Five Tails Animal Wellness

Dogs and cats make wonderful companions, they share our lives on a day to day basis as play buddies, show companions or a working partner through good times and bad. However, their lifespans are much shorter than ours and hence they start aging much sooner than we would like them to. A cat can live up to 15 or 20 years of age, a dog depending on size may live anywhere from 8-18 years (the smaller the dog, the longer the life).

The Geriatric Canine

Dogs are considered geriatric anywhere from 10 years old on depending on size. The smaller dogs stay young longer compared to the larger breed ones. Osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease DJD) is one of the main conditions geriatric dogs may suffer from. Defined as a progressive disorder of the joints caused by gradual loss of cartilage, it causes pain and inflammation most commonly in the hips but may affect other joints as well. Pain should never be a reason for euthanasia since there are a multitude of treatments available to help control pain in animals.

Monitoring – Early signs of osteoarthritis include stiffness or trouble while rising or laying down, difficulty maneuvering stairs, limping on front or back legs, licking of joints, unwillingness to jump (in and out of car or on bed), but may also be as little as not wanting to eat a meal, yelping when being picked up or played rough with.

Prevention- Glucosamine/chondroitin supplements (Not all products are created equally! Read the labels carefully and use human grade products or veterinary sold products only!). Glucosamine is a product derived from shells of crustaceans and provides the necessary building blocks to synthesize new cartilage. Chondroitin is derived from cartilage (bovine usually, but may also come from shark or whales) and decreases enzyme activity that otherwise would lead to the break down of joint cartilage.  Fish oil, rich in Omega-3 (transformed in the body to EPA), is proven to help reduce damage to cartilage (joint lining) by decreasing destructive enzyme activity in arthritic patients’ joints. EPA is considered a key nutrient for healthy joint cartilage.  Regular exercise to keep muscles strong and your friend in slim shape will decrease the stress on his or her joints.

Conventional medical treatment- Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) such as Rimadyl (carprofen) or Metacam (meloxicam) – These medications are very good for immediate pain relief. However, due to potentially deleterious side-effects a blood test is recommended every 6 months to evaluate the functionality of internal organs.

Alternative treatment – Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine with acupuncture, herbal medication and food therapy, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, and Massage are ideal for long term treatment since none of these therapies have side effects more damaging than possibly a few days of diarrhea. The downside is that these modalities do not always have immediate effects, it may take up to 5 treatments with acupuncture to show the full effect and herbal medication may take up to 10-14 days to start taking effect. However, the beauty is in using the best of both worlds (conventional and alternative treatments) to get ideal results.

The Geriatric Feline

Cats are considered geriatric once they have reached their 12-15th year of age. Renal failure/Kidney disease is one of the main conditions that cats may become afflicted with. Chronic renal failure is defined as a progressive, fatal condition in which the kidney function progressively decreases and is no longer able to filter the blood and excrete waste products. Chronic renal failure is one of the primary causes of death in our feline friends.

Monitoring – One of the early signs of renal failure is increased drinking (water consumption) and/or increased urination. Cats that show such symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian for a blood and urine analysis to assess the kidney function. Vomiting food or bile may also be part of the initial stages of renal failure since increased kidney values cause the animal to feel nauseous. Cats that have unkempt fur are often suffering from an underlying condition since a healthy cat would spend a great portion of its day cleaning itself.

Prevention – One of the easiest and most effective measures to aid in preventing renal failure is adding increased moisture to the diet by feeding canned food, raw food or home cooked meals. The cat is a desert species and hence equipped to receive most or even all the moisture from the diet (prey such as rodents and birds). Cats eating an all-dry-food diet take in only half the moisture compared to cats on a canned, raw or home cooked diet. This lack of moisture causes chronic dehydration that is taxing on the kidneys over time. Furthermore, dry diets also predispose our feline friends to lower urinary tract diseases such as bladder infections, crystals or bladder stones, because they force such a high degree of urine concentration.

Conventional treatment – Subcutaneous fluid administration that can be done at home daily or every other day will aid in keeping the animal hydrated and ease the stress on the kidneys. Depending on blood values your veterinarian will prescribe different drugs to help the cat’s condition (phosphate binders, calcium additives, anemia reducing drugs to name a few). Conventional treatments have potential side effects and once your animal is started on medication it is recommended to have regular veterinary check ups.

Alternative treatment – Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine with acupuncture and herbal medications, homeopathy.  Alternative treatments have the benefits of being non-invasive and having little to no side-effects, however cats can be challenging to feed herbal medications to. Butter is an easy way to hide them, alternatively the herbal medication can be dissolved in some warm water and mixed with tuna sauce, almond drink or yoghurt.

Generally it is a good idea to take your animal companion to your veterinarian at least once a year for a full physical exam and have blood work done whenever your animal friend is not feeling well or every other year for preventative maintenance. Animals are much better at hiding what is going on with their health than our human companions, animals will never come up to you and complain about aching joints or having to drink and urinate more. It is up to us, the caretakers, to monitor closely for any changes that may happen during their aging process and have them addressed by a veterinarian. We can help keep them young and healthy by feeding them the most appropriate diet for their needs and giving them regular exercise and play. Enjoy your cat and/or dog and love them every day and they will love you back!

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