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1. • Ensure your child eats his fruits and veggies. Hiroshi Watanabe/Stockbyte/Getty Images

     According to the Centers for Disease Control, fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories, full of essential nutrients our bodies need - and eating them may prevent chronic diseases. It is for these reasons that the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, advises eating five servings of fruits or veggies every day, according to the dietchannel.com. While this may seem like a difficult task, with so many advertisements for unhealthy foods aimed at attracting a child's attention, there are ways to ensure your kid gets his five servings a day.

   Enlist Help

   • Kids may be more likely to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables if they help in the preparation, says dietchannel.com. When grocery shopping, have your child pick out a fruit or vegetable. When you get home, allow her to help you prepare the item she has chosen. You can stick to your normal process of preparing and serving the food - or you can come up with new and exciting means of serving. Create fruit smoothies, for example. Another encouraging idea, according to dietchannel.com, is to freeze 100 percent fruit juice into popsicles that kids can enjoy for a treat, as opposed to ice cream or another type of non-nutritious snack food.

   Make it a Game

   • Inspire kids to eat fruits and vegetables with a game. On poster board, make a chart that lists the days of the week at the top and the members of your family along the side. Next to each person's name and under each day of the week, create five boxes. Each time a person eats a fruit or veggie, she writes down what she ate in one of the boxes. At the end of the week, see who ate the most fruits and veggies. A prize needn't be awarded - however, if your children are less than enthusiastic, you can award a small prize at the end of the week to the winner.

   Add to Other Foods

   • An effective way to influence a reluctant fruit and veggie eater is to add them to other types of foods. For instance, serve chopped up veggies in a lasagna, casseroles, eggs or pizza. Make a pineapple pizza or place chunks of fruit in yogurt or pudding. Offer raw vegetables with a favorite salad dressing for dipping. Your child may not like the taste of plain fruits or veggies, but he can enjoy them when the taste is disguised.

Holly Nash, DVM, reports that an estimated one in 400 elderly cats is diabetic. Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, states in most cases the disease is the result of obesity and improper diet. Regular blood glucose monitoring, medication and a special diet all treat feline diabetes. Should the diabetic cat develop an infection, a veterinarian must take the cat's diabetes into consideration before prescribing treatment.

1. Identification

   • Dr. Nash explains that pancreatic beta cells produce insulin, the hormone that aids cell glucose absorption. Should the pancreas fail to adequately release insulin, glucose remains in the blood, raising its level and resulting in a diabetic cat.

   Effects

   • Diabetic cats often suffer from uncomfortable urinary tract infections. cat image by Ivan Zhelev from Fotolia.com

     One of the common complications the diabetic cat suffers from is recurring urinary tract infections. These infections are not only painful for the cat, but are also a sign that the feline's diabetes is not under control.

   Prevention/Solution

   • Pfizer Animal Health, the manufacturer of Amoxi-Drops, lists treatment of cystitis, a urinary tract infection caused by increased bacterium "Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., E. coli, Proteus mirabilis and Corynebacterium spp" as an approved usage for the medication.

   Function

   • Playfulness is a sign your cat is feeling better. cat image by petar Ishmeriev from Fotolia.com

     Amoxi-Drops are classified as an aminopenicillin, which converts to liquid form by adding water to amoxicillin powder. This makes administering the medication easier for cat owners. Once the cat ingests the Amoxi-Drops, the cat's tissues absorb the medication.

   Considerations

   • While Doctors Foster and Smith indicate that ampicillin (an injectable form of penicillin in the same classification as Amoxi-Drops) may interfere with accurate urine glucose results, there is no indication that amoxicillin, the primary ingredient in Amoxi-Drops, causes the same problem.

   Warning

   • It is critical to discuss any antibiotic prescriptions for a diabetic cat with a veterinarian. The veterinarian can best determine if prescribed antibiotics will interfere with the cat's diabetes and related treatment program.

Canine myositis is an autoimmune disease that causes painful swelling in affected muscles. Dogs that receive treatment for canine myositis early on in the disease usually have a quick and complete recovery, according to Michigan Veterinary Specialists. However, the medications traditionally used to treat myositis are very powerful and may make your dog susceptible to other illnesses, even if taken for a short amount of time. By taking a holistic approach, you can help your dog complete the necessary conventional treatment, combat side effects and remain otherwise healthy.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Prescribed medications
• Nutritious dog food
• Supplements (optional)
• Soft chew toys (as applicable)
• Soft dog foods (as applicable)

1. • 1

     Your veterinarian may recommend you treat your dog with oral steroids for four to six months with a gradually tapered dose. These will suppress your dog's immune system and are usually corticosteroids such as prednisone. High-dose steroids will keep your dog's immune system from attacking itself temporarily and allow your dog's body to heal.

   • 2

     Other immunosuppressant medications such as azathioprine may be used in combination with the steroid treatment. The goal of this high-powered combination of medications is to get your dog back to normal in the short-term, according to Davies Veterinary Specialists.

   • 3

     Bolster your dog's immune system with a nutritionally balanced diet so it does not become open to urinary, respiratory or other infections while undergoing the steroid and immunosuppressant therapies. Consider feeding your dog a home-prepared diet of natural, whole foods. Donna Krueger, DVM and contributor to dogchannel.com, recognizes that a whole-food diet can be beneficial to dogs, provided that it is nutritious and balanced.

