I don’t think there is a feeling quite so sad and helpless as seeing your beloved dog in distress. And yet dogs tolerate a great deal of pain, often without complaint.

How to Tell If Your Pet's in Pain

Sometimes it is easy to know when your pet is uncomfortable. If your dog doesn’t like to be handled or yelps when you touch a certain area, it is reasonable to conclude that something is wrong.

There are other, less direct signs a dog is in pain:

• She may hide or have a reduced activity level.
• She may appear fearful or breathe heavily.
• She may stop eating or refuse to go on her beloved walks.

All these can be signs of pain.

When to Call a Professional

At the first sign of pain, your dog should be examined by a trained professional to determine the cause.

Laska's Story

My Siberian husky, Laska, suffered an unusual pain experience.

If you know the breed, you know they have that spitz-curled tail they carry over their bodies like a giant apostrophe. One day, her tail was limp and dragging behind her.

I had never seen her tail like this before. I had seen her tail lowered when she was angry or fearful, but not limp and immobile. She seemed to be fine—she ate, drank, jumped on the sofa next to me. However, I knew something was very wrong.

I took her to the vet, who said she either had a broken or severely strained tail. Bad on me—I didn’t know dogs could break their tails. He told me it was painful, but huskies can be very stoic about pain.

He gave me some pain medicine and said to monitor for a week, and if no improvement, I’d need to bring her back for more x-rays and potential surgery.

Fortunately, her tail was back to normal in a few days, and she was good to go.

Pharmaceuticals for Pain Relief in Pets

This happened many years ago, and the drugs the veterinarian gave me were in a class called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. I used them without questions because I didn’t want her to be in pain, and I figured the vet was the expert.

Fortunately, we used them for only a few days, but many dogs are on these drugs for months or years.

In humans, these drugs include ibuprofen and naproxen, sold under brand names like Motrin, Advil, and Aleve. Some common NSAIDs for dogs include:

• carprofen (e.g. Rimadyl)
• meloxicam
• robenacoxib (Onsior)

Robenacoxib is approved for only 3 days of use at a time due to toxicity.

The dog owner is faced with some very difficult choices when deciding whether to use these drugs for a dog’s pain, because they can cause serious side effects and shorten the dog’s life.

Side Effects of Carprofen

According to the VCA Veterinary Hospital’s drug side effect page, carprofen’s side effects include “gastrointestinal upset, such as mild vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue and temporary lack of appetite."

"More serious side effects include liver, kidney, or gastrointestinal damage characterized by severe vomiting, diarrhea, black or bloody stools, bloody vomit, increased drinking and/or urination, yellow skin or eyes, severe lethargy, and persistent lack of appetite."

"Other reported serious side effects include neurologic signs such as incoordination, paralysis, seizures, or disorientation; behavior signs such as restlessness or aggression; skin effects such as itchiness, hair loss, or scabs/wounds; or allergic reactions such as facial swelling or hives."

"Your veterinarian may see blood abnormalities such as low red blood cell or platelet counts. Carprofen may also affect lab tests, such as thyroid levels, liver enzymes, blood cell counts, potassium levels, kidney values, and bleeding times.”

Wow. That is quite a list. Fortunately, there are some excellent natural interventions that do not cause serious side effects or shorten life span.

Natural Pain Relief for Pets

While there are many products that can help with pain and inflammation, some of the most successful and scientifically studied include curcumin, boswellia, hemp phytocannabinoids (of which CBD is only one), glucosamine, and chondroitin.

As research continues, the list of effective supplements for dogs continues to grow.

When we look at scientific research, the progression often begins with cell culture (in vitro) studies, then moves up to animal studies, and if the data is good, on to human studies.

• Curcumin and Boswellia

  In the case of curcumin and boswellia, there are indeed canine studies, but the vast amount of clinical research is on humans.

  Therefore, this is a situation where the order is somewhat reversed: The natural medicines have been tested in humans and are now used in dogs!

  Though there are few dog studies using these herbs for pain and inflammatory conditions, the safety and human studies prove that an herbal combination of powerful anti-inflammatory herbs can be effective and safe for both long-term and short-term use.

  And instead of liver damage, curcumin and boswellia have benefits for liver health.

  Studies

  Some of the top causes of canine pain are inflammatory conditions, such as:

  • joint dysplasia
  • arthritis
  • disc problems
  • injury

  Curcumin and boswellia have several published human studies on these conditions, especially arthritis.

  There is a canine safety and absorption study on enhanced-absorption curcumin with turmeric essential oil (BCM-95) that demonstrates safety and a 700 percent increase in absorption.

