Joint Pain in Pets and How Microlactin Can Help

Does your dog take a long time to get up from his bed and seem stiff when he takes his first few steps? Is your cat doing less jumping these days and more sleeping? Especially as your pet ages, it’s important to pay close attention to his or her movements – or lack of them. An older pet that demonstrates a lowered activity level, stiffness, or reluctance to play or walk, may be suffering from arthritis.

Arthritis is a degenerative joint condition where the joints wear down and cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation. Studies show that arthritis affects one in five adult dogs in the U.S.  Cats get arthritis too, but at a lower rate than dogs.

Here are some signs of arthritis in dogs and cats:

  • Trouble standing or sitting
  • Limping or favoring a leg
  • Moving with stiffness or seemingly sore joints
  • Lower activity levels
  • Unwillingness to climb stairs, run, jump, or play

If your pet shows symptoms of arthritis for a few weeks, take her in for a full exam with your veterinarian. If your pet is diagnosed with arthritis, your veterinarian may suggest several things you can do to relieve the symptoms for your dog or cat.

The first is to ensure that you help your pet maintain a healthy weight and diet. A dog or cat that carries around extra weight on its frame puts more strain on its joints, which aggravates arthritic conditions.

Try Microlactin for Dogs and Cats

Your vet may also recommend treating your pet with microlactin, a joint supplement also known as hyperimmunized milk factor (HMF). This patented dried milk protein is derived from the milk of hyperimmunized cows. It protects joints by limiting damaging agents from getting into the tissue in the joints. Microlactin protein helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory joint conditions. Not only is microlactin effective at reducing inflammation, unlike some other pain and inflammation medications, microlactin doesn’t have any side effects to upset your pet’s stomach.

One commonly recommended supplement containing microlactin is Duralactin, which contains microlactin for long-term management of chronic inflammatory conditions in dogs and cats.

Microlactin and Glucosamine Combo Therapy for Pets

Also, talk to your veterinarian about combining microlactin treatment with glucosamine joint supplements. Glucosamine works in the joint by helping draw water into the joint cartilage and reduce inflammation. You can find microlactin combined with glucosamine, among other bone and joint supplement ingredients, in Duralactin Canine Joint Plus Soft Chews for Dogs. This powerful combination is also available for cats in Duralactin Feline Joint Plus Paste.

Has microlactin helped your pet? Have you tried combining it with glucosamine? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Regards,

Wes

Brush Up on Your Pet’s Dental Health

I don’t know many people who love going to the dentist, but I think we can all agree on the value of good dental hygiene. It’s important for pets too. After obesity, dental disease is the second most common disease in pets and it can start as early as age three.

The status of your pet’s dental health is hard to actually see since visual exams show only about 30% of what’s happening on the teeth and gums; x-rays are necessary to see the full picture. Veterinary trips, x-rays, special products…. Yes, veterinary dental care is an extra expense. But beyond causing “dog breath,” dental disease can have devastating effects because it:

  • Causes pain and can hamper your pet’s ability to eat
  • Creates bacteria that can move into major organs including the heart, liver and kidney
  • Shortens your pet’s life

What can you do to improve your pet’s dental health?

Whether you have a puppy with pearly whites, an older cat with yellow teeth, or a senior dog that is missing a few, you can improve your pet’s dental health.

·Ask your veterinarian about your pet’s dental health. The first step is to talk to your veterinarian about what’s best for your pet. She’ll recommend a dental health regimen based on your pet’s age, general health, and the condition of his teeth. If a cleaning is in order, ask about discounts or special dental health programs during February as they’re often available during pet dental month.
·Start a pet dental health regimen as early as you can. If you have a puppy or kitten, get them accustomed to regular tooth and gum massages. Then when their adult teeth come in they’ll be more accepting of regular tooth brushing.
Dental Health Products for Pets are Available at VetRxDirect·Choose the best pet oral hygiene products.  Toothpastes and brushes made for humans should not be used on dogs and cats! Talk to your veterinarian about which dental health supplies, chews, and supplements are right for your pet and how to use them. Remember, veterinary cleaning products are most effective if you start using them when your pet is young or right after your dog or cat has had a teeth cleaning.

·Check out VetRxDirect’s selection of top quality dental health products for dogs and cats:

·Make the commitment. You are the most important part of your pet’s dental health regimen. Your cat can’t brush her own teeth and your dog can’t reach the dental chews on his own (or maybe he can!). Sticking to a dental health plan takes work, but it’s worth the effort because you can avoid costly dental procedures later in your pet’s life.

