ASK VETERINARIAN DR. SHAWN MESSONNIER
Questions? ask@housepetmagazine.com

Q- Dr. Shawn, If we take probiotics to balance the bacteria/yeast within our bodies, why not do the same for our dogs? Please let me know your thoughts. I don't want to keep paying so much money for vet visits. My floppy eared Golden Retreiver seems to get ear infections often.

Thanks, Suzie Roberts

Actually that's a very good idea. Probiotics are very helpful to maintain normal bowel health in dogs and cats. By specially recommend them for pets taking any sort of medication on a long-term basis. This would include antibiotics, antifungal drugs, steroids, and NSAIDS for arthritis or pain relief. I like balanced GI supplements for dogs and cats. You can find the ones I use in my own practice on my website, www.petcarenaturally.com. Ear infections: Retrievers are commonly afflicted with ear infections, and these are often due to undiagnosed allergies or thyroid disease. The first step is to get the proper diagnosis. Before treating the ears, your veterinarian must examine a swab of the ear discharge microscopically to determine the cause of the infection. The ears must then be properly clean by the doctor before you can treat them at home; this often require sedation. Products that have helped my patients with ear disease that can be found via links on my website, www.petcarenaturally.com, including Olivet from Vetriscience, Vim & VIgor from Pet Togethers, and Espree Ear Wash from Espree.

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Q- Dr. Shawn, I have an 8 yr old spayed yellow lab. She is arthritic due a pelvis fracture when she was young. In the last year she has started licking her forearms until the hair is gone and they are raw. It started on her left arm for a few months, then she started on her right. The left started to heal and then she started licking it again. I had taken her to the vet several months ago and he gave a steroid shot, but it did not help. I have tried wrapping them, but she tears off the wraps. Any suggestions?

A- This sounds like acral lick dermatitis, and is very difficult to heal. Some of these pets actually need antianxiety medication. If the doctor is sure of the diagnosis, here’s where I’d start before seeing a specialist.

Make sure the pet is eating a great quality natural diet. No more vaccines (at least for a while.) Use a good antioxidant like Proanthozone. Use Composure liquid from Vetriscience and Vim & Vigor from Pet Togethers. Have your doctor prescribed something topically for the lesion. A medication that contains and antibacterial/antifungal drug and a steroid can be helpful; alternatively a good natural product for dogs containing tea tree oil, chamomile, goldenseal, vitamin E, or aloe vera can help.

These lesions are TOUGH to treat but with patience something can usually be found that works. Good luck!

Plus, may we suggest? Some dogs get such irritations with either household cleaners or wheat, cheese or other food items. Try observing your dog as you apply changes to his diet and your home. And improve her immune system as Dr. Shawn recommends.

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Q- Dr. Shawn, I have a 2 1/2 year old Doberman male. He often throws up on an empty stomach and also has a mild allergy that I control with Benedryl (per my vet). He saw a specialist for the vomiting and she thinks it sounds like bilious vomiting syndrome. She has me giving him a Prilosec otc 20 mgs once a day. Do you think Vim and Vigor would help him? I also give him 3 teaspoons of Missing Link daily and a Pet Tab Vitamin. What can you recommend for me?

Keep up the good Natural work.
Georgene Sheets

A- Vim & Vigor is a great supplement that supports the GI system, bladder, connective tissue, cell function, joints, and immune system. I believe it would be beneficial for your pet and would use it in place of the Missing Link and the Pet Tabs. If your pet truly has bilious vomiting syndrome, I prefer a drug call Metoclopramide rather than Prilosec. You might check with your doctor about this.

Plus, may we suggest? Some dogs have an issue with their stomachs being empty from dinner to breakfast. Giving a couple cookies or a small portion food before bed may help.

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Q - I heard Dr. Shawn on Martha Stewart Sirius Radio today. But I was driving so I could not write down the information about the dental care. What is the supplement to put in the dogs water to help with plaque, tooth decay and bad breath? I really appreciate this. I myself have suffered for years with gum disease and RA (arthritis).

Thank you,
Michele Sahm

A- As we discussed on my show, Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet (Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius Channel 112, Tuesday nights 7-9 PM CST) dental disease is the most common infectious disease in dogs and cats. Eighty percent of pets between 1-3 years of age already have dental disease, seen as yellow-brown tartar and the teeth and redness of the gums. Dental disease is easily treated with a professional dental cleaning done under anesthesia at your veterinarian's office. Prevention is important, and there are several products you can use. I like the products offered by Oxyfresh, including a supplement you place in your pet's water, and a dental brushing product. You can learn more about them at www.petbadbreath.com.

