April 2021

Just like humans, dogs too are prone to ear infections but as pet parents, one might often wonder whether they can use the same ear drops as theirs for their pet? Remember that dogs might respond to the drugs or chemicals differently and the medications might not work as well as it does with humans.  Avoid making this mistake and first focus on the situation and know whether it is an ear infection or just the regular scratching.

Signs that it is an ear infection

Everyone wants to avoid regular visits with the vet so it is better to be sure whether or not the dog needs to visit the vet. The symptoms that an individual should look forward to ensure whether it’s an ear infection are:

●        Constant scratching

●        Bad odor

●        Swelling or redness

●        a discharge or liquid might ooze out of the affected area

●        loss of balance / the dog might not walk straight

●        crustiness or scrubbing in the ear

●        loss of hair in the affected part

The dog might also seem depressed and subdued and might as well ignore the calls.

How to clean the ears

One can only achieve healthy canine ears with regular examining and cleaning of the pet’s ears. A canine does not have a straight ear canal which means it would be tricky to clean those ears. Start by holding a cotton swab between the index finger and thumb. Lift the dog’s ears and push the cotton downward and gradually scoop it upwards. Do this until all the wax is cleaned up.

Ear spray at home

After cleaning the debris from the ears, one needs to ensure that the ear infection is avoided. Well, the best way to do that is by using coconut oil for dogs ears.

Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for both humans and dogs. For the dogs, it acts as a flea and tick repellent and is a very safe alternative to the chemicals used for tick removal. Coconut oil is anti-inflammatory which means it will speed up the cellular repair process. It is also antibacterial and antifungal which helps in preventing any infection. The question is how to use coconut oil for dog ears?

An individual should not make the mistake of dripping the oil directly into the dog’s ears as it might end up collecting in the ear canal causing more wax to form.  It is better to use a light spray mist in this situation.

To make the mist one might need to add these ingredients in a 14 ounces amber spray bottle and use it twice or thrice a week in their dog’s ears.

●        15 drops of Lavender oil

●        15 drops of Basil oil

●        15 drops of Geranium oil

●        15 drops of Frankincense oil

●        Fill the rest of the bottle with cold pressed coconut oil.

Conclusion

This spray mist has turned out to be a game-changer for many pet owners so try using it on a regular basis to avoid ear infection of your fur baby in the future.

 

Mesothelioma prognosis refers to the likely outcome of a disease and the survival likelihood. Mesothelioma cancer has a poor prognosis, and most patients don’t live past a year. As for malignant mesothelioma, the life expectancy rate is between 18 and 31 months, making it quite fatal. Its long latency period causes a late diagnosis. The cell type, tumor location, and age are other factors that affect prognosis data.
Even though there is no mesothelioma cure, prognosis has significantly improved in recent years due to the advancements in clinical trials and diagnostic methods.

Prognosis by Mesothelioma Type

The different types of mesothelioma highly affect the prognosis of the disease.

Pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs and has the highest mortality rate. With some treatment, the patient lives up to 18 months. Surgery, coupled with chemo, helps lengthens a patient’s survival period.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen. The patients can survive up to 2 years. The high survival rate is due to advancements in medical treatments.

Prognosis for Rare Mesothelioma Types

Pericardial mesothelioma develops on the linings of the heart. Patients diagnosed with this disease do not live longer than 6 months, and most diagnosis happens after death.

Testicular Mesothelioma is the rarest type of cancer usually found on the linings of the testes. Prognosis data shows that a patient can live for 20-23 months, with some patients living longer.

What Other Factors Affect Prognosis?

There are several factors that physicians can use to provide patients with a prognosis. However, how a disease progresses depends on a case-by-case basis.

Stage

Patients diagnosed during the early stages of mesothelioma have a better prognosis and treatment options than those diagnosed late. Stage 1 mesothelioma patients can survive up to 21 months, stage 2 up to 19 months, stage 3 up to 16 months, and stage 4 up to 12 months.

Cell Type

The type of cells that constitute mesothelioma tumors also have an impact on prognosis. The epithelioid cells have the best prognosis as they spread slower and are most responsive to treatment. Sarcomatoid cells have the least prognosis due to the fast-spreading of the cells and not responding to treatment.

Biphasic tumors have both the sarcomatoid and the epithelioid cells. More epithelioid cells mean a higher survival rate for the patient.

Patient Characteristics

Gender, age, race, and a person’s health also feature in mesothelioma prognosis data. Studies have shown that patients up to 50 years old have a better prognosis than those above 75 yrs. Older patients may not bear up against the side effects of treatment.

Accessing Compensation for Mesothelioma Patients

U.S veterans and other mesothelioma patients are encouraged to follow up on the Veteran Affairs (VA) mesothelioma benefits, including:
• Healthcare benefits
• Aid and attendance
• Monthly payouts to support living expenses
• Disability compensation
• Pension

Family members may also qualify for VA benefits such as:

• Funeral honors
• Reimbursement of funeral and burial costs
• Health care for all dependents
• Pension for the survivors
• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Veterans or civilian mesothelioma patients may also get compensation from lawsuit settlements awards of up to $1million. A veteran or civilian can still file a VA claim after receiving the lawsuit or the asbestos fund’s compensation.

A Call to Patients

While some prognostic factors are unchangeable, patients must adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating a proper diet and exercising regularly. This will improve the patient’s quality of life and responsiveness to treatment. A mesothelioma diagnosis is not a ticket to death. With proper medical care, some patients have lived much longer than their life expectancy period.