Q: It’s almost impossible to give my pet a pill. Is there anything that can make it easier?

A: It may be the smell, taste, or size of the pill that is unappealing to your pet. Fortunately, there are several forms of dosage alternatives that can be compounded to help. Orally administered medications can be formulated into flavored suspensions and capsules. Flavored suspensions can be concentrated so the amount to be given is less and more tolerable. Compounded flavored capsules may be given as is, or opened and sprinkled over food. Now the smell and taste—beef, chicken and fish—will make the medications more appealing for both dogs and cats.
If oral administration is not a good option, several medications can be formulated into a concentrated cream and applied topically inside your pet’s earflap, and sometimes to their paw.  This is helpful if your pet is anxious or aggressive when it comes to taking oral medications.  Also, for seizures, rectal gels are an option, when they are unable to take medications by mouth.
Lastly, sprays, adhesive powders, and shampoos are also options, depending on the type of medication.  These are good alternatives for hot spots and dermatologic conditions. Ask your pet’s doctor and see a compounding pharmacist to decipher which is best for you and your pet.
-Dr. Wilhelmina Fry, Stephens Compounding Pharmacy

Imagine going through life without an ache, pain and nothing to slow you down. Since there are no guarantees in life, women need to stay educated and in tune with their bodies to make a long, healthy life a possibility. Women need to take charge of their health and partner with their doctors by finding out their family medical history, educating themselves on health issues, and paying attention to their bodies. Understanding your body is key to staying healthy.

How does my biological make up effect my weight loss?
Generally men lose weight faster than women because men have a higher percentage of muscle mass. It is muscle that burns calories so men usually have a higher basal metabolic rate, too. Bigger people have more mass and burn more calories at rest. As we age muscle mass tends to decrease in both men and women, especially after menopause, which makes it more difficult to lose weight. To maximize weight loss it is important to make sure hormones are in balance, especially thyroid, and Vitamin D levels are adequate.

As we age, our bodies experience several changes due to decreases in production of our “sex hormones.” Five of the most common symptoms can be easily alleviated with Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).

Bio-Identical, “natural” hormones are derived from natural sources and are identical in chemical structure to those produced by our body. Synthetic estrogens are not the same as natural estrogens, nor are synthetic progestins the same as natural progesterone. Synthetic hormones and Bio-Identical hormones act very differently in the body and have different side effect profiles. The five symptoms below are taking into consideration hormone replacement with Bio-Identical hormones.

Are dry eyes caused by dehydration?

In most cases the answer is NO. Dehydration and environmental factors may worsen the dryness, but most dry eye symptoms are related to underlying Dry Eye Disease, which is very common, and many patients go undiagnosed and untreated. Symptoms such as burning, redness, foreign body sensation, intolerance of eye makeup or contact lenses, and blurred vision are most common. Women make up the majority of the patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease due to hormonal changes, and other systemic diseases such as Sjogren’s, lupus, rheumatoid, Crohn’s, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Which is better for weight  loss, diet or exercise?

We hear this every day in our center for medical weight loss; “I exercise but I can’t get this extra weight off!” Sadly, despite what those machines and computer programs say, we really burn 4-5 calories a minute during exercise. So after an hour of jogging, cycling, cross fit, or swimming, we have only burned 300 calories on average. It’s a common practice to eat something before exercising for energy or reward yourself after for a job well done. So, at best in the end of the exercise session we are calorie neutral and there is no weight loss benefit. Often the protein bar we consumed had more calories than we burned resulting positive calorie balance and weight gain. So the short answer is yes, exercise is great for a multitude of reasons but is a poor weight loss tool on its own, unless you are training for a triathlon, riding in the Tour de France and exercising 6-7 hours a day. 

“I wish I didn’t see quite so clearly,” said no one ever.
The eyes have it—they are boss, our windows to the world. Taking care of them is imperative to optimum vision, which is so important to our quality of life and staying active and independent. Don’t forget to have your eyes checked every year. Find an eye doctor and establish a relationship. He or she is a valuable resource in keeping your vision strong and letting you know all of the technology available today to try to stay
20/20 all your life.

One of the worse things to feel after a peaceful night of sleep is stiff. It makes even the youngest of us hobble out of bed and feel somewhat incapacitated. Inflexibility is inevitable as we age. It is also a side effect of inactivity and obesity in all ages—young and old. Staying flexible is not hard. However, the term move it or lose has never been truer than when it comes to keeping yourself free-flowing. Here’s what our experts had to say about flexibility:

What are the most common problems of not staying flexible?
The skeleton provides the body with support and our joints allow the skeleton to be flexible and move around more easily. We lose bone mass or density as we age and, for women, during and after menopause. Bones also lose calcium and some minerals and are easier to break.

Our strength and endurance changes as we age, as well. So, as we get older we may not feel like we have enough energy to exercise, but lack of exercise and activity may result in lack of flexibility.

The winter weather is cold and dry: it’s making me really itchy. What can I do?

Itchy skin in the cold and dry weather can be an annoying problem. The good news is there are several things you can do to help nourish and protect your skin from the cold weather and low humidity. Low humidity means more water evaporates from your skin leaving behind dehydrated, flaky and sometimes cracked skin. The main defense against this problem is doing everything you can to “lock in” moisture and re-establish the natural oils on your skin that go away with showering and bathing. What I recommend is to avoid very hot showers. My general rule is that if your shower leaves a fog on the mirror, then it is too hot. Keep it short and as mild as you can stand it. In the shower use a mild moisturizing soap such as Cerave, Dove or Cetaphil. Avoid fragrant soaps and only wash the “dirty” spots. Unless you have been exercising or working and getting very sweaty, generally the underarms, genital area, feet and face will do. After the shower, pat dry. Leave a little bit of moisture on your skin and then apply a good moisturizing cream (non-fragranced)  on all of your dry areas. Oils are also good, and a popular choice is coconut oil in place of a moisturizer.

Questions you may be too shy—or too worried-—to ask your doctor.

What does the term SPF mean?
What number do you recommend for my face and body? 
What is the best way to rehydrate my skin after sun exposure?

Robert Frost once wrote, “The best way out is always through.”

Is it important to seek treatment for hearing loss?

People with untreated hearing loss (people with hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids) experience a Decemberreased quality of life.

Even though we get it every month, we still have questions. We’re talking about periods and cramps as this month Pink Prescriptions’ topic.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation quotes, “A woman’s risk of breaking a hip secondary to osteoporosis is equal to her risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer combined.”  Ladies…pay attention to your bones, your hips and spine will thank you and keep you standing tall!

Sports are fun, challenging and empowering. Sports injuries are not! Learn more about how to avoid some of the most common sports injuries and play on.

Sports are fun, challenging and empowering. Sports injuries are not! Learn more about how to avoid some of the most common sports injuries and play on.