   • 4

     Consult with your veterinarian about adding supplements to your dog's diet to further boost its immune system and help counteract the negative effects of steroid treatment. Examples include Transfer Factor, a product containing antibodies and enzymes to strengthen the immune systems, Ferrofood, a good source of iron to help your dog's body create new red blood cells, and Canine Hepatic Support, to help with liver function.

   • 5

     Encourage your dog to chew on soft toys as a form of physical therapy if its masticatory muscles are affected, recommends Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, and Educational Director for veterinarypartner.com.

   • 6

     Adjust care to your dog's abilities. For example, if your dog's jaw becomes severely affected by myositis, feed it soft foods and utilize a feeding tube, if necessary.

   • 7

     Keep your dog on low-dose steroids to treat chronic myositis, as recommended by your veterinarian.

Tips & Warnings

• Tell your veterinarian if your dog experiences side effects so that he may adjust the dosage of the medications, if necessary. Be aware that steroids and other immunosuppressant treatments may increase your dog's thirst, urination, appetite or cause it to suffer from stomach upset.

• Follow the recommendations of your veterinarian. Steroids and immunosuppressives are prescription-only.

• If you stop the steroid treatment too early, your dog may be at increased risk for relapse, according to veterinarypartner.com.

• Never force your dog's jaw open if it has masticatory myositis, warns veterinarypartner.com.

• Some dogs may need life-long treatment and the medications may not work in all cases.

Groups interested in seeking alternatives to animal testing refer to their approach as the three Rs. The three Rs are refinement, reduction and replacement. Replacement means an alternative to doing any animal testing at all or replacing a test currently done on animals with one that does not require animal testing. Reduction refers to methods that reduce the number of animal tests that are required. Refinement means altering testing methods so that they cause less distress and suffering in animal testing subjects.

1. Population Studies

   • Epidemiological studies are also known as population studies. These types of studies involve looking at the total environment and checking a number of factors such as diet, age, occupation and other factors to try to refine the questions that scientists need to answer. These questions do not always eliminate animal testing but by refining the information needed they can considerably reduce the amount of testing required.

   In Vitro

   • In vitro testing, also known as cell and tissue culture, tests the effects of diseases, medicines, toxins or other substances on actual human tissue in a laboratory environment. These cells are either harvested from humans or grown in a laboratory. Frequently, as in the case of skin or blood cells, they can be taken from living people without doing them any real damage. With in vitro testing, scientists can choose which types of cells and from which part of the body they are interested in testing.

   Computer Models

   • Computers, with advanced animation and high resolution, can simulate many biological processes. Computers can be used to simulate the effect of diseases, chemicals and medicines on human or animal biological systems without the need for actual animal testing. In some ways these simulations may be more accurate as they can show side effects that scientists weren't directly looking for. As scientists learn more about the human genome this type of modeling should become even more accurate.

   Others

   • Some organizations such as Global Action Network suggest testing on human populations such as volunteers and patients. While there have been some calls to start using living patients earlier in the testing process in the case of terminal diseases, for the most part these suggestions will meet with considerable obstacles because of laws against medical testing on humans.

Chia seeds derive from the plant Salvia hispanica that originated in Mexico and South America. The word "chia" comes from the Aztec word "chian" which means oily. These seeds are full of beneficial fats and oils. The seeds are becoming a popular dietary "super food" in the United States. Eating chia seeds can be beneficial to your health as well as help with weight loss.

1. Significance

   • With the growing popularity of organic foods and natural health remedies, chia seeds are being recognized as a super food. With Dr. Mehmet Oz touting the benefits of chia seeds on "Oprah" and Dr. Andrew Weil discussing their benefits in "Prevention Magazine," their popularity is growing daily (see link in Resources).

   History

   • Chia seeds were grown in Mexico and South America in Pre-Columbian times. The seeds were a staple of the Aztec diet and were also given as tribute to the rulers and priesthood.

   Geography

   • Chia seeds are currently grown and harvested commercially in Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Guatemala and Australia. They are consumed primarily in Mexico, South America and the Southwestern United States.

   Benefits

   • Chia seeds are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber and oil. Chia seeds are also high in anti-oxidants and have been found to be beneficial to diabetics due to their ability to inhibit the speed of carbohydrates being turned into sugars. The seeds are also being used as a diet aid because they help a person feel fuller and, therefore, curb hunger.

   Preparations

   • Chia seeds can be eaten raw in salads or cereals. They can also be added to breads or muffins and cooked. Ground chia seeds can be added to foods as well. Chia seeds, whether added to drinks or eaten as puddings or gruels, are popular in Mexico.

   Fun Fact

   • Chia seeds are the same seeds that are used on the ever-popular Chia Pets. Chia Pets appeared in the United States in the 1980s and remained a fairly popular item over the next few decades.

Resources

• The Magic of Chia Seeds
• What are Chia Seeds?
• Chis Seeds in Prevention Magazine
• Dr. Oz on the New Superfood

• Photo Credit sxc.hu/Cyanocorax/Gabriela Ruellan