstly, if the dog gets both stifles surgically repaired at the same time, it is best. If one acl ruptures and the other one goes in a few weeks after the first one, what is best for the dog's recovery is to wait a minimum of 3 months to get the first one healed and into a safe zone, before attempting the second surgery on the other stifle. I have witnessed dogs getting the second surgery in a few weeks post the first surgery, only to see the first knee fail on them and have to undergo another operation. Not good for the dog or for the caregiver. The risk of failure is so high when they are not done at the same time. Hydrotherapy can be performed as soon as the sutures are completely healed closed, providing the surgery was not a TPLO. (TPLO patients need to wait 6 to 8 weeks to prevent re-injuring the knee.) This time frame is best at 3 weeks post surgery as long as there are no complications. It is best not to push the dog in the recovery process as that could lead into re-injury. Short leash walks of 10 min a few times a day to go urinate or defecate. No running, jumping, playing, slippery surfaces, and very minimal food to keep the weight down and prevent extra strain on the other stifle. A hot tub could pose dangerous for getting a large dog in and out, controlling their swim in the water, and working their legs appropriately. A dog needs very small increments of hydrotherapy when they first begin their rehab program. The water temperature needs to be at 27 to 29 degrees celsius, and their heart and gums monitored. When your dog is 3 weeks post surgery, can walk with the repaired leg lightly, incision is closed, no complications, has adequate handlers to transport in and out of water, non slip surfaces, a resting pad, then it can be attempted. If the dog is in pain, and not using their leg, you need to go back to the treating vet. I really wish for the best with your Bentley, and hope for a full recovery! Hello Kelly,
Sorry to hear of your Bentley rupturing both of his ACL’s! Most dogs that rupture one ACL have a very high probability of rupturing the second one. The reason for this is one of many; over compensating for the other leg, possible weak cruciates in both stifles, if the dog is overweight and not really lean, too high of activity level following surgery, slipping and falling, and other various reasons. It is of my opinion from working with many dogs who have had cruciate surgeries to one stifle and then immediately to the other, and from dogs who had one knee rupture and wait before getting the second one repaired, that there are two ways to deal with it. Firstly, if the dog gets both stifles surgically repaired at the same time, it is best. If one acl ruptures and the other one goes in a few weeks after the first one, what is best for the dog’s recovery is to wait a minimum of 3 months to get the first one healed and into a safe zone, before attempting the second surgery on the other stifle. I have witnessed dogs getting the second surgery in a few weeks post the first surgery, only to see the first knee fail on them and have to undergo another operation. Not good for the dog or for the caregiver. The risk of failure is so high when they are not done at the same time. Hydrotherapy can be performed as soon as the sutures are completely healed closed, providing the surgery was not a TPLO. (TPLO patients need to wait 6 to 8 weeks to prevent re-injuring the knee.) This time frame is best at 3 weeks post surgery as long as there are no complications. It is best not to push the dog in the recovery process as that could lead into re-injury. Short leash walks of 10 min a few times a day to go urinate or defecate. No running, jumping, playing, slippery surfaces, and very minimal food to keep the weight down and prevent extra strain on the other stifle. A hot tub could pose dangerous for getting a large dog in and out, controlling their swim in the water, and working their legs appropriately. A dog needs very small increments of hydrotherapy when they first begin their rehab program. The water temperature needs to be at 27 to 29 degrees celsius, and their heart and gums monitored. When your dog is 3 weeks post surgery, can walk with the repaired leg lightly, incision is closed, no complications, has adequate handlers to transport in and out of water, non slip surfaces, a resting pad, then it can be attempted. If the dog is in pain, and not using their leg, you need to go back to the treating vet. I really wish for the best with your Bentley, and hope for a full recovery!

