Geriatric Dogs & Cats, Supplements & Therapies

Hallelujah there’s help for aging pets. Help for their brains and their bodies.  The more of the following you use for your geriatric dog and cat, they better they will feel and think.

 The following actually reduce the rate at which cells die. They increase cells’ ability to make energy in the mitochondria. Some act on neurotransmitters (acetylcholine) to keep them around longer by preventing their degredation. Several of these supplements and activities act as antioxidants. Melatonin, in addition to being a potent antioxidant regulates circadian rhythm.

·          Acupuncture

·          Antioxidants

·          Donepezil (Aricept)

·          Exercise program

·          Ginkgo

·          Lecithin

·          Massage therapy

·          Melatonin

·          Neutricks

·          Omega 3 fatty acids

·          SAMe

·          Swimming and floating

We call these supplements and therapies disease modifying agents because they actually improve the body, rather than just treat the problem.  Your pet will experience the most profound benefit during its senior years, the greatest chance of delayed or prevented senility, if it receives a multimodal approach of disease modifying agents.

 Holistic veterinarians are good resources when you’re looking for help with your senior cat or dog. Ask them for recommendations for specific products. For example, I recommend ProtectACell, Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet and Missing Link to provide antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids.

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Arthritis & Aging Pets, Helping Geriatric Dogs & Cats

It’s easy to take care of aging pets because we have so many new supplements and treatments to keep pets healthy mentally and physically.

If you have a geriatric dog or cat, start by checking if the pet has any symptoms of arthritis. The questions to ask are does your pet:

·          hesitate before climbing stairs

·          walk more slowly than you when on the leash

·          need help to climb onto the sofa or bed

·          hesitate or circle several times before lying down

·          make a soft thudding sound when lying down because it actually falls over rather than flexes its joints and lowers itself to the ground

·          wobble when it squats to urinate or defecate

·          urinate or defecate without bending its knees

·          have constipation (hard stools) because it hurts its back & knees to pass stool

The odds are your geriatric dog and cat have arthritis. Remember, cats and dogs evolved to hide signs of illness, which is the opposite of what humans do, so we need to train ourselves to look closely at their behaviour. Don’t wait to treat your pet until its arthritis is so severe it cannot hide the symptoms any more. With our geriatrics, often the arthritis is so severe they cannot hide all the signs.

 The multimodal approach we discussed in a previous blog listed nearly a dozen different ways to help pets with arthritis. Some of them will be ideal for your geriatric dog and cat.

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Treating Arthritis in Dogs & Cats, So Many Ways to Help

The most effective approach to arthritis uses multiple drugs and therapies rather than a single drug. This multi-modal approach allows us to use the lowest dose of each drug or supplement and achieve the best results.

For dogs & cats I recommend the following:

·          Injectable glucosamines

·          Fish oil or flax to provide Omega 3 fatty acids

·          SAMe

·          B Vitamin

·          Acupuncture

·          Laser therapy

·          Weight loss

·          Warm-water swimming

The specific products from the categories listed above that dogs & cats receive the greatest benefit from are:

·          Adequan or Cartrophen

·          Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet

·          Missing Link Vet Plus

·          Zentonil

·          Niacinamide

 

When necessary, we add an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) to the above:

·          Deramaxx

·          Rimadyl

·          EtoGesic

·          Meloxicam (Metacam)

For dogs, but not for cats, we can also use Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is especially helpful when the dog cannot be given an NSAID because it has kidney or liver disease.

With our stiff, arthritic seniors, we have the greatest potential for improvement when we use this multi-modal approach. We put them on good diets, swim them in our warm salt-water pool once or twice a week, see them regularly for acupuncture, and watch them enjoy their lives rather than live with discomfort.

The multi-modal approach for arthritis is one example of how holistic veterinary medicine looks at the whole picture and treats the whole pet, rather than just the symptom of arthritis.

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