ANIMAL WELLNESS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011
AnimalWELLNESS For a long, healthy life!
SPECIAL ISSUE
Living pawsitive!
ARTHRITIS
ANIMAL WELLNESS MAGAZINE
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Animal-friendly INVESTMENTS
Aggression
What you need to know
CANINE
What causes it?
UP FOR ADOPTION
Pet stores are turning their backs on puppy mills
PROLOTHERAPY FOR
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Contents February/March 2011
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features 18 Emergency!
Would you know what to do if your dog collapsed or your cat stopped breathing? If not, you might want to consider taking a first aid or CPR class for companion animals.
22 Wrapped in love
How one woman and her dog led to a unique organization that helps shelter dogs and cats stay warm, comfy and happy.
26 Address stress!
Adaptogens are a unique group of herbs that can help him cope better and adapt to life’s stressors – both physically and emotionally.
34 Creaky joints?
Osteoarthritis is the most common skeletal disorder affecting dogs and cats. Here’s a look at what’s new – and what’s tried and true – in treatment options.
41 The SRI piggy-bank
Make your money speak for you by choosing socially responsible investments that factor in animal welfare, environmental accountability or humanitarian policies.
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45 Making a difference
How a drinks coaster became the starting point for an eco-friendly pet products business.
46 Look inside
You know what arthritis is, but how and why does it actually occur, and what happens inside the affected joint? Here’s a close-up look at the pathology of this common disease.
58 Pain be gone
Forget drugs or surgery. Prolotherapy is an effective and non-invasive way to alleviate chronic joint pain in your companion.
70 8 tasty toppers
These recipes pack a punch of flavor and nutrition, and they’re simple to make and serve. Just use them as a sauce or garnish for her regular meals, and watch her enjoy!
74 Bridging the gap
A growing number of pet stores are working with rescues to adopt out homeless animals rather than sell dogs and cats from puppy mills and backyard breeders.
66 Short fuse?
80 7 steps to finding a lost animal
69 Driven by passion
84 Redo for rehab
If your dog becomes aggressive, don’t assume it’s a behavioral problem or that he’s just being “bad”. It could mean he’s ill or in pain.
Concerned about the use of anesthesia during dental scalings, two animal-loving entrepreneurs were motivated to develop a safer simpler way to keep teeth clean and mouths healthy.
Don’t push the panic button if Fido or Fluffy runs away or goes missing. Instead, follow these suggestions to help him get back safe and sound.
Is your companion in need of home care and rehabilitation? Here are some safety and design tips to help ensure his comfort and recovery.
18 Columns 14
Yakkity yak
30 Case study 50 Talking with Dr. Martin Goldstein
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54 Warm & fuzzy 87 Book reviews
Departments
90 Passages 98 Tail end
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Editorial
12 Mail bag 44 Product picks 62 Animal Wellness resource guide 78 The Scoop 89 Events Calendar 92 Ad Spots 96 Classifieds
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Address STRESS!
Adaptogens are a unique group of herbs that can help him cope better and adapt to life’s stressors – both physically and emotionally. by Christine King, BVSc, MACVSc, MVetClinStud
L
ife can be a challenge at times. All manner of stressors can harm the body or mind, and often both. While we and our animals have built-in mechanisms for coping with these stresses, and additional ways to protect ourselves, increase our resilience and improve our repair capacity, there’s one you may not know about yet: adaptogenic herbs, or adaptogens.
American ginsengs. Others include rhodiola, schizandra, aralia, rhaponticum, and ashwagandha. (Several medicinal mushrooms also have some adaptogenic properties.) While each has its own unique set of properties, these herbs all share features that are particularly useful to bodies under stress. Let’s take a look at how adaptogens can help three different groups of dogs.
Adaptogens are an interesting bunch of herbs. They are a diverse group of plants, yet they all have similar actions on the body. This shared effect is where the term “adaptogen” comes from, as these herbs contain substances that help us adapt to the various stresses of life, both physical and psychological. In the process, the body becomes more resistant to whatever might cause it harm, because the adaptogens promote healthy self-maintenance and repair.
Working dogs
Some of these herbs you’ll have heard of already, such as Siberian ginseng (eleuthero) and the various Asian and
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The adaptogens are among the most widely studied medicinal herbs. In fact, they have been more extensively studied than many drugs. Much of the research has focused on the effects of adaptogens on exercise capacity and mental performance, with human studies primarily involving athletes and people in stressful or tiring jobs. In short, adaptogens improve endurance (resistance to fatigue), work capacity under stress, focus and learning, and recovery after strenuous activity. They also help
moderate mood and reactivity; they’re calming for those prone to anxiety or aggression and enlivening for those prone to depression. In working dogs, these various properties translate into: • Better performance, both during an event and over the season/career • Greater enjoyment of work and play • Fewer injuries and illnesses, and faster recovery from injury and illness • Longer career (i.e. delayed retirement) It must be added, however, that there is no substitute for good training and considerate care, and there are no shortcuts to a winning performance. The adaptogens don’t confer super-powers on a dog; they simply help him do his natural best under the stresses inherent to the job.
Dogs with chronic disease Another feature adaptogens share is an ability to help the body self-regulate. When the body is disordered, these herbs can help it return to a state of balance – to the normal functions, capacity and responsiveness of a healthy body. Not surprisingly, the systems most benefited are those with central roles in self-regulation: • Central nervous system • Cardiovascular system • Endocrine (hormonal or glandular) system • Immune system • Digestive system Adaptogens have positive effects on virtually every organ system in the body, but their effects are particularly potent on those five systems. Furthermore, in various studies, adaptogens have proven to be both protective
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When the body is disordered, these herbs can help it return to a state of balance – to the normal functions, capacity and responsiveness of a healthy body.
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