]]> Comment on Post ACL Surgery by Kelly http://www.health-for-dogs.com/post-acl-surgery/comment-page-1#comment-2303 Kelly Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:24:54 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=254#comment-2303 Hello! Hello! So my poor black lab retreiver cross (Bentley) ruptured his ACL last week and had it repaired on tuesday. Then suddenly today, he buggered the other leg too without any warning. I took him back to our vet and they said it is not wise to do the second surgery until his first leg has healed enough to support him. He is 10.5 years old and otherwise in perfect health. So they said to wait two more weeks before fixing the other leg. I asked them if we could do hydrotherapy with him for the fixed leg to get stronger (we have a hottub that would be perfect for this) and they said not to start water therapy until after at least two weeks. I get why they say that but I want to know what harm can it do if we try it with him? The incision is well approximated and free of any adventitious complications, and I would prefer for him to be able to get stronger on that leg using hydrotherapy rather than weight bearing even if its not full weight bearing. Beacuse right now he is basiacally lame. So my question is how can I tell if my dog is ready to start water therapy? Hello! Hello! So my poor black lab retreiver cross (Bentley) ruptured his ACL last week and had it repaired on tuesday. Then suddenly today, he buggered the other leg too without any warning. I took him back to our vet and they said it is not wise to do the second surgery until his first leg has healed enough to support him. He is 10.5 years old and otherwise in perfect health. So they said to wait two more weeks before fixing the other leg. I asked them if we could do hydrotherapy with him for the fixed leg to get stronger (we have a hottub that would be perfect for this) and they said not to start water therapy until after at least two weeks. I get why they say that but I want to know what harm can it do if we try it with him? The incision is well approximated and free of any adventitious complications, and I would prefer for him to be able to get stronger on that leg using hydrotherapy rather than weight bearing even if its not full weight bearing. Beacuse right now he is basiacally lame. So my question is how can I tell if my dog is ready to start water therapy?

]]> Comment on Canine Hydrotherapy by Bari Halperin http://www.health-for-dogs.com/hydrotherapy/canine-hydrotherapy/comment-page-1#comment-2289 Bari Halperin Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:49:00 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?page_id=81#comment-2289 Helga, I have been using hydrotherapy successfully for treatment in my dogs. Can you direct me to any veterianary studies on this subject, please? My dog was attacked by a donkey & the owner of the donkey is refusing to reimburse for the hydrotherapy expenses claiming that it is not proven in veterinary medicine. Any assistance in this matter would be greatly apprciated. Many thanks! Helga,

I have been using hydrotherapy successfully for treatment in my dogs. Can you direct me to any veterianary studies on this subject, please? My dog was attacked by a donkey & the owner of the donkey is refusing to reimburse for the hydrotherapy expenses claiming that it is not proven in veterinary medicine. Any assistance in this matter would be greatly apprciated.

Many thanks!

]]> Comment on Post ACL Surgery by helga http://www.health-for-dogs.com/post-acl-surgery/comment-page-1#comment-2279 helga Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:58:38 +0000 http://www.health-for-dogs.com/?p=254#comment-2279 Hi Patricia, I am sorry to hear of your dilemma. There are a few points we need to consider here. When a dog is not using their limb for prolonged periods of time, complications can occur. Some of these can be joint contractures, muscle shortening and wasting, altered mechanics of the body, muscle pain, anxiety and hypersensitivity. Following surgical repair of this luxating patella, it is very important to allow adequate healing of the tissues before any vigorous rehabilitation is started. Usually during the first three weeks short leash walks, hot and cold therapy, and NSAID therapy is performed. After that strengthening exercises can be done but needs to be performed in a sagittal-plane motion to avoid a re-injury on the repair and possible recurrance of patella luxation. Hydrotherapy can be very beneficial and can encourage gentle use of the limb, helps relax the muscles, reduces pain and hypersensitivity, and brings about an all rounded sense of well-being for the dog. Be sure to have this in a warm pool environment with a hydrotherapist that is knowledgeable in treating this condition. The bouyancy of the water will reduce the load on the affected limb and also help the dog to use it on land afterwards. Please see your vet regarding this condition to be sure there is no underlying illness such as a staph infection. If there was an infection your dog's limb would be very swollen and oozing at the sutures. I wish you all the best and I hope for your little ones recovery to be soon! Hi Patricia,
I am sorry to hear of your dilemma. There are a few points we need to consider here. When a dog is not using their limb for prolonged periods of time, complications can occur. Some of these can be joint contractures, muscle shortening and wasting, altered mechanics of the body, muscle pain, anxiety and hypersensitivity. Following surgical repair of this luxating patella, it is very important to allow adequate healing of the tissues before any vigorous rehabilitation is started. Usually during the first three weeks short leash walks, hot and cold therapy, and NSAID therapy is performed. After that strengthening exercises can be done but needs to be performed in a sagittal-plane motion to avoid a re-injury on the repair and possible recurrance of patella luxation. Hydrotherapy can be very beneficial and can encourage gentle use of the limb, helps relax the muscles, reduces pain and hypersensitivity, and brings about an all rounded sense of well-being for the dog. Be sure to have this in a warm pool environment with a hydrotherapist that is knowledgeable in treating this condition. The bouyancy of the water will reduce the load on the affected limb and also help the dog to use it on land afterwards. Please see your vet regarding this condition to be sure there is no underlying illness such as a staph infection. If there was an infection your dog’s limb would be very swollen and oozing at the sutures. I wish you all the best and I hope for your little ones recovery to be soon!

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