22/12/2023
โญ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐ โญ
๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต-๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป
Outdated advice is to feed an older dog a low-protein dog for kidney support. Old dogs need high-quality protein to support their muscles. The biggest reason we say goodbye to old dogs is because of mobility issues so we need to maintain their muscle tone and mass not see it wither away.
๐ฅฉ๐ฅ๐ฅฌ It is never too late to transition your older dog to a fresh food diet. A fresh food diet can be raw or lightly cooked. I generally recommend that older dogs are on a lightly cooked diet as this is easier on their digestive systems which aren't what they used to be.
๐ฉโ๐ฌ If your dog has a medical condition that your Vet would like to nutritionally manage but you do not want to feed kibble (dry food) to your dog, you can have a consult with a fresh food experienced Vet, these often do distant consults such as Bentons Road Vet Clinic and Mont Albert Vet Surgery.
๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
Supplements that you're giving for a specific reason, ideally ones you're not going to get the cheap and nasty versions of. My top picks would be:
๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ผ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฑ
A highly bio-available omega-3 that not only supports joints but coat, skin & brain....and the list goes on and on. If budget permits, I like older dogs on a loading dose vs a maintenance dose.
Discount code here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FtPvv5P7vApfxkVNA4iyd1UX4PRRgAk9/view?usp=drive_link
๐๐๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป
Collagen is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity. Itโs in your dog's bones, muscles, and blood, comprising three-quarters of their skin and a third of the protein in their body.
โญ May slow the aging process.
โญ May hydrate skin which may make it ideal for skin issue dogs.
โญ May relieve osteoarthritis pain - research suggests allowing 3-5 months for results.
โญ May make bones denser.
โญ May help the coat be thicker/fuller.
โญ May help nails to be healthier which could make it ideal for dogs with brittle nails.
โญ When combined with strength training, it can potentially help increase muscle mass and strength.
โญ May support strong and flexible tendons and ligaments.
โญ Improvements in activity-related joint pain may be seen.
โญ Improvement in injury recovery may be seen
โญ May reduce injuries as collagen increases the diameter of tendons in joints.
https://mydoggieboosters.com/shop/ols/products/preventandrepair
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ & ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฒ
Older dog's digestive systems often need support as they don't tend to work as well anymore. One of the first signs is a duller coat as the dogs digestive system isn't able to utilise nutrients as well as they used to be. Now, the coat is something you can see but nutritional insufficiencies can lead to other not-so-positive things under the hood. A digestive enzyme is a great addition to your older dogs diet along with a probiotic.
Synbiotic 180-S is perfect for those on a very tight budget, it contains a probiotic and a digestive enzyme.
https://www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/other-pets/horse-supplies/health/vetafarm-synbiotic-180-s?gclid=CjwKCAiAhJWsBhAaEiwAmrNyq4s5gVkQpGahmX_1K5kUobeqtgwEZGmpekjvaffTX6VUujpZ8BW3thoCorgQAvD_BwE
Gut Protect from Canine Ceuticals is one of my favourite digestive enzyme products for those with a flexible budget:
https://canineceuticals.com.au/collections/best-sellers/products/gut-protect
Our own My Doggie Boosters is a probiotic and prebiotic:
https://mydoggieboosters.com/shop/ols/products/gd200
๐ ๐๐
๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ
Appropriate exercise is really important for older dogs, some older dogs like our Little Man are still machines but some are really struggling so finding what works for you and your dog is an individual thing.
A daily walk gets the lymphatic system moving even if that walk is just to the letterbox or the neighbours. Your Vet will help you work out what works well for your dog and also discuss pain management options.
Hydrotherapy is awesome for older dogs, if budget allows, get in once a week, that warm therapeutic water and the buoyancy helps maintain older dogs muscles without the strain and pain that regular walking can cause.
Whatever you do, your goal is to stay under your dogs threshold which means if you make them more painful then you're doing too much and/or your dogs pain management is not up to par.
Limping dogs need pain management.
๐ฌ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป'๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ป'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐'๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป. ๐ฅ๐ถ๐๐ธ:๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ.
๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต & ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต
If your dog can't walk far then get a dog pram, yes, I'm serious - your dog needs mental stimulation and deserves to experience the world for their own mental health.
If your dog is still able to participate in training, you can challenge their brain daily even if it's lying down. There are so many things we can teach them even at an advanced age.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐
Fat dogs die younger. Older dogs do not need extra weight on them "in case they get sick". Your dog doesn't get to choose their health status, that's up to you, make good decisions. Extra weight will speed up arthritis, cause pain and impact organ health and fast track disease.
๐ ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ๐
Vet checks every 6 months if you can afford to including bloods to keep ahead of anything that pops up.
Not sure if your dog is fat? Head here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YKMBW-V-tjkMMg6_Ffq13PfRXCuYpN0U/view?usp=drive_link
๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Laser, massage, acupuncture, etc. if the budget allows are all awesome therapies for older dogs to help them with pain and disease management.
Photo: Leila, Great Dane at 13.5 years of age.
