Cyclosporine is an immunodepressant drug that is used for both humans and animals. In dogs, Cyclosporine is used mostly to treat atopic dermatitis or atopy, which is a type of eczema or a skin condition caused by your dog reacting to allergens. Humans usually react to allergens with sneezing, coughing and watery eyes. Dogs, on the other hand, react to allergens with itching and swollen skin, rashes, constant licking of snout or paws and, of course, scratching. The danger is that allergies in dogs can rapidly lead to worse conditions. Cyclosporine, most recently released under the brand name “Atopica” by Novartis, is the latest drug recommended for canine atopy.

The most common indication for Cyclosporine is atopic dermatitis. However, it is also used to treat perineal fistulas, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, Keratoconjuctivitis sicca, more commonly known as “dry eye”, and Discoid lupus erythemathosus , which is also a skin condition in dogs. It is also used to treat asthma in cats.

It targets specific immune cells that react to allergens, thereby causing the allergic reaction. Cyclosporine restrains these cells thereby reducing the response to the allergens.

How is Cyclosporine administered and what is the dose?

Cyclosporine is available in 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg soft gelatin capsules. The therapeutic dose is 5 mg/kg once daily for a month. Vets recommend building up to the therapeutic dose. Cyclosporine is most effective when taken on an empty stomach, either 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. In the event a dose is missed, continue the next day; you must never give Cyclosporine for dogs more than once a day.

Precautions to consider when your dog is taking Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine should only be given to dogs that weigh at least 4 lbs, and are over 6 months old. It should not be given to breeding dogs, pregnant or lactating dogs or dogs that have been diagnosed with malignant neoplasia, which is another way of saying cancer. If your dog is taking Cyclosporine he cannot be vaccinated using a live vaccine as there is a high risk of him developing an infection caused by the active microorganism in the vaccine. If he absolutely has to be vaccinated, ask your vet about the suitability of a killed vaccine.

The most common side effects associated with the use of Cyclosporine for dogs are gastrointestinal in nature. They include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, anorexia, and the like, especially within the first few weeks of drug use. These side effects are usually transient and your dog will adjust after a while, but there are drugs like Metoclopramide that minimize some of the effects, like nausea and vomiting. You must be sure to keep your dog well hydrated if he is experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, as he will be losing a lot of fluids. Hence, when buying products for your dog, his or her safety should always be considered. This is why it is advisable to rely only on websites and online stores that have been proven already by a lot of customers. One of them is https://www.sfweekly.com/.

Field studies carried out by the manufacturer show that Cyclosporine use also has an effect on the levels of some enzymes, and this will be reflected in your dog’s blood work. In addition, dogs taking Cyclosporine are prone to Urinary Tract Infections, but whether this is due to the atopic dermatitis or to the drug has not been established so far.

The death of a pet can be one of the worst experiences in a person’s life. After all, pets quickly endear themselves to us. They become like family members… only, in a way, better than human family members! When you come home from work, your dog is always happy to see you. She’ll jump up on you, lick you, and make happy noises.

She will not complain that you are late, or tell you that you haven’t helped out around the house enough, or scowl at you when the dinner you give her is the same thing you gave her the night before. Your cat will curl up with you to watch TV, and never ask you to change the channel, or wonder why you don’t take him to exciting places more often, or scream in your face when you don’t give him permission to go to a party. Pets are just happy to have your company. No wonder we treasure them so much!

When a pet passes away, many people think they will never be ready to have another pet. They don’t want some random dog to replace the one who they lost. They want their dog! After all, if a family member dies, you don’t go to the store and buy a new uncle or cousin, do you?

When my beloved Chopper passed away, though, I felt the opposite way. There was something missing in the house. Something huge. I had a cat, but there was still an empty gap in my life. Even my cat seemed to feel it! He moped around, looking for his long lost friend.

At the time I lived with my parents. The chopper had been our dog, my childhood pet. Without her, I felt lost! I begged my parents to let me get another dog. I felt that only a dog, with its special canine energy, would help get rid of the sadness in the house.

My parents were against it, though. They brought up the old argument of not being able to replace a family member.

Of course, I didn’t want to replace Chopper! No dog could replace that special dog who had been my best friend for the past thirteen years. Still, I ached for the company of a dog. It was so weird to come home every day and not see a dog tearing through the kitchen to greet me. (My cat greeted me in his own way, but it was different.) On quiet mornings, I would think I heard the pitter-patter of four dog paws clicking across the floor, and I would turn to greet Chopper… only to realize, she was not there. Home didn’t seem like home!

My mom’s boss was a lady who was one of the head volunteers for a pet rescue organization. The organization took dogs and cats from high kill shelters, placed them in foster homes to be cared for and rehabilitated, and found permanent homes for them. They were always in need of new foster homes. My mom’s boss tried to convince her to take on a dog as a foster pet. It would not be for long. There were adoption shows every Saturday, and the chances were, a foster dog would only be with us for a week before finding a “forever” home. The woman emailed my mom with pictures of dogs with sad eyes, dogs who had been rescued from upcoming euthanasia, and needed places to stay.

