Arf-Arf. Pain Medicine for Dogs

My dog Kixx, a Great Pyrenees at about 100 lbs, or more, has reached 8 years plus. Big Dogs do not live as long as small dogs. When they all start to fade the first symptom of a healthy but aging dog, from my observation of dozens of dogs is that they become slower, can’t walk as well, cannot climb stairs and generally like to lie down and sleep. The stiffness in the legs, an arthritis pain just speeds them onto the Rainbow Bridge. What to do?

Consultation with the veterinarian is not much help other than providing euthanasia. My dog cemetery is about full as far as I am concerned and I really dislike doing the deed. I do not like to see anyone, and in this case dogs suffer with pain. So I have learned to treat them with herbs.

This is what I have found out through “experimentation”. Cosequin D5 ™ is the standard veterinary prescribed for joints rubbing against each other, and allegedly rebuilds tissue. The dosage of 4 pills a day (for big dogs), then after a month reduced to 2 a day.

I have found this product, similar to what arthritic people purchase somewhat helpful; it does not stop pain.

Kixx is a herd dog and herds cats. He is by nature not an active runner dog such as the Boarder Collie that runs all the time. Kixx chases the cats outside the fence and then patrols. In the mountains of Spain he is a protection dog for the sheep and just shoulders them about and walks.

He is quite powerful and if in a work situation would be used to kill wolves and bears. He sort of looks like a sheep with his big thick hair white color coat and sleeps within the herd. Here he sleeps with me. (On the bedroom floor of course.)

My goal is to eliminate pain. To achieve this goal is to see him walking straight, no limping, no stiffness so he can go up and down the stairs as he did as a young dog. I use Chinese herbs.

There is a plant, one of 400 varieties, which can easily be grown in your greenhouse or garden. It looks sort of like a cluster of marigolds. There is only one of the 400 varieties that is useful and STOPS PAIN. This plant: CORYDALIS YANHUSUO has been grown and used to treat pain in humans for at least 5,000 years. If you are in a Chinese market the name is YAN HU SHO.

After researching in my Chinese Materia Medica, a compendium, disclosed this valuable herb. It is NOT a Narcotic, and does not interact with the morphine receptors in the brain.

Diane discovered a capsule form of this plant medication on Amazon.com for about $10.00 a bottle, in capsule or liquid form. The human dosage is UP TO 8 pills 3 times a day (for severe pain). Since I have shoulder arthritis among other pains, I started myself, as a test, with 2 pills. There was relief. I upped the pills to 3 in the morning and 3 at night, after I have been hammering nails and the pain just stops sleep.   I think it was safe for Kixx. When he is exhausted herding cats and hobbles along he gets 3 in the morning and 3 at bed time plus his 2 a day Cosequin D5.   If he has a bad day and can barely drag himself inside he gets a third dose at noon.

Arthritis means joint pain.

He acts like a puppy now and I will say he focuses on me, well knowing I am the giver of pain relief. Pesky indeed, for closeness.

I estimate he will live out his expected 10 years, maybe longer.

Planting the Great Corydalis for herbal formula implies you must have the YANHUSUO variety, which is available on line from our friend: Amazon.com.

The Chinese method of making medicine from this one plant, not the 399 other similar non medicinal plants of the same variety, is to pull the plant up, wash off the root dirt, and soak only the roots in vinegar. This is an acid type extract. Some literature suggests the addition of alcohol, (Vodka is good.) Diane, my collaborator and beautiful wife employs full strength Vodka. Alcohol is a prime extractant for most of our tinctures.

There are 127 varieties of arthritis (Joint pain) . Actually not all arthritis is joint pain; it is just listed that way. Gout in humans starts at about 40 for men, usually in the big toe and works upwards over the entire body. Women can experience Gout as early as 15, although generally it is later in mid life and starts with the knees.

The causes of Gout are you are too heavy and you eat the wrong rich fat foods. The same is for Dogs with the crummy canned and dry food. If you are rich you can feed your dog straight steak. The super expensive canned dog food with mixed vegetables is a way of reducing the meat content to minimum needs. I know of no commercial dog food that is really good, save an all meat dried food in the expensive section of the pet store. So this leaves you with Purina Dog Chow™ and table scraps, which is about the best you can do.

However you dog’s stiffness and overall soreness can be a symptom of gout. For me with my periodic symptoms of Gout I go back to the ancient days of yore-spring and fall- and flush my blood and urinary system with a dropper full of Nettle. This is a muscle pain, not a joint pain. More is not better.

I thought I had some wild Hawthorn Berries in my Herb House, but alas, I could not find them. Also they are a favorite of the wild birds and I have to gather them when in season-next late summer. I might add only the wild Hawthorn berry, which has 2 seeds is the medicinal kind. Domestic Hawthorn usually has 4 or more seeds. These are no good for medicine. The wild Hawthorn is a shrubby thorny bush like tree. It is used as a heart medicine. Of course Humans cannot use this berry if they are taking any type of heart medication-but dogs generally are not on heart medication. I grind up two berry seeds and sprinkle over Kixx’s food. This strengthens his heart and regulates the beat. I repeat, if the dog is on heartworm meds- you cannot use Hawthorn Berries.

I have a combination of local herbs I use in a crème with 208 people using it for osteoarthritis. It works but is greasy and so being with Kixx’s long fuzzy hair coat it is impractical. So we use internal herbs.

God Bless the little friends we have been given and are responsible for. Oh! The beautiful dog in the picture is Kixx.

Old Timer

COPYRIGHT: Back2theLand.com, 2014, all rights reserved.