PAIN AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR
How are Pain and Behaviour Problems Related?
Pain may be part of the reason for problem behaviours in up to 80%of cases. If an underlying painful condition is not identified and treated it is unlikely that the problem behaviour will be completely resolved. In some cases the problem behaviour disappears entirely when pain is addressed and no behavioural therapy is required!
Pain can affect behaviour in a number of ways. Behaviour may change because a dog is trying to avoid pain, or because pain is making them less tolerant of other things. Pain can reduce the amount of rest and quality sleep a dog gets and lack of rest is a significant factor in problem behaviours.
What Problem Behaviours May Be Due to Pain?
Almost any problem behaviour could be caused or made worse by pain, but common examples would include:
Refusing to go on walks or get into the car
Aggressive behaviour when stroked, groomed, or handled
Aggressive behaviour toward people, dogs, and other animals
Separation related distress
Self-mutilation (chewing or licking bodyparts until they are sore)
Cognitive decline symptoms in older dogs
Loss of house training
Sound sensitivity and noise phobias
Pain should be considered in all problem behaviours, especially when they start suddenly or become worse in a short space of time with no other obvious trigger.
How do I tell if my Dog is in Pain?
Before starting training or a behaviour modification plan for your dog it is advisable to ask your vet to do a thorough assessment for pain. This can be a challenge if your dog is scared in the vets or if their problem behaviour relates to being handled. Key areas your vet should look at include:
The mouth and teeth
The ears
The musculoskeletal system
The digestive system
You can help your vet identify possible sources of pain by watching your dog at home. Do they eat gingerly or chew on one side? Do they shake their head or scratch at their ears? Are they stiff when they get up or do they find getting on the sofa difficult? Are their poops normal and passed regularly?
Sometimes your vet may suspect pain but be unable to find what part hurts. In these cases the vet may suggest a trial of painkiller for a couple of weeks to see if the problem behaviour improves.
How can I help my dog with their Pain?
Your vet will prescribe appropriate medication for the painful condition that your dog has. In some cases, like an ear infection, one course of medication may be enough. If there is dental pain your dog may need extractions under anaesthetic. Occasionaly there may be a surgical solution to a painful problem.
Arthritis could require long term medication, but physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, non-slip flooring, supportive beds, and supplements can also be helpful.
Your behaviourist or trainer should be made aware of any medical conditions your dog has and medications that they are taking. Some medications can affect the way a dog learns, and it is important that any interventions (such as increasing exercise, playing with toys, or handling exercises) are designed to minimise the risk of causing further pain.
How Can Four Season Holistic Veterinary Care Help?
Our vet Vicky can often pick up on pain at a home visit that may be missed at the vets. She is able to help with acupuncture, herbal medicines, and exercise advice. As a veterinary behaviourist she can also work with complex cases where pain and problem behaviour are both present.
FULLY BOOKED UNTIL FEBRUARY 2022
FOUR SEASONS HOLISTIC VETERINARY CARE WILL TAKE NEW CLIENTS FROM 15TH FEBRUARY 2022
We will not be taking on any new clients or patients until 15th February 2022. We are busy in January with existing clients, covering at Companion Care Vets in Eastbourne, and making time for our own dogs. We will be closed completely between January 29th and February 13th for a well earned break.
No apologies… we can’t pour from an empty cup.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
We only treat animals on referral from your primary care vet. Although most owners contact us directly, your vet will be asked to complete the referral form, and to email all relevant clinical history. Your pet must be a registered and active client of a veterinary practice which offers 24hour emergency care (on or off site) in order to use the services of Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care.
We offer home visits in the Hastings, Bexhill, Battle, and Eastbourne areas. We do not have a practice building!
Our vet Vicky has a regular clinic at Companion Care Vets in Eastbourne.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that jazz…
PRICE RISES
We aim to provide an affordable complementary veterinary service, but the prices of stock as well as fuel and insurance rise year on year. We have held prices for sometime, but now we need to make some increases.
FROM 1ST OCTOBER 2020
Home Visit Acupuncture Initial Course £200
Acupuncture Subsequent Visits £50
Holistic Consultation £100
Repeat or Telephone Consultation £70
Herbal Tinctures from £15 for 50ml to £60 for 500ml
Behaviour Assessment and Treatment Plans £300
HERB OF THE DAY
CHAMOMILE IS A WONDER HERB!
HERB OF THE DAY: CHAMOMILE (Matricaria recutita)
This is one of our favourite herbs! A European native, a common garden plant, and a common garden escapee. You might think it’s a pretty feeble sort of herb; something people have as a tea when they don’t want the caffeine…but we think it’s something of a wonder herb.
CHAMOMILE FOR ANXIETY, BELLY ACHE AND ITCHY SKIN
Taken internally chamomile can reduce anxiety, without excess sedation. It is great for calming inflamed guts and reducing flatulence and gut cramps and it may help reduce some skin allergies.
Externally chamomile can soothe irritated skin and be used as an eyewash in mild conjunctivitis.
Like all herbs it’s not totally benign; some people and animals can be allergic to chamomile and it’s relations.
Fun fact: chamomile oil is blue!
ON-LINE MIRACLE CURES
ON-LINE CURES FOR WORMS, FLEAS, CANCER…
The internet is an amazing place…so much information, and so easy to buy anything at the click of a button. But it has it’s dangers.
Imagine your dog is due for worming…you usually get some stuff from the vet but it’s quite expensive and you aren’t heading in to town so you look online. First you find your usual wormer available from an internet pharmacy. You check the pharmacy is properly registered in the UK, and that you don’t need a prescription, and you’re just about to pay when….
