Page 11 - Martin Downs Bulletin - May '21

Martin Downs, Page 11

tip of the tail

Canine Hip Dysplasia puppies were almost twice as likely to develop hip an oral joint supplement. Many dogs will benefit from
dysplasia as their normal-weight counterparts. These polysulfated glycosaminoglycan injections (Adequan)
studies have allowed food manufacturers to develop on a regular basis. Controlled exercise will keep your
specially formulated diets for large breed puppies. pet’s weight down and keep the muscles strong. Physical
Although any dog can be affected, it is predominantly therapy including treadmill, cold laser treatments,
seen in larger breeds such as German Shepherds, Saint electrostimulation and controlled exercises have been
Bernards, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Old highly effective at improving an affected dog’s quality
English Sheepdogs, Bulldogs, etc. Large mixed-breed dogs of life and should be part of any treatment regimen. It
are also at risk for developing hip dysplasia and should be will also slow down the progression of arthritis. Excess
fed a special large breed growth diet the first year. weight puts undue stress on the hip joints and weight
Weakness and pain in the hind legs are the usual control is extremely important.
clinical signs. The dog appears wobbly and is reluctant Surgery and alternative medical treatments are also
to rise from a sitting or lying position. Some dogs will available. There are also several surgical options to
limp or be reluctant to climb stairs. Over time, the dog correct hip dysplasia. The two most common surgical
will start to shift his weight forward. Initially, the front techniques for hip dysplasia are total hip replacement and
The hip joint is a “ball and socket” joint. During growth, legs may hypertrophy and look stronger. But eventually, femoral head ostectomy (FHO). The choice of surgery
both the “ball” (the head of the femur or thighbone) and the front legs will be negatively affected with this extra will be determined by your pet’s age, condition, and
the “socket” in the pelvis (acetabulum) must grow at equal burden. These signs can be seen in puppies as early as level of activity. Acupuncture, stem cell treatments, and
rates. In canine hip dysplasia, the joint grows abnormally a few months old but are most common in dogs one traditional Chinese medicine have all been used to treat
and results in laxity of the joint, followed by degenerative to two years of age. Dogs with mild hip dysplasia on hip dysplasia with varying results. There have not been
joint disease (DJD) or osteoarthritis (OA). X-rays may develop minimal arthritis without clinical extensive scientific studies on these alternative therapies,
The degree of lameness that occurs is dependent signs until they are older. In fact, although hip dysplasia although some are very encouraging in small studies.
on the extent of these arthritic changes, and may not begins in puppyhood, most dogs don’t develop clinical Talk with your veterinarian about their experiences and
be correlated with the appearance of the hip joint on signs until they are older. It often takes years of gradual recommendations for complementary medical procedures
X-rays. Some pets with significant signs of hip dysplasia bone degeneration until a dog becomes symptomatic. to help your dog.
or osteoarthritis on X-rays may not exhibit any clinical Your veterinarian will suspect hip dysplasia from clinical Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical
signs, while others with minimal changes may be very signs and history, but a radiograph is needed to make a Center is dedicated to providing the best possible care
painful and lame. diagnosis. for your pets. With focuses on compassionate care in
Genetics plays the main role in hip dysplasia, but Treatment depends upon the pet’s clinical signs surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative
advances in nutritional research have shown that diet and amount of discomfort. There are very effective medicine, extensive diagnostics, and emergency service,
also plays an important role in the development of hip nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can Palm City Animal Medical Center combines exceptional
dysplasia. Large breed (generally greater than 50 pounds) help. Each case is different and your veterinarian may medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and their
puppies should be kept at a normal, lean weight during use one drug or a combination of drugs. The treatment owners. For more information, call (772) 283-0920, visit
growth, NOT encouraged to grow very large very fast. will usually change as the disease progresses over time. www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on
A study of German Shepherds found that overweight Most dogs with hip dysplasia will usually start with Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.

Treasure Coast Outdoors

Will The Ocean Run Out Of keep providing enough fish. A Netflix documentary called According to the
Seaspiracy might be something we all want to watch.
documentary, worldwide
Fish? According to the documentary, industrialized commercial consumption of fish and
fishing presents a number of problems. the massive worldwide
By Jim Weix According to the documentary abandoned commercial industrial commercial
Most of us remember the catastrophic results that gill fishing nets make up about 46 percent of the floating fishing industry that
netting had on our local fish populations. That is why plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. If you provides the fish could
Florida voters allowed a constitutional amendment in include all plastics in the entire ocean, including the result in an empty ocean
1994 to ban them in Florida waters. However, they are microplastics, these nets account for 10 percent. by 2048. Obviously that
still used throughout the many parts of the world. Then there is the issue of whales being tangled in these date is subject to debate,
Commercial fishing supplies the world population with nets. These “ghost” nets also continue to kill fish as they but the bottom line is
fish to eat. However, I wonder how long the oceans can float around in the ocean. that worldwide, we are
harvesting far more fish than the ocean can naturally
replace.
China alone catches 11.5 million tons of fish. Their
commercial fishing vessels are the size of a small city.
One vessel catches, fillets, and freezes thousands of tons
of fish on a single trip.
Along with overharvesting, there is a huge problem
with bycatch, which is unwanted fish, dolphins, and sea
NoN-Toxic cancer immunotherapy turtles. Then we have the huge nets that are dragged over
reefs. These destroy the reef, which is also the breeding
ground for fish.
Available NoW So what about our local commercial fishermen? I think
it is safe to say that they aren’t pulling millions of tons of
fish out of the ocean. Instead, they provide some of the
Safe and Effective! fish that Treasure Coast residents can buy locally. They
are also subject to harvest restrictions.
Editor’s note: Jim Weix is an avid hunter, angler,
This is the Original Immunotherapy that conservationist, as well as an outdoor writer.
Jim is included in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s
balances and optimizes your immune system to Hall of Fame, for his work in helping restore thousands
fight almost any type of cancer. of acres of wetlands. Jim is a broker associate with The
Keyes Company. He can be reached at (772) 341-2941
or by email: jimweix@jimweix.com.
Hundreds of successes over the years.

Continuously available since 1977

in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island

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