What veterinary nurses can do to help support their patient s immune systems

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Gilbert Russell
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1 What veterinary nurses can do to help support their patient s immune systems LIZA SCHNEIDER 212 Fraser Street, Tauranga Veterinary nurses are well suited to assisting their patients with a holistic approach to HealthCare helping to prevent disease and add value for clients. In a clinical situation veterinary nurses are capable and competent at meeting their patients needs from nutritional intake to warmth and comfort and so much more. As outpatients, there are many areas that veterinary nurses can help with from a holistic perspective and even by simply addressing key areas such as nutrition and lifestyle, an improvement in general health and well-being can occur. With complementary therapies gaining popularity and many clients seeking this form of healthcare, it s a great asset for your practice to offer these options of therapy. Integrative medicine (combining complementary therapies and conventional veterinary medicine and surgery in a coordinated manner), offers a wider variety of therapeutic options. This usually results in a marked improvement in the patients health and quality of life while providing peace of mind for their owners/caregivers. A holistic approach and managing stress Discussing and reviewing the animals history, nutrition, living environment as well as possible underlying mental and emotional issues are very important areas for review. Making suggestions to address living conditions and minimising stress are important to support health and prevent disease. Stress of any kind will impair the body s ability to heal and limit an animal s general vitality. Limiting stress by avoiding stressful situations such as overcrowding or adverse weather conditions and making use of remedies such as Emergency Essence or Rescue Remedy will go a long way to supporting the immune system indirectly. Additionally supplementing an animals diet with optimal amounts of vitamin B complex (or even providing this as an injection), Omega-3 fatty acids and even some calming herbs can help to make a big difference. Emotional health is an important basic aspect that needs to be addressed and less tangible things like love and affection, minimising stress on the animal as well as appropriate exercise and entertainment are important to promote wellness. As scientists, vets may sometimes get so caught up in objective data that we lose sight of some of these important aspects that are more difficult to quantify. I always appreciate the input of our veterinary nurses in these areas where they often have suggestions that I haven t yet considered Proceedings of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association Conference 35

2 Nutrition Very often an animal has a raft of health problems; for example the dog with atopy that has a stiff gait in the colder weather and has recurrent infections. Often this is a big clue as to where there may be room for improvement as any sign of disease is the body s way of indicating that something is out of balance. Typically, with these sorts of cases, when questioned as to what food the animal is eating, the owner will say that it s the cheapest biscuits or dog rolls from the supermarket. Nutrition is the foundation of health. When an animal (or human) is eating poorly, this will often be reflected by their health status and usually other more subtle signs such as a dry and flaky skin, a brittle and dull coat, loss of playfulness in older animals and recurrent low grade inflammatory issues such as mild mucoid conjunctivitis. It becomes very difficult to support the health of the body if it is getting sub optimal amounts of important nutrients as well as inferior food ingredients and unnecessary and potentially health damaging colourings and preservatives. All therapies work best when an animal is eating a wholesome, complete and balanced diet. For dogs and cats we get some incredible results feeding a well balanced natural diet with raw meat appropriate for the animal s age, breed, state of health and metabolic rate or a high quality commercial food. For grazing animals it is important to ensure that the soil and pasture that they graze are well balanced with vital nutrients. Discussing this and educating the animal owner about these matters is of paramount importance. One of the greatest investments that an animal owner can make toward their animals health is to provide good quality nutrition. More and more people are recognising the impact of poor nutrition on their own health and becoming acutely aware and responsible about what they eat. This has helped to enhance owner compliance in addressing their animals nutritional needs. Ideally nutrition should be addressed at every consultation or even during wellness clinics run by veterinary nurses, as it is a foremost factor in preventative healthcare. Nutraceuticals Whilst basic nutrition is crucial to provide the important micro and macro nutrients imperative for normal physiological function, some of our most useful therapeutic aids in integrative medicine are nutritional supplements, often known as nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals generally have few, if any side effects if used correctly and may be used as a primary therapy or an adjunct to conventional medicines. Some commonly used nutriceuticals are: Glucosamine: helps to restore damaged cartilage and is an invaluable aid for animals with degenerative joint disease (DJD). Methyl-sulphonyl methane (MSM): a derivative of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, improves joint flexibility as well as elasticity of connective tissue making it a useful supplement for muscle and tendon repair Proceedings of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association Conference

