Claire Martin, CCMT (that’s Certified Canine Massage Therapist), CVT, shares advice on taking care of senior dogs and how massage can improve their physical and mental state of health. Check out our event calendar for Claire’s massage days at The Happy Beast and read more about her services at Peak Animal Wellness and Massage.
AGE IS NOT A DISEASE.
“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.” – Sydney Jeanne Seward
As my practice continues to grow, over 50% of my patients are animals in their golden years. It is with deep gratitude and honor that I work on these animals, and with some amazing results. While almost any dog can benefit from massage therapy, it’s especially true for senior dogs.
Our dogs grow and age similarly to us. The once overly rambunctious and naughty puppy will eventually begin to slow down. Age is not a disease, and it’s really important to remember to embrace this process with an open mind and an open heart. It can be scary when you suddenly realize you are caring for a senior animal, but use this time to empower yourself with the knowledge and understanding of how to prepare for this inevitable, AND wonderful, experience.
Common Conditions in Older Dogs:
Arthritis – Almost every old dog will experience this, no matter what. It’s just a part of the romping and galavanting that goes on in the puppy years. Would we have it any other way!? My arthritic and senior patients who receive regular massage see MAJOR benefits. The list of massage benefits goes on and on, and soon I’ll have a blog on just that! Adding in Omega fatty acids can be incredibly helpful too!
Dental disease – Dental disease can depend greatly on the breed and size of your pup, but no matter what, it’s really important to address. Dogs are absolutely incredible at hiding pain, and so you may never know this is going on without a thorough oral exam by a veterinarian. Once this is taken care of, your senior dog can munch down — and pain free!
Kidney disease – Pay attention to water intake, change in eating, or bowel habits.
Cancer – Sadly, many of our older dogs suffer from cancer. My best advice, if available, is to create a team for your animal. If there’s an integrative veterinarian near you, this is optimal. Continue feeding your senior pup a high quality diet, and continue letting them do the activities that they love!
Depression – This is a really important piece that I don’t want to skip. Older dogs really can feel a sense of sadness, as they are not physically and mentally able to what they did when they were younger. Massage therapy is a blood-pumping activity that can feel similar to exercise, and can act as a tremendous emotional support as well.
How Can You Help?
Movement – Sometimes we want to protect our senior dogs so much, that we forget that they still need to be dogs! Controlled exercise (multiple, short, leash walks) can be emotionally supportive and also good on overall joint health and flexibility.
Fish Oils – Fish Oils act as a natural anti-inflammatory and help lubricate the joints. If your senior dog (or any dog!) isn’t on these yet, it’s definitely something to consider.
Body Work – Consider massage therapy, for all of the benefits – the physical and emotional benefits, and the detoxifying qualities as well.
Emotional Support – Remember your old pup is still a dog! This is really important for BOTH of you. Be there during the process . . . I know it can be hard.
Here’s the truth:
If you’re really super lucky, your dog will grow old. Every dog and person’s experience will be unique, and it is never easy to lose a best friend. My goal is to keep you feeling prepared and empowered. Let me know what questions you have, or how you are helping your best friend during their golden years.
Love & Light,
Claire
Why We Love Local and USA Companies
in Products We Love, Sustainability/by Natalie SoonthornswadUSA! USA! USA!
The foundation of our business is based not only on the love we have for animals, but on the love we have for our planet and our local community.
We are fortunate that our community culture strongly encourages people to support local and environmentally-friendly options for everyday needs. In fact, Lafayette is one of the top 50 cities in the nation recognized for its environmental and sustainability efforts. We echo these efforts in our search for brands who share these values and incorporate them into their company mission statements.
Mother Earth Love
The companies that we feel provide the healthiest foods for our animals are also the most environmentally-friendly, sustainable and ethical producers – and most of them hail from the good ol’ US of A.
Local Economy Love
When we support our local economy and buy products made in the US, we increase demand for domestic sourcing and services which requires more local jobs. Local workforces tend to spend more money in their own economy, which further increases demand.
Buying locally made products and choosing to spend money in local businesses benefits our economy by:
Got H2O? Keeping Your Dog Hydrated this Summer
in Diet & Digestive Health, Dog Health/by Chelsea NiekelskiHot summer days paired with Colorado’s dry climate means more dogs are susceptible to dehydration in the next few months. Read our tips for keeping your dog hydrated this summer.
Dehydration can cause lethargy, loss of appetite, dry mouth and if not timely addressed, may deteriorate digestive, urinary and kidney health.
If you suspect your dog is dehydrated:
Never ever leave dry food dry.
Canines’ natural diet of meat and scavenged foods is at least 70% water, but kibble (dry dog food) contains less than 10% moisture. Proper hydration is critical for proper digestion and organ function and without enough moisture in the diet, your dog is likely to be chronically dehydrated.
