Dear Pet Parent,
We are still in the heart of spring and this means we see lots of problems related to liver imbalances.
One of the most common liver imbalances we see in spring has to do with tendon/ligament injuries.
The most common tendon/ligament injury we see are those related to the knee/stifle involving the anterior/cranial cruciate ligament aka ACL or CCL.
As you can see in the example above, the cranial cruciate ligament is a structure in the
knee that helps provide stability to the stifle joint.
Injuries most often occur for 2 reasons:
1. Over time the ligament deteriorates until it becomes too weak to support the joint
2. A sudden tear that most often occurs when a pet lands wrong in a jumping or twisting motion. Such activities may include frisbee, agility, chasing ball, rough housing and even jumping off the couch or bed.
When pets injure their ACL/CCL, they most often show symptoms related to a partial tear, think of a frayed rope. The tendon is still
attached to both bones but it is wearing thin. Partial tears can result in pain and inflammation causing your pet to limp or carry his/her leg.
Conventional treatment usually involves anti-inflammatories, pain medications and rest/restricted activity.
While the anti-inflammatories reduce the pain, they also reduce the body's natural
immune response to repair the tendon. Furthermore, these pharmaceuticals increase the work load on the already TIRED liver. This weakens the liver more, therefore, resulting in NO support for the tendon. (We will discuss more of this down below).
Unfortunately conventional treatment almost always leads to a full tear.
When a full tear ensues , it is standard protocol to recommend surgery for any pet over 30 lbs.
Statistics also show that pets with a tendon injury in 1 knee have a 40% chance of tearing the tendons in the other knee.
The logic behind this is two fold -
1. Genetics predispose the pet to weak tendons resulting in injuries of both knees
2. During injury, pets carry more weight on the "good" knee which stresses the tendons resulting in injury down the road.
Is Surgery the best
option?
If you would have asked me this same question 15 years ago, my answer would have been YES! As a critical care veterinarian, I put faith in many types of surgeries, the common CCL surgery being one.
However, over the years, I have witnessed
:
- The detrimental effects of anesthesia,
- The dangers of surgical procedures and how they slow the body's ability to heal, blocking the free flow of chi/lymph
- long term consequences of surgeries, especially
those involving the bones
After losing my own rescue dog to a very unusual juvenile tumor which was directly linked to a hip surgery, I started looking for alternative treatments which led me back to my once sought after holistic and Chinese medicine.
Research studies in veterinary medicine have shown links between orthopedic procedures and bone cancer, specifically
- TPLO surgeries -this is the most common surgery used to correct ACL tears
- Total Hip Replacement - mostly used to correct hip
dysplasia
- Other orthopedic surgeries involving metal plates, screws and implants.
What I've learned today has changed everything! While I can't go back in time and save Harvey, I can help guide my patients to the best path I know that leads to health and
longevity.
A vital and important piece of information that the veterinary community is missing is this:
The HEALTH OF YOUR PET'S LIGAMENTS and TENDONS IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE HEALTH OF THEIR
LIVER
If we could get this information out in mainstream medicine, it would CHANGE everything!
In TCM, the liver is responsible for keeping the tendons strong and supple - we need the tendons to be flexible without the risk of tearing. We can achieve this by keeping the liver happy and the blood
strong.
To PREVENT cruciate injuries and keep the liver blood healthy :
1. Feed a balanced species appropriate diet that is best for your pet's age, constitution and current imbalances - the liver does NOT like carbs/starches
2. Minimize
monthly flea/tick/heartworm chemicals
3. Limit vaccines through titer testing
4. Limit and reduce the use of pharmaceuticals.
As we mentioned above, one of the first line of treatments in conventional medicine is to give medications that stress the liver. While this may treat the symptoms of pain,
this treatment is actually making the condition worse down the road. This treatment almost always leads to a FULL tear.
TREATING TO PREVENT SURGERY :
1. We recommend herbs to nourish and
strengthen the liver and blood which in turn, strengthens the tendons.
2. Acupuncture treatments combined with cold laser therapy and pulse magnetic therapy will reduce the pain and inflammation naturally while also encouraging the immune system to repair the damaged tendon.
We have had great success helping our patients heal without surgical
intervention. We see the best results when we use the natural approach as the first line of defense, rather than the LAST option.
Of course the best treatment is always PREVENTION!
Other ways to PREVENT cruciate injuries :
- While genetics may PREDISPOSE pets to certain conditions, these genes NEVER have to express themselves. This is why we work to keep the body in balance. Where there is balance, there is NO disease. Genetic weaknesses do NOT present in healthy animals!
- Early spaying and neutering also predispose pets to this particular injury. Therefore, we recommend holding off on spaying/neutering until the
growth plates of the bones close. This usually occurs between 18-24 months of age.
So, don't wait until it's too late, be proactive and help prevent your pet from developing this common injury!
If your pet is struggling with symptoms of an unbalanced liver, please call us at (205) 637-6653 to schedule an
appointment for your pet.