In good pet dental health,

Wes

The True-Dose Story

The idea for True-Dose arose from the real experience Joe and Margie Wayman had with their German Shepherd, Cody. As he was getting older, they started to notice symptoms of joint pain, so their veterinarian recommended they give Cody a glucosamine/chondroitin bone and joint supplement. While it wasn’t difficult to find a high-quality tablet, it was difficult to coax Cody into taking the tablet. They tried everything – wrapping the tablet in slices of cheese, hiding it in bits of a hot dog, even Braunschweiger – but Cody almost always managed to avoid consuming the tablet. Even when they managed to get the tablet into his system, due to the intermittent dosing, they did not see any results or relief of Cody’s arthritis.

True-Dose Liquid Pump Pet Supplements

True-Dose High Quality Liquid Pet Supplements

So Margie, being a librarian, began to do some research and came up with the idea of supplements in a liquid form. From there, True-Dose was developed as an alternative to the tablet or chewable form of bone and joint supplements for dogs and cats. True-Dose placed using high quality ingredients as their top priority and committed themselves to making human-grade products that truly work. However, they were also aware even the highest quality ingredients will do no good if they are not absorbed on a regular basis. So, they developed an innovative means of delivery – the premeasured pump dosing system – to ensure pet owners can administer the products to their pets in a simple, convenient way everyday.

Joe Wayman says, “Our pets are like children and we want pet owners to feel they are providing their pets with the safest, healthiest, and most effective supplements available. We fully believe in True-Dose and know it is unmatched by any other pet supplement. The high quality of our product, innovative delivery system, and integrity of our company are raising the bar in the pet community. True-Dose is quickly becoming the products pet parents prefer”.

When it comes to giving your pet a supplement, True-Dose is truly the best solution. The easy means of administration eliminates the stress and hassle for you and the high quality ingredients allows you to help improve your pet’s health. There are three key elements of True-Dose which set it apart from other pet supplements: Fast, Accurate, Convenient.

True-Dose: Fast – Accurate – Convenient

Fast: The liquid formulation of the ingredients in True-Dose products guarantees rapid onset in the pet. The liquid absorbs easily into the pet’s system and begins to work almost immediately. True-Dose Calming formulation begins to work within in 15 minutes, Skin & Coat within three days, and Joint Care shows results in as little as 7 days.

True-Dose Pet Supplement Pump System

True-Dose Pet Supplements use an Innovative Delivery System

Accurate: The metered-dose pump system guarantees the correct amount of supplement is dispensed for the pet according to its weight as directed on the label. This ensures each individual pet is getting the exact amount of the supplement needed to produce results in their system.

Convenient: The innovative delivery system True-Dose uses makes giving your pet their supplements as easy as pumping the appropriate amount directly onto their food each day. This system requires no special techniques or tricks and creates no mess. It simply ensures absorption and results!

Give any of the True-dose products a try and tell us what you think. Our readers always appreciate your reviews.

The Power of Cranberry

For hundreds of years people around the world have used cranberries to treat pain and discomfort caused by urinary tract infections (UTIs). But it was only in the last few decades that scientists understood why cranberries helped. It turns out that these little red berries contain powerful proanthocyanidins (PACs). These special antioxidants stop bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract and from causing infection. Since the bacteria can’t stick around, they’re flushed from the system.

Turns out what’s good for us, is also good for our pets.  Many dogs and cats are prone to UTIs.  Look for these signs of a UTI in your pet:

Cats

  • frequent trips to the litter box
  • light pink urine
  • excessive thirst

Dogs

  • frequent trips outside
  • signs of discomfort when urinating
  • excessive thirst

If you think your pet has a UTI, see your veterinarian right away for a treatment recommendation. If your pet is prone to chronic urinary tract or bladder infection, your vet may recommend giving your pet a cranberry supplement to help maintain a healthy immune system and support urinary tract health. Cranberry supplements can be especially valuable as a maintenance therapy for dogs and cats that have recurrent UTIs.

You’ll find a range of cranberry supplements on the market. In addition to cranberry extract, many of these supplements also contain other beneficial ingredients including herbs and vitamins. Formulations vary, but the most popular are powders and chewables.

Potassium Citrate Plus Cranberry for overall urinary health in pets

Potassium Citrate Plus Cranberry for Urinary Health in Pets

Paxon is a popular chewable cranberry extract supplement for dogs, while Cranberry Plus and CranMate are labelled for use in dogs and cats. Potassium Citrate Plus Cranberry combines the urinary tract benefits of cranberry with micro-encapsulated Potassium Citrate for the prevention of urinary stone formation and is available in chewable tablets and granules.