3 S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe): has anti-oxidant effects in the liver and is of assistance in osteoarthritis as an anti-inflammatory. Proanthocyanidins (from pine bark or grapeseed extract): bioflavonoids with a wide range of biological and pharmacological qualities with superb anti-oxidant activity. They are useful in many disease conditions including DJD, infections, heart disease and simply to support vitality and general energy levels. We have found it an invaluable aid in treating auto-immune conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids: have an anti-inflammatory action beneficial for joint disease, skin and hair problems, cognitive disorders, will assist with weight loss, and supports cardiovascular function. Is also useful in cases of inflammatory bowel disease. Magnesium: this mineral has neurocalming effects and may be used for behavioral disorders and even to decrease the frequency or severity of seizures in some cases. Co-Enzyme Q10: cardio-supportive functions, assists quickly metabolizing tissue such as the myocardium and gingiva and is of help in some cases of inflammatory mouth disease in cats. B-vitamin complex: vitamin B is fundamental to energy production, metabolism, growth, and maintenance of healthy tissues. It is a useful aid in helping to reduce nervousness and general stress, treating muscle fatigue, supporting appetite as well as treating debility, anorexia and anemia. Anti-oxidants: in debilitated, sick, malnourished and older animals the free radical load may be excessive. Anti-oxidants have shown to provide immune support and promote healing. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid): vitamin C carries dual importance as the body s premier water-soluble antioxidant and of great support to the immune system. Unfortunately many supplements made for humans and animals are made according to food grade quality as opposed to pharmaceutical standard and do not actually contain what their label claims. Additionally, many products have limited bioavailability which has a substantial impact on their efficacy. Thankfully, there are some superb products available in the veterinary market today, many of which have undergone scientific trials and proven their value in case studies. Types of complementary therapies There are many complementary therapies that may be easily integrated into practice, some with basic knowledge such as nutrition and the flower essences and others like acupuncture or chiropractics requiring extensive training. Many of these therapies work beautifully in combination but even on their own they may be incredibly useful tools to help bring about health and well-being. The following is a list of some of the more commonly used therapies Proceedings of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association Conference 37

4 Acupuncture, acupressure and laser acupuncture Making use of acupuncture principles assists the body to release endorphins and hormones while at the same time decreasing inflammation helping to promote healing and address pain. Animals typically respond well to acupuncture techniques for a variety of health conditions. While acupuncture (the placement of special needles in specific acupuncture points) requires an intricate knowledge of anatomy and comprehensive training, acupressure (applying gentle pressure to specific points) and laser acupuncture (applying laser to stimulate specific points) may be more easily be applied by veterinary nurses. Herbal medicine Herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years and is the basis for the development of many of our traditional modern drugs. The active ingredients of certain medicines have been isolated from plants that have been known to have a therapeutic effect and herbs can be extremely beneficial for assisting in various health conditions, e.g. parsley is a useful nutritive to help build an animal up when it s debilitated, celery is a great aid for arthritis, milk thistle is supportive to the liver and garlic has antimicrobial and anti-parasite effects (but MUST be used carefully as it can be toxic: no more than one medium size clove per 25kg dog per day). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy A non-invasive treatment delivering oxygen at optimal levels providing profound tissue healing, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effects. Currently there are only two veterinary hyperbaric chambers in use in New Zealand at Town and Country Vet in Nelson and Holistic Vets in Tauranga but they are a growing trend as specialist veterinary facilities in the United States of America and Australia have been integrating their use for years. Homeopathy A gentle and effective system of healing that may assist a number of health conditions. Homeopathic remedies have a very dilute amount of substance in them, so much so that modern science has been unable to quantify the presence of any active ingredient and so given it little credibility. More recently, nanotechnology is providing some explanation for homeopathy s effect. Many animals seem to benefit from treatment and at least these remedies are completely harmless. Some commonly used remedies and their indications are Arnica for bruising, Aconite for shock, Hypericum for nerve damage, Nux Vomica for Gastro-Intestinal upsets. Flower essences Developed in Europe by medical doctor Edward Bach, the most commonly known flower essence is Rescue Remedy, made from a combination of five flowers that each help to support the body during times of stress or trauma. Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence (The Australian flower essence range) are very helpful first aid tools to keep on Proceedings of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association Conference

5 hand for any stress or trauma and usually help to take the edge off and make the animal more comfortable or settled. For animals 2 4 drops in their mouth, in their food or in their water or even rubbed calmly through their coat can be very helpful. When I m on call after hours, this is the most common recommendation that I give over the phone to help an animal at home, unless veterinary care is indicated. It usually works well and it is also often useful for the stressed owner to have some too! Chiropractic, osteopathy, bowen therapy and neurological integration system (NIS) These are safe, gentle and effective therapies used to ease discomfort and promote healing. While chiropractic specifically helps spinal function by improving the motion of a joint and the flow of information through the spinal nerves, all of these therapies generally have profound effects on addressing musculo-skeletal issues, balancing the body and restoring health Proceedings of the New Zealand Veterinary Nurses Association Conference 39

NUTRITION RESPONSE TESTING TM New Patient Orientation. What is Nutrition Response Testing TM?

NUTRITION RESPONSE TESTING TM New Patient Orientation What is Nutrition Response Testing TM? Nutrition Response Testing TM is a personalized health improvement program using designed clinical nutrition