A love that deep, deserves for us,our dog's caretakers, to do the very best we can by them. When we make the decision to be a caretaker for a pet, I believe we owe it to them to give them the best life they can.
As I was walking through the woods today, hearing the acorns pop under my feet, and seeing Odin's white fluffy tail wagging in front of me, I thought about how thankful I was to have him romping ahead with joy, and not painfully from sore joints, as he has in the past.
I would like to share some more ideas with you. Odin and I have found different techniques that have helped so much on his aging stiff joints, in hopes it can help your furry friend too.
I few months back I listed some items that have helped Odin so much. We continue to use these. I think sometimes the cure is not just one thing, but a combination of treatments, that help our friends. To see this list again please go to: http://www.furryphilosophy.blogspot.com/2015/07/keeping-healthy-and-active-natural-way.html
After writing this article I read a piece by Mary E. Haight from Dancing Dog Blog that talked about Passive Range of Motion. I have added these stretches to Odin's daily regimen and have to say I saw more improvement ! I searched for "how to" videos on passive range of motion and they were all similar. Here is a link that is quick, to the point, I'd like to share:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2g5CYXlHMsH3NbJ_DxK0Tb2fea9Tavu6
Even though I saw great improvement , I thought there had to be something I could do to help him even more. I continued to do research and spoke with contacts that raved about cold laser. I had to look further.
This is a brief history and information on the subject:
Mikaela Conely stated " The cold laser therapy is a noninvasive procedure that uses light to stimulate cells and increase blood circulation. At the correct laser wavelength, pain signals are reduced and nerve sensitivity decreases. The procedure also releases endorphins, or natural painkillers, but it is not recommended for animals that have cancer because the device can stimulate blood flow to cancer cells." "The procedure is based on the idea that light is absorbed into the cells. The process, known as photo-biotherapy, stimulates protein synthesis and cell metabolism, which improves cell health and functionality."
The American Chiropractic Association states, "Light in its various forms has been used for healing from the time of the ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations."
Cold laser therapy is now being recognized as beneficial by many veterinarians and it is easy to find in most areas.
If Odin needed something I would even sell plasma to make sure he received it. But I am also not rolling in dough, I always look for ways to save money. I looked at my options and found for our budget it would be most economical to purchase one and give him daily treatments at home. I found an affordable one Amazon.com called Tendlite Joint Home Therapy. It had very informative instructions and I also did more research on safety. Make sure you read the safety instructions. I found an important part of the body to avoid is the thyroid (throat area).
I started this therapy on Odin, and MY joints, and found immediate, extreme relief and improvement for both of us . We give the cold laser a 4 paws up, 5 dog bone stars and cannot say enough good things about it !
If you want to take this one step further I have also used the cold laser on acupressure points. A good reference book for this is, "Four Paws Five Directions" by Cheryl Schwartz. There are good clear charts in the middle of the book.
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| This is a page from " Four Paws Five Directions" The BL 60 point is called the arthritis point. It is a very beneficial point to rub and apply cold laser to. |
I now partner laser with the passive range of motion and have special bonding time with Odin, that benefits him more than I can say.
Odin, and I wish your pet many fun walks, tail wags and a long, pain-free, joyous life.
Read more Furry Philosophy in my book “Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone.” Available at Amazon.com or by emailing cani7lupus@aol.com . If you order directly through me you can choose from the list of my animal charities to have a portion of the proceeds to be donated. You can read the first chapter for free on my very first blog post: http://www.furryphilosophy.blogspot.com/2015/02/trying-my-hand-at-blogging.html
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