Tony's Tale: IMHA and Vaccines in Dogs

It’s been just over a year now and Tony is FINALLY weaned off all of his medications.  What he will never be weaned off of are the supplements that, I believe, saved his life!

Last March, we almost lost our 4 year old Yorkie/Poodle mix, Tony.  Within a week of his routine visit to the veterinarian for his checkup and vaccinations, Tony was sick.  He was put on antibiotics to no avail.  A trip back to the vet and he was diagnosed with Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia, or IMHA.  It’s been a journey ever since, a journey that will be with him for the rest of his life!

IMHA is a condition where the immune system destroys the bodies red blood cells faster than they can be made.  I’ve read statistics that show a mortality rate of 50% within 2 weeks of diagnosis, and 80% overall.  Off to the vet hospital Tony went.  After a week in the ICU with daily blood transfusions and 8 different medications, we were told there was nothing more they could do.  Actually, we were asked to either come visit to say goodbye, or we could take him home, but were cautioned that he would not last the weekend.  We opted to take him home!

In the meantime, I started searching!  I simply don’t buy the traditional medical model’s answers to treating disease.  After much research, I found a website that showed promise, www.optimumchoices.com.  Everything I read made sense, so we started Tony on a cocktail of the bio-algae concentrates from the website, as well as OPC-3 (I’ve had plenty of experience with this for human immune issues) the day he came home.

Although he still could barely lift his head off the floor, he survived the weekend!  Surprised, the veterinarian suggested we take him in to check his levels.  His blood count was at 8 (normal is 37 to 55) and they administered one more blood transfusion.  From that day forward, his numbers steadily improved, finally holding at 46 to 48 for almost a year!

This week, Tony finally took his last dose of azathioprine.  It has been a slow process weaning him off the myriad of immune-suppressant medications he was on, and there is always a risk of relapse.  Because of this, Tony can no longer receive vaccinations of any kind.  Like the rest of my family, he will continue to take his OPC-3, as well as the bio-algae concentrates (BioPreperation 3+) on a daily basis!

Vaccines have become a very controversial subject over the last several years, in both humans and animals.  Although they have proven to be life saving, there are many potential health issues linked to vaccines.  Despite my very strong opinion on this subject, I will agree that more unbiased research is clearly needed.  My caution to you is to make sure the vaccination is absolutely necessary, the benefit outweighs the risk, and when multiple vaccines are given, they are spread out over time.

Tony and Murphy

                            A welcome sign, Tony once again leaping off the deck!

This past year has been a blessing!  Tony is back to his normal self, a lovable 8 pound dog with a huge fluffy tail that wags wildly when he has your attention.  He was a rescue pup, and took a little bit of time to get used to our home.  He has one of the most gentle dispositions that I’ve even seen in a dog, with the exception of the times he harasses our other, grumpier dog, Murphy, to play...Brian

links for this post:
www.optimumchoices.com - BioPreparation 3+
www.yourwellnesspharmacist.com - OPC-3

Recommended Daily Allowance...Recommended for Who?

Read any food or supplement label today and you’re likely to find the DV or Daily Value listed on the label.  It’s important to understand where this Daily Value originated from, and it’s intended purpose.  Originally the RDA, or Recommended Daily Allowance, was developed as a minimum requirement of essential nutrients to prevent diseases caused by deficiencies of specific nutrients in most people.  The key word here is ‘minimum’.  

Today, the FDA requires the term Daily Value on the label.  Although this value has been updated over the years, it still doesn’t tell the whole story.  Is it enough to simply take the minimum amount of an essential nutrient to survive?  The goal of any good nutritional program should be to achieve optimal wellness.  With that end in mind, 100% of the Daily Value of many essential nutrients are woefully low!

Although it does not replace a healthy diet, in future posts I’ll discuss why good, quality supplementation can make a positive impact for everyone.

Do you feel as well as you should?...Brian

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I had a Gut Feeling

Most people have a ‘gut feeling’ and it’s not a good one!  Digestive issues are one of the most common complaints that I’ve heard in my years as a community pharmacist.  In fact, as many as 1 in 3 Americans have some sort of digestive disorder, from bloating and heartburn, to more serious issues such as Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  This means big business for the pharmaceutical industry (and lots of gas for our atmosphere)!

The missing link that most people make is the connection between a healthy digestive tract to many other, seemingly unrelated health issues.  An unhealthy gut can cause anything from skin issues to allergies. Not only is the digestive tract where we absorb the necessary nutrients our body requires, it’s also known to support a healthy immune system and is critical for our mental status.  The healthy bacteria in our gut produce a large percentage of the neurochemicals that our brain uses for such things as memory and mood.  

Often, a simple approach one can take to improving that ‘gut feeling’ is by taking a probiotic.  Probiotics, meaning pro-life, are supplements that contain various strains of organisms that live in our digestive tract.  They’ve been recommended for years to help women protect themselves from yeast infections.  But, there are a huge range of other benefits to taking probiotics, such as supporting your immune system, digestive health, oral health, and brain chemistry just to name a few.

When choosing a probiotic, there are a few things to consider, such as how many and which strains the probiotic contains.   Also, will the product deliver what it says on the label through the stomach, and to the intestinal tract where it is needed.  It’s important to choose a high quality product from a reputable company.  Personally, I take Nutriclean Probiotics from nutraMetrix, but there are other great probiotics out there from other companies, such as Metagenix and Integrative Therapeutics.

Next time you complain about gas or bloating, think of me and take a probiotic.  Better yet, take them every day to help promote optimal wellness…Brian

Here’s a link to some of my favorite supplements to promote wellness:

www.yourwellnesspharmacist.com

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Fork in the Road

We all come across forks in the road.  Depending on the direction we choose, our life, career path, and personal life can take on a whole new dimension.  Possibilities we never imagined await us with every twist and turn of our lives. My big ‘fork in the road’ came several years ago when I was busy being busy operating a community pharmacy, knee deep in the traditional medical model, and seeing my personal health suffer despite my knowledge.

As a child, I suffered from chronic allergies: dogs, cats, mold, dust, flowers, perfumes, smoke, pine, various food additives, and the dreaded RAGWEED POLLEN! I was told that I’d “grow out of them”. Well, they lied! I found myself as a successful pharmacist and business owner, suffering worse than ever from my allergies and exercise induced asthma.  I tried EVERYTHING (remember, I owned a pharmacy) and nothing helped! One particular day a colleague of mine told me about a product he thought would help me.  That particular day turned out to be my ‘fork in the road’.

I had to make a decision.  This product was not available through my pharmacy, nor did I have much faith in natural products.  My ‘pharmacist skepticism’ could have gotten the best of me.  It didn’t!  Not only did I see a tremendous benefit with my allergies, as well as other issues, I’ve since impacted many others suffering from a variety of issues with this same product.  This experience set me on a path to explore and learn about the world beyond pharmacy, a journey that continues today! Everything from supplementation, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, energy healing, and more suddenly emerged into my vision.

As I’m sitting down and starting this, my first ever blog post, my hope is that it presents a ‘fork in the road’ for others.  My topics shall include everything discussed above and more.  I welcome your comments and suggestions...Brian