Vera Jordan Magazine

VeterinarY Corner
DR. BARBara ROYAL, D.V.M., C.V.A.
(continued from page 27)
GERIATRIC PET
SUPPLEMENTS
Geriatric pets need a carnivore diet
with extra protein; at least 40 percent
of its diet should be protein in order to
maintain and strengthen muscle mass.
You May Consider Adding:
+ Coconut oil to the food to moisturize
the skin and GI tract. Offer of green tripe
several times a week.
+ Warm water to the food to increase
the smell for aging noses. Herbs like
turmeric, boswelia, gingko, ginseng,
arnica and other supplements can help
with inflammation, arthritis, or cognitive
function.
+ Egg shell membrane (the inner lining
of an egg shell) contains:
COLLAGEN—Supports cartilage,
connective tissue and promotes
elasticity.
Elastin—helps with tissue elasticity
and helps tissue to regain normal shape
after stretching.
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)—
glucosamine, chondroitin, and
hyaluronic acid which are vital
polysaccharides that are components of
joints, joint fluid, and connective tissue
Transforming grOWTH factorb—a
protein that promotes tissue
rejuvenation
Vitamin B complex—helps support
healthy GI tract, nervous system, and blood.
EGG
TIP
FOR DOGS: Add egg shell/
membrane to dog food.
For cats: scrape the egg out
of the shell. They won’t eat egg
if it’s still attached to the shell.
for those with some arthritis. Again, be
careful, but don’t get stuck in a rut. Pets
can benefit from challenging terrain, and
even unusual patterns – try more figure-8
walking, or weaving in and around poles
or trees. If you walk only on flat surfaces,
it may soon be the only surface your pet
can navigate.
NUTRITION
You are What You Eat
Protein helps build muscle. Older dogs
and cats require excellent quality, highly
digestible meat sources in their food.
In fact, rather than less protein in their
diet, they need an increased amount of
protein to maintain proper muscle mass
and keep their vigor. This means you
should read ingredients and try to provide
recognizable, real meat sources in the
food. This means foods with at least 30
percent (preferably over 40 percent) meat
protein, and no corn, wheat or soy.
The closer the daily diet resembles what
the species would historically encounter
in nature (in content, structure and
moisture), the more likely the animal will
remain healthy.
While it may seem that changing foods
in an older pet could be troublesome, it
is often quite the opposite. I have used a
10-day changeover plan to improve the
diets of hundreds of geriatric animals
without upset. In fact, their owners often
only describe vast improvements in their
pets’ health with these diet changes.
Don’t forget that this goes for treats
as well. Don’t reward your pet with food
that will make them unhealthy. Give them
super fun, healthy meat treats, freeze dried
meats or great quality meat-based treats
with no corn, wheat, sugars, or soy.
MASSAGE
A Good Rub Down is
ALWAYS a Good Idea
Squeeze the feet, massage the rear
legs and massage little circles up and
down either side of the spine. Keep the
body circulating and keep the brain and
nerves actively sensing where the feet
are. This can rekindles the connection
from foot to brain, improve mobility
and encourage proper foot placement.
It can be therapeutic to give your pet a
massage with a pet massage therapist. The
massage therapist will not only improve
circulation, lymphatic drainage and nerve
conduction, but they can also teach you
some techniques to help your pet at home.
Ask your vet about massage therapy for
your pet.
What Goes In, Must
Come out
Fecal Incontinence is Frustrating
After giving your dog a walk, he comes
in the house and poops on the carpet.
Sound familiar? Geriatric pet incontinence
is the bane of pet owners’ existence. There
are many causes, and fortunately, many
solutions. The first action is to rule out
some physical/medical problem. If there
is no medical solution, there are still
other options.
The Four F’s of Fecal Incontinence
Here are four “F’s” that can help you
recover your pet’s dignity:
1) Food
2) Frequency
3) Focus
4) Floor
Food - You will see a decrease in the
amount of feces if you can decrease the
amount of filler (prevalent in kibble) in
your dog’s food. This is where canned and
raw food shine.
Frequency - Animals that are fed more
than once a day will have more trouble
with incontinence. When they digest their
food all at once, an animal will more likely
know about it in advance. This is because
the amount in the colon can send a good
signal and they are more likely to know
they have to go, and take action outside.
Focus - There are constant distractions
from the outside world when an animal
goes on a walk. The signal to defecate may
not be strong enough to override all the
fun stimuli to the brain during a walk.
“The Double Walk” can get
the dog to focus on the job at hand. After
the first walk, come in for a
few seconds. Then head back out
the door. The second walk will be
less distracting. The walking will
have stimulated the colon, and the
dog may now be more aware of
what needs to be done and have
more success.
Floor - This technique is based on
the veterinary principle that you can
cause a dog to defecate by taking
their temperature rectally. This
stimulates the pelvic floor.
Just before your last bedtime
walk, use a thermometer, or a
gloved finger or a Q-tip with some
lubrication. Put it in the anal
opening and press a few times gently
on the pelvic floor. Sometimes it just
takes a mild stimulation around the
anal opening to make a dog poop.
Be ready to go right outside. If
you’re not squeamish, this is an
effective method to prepare you and
your dog for a good night’s sleep,
without surprises waiting for you in
the morning.
Urinary Incontinence
There are many medical reasons
for urinary incontinence. Once those
are ruled out, feeding a diet with
appropriate moisture content (not
a dry food) can help avoid overdrinking.
There’s a huge advantage
to balancing out water intake with
moist foods. Unlike dry food,
canned, home-cooked or raw foods
don’t require a gallon water chaser.
Bladders don’t bulge, and urinary
accidents decrease.
We can’t make our pets live
forever, or extend their lifespan
to match ours. However, there are
many simple, common sense actions
we can take to mitigate the effects of
old age. It is comforting to know that
you and your pets can enjoy their
golden years.
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