What Is Masticatory Muscle Myositis? Ayurvedic Treatment, Causes

Abstract

When it comes to the overall wellbeing of the dog, there are several factors that really need to be considered . Those factors include nutrition, weight and other body conditions. Muscle health is one of the most important components to look into when there is talk about the health of the dog. If the health of the dog is good then the whole body of the dog will be fine. As muscles play an important role in maintaining multiple body functions, all of the activities like running, walking, jumping, etc., to make them fit for the performances such as guard, retriever, hunt, herd and other specialized jobs such as police dogs or service dogs. Besides this, healthy muscles prevent dogs from various injuries and illness. So it is necessary to take care of the dog’s muscular system. There are a lot of conditions that affect dogs muscles and from all those conditions we are going to discuss one condition in this article that is Masticatory Muscle Myositis. Let’s study about this disease in detail in this article along with its Ayurvedic management.

Introduction

Masticatory Muscle Myositis is a condition in dogs which occurs as a result when dogs’ own immune system affects their Masticatory Muscles. So basically this is an auto-immune condition in dogs in which their immune system attacks the muscle tissues of masticatory muscles by identifying them as foreign particles. These muscles play an important role in chewing, so if these muscles get affected the first symptoms faced by a dog is difficulty while chewing. Some of the dogs may be predisposed to this condition genetically and when suspected triggers come into the context then they feel the symptoms. This is a brief introduction about Masticatory Muscle Myositis, let’s discuss this disease further in detail.

Some Facts About Masticatory Muscle Myositis

Following are some facts about Masticatory Muscle Myositis that we must know before studying about this in details:

• Masticatory Muscle Myositis is an autoimmune condition in dogs.
• Mostly large breeds of dogs are affected.
• Mainly this condition affects the function of chewing.
• This is one of the most common inflammatory types of Myositis in dogs.

Causes Of Masticatory Muscle Myositis

As we read earlier this condition is autoimmune so there is no specific cause of this condition. Beside this there are many triggers that can trigger the predisposed MMM in dogs. These triggers are mentioned as follows:

• Viral or Bacterial infections
• Several vaccinations
• Stress
• Exposure to allergens
• Exposure to environmental toxins
• Reactions to medications

The above mentioned are some of the triggers of MMR but unfortunately most of the times the triggers of this condition remain unknown.

Symptoms Of Masticatory Muscle Myositis

The symptoms vary in all the affected dogs depending upon the muscles affected. Following are some of the common symptoms noticed in the dogs affected by Masticatory Muscle Myositis and if you notice any if these must take your dog to the veterinary doctor for their checkup:

• Progressive muscle loss
• Difficulty moving jaw
• Difficulty drinking
• Swelling of muscles (on the top of head)
• Sunken eyes
• Protruding eyes
• Difficulty eating
• Difficulty picking up food
• Unable to open mouth
• Weakness
• Stiffness
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Regurgitation of water and food

Diagnosis Of Masticatory Muscle Myositis

If you notice the above mentioned symptoms in your dog, you must take your dog to the veterinary doctor to make sure whether your dog is suffering from what condition. After noticing the above symptoms the doctor will offer you a certain blood test of your dog to confirm if your dog is suffering from MMM or not. These tests are done for measuring antibodies if circulating in the body or not. These tests must be done before giving any treatment because if you give your dog some medications that may provide the negative or false results in the blood reports. If in case the circulatory antibodies are not found then another test is to be followed that is muscle biopsy. The biopsy is done to notice the level of inflammation as well as the severity of fibrosis after deterioration of the muscle tissue.

Ayurvedic View Of Masticatory Muscle Myositis

Ayurveda is an ancient science that has been working for more than 3000 years. This science not only deals with the health issues of human beings  but also deals very effectively with the diseases of animals. Dogs have almost the same physiology as that of man so it deals with dogs the same as that of a man. For this specified branch of Ayurveda is developed that is Pashu Chikitsa. As dogs are our good companions who help in maintaining our physical as well as mental health so it is must to take care of them also. So for that Ayurveda brings the concept of Pashu Chikitsa.

