Pet Tails

Recently I posted about caring for the senior pet and talked mainly about my dog Casey, but today I am going to discuss caring for the senior cat.

This is also a dedication to my cat Virgil, who passed away yesterday while I was at work.  Virgil was 19 years old.

Cats are very difficult at times when they age and become seniors.  Cats over the age of 8 are considered senior pets just like dogs. If you were to look at an age chart for dogs and cats, we all know that dogs age at an average of 7 years for each 1 human year, for cats it is a little different.

Some charts don’t even plot out age of pets over the age of 15, and in my experience of owning pets and doing pet sitting if you have a pet that lives past 14 or 15 years of age, whether they are cats or dogs it is remarkable.

If your cat ages without any major illness such as renal failure or thyroid problems or even cancer you are very lucky and blessed.  I have been very lucky to state that I have had senior cats that have had no illnesses other than “old age.”

There are a number of OTC medication you can give to you cat for various “aging” illnesses such as arthritis or digestive issues.  These aging illnesses are common among cats as they age, besides the more serious ones such as renal failure.

One product you can buy OTC is called Hip Action.  They are chewable treats you can give your cats for arthritis and stiffness in joints.  I have clients that give this to their cats to help them with their mobility and it works really good and they do see an improvement with their cats taking this “treat” on a daily basis. Remember - Never give your cat an aspirin - this will cause sudden death!

If arthritis is a problem you are experiencing with your aging cat, than consider yourself lucky.  Aging in cats can also bring with them problems with eating and chewing problems.

Eating problems in cats such as becoming more finicky do become more of an issue with older cats, at least in my experience.  I personally contribute this to the fact that cats like to eat things that smell good so they are appetizing to them.  And as they age, their olfactory senses begin to wear down and their food must have a strong odor for it to appear appetizing to them.

In the last month I noticed that Virgil was having problems eating and became pickier about what to eat.  So I found myself going and buying all sorts of things to get him to eat; baby food, sardines, tuna fish, salmon and canned clams.  I also started to cook him ground turkey, anything to make him eat.

I am sure you are saying, “Well did you take him to the vet?” Yes, Virgil had been to the vet a number of times over the past 4 to 6 months to discuss his health and his eating issues.  Because of his age, I also made a decision that I wasn’t going to do anything extensive for him. By saying this I wasn’t going to put him through tests that may have proved nothing other than he is aging.

Just as in dogs, cats will begin to lose their hearing and eyesight.  I was lucky that Virgil still could see but his hearing had really started to suffer, so he spent the last 6 months of his life living inside.  Yes, my cats go in and out during all the times of year, but because Virgil couldn’t hear the car anymore I had to move him into the house for his own safety. More owners kill this own cats because they don’t check for them under the car or because the cat doesn’t move when they see a car because they can’t hear it.

The other habit your aging cat may begin to do is cry.  Yes, crying.  Meowing loud and repetitive at all times a day, especially at night can be alarming and also scary.  Because it almost sounds like a cat howling and because it is a continuous meowing and you wonder if they are breathing.  When talking to my vet about this, she explained to me that cats often do that because they wonder where their “human” is.  So often when Virgil did this, I would pick him up and hold him to reassure him I was there with him.

Aging cats will also begin to stop using the litter box.  This annoying unwanted habit can often be contributed to renal failure or even a urinary tract infection, which can be treated with antibiotics or other medication.

Cats will also lose weight and muscle mass as they age, becoming very frail.  Just as an elderly person ages their skin will become thinner and they will stop grooming themselves so brushing and bathing them may become a regular activity with your aging cat.

Coming home yesterday and finding Virgil had passed while I was work was devastating and very upsetting.  I knew his days were numbered when he had stopped eating and I attempted force feeding him the last 24 hours using a syringe and putting his food through a food processor.  But I couldn’t get him to eat anything, no matter what combination of food I mixed up for him.  There is no way to describe the helpless feeling you have when you can’t get your pet to eat.

Virgil has been with me through 4 moves and a divorce.  He has been through fights and almost lost his one eye due to one fight.  He was the alpha cat in my house until the end, still bossing the other cats around and my dogs were still afraid of him even though he only weighed 7 pounds.  Virgil will be missed because I have had him the longest.  He was one unique cat, and he also was a rescue.  So rescue cats do live a lot longer than people may believe.

Hug your pet today; dog or cat.  Tell them you love them and take care of them until the end.  They depend upon you for the given right of life.  You will never be sorry. Because what they bring you over the years can not be measured, counted or put into words.

