Common Medications

There are almost as many opinions among veterinarians concerning the use of corticosteroids as there are veterinarians. Some feel that these drugs – prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone foremost among them – are invaluable to every dog who itches; some feel that corticosteroids ought to be used only as a last resort, and only for short periods and in small amounts. Still others regard them as verboten. Why are these drugs so controversial?

In August 2010, representatives of the American Heartworm Society (AHS), the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), and experts in the field of nematode resistance met in Atlanta. Their goal was to discuss the possibility of heartworms becoming resistant to macrocyclic lactones

On December 1, 2009, Merial published an open letter to veterinarians, announcing a shortage of Immiticide (melarsomine dihydrochloride), the only drug licensed for use in treating heartworm infestations in dogs. The shortage is due to a manufacturing site transfer. The company expressed hope that the shortage will not persist beyond the first quarter of this year.

feeding tubes

Pain may be the most enigmatic of all the disease symptoms of man or beast. It is a sensation we all have experienced at one time or another and in varying degrees. But, few of us can explain adequately how a particular pain feels, fewer still can give a reasonable explanation for why pain occurs; and despite all the recent scientific research that has gone into pain, we still have a minimal understanding for how it occurs – or truthfully, for how to consistently prevent or alleviate it.

American BioSciences
Blauvelt

Ten years ago, my dog Piglet woke me in the middle of the night, trembling violently and utterly terrified. It took me hours to track the source of her panic to a barely audible high-pitched beep that sounded once every two minutes, coming from a smoke alarm’s low battery indicator. Behavior-altering drugs can help dogs with phobias or anxiety disorders but you have to learn which ones work best in each case.

holistic

Corticosteroids are perhaps the most enigmatic of all the drugs in the western medicine man's arsenal. It has been said by many practitioners that they are the most used and most abused of all our medicines. Corticosteroids are a necessary component of a healthy physiology and they can be life saving ... or they can cause multiple adverse side effects that can be devastating to a dog's health and well-being.

A holistic veterinarian warns dog owners about casual or sloppy use of synthetic antibiotics, and what the consequences could be for your dog, and even you! Every year we are literally dumping millions of tons of antibiotics into our living environment – each ounce of antibiotic with the potential to create yet another antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria.

My brother's Lab retriever-mix was diagnosed with extensive cancer about a month ago. One vet estimated that she only had three weeks to live. My brother is not a very alternative health" type of guy

Anti-inflammatory drugs are life-savers for many arthritic dogs, but used improperly, they can cause injury or even death. Veterinarians at the CVM regard canine NSAIDs to be safe and effective as long as consumers take precautions and pay attention to the labels and insert warnings.