a veterinarian before reaching such a possible diagnosis.
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, Ani- pryl 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 cogni- tive 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 phospha- tidylserine and acetyl-L-carnitine supplements.
While I may incorporate a com- bination 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 benefi- cial results with the patented product Cholodin, made by MVP Laborato- ries. It contains choline, phosphati- dylcholine, methionine and inositol. Several years ago, I conducted
a study funded by the manufacturer and found that Cholo- din was effective as a sole therapy. Half of the dogs and cats treated with this supplement showed a moderate or signifi- cant response within 30 days; another 25 percent of dogs and 20 percent of cats in the study showed at least mini- mal 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 in- flammation, I recommend feeding pets natural foods devoid of byproducts and chemicals (feeding only wet food to cats). Other ideas to reduce inflammation include minimiz- ing vaccinations through the use of antibody titer testing, and minimizing or eliminating the use of chemical flea and tick products. In my experience, using natural therapies, beginning when a pet turns 5 years of age, can actually prevent, and at least minimize, the incidence of cognitive disorder.
Shawn Messonier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practic- ing in Plano, TX, is the award-winning author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats; his latest book is Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets. Visit PetCare
Naturally.com.
natural awakenings May 2011 55
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