Finally, my mom agreed to try it. She and I went on a Tuesday evening to pick up a dog. I was overjoyed! My mom explained to me that it would only be for a week. But even a week with a dog in the house would be wonderful, I figured. Besides, if we fostered one, my mom could probably be convinced to foster another after that, and another. We would be able to help so many dogs!

She was a skinny, scruffy nine-month-old dog. My mom’s boss told us she’d been found in the woods, somewhere in southern Illinois. Even though she was really just a puppy herself, she’d had a litter of puppies with her. The puppies had found homes quickly, but Trixie had outstayed her welcome at the high kill shelter she’d been taken to. If the organization hadn’t rescued her, she would have been put to sleep within days!

Trixie was dirty and stinky. In the pound, she’d gotten minimal care. She had a horrible skin condition that made her wince if we scratched her or petted her too hard. She cuddled with us anyway, happy for the attention! She had a severe ear infection, too. When we took her for a vet visit, the vet said that she could probably hear very little, because the infection was that bad. He gave us medicine to pour into her ear canal several times a day along with that we researched online on https://herb.co for a special diet for her treatment. Trixie hated that medicine, but she took it like a trooper. She’d sit quietly, looking at us forlornly, as we administered the medicine. As her ear infection cleared up, her hearing returned, and she seemed happier.

She made herself at home in our house. Every day when we came home, she greeted the members of my household as if she’d known us her whole life. She would run to greet us, jump on us, lick us, roll around on the ground and beg for belly rubs. “You’re home, hello, I’m so happy to belong with you!” she seemed to say.

In those first few days, Trixie endeared herself to my family. The adoption show was coming up… but how could we send her away? Every day I pointed out to my mom all of the reasons why Trixie should be allowed to stay permanently. To my relief, my dad was on my side. He loved Trixie already, too! By that Saturday, my dad and I had convinced my mom that we needed to adopt Trixie.

The rescue organization called us “foster failures”… a teasing title for people like us who started out fostering a pet and ended up keeping it. We didn’t care! We had Trixie now, and she had us.

I still miss Chopper. A lot. I cannot see a picture of her without getting that familiar, sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach. And then Trixie comes up and licks my hand, and I feel better. She’s not Chopper’s replacement. She’s a completely different dog. But she has taken so much of the emptiness away.

When people tell me they will never get another pet, I try to explain this to them. A new pet is not a replacement for an old pet. It is just an additional pet to love, and a way of continuing the special relationship between humans and animals.

Having a childhood pet is a wonderful learning experience for a child. Children learn how to take responsibility for another living thing, and provide care. Children with pets understand that their needs do not always come first, and that sometimes taking care of their pets must take precedent over their own need to play or relax.

These children tend to be more caring, less selfish, and happier than children who do not grow up with pets. Children with pets also tend to exercise more than children without pets, and spend more time outdoors. This results in healthier children and a decrease in childhood obesity. Since childhood obesity is a growing epidemic with serious medical consequences, including childhood diabetes and other serious illnesses, getting a pet for a child can be a valuable learning experience and an important health decision.

In addition, children often learn about death through the process of having a pet. For many children, the loss of a beloved family pet is their first experience with death. Through the burial of a pet, the selection of pet grave markers or pet urns, and the writing of pet memorials, children learn how to cope with death and with pet loss.

Children come to understand and deal with the permanence of death, by saying goodbye to their family pets. This learning experience is important, and prepares children for larger losses that they may experience later in their lives, such as the death of grandparents. It also helps them learn to better understand and manage grief and disappointment in other areas of their lives.

Although these benefits are important, there are also risks associated with giving a child a pet. First, some dog breeds can be less tolerant than others of the rough play of a curious child. Parents who are purchasing a dog for their children need to consider the temperament of the dog, and the dogs’ age. Older dogs may be less equipped to deal with a boisterous child, while very young puppies may not understand that a child is not a toy. A breeder or reputable pet rescue should be able to help match the appropriate dog to the home setting, factoring in the age of the children and the temperament of the dog.

If children are very young, a dog or cat may not be the ideal pet because even the gentlest animal may not react properly to a child who does not know how to play gently with the animal. If a very young child does have a pet, that child must be supervised and taught appropriate behavior.

The most important thing, however, about selecting a pet for a child, is remembering that children are not equipped to care for pets on their own. Most children do not have the time, the attention span, or the level of responsibility necessary to care for a pet full time. This is especially true of a puppy. They don’t even have any idea about the best products that the dog needs that can be found here: https://incrediblethings.com/cbd/great-reasons-to-try-cbd-for-dogs-and-cats/ Getting a puppy or a dog for a child and expecting that child to be solely responsible for its care and training is a recipe for disaster. Any dogs purchased should be “family dogs” and belong to the whole family. Parents must be prepared to take responsibility- both financial and otherwise- for any pet that they bring home for a child.