Helping old dogs age well holistically
Lately I’ve been realizing that my girl, Alli, is starting to show her age. More and more white hairs are springing up in her muzzle and her gait has been a little slower, her back tighter, and her hips sorer. It’s hard being the acupuncturist’s daughter, because sometimes it’s easy to forget to do acupuncture for her after a day of treating other dogs. But at the same time she is my beautiful, loving companion and anything I can do to slow down her aging I want to do.
So what do we do to help our older animals age well. Alli so far gets the first four.
- Acupuncture – I bet you could have guessed that one coming! But really, I have found nothing more effective for slowing down the aging process, helping with pain, wellbeing, and vitality. Acupuncture helps keep the body strong and the blood moving!
- Walks – Alli gets a least two 15 minute walks a day, often they are longer. Walking helps with blood flow, brain health, strength, and joint mobility. Exercise helps to prevent many diseases and provides brain stimulation to your friend. Studies have actually shown that walking can reverse dementia in dogs.
- CBD oil – I love using CBD oil in older cats and dogs. It is a super great anti-inflammatory, has anti-cancer effects, helps the heart, cuts anxiety, and helps with pain. Dr. Robert Silver has been studying the effects of CBD oil and so far the results are impressive. It is the best pain killer I have seen work in cats where there are few good options and most cats tolerate it extremely well. Also great on pain in dogs and safe to combine with many other pain drugs because the action is different. Rob’s product is available in two concentrations, HempRx for cats and smaller dogs and HempRxForte for larger dogs
- Fish Oil – great brain support and joint anti-inflammatory in dogs. Fish oil helps with overall wellbeing. I like the Nordic Naturals brand
- Senior Dog Support – this is a formula that I developed years ago and use in many of my older dog patients. It helps with pain, inflammation, blood flow, and organ health.For more information see my article.
- Brain and Heart Support – this is a simple formula that I use in any dog who starts to show brain decline. It helps with blood circulation to the brain, regulates blood pressure, and supports the heart.
There are many other great ways to support our older animals but these are usually my starting tools!
