The Myth of Natural
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| Other Herbal Products and Their Possible Side Effects in Pets |
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1. Tea Tree Oil, also known as Melaleuca. This can cause vomiting and diarrhea, weakness, paralysis, aspiration pneumonia, and death when applied topically or ingested. 5. Garlic can interfere with blood clotting and thyroid function, and lower blood sugar, cause vomiting, diarrhea, and changes to red blood cells. 6. Onions can cause weakness, increased heart and respiratory rates, and changes to red blood cells causing anemia, especially in cats. |
Pet owners occasionally tell veterinarians they are reluctant to use prescription medicine, spot-on flea products, heartworm preventatives, etc, because they would rather use something that is “natural.” They are afraid of chemicals, and would rather use something that is organic or natural. But what is natural? By definition, natural products are those that come from nature. But not all items that come from nature are safe or harmless. Arsenic and cyanide are natural. Arsenic is mined from the earth along with other metals. Cyanide is found in a number of plants. Cocaine and heroin come from nature, but they are certainly not good for you.
In contrast, many of our prescription medicines originated from plants. It has been estimated that anywhere from 25% to 70% of our medicines contain at least some compounds obtained from plants. Aspirin, quinine, syrup of Ipecac, morphine, and theophylline (a prescription medicine used as a bronchodilator for respiratory diseases) all come from plants. The potent and life saving cancer drugs, vincristine and vinblastine, were derived from plants. Taxol, which was derived from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree, is a chemotherapy drug that has saved many breast, ovarian, and lung cancer patients.
Many people assume that herbal medicines are safe because they come from plants and are over-the-counter. Unfortunately, this is not true, in fact, some can cause life threatening reactions. An example is ma huang, which contains ephedra and has been used as a weight loss product in people. In people it can cause a rapid heart rate, dilated eyes, tremors, seizures, and increased blood pressure. Symptoms in dogs are the same; death can occur from cardiovascular collapse. People who are afraid of chemicals should realize that everything in life is a chemical. Water is a chemical: H-2-O. Our own bodies are a collection of a large number of chemicals. Herbal or “natural” products are chemicals. From this we can deduce that the “natural versus chemical” argument is not valid. Everything in nature is a chemical. What is behind the desire to use natural products and the fear of chemicals? It is the wish to use the SAFEST product.
Now we know that herbal and natural products are not necessarily safe. In fact, their industry got Congress to pass the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act in 1994 which states that supplement manufacturers are NOT required to prove efficacy or safety, and there is no requirement for quality control.
What is the safest product? Medical professionals would argue it is a product that has been scientifically studied. All prescription drugs go through rigorous testing before they are approved. This testing is to both prove that it does the job and that it is safe. There are non-prescription drugs that have been tested and proved effective. An example is glucosamine which has helped many people and dogs with arthritis.
Now when you see a product labeled “ natural” you will know it is just a marketing strategy. The question to ask is “What kind of research studies have been done?”
What's New?
-According to the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) an astounding 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.
-Periodontal disease is a common problem in dogs, particularly smaller breeds.
-Cats can develop painful resorptive lesions. Studies show that about 28 percent of domestic cats develop at least one of these painful lesions during their lifetime.
-Oral disease begins with a buildup of bacteria in the pet´s mouth
-Periodontal disease causes red, swollen and tender gums, receding gums, bleeding, pain and bad breath. If left untreated, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss.
-The inflammation and infection associated with periodontal disease may damage other organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys, or lead to other serious health problems.
The first step in preventing oral disease is a routine physical examination including a dental exam.
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Protect Every Member of Your Family!
Why take precautions? Because 10,000 people will get roundworms this year.¹ Children are at high risk because they have a tendency to put dirty fingers and objects in their mouths.
Most of us consider our pets to be one of "the family" - they sleep, eat, play, travel and pretty much do everything with us. We all want to protect our family members from unnessesary exposure to things such as internal parasites (worms) and external parasites (fleas and ticks). Some pets have parasites that can be transmitted from themselves to you, their owners - these parasites are called zoonotic.
So you ask, how can I have my four-legged family members with my human children without putting my children at risk? 
The best way to prevent your children from becoming infected is to make sure your pet is on year-round parasite prevention. Also, be sure to bring us a stool sample in to our office every 6 months to have your pet's stool sample checked and treated for any external and internal parasites that might be present. To see more tips please visit http://www.petsandparasites.org
1The Center for Food Security & Public Health.
"Roundworm Infection, Toxocariasis." Fast Facts.
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/fastfacts/pdfs/
(accessed September 26, 2008).
2www.cdc.gov
3A. caninum
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