  With Celebrex

  One human study compared the combination of enhanced absorption curcumin with turmeric oil and high-AKBA boswellia to the prescription drug celecoxib (one brand is Celebrex) for osteoarthritis of the knee.

  The herbal combination was significantly better than the drug on overall pain relief, distance walked without pain, and joint line tenderness.

  And just as important as the very effective pain relief, the adverse effects were fewer and less severe in the herbal group.

  With Meriva

  Another human study of the enhanced-absorption curcumin phytosome (Meriva) showed that long term administration of curcumin is both safe and effective for arthritis and other parameters of inflammation.

• Glucosamine and Chondroitin

  I group these two interventions together because they are technically neither anti-inflammatory nor pain relievers, but are instead building blocks to increase joint strength, cushioning, and flexibility.

  As the health of the joint improves, inflammation and pain subside, so in the long run, these compounds have excellent potential for pain relief in chronic conditions like arthritis or other forms of disc or joint disease. They are not as useful for short-term, acute pain.

  I like using glucosamine and chondroitin together as they address joint health from different perspectives and work well synergistically.

  Studies

  In a published randomized, double-blind study, for osteoarthritis of the hips or knees:

  • 35 dogs were given a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin.
  • Another group of dogs was given carprofen.

  After 70 days, the veterinarians found:

  • The glucosamine/chondroitin group significantly improved in scores for:
    • pain
    • weight-bearing
    • severity of the condition
  • The carprofen group also showed significant improvements.

  The researchers noted that glucosamine/chondroitin took longer to demonstrate improvement than the drug group but was also much less likely to cause adverse effects.

  Precautions

  It is important to note that while glucosamine is a small molecule, whether sulfate or hydrochloride, and easy to absorb, chondroitin can be a challenge. Some chondroitin molecules are too large to be absorbed.

  Therefore, for an effective supplement, look for a chondroitin used specially in published trials with positive benefits, or one that is controlled for molecular size.

• Hemp Phytocannabinoids

  You notice I did not call this section “CBD.” CBD stands for cannabidiol, which is only one phytocannabinoid from hemp. There are more than 100 found in this amazing plant!

  Some of the hemp cannabinoids are anti-inflammatory, some contribute to bone density, some regulate immune activity, and many are involved in controlling or eliminating pain.

  Therefore, the full spectrum, which includes a good dose of CBD, is more powerful than using CBD alone.

  Note that full-spectrum hemp oil with THC is not marijuana, and the THC in marijuana can cause significant toxicity. The two are not interchangeable.

  Studies

  The two biggest areas of study on phytocannabinoids in dogs are in pain/inflammatory conditions, and seizures, with positive reports on both.

  In a study of canine osteoarthritis, dogs given hemp-derived CBD decreased pain and increased mobility significantly in a dose-dependent manner, meaning higher doses yielded better results. However, dosing can vary considerably, based on the dog’s height and weight.

  Another study on hemp-derived CBD for osteoarthritis pain used 2 mg of CBD per kg of body weight twice daily. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds.

  According to this formula, a 15 lb. dog would take 12 mg CBD twice daily, and a 50 lb. dog would take 44 mg twice daily.

  This is only one formula, based on one study, and other researchers recommend more or less, depending on their own studies.

• Other Interventions

  As usual, this is not an all-inclusive list.

  • DHA and EPA, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, are excellent at both prevention and treatment of conditions that cause chronic pain.
  • Collagen is a very beneficial building block.
  • Green tea extract is both a proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory for dogs.

Does anyone remember Sugar Pops, Sugar Frosted Flakes, or Sugar Crisp?

A few decades back, parents had no idea of the approaching sugar and corn syrup tsunami that was about to drown American health.

Generation Sugar

At that time, “sugar” in the name of a breakfast cereal was appealing, not alarming.

I remember my parent’s idea of a healthy breakfast:

• Sugary cereal (I was a Captain Crunch fan) in skim milk.
• Wonder bread toasted and slathered with margarine (so much better than that nasty animal fat, butter!)
• A glass of Tang (on cold winter mornings, substitute Ovaltine in warm milk).

I imagine many of you, especially if you are over 40, have had similar experiences.

Don't Believe the Marketing Hype! 

Our parents loved us. Their mistake was in believing whatever was said on television.  And the television said this was a healthy breakfast.

Remember, television was newer in the 1950s and 60s, and the average American had yet to understand its incredible power. It seems that Big Food figured it out much earlier and made a fortune marketing foods that taste good (more sugar!) but are nutritionally devastating.

It is similar to the marketing strategies for Big Tobacco.

Fat vs Sugar, Who is the Culprit?

