If you’ve been following along for the past few weeks, you know we are halfway in our eight-week plan for a healthy pet. We’ve discussed getting an initial evaluation to determine your pet’s health status, the importance of choosing the proper diet, diagnosing and treating parasites, and the importance of nutritional supplements.

This week, I want to share a few ways we can treat diseases naturally, without the need for expensive medications. I’ll summarize natural therapies I use to treat some common diseases I see in my practice each day.

Arthritis is the most common cause of lameness in older dogs and cats. Conventional medicine relies heavily on the regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Rimadyl and EtoGesic to control pain and inflammation. Long-term use is expensive and requires frequent blood and urine testing to detect serious side effects, such as ulcers and kidney failure.

In my practice, the more natural approach involves joint supplements containing ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid and various anti-inflammatory herbs. This therapy is safe, effective and less expensive than the conventional therapy.

Allergies are common. The mainstay of treatment has been steroids and, less commonly, antihistamines. While these medications can be effective in many pets, long-term use (especially of steroids) can cause side effects.

In general, medications are best used for allergies on a limited, as-needed basis. Supplements (including fatty acids, antioxidants, herbs and homeopathics) work well for year-round control.

Regular frequent bathing is also very important to topically decontaminate the pet.

Finally, cognitive disorder (Alzheimer’s) is the most common degenerative neurological disease in pets older than 7. There is no conventional drug therapy to treat this problem in cats; dogs can be treated with Anipryl, but cost and potential side effects are issues for some pet owners.

There are several natural therapies that can help, including antioxidants, ginkgo and choline. The supplement Cholodin contains choline and other nutrients and is successful in treating (and in preventing or delaying the onset of) cognitive disorder in dogs and cats.

The cost of Cholodin supplementation is much less than that of Anipryl, and there are no harmful side effects.

While there are many diseases that can be treated naturally, the three discussed here are very common. Work with your doctor to see if there are any natural therapies that allow you to decrease your medical expenses and reduce side effects.

Next in the series: The importance of exercising your pet.

– Dr. Shawn P. Messonnier, author of the “8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog” and “The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats,” is a veterinarian and pet care advocate.