naturalpet


ALZHEIMER’S ALTERNATIVES


Natural Therapies Can Help by Dr. Shawn Messonnier


chronic degenerative problem for older dogs and cats, especially past the age of 10. It affects millions of pets in the United States. The cause of Alzheimer’s


C


in animals is unknown. It appears, however, that inflammation may play a role. On the microscopic level, scientists have noted the presence of abnormal protein accumulations occurring within the brain’s blood vessels, similar to those in people with Alzheimer’s. Ultimately, the brain lesions interfere with proper functioning of nerve transmissions.


Clinical Signs Several signs may indicate


cognitive disorder in affected dogs, including:


n Staring at a wall n Lack of awareness of surroundings n Occasional lack of recognition of the owner


n Lethargy/lack of energy n Excess sleep (especially during the day)


n House-training problems (usually urinating inside the house)


n Deafness Cats share the same clinical


signs of cognitive disorder as dogs, plus the following:


n Poor coat (excessive shedding or thin, dry coat)


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anine and feline Alzheimer’s disease, also known as cognitive disorder, is the most common


Conventional Treatment The drug Anipryl has been


approved for treating cognitive disorder in dogs; no medication is available for cats. While effective in some patients, this drug is expensive and can have rare side effects. If the drug proves to be effective, Anipryl must be used for the rest of the life of the dog. Natural, drug- free therapies are less costly.


Natural Therapies Many different natural


therapies can help alleviate cognitive disorder, as recommended by a holistic vet. Changes in diet may include antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, herbs such as ginkgo biloba, targeted homeopathics and phosphatidylserine and acetyl-L-carnitine supplements. While I may incorporate a


combination of these in the treatment of a pet with cognitive disorder, one mainstay is supplementation with choline/phosphatidylcholine. Many pets in my practice have had beneficial results with the patented product Cholodin, made by MVP Laboratories. It contains choline, phosphatidylcholine, methionine and inositol. Several years ago, I conducted


Many different natural


therapies can help alleviate cognitive disorder.


n Poor appetite n Chronic constipation n House-training problems (usually urinating outside the litter box when other problems related to anxiety behavior are not in evidence)


Note that other conditions,


such as diabetes plus thyroid, kidney, heart or adrenal gland disease, can produce signs similar to those associated with cognitive disorder. A full diagnostic evaluation that includes blood and urine testing should be performed by a veterinarian before reaching such a possible diagnosis.


a study funded by the manufacturer and found that Cholodin was effective as a sole therapy. Half of the dogs and cats treated with this supplement showed a moderate or significant response within 30 days; another 25 percent of dogs and 20 percent of cats in the study showed at least minimal improvement within a 30-day period. I now prescribe Cholodin for all of my dog and cat patients that are at least 5 years of age, as a preventive measure. In addition to choline and


other natural therapies, I believe that it’s important to minimize inflammation in older pets, as well, because minimizing inflammation may also help prevent or decrease the incidence of other serious disorders. Because common commercial pet foods can have ingredients that can induce oxidative cell damage and inflammation, I recommend feeding pets natural foods devoid of byproducts and chemicals (feeding only wet food to cats).


Other ideas to reduce


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