For far too many years, we vilified fat as the cause of all our health woes, when in fact, the true culprit was sugar and other refined carbohydrates.

It turns out that as early as the 1950s, the sugar industry started paying for research that minimized the risks of sugar and targeted fat as the “real” health hazard.

In fact, historians have found that as far back as 1954, sugar executives were lobbying to get Americans to eat a low fat diet (for their health!), knowing those calories would be replaced by something else – sugar!

This campaign was incredibly successful. Americans now eat more sugar than any country in the world.

Daily average sugar intake in India? 5 grams. Italy? 58 grams.

The United States? 126 grams. That is the equivalent of about 32 teaspoons of sugar.

Is it any wonder that our rates for type 2 diabetes are astronomical, and if left unchecked, in only 12 years, more adults will have diabetes than those who don’t?

Now we must face the difficult task of repairing the damage that excessive intake of sugars and simple carbohydrates has caused. Whether you are concerned with prevention or already have blood sugar issues, it is never too late to improve.

Frightening Diabetes Facts

If you need motivation, there are some pretty alarming numbers associated with diabetes and blood sugar dysfunction.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year there are almost 80,000 deaths in the United States attributed to diabetes.

Lifespan with Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes causes a shorter lifespan due to an increase in health conditions like cardiovascular and kidney disease.

In a study looking at over 400,000 people with diabetes and two million matched controls, people with diabetes were on average 13 to 15 percent more likely to suffer from a cardiovascular-related death than the control population.

The increased incidence of cardiovascular death associated with diabetes was more prevalent in people who were of a younger age, had poor blood sugar control, and had greater renal complications.

Lifespan and HbA1C Levels

People less than 55 years old with a hemoglobin A1C level (a measure of blood sugar health) of 6.9 percent or less were almost twice as likely to die from any cause as compared to controls.

For people with an HbA1C level of > 9.7 percent and were 55 years of age or younger, their risk of death from any cause increased to an average of four times as likely, with cardiovascular death showing an average increase of more than 5-fold, as compared to people without blood sugar issues.

Natural Answers for Diabetes

The important thing to remember is that it is never too late to make some improvements in your blood sugar, and that, in turn, will lead to a longer, healthier life.

• Reduce Your Carbs

  The most important thing anyone can do for diabetes prevention and treatment is to dramatically reduce sugar and simple carbs.

  Get rid of the white bread, white rice, white pizza crust, and white potatoes. I often tell folks, only partly joking, to not eat anything white unless it is cauliflower.

• Give Up Sugary Sweets

  Some people gasp at the thought of giving up sweets. That is because sweets make us feel so good.

  But the truth is, life is sweeter without sugar. If you want to have a glass of wine, or a piece of dark chocolate, go ahead.

• Make Conscious Decisions

  The dangers come from the thoughtless eating of sugars and refined carbs.

  • Sweet cereal for breakfast.
  • A sub on a white bun for lunch with potato chips or fries.
  • Spaghetti for dinner.
  • A few cans of high fructose sweetened sodas all day long.

  That is a recipe for sugar imbalance.

• Consider Hintonia latiflora

  There is also a very effective natural product from Germany that has been clinically proven to improve blood sugar levels, HgbA1c tests, and overall blood sugar metabolism. It is all based on a botanical originally from Mexico and Central America called Hintonia latiflora.

  The bark of this hardy shrub contains a compound called coutareagenin that effectively and safely lowers blood sugar and helps to repair broken blood sugar metabolism.

  Studies on Hintonia latiflora

  • Eight Month Study

    In an eight-month clinical study, 178 people with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes were given Hintonia latiflora, in addition to their regular diabetes protocol.

    • One group had diet changes only.
    • Another group used insulin.
    • A third group used oral drugs to lower blood sugar.
    • The last group used both insulin and oral drugs for their diabetes.

    At the end of the study, HbA1C levels decreased by 11 percent and fasting blood glucose by 23 percent. In addition, diabetic complications like neuropathy, itching, and excessive sweating decreased by 73 percent.

    At the end of the study, nearly half of the participants were able to reduce or even eliminate their medication by the end of the study.

    Remember that this was done under the supervision of medical doctors.

  • Thirty-Three Month Studay

    Another study involving Hintonia latiflora was long term and included patients who took it daily for up to 33 months.

    The researchers found that people were able to make significant reductions to their fasting blood glucose and HbA1C.

    Plus, during the whole treatment period there were no hypoglycemic events, or unfavorable drops in blood sugar.

• Treat Diabetes with Nutrients

  There are many nutrients that play an important role in treating diabetes and creating balanced blood sugar metabolism.

