The twilight of life
Club of the 3rd age, old, old, senior or even retired are all terms used to designate a segment of the population who, shall we say, has more experience than others. You are aware that time does not pass, we are the ones who go through it. Unfortunately not always without damage. Our head, our body and our limbs become fragile in contact with time, but we are not the only ones to suffer the passing years. You can imagine that we are talking about our four-legged friends here. Time goes by even faster with them, it seems to be multiplied and old age appears! So to ensure them a retirement worthy of the name, we are bipedal, roll up our sleeves and work to make their life sweet and full of love.
A courtesy visit is required
We consider that the dog enters “old age” between 7 and 10 years old, where his feline comrade passes the senior grade between 10 and 12 years old. This advanced age requires increased attention to the state of health of his animal and for this it is necessary to pass the technical control 1 to 2 times a year (depending on his exact age). For this we advise you to visit his veterinarian in prevention and to take stock of his state of form. Prevention is better than cure.
Eat well to be on your plate
The body changes and the needs are not the same. You are not unaware that life is a cycle, when we are at the dawn of our life, the food is adapted, it is the same for our old age. You need to provide quality food. Attention, we are not saying that before this advanced age you can do anything, quite the contrary! A few tips:
- No poor quality kibble or bites : Certainly those with a thumbs up or with a discount mention were less expensive but they risk costing you a lot of money at the vet! The intakes are not always sufficient, especially in dogs and cats of a certain age. We direct you to kibbles offered by certain veterinarians, by pharmacies or by specialized online pharmacies such as Produits-veto.com for example.
- Appropriate diet : Yes, deficiencies or diseases can appear over time: Diabetes, allergies, overweight, …
A healthy environment to live out your old age
A bit of cleaning, calm, a good soft basket for her painful posterior… No, Mistigri does not become demanding, but she does need comfort and a welcoming and warm home. The cleanliness of the home is essential, especially for cats and dogs with allergies. For felines, cleanliness includes regular cleaning of the litter box. When we talk about the healthy environment we think of the place but also of the conditions. With advancing age, four-legged animals become more and more fearful and with a bit of character. We must therefore avoid stressful situations or situations considered aggressive by our friends. It's not good for the heart and blood pressure!
To calm nervousness, anxiety, anxiety, here are some small solutions for dogs and cats:
- RESCUE ® Pets – Bach flowers : Product varying from the solution for humans for anxieties in dogs and cats.
- Nervosyl–Boiron : As its name suggests, this liquid homeopathic solution reduces nervousness in animals. Suitable for cat and dog.
- Adaptil-Calm : Collar for dogs to soothe them in stressful situations. The collar releases the pheromone necessary to avoid behavioral deviations
- Range Zylkene – Vetoquinol : Food supplement to reduce stress in cats and dogs.
- Range Feliway – CEVA : Based on pheromone, in spray or diffuser, always with the aim of calming the cat.
We can offer you other solutions, however you have a major role in serenity by reassuring him, avoiding stressful situations and covering him with all your love.
What are the symptoms of old age in the doggie / kitty?
Oops, sorry, don't say old or old, he/she might get offended! You know the susceptibility of our days... Let's get back to our sheep, finally to our friends the dogs and cats. Products-veto will provide an overview of the inconveniences of middle age.
Rheumatism, osteoarthritis & stiffness: You have arrived at the gates of old age
Getting around is a constant ordeal! Especially if you are an 11 year old cat. Grandpa Garfield has trouble getting from the living room to the kitchen, getting on the sofa is a stunt worthy of an action movie, washing up, I won't even tell you about it! Gone are the days when putting your hind leg behind your head was child's play. The movements are approximate, the gait is lame and the gestures are painful. These signs are the result of passing time. We have good news and bad news, we start with the bad. You won't be able to make his pain go away, the good news is that your friend can be relieved. Whether for osteoarthritis, for inflammation or for joint mobility, we have solutions:
- Arthrosenior Vital'Form – Clément Thékan : Intended for osteoarthritis for dogs, it intervenes in the regeneration of cartilage and the lubrication of the joints. Galenic form: Tablets;
- Doggy Flex – Audevard : Also to treat osteoarthrosis in dogs, Doggy-Flex works to maintain the state of the cartilage and helps to make the joints more flexible. Galenic form: Mini-granules to be mixed in food;
- Cartimax – MP Labo : Food supplement based on harpagophytum and meadowsweet for dogs and cats to help joint mobility. Galenic form: Capsule;
- Flexadin Advanced – Vetoquinol : Helps relieve joint pain thanks to omega 3 and vitamin E in dogs. Galenic form: Bites;
- Salmon Oil – Beaphar : Triple actions on coat, cardiovascular function and joint mobility in dogs and cats. Galenic form: Oil to pour on food.
