Treasured Golden Oldies We have come to know so many special Golden Oldies or
Mellow Yellows, as they are
sometimes called. The story of
Golden Oldie Bullet,
the special 15-year-old pictured here who alerted Mom to his new baby
brother's distress, was broadcast all over the country. Old dogs used to be a rarity. But, not now! That's due to
our increased awareness, better veterinary care, and improved diets. With
nearly 40% of our canine buddies considered geriatric, is it any wonder that
veterinarians and researchers are now focusing on geriatric nutrition,
dental care, and cancer?
Tufts University defines the senior dog this way:
"The point at which a dog qualifies as 'aged' varies. Veterinarians generally
consider small dogs to be senior citizens at about 12 years of age, while large dogs reach
the senior stage at 6 to 8 years of age. This roughly corresponds to the 55-plus category
in people."
Did you know that at . . . . 7
YEARS: Seven marks the beginning of the
geriatric period for medium sized dogs like Goldens—even
though your dog may still look, act, and feel great.
It is now time for your Golden's first geriatric profile. Start looking for changes in your Golden
as they tend to hide their illnesses from you until the problem is so
advanced that they can't hide it anymore. So, take your aging buddy to the veterinarian
every year. 8-10 YEARS: Now, in the early years of the geriatric
period, body coordination can become a common problem. There is also a risk for obesity because their energy requirements drop. So,
check for signs and use different
methods to decrease food intake. Make
sure your veterinarian gets a geriatric profile on your Golden. Have the following tested:
kidney function, liver function, blood sugar, hematocrit (ratio of red cells to whole
blood), and total protein. 10-11 YEARS: Older geriatric Goldens now begin to
show many of the diseases of aging, in no particular order. Much of this, though, depends
on the Golden's individual makeup and environment. Watch for signs for declining dental
health. This, of course, is preventable by
providing good dental care from day one. Also, watch for digestion problems, kidney and liver problems, heart
disease, diabetes, and cancer. Nutritional needs change for older dogs, research
showing the need for more protein to maintain lean body mass. 12+ YEARS: Now,
older Goldens often have more problems keeping weight on,
than they do with keeping it off. Losing weight, though,
could be a sign of many physical problems. Or it could be
due to a simple lack of interest in food that is too hard to
chew or no longer appealing because of a declining sense of
taste.
Bailey, with her pink cast laden broken foot,
loved rides
while recovering.
Ease your Golden into old age— the older your good buddy
becomes, the more s/he depends on their schedule. If there is a vision or hearing loss, don't
rearrange your furniture. Don't change your guy's eating or sleeping habits, and try not
to alter his or her daily routine. Any such disruption can be stressful. Also, groom your
buddy and periodically examine him or her for abnormal lumps. Your Goldens
also need to be touched and cuddled to reassure them that the dog-human bond is still
intact. Touch is extremely important in the lives of older canines, especially those who
can't hear or see as well.
Finally, let your guy know you're still there. Thank him or her
for a lifetime of love, loyalty, and companionship. Your Golden has devoted its very life
to loving you. The least you can do is keep him or her healthy, fit, and confident in your
affection.
Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Pure Sockeye Salmon Oil
Our Golden Alfie has gotten 6000 units daily since 2007, before that
getting 3000-4000 units a day. Boy, what a difference it
has made. His coat is incredible, and at his now senior age of 9 (2008),
the extra softgels keep down joint inflammation associated with
increasing age and arthritis. It is a must-have
supplement!
Derived exclusively from wild sockeye salmon
caught in the cold, pristine waters off Alaska, this 100% PURE oil is not
blended with any inferior salmon or other fish oils. Here's why this is unique:
To achieve high ratios of EPA to DHA, commercially available salmon oil capsules
are fortified with other fish oils. One benefit of Vital Choice Wild Alaskan Sockeye
Salmon Oil is that it has the lowest cholesterol levels, in contrast to the
higher levels found in farmed salmon oil.
The freshest and purest oils available, Sockeye contains the highest amount
of omega-3 fatty acids of any salmon.
It's orange color is due to the high levels of the carotenoid and astaxanthin
(occurring naturally in sockeye) that helps the eyes and cardiovascular system.
Alaskan sockeye salmon are the richest salmon species in the powerful biological
antioxidant astaxanthin, a natural caroteniod that imparts a rich orange glow to
the oil and eliminates the need for added tocopherols present in other brands.
Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid that gives our oil its rich orange color—and
is up to 100 times more potent than Vitamin E at quenching singlet oxygen ‘free
radicals’.
There are NO artificial preservatives, color or sweeteners; corn, dairy,
starch, wheat, or yeast.
Food and dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acids
Many people ask me if dog food has something to do with the development of
cancer in their pet. Before I devoted my time to studying the topic, I never
gave it much thought. Nah, I would say. Dog cancer is mostly genetic, viral, a
few carcinogens…who knows? ”There is no real cause of cancer”, I would say.
Baloney. There are causes of cancer, and they are real. Most of us vets just
don’t take the time to really investigate the literature. Due to our personal
biases, lack of motivation, no time, fatigue, or professional indoctrination, we
sometimes condemn before investigating.
A great example is dietary omega 6 fatty acid excess. Fats are grouped according
to their chemical structure. Two biggies are the omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acid
groups. Dog’s bodies, and our own, are designed to have a certain ratio of omega
3 to omega 6 fatty acids in the diet.
