There are several key factors relating to a person’s lifestyle habits that dictate how their skin looks.  Adopting the following lifestyle recommendations can really improve the overall look and feel of your skin:

• Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is as important for the health of your skin as it is for the rest of your body, so “veg out” in a good way!
• It is important to remain hydrated by drinking at least two liters of clear water per day.
• Sleep is another key ingredient to beautiful skin. People really need 7-9 hours  of sleep per night.  This time allows for the restoration of oxygen levels in the blood, which is responsible for cell repair and renewal.
• The UV rays from the sun are responsible for the appearance of accelerated aging.  For this reason, it is important to stay out of direct sun light, so make sure that you always wear a hat or high factor sunscreen when you plan to spend time in the sunshine.
• Try to avoid stressful situation, as stress  takes its toll on the overall health of our bodies, both inside and outside.
• Smoking is really bad for your overall health , but others can see the damage that smoking does to your skin.  Smoking causes wrinkles around the mouth and clogged pores, so stop smoking and improve  your total body health.
• Women, never go to bed wearing make-up.  Make-up can seep into the pores, clogging them, so always wash your face twice before going to bed.  The first wash is to take off the make-up, and the second wash is to clean the skin.

The other side of beautiful skin, other than living a healthy lifestyle, is daily treatment and protection:

• Wash the face in the morning and at night.  This helps to prevent clogged pores, which lead to zits, blackheads and other blemishes.  Make sure to treat the skin with delicacy, never scrubbing, pulling, or tugging on it.
• At night, after washing your face, exfoliate with a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells.  This process should be done a minimum of twice per week for optimum radiance.  Products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids, that are derived from sugar-cane, milk, fruits and have anti-inflammatory properties are the best exfoliating products.
• Nourish the skin of your face with facial masks made from banana, plain yogurt, or avocado.  Taking vitamin C is also a great way to nourish your skin, as it aids in the formation of collagen.  Nourishing your skin in these ways smooths, and improves the overall texture.
• Hydrate your skin, by using a light, non-greasy moisturizer at bed time, and a day-time moisturizer with sunscreen during the day.
• Keep your skin supple and radiant by stimulating blood circulation.  This can be done with daily exercise, followed by a shower alternating the water temperature between hot and cold, which will improve the blood flow through your body and provide your skin with nutrients and oxygen.
• Drinking a glass per day of hot water with lemon helps to invigorate your entire body, including the gall bladder and liver, cleansing the blood of toxins that can cause skin problems.

Some dogs are prone to ear infections.  The symptoms typically associated with an ear infection are scratching of the ears, shaking of the head, irritability when the ears are touched, or whimpering when the ears are touched.  Ear infections are caused by a number of different factors including bacterial infections, ear mites, unhealthy environments, food allergies, and improper dog hygiene.

Outer ear infections are common in dogs that like to roll around in the mud, or play in water, and also in dogs with long, floppy ears.  It is usually easy to detect theses outer ear infections, as the inside of dog’s ears will be red, inflamed, smell foul, and have an excess of waxy discharge.  For these type of infections, an enzymatic treatment with hydrocortisone, like Pet King’s product Zymox works extremely well.  Zymox treats outer ear infections regardless if they are caused by bacteria,  or fungus.  Zymox is also available without the hydrocortisone, but this should only be used if the dog has an issue with hydrocortisone.  The hydrocortisone will help to remove swelling and itching associated with the infection, and help your dog feel comfortable more quickly.

The other two types of ear infection are middle ear and inner ear, and are regarded to be much more serious than outer ear infections.  These types of  conditions in dogs require the help of a veterinarian, because the situation can easily become worse and are frequently not curable unless special treatment procedures are carried out.

Dog that have floppy ears are very prone to fungal infections, specifically yeast infections.  This is caused by a restricted air flow in the ears.  Many floppy-eared dogs also grow tiny hairs on the inside of their ears that block the air flow even more than the skin flap of the ear.  These tiny hairs are usually overlooked by pet owners, and are only dealt with by groomers.  Regular grooming and cleaning of the ears in floppy-eared dogs is essential to maintaining a health dog.  Dogs that do not have floppy ears do not require regular cleaning, unless an excess of waxy discharge is noted.  Non-floppy-eared dogs’ ears usually clean themselves, and they have no problem with  the highly important air flow matter.

Glucosamine and chondrotin  supplements have been proven effective for humans for keeping the cartilage of joints healthy.  Since glucosamine is a precursor for glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are one of the major components in joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine is often used to help prevent cartilage degeneration and treat arthritis.  The same glucosamine treatments used by humans are effective in dogs, as well.  Whether you choose to spend your money on the glucosamine supplements that are flavored and made for dogs, or to share the same glucosamine supplements that you take for yourself with your dog, they are both effective.  The supplements made for dogs are frequently more expensive than the quality glucosamine supplements that are made for humans.  It is important to pay attention to dosing.  Obviously you should not give a 3 pound chihuahua the same concentration of the supplement as is meant for a full grown human being.  Here is a chart to guide in dosing:

A handy trick to get your dog to eat a non-flavored glucosamine pill is to dip it in peanut butter.  The peanut butter is sticky, so the dog cannot just eat the peanut butter from around the pill and leave the pill.  The other option, of course, is to put the pill at the very back of the dogs mouth, and then gently rub his throat to make him swallow.

