GENERAL MANAGEMENT

There are a few simple things you can do about your house and in your lives to help support your ageing pet. You may know, or think of, many others depending on your individual pets’ needs, but here are a few from me:

> Non-Slip Runner Rugs – I mentioned these in my arthritis article but they can be so useful, not just for pain, but for weakness in the hind limbs. Standing up can be a bit of a struggle for the oldies so help them out a little.

> Multiple Shorter Walks – These aren’t just helpful for arthritic dogs, but also those with heart or lung disease, or who just get tired quicker and easier than younger dogs. You may want to slow your walking pace too, so they get all the benefits of sniffing and stimulation for a similar time, but a shorter distance so they can manage better.

> A Good Harness – Even if your dog never wore a harness before, they can be very useful in their older years. Depending on the harness, they offer varying levels of support all along the body in case you need to help your dog stand up, climb up a steep slope or out of a pond or stream, for example. They also spread the pressure across the body if they pull on the lead at all, minimising pressure on the throat and neck. This helps in spondylosis or other neck and back problems, as well as ensuring normal breathing without stress or crushing of the windpipe.

> Mental Stimulation – The older a dog gets, often the shorter a walk they can cope with. This means they end up sitting around all day resting and sleeping. Although this is fine, it can lead to a quicker decline in brain function due to a lack of mental stimulation. Playing little games with them, based on scents or treats can be a great way to stimulate the mind without tiring them out – think of it like a dog crossword or sudoku, where they have to work it out.

> Care on Warm Days – Obviously care is required with all dogs on warm days, to ensure enough water is available & walks are taken early or late when its cooler. Older dogs need extra thought as sometimes, especially with heart disease, even lying in a slightly warm room is too much. They may need fans or cool mats or similar to help them cope.

> Comfy Padded Beds – As pets age they like to sleep more, and so pressure sores can develop, particularly over bony areas like the elbows. This can be helped by making sure pets have thickly padded beds or places to rest in various locations over the house. If they like the floor, it may be that they prefer the cool, so try to position a bed near a draft or in a cooler area of the house.

> Careful Handling – Like older people, older pets need a more gentle approach to being handled. They may struggle to stand on 3 legs whilst you clean or dry one paw at a time, especially if you try to extend or flex the limb too much. Sometimes stroking them over painful joints, their spine or tense muscles is uncomfortable. It’s important to emphasise this to children in particular, as a kind beloved pet could snap if they were suddenly in pain.

> Regular Checks – Ageing pets are more prone to developing issues, so regular checks by yourself and your vet will help pick up any problems promptly. You can feel for lumps and bumps, painful areas, tension in muscles and changes in body condition. Your vet can check for these issues, as well as monitoring their heart, lungs, eyes and abdomen. In entire bitches and dogs, the mammary glands and testicles are important spots to keep an eye on.

DIET

As some pets age, their digestion becomes slightly less effective than it was in their youth. They can also become a bit more fussy, sometimes due to underlying age-related disease. This means you may need to adjust their diet or feeding regime slightly.
The liver and kidneys commonly develop an age-related functional decline, either causing symptoms or not. If you have no symptoms, the following changes will not harm your pet so might be worthwhile regardless. Feed smaller meals more frequently, so 2-3 times daily (or even 4 if diagnosed with dysfunction), rather than 1-2 times. This gives the liver and kidneys less to deal with at once if they are struggling, and can be easier on the digestion too.
For the diet itself, it is important to feed high quality protein and not reduce the protein levels too much as this can exacerbate muscle wastage. Meat and fish (not derivatives or vegetable proteins) are best. Tripe is a great regular addition if you feed raw, as it is easily digestible and can help the digestion too. Carb levels should be kept low as carbs feed inflammation, which tends to be higher in oldies.
Joint supplements and omega 3 oils are important for arthritis, but should always be added as extras at feeding time, as heat processing or freezing makes them less effective.

PAIN RELIEF

If your pet gets old, then they will inevitably suffer from some level of arthritic pain. For a detailed overview of arthritis, see my previous 2 posts about arthritis.

HERBAL SUPPORT OF AGEING

This is one of my favourite ways of using herbal medicine – helping geriatric patients. There is so much you can do to support older patients, and in so many different ways. The function of all organs declines with age, whether noticeably or not. Herbal medicine can offer support to encourage normal function of the liver, kidneys, heart & circulation, lungs, brain & nervous system and immune system, as well as giving patients a general boost in vitality. All of this contributes to just generally feeling better in themselves, as well as helping to relieve the symptoms of any diseases they may be suffering.
You can buy lots of different herb mixes online, but usually you have to choose a specific aspect of your pet to treat or support. This is where seeing a veterinary herbalist is really beneficial – they can make up a bespoke herbal mixture exactly suited to your individual pet and their needs.
To find a veterinary herbalist near you see: http://www.herbalvets.org.uk/uk-members/

 Keep your golden oldies happy & comfortable

Stay Healthy. Stay Happy.

Vx