Canine Colon Health
&
Internal Parasites

Colon health is a major concern for people today but what about our canine companions?

Like Humans, the dog's colon is also designed to eliminate waste and toxins from the body. However, the dog's colon is much shorter in length and designed for rapid elimination, totally unlike a human's. Unfortunately, we have been feeding our dogs total junk food in the form of commercial, processed pet foods. Processed foods do not supply our dogs with essential enzymes and the proper nutrition it needs to thrive and be healthy. Feeding a processed and/or cooked diet will, over time, cause stress and tax to the dog's digestive and immune system.

Our dogs are carnivores and designed with very short intestines. As carnivores, they lack the digestive enzymes that necessary to break down grains, vegetables and cooked foods. These facts and factors result in a buildup of toxic material in your dog's colon and liver, this in turn leads to poisoning or diseases in our pets as it takes its sometimes slow but ever progressive toll on the immune system.

To Worm or Not to Worm
We are told that we should de-worm our dogs and cats regularly. In some cases, worms can cause severe problems. Hence it appears a logical argument that we should ensure our dogs don't contain worms at any time. Right? Well perhaps not.

There is now some very compelling evidence in human research that there is a relationship between de-worming practices and an increase in auto-immune diseases.

I personally believe that the proliferation of unnecessary de-worming practices is directly related to the significant increase in auto-immune diseases we are seeing in dogs today.

I also believe that our current obscenely over-done vaccination schedules that we unnecessarily force on our pets, and the chemical flea and heartworm so-called preventatives used, also contribute to auto immune diseases. I find it most interesting that in years past, auto immune diseases were nowhere near as apparent as what they are now. In countries where active and constant de-worming of dogs is a common problem, it appears that auto-immune diseases in dogs are more apparent. In countries where there is not the infiltration by pharmaceutical companies influencing vets, there appears to be considerably less auto-immune disease. Do you find this interesting as well?

Are worms dangerous?
The answer to this question is complex... Yes worms can kill under certain circumstances.

If a dog is so unhealthy that the worms have built up to dangerous levels, then yes the worms can cause considerable damage and sometimes even lead to death. However, if you raise your dog on an appropriate raw diet, have minimal (if any) vaccinations, and limit its exposure to chemical flea, tick and heartworm treatments, then your dog should have a good foundation upon which to build its overall health. You see, a healthy dog can manage worms easily.

Rather than thinking that a few intestinal worms are an awful condition, perhaps we need to change our mindset more to, "this is a good thing - my dog's immune system is now being stimulated for an appropriate response. A few worms will help the immune system develop stronger."

There are two schools of thought on worms, the holistic approach and the conventional. The conventional approach suggests and sets our puppies up to be prime candidates for auto-immune disease -

* We are encouraged to worm dams in whelp
* We are told to worm puppies at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age, and then at 6 months, and twice a year (sometimes more)there after.

I believe that this sets up our dogs as prime targets for auto-immune disease.

Unfortunately, the ones who benefit the most from all this worming are in reality, the pharmaceutical companies. Firs they sell and heavily promote worming products, then if a dog comes down with an auto immune disease, they then get to sell a much more expensive life long treatment strategy, while continuing to sell worming products to the pet owner of that dog for life.

Parasites & De-Worming
It must remember that a parasite related health problem does not emanate from the parasite itself but, from the hosts (your pet) inability to deal with the parasites effectively. Parasites are opportunity seekers that exploit the weaknesses of their host. Parasites are naturally attracted to animals with compromised immune systems.

The use of drugs or chemicals to suppress fecal egg output has been the mainstay of parasite control in our pets for many years. The rational behind the use of worming drugs was to kill the egg laying adults and thereby minimize further contamination. Sounds like a good idea, right?