Summary:  Natural supplements are a more cost effective, less invasive way to help control your dog’s Cushings disease than the regularly prescribed veterinary treatments.

Cushing’s disease, also  called hyperadrenocorticism, is caused by the production of excess hormones from the adrenal glands.   Cushing’s disease typically occurs in older dogs with a variety of symptoms that can mimic other illnesses.  Common symptoms of Cushings disease include increased drinking and urination, increased appetite, bulging abdomen, hair loss on the sides of the torso, skin lumps and discoloring, panting, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, and nervous system disorders can also occur with the disease.

The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys.  The adrenal glands produce a complex of steroid hormones that help regulate body weight, skin health, mineral balance, the structure of connective tissue, and some white blood cell production.  This steroid complex is called cortin.   The pituitary gland uses adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce the cortin.  Cushing’s disease can be triggered by a tumor of either the adrenal glands, or the pituitary gland; either one can cause the  adrenal glands to be overstimulated and produce an excess of corticosteroids.   The most common cause of Cushing’s disease is a microscopic, benign pituitary tumor (microadenoma) which secretes ACTH in overabundance and ignores the adrenal glands’ response.  Pituitary tumors account for roughly 85% of  Cushings cases.  The other 15% of Cushings cases are caused by an adrenal tumor that is responsible for secreting too much cortisol.  Approximately half of the adrenal tumors are benign, and the other half are malignant.  In either of these cases, the balance of the pituitary gland and adrenal glands in creating corticosteroids is lost, and an excess of corticosteroids are always present in the animal’s blood stream.

Typical treatment with drug therapy and surgery is usually dependent on the underlying cause of the dog’s Cushings, and requires blood tests, urine tests, and even ultrasounds, to determine where the tumor is located.  The medications are typically extremely expensive and fairly toxic, as chemotherapy drugs are frequently used (Lysoderm is a human chemotherapy that is used to kill the outer layer of the adrenal gland that manufactures the corticosteroids in dogs.)  It is for these reasons that people are seeking supplements to help their dogs manage the symptoms of Cushings disease without the outrageous cost or illness that can accompany chemotherapy treatment.  Some such supplements include Supraglan for Dog Cushings Disease, A Natural Supplement for Dog Adrenal Gland Dysfunction.  A 4 month supply only costs about $80.00.  Another supplement is Cushex drops by Pet Alive, that can be used for either cats or dogs with Cushings disease.  A 50mL bottle is priced around $33.00.   The natural supplements treat the symptoms of cushings and help to regulate the levels of corticosteroids in the blood stream regardless of the underlying cause of the Cushings.   Cushings Disease is a serious ailment that is sometimes difficult to see, as many of the symptoms are exaggerations of the natural aging process.  Natural supplements provide another option for people that love their pets, but cannot afford other treatments, or deal with the side effects of chemotherapy drugs.

It is fairly well understood that the addition of a couple of glasses of cranberry juice per day can help to prevent a human from developing urinary tract infections (UTIs).  Cranberry juice is very high in vitamin C, which helps to acidify the bladder, and make it an uninhabitable place for bacteria.

UTIs are caused when  bacteria, typically E. coli, gets into the urethra (the tube that connect the bladder to the outside of the body), and in the bladder.  In dogs, bacteria in the bladder can lead to the formation of crystals or bladder stones that can restrict urine flow and cause extreme internal inflammation and discomfort.  Symptoms of a K-9 UTIs are similar to those of humans, and include:  frequent and urgent urination (pet may ask to go out once per hour), potential leaking of urine, urine accidents in a normally house trained dog, discomfort in urinating, possibly a fever, and just generally do not feel well.  If your dog has these symptoms, take him to a veterinarian right away, as untreated UTIs can turn into kidney infections and other very serious complications.

The message of this article is that dogs can and will drink cranberry juice as well as a human to help prevent UTIs from occurring.  There are also concentrated cranberry pills that have all of the benefits of cranberry juice, but in a convenient pill formation.  These pills can be purchased at any local pharmacy, and are marketed as” for urinary health”.  Cranberry supplements provide the same effects in dogs as they do for people; acidified bladder that is uninhabitable for bacteria.  It is fine to give your dog cranberry along with the antibiotic, if he has an infection.  A cranberry supplement may even make him feel better sooner, but he must have an antibiotic if he has an infection.

Cranberry supplements are particularly good, as prevention, for dogs that have a history of UTIs, and can help save you frequent trips to the veterinarian.