  • The B Vitamins

    The B family of vitamins are crucially important, but it is important to remember that people with diabetes or pre-diabetes need the active form of the Bs. The active forms are sometimes called the methylated form, for example, methylcobalamin is the active form of B12, and methylfolate is the active form of folic acid.

  • Minerals

    Chromium and vanadium are minerals that have been shown to address various aspects of blood sugar imbalance.

  • Alpha Lipoic Acid

    Alpha lipoic acid is excellent, not only for blood sugar, but in helping to correct some of the nerve damage diabetes can cause.

Mistaken for everything from asthma to a heart attack, this common muscle weakness mimics many different health issues and can be difficult to diagnose.

A hiatal hernia can be completely asymptomatic for several years, or have symptoms so severe you feel you are having a heart attack or asthma attack.

Regardless of what alerts you to this stealthy diagnosis, once you know what you are dealing with, there’s much more you can do to resolve it than simply taking acid reducing medications.

These medicines may make you feel better in the short term, but in the long term can lead to nutrient deficiencies because of their inhibitory effect on your digestion.

Mary's Story

Mary was 55 years old when the fatigue and body aches set in.

She had always considered herself fairly healthy, even with the extra 20 pounds she gained after menopause, so she brushed it off as being a little out of shape and resolved to get more exercise.

Once she started going for a brisk walk every day, she noticed she was easily out of breath, which she took as another sign of her lack of conditioning. It wasn’t until she woke up in the middle of the night with a burning pain in her chest that she realized something more was going on with her health.

Mary Goes to The Doctor

Once her doctor ruled out a heart issue, she was wisely checked for a hiatal hernia, which she did indeed have.

Hiatal hernia is most common in overweight women over age 50, though it’s estimated that up to 50 percent of the adult population could have one.

What Is a Hiatal Hernia?

A hernia happens when an organ pushes through an opening that a muscle is holding in place. In the case of a hiatal hernia, the muscle involved is the diaphragm.

Normally, the esophagus and stomach join together right at the hiatus, which is an opening in the diaphragm that allows these digestive organs and the vagus nerve to pass through.

When the diaphragm muscle becomes weak, a portion of the stomach protrudes up through the hiatus, resulting in a hiatal hernia.

Where the stomach and esophagus join together, there’s a sphincter that closes so the stomach acid doesn’t wash up into the esophagus.

When you have a hiatal hernia, that sphincter is mechanically forced open, allowing acid to wash up into the esophagus, causing acid reflux symptoms.

At the same time, this displacement irritates the vagus nerve, which can cause troubling symptoms that imitate other illnesses.

Signs You May Have a Hiatal Hernia

Mary was fortunate to be diagnosed so quickly with her hiatal hernia. Because it can mimic so many other conditions, it’s often not discovered until it’s advanced far enough to cause worrisome symptoms.

In Mary’s case, her hiatal hernia symptoms were fatigue, body aches, shortness of breath, and burning chest pain.

The vagus nerve travels from the brain to the heart, lungs, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, colon, kidneys, bladder, and external genitals.

Once a hiatal hernia irritates the vagus nerve, effects can be seen downstream in any of these organs and their functions.

Symptoms can include, but aren’t limited to:

• Heartburn
• Acid reflux or GERD
• Bloating after meals and during symptoms
• Dry mouth and gum irritation
• Bitter taste in your mouth, and even sour liquid or regurgitated acidic foods
• Difficulty swallowing pills
• Nausea and even vomiting
• Waking up gasping for air, choking or coughing in the middle of the night
• Excessive belching and gas
• Frequent hiccups
• Intermittent hoarseness, worse in the morning
• Chronic cough or sore throat
• TMJ Disorder
• Weight loss
• Erosions and ulcers in esophagus
• Esophageal spasm
• Abdominal pain that’s worse when slouching or bending over
• Shallow breathing and difficulty taking a deep breath
• Asthma
• Thyroid gland irritation
• Decreased stomach acid
• pH imbalance
• Nutrient deficiencies from digestive disturbances
• Food allergies
• Constipation
• Anemia
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Body Aches

To get an idea of whether you may have this condition, place the fingers of one hand on the solar plexus, which is just below the breastbone.

Take a deep abdominal breath in. What you should feel is the solar plexus expanding and moving your fingers outward.

• If you have to lift your chest and shoulders to get a deep breath in, then you may have a hiatal hernia.
• If you see minimal movement of your fingers or no movement at all, then your breathing is shallow and may be a sign of a hiatal hernia.

What Causes a Hiatal Hernia?

The most common cause of a hiatal hernia is increased pressure in the abdomen, often for an extended period of time.