You notice an article saying how bad chemical wormers are for pets. You read it and it’s scary stuff! One dog died, another had fits. So now you start looking for a more natural approach…something herbal. There are lots to choose from and they are all quite cheap, come with glowing testimonials and there is no mention of side effects. Great! Let’s order some….
Or maybe your cat has been diagnosed with cancer and the vet says there is nothing that can be done other than supportive care…but a quick internet search reveals several herbal tonics with great reviews…
HERBAL REMEDY QUALITY, SAFETY, AND EFFECTIVENESS
Before you put in your credit card details have a really good look at the products. The manufacturer should be able to tell you what herbs are in the product, at what strength. They should be talking about amounts of active chemicals, not just how much dry or fresh herb was used as herbs can vary in strength from season to season. Can the producer tell you how they quality check the herbs and where the herbs come from? Many herbs are rare in the wild and must be farmers of collected under strict controls, other herbs look similar to plants which are toxic or have no medicinal actions. Has the product been tested to show it is safe and effective? Beware of simple testimonials; “I use ‘herbal worm prevent’ on my dog and he never has worm!” may be true…but as most worm infestations aren’t obvious without faecal testing can the owner really be sure? For a worming product we would expect to see a study where pets were tested for worm eggs before treatment and split into a control group (no treatment) and a treated group, then tested again. Similar tests can easily be done to show the effectiveness of flea products. Cancer treatments are more difficult for a small herbal company to test and though most will do no harm, they may also do little good. Cancers can be very variable in how they affect pets. Some grow slowly and some grow fast even if you do nothing at all. Many herbs have well known side effects, especially at higher doses- does the company mention these, or any interactions with conventional drugs (there are many!).
RELIABLE, SAFE, HONEST HERBAL MEDICINES
We don’t offer miracle cures. We prefer monitoring for parasites and using appropriate doses of licenced products when required. These products can have side effects, but they are uncommon and well known and we take them into account when weighing up which products to use.
We do offer bespoke herbal medicines to support pets with a huge range of medical conditions, but our training means we are well aware of potential side-effects, drug interactions etc. We only buy herbs from manufacturers who follow Good Manufacturing Practice, and source herbs in an ethical and sustainable way.
So….instead of buying a miracle potion….book a consultation with us!
KITCHEN CUPBOARD CURES
IS IT FOOD OR MEDICINE?
There is a fine line sometimes between culinary and medicinal herbs! In fact many of the ingredients of your favourite Friday night take-away were originally used as much as for their medicinal properties as for their flavour!
Ginger, cinnamon, fennel and cumin all help prevent indigestion by relaxing and warming the stomach and cardamom seeds are used as a cure for upset tummies in Indian herbal medicine. When you think how hard keeping meat fresh would have been in hot countries like India it’s not surprising so many digestive herbs found their way into meals!
WHAT DOES CURRY HAVE TO DO WITH MY PET?
Sometimes we suggest herbs which are easy to obtain from the supermarket and are more effective given in that form than as tinctures or tablets. Our favourite suggestion is adding lightly crushed fennel seeds to the dinners of dogs prone to flatulence! It really works! Give 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon twice a day depending of the size of your dog. If your dog won’t eat the seeds on his dry food steep them in hot water and add the resulting ‘tea’ to his dinner instead!
WHAT OTHER CURES ARE HIDING IN MY KITCHEN CUPBOARD?
Garlic can help with allergies, infections and parasites and is best fed raw and freshly grated. In excess garlic is toxic but 1/2 a clove on 5 days out of 7 is fine for a 20kg dog.
Ginger can enhance digestion and circulation and is especially good for travel and chemotherapy induced nausea. Again fresh grated ginger is best; 1/4 teaspoon twice daily for a 20kg dog.
Parsley is good for bad breath. You can feed as much as a table spoon per meal but be sure to rule out dental problems.
Turmeric is one of our favourites and it is added to many of our herbal prescriptions. Some owners choose to feed it raw and fresh though and it can be found in Asian supermarkets. 1/4 teaspoon twice daily for a 20kg dog but do be careful…it will stain anything it touches!
Although these are common culinary herbs if you are thinking of using them regularly for a health problem in your pet please discuss them with your vet first. Some may interact with conventional drugs or may not be suitable for animals with certain health conditions or due to have surgery.
ALTERNATIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ALTERNATIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE!
At Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care we don’t use the term ‘Alternative Medicine’ because what we do is first and foremost Veterinary Medicine. Unlike in the human health field where people are free to choose any form of diagnosis or treatment only a Vet can diagnose animal health problems and prescribe treatments. A small group of ‘paraprofessionals’ including Veterinary Nurses, Physiotherapists, Chiropractor and Hydrotherapists can provide treatments under Veterinary supervision.
When looking for complementary therapists for your pet walk away if they don’t ask for Veterinary referral!
CONVENTIONAL AND COMPLEMENTARY
Our Vet Vicky Payne works in First Opinion General Practice as well as taking Holistic referrals so is ideally placed to advise on any conventional diagnostic tests or medicines which may benefit your pet as well as the complementary therapies we offer. All of the therapies we offer combine well with conventional medicines as well as being powerful treatments in their own right.
TRULY HOLISTIC
What Vicky offers is quite unusual in that she takes a truly holistic view of Veterinary Medicine. On recent visits, after examining animals at home she has referred them back to their First Opinion practices for radiographs, blood tests or hospital care before dispensing herbal formulas to support their recovery.