In recent years, therapy using magnets has gained a following among pet owners. It is seen as a safe and simple method of treating various disorders, often producing positive results without side effects or much expense. While magnets are advertised to offer a number of benefits, many owners wonder whether they really work. And if they do, can your dog or cat benefit from magnetic field therapy?

Magnetic therapy is by no means “quackish.” The earth has a normal magnetic field....

Yarrow
The herb yarrow is used for treating open wounds, where it can stop bleeding and inhibit bacteria. It can serve as a vascular tonic, removing small blood clots and improving circulation. It can be tried in cats with cardiomyopathy, especially those who have developed embolic disease.

Anti-inflammatory properties also make it useful for pets with osteoarthritis, and dermatitis. And for pets with urinary infections, yarrow¡¦s antibacterial properties...

Probiotics

Specific factors that can disrupt the normal flora of the bowel in your pets include: surgery, medications, antibiotics (especially those used long-term), shipping, birthing, weaning, illness and dietary factors. Improving the nutritional status of the intestinal tract may reduce bacterial movement across the bowel lining, intestinal permeability, and systemic endotoxemias. In addition, probiotics may supply nutrients to the pet, help in digestion, and allow for better...

Orthomolecular medicine (often called “megavitamin therapy”) seeks to use increased levels of vitamins and minerals to help treat a variety of medical disorders. Orthomolecular medicine uses higher doses than daily vitamins as part of the therapy for disease.

The pet food industry relies on recommendations by the National Research Council to prevent diseases caused by nutrient deficiencies in the “average” pet, yet the NRC has not determined the optimum amount of...

Natural Diets
Dietary therapy is an important part of any treatment plan for pets with inflammatory bowel disease in addition to other conventional or complementary therapies. Avoiding foods which exacerbate the bowel inflammation is important.

Severe inflammation of the intestinal tract can cause increased absorption of large food particles that normally do not cross the intestinal barrier possibly causing the formation of auto-antibodies, which may lead to...

The next several months we will look at the group of conditions that are characterized by pathologic evidence of inflammation of the intestinal tract. The clinical signs most commonly seen in pets with inflammatory bowel disease often reflect the location of the intestinal lesions. Vomiting, diarrhea, and/or weight loss are usually observed. Lesions affecting the upper GI (gastrointestinal) tract (stomach and upper small intestine) are more likely to cause vomiting, whereas lesions of the...

Uva Ursi
Uva Ursi is a berry-producing, evergreen bush. Only its leaves are used for medicinal purposes.

Uva ursi contains tannins and hydroquinones that are astringent and antibacterial. Until the development of sulfa antibiotics, its principal active component, arbutin, was frequently prescribed as a urinary antiseptic. It appears that the arbutin contained in uva ursi leaves is broken down in the intestine to another chemical, hydroquinone. This chemical...

GINKGO HAS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT CHEMICAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING FLAVONOID GLYCOSIDES INCLUDING PROANTHOCYANIDINS AND QUERCETIN (GINKGO EXTRACT IS STANDARDIZED TO 25 PERCENT FLAVONOID GLYCOSIDES), GLUCOSE, RHAMNOSE, AND TERPENES (GINKGOLIDES AND BILOBALIDE.

In traditional Chinese herbology, tea made from ginkgo seeds has been used for numerous problems, most particularly asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The leaf was not used. But...

Asthma is an inflammatory disease affecting the smooth muscle of the bronchi. This month we continue our discussion, beginning with the use of flaxseed oil.

Flaxseed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant and has been proposed as a less smelly alternative to fish oil. Flaxseed oil contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 that is ultimately converted to EPA and DHA. It contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than fish oil. It also contains omega-6 fatty...

Asthma is an inflammatory disease affecting the smooth muscle of the bronchi of cats, and rarely dogs. The inflammation causes reversible airflow obstruction through smooth muscle constriction, bronchial wall fluid buildup (edema), and thickening of the mucous glands of the airways. This inflammation, occurring as a result of a reaction (allergy) to environmental allergens (foreign proteins), causes coughing and/or wheezing. Secondary infection (pneumonia) is reported to occur in 24 to 42...

