Really? I must have missed that at the meeting...
Posted on 09/08/2002 7:18:01 PM PDT by blam
Shellfish diet found to benefit dogs with arthritis
By Steve Connor
09 September 2002
Dogs fed on a shellfish diet have fewer problems with arthritis, according to a study showing that the New Zealand green-lipped mussel can alleviate canine aches and pains.
Scientists have found that powdered extracts of the mussels, when added to a dog's normal food, allow those suffering from osteoarthritis to live more normal lives after six weeks of treatment.
The results, to be presented at the festival this week, show that painful swelling and inflammation improved in four out of five dogs fed on the diet.
The green-lipped mussel was long thought to contain substances that can relieve arthritic symptoms. Maoris who eat them regularly have a low incidence of the disease, but this is the first time the effect has been shown on dogs.
Arthritis affects most dogs over five years of age and can severely hinder their movement. Karyl Hurley, a specialist in animal medicine at the pet food company Waltham, said conventional treatments with anti-inflammatory drugs could cause side-effects such as stomach irritation, anorexia, vomiting and ulcers."Managing this condition through diet is relatively new and much more holistic than conventional medicines," she said. "Vets and dog owners have embraced this alternative and have been thrilled with the response."
Nobody has identified the active ingredient in New Zealand mussels but scientists suspect it is a fatty acid that counteracts the degradation of cartilage and bone in arthritic joints.
In a study in the United States involving 30 dogs with arthritis, scientists fed half of them with the powdered extract and the other half with a placebo. After six weeks, independent vets scored the relatively ability of the dogs to perform tasks, without knowing which had been fed on the mussel extract.
Dr Hurley said that over half of those taking the treatment showed improvement on a "score" of arthritic symptoms. Nearly 70 per cent showed improvement in a score of joint pain and nearly a quarter were better in terms of swellings.
Dr Hurley said: "We believe that caring for animals through nutrition is sensible and can avoid more invasive or expensive alternatives."
SCalGal, if you need a higher-fat food, have you ever tried Biljac? Especially the frozen variety? My dogs go crazy over that stuff (about the only thing they like as much is my homemade dog food), but it tended to put too much weight on them.
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate brands are universally the same and must follow the FDA guidelines for mg per tablet. Cosequin is the brand name for veterinary use that is the most reliable however it is the most expensive. I recommend to my clients to go to Wal Mart and buy their name brands which is half to one-third the cost.
ROFLMFAO...
L
Really? I must have missed that at the meeting...
Hmm. And just how does that work? ;)
As for contraindications, too high a maintanence
level will make for a stiff neck, pain when rotating
the head to the far left and the far right, and
stiff, painful shoulders. I assume if the dosage
is kept up the pain/stiff joints will eventually
spread to the whole body.
I will go to Walmart-and I will buy their brands. What do you think of Vit C additive-yeah or nay. And do you give your dog, if you have one, fish oil?
Doc-our Bernese is a gem. Our fist Bernese died at age five from liver cancer they believe was either induced from the steroids she took in a concentrated amount because she has such a serious joint problem she refused to move (wanted to die-I am certain. We drove three hours to take her to a clinic in Columbus that specializes in cancers and other serious diseases-she stayed there two separate times-our final cost was over $5000.00 dollars. When they first biopsied her front leg joints-the fluid in the joints was like water. The Vet explained to us that it should be of a consistency that would allow them to stretch it out for several feet...in a string. The steroids helped, she started to recover, then the liver cancer took over. We wondered if the cancer may have started from a Lyme vac series we had her take upon moving back to the states. I guess we will never know if it was that or the steroids treatment. It took us two years to recover from this gentle, loving dogs death. Prior we had had two mutts who both lived to be seventeen years of age....we were not used to an animal dying so young.
This current Bernese Mtn Dog is wonderfully healthy and alert. At 16 months of age-I don't want to load her up on additives that might do more harm than good, nor do I want to simply make for expensive pet urine. On the other hand, I would LOVE to provide her with a diet that helps her immune system to fight off the ravages of arthritis and other auto-immune diseases.
If she were yours-exactly what would you be feeding her. Many thanks-and I promise not to bug you ever again....well....maybe just a little! LOL
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