This pressure can come from:

• Being overweight or obese
• Pregnancy
• Slouching and poor posture
• Persistent coughing
• Vomiting
• Repeated straining during bowel movements
• Inflammation
• Poor diet causing indigestion and nutrient deficiencies
• Heavy lifting
• General muscle weakness and debility
• Physical trauma

The diaphragm is the muscle that separates your abdomen from your chest cavity. When it becomes weak from the pressure, the hiatus opens more, allowing a portion of the stomach to pass through. The acid from the stomach begins splashing up into the esophagus, causing weakness and strain in the swallowing muscles and esophageal tissues. This is why hiatal hernia is often confused with GERD, because the symptoms at this point can be so similar.

When the primary cause of hiatal hernia is dietary, there is often accompanying inflammation of the ileocecal valve, which separates the small intestine from the colon. This valve can become swollen and not close properly, which then allows the contents of the colon to leak back into the small intestine, much like a sewer backup. This creates excessive gas, which puts pressure on the diaphragm and can cause a hiatal hernia.

One final cause is emotional concerns. Do you swallow your anger or have situations in your life you just can’t stomach? These phrases exist for a reason – your emotional health affects your physical health. When you are angry, you breath more shallow and suck your breath upward, leading to pressure that pulls your stomach upward.

Many people with hiatal hernias hold their emotional stress inside, and it affects their digestive and immune health most profoundly. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to the source of anger as “liver fire,” which can come from vagus nerve irritation and liver congestion, both of which have a relationship to hiatal hernia.

What You Can Do For a Hiatal Hernia?

I was first introduced to the insidious issues this malady causes in the 1980s, through the work of Dr. Theodore Baroody. During that time, hiatal hernia was often dismissed as GERD and treated only for the stomach acid issues.

His book opened my eyes to both the mechanical nature of this common problem, and the options available beyond antacid medications and surgical intervention.

When a muscle like the diaphragm becomes weak and out of shape, it’s essential to do exercises to condition it and restore its strength.

Dr. Baroody has a set of exercises in his classic book, Hiatal Hernia Syndrome; The Mother of All Illness?, and since its publication, chiropractors have also developed a set of exercises for hiatal hernia.

Practices

While chiropractic adjustment can be helpful, it’s also temporary, and you need to do exercises at home to reinforce the effectiveness.

• Drink Warm Water

  One common exercise is to drink warm water, which relaxes the stomach and weighs it down, then drop from your tiptoes down to your heels multiple times to bring the stomach down through the hiatus.

• Blow Up Balloons

  Another common exercise is to blow up a balloon daily, to both increase lung capacity and to create pressure from the chest cavity that keeps the stomach down and in place.

  In the beginning, many people can barely blow up one balloon, but over time will notice they can blow up several of them per day.

• Abdominal Massage

  Abdominal massage by a qualified practitioner will target the ileocecal valve and the diaphragm, and follow the path of your digestion to relieve physical stress and induce relaxation.

  This can also help relieve some of the emotional stress associated with hiatal hernia.

• Lifestyle Changes

  Lifestyle changes that help with hiatal hernia include eating small meals, wearing loose clothing, using good posture, practicing deep breathing, sitting up after eating, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, limiting fatty foods, and losing excess abdominal weight.

Diet and Nutrition

Because I believe good health starts with the gut, focusing on digestive health is a key component of resolving hiatal hernia issues for good.

Whether it’s constipation, low stomach acid, food allergies, or liver and gallbladder sludge, you have to address any and all digestive issues – both above and below the hernia site.

Only then do you stand a chance of it actually healing for the long term.

• Address Inflammation

  Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. My Radical Metabolism plan was designed not only for people with difficulty losing weight, but for those with inflammation as a root cause to their diseases.

  People who haven’t had success with autoimmune Paleo or GAPS-style diets are feeling better and having more energy once they get Radical.

  In addition to the eating plan, there is also a customizable supplement plan included to help you with the digestive issues that accompany a hiatal hernia.

• Balance Your Stomach Acid

  Even though you feel the pain of the acid from your stomach washing up into your esophagus, it doesn’t mean you have excess acid. In fact, it’s often the opposite problem that’s to blame.

  When acid is reduced too low, even though you feel less discomfort in the short term, your food is essentially rotting and fermenting downstream, resulting in gas, bloating, and other digestive issues that backup and put pressure on the diaphragm.

  When you have optimal stomach acid, you will break down protein more quickly, and absorb iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and other nutrients more efficiently, without bloating or fatigue.

• Build Better Bile

  When there’s sludge and congestion in the liver and gallbladder, or the gallbladder has been surgically removed for these issues, you often need ongoing cleansing and bile support for optimal fat digestion.

And for a daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more… check out my Radical Health Tips.