ness but provide poor traction for athletic activities. Providing appropriate rugs for traction in areas of activity can be very helpful for house pets, most remarkably perhaps for house rabbits whose natural resting posture really requires traction to prevent chronic spinal stress.
Long nails and hooves interfere with the normal gait pattern and can create chronic stress in the joints and in the feet. Once nails have gotten quite long, it may require a well-trained groomer or veterinary offi ce to help regain a more normal nail length. Often animals start walking better almost immediately after their foot is allowed to regain its normal orientation.
Chiropractic Care for Arthritis PICTURED: AMY MATTHEWS TREATING A FURRY PATIENT Natural Options
to Prevent and Alleviate Arthritis in Our Pets
By Amy Matthews, VMD, PhD
common experience for many is that our wonderful joints, often so fl uid and functional in our youth, can get worn down and develop arthritis over time. Nobody enjoys running and jumping and physical play any more than our pets: cats, dogs, horses, goats, even the hamster on a wheel! And naturally, we can end up seeing a lot of arthritis in animals.
A
Pets can develop arthritis from general wear and tear, especial- ly in the absence of nutritional support for the various tissues of the joints. Some pets may be born with a tendency to develop poorly formed joints, as in hip dysplasia; these animals deal with arthritis from a young age. Arthritis can also be a consequence of a specifi c catastrophic injury, like a broken bone or torn cruciate ligament or herniated spinal disc. Less obvious is that subtle injuries, like spinal misalignments or a painful fractured nail that healed but left a change in the gait pattern, can lead to chronic imbalances in the body that contribute to abnormal wear and eventual arthritis.
Arthritis Prevention Prevention where possible is the best medicine. There are both
whole food and supplement based nutritional approaches to sup- port the joints and minimize infl ammation, including such possibil- ities as glucosamine/chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids, and raw food diets where appropriate. Suitable activity such as regular exercise and adequate space and surfaces for natural movement is crucial to support muscle and connective tissue strength. The smooth slippery surfaces we have inside many of our homes are good for cleanli-
24 Natural Nutmeg - March 2019
Chiropractic care can play a big role in preventing and managing arthritis. Many things can cause the spine to lose proper alignment and function: rough and tumble dog play, cats misjudging their favorite high perches, falls due to slippery or uneven surfaces, repetitive athletic activities, weak core muscles, congenital vertebral malformations, and trauma. Early chiropractic care for puppies at 2-6 months can reveal and correct imbalances in the spine, creating better balance in the gait and optimizing movement during development. Puppies who experience a trauma such as being dropped or getting a limb or their head stuck some- where are priorities for chiropractic evaluation. Joints in the limbs can become misaligned which can lead to improper development and early arthritis if not corrected. Often animals will experience a trauma like a fall and seem to recover after a day or two, but this recovery is often compensation rather than true recovery. Chiropractic care is often very benefi cial for these animals.
A less commonly appreciated role for chiropractic is seen with rescue animals. Many rescued pets bring emotional and physi- cal traumas that can be quite hidden. Emotional traumas can be buried in, and released from, the spine. Evaluating new rescue pets can help resolve hidden physical traumas and emotional baggage stored in the musculoskeletal system and allow for balanced, open movement that keeps joints healthier, with the side benefi t of improved emotional health.
Musculoskeletal optimization such as chiropractic care not only helps prevent arthritis by keeping the joints working closer to their optimum alignment; it also helps treat arthritis by allowing the nervous system to coordinate as well as possible to compensate for arthritic changes in the joints. Physical therapy is another approach that can improve the muscle strength and balance in an animal. Physical therapy can include exercises and underwater treadmill work done by a trained therapist as well as exercises owners are trained to do with their pets at home.
Pharmaceuticals vs. Herbs
The dominant approach to arthritis in mainstream medicine is the use of pharmaceuticals such as non-steroidal, anti-infl am- matories and drugs that act to modify pain perception in the brain. Often these can signifi cantly improve quality of life in animals, but many animals develop side effects like diarrhea or vomiting, development or progression of kidney disease, mental dullness, or rear limb weakness. Even those that do well with these drugs may eventually need other support to improve their quality of life. Fortunately, there are several other excellent options to help control the pain of arthritis.
Herbs can be used to modify arthritic pain by accessing many different pathways. Some arthritis patients may suffer from signifi - cant muscle spasm, others from dry cracking joints, and yet others from joint swelling. Some patients are worse when they fi rst get up,
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