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Q - Hi Dr. Shawn, I heard you on Sirius radio this morning on the Martha Stewart channel. You mentioned that you would email a copy of the pet diet you recommend to anyone that requested it. I have a 3 year old, female Cymric that I adopted last New Years Eve from my local shelter. She was so sick when I got her. After numerous trips to the vet she is doing better now. I want to make sure that she is eating correctly and would really like to know what name brands of foods, wet and dry, you recommend. I pay quite a bit for her food but when I got home from hearing you on the show I checked the ingredients. The very first ingredient was chicken by-products. HELP! What and how much should she be fed?

Thanks,
Laurie Spinney

A - Here is my dietary handout to help guide you in your diet selection. All of them are free of the harmful by-products we discussed on the show.

CURRENT DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS
Shawn Messonnier DVM
Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, Plano, Tx. 972-867-8800

You are what you eat, and so is your pet. Feeding the proper diet is the foundation upon which any integrative pet care program begins. Minimizing harmful byproducts and chemicals is essential in doing your best to ensure health. Foods containing byproducts and chemicals do not promote health and wellness and can contribute to excessive oxidation and inflammation, the 2 most important causes of just about every chronic disease.

The best way to determine if the diet you are feeding contains these byproducts and chemicals is to call the manufacturer and ask for a description of everything listed on the label. The second best way is to read the label. Avoid BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin preservatives when possible. “Animal byproducts,” “animal byproduct meal,” “meat and bone meal,” and similar ingredients are not suitable for a natural diet. These are cheap products designed to provide protein in the diet (but not high quality protein packed with important amino acids.)

The following are diets I currently recommend in my practice. Other natural diets may also be suitable; talk with your holistic veterinarian after reviewing the label if you are feeding a diet not listed here. Finally, a full description of dietary nutrients can be found in my award-winning book, The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats.

Natural diets that I like include Nature’s Variety, Eagle Pack, Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance, California Naturals, Innova, Wysong, Old Mother Hubbard, Halo.

Diets can be fed dry (kibble), canned, cooked (some manufacturers make a frozen diet you can cook,) or raw. Consult with your veterinarian about which way is best for your pet.

All pets should receive basic dietary supplementation to provide essential vitamins and minerals and ingredients not normally found in foods (colostrums, enzymes, probiotics, etc.) that contribute to improved health. My current favorite supplement is Vim & Vigor by PetCentrx (www.pettogethers.net/healthypet). In addition to vitamins and minerals, it contains colostrum (to support the immune system,) coenzyme Q-10 (a potent antioxidant that also supports the immune system and supports healthy teeth and gums, the heart, and is one of many supplements useful in treating cancer,) enzymes such as amylase/protease/cellulase that improve your pet’s digestion and absorption of nutrients from the diet, glucosamine (necessary to support normal joint, GI, bladder, and soft tissue function,) Siberian ginseng (which helps your pet adapt to various stressors,) and L-tryptophan (an amino acid included in the PM formula which helps ensure restful sleep.)

Notes from Dr. Shawn:

My new book, The Natural Vet's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, is now available! Read about this now at www.petcarenaturally.com
Make sure you read the appendices about my program to minimize the chances of your healthy pet getting cancer. Also included in the book is information about the proper diet to feed pets with cancer, supplements that can help prevent and treat cancer, supplements that make chemotherapy more effective and safer, how and when to use conventional cancer therapies safely, common cancers and their treatments, and how to control pain in the pet with cancer.

My currently recommended book for you to look at on my site is one of my favorite books that I have written called The Allergy Solution for Dogs. It's now the start of allergy season, and the strategies I've outlined in the book (using supplements, herbs, fatty acids, antioxidants, and bathing) will help you say NO to drugs this year. Start now BEFORE your dog or cat (yes, cat lover's can find tons of helpful hints in the book as well) itches! You can check it out, along with all of my recommended books at www.petcarenaturally.com/books.php

Be sure to listen to my show, Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet show, on Martha Stewart Radio Sirius Channel 112, live every Tuesday night at 7-9 PM CST.