Please note that worms can and do develop resistance to worming drugs in the same way that bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics. Resistance occurs across chemical groups of worming drugs, if the worms are resistant to one drug in that group of worming drugs, they will have a cross-resistance to all similar drugs. This means some or ALL worming drugs now available are becoming more and more ineffective, if not useless. It takes too many different types of drugs, because no one drug is effective against all worms or worm eggs, this is the root cause of the cross-resistance, and it must be stopped.

Chemical wormers are not without side effects even the so called safe ones can cause vomiting and intestinal upset, disrupting the natural flora balance. Chemical wormers kill the parasites, key word here is kill. The host (your pet) of these parasites will not escape the toxicity of the chemicals in totality. Actually your dog's liver has to work overtime to try to eliminate these toxins from the body.

Firstly, administering any chemical without proof that a problem even exists is irresponsible in my book. If you suspect your pet has worms, a fecal test should always be done to determine worm type and load.

Listed below some of the side effects from typical chemical wormers normally dispensed.

DRONTAL PLUS contains Praziquantel/ pyrantel pamoate/ febantel
* Central Nervous System : Frequent are dizziness, headache and malaise. Drowsiness, somnolence, fatigue and vertigo have also been seen. Almost all patients with cerebral cysticercosis experience CNS side effects related to the cell-death of the parasites (headache, worsening of preexisting neurological problems, seizures, arachnoiditis, and meningism). These side effects may be life-threatening and can be reduced by coadministration of corticoids. It is strongly recommended that all patients with cerebral cysticercosis are hospitalized during treatment.

* GI Tract : Approximately 90% of all patients have abdominal pain or cramps with or without nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea may develop and may be severe. Panting, fever, and sometimes bloody stools may emerge together with diarrhea.

* Liver : Asymptomatic and transient increases of liver enzymes (AST and ALT) are noted frequently (up to 27%). No case of symptomatic liver damage has ever been seen so far.

* Sensitivity Reactions : Urticaria, rash, pruritus and eosinophilia in White Blood Counts.

* Other Locations/Body as a Whole : Low Back Pain, myalgia, arthralgia, fever, panting, various cardiac arrhythmias, and hypo-tension.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praziquantel
http://www.stanford.edu/class/humbio103/ParaSites2005/Toxocariasis/wh ole%20thing.htm

Other drugs such as Febantel, Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, Milbemycin oxime, Piperazine, and Pyrantel Pamoate may also be used.

Risks of side effects of this medication may include:

A dog with allergies, pregnant or lactating dog (and women),children less than 30 pounds,older animals (and adults), anyone simultaneously taking other medications may expericence:
confusion
severe diarrhea
hallucinations
irritability
loss of appetite
severe nausea and vomiting
numbness or tingling in the hands,feet or in a dog, it's paws.
skin rash
itching
muscle and joint aches blurred or yellow vision
chills
seizures
dark urine fever
back pain
pain while urinating
yellow eyes and skin
extreme lethargy
redness, blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin

Pyrantel Embonate- one of the contradictions for this ingredient in Drontal plus is acute liver failure

A human drug - albendazole, has been shown to be 50 times more effective than metronidazole and 10-40 times more effective than quinacrine hydrochloride in killing Giardia in the laboratory. It has not yet been registered for use in dogs and cats however, if it should ever be, be warned and please note some serious side effects of albendazole:

injury to the bone marrow
may also cause birth defects
should not be used in pregnant animals

So, the decision to worm your dog or not can now be based on some factual basis and hopefully you can see the danger in just "routinely" worming. If your dog has been fed a processed, kibble or canned diet, been routinely vaccinated and is in poor health, make sure to only consider worming if the fecal examination comes back with a strong positive. Consider the risks of using a chemical wormer - I recommend you us DE (Diatomacious Earth) or a safe herbal remedy such as can be found Here and have a consultation with a certified veterinary naturopath or a "true" holistic veterinarian.

Copyright 2009 - 2011 The Whole Dog, Whole Dog News Blog, Dr Jeannie Thomason, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the Author. This article is for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.

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