Bruno's Blog – a complete animal at work

Did you know that it has been estimated that if 10,00 dogs made a 2 week trip to Germany, the probability of at least one of them returning to the UK infected with the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis was 98%?

And that if the stays were longer, the probability would rise to over 99%?

Can you imagine being even slightly interested?

You would be if you or anyone you knew also contracted the disease in question. It is the reason that cats and dogs coming back into the UK through the Pet Travel (Pet Passport) Scheme have to have a tapeworm treatment just before coming back in. The figures are an estimate that has been prepared and publicised as one of the reasons that the UK should be allowed to maintain parasite controls before allowing pets to come on in. To stop you or I being getting infected.

But all that does not take us away from the bizarre image of 10,000 dogs on a 2 week trip to Germany… Are you still with me?

In the same rivetting magazine, an article entitled ‘Normal function of the hypothalamic-pituitry growth axis in three dwarf Friesian foals’.

Now there’s a catchy title for you. I can hear the wheels of Google whirring away as you all desperately search for the executive summary. But you don’t need to worry: ‘the basal serum concentrations of IGF-1 in the dwarf foals were not significantly different from those of normal foals’.

Phew.

I’m sure you’ve already seen it, but just in case you haven’t, take a look at this You tube clip.

Of course it’s easy to mock, and on the face of it nothing seems more absurd and worthy of ridicule than the practice of homeopathy, but as a medical practice it just won’t go away.

I remember some years ago there had been an announcement on homeopathy that featured in the national news. A young reporter was trying, metaphorically speaking, to nail a homeopathic doctor to the wall about the apparent potential of the placebo effect.

The doctor’s final frustrated comment was along the lines of:

“Look, I’m a doctor. People come to see me at the Glasgow Royal Homeopathic Hospital (an NHS hospital no less) because they feel ill. We take a full history and then treat them with nothing but homeopathic remedies. When the treatment is over, they feel better. Now what more do you really want?”

In our practice, we regularly see case outcomes that we would not have expected without homeopathic input. Does that make us cranks, or just clincians trying to do the right thing for our patients?

Those of you who know us and particularly our clinic will know that we have an ongoing interest in natural medicine and particularly the interface between modern medicine, surgery and the world of complementary medicine and all that that entails.

Which means that I keep a pretty close eye on new products that appear on the market where they contain ‘interesting’ ingredients.

How about Seraquin? Glucosamine and Chondroitin we know very well, but the secret extra ingredient is TURMERIC, better known to most of us as a key ingredient of curries.

I remember seeing local healers giving raw egg and turmeric massages in the rural markets of Morocco many years ago and it turns out that it has been around in the Middle and Far East as a remedy for muscular and joint pains for hundreds if not thousand of years.

There was another product containing Turmeric called Xanthofen launched a few years back, but it fell flat on its face. Whereas Seraquin is now top of the pile for joint supplements for pets, and they’ve just launched Seraquin GLME? for horses… GLME? I hear you ask – thats Green Lipped Mussel Extract.

And now here’s another Morocco link. Much of my work there was dealing with the desperate conditions of the working animals – getting on for a million working donkeys, 600,000 mules and 250,00 horses, who laboured under the most apalling conditions. Deep infected wounds from ill-fitting saddles and harnesses were common and difficult for us to treat. Antibiotics were often needed, but some of the really nasty deep infected pus-discharging wounds needed more desperate measures…

Honey.

We did as the ancient Eqyptians did, and used honey. Glooped into the wound and held in place with a dressing, it killed the bacteria, helped break up the dead and dying tissue, cleared the smell and provided a great environment for the new healing tissue. It worked a treat.

And what do I see on my desk this morning?

New product! Activon Medical Grade Manuka Honey (UMF+12).

The old ones are the best.

And that’s not just me we’re talking about…

OK, so I suppose I need to write the obligatory piece on pets and Fireworks.

Let’s face it, most pets are terrified of fireworks, and this time of year is a major headache not just for them but for those of us who have to figure out how to deal with the fallout.

I had a client who came in the other day with exactly this problem: she lives in central London, not far, in fact, from a certain well-known billionnaire who likes to celebrate Diwali with a full-on 45 minute firework display in his own back garden, during which her Labrador – and no doubt many others – will be reduced to a shivering panting wreck.

Coming up on October 17th, just a week from today folks!

Followed a couple of weeks later by the more traditional English celebration of ‘the only man ever to enter parliament with honest intentions’. Oh, and then soon enough there’ll be New Year.

What is this new fascination with pyrotechnics? We used to be happy with a few bangers in the garden on one specific day of the year, but now the season goes on and on, and it seems that the big boys love them even more.

Just this week we have seen fit to award the Nobel Peace prize to the biggest firework lighter of our time: step forward President Obama. What was it again that he’s actually done? Was it pulling out and stopping the war, or was it sending more troops into the war zone?

D’you know I’m just not quite sure. And come to think of it, what was it exactly that Alfred Nobel invented? Goodness me, I believe it might have been dynamite. Maybe that’s why Obama got the prize.

But all this is an idle and scurrilous diversion: what are you going to do about the fireworks?

Try this link for starters: Fireworks.