ST. JOHN’S WORT is not just for anxiety; it is effective in cancer and infections.

The active components are found in the buds, flowers, and newest leaves. Extracts are usually standardized to the substance hypericin, which has led to the widespread misconception that hypericin is the active ingredient.

However, there is no evidence hypericin is an antidepressant. Recent attention has focused on another ingredient named hyperforin as the potential active ingredient. It...

There are several proposed explanations about the mechanisms by which probiotics can protect your pet from harmful bowel bacteria:

• Produce inhibitory chemicals that reduce the numbers of harmful bacteria and possibly toxin production by these harmful bacteria.
• May block the adhesion of harmful bacteria to intestinal cells.
• May compete for nutrients needed for growth and reproduction by harmful bacteria.
• May degrade toxin...

Parvoviral infection, caused by canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) commonly affects young puppies. Kittens and cats have their own parvovirus that causes panleukopenia. However, vaccination is so effective that this disease is very rarely seen. Clinical signs are usually seen five to twelve days after the puppy is exposed to infected feces. The signs seen depend on the virulence of the virus, the amount of virus ingested, and the breed of puppy infected. Certain breeds such as Doberman Pinschers,...

Garlic contains a number of nutrients, and a number of sulfur compounds that have been shown to have medical qualities, especially allicin and alliin.

The sulfur compounds present in garlic may increase phase II detoxification enzymes. By increasing phase II enzymes, the risk of many degenerative conditions may be reduced significantly.

Allicin, one of the active ingredients in garlic, has been shown to have antimicrobial qualities that may be more effective than...

EPHEDRA
IN CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE, ephedra is a well-known herbal supplement for people and pets with respiratory conditions including asthma.

Therapeutic Uses
Ma huang was traditionally used by Chinese herbalists during the early stages of respiratory infections, and also for the short-term treatment of certain kinds of asthma, eczema, hay fever, narcolepsy, and edema. However, ma huang was not supposed to be taken for an extended...

Pinellia Combination is a Chinese herbal mix. This formula contains ginseng, ginger, jujube, coptis, and scute, along with pinellia, and is for vomiting in pets.

Because of the Chinese diagnosis and classification of diseases, the ingredients in each formula may vary. Individual Chinese pharmacists include herbs in their tented formulas based upon their experience. However, they can compound formulas to the needs of an individual pet.

For example, a Western diagnosis of...

Liver disease is the catch-all term that is applied to any medical disorder affecting the liver and usually causing elevated blood levels of liver enzymes. It can be divided into both acute and chronic disease. Causes of acute liver disease include toxins (a number of drugs have been implicated in causing acute liver disease, including Tylenol, Rimadyl, Valium, tetracycline, sulfa drugs, and mushroom poisoning); also, hepatic lipidosis, trauma, heatstroke, and infections (canine infectious...

Ringworm is a common fungal infection mainly affecting puppies and kittens. The disease is highly contagious between pets and may be easily transmitted between infected pets and their owners. Owners should note that most cases of ringworm in people are not caused by exposure to pets, however. Clinical signs in pets include hair loss, usually in a circular or “ring-shaped” pattern. However, ringworm can look like any skin disease. In kittens, tiny scabs (miliary lesions) may also occur in...

Acupuncture is without a doubt one of the most field-tested techniques available in complementary medicine. For skeptics who question the effectiveness of this popular therapy, a large amount of empirical, as well as experimental, information and studies show the effectiveness of acupuncture.

In its purest sense, acupuncture involves the placement of tiny needles into various parts of a pet’s body. These needles stimulate the acupuncture points, which can affect a resolution of...

GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN constitute the major GAGs in the joint cartilage: glycosaminoglycans serve as major components of articular cartilage. Glycosaminoglycans function by decreasing the presence of harmful pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and other inflammatory enzymes that degrade the cartilage matrix. This results in reduced pain and inflammation, decreased enzymatic destruction of the cartilage, and stimulation of anabolic (cartilage-building) pathways. The GAGs also appear to...