July Issue 105
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PET SECTION JULY 2016
It has been about 6 months now since I
had my 8-year-old female Dachshund spayed and I am starting to wonder if I have
made a mistake in having this done. She has developed a whole new attitude on
life by becoming way yappier (she was yappy to begin with!), does not want to
go for walks anymore and has become an eating machine. She acts like she is
starving all the time and I feel like I have to go hide every time I would like
a snack; she just sits and stares at me and will even start to pant and whine
as if she has not had a thing to eat in days.
She used to be so incredibly picky about
her dog food and snacks; it was incredibly annoying and now she will even sneak
out to the deck to see if there is any dry old bread on the railing that I put
out for my blue jays!!
I swear this is becoming a real problem
and she is putting on weight like crazy even though I am feeding her the same
amount of food. Now I’ll have to cut way back on the portions I give her; I’m
so afraid her weight gain may start to give her back problems as this is common
for dachshunds. I started to think that maybe she needed hormone treatment as
women do after a hysterectomy or after menopause.
After doing some research this is what I
discovered.
The need for dog population control is real and compelling. Unfortunately, we have been slow to realize the adverse consequences of sex hormone disruption on a dog’s lifespan, functionality, and activity. We share 82% to 84% of the same DNA with our dogs. This means dogs have the same “operating platform” as we do and suffer from the same metabolic disruptions. Hormone abnormalities may manifest in various ways depending on the species but we share the same metabolic pathways. The bottom line is that we are genetically more alike than different.
Here
are some of the symptoms of hormone loss. This
is what sex hormone loss (deficiency) does to us and our dogs.
Metabolic – Decreases metabolic rate,
increases appetite, food consumption and weight gain (sound familiar?).
Bone/joint – Decreases bone mineral
content and strength. Increases joint inflammation (degenerative arthritis).
Increases abnormal bone matrix deposits contributing to cervical and spinal
stenosis. Decreases ligament/tendon strength (a leading cause of joint
instability) - Hormone deficiency is
the largest contributor to joint inflammation and degeneration and premature
aging.
Teeth – Decreases bone mineral
content and strength of alveolar and jaw bones, leading to weaker tooth
anchorage and increased periodontal disease with tooth loss.
Muscles – Lean body mass is adversely
affected by hormone loss in humans and dogs. It’s usually more apparent in
humans. Activity can largely offset this in both dogs and humans.
Brain/cognitive – Much higher incidence of Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s in humans. Cognitive/coping mechanisms decrease in
spayed/neutered dogs.
Bladder control – Spayed dogs have a higher
incidence of bladder leakage just as post-menopausal women frequently have
stress incontinence.
So now what do I do? One option is to
leave the ovaries intact when spaying a female, or to perform a vasectomy on
male dogs. But for dogs already spayed or neutered, there may be practical,
safe and effective hormone substitutes. One of the only supplements I could
find on the market is something called soy isoflavones. Soy extracted
isoflavones have been proven to almost completely offset the life-shortening impacts of sex hormone loss
caused by spaying and neutering. It seems isoflavones from soy have been tested
since the 1970s, and there are now over 11,000 scientific papers about them.
Isoflavones are to soy what ascorbic acid is to oranges. The three principle
soy isoflavones are the well-studied genistein, daidzein and glycetin.
Isoflavones don’t have the allergenic potential that soy proteins and flours
do.
Soy
has been in cultivation for over 3,000 years. The FDA has ruled that soy
products are GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe). This means no prescription is
needed. Soy isoflavones are sold over the counter in most drug stores in the
form of 60 mg to 100 mg supplements for human consumption. You can give one of
these to your dog every day for each 20 pounds of weight. Isoflavones taste
awful so be sure to mask the flavour.
I
also found this information on petmd.com, which agrees with the use of
isoflavones as they state the isoflavones and
isoflavonoids found in soybeans have long been known to have antioxidant
properties that decrease the tissue damage of normal cell metabolism. It is
also known that human populations that consume foods high in these organic
compounds have lower incidences of breast cancer and other common cancers. Now
veterinary scientists have found that isoflavones fed to dogs increases daily
energy expenditure and reduces body fat accumulation without a reduction in
calorie intake.
Now, that is
the answer I have been looking for. Although soy
protein is found in some premium pet foods, it is not a common ingredient in
most commercial dog foods. The obvious reason for this is cost. Soybeans and
soybean products are a large part of the diet for many countries and cultures
that are unable to produce an adequate supply for their own population.
Commercial pet food is extremely price sensitive; so that they can maintain
target price points and consumer loyalty, commercial pet food companies must
substitute less expensive sources of protein.
Well, I have been a label reader for
years for all the food products I consume and now it seems I will become a
label reader for the food I feed my pets. In the meantime, consult your
veterinarian about how you might incorporate soybeans, tofu or miso into your
dog’s diet.
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you
more than he loves himself.”
— Josh Billings
— Josh Billings
Take
care of your animals – they deserve your love and compassion!
By:
Kathryn Hartwell
ALEESHA – THERE AREN’T ANY REFERENCES.
I GOOGLED AND HERE IS WHAT I FOUND:
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