Addressing Eye and Ear Disorders Holistically
by Dr. Larry Siegler
Eye Disorders
The eyes have been called “a window to the soul.” You know when your cat is
giving you “the look” by the way he holds his head and seems to glare. Your
dog can melt your heart with her adoring big brown eyes that assure you she
loves you from the tip of her wet nose to the end of her wagging tail. Our companions
find many ways to communicate with us without words – and their eyes can be
a fascinating and important communication tool for them. Eye health is important
for more than just vision – but vision is of course our primary concern.
The following eye problems are the most common that most veterinarians see.
Any time you suspect a vision problem due to a change in behavior, or you notice
your companion squinting or showing signs of eye discomfort, it is important
to seek veterinary advice promptly.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. The lens is made up of mostly
water and protein. A cataract is formed when protein begins to clump together
in an abnormal way and clouds a small area of the lens.
Cataracts often require surgery, though the timing of the surgery may or may
not be urgent. When a younger dog develops cataracts it is typically due to
congenital issues and the cataracts often progress more rapidly requiring surgery
sooner rather than later. This is also true for cataracts caused by diabetes.
For an older animal, however, you may be able to slow the progression enough
to delay or even eliminate the need for surgery – depending on the extent of
vision impairment at the time of diagnosis and the age of the animal.
Prevention and treatment both begin with the basics – a very high quality diet
supplemented with additional vitamins and minerals. Diet is the foundation of
good health and this is the most important thing you can do for your companion.
Many chronic degenerative diseases such as cataracts develop over time as a
result of inadequate nutrition and exposure to toxins in the food and environment.
Please see “
What
You Need to Know About Your Pet's Food” and “
All
About Raw Food” in our
Articles section. Some people are not comfortable with feeding raw food.
If this is the case for you, consider dehydrated or freeze dried food to supplement
the diet, or a very high quality canned food – or even better yet, home-made
food or healthy leftovers. Basically, the fresher the diet, the better it is
for an animal’s health and immune system.
I recommend supplementing with the herb
Bilberry for cataracts. Bilberry is
believed to improve circulation to the eye and thus the delivery of needed nutrients
to eye tissue. The dosage for cats is approximately 20 mg. per day, and for
dogs 40-280 mg. per day depending on the size of the dog. In addition, a high
quality antioxidant supplement may slow the progression of cataracts: such as
Genesis Resources
Canine Antioxidant Formula or
Feline Antioxidant Formula or
Vetri-Science Cell Advance.
Homeopathy can be helpful in some cases of cataracts. The choice of remedy,
however, is very specific for each animal and needs to be guided by a veterinarian
trained in homeopathy. For a referral see:
The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy.
Conjunctivitis
Eye inflammation, or conjunctivitis, generally occurs more often in animals
with pre-existing immune or allergy-related problems. When your dog or cat shows
symptoms of sore, red eyes with a discharge, the first thing to do is determine
the cause. This may be as simple as a minor scratch or irritating foreign matter,
a result of environmental toxin exposure or airborne allergies, or more serious
issues such as feline herpes or glaucoma. A trip to the veterinarian is crucial
when you see signs of eye irritation, as waiting too long can mean the difference
between saving the animal's sight and losing it.
Eyebright is a very common herb used for eye irritations. Eyebright eye washes
are often helpful to control symptoms and minor infections:
Animals' Apawthecary Eye & Nose Drops contains eyebright along with goldenseal
to help control irritation and infection.
Halo Herbal Eye Wash is a two part rinse that includes eyebright and goldenseal
as well. The Chinese herbal formula in
Nature's Herbs Clear Vision may also be helpful for boosting the immune
system and clearing minor eye infections.
If allergies are suspected as the cause of conjunctivitis, it is best to change
to a hypoallergenic diet.
Inflamzyme by PhytoPharmica can also be quite helpful in battling airborne
allergies. It acts as a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory agent.
Feline Herpes
If a cat’s eyes are watering and producing a thick whitish discharge, feline
herpes may be the cause. The inside lining of the eyelids become inflamed, and
shallow, painful ulcers develop. The eyewashes containing eyebright mentioned
above can assist in cleansing and soothing the eye.
Feline Herpes is generally a result of a weakened immune system, so diet and
immune support need attention. To help control the virus the amino acid L-lysine
may be helpful. L-lysine can be found at any natural food store. The dosage
for cats is 500 mg. twice a day.
Genesis Resources Feline Immune Support contains L-lysine along with other
vitamins and herbs to help support the immune system during infection and on
a long-term basis.
Nature's Herbs Herbal Biotic is a Chinese herbal blend formulated to fight
viral and bacterial infections and boost the immune system.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
This condition involves a shrinking or degeneration of the retina of the eye.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is more common in dogs. PRA may develop slowly
– initially resulting in night blindness. If you notice your companion hesitating
to go outside at night or down a darkened hall or stairway, suspect vision problems
and see a veterinarian.
In cats this disease is most commonly related to Taurine deficiency, which is
now less of a problem than previously as all commercially available cat foods
are formulated with added Taurine. Raw diets that include organ meats provide
the most natural source of Taurine. For those feeding a home-prepared diet,
Taurine supplementation is important. Taurine is readily available at health
food and vitamin stores. Cats can receive up to 500 mg. or more per day.
As with any degenerative disease, diet is the place to begin in stopping or
at least slowing this condition. Please refer to the article section linked
above in the discussion about cataracts for information regarding proper diet
and nutrition.
Bilberry is useful for PRA for the same reasons it may help with cataracts –
increased circulation and nutrients to the eye tissue.
Essential fatty acids, particularly DHA from fish oil, may also play an
important role in preventing or slowing the progression of PRA. I recommend
essential fatty acids be a daily part of every companion animal’s diet as it
plays such an important role in maintaining health in a wide variety of ways.
Ear Disorders
Chronic ear infections and yeast problems are frequently a sign of allergies.
Allergies are becoming more and more common and troublesome in both dogs and
cats. Diet, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and essential fatty acids are the
basics for treating allergies and chronic ear problems from the inside out.
Many animals with food sensitivities and allergies have seen dramatic improvement
on a raw food diet. Once again, please see “
What
You Need to Know About Your Pet's Food,” and “
All
About Raw Food,” in our
Articles section. As discussed previously, the fresher the diet, the better
it is for your companion’s health & immune system. Dry food is just not
a good option for cats, especially those with allergies. Dry kibble can usually
be part of a healthy diet for dogs, but for dogs with chronic ear problems or
allergies a special hypo-allergenic food is important – which means no wheat,
corn, soy and possibly beef. A grain-free product might be even more helpful.
Even chicken is becoming a more common allergen.
Most animals with food allergies have unhealthy gastrointestinal systems that
are not able to digest food properly. Leaky gut develops and then molecules
that are too large for the body to process are allowed through the gut wall,
setting off allergic reactions and creating the optimal conditions for yeast
infections. The symptoms may appear in the ears, but you have to heal the gut
to really get rid of the allergies.
Digestive enzymes help break down the food so that there is less of a chance
of the larger molecules passing through the intestinal walls, probiotics help
restore a healthy balance of flora in the gut and aid digestion, and fatty acids
help reduce inflammation and heal the gut as well as nourish the skin.
Supplement every meal with digestive enzymes to aid digestion and assimilation
of the nutrients in processed foods. Digestive enzymes must be added at every
meal of cooked or processed food. The enzymes do not remain in an animal’s system
beyond digestion of the food immediately present in the digestive tract. A raw
diet does not necessarily need digestive enzyme supplementation once an animal
has been fully transitioned to raw food. The enzymes present within the raw
meats and vegetables are usually sufficient for proper digestion.
Probiotics are especially important for an animal that has been on steroids
or antibiotics as they kill the healthy gut flora and set up conditions for
the allergies to worsen. Probiotics are helpful for any animal that has had
chronic gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting or diarrhea as well.
Essential fatty acids, preferably fish oil, are vital to nourish the skin
and coat and help reduce inflammation in the animal’s system. Allergies involve
inflammation of the gut and often can affect the joints as well. You can increase
the dosage above what is recommended on the bottle, but if you see loose stools,
then reduce the dosage a bit until stool consistency normalizes.
If the change in diet and adding enzymes and fatty acids do not completely solve
the issue, then consider
Only Natural Pet Immune Balance. Immune Balance contains plant sterols and
sterolins that help to balance the immune system over time and reduce allergic
reactions.
For a topical ear wash to help control symptoms while you are helping your companion’s
system heal from the inside, try the
Animals' Apawthecary Herbal Ear Rinse which contains goldenseal and olive
leaf to help control bacteria, or
Only Natural Pet Ear Care with Tea Tree Oil which contains Echinacea and
Tea Tree Oil to disinfect and clean the ear canal. Tea tree oil is anti-fungal
and can be helpful in controlling yeast as well.
View All Eye and Ear Care Products
View our
Chronic Ear Infections Kits for dogs and cats.
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