Comfort for an Older Dog (train, food, ears, eating)

[SunInHair]

[quote=zugor;10293345]I have a vet who specializes in acupuncture and chinese medicine who has treated 3 of my dogs. My oldest, Nikki, who just turned 15 is on 2 western meds for pain management in addition to glucosimine for his joints and a couple of chinese meds as well.

I bought him a canine cooler bed because he has such a heavy coat and is always hot but he won't use it so I just run the A/C and keep the whole house cool.

If there was a clinic within driving distance of me I would also be using a hydrotherapy tank.

I hope you and your baby will still have many wonderful days to enjoy each others company.

Zugor: where can one buy a canine cooler bed? Great idea.

[Racelady88]

If you are able to locate an animal massage therapist in your area s/he can do wonders to help an older dog. I am an animal massage therapist. While my main focus is performance horses I do have a lot of dog customers. What a huge difference even one session can make for a dog.

Massage releases endorphins, improves circulation, and stimulates the production of synovial fluid. All natural, no harmful side effects.

[zugor]

Originally Posted by SunInHair

Zugor: where can one buy a canine cooler bed? Great idea.

I happened to find one in a pet supply store in Roanoke but here is just one on line source:

Canine Cooler Dog Beds, Cooling Pet Beds, Cooling Jackets, Chillow

The hard part is getting them to actually use it. Nikki won't, he only wants to be on the hardwood floor. One of the others has taken a liking to it though so it's not going to waste.

[StarlaJane]

Here are more:

Dog Beds | Designer and Luxury Dog Beds | Find the Best Dog Bed | FetchDog (http://www.fetchdog.com/pet-supplies/dog-beds/all-dog-beds - broken link)

Here's a site specifically for older dogs:

Senior Dog Care - Dog Beds Dog Harnesses & Collars Dog Clothes & Gifts for Dog Lovers | In The Company of Dogs

[LittleDolphin]

Thanks, everyone. I just ordered some glucosomine & chondroitin tablets to see if they help with my dog's arthritic hips...we may be thanking you more deeply in short order....hope they help him some.

I'm also cooking him up some chicken vegetable (no onions) stew as he seems to have developed an allergy to his regular food (Blue Buffalo Fish & Sweet Potato kibble) lately. I wonder if they've changed the formula? He's got itchy hives on his tummy, poor thing...that happened once before with food allergies and changing it cured him...we'll see.

[yukiko11]

When my 11 yr old St Bernard started showing signs of hindquarter paralysis, I began adding one aspirin and a glucosemine tablet to her food. (she weighed 120 lbs so she could tolerate an asprin)
This prolonged her life for 5 months, but finally one day she became totally paralyzed in her hindquarters including her ability to stand, deficate and hold her urine and I had to put her down.
I would consult a vet before administering human medicines to animals to get the dosage right.

[SunsetBeachFL]

Originally Posted by Racelady88

If you are able to locate an animal massage therapist in your area s/he can do wonders to help an older dog. I am an animal massage therapist. While my main focus is performance horses I do have a lot of dog customers. What a huge difference even one session can make for a dog.

Massage releases endorphins, improves circulation, and stimulates the production of synovial fluid. All natural, no harmful side effects.

Thanks very much! Our vet tech is currently undergoing training for this, albeit via books and video (we're in the USVI) but I will definitely have her perform some training on our eldest, BUT only if you think it a wise decision. Thanks for any input.

[Racelady88]

Originally Posted by SunsetBeachFL

Thanks very much! Our vet tech is currently undergoing training for this, albeit via books and video (we're in the USVI) but I will definitely have her perform some training on our eldest, BUT only if you think it a wise decision. Thanks for any input.

I think it is very hard to do massage and have any kind of negative effect (unless the animal has been diagnosed with cancer). Provided the touch is not too hard massage can only be beneficial. The beauty of it is that it is impossible to "overdose" or "botch" a massage.

Your dog will most likely be a grateful "training dummy". I know my dog was.

[SunsetBeachFL]

Originally Posted by Racelady88

I think it is very hard to do massage and have any kind of negative effect (unless the animal has been diagnosed with cancer). Provided the touch is not too hard massage can only be beneficial. The beauty of it is that it is impossible to "overdose" or "botch" a massage.

Your dog will most likely be a grateful "training dummy". I know my dog was.

Thanks and +1. Okay, then it's decided... she will be the "training dummy". I think she'll enjoy it and will definitely report back on how it goes.

Gosh, if she ever heard (or "read") a reference to her and the word dummy... well, I just don't want to know.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by LittleDolphin

Thanks, everyone. I just ordered some glucosomine & chondroitin tablets to see if they help with my dog's arthritic hips...we may be thanking you more deeply in short order....hope they help him some.

I'm also cooking him up some chicken vegetable (no onions) stew as he seems to have developed an allergy to his regular food (Blue Buffalo Fish & Sweet Potato kibble) lately. I wonder if they've changed the formula? He's got itchy hives on his tummy, poor thing...that happened once before with food allergies and changing it cured him...we'll see.

That is very interesting about his hives. Grains and cereals are the leading cause of skin and hair problems with dogs, but Blue Buffalo is a top quality grain-free kibble, so I would not expect such a reaction. Could it be caused by something else you are feeding him?

If he is losing muscle mass, then you want to increase his protein levels above 30%. Aging dogs need more protein than younger dogs in order to retain muscle mass. However, there is a slight chance that increasing his protein may cause kidney damage.

As far as his teeth are concerned, there are dental chews and treats you can buy that will help remove tarter.

The glucosomine and chondroitin tablets do work very well with older dogs. I had an old dog that had difficulty coming up the stairs when she was about 10 years old. A couple months after giving her a daily glucosomine and chondroitin tablet she was bounding up the stairs two at a time like she was 5 years younger.