Have a Happy Pet Day Everyone!

http://foothillpethospital.com/agingchart.html

http://andoveranimal.com/age.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjw_aCr7-9s&list=UUHIl3_GQWIpKJ08dByhbYMQ&index=17&feature=plcp

Last night while spending time on Facebook, I ran across this link regarding the Humane PA Movement.  I thought I would share it with my audience, because I believe that laws can be changed in the state to protect animals and to make abuse or cruelty laws stiffer and the punishment fit the crime.

If you feel strongly about animals; dogs, cats or others, than take the time and read and advocate!

Have a Happy Pet Day Everyone!

http://humaneusapapac.org/

I ran across this interesting article about the importance of socializing your puppy.  Remember you can do this with dogs even as they are older.  It is very important to have a well-adjusted stable dog.  They must have confidence and feel comfortable in different surroundings. 

Though I don’t agree that you can’t socialize the dog past the 16 week mark, you can still work with your dog through training and simple steps that you as the pet owner can do to make your dog a well socialized dog.

Have a Happy Pet Day Everyone!

http://www.nylabone.com/dog-101/training-behaviors/socializing-your-puppy/

Recently my 13 year old Lab Casey was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia which can be a debilitating for her and a struggle for me.  I also live with a 19 year old cat, Virgil who also is having some health issues that I am dealing with on a daily basis.

Owning a senior dog, which is any dog over the age of 7 or 8, can bring on all sorts of health issues and hip dysplasia is a minor one when you consider all the different types of ailments that dogs can develop at that phase in their life.

With an aging dog comes also cost with their ailments.  If you don’t have pet insurance, the costs can become high also. And if you pet already has a preexisting condition, some medications can’t be administered to them due to complications.  For example, Casey has Addison’s Disease and because of it she cannot take Rimadyl, which is a common anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Keep in mind, certain medications are processed through the liver or kidneys and this can put a strain on a dogs system if they are given multiple medications. 

So being a good Dog Mommy, I took Casey to the vet and she was given a pain medication that won’t interact with her other medication that she is given; Tramadol is what was prescribed to her.  This has helped her a great deal and I give her other medication also.

Casey is also given 3000 mg of Glucosamine Chondroitin and she gets a 30 c of Zeel.

Zeel is a homeopathic that is for arthritic pain or discomfort.

In a week I have seen a big improvement in her mobility.  She still struggles with certain everyday activities, but now she is back to going up and down steps and also isn’t slipping on the floor as much.

I did make some changes in my house also.  I have strategically placed throw rugs or rubber mats so she has good footing at various places she may need it.

With any joint problems in a dog, the first thing you have to consider is the weight of the dog.  All dogs carry 60% of their weight in the front and 40% in the back legs. So maintaining a healthy weight in your dog is very important as they age.  Dogs should have an hour-glass figure when you look down from the top.  You should be able to feel their ribs without pressing into their skin.

Another activity I started with Casey was giving her a massage at least once a day. Not just petting her but actually rubbing her muscles and stretching her legs.

When giving your dog a massage have them lie down on a comfortable surface.  You start out at the neck, because dogs will tighten their muscles in their neck to compensate the weakness in their rear legs.  You start out just by rubbing the muscles with your hands.  Grab their skin and muscles with your hands just like you would massage a human body, you just don’t squeeze the muscles.  Rub them back and forth.  Believe me your dog with love it!

Work down their back along the spine continuing the same rubbing hand motion.  When you get to their hind legs you would rub the muscles using both hands. 

Put one hand on the top of the hind leg and one underneath the leg in the groin area and rub the muscles.  You don’t use pressure; just massage the muscles with your hands, following the leg down to their knee.  Move your hands back and forth along all the muscles at the top of the leg.

Stretching may be a little harder because some dogs don’t like their feet touched.  But if you can hold onto their rear paw and slowly straighten their leg out toward you.  Do this slowly using one hand on their paw and the other hand you want to hold onto their “thigh” muscle guiding it straight.  Do not PULL on their leg, just slowly straighten it.

Than you want to put their paw in the palm of your hand and press the paw upward into their body just like when they sit.  Do not FORCE it; just go as far as they feel comfortable.  Repeat this 2 or 3 times and than rub the muscles in their legs again.

Now flip them over and do it on their other side.

You can also use heat on joints but don’t leave it on for more than 10 minutes.

Providing this “exercise” or activity with your dog will help them feel better and it also doesn’t take a lot of time.

Continue also with a regular walking routine.  Pay attention to your dog, they will let you know how much is too much for them.  There are also facilities in the area that offer heated pools so you can take your dog swimming, which is a great exercise for your dog.

If you want any more information regarding massaging your dog or exercising your dog, feel free to contact me and I will help you with your inquiry.

Here are some links too for you to review for massaging your dog.

I will talk about caring for the senior cat next.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2191480_massage-dog-puppy.html

http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/how-massage-your-dog/2028

Have a Happy Pet Day Everyone! Remember Adopt Don’t Shop!