A month ago, Vinny’s appearance and behavior was a source of great concern and bewilderment. How did he lose so much weight without me noticing? Why couldn’t he jump up on the couch anymore? When did all the muscle tone in his hind legs disappear? WTF? His body had deteriorated so quickly I didn’t realize the problem until all these signals converged.
So I took Vinny to the vet where he was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis. Because it is a so-called degenerative joint disease, I was guaranteed a worsening condition that might be partially corrected through surgery some day. The vet prescribed pain medications and steroids — for life!
One thing you should know about me: I only take the dogs to the vet (or myself to a doctor) when there’s a broken leg involved or I need a diagnosis. So I took this diagnosis and found my own remedies, never once considering that the vet’s advice would be my chosen course of action. I went into problem solving mode immediately. I’m a project manager; it’s what I do.
On the way home from the vet, I realized that one remedy was already in my kitchen. I’d been taking MSM for two months with phenomenal results: my fingernails are stronger than ever in my life, my hair grows faster and doesn’t fall out in my brush anymore, and my skin’s looking good too. MSM is also renowned for its joint and cartilage building properties, which my little boy so desperately needed. I began adding 500mg of MSM powder to Vinny’s food daily.
A week later Vinny’s condition seemed slightly improved, but not quickly enough for me. (I’m an instant-gratification type 😉 ) I read that MSM is highly effective in treating arthritis, but its properties are greatly enhanced when combined with Glucosamine and Chondroitin. Vinny regularly consumed Glucosamine-Chondroitin in tablet form for a year prior to his diagnosis and that didn’t seem to help a lot, so I continued to research and quickly found the answer: Synflex for Pets. Not only does Synflex offer human- and pet-specific products, but the potions are targeted at reversing osteoarthritis. And, I was pleased to learn that the liquid forms of Glucosamine and Chondroitin were 90% absorbable vs. approximately 25% for pill- or powder-based supplements. I ordered a bottle immediately.
Finally, my Web research delivered the final piece of the puzzle. I’ve been reading about E3Live for a while and hadn’t given it serious thought; it seemed expensive and unnecessary. I mean, wasn’t spirulina good enough? Did my algae have to be from Klamath Lake. (Really, I wanted it to be from Klamath Lake. I’m an Oregonian, after all.) When I discovered that E3Live was a known arthritis remedy for people and pets, I had to take the plunge. If you’ve balked at the idea of E3Live, I recommend giving it a chance. This stuff is fantastic!
So, that’s one week of MSM, another week with the addition of Synflex, and then a third week with E3Live included as well. Vinny is completely back to his old self now, but even better in many ways. He can jump, balance, run, play, and fight with this sister again. Muscle is building up in his hind legs (this has been really noticeable!), his coat is really soft and his eyes are bright.
And I couldn’t be happier.
If you’re concerned about your pet’s mobility, I’m available to answer questions about these products and Vinny’s overall regimen. Also, consider the same remedies for the people in your life challenged by osteoarthritis and other joint-related conditions.
Vinny’s daily dosage (he weighs ~10 lbs.)
- MSM: 500mg
- Synflex: 1/3 teaspoon
- E3Live: 1/2 teaspoon
Peace.
Love E3Live. You can get it locally pretty cheap-it you want me to hook you up with my dealer I will. It was a great help when I went through some heavy metal detox and I continue to take it. yum yum.