|
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
>
Senior Pet Issue
|
September 2010
|
|
Dear (Contact First Name),
 Where did the summer go? Here we are approaching the fall season - I, for one, and looking forward to some cooler temperatures and enjoying some fall color.
Our theme this month is senior pet care. Older pets have special needs and there are many things we can do to keep them comfortable and enjoying life in their later years. Animals often mask symptoms until a condition is quite advanced. Preventative care and routine diagnostics are especially important in aging pets. We hope the information in this month's newsletter will prove useful - as always, please contact us with further questions or concerns.
Judy Jasek, DVM
|
|
|
| Contact Us |
| |
Dr. Judy Jasek
Dr. Angie Krause
200 W. Lehow Ave.
Englewood, Colorado 80110
303-794-2008
Email
Contact Form
Website
|
|
 |
Canine Massage... It's Gone to the Dogs!
BVAC Massage Therapist- Jenny Rukavina
 |
Massage therapy is an ancient modality and one that is widely accepted and familiar to humans. In North America people first began using massage to help animals in the horse world around 1975. Jack Meagher was a human massage therapist working on professional human athletes when he found himself working on United States Olympic Team horses.
Today horses aren't the only animals that benefit from massage therapy...it's gone to the dogs! Many of our canine companions can benefit from regular massage therapy. Dogs with arthritis or muscle atrophy, those recovering from orthopedic surgery, or that have chronic injuries, and even rescue dogs are all excellent candidates for massage therapy. Geriatric dogs, especially, seem to benefit greatly from massage therapy. Often these dogs are less active and are faced with many physical and emotional challenges as they age. Regular massage as part of an overall wellness plan can help your older dog maintain good quality of life throughout the senior years.
The many benefits of canine massage therapy include increasing circulation, which can promote flexible joints and help improve muscle health. The skin is the largest organ in the dog's body, and we often see improvements in skin and coat of dogs that receive regular massage work. Muscle tension, tightness and compensatory issues seen with chronic or acute injuries all can be addressed with massage therapy. We also see emotional benefits in many of our canine clients, especially rescues, foster dogs, or dogs that have lost a human or canine companion. Often times older dogs with muscle atrophy will experience an improvement in muscle tone and strength with massage therapy.
A good canine massage therapist will work with your dog's veterinarians, chiropractor and other professionals, making sure the best possible massage protocol for your individual dog can be developed.
Speak to your veterinarian to find out if therapeutic massage therapy is an appropriate healing modality for your older dog!
|
|
Nutrition for Geriatrics: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective
Food can be powerful medicine and can greatly benefit aging cats and dogs. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses food, including herbs, as treatment for many conditions. Below are some considerations for feeding your pet as they age.
1. Qi
Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that every living being is born with a set amount of Qi (energy). As we age, we use this Qi and eventually become Qi deficient. Signs of Qi deficiency in older animals include weakness, fatigue, loose stools, and excessive sleeping. The good news is, we can transform food into Qi to help supplement diminishing stores. The following foods help restore Qi in the body; eggs, beef, shitake mushroom, yams, oats and potatoes. Add these foods to your pets diet for an energy boost.
2. Temperature
As animals become Qi deficient, they have more trouble keeping themselves warm. Heating their food can be beneficial as it saves their body the energy of heating the food. Warm food may also be more digestible. Warming meals can be especially beneficial in the winter and cold weather.
3. Anxiety
Anxiety, especially at night, is a common symptom in older animals. From a Traditional Chinese Medical perspective, this anxiety and restlessness is caused by a Yin deficiency. While there are many ways to treat Yin deficiency, adding certain foods to the diet may be beneficial. The following foods are Yin tonics; apple, asparagus, watermelon, and kidney beans.
While food has powerful medicinal properties, food therapy may be more effective when used in conjunction with other therapies like herbs and acupuncture. We are happy to help you design a protocol specific to the needs of you and your geriatric pet.
|
|
|
Top 10 Reasons to Adopt
a "Senior" Dog:
1.Older dogs are house-trained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping up after accidents.
2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.
3. Older dogs can focus well because they've mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.
4. Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.
5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.
6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.
7.What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.
8. Older dogs are instant companions- ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.
9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.
10. Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.
This list and more information on senior dogs can be found at the Senior Dogs Project. To learn more about the pleasures of older dog adoption, please visit their site at www.srdogs.com
|
|
|
More Senior Pet Resources:
Did you know that the CRCG (Canine Rehabilitation and Conditioning Group) here in Englewood not only offers fantastic rehab services for injured pets, but seniors as well? Visit their site for more information!
[Click here to read more]
2. Monitoring Your Senior Dog for Signs of Disease
As your dog ages, the likelihood he will develop various changes in the function of his body systems increases. Some of these will be normal changes due to the aging process, others may be indicative of disease. To be more easily alerted to possible signs of disease early in the disease process...
[Click here to read more]
3. Senior Dogs: Common Behavior Changes
Puppies have their behavior problems, and older dogs have theirs. For older dogs, in many cases it is not that they do not understand the 'rules,' but that they may, for many reasons, be unable to follow them.
[Click here to read more]
4. Dog Care: Aging
Most dogs enter their golden years between seven and 10 years of age, with large/giant breeds becoming seniors earlier than small breeds...
[Click here to read more]
5. Cat Care: Aging
Most cats enter their golden years between 12 and 14 years of age. Many cats, especially those who are black, experience a graying of their coat as they age-but there are other, more subtle signs that your cat is aging...
[Click here to read more]
|
|
|
| |
Supplements for Senior Pets
It is a fact of life that tissues in the body will begin to deteriorate with age. Symptoms often appear only after this process is quite advanced. Starting your pet on supplements and using proper nutrition before we see signs of degeneration will keep pets feeling better later in life.
Signs of pain or discomfort are often very subtle in our pets. Any change in behavior can be a sign that your pet is in pain. Reluctance to get in the car or jump on the bed; not playing as long or getting tired easily on walks may be signs of some sort of discomfort. Changes in gait or limping are definite signs that there is leg or back pain. Pets will rarely vocalize to express chronic pain.
The most common site of deterioration is the joints of the body. There are many joint supplements available to help keep the cartilage and surrounding structures healthy. As a word of caution, all supplements are not created equal, and there is little regulation to assure that what is on the label is actually in the product. It is therefore important to use a reputable company when choosing a supplement. The products we use are subject to stringent quality control by their manufacturers. If you choose to buy over the counter, it is best to purchase from a store that specializes in quality brands. We can help you decide which type of supplement is best for your pet.
Proper nutrition that supplies an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients is especially important in older pets. As a body ages, it develops special needs, and your pet may not be able to eat everything it did when it was younger. We can help you with nutritional supplements to be sure your pet is not missing out on anything, yet provide with a diet that is easily digestible and supportive of the digestive tract.
Your pet's emotional needs will also change with age. Older pets do not see or hear as well and may experience more anxiety as a result. We use flower essences and essential oils as natural ways to calm your pet without sedating. These can be easily applied or put in the water to make it easy to help keep your pet's later years less stressful.
We want your pet to live the highest quality life possible. Preventative medicine is an important part of this in older pets.
|
$5 off
Canine Massage
|
This coupon is good for $5 off a canine massage session at Belleview Animal Clinic.
**Massage session must be pre-booked with Jenny Rukavina-
please contact for an appointment: 303-663-0377 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
| Offer Valid Through December 31, 2010 |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