- Pernacox-GreenVet : In case of osteoarthritis in cats and dogs, based on plants and marine complexes, anti-inflammatory activity. Galenic form: tablet;
- Seraquin – Boehringer Ingelheim : Food supplement acting on the cartilage of older dogs with osteoarthritis. Based on powerful natural antioxidant turmeric. Galenic form: Tablets;
- Vétosan – Joint comfort – Clément Thékan : Complementary food of plant origin to maintain joint mobility in dogs. Galenic form: Tablets;
- Cosequin – Arca Natura : Heals the joints by preserving the integrity of the cartilage in obese or elderly cats. Galenic form: Capsule
- Rhumatyl – Boiron: Homeopathic solution to relieve joint pain in dogs and cats. Exists in version Rhumatyl 30ml et Rhumatyl 120ml. Galenic form: Graduated pipette to put in the mouth or in food.
This list is not exhaustive, the advice of your veterinarian is strongly recommended.
Overweight and diabetes
It can happen that the consequence of a lifetime of debauchery, a rich diet and the lack of activity linked to joint pain develops obesity in Grosminet and Gros-Blanc. This is why, as mentioned, it is good to adapt the croquettes for the diet of your four-legged friend. Especially since obesity will accentuate the stress on the joints when moving.
Another disease accentuated by the passage of time and age is diabetes. This disease can occur at an early age, however the risk of triggering it at an advanced age is increased.
Here are some solutions that we offer around this disease which is characterized by hyperglycemia and excessively high glucose levels:
- Dry food – Advance Veterinary Diets Diabetes – Dog – ADVANCE : Croquettes to control glucose intake;
- Alphatrak – Glucometer : Blood sugar control kit for dogs and cats;
- Strips – Alphatrak : For the glucometer, to test blood sugar. Available in packs of 2 boxes of 50;
- Lancets – Alphatrak : For the glucometer, allows you to extract a drop of blood to put on the strip.
Navigating Troubled Waters: Heart & breathing
We continue the long list of what can await your home geriatrics service. The two elements cited seem, it seems, vital.
The heart at the center of attention
Let's start with the heart, just that. Guarantor of good blood circulation, it can sometimes encounter malfunctions, especially in older dogs and cats. These dysfunctions can be a murmur in the heart (systematic noise when the blood passes from one cavity to another) or heart failure (irregular heartbeats and insufficient expulsion of blood). The old age of the heart is to be taken seriously, it plays a central role all the same!
- Symptoms of the disease : Fatigue, cough after exercise, shortness of breath
- Accompaniments / Treatments : We always come back to the same thing but it is necessary to relieve the heart so that it can beat without forcing, thus avoiding overweight. It is essential to consult the veterinarian so that he can identify the causes and propose an appropriate treatment.
Take a deep breath of air
We move on to breathing. The respiratory tracts in animals are like the pipes of a house, the walls become stiff, thick and leave little room for the air which passes through. This phenomenon can cause aches, coughs and/or bronchitis.
- Symptoms of the disease : Fatigue, cough after exercise, shortness of breath
- Accompaniments / Treatments : It is necessary to facilitate the release of the respiratory tract. For this, we offer two more solutions to accompany old age in your animal:
- Repyl – Boiron : Homeopathic drinkable solution to act on benign acute conditions of the upper respiratory tract, particularly in dogs and elderly cats.
- Respiphytol – GreenVet : Tablets based on Echinacea, thyme and Eucalyptus to free the airways.
Filtration and evacuation, yes we are still on the subject of old age.
Filtration and evacuation refer to the kidneys, urine and faeces. Yes it's not very happy all that unfortunately these diseases or inconveniences are very present in felines and canines of a certain age.
The kidneys, nothing goes
An evil, unfortunately too present is therenal failure. It is characterized by a multitude of symptoms, only a veterinarian with a blood test can highlight its presence. The disturbances observed are fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite and pain when your dog or cat urinates. In senior dogs, the animal is dehydrated and urinates a lot. You can relieve it with the Diarsanyl + (diarrhea), anti-emetics and diuretics to eliminate toxins. For the treatment of renal insufficiency the following treatments are recommended: Ipakitin 60g et Ipakitin 180g – Vetoquinol: Support of kidney function in dogs and cats. In case of chronic renal failure. The Pronefra also present on Produits-veto.com is not recommended for older dogs who may have complications.
