Newsletter - June 2013
This quote by Ferdinand Koch " The will to conquer is the first condition of victory" is a rule that Tori lives by, and her will has been unwavering. I'm in awe of this girl who continues to beat the odds despite her health challenges. So, that loud cheering sound you'll hear on June 19th will be coming from here as we celebrate her 7th birthday - she's incredible!
Of course, what would a month be without Tori having something new to deal with? The latest is that she's said to have torn a ligament. You'd think that she'd be in pain, but she's not if her antics are any indication. This makes me wonder if it's truly a tear or a stretch injury. Conservative management is the only option here, so staying off her hind legs (good luck with that), wild salmon oil to reduce inflammation and Joint Complex are the keys. Why give her the latter? Because osteoarthritis begins with injury that renders a joint unstable. Given that Tori has luxating patellas and a wobbly leg at the moment, Joint Complex will do her a world of good. I'm all about prevention.
Save $1.50 per bottle of Wild Salmon Oil (limit: 8 bottles per order)
Save $1.50 per bottle of Joint Complex (limit 6 bottles per order)
Stock up on these great deals and help your dog feel and look better. Our wild salmon oil provides omega 3 fatty acids which play a crucial role in fighting inflammation, and they're taken up preferentially by the brain. They also happen to be good for the eyes, heart and skin.
Joint Complex provides glucosamine, chondroiten and MSM in amounts and ratios that have helped so many dogs and people that I receive emails about it on a regular basis.
Inflammation: Friend or Foe?
Actually, it can be both. For example, a paper cut may cause some redness and even a bit of puffiness. That's the body's way of creating a pocket-so-to-speak in which defender cells keep invading bacteria at bay and, hopefully, kill them off. The importance of the body's attempt to protect itself shouldn't be trivialized. Saying that all inflammation is bad would be incorrect. Chronic inflammation is a very different story. This is the type of inflammation so many people worry about (ironically, stress causes more inflammation, so worrying is counterproductive) and why anti-inflammatory foods and supplements have become so popular. One of the issues here is that our diets, and certainly commercial dog diets have changed things. The meat of grass-fed animals provides more omega 3 fatty acids than meat from animals grown in factory farms. The latter are fed corn (think corn oil, thus omega 6 fatty acids) and worse. Between our fast-food lifestyles and our dogs eating pretty much the same (unless you feed a balanced organic, home-made diet), you can see why our bodies are in need of more omega 3 intake.
Prolonged inflammation has been linked to cancers, muscle loss with ageing (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005 May;288(5):E883-91. Epub 2004 Dec 21) and a host of other unwelcome events. The bottom line? Inflammation is a necessary response as the body tries to protect itself, but like almost everything else in life, moderation is key. So, what's your omega 3 intake? Are you and your dog getting enough?
Personally Speaking
Learn more on my blog:
Misunderstanding about Food and Supplements
Monica
"Love will make a dog howl in rhyme" ~ Francis Beaumont