Supplemental Secrets

Eight years ago, I took my chihuahua-mix, Corky, for our daily walk with my 9-year-old son. As Corky began marking every tree in succession, as was his habit, my son pointed and said “Look, Mom. Corky’s bleeding.”  Sure enough, the light tree bark was stained a faint red.  I panicked, scooped him up, drove home and called my vet.

A week later, Corky was home recovering from removal of one-third of his bladder, along with the oxalate stones and polyps that had scarred it badly. I was told that some dogs have a propensity to form bladder stones, just as some people form kidney stones and gallstones.  To avoid this, I had to be careful with his diet. 

 I found that the University of California at Davis had a nutrition support department within their veterinary school. With my vet’s assistance, they formulated a new homemade diet for Corky that would discourage the formation of future bladder stones.  Included in that diet were many different supplements that needed to be added for balance and complete nutrition. Among these was salmon oil.

 After several weeks, I was aware that Corky’s coat was softer than ever and he no longer had any skin allergies, even in the middle of summer when he normally itched himself often. I did some research and found that the Omega-3 fatty acids in the salmon oil were great for skin and hair, not only in humans but in dogs as well.  It was a wonderful side effect of his new diet.

 Since then, with the guidance of a “holistic” veterinarian in New York with whom I have consulted for years, all of my dogs receive dietary supplements tailored to their own special needs. I have come to learn that no single dog food can possibly provide everything a dog needs, and those needs change as a dog ages. 

 My poodle-mix, China, has a sensitive stomach. After a year of trying to diagnose the cause of her intermittent coughing and choking and occasional vomiting, it was finally determined that she suffers from esophageal reflux. Yes, the same thing that gives humans heartburn and that “sour stomach” feeling. She began receiving digestive enzymes as well as probiotics to help out her digestive tract. That, as well as a few other helpful tricks, has helped her immensely and she rarely coughs anymore. 

 When Corky’s liver values were high on some blood tests a few years ago, it was suggested to me that I begin giving him a milk thistle and dandelion root mixture to help cleanse the liver. On the next blood test four months later, his liver values were perfectly normal and have remained so to this day.  He is now 15 ½ years old and I believe that he has lived this long in large part due to his diet and the many supplements he has taken for years. 

 Over the years, my dogs have benefitted from a variety of supplements. Glucosamine to help with (and in some cases, prevent) arthritis, Coenzyme Q10 to help with heart disease and a heart murmur, DMG for overall immune enhancement; all of these are available in veterinary form. It takes a progressive veterinarian, schooled in the most recent advancements in medicine, to not only be aware of how beneficial dietary supplements can be, but to actually recommend them for his patients.  While there are more and more veterinarians practicing integrative medicine – a combination of the best that both conventional and holistic/natural medicine has to offer – they are still relatively hard to find. When my veterinarian of over 25 years retired recently, I had to find another that I felt comfortable with. During my first consult with a new veterinarian, I mentioned that Corky was taking Coenzyme Q10 (otherwise known as CoQ10). She looked up for a moment and asked “What’s that?”.  CoQ10 is a natural substance routinely taken by many humans, especially those taking statin drugs and those with heart disease. It is advertised regularly on television commercials. Her question made me certain I was in the wrong place. If you are looking for a holistic veterinary practitioner or one practicing integrative medicine, start with www.ahvma.org. If you are interested in learning more about veterinary supplements and where to buy them affordably, contact me and I will be happy to supply you with a listing.

 In summary, there are many natural alternatives to toxic flea killers, to the commonly prescribed prednisone for allergies and other common ailments, as well as dietary supplements to help with many ailments your dog or cat may have. Ask your veterinarian, and if he doesn’t offer any help, consider a phone consult with a holistic veterinarian or do your own research and bring any results to the attention of your own vet and get the conversation going. You might provide him with the education that may end up benefitting some of his other clients as well.