Too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3, and bad things happen. These bad things
are not minor, folks. Excessive intake of omega 6 fatty acids suppress cells
that are key in the body’s natural cancer fighting ability (Natural Killer cells
and cytotoxic T cells). The omega 6 group promotes inflammation, which is
critical in cancer development. They also stimulate cancer cells directly by
turning on a path in the cancer cells called PI Kinase, one of the central
signaling
events in cancer cells which make them behave like…cancer cells.
Where do omega 6 fatty acids come from? Next time you are at the grocery store,
read the panel on some popular dog foods. Look for corn (grain, oil, meal),
vegetable oil, and beef fat (lard, tallow), to name a few. Foods are put
together to be successful enterprises (profit), and omega 6-rich items are
favored for this reason.
There are ways to offset the effect of the omega 6 excess in dog foods.
Dog food and cancer: help fight this problem! In the last post I wrote about one of the issues in most commercial dog foods
contributing to dog cancer: omega 6 fatty acid excess. This is a group of fats
that are found in large quantities in corn products, vegetable oils, and meat
products like tallow and lard, to name a few sources. Dogs in the wild eat lean
meats (imagine an antelope’s body) and digested plant matter from the prey’s
intestines. The diets we are feeding them currently are inappropriate, and in
some ways harmful.
This omega 6 fat excess sets the stage for cancer development, stimulates cancer
cell growth, and decreases the body’s natural cancer-fighting abilities.
Our dog’s bodies can better handle the omega 6 excess by providing them with
another type of fatty acid that will decrease the harmful effects of too much
omega 6. These are oils containing omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in high
concentrations in fish oils. I outline this topic in detail in the upcoming
book, but for the purposes of this discussion let’s focus on oil from sardines,
menhaden, mackerel
, salmon and so on. Cod liver oil is NOT a good source for
omega 3 supplementation.
If your loved dog has a cancer at this time, you want to get as much omega 3 in
him or her as possible. Start slowly and work your way up to large amounts over
about 2 weeks to avoid an upset stomach. Give with food. For a dog about 60 lbs,
you want about 18 grams of good quality fish oil containing omega 3’s. This
usually means about 15-20 of the typical capsules daily, which is a large
amount! For double strength caps, halve the dose. Adjust up or down for the size
of your dog. The capsules can be popped and the oil mixed in food if your dog
resists eating the capsules by themselves. Watch for digestive upset (vomiting,
diarrhea, loss of appetite), and if so, stop and then later start with lower
doses increased more slowly.
Krill oil is, in my opinion, the best option for supplementing fatty acids for a
variety of reasons…
If your loved dog is not diagnosed with cancer and is on typical commercial
food, I would have you begin an omega 3 fatty acid supplement at lower doses
than those dogs with cancer. For a 60 lb dog, my opinion is a standard
supplemental dose of roughly 4-6 grams of omega 3-containing capsules daily.
Remember to start with low doses than work up over 2 weeks.
There is limited, theoretical evidence that you should stop these supplements 10
days before surgery as they may have mild blood-thinning effect. Do this as a
precaution, to be on the safe side.
Dancing Paws
Pills 2 Go Pillcase for Pet Meds
This
new pillcase helps
you organize your pet medications when you're on the road, and is
great at home as well. Remembering to give your dogs their supplements and medications each day
is vital to their health. That's why this cleverly designed sturdy
plastic pill carrier is such a great idea! We have never seen
something this adorable as well as functional. And, the wonderfully large
size makes the case great to use for people's daily medications as
well. The entire unit is 9" L x 1.25" H x 1.75" D.
Convenient travel size
Easy to open and stays shut
Holds larger size pet tablets
Detachable Compartments
Key chain tab on each compartment
Durable
Daily pill organizer
There's a tray for every day of the week —
each with a paw print to remind you how important remembering
medications is. There's plenty of room for medications and
supplements. Plus, each compartment is detachable and has its own
key chain tab. If you are leaving for 1 or 2 days, you can detach
them and carry only the days you need! You do not have to carry the
whole 7 day chain. Pills 2 Go is great for around the house too! It
comes in either yellow or orange, but we like the yellow better. It
is actually more translucent, thus enabling you to see the contents
better.
Organic Wild Blueberries
A supreme snack for both you and
your dog.
USDA rated as the #1 fruit in antioxidant
activity.
Free-Range Bullys & More
South American free-range
grass fed
cattle, no antibiotics,
hormones, chemicals, smoke, or radiation.
A Spot of Organic Tea
Brew for you & your dog. Also,
Washi Storage Tins,
bamboo
scoop. FREE organic teas bonus!
Meet some Special Golden Oldies
Belle made it past her 17th birthday. Quite a story for a dog
that was abandoned at nearly 9. Around age 9 Belle was hit by a school
bus, losing her left front leg. Her owners abandoned her;
whereby Kris rescued her and taught her how to walk on three
legs. In this video she is recovering from pneumonia and cannot
walk. A vet contributed the wagon and a painter contributed the
exquisite artwork.
At nearly 17 years old, Belle was "eating
hamburgers, hot dogs, cornbread with fresh blueberries,
spaghetti, and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches".
These pictures were taken in 2001 at an AKC dog agility trial in
Cato NY. Belle was certified by TDI and Delta and labeled as an
"awesome Team". She gave much hope to hospitalized children who
had lost limbs. They witnessed Belle hopping carefree through
the halls and rooms and realized they were not alone.