My
greatest wish, is that every pet parent is lucky enough to someday
have to face the issue of senior canine care. When my own dog,
Buttons, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 8, the vet referred to
her as a senior dog. Not only was I unwilling to lose my beloved canine
to an insidious disease, but I remembered as a child, dogs commonly
living into their late teens. So, 8-years old… middle-aged? Maybe. But
senior citizen? Definitely not!
How I implemented an intense
holistic cleansing and nutritional regimen to successfully heal the
cancer without the vet’s prescribed treatment of chemotherapy,
radiation and amputation, is a whole other story. This article is about
senior canine care. Since Buttons not only survived the cancer, but
thrived for an additional 11 years, until passing peacefully of old age
at 19, I am blessed to have some life experience with a canine elder.
Of
course, regardless of age, a pure, clean diet and chemical-free
environment are essential for a strong immune system. Dogs metabolize
everything so much faster than we do-whereas our bodies can endure a
certain amount of toxic abuse for 40 or 50 years before retaliating, a
dog’s body will start showing disease in 5-7 years. In my experience,
it’s wise to take note of what chemical exposure there is in your own
home via often overlooked things as cleaning products, laundry products,
and air fresheners.
Past a certain age, supplements start
taking on an even greater role and I encourage every pet parent to do
their own online research of the many available choices. Personally, I
had a lot of success with
Yucca Extract
to ease any joint stiffness or swelling Buttons had. Yucca is a
natural steroid with no negative side effects and is easy to mix in
food. Also, after much reading on its use in Germany and Italy on human
stroke victims, I began using Alpha Lipoic Acid to help with any
symptoms of CDS (doggy Alzheimer’s).
The last 3 years of Buttons’
life, I was very careful to keep a steady routine, not move any
furniture, and basically keep everything in her world as predictable as
possible. When the time came, we experimented with different brands of
diapers. For her 18th birthday I bought a cushy, fold-up baby stroller
to take with us on hikes for when she got tired. At one point, due to
her aging eyesight and cognitive function, I covered the sharp edges of
our furniture with foam.
Ok. Now here’s the hard part- the one
that isn’t so comfortable to read, but the part that is, in my opinion,
essential. Take lots and lots of photos and video- they will help
comfort you through the grieving process when the inevitable happens.
When Butts was 17, I bought a bunch of disposable cameras. Every time I
filled one up with pictures of her, I’d put it in a box in the back of
my closet. It wasn’t until months after her passing that I began
having them developed, one by one. What a comfort it was to have new
photos of her even after she’d gone.
Take a day here and there
away from your busy life to shut out the rest of the world and really
connect deeply with your animal’s spirit- to consciously and
uninterruptedly just BE with this unconditionally loving soul who’s
been such a deep and delightful part of your life. Believe me, there
will come a time when you will be so glad you did.
Do any
research about what your choices are and how you will handle the
details of your dog’s body after their passing. It’s so much easier to
think clearly and gather facts well before the day you are thrown into
that gut-wrenching grief.
Most importantly, as much as you can,
treasure each moment for what it is- find the joy in it, rather than
missing what was or fearing what’s to come. I mean, our dogs never stop
teaching us how to do just that, right? Having a senior canine can be
so precious and such a profound learning experience. Your canine may
not be bounding along the beach or scampering up the trail any longer,
but your relationship will be as priceless as a rare, old cognac, and
by then, you’ll undoubtedly be finishing each others sentences, too.
