Supporting Senior Pets

Posted on 9 January 2017
By Dr. Jill Tack
Posted in caring for your senior pet, chiropractic care for pet incontinence, pet stifftness and chiropractics, senior pet health
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We all want our dogs and cats to live as long as possible with the healthiest life as possible. However, as our pets age, most often there are signs of aging that come along with it. Arthritis, stiffness with hips and joints, skin ailments, dental issues, food intolerance's, digestive disturbances, incontinence, nervous system ailments, cancer, and organ failures are just a few that we keep under a watchful eye. All these health conditions can be very trying on the household, depending on the ailment and the level of care your pet may need. However, there are loads of natural remedies to use with our senior pets.

Natural Care for Incontinence

Last September, Sasha, my 14-year-old Siberian husky, began having some stiffness and incontinence issues. As a spayed female, she has experienced some incontinence hiccups along the way, starting at about six years old, but nothing like our experience in the fall. She is notorious for having incontinence just after falling asleep. With this round, she was completely emptying her bladder and soaking her dog bed, whereas before it would be a small amount. After a few incidences I jumped into action. With her past incontinence, homeopathic Sepia has worked wonders, so I immediately gave her a dose of Sepia.

I then knew that she needed additional support to stop the continued manifestation of symptoms. Dr. Christina Cole worked her chiropractic magic, and as suspected, her sacrum was also out of alignment. The body really works in mysterious ways in that when one area is out-of-balance it creates a snowball effect of other areas also becoming out-of-balance. In addition to the remedies I just mentioned, I also began adding the cell salt Calc fluor to her food and water bowl. Calc fluor is known to tighten and tone tissue terrain where elasticity matters. Once incontinence sets in, the sphincter muscle to the bladder becomes weak. I also began giving her cornsilk with each meal. The herb cornsilk has an affinity for the urinary system.

Just a few days after we implemented her supplement program and had her chiropractic appointment we noticed a dramatic improvement. Within a week she was back to holding her bladder without any incontinence issues.

There are speculations that female spaying can be the culprit of incontinence in female dogs. I can’t say for sure this is Sasha’s issue, but what I do know is that just a few remedies can control the symptoms and she responds well.

Alleviating Stiffness

Prior to her incontinence issues, we also noticed she was having more than usual stiffness. Once she would get up and get moving her stiffness would tend to loosen. In addition to the stiffness, we also noticed that she was sloppy with the movement of her back feet. By her presenting symptoms I presumed she had some arthritis. Additional chiropractic from Dr. Cole has helped with her movement and fluidity. We also began giving her the Pet Releaf hemp treats. What a difference! In just three days we noticed she was moving better and even running through the backyard. And again, Calc fluor is known to help with stiffness and joint pain that begins to loosen and get better after movement. We now have one remedy that is helping two different ailments.

Impact of Good Nutrition

I truly believe that nutrition has also played a key role in Sasha’s health. I was given Sasha from an old boss who got the dog on a whim for his daughter. As life played out, he realized that Sasha as a puppy was a lot of work and he just didn’t have the time to take on the task. She came into my home at about five months old. At a young age she had some digestive issues. In 2004, I began feeding her a raw diet and never looked back. Over the years she has ushered many foster greyhounds, as well as our own pets, through our home and taught them home life.

She definitely has a list of ailments as a geriatric dog: a fatty tumor on her side, a small cyst on her eyelid which causes minimal eye discharge, she has a few skin tags on her face, a small amount of dander, and to this day still hates her toenails being trimmed. Overall, I think she is aging beautifully. We have been able to manage her care with natural remedies and she gladly eats them in her meals. I think our pets most often innately take the supplements that they know makes them feel better. At the age of 14, she has taken very few pharmaceuticals and currently is only taking natural supplements.

Sasha’s daily supplement regimen includes the following:

Pet Releaf Hemp treats – to help with stiffness, inflammation, skin ailments, and any associated pain for mild arthritis
Cell Salts (#1, #9, #12) – to help with her bladder, and to support her skin and coat
Cornsilk – to support her bladder and reduce incontinence occurrences
E-W – for eye health
HNS-W – for skin and coat health
Total-Zymes – digestive aid
Milk Thistle – liver support and mild liver cleanser
Goat’s Milk – high nutritive food, also supportive to the digestive system
Coconut Oil – supports eye, brain and heart health, and also can act as an anti-inflammatory
Wisdom - supports senior cognitive functions and mental well-being

I can honestly say I never really knew what kind of health Sasha would have. Her original owner purchased her from a mall pet store as a puppy. But we are hoping for many more healthy, happy years as she enjoys being our sassy resident senior.

If you feel like your pet could benefit from a consult with Dr. Jill, please call the store at 248-548-3448.

Natural Care for Incontinence

Alleviating Stiffness

Impact of Good Nutrition

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