Sound Waves Can Be Sound Therapy for Arthritic Pets

Dear Dr. Fox:

In regard to your column on arthritis, I wanted to let you know about the wonderful success we have had with shock wave therapy.

My 12-year-old female miniature schnauzer has arthritis in her hips. She saw our veterinarian and was on many medications, but they didn’t seem to help much.

She wanted to go for walks, but it was very difficult to watch her fall and barely be able to get back up. She walked with her hind legs crossing over, as though intoxicated. At night, she was in so much pain that I called my vet several times to ask whether he thought I needed to put her to sleep.

Before taking that drastic step, I decided on a second opinion from another vet. She had figured out what was wrong with my horse when no one else could.

She said she’d like to try shock wave therapy on my dog’s hips. We had three treatments, two weeks apart. A year later, she walks and runs like a 2-year-old, with no sign of pain or stiffness. She has been off all medications since her treatments.

I am delighted that I didn’t lose her, and I hope to have her several more years. She acts like a youngster now, and it is so wonderful to see her trotting along. I have not found anything about these treatments that caused harm, and I tell everyone with an arthritic dog about our success.

B.L.B.

Middleburg

Many readers will appreciate your affirmation of the effectiveness of sound wave therapy for arthritis. When it is properly applied, the only side effect is transient swelling and occasional bruising.

Sound is a form of energy that can help relieve pain and stimulate healing in patients suffering from degenerative joint disease in the hips and elbows, as well as cervical and lumbosacral pain. The electrical shock wave device that delivers sonic pulses is noisy, so animals are sedated during treatment.

Dear Dr. Fox:

Please get the word out to cat owners not to give their cats Valium, even if prescribed by a vet, without being aware of the dangers.

Our healthy and happy 12-year-old Hobie suffered only from carsickness, and a new vet we saw prescribed Valium. It took only one 2-milligram pill to make Hobie progressively listless and sluggish, until he finally refused food, water and even treats. Not knowing what was wrong, we set an appointment 10 days after the first pill and gave him another pill to keep him calm. The vet called in the results of the blood test late Saturday morning. Hobie’s liver values were 1,700, but the vet suggested he would be okay until Monday, after which he closed his office.

Hobie got worse and worse, with obvious pain and spasms over the weekend. He was comatose by Monday morning, when we were finally able to have him put to sleep. The vet said “the timeline indicated Valium,” so he knew exactly what he was doing. We educated ourselves through the Internet, albeit too late.

Hobie had a blood test before a routine teeth cleaning in March, and his kidneys and liver showed up healthy.

H.W.

Azle, Tex.

You have my condolences. Such an unexpected loss is devastating and a cause for disbelief and anger. But let me assure you that Valium, at the dose given, is normally safe for cats. If I were the vet, I would have taken an autopsy. There is a strong likelihood that the anesthetic used during the teeth cleaning caused liver damage. So, what would be a normal dose of Valium (and other medications) would be toxic to a liver-compromised animal.

There could be other health reasons, but the bottom line is to avoid “routine teeth cleaning” because of the long-term and short-term anesthetic risks. I have received several letters from people whose dogs and cats have died soon after having dental work done. Preventive oral/dental health care is every pet owner’s responsibility. Check my Web site, http://www.twobitdog.com/DrFox, for details.

Dear Dr. Fox:

I just read your column on kitten bites. My daughter has two cats she adopted a short while ago from a shelter. One is about 6 months old and the other about a year. They are compatible, but for the past two months they were pretty much alone except for daily visits from my husband and myself.

My daughter’s husband was stricken with a heart attack and spent the past two months in a critical-care unit a few hours from their home. My daughter spent every day with him. He lost his legs and part of his hands; he is home now.

One of the cats is a constant licker. It appears his one way of showing affection is tied in with the grooming process, and he does it continually. My daughter is worried about her husband’s wounds. The cat’s tongue is rough and he is very intense about his licking.

Do you think this licking will stop now that my daughter and her husband are home? How can they help him to stop? They are wonderful cats.

M.G.

Boynton Beach, Fla.

I sympathize with your son-in-law’s condition, and I hope that he has been advised about diet and various supplements to help facilitate his healing.

Cats are often attracted to skin lotions and will try to lick them off human companions. Aloe vera gel has excellent healing qualities and is less attractive to cats than other products.

Cat licking is a social grooming behavior that is a display of affection and that might also help cats feel more secure and relaxed. Punishing the cat for licking is not a solution.

Try re-motivation, including brushing the cat and giving him a toy such as a cat wand or fish pole. Simply pushing the cat away and then throwing a fluffy toy might also help.

Ideally, both cats should be on your son-in-law’s lap or chest, just purring and being petted. Both have beneficial healing effects.

Michael W. Fox, author of a newsletter and books on animal care, welfare and rights, is a veterinarian with doctoral degrees in medicine and animal behavior. Write to him at United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016.