While cranberry supplements don’t require a prescription, you should talk with your veterinarian before giving this – or any — supplement to your pet. Some cranberry supplements can alter the efficacy of other medications so you need to be aware of how the supplement affects any medications your pet is already taking.

Do you give your dog or cat cranberry supplements? What results have you experienced? Your thoughts are valuable to us, so please share them in the comments section below.

Three cheers for the cranberry!

Wes

VetRxDirect is a PCAB Accredited Compounding Pet Pharmacy

VetRxDirect’s compounding pharmacy is proud to hold the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board’s Seal of Accreditation.

Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board's Seal of Accreditation

VetRxDirect is an Accredited Pet Pharmacy

While all compounding pharmacies are required to meet the requirements set by their respective state boards of pharmacy, PCAB Accredited™ denotes a more stringent and comprehensive standard which serves as an assurance that our compounding pharmacy has been tested against the profession’s most rigorous standards.

PCAB Accreditation requires a pharmacy:

  • Agree to the PCAB rules and terms of accreditation.
  • Abide by the PCAB Principles of Compounding.
  • Meet or exceed all PCAB quality standards.
  • Pass an extensive on-site inspection.
  • Use only high quality chemicals and equipment.
  • Ensure that compounding pharmacists and technicians receive continuing education and training in compounding.
  • Employ a system of continuous quality improvement.

PCAB criteria was established by a Standards Committee of compounding pharmacists and nationally-recognized experts in the compounding pharmacy profession.

To earn our designation as a  PCAB Accredited™ compounding pharmacy, VetRxDirect completed an extensive application and submission process, documenting our education, training, licensures, policies and procedures. Our documentation was reviewed by PCAB. Next, we had to pass an extensive on-site inspection. Only when this stringent evaluation was completed and we were judged to have met all criteria, did the PCAB officially grant us the PCAB Seal of Accreditation.

VetRxDirect is honored to receive the PCAB Seal of Accreditation. We feel it confirms our commitment to providing safe, personalized solutions that meet the medical needs of the pets we serve.

You can find more information on specific drugs by visiting VetRxDirect, or by reading our blog posts on Cisapride or Urinary Incontinence which includes information on DES.

VetRxDirect looks forward to helping you obtain needed medications for your pet, whatever the form.

Thank you,

Wes

Tummy Trouble?

A cookie here, some crackers there, a few extra bones, or another helping of catnip … and maybe a sock or two left on the floor.  The holidays present so many tasty opportunities for our pets to indulge. Unfortunately, many of those indulgences  — or, depending on how you look at them, indiscretions — can cause upset stomach and even diarrhea.  Both are uncomfortable for your pet – and no fun for you either.

Here are some tips for helping your pet avoid bouts of diarrhea during the holidays and throughout the year:

  •  If you have guests staying with you, be sure they know the house rules on feeding your pet, especially about whether they can give your pet any “people food.”  Let them know which treats – and how many — your dog and cat are allowed to have.  That way Grandma will know not to slip Fido Christmas cookies under the table and your littlest guests will understand what foods and items are off limits for your pet.
  •  Go easy on the tasty treats.  If Santa Paws left your pet treats under the tree, give your furry friend just a few on the big day then dole them out as you normally would. Letting your dog or cat have a bunch of treats at one time is good way to cause gastric distress.
  • Try not to leave temptation out for your pet. In the rush of the holiday season, it’s easy to forget how much your dog loves to chew on your kids’ toys or how your cat likes to eat your favorite houseplant.  Before the rush of guests arrive, consider putting problem plants, toys, and other enticing items in a place where your pet can’t get to them.

If diarrhea does set in, try to determine what the culprit was so you know the source.  And pay close attention to your pet; if the diarrhea lasts more than a few days, be sure to contact your veterinarian. Left untreated, diarrhea can lead to dehydration and other serious problems.

Endosorb tablets can provide some relief from diarrhea. These tablets contain treated mineral clay that absorbs toxins in the stomach and relieves discomfort, cramping, and irritation due to diarrhea. Be sure to give your pet plenty of fresh water when administering Endosorb.

You might also want to consider giving your pet probiotic products to reduce the effects of diarrhea and help stop it from even starting. Probiotic supplements are over-the-counter products that promote healthy intestinal and immune function.  Probiotics are usually given daily either in a tablet, chewable, or a powder that can be sprinkled on food.

FortiFlora is one popular probiotic supplement formulated for dogs and cats. It contains a special strain of probiotic that promotes healthy intestinal function and manages diarrhea. FortiFlora also has a high level of antioxidants, which help support your pet’s immune system.

How do you help your pet when she has diarrhea? Have you had success with probiotics? We’d like to hear what you think in the comments section below.

Have a Happy Start to your New Year!

Wes