Masticatory Muscle Myositis as we all read earlier is an auto-immune condition and according to Ayurveda autoimmune conditions comes under the concept of Ama Dosha. First of all ama accumulation occurs in the body which gets invaded into the muscle cells of the dogs. Then is cause vitiation of Mamsa Dhatu and further leads to various symptoms such as  Progressive muscle loss, Difficulty moving jaw, Difficulty drinking, Swelling of muscles (on the top of head), Sunken eyes, Protruding eyes, Difficulty eating, etc. So in Ayurveda we can deal with this condition by eliminating ama accumulation from the muscles and providing strength to the muscles as well as bones associated with Masticatory Muscles. Planet Ayurveda provides you with various remedies that help in managing this condition as we mentioned. So let’s have a look at those remedies, their ingredients and how these remedies help in managing MMM in dogs.

Herbal Remedies For Masticatory Muscle Myositis By Planet Ayurveda

1. Yograj Guggul
2. Joint Aid Plus
3. Boswellia Curcumin
4. Brahmi Capsules
5. Coral Calcium Complex

Product Description

1. Yograj Guggul

Yograj guggul is one of the commonly used classical Ayurvedic formulations in the field of Ayurvedic science. This remedy is available in tablet form and prepared by Planet ayurveda under the strict guidance of M.D. Ayurveda practitioners. These tablets become one of the best remedies for Vataj disorders because of its ingredients such as Guggul (Commiphora mukul), Mustak (Cyperus rotundus), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Bhibhitaki (Terminalia billerica), Vidang (Embellia ribes) and various others. This herbal remedy helps in managing symptoms such as swelling in muscles, stiffness of jaw, difficulty to open mouth, etc.

Dosage: 3 tablets twice daily with meals.

2. Joint Aid Plus

Joint Aid Plus as the name suggests is the formulation that aids in maintaining joint health. These capsules are formulated by Planet Ayurveda with the help of standardized extract of various herbs such as Shallaki (Boswellia serrata), Guggul (Commiphora mukul), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and various others. This remedy is especially added to the management of MMM to provide strength to the bones and reduce pain in the masticatory muscles too. So Joint Aid Plus remedy helps in reducing symptoms such as difficulty moving jaw, swelling of muscles, etc. Also the herbs present in this remedy have antioxidant properties that help in eliminating ama dosha from the body that is the main reason for this condition.

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with meals.

3. Boswellia Curcumin

Boswellia Curcumin is one of the capsule formulations of Planet Ayurveda. These capsules consist of standardized extracts of two herbs that are Shallaki (Boswellia Serrata) and Curcumin (Curcuma longa). Both the herbs have miraculous analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. So this remedy helps in reducing inflammation as well as pain in Masticatory muscles. By reducing both these symptoms it helps in easy swallowing and makes it easy for a dog to hold objects with its mouth.

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with meals.

4. Brahmi Capsules

Brahmi Capsules by Planet Ayurveda is a miraculous remedy for maintaining health of the Nervous System. These capsules consist of standardized extract of herb Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) only. This herb has miraculous Vata pacifying, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. By eliminating free radicals in the body it helps in reducing symptoms of MMS. Beside this stress is one of the triggers of this condition. So Brahmi Capsules prevent this condition from worsening by reducing stress.

Dosage:2 capsules twice daily with meals.

4. Coral Calcium Complex

Coral Calcium Complex is a remedy especially formulated by Planet Ayurveda for maintaining calcium levels in the body. This formulation is prepared with the help of standardised extract of  Praval Pishti (Coral), Akik Pishti (Agate), Mukta Pishti (Pearl) and some others. This remedy helps in maintaining the health of the bones associated with Masticatory Muscles. Also the remedy aids in making it easy to chew, to hold objects and to swallow by the easy movement of the jaw.

Dosage: 2 capsules twice daily with meals.

Conclusion

Masticatory Muscle Myositis is a condition in dogs which occurs as a result when dogs’ own immune system affects their Masticatory Muscles. This condition is autoimmune so there is no specific cause of this condition. Beside this the condition is triggered by many things which includes Viral or Bacterial infections, Several vaccinations, Stress, Exposure to allergens, etc. Symptoms faced by a dog in this condition includes, Progressive muscle loss, Difficulty moving jaw, Difficulty drinking, Swelling of muscles (on the top of head), Sunken eyes, etc. According to Ayurveda autoimmune conditions come under the concept of Ama Dosha. So in Ayurveda we can deal with this condition by eliminating ama accumulation from the muscles and providing strength to the muscles as well as bones associated with Masticatory Muscles. For this purpose Planet Ayurveda provides you with various herbal remedies that are totally safe and effective for your dog. So help your dog in improving their quality of life along with these safe medications.