Urinary and fecal incontinence
We are on the dark side of old age, no pun intended of course. You can track it, like little thumb, unfortunately old age is pointing the tip of its nose. As for faecal incontinence, little action can be taken, as it is rarer and often due to the spine. Urinary incontinence is manageable in most cases. The homeopathic solution Uricystyl–Boiron allows to intervene in urinary disorders such as incontinence or urinary tract infection.
The wise monkeys... old age
We divert this well-known symbol of Asian origin, to address the three areas affected by old age in animals: the eyes, the ears and the mouth.
Time will tell
In our case, it's quite the opposite. The longer your best furry friend lives, the less he will see! You know the senile cataract. No, it's not the name of the latest Netflix series, but a disease of old age.eye. A magnificent blue veil appears on the retina of your doggie, it turns into Super ToutouYoutou…. No unfortunately this means that its eyes are on the decline. It says as long as the retina remains blue the view is still operational, when it becomes whitish, nothing is working. THE crystalline loses its transparency, and the view gradually disappears. Be careful, the life of your furniture is at stake, your dog may jostle it every time you move it. To identify this degeneration you must perform an eye exam with a veterinarian. In order to fight against cataracts the use of eye drops stopping or slowing down the process is recommended. We offer the VT Phak – Virbac effective in this task.
Put a flea in the ear
For starters, fleas and dogs/cats don't mix well, but that's another topic. What interests us here is the ear. Indeed, your cat is not only blind, it is deaf now. Long live old age! As you can see we are not carrying good news unfortunately. Mistigri is a living being and like his mistress or his master, he gradually loses his hearing. Unfortunately, no treatment can reduce this scourge, however we advise you to cleaning cat's ear canal and chien.
Turn your tongue seven times in your mouth before speaking
"You stink of the mouth!" No, think again, this is not insulting. The mouth is indeed the mouth of the animal. It is still rare to come across a dog with orchard fruit scent breath. That said, don't be too smart and clever, because when you wake up, we are all equal on the subject. Unpleasant breath can intensify with age and especially when your dog has periodontitis. Periodontitis appears with tartar on the teeth, then if nothing is done to remove it, gingivitis, and finally the teeth loosen to leave the oral cavity. Simple solutions for the mouth of your animal (even if old age has not pointed the tip of its muzzle):
- Bucogel – TVM : Oral hygiene product fighting tartar and bad breath. In the form of a gel with a toothbrush and a finger cot. For dog and cat.
- Denticroc plate off – Clément Thékan : Destroys tartar and promotes the destruction of bacteria that cause bad breath. Galenic form: Powder. For dog and cat.
- Coverslips, sticks or Prozym – Ceva solution : The Prozym range is effective against dental plaque, tartar and bad breath. Galenic form: strips or chewing sticks or mouthwash solution. For dog and cat.
- Triodental range – Biocanina : Anti-plaque, anti-tartar and fresh breath chewing strips. For dog.
- Vet Aquadent – Virbac : Liquid solution to be diluted in the drink. Anti-plaque, anti-tartar and for fresh breath. For dog and cat.
Mirror, mirror who has the most beautiful coat
We end with a slightly lighter part on old age. I'm not saying it's not important, but appearance may not be the priority at this age. Yes, it is the coat that we are talking about here. Indeed, it loses its luster, it becomes dull and is no longer as pleasant to the touch. The first option is known especially for women and men, it is based on yeast, in the form of tablets from the laboratory Beaphar. The second option is based on Omega 3 and 6 to help revitalize the skin and coat. She responds to the sweet name of Megaderm < 10 kg et Megaderm > 10 kg. Finally the last option is called Coat and Skin – Vetoform for the natural version.
It's finish ? That's all ? Is this old age?
This article is not exhaustive and does not cover all the mishaps that dogs and cats may encounter as they age. For what ?
First of all, because we don't want you to interpret your four-legged friend's symptoms too easily at the risk of feeding her medication or unsuitable solutions, which can have such a detrimental effect on the dog's metabolism. . Yes, yes we have seen your hypochondriac facet.
The second reason is that we are not intended to replace veterinarians who do their job extremely well. We repeat each time but do not practice self-medication for Rantanplan and Felix. Produits-veto.com offers treatments recommended by these animal health professionals.
So for other problems such as hypothyroidism, hypertension, cognitive dysfunctions,… check with them :)
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