Dogs will drink a ton of water to compensate for this loss of hydration. However, most water consumed outside of meal time will move too quickly through the digestive tract for it to be properly absorbed into the body. (Maybe you’ve experienced this when trying to increase your own fluid intake. I remember someone telling me, “If you’re new practice is drinking 80oz of water a day, your new hobby will be urinating.”
My favorite way to approach this problem is to feed a species-appropriate diet of fresh foods. This can be as convenient and cost-effective as feeding a high-quality dry food.
If you choose to feed your dog dry food (kibble), add something to his bowl to help him stay hydrated.
Carry water everywhere you go.
Make flavored ice-cube treats.
Retrain the Cat Brain: Solutions for Eliminating Kibble
in Cat Health, Diet & Digestive Health/by Natalie SoonthornswadAs we approach our July 4th Kibble Independence Day, we want to prepare and support our customers who are transitioning their cats off of kibble (dry food) by shedding some light on the inner workings of the cat brain and why you may be encountering some challenges along the way.
Why are cats such finicky eaters?! It’s fresh meat, just take a bite! (At least that’s how I’ve felt when transitioning some of our foster kitties.)
The most important lesson that any animal learns is how to identify and secure a food source. Wild animals teach their young what food is by bringing them dead or nearly dead prey in order to teach them how to hunt and what their natural food source is. A young animal needs to know how their prey looks, smells, and tastes.
We humans, teach our cats the same lesson when we offer them food, whether it’s kibble, canned, or raw food. Cats learn what their “prey” is from a very young age. This is why it is often much easier to transition a younger cat onto a raw food diet than it is with an older cat. Our mantra for transitioning any cat is “stay persistent and consistent in your attempts.” Some cats learn quicker than others, but as long as you don’t give up, your attempts will eventually be rewarded.
In addition to understanding the benefits of feeding a “zero” kibble diet, we think understanding how cats relate to their food has the potential to give us a bit more patience in the process. Our foster cat, Carlos, has just started eating about 1-2 oz. of fresh food per day, and it has taken close to two months. Compare this experience to feeding one of our foster kittens, 6-week-old Clementine, who has devoured raw food without hesitation. The experience is as different as night and day, which also speaks to the importance of introducing healthy food and habits as early on as possible.
Common Challenges & Solutions:
For more info about Kibble Independence Day or transitioning your cat off of kibble, check out a few more of our recent blog posts. Good luck and stop by the store if you have questions or would like to talk more.
Why We Love Fostering Felines
in Cat Health/by Natalie SoonthornswadThere are many reasons why we foster cats here at The Happy Beast. The first is we simply love cats and will make any excuse to spend the entire day in their company. We also use the opportunity of fostering cats to indirectly help our customers. For instance, our experience in helping our IBS foster cats reinforced our drive to help get our cat customers off of kibble, and to eliminate it from the store completely by July 2016. (You can read more about that decision in this blog post.) Now for the update you’ve all been waiting for…
Dottie with her new friend.
We are happy to announce that Dottie was adopted in the beginning of April and is doing really well in her new home! Dottie was originally rescued from a cat hoarder by Almost Home Adoptions and had been living at the shelter for several years. She is missing her right hind paw and has IBS, so it took just the right family to come around and give her a home. Like most cats, she was a bit scared the first few days, but gradually came out of her shell and is now quite comfortable ruling the roost! Her new family is in love with her, which is exactly what she deserves, after many years of waiting for a home. We miss her dearly, but know that a quiet home environment is what is best for her and what will allow her to reach her highest potential.
Around the same time that Dottie was adopted, we acquired a new foster whose family needed a temporary guardian of their beloved cat, Carlos. He is a welcome addition to The Happy Beast family, very social and playful, and has really become the perfect companion for Fancy (who really enjoys the company of other cats). Carlos is a hardcore kibble addict and we have gone to great lengths to keep him from tearing open our bags of dog food. He is a high energy cat and his drive to break into dog food is likely due to boredom and his natural instinct to hunt. He just happens to be hunting dog food, instead of mice. A cat with this personality would really do best with safe outdoor access so he can climb trees and run around a yard. In the meantime, I take whatever down time I have to play with him, and his absolute favorite toy is the Go Cat Da Bird! Even Fancy likes to get in on the action. I try to play with the cats for 20 min 3 times per day in an effort to curb his naughty behaviors.
Carlos and Fancy cat fur ball.
Fancy (our other IBS kitty) is doing great! Her stools finally began to solidify after 4 months of an exclusive raw diet. Quite frankly this is a miracle I thought we would never see. We think that she really likes having another cat to cuddle with. Fancy’s inclination for the company of other cats is nothing like I’ve ever seen in the 30 cats I’ve had in my life! Initially, she played hard to get with Carlos and would hiss at him when he would get too close. After a couple of weeks they were sleeping next to each other and next thing we knew, they were cleaning each other and spooning. However, Carlos’ kibble habits did have a negative effect on Fancy. Carlos tore open a bag and Fancy must have decided to take a couple of bites because the next day