Who is affected by inflammation?

The answer; both two-legged’s and four-legged’s are all subject to chronic disease and pain because of inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to: asthma, cancer, arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and allergy diseases, in general? Here is a link to a site that explains this more on a human’s medical level: https://draxe.com/inflammation-at-the-root-of-most-diseases/.

Since my blog is more focused on the fur-children in our lives, I will let you explore more of the two-legged aspect, on your own. However, much of this has shared similarities between the two species’.

It’s not only about joint pain

I have blogged, more than once, actually, about inflammation and it’s association with joint pain, especially when talking about arthritis in dogs. I talk about it a lot because it is something that I monitor very closely in my fifteen-year-old Australian Shepherd, Emma. Here is a link to one of those previous blogs: https://organicholisticdog.com/pain-and-inflammation/osteoarthritis-in-dogs/.

Arthritis, and joint pain, in general, seem to be the most talked about of the inflammation disease’s, but it is linked to so much more. When you have one underlying cause to so many chronic diseases and illnesses, it can almost be disheartening. I look at older dogs and see so many of them struggling with joint pain, loss of mental awareness, and cancer. In a way, it’s bad that this one problem can cause so many things to go wrong. In another way, that means that if we can treat the root cause, inflammation, maybe we can tackle several problems with just one plan of attack. Let’s see if that is possible.

How does it work?

When your dogs body is attacked by a foreign entity, like a virus or damaged cells, it’s immune system automatically attacks that foreign body. That causes inflammation. The body is then inflamed, for a short period of time, because it is fighting off an injury or disease, that is a good thing. This is the immune system doing it’s job and keeping the bad from overtaking the good, so to say.

Long term inflammation, on the other hand, is called Inflammatory Disease and that is bad, very bad. Some of the Inflammatory Disease’s found in dogs:

Allergies: a damaging immune response to pollen, food, fur (even in pets), and dust. Allergies in dogs can appear as constant scratching, chronic ear infections, skin rashes, and continual paw licking and chewing. 

Arthritis: inflammation of the joints caused by joint tissue destruction. This destruction can come from trauma and stress, infection, or inflammation. The most common symptoms are joint stiffness and joint pain shown by either limping, panting, or whining. 

Asthma: a common lung disorder where inflammation causes the bronchi to swell, thus narrowing the airways. This creates difficulty in breathing and can be mild to life threatening. It’s most common markers are coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: chronic inflammation of the intestines which can cause severe diarrhea and chronic vomiting. 

Inflammatory Joint Disease: usually starting out as an infection, bacterial or fungal, like that from a tick bite or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The immune system launches an attach against the infection, which sets up residence in the joints. This causes inflammation which then causes sore and stiff joints.

Most all diseases ending in ‘itis’: there are dozens of theses from dermatitis to meningitis. They can affect everything from skin to kidneys to eyes to spinal and brain fluid. They can be as mild as “irritating” or as sever as “life threatening”. 

What can you do?

There are as many options for treatment as there are diseases. The fact is, most chronic illnesses can be related to inflammation, in some form or another. There are a slew of drugs out there that the vets will want to write prescriptions for. Some of them are steroidal, which increases cortisol and in turn decreases inflammation. Non-steroidal’s are used to decrease inflammation, pain, and fever. 

Personally, I try to opt for the non-prescription option, first. The best way to do this is through diet. (Yep, something else I have talked a lot about.) The fact is, there are many foods that can increase inflammation. Here are the foods to stay away from: omega 6’s, grains, pasteurized dairy, corn, soybeans, refined carbs, sugar, and trans fats. 

Here are the foods that may help decrease inflammation: blueberries, pumpkin, kale, broccoli, papaya, cherries, squash, and sweet potatoes. Please understand that if the chronic inflammation has gone on for too long, changing your dogs nutritional intake may simply not be enough. With that said, I would still recommend a nutrient dense diet, specifically targeting anti-inflammatory foods, as it will help to heal the body.

What do I do

Everyday, every single one of my dogs gets a Biome Medic capsule. In preliminary clinical studies, Biome Medic has been proven to reduce inflammation by over seventy-four percent. Not only that, but it flushes out all of the harmful chemicals, from the gut and the intestine, that make it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients. (Those chemicals and toxins also cause inflammation.) The fact is, you can personally eat, and feed the highest nutrient dense foods there are available, but if the body is unable to absorb and use them, the  nutrients are lost. The solution to that is Biome Medic. Use this link to learn more about it and to place your order: https://ishoppurium.com/products/biome-medic. You can also get $50 off of your first $75 order by using the gift code LOYALTY.

The bottom line

Inflammation should be a concern for all of us, two-legged’s and four-legged’s alike. Since it has been linked to so many chronic and fatal illnesses, it should be taken very seriously. The best thing to do is feed your pets with as healthy a diet as possible, right from the beginning. It is never too early, or too late, to start reversing the underlying problem, so that bandaids and temporary fixes won’t have to be used later. After all, a long, healthy, happy, and pain free life is what we all want, for ourselves, our families, and our four-legged-friends!

Many blessings to you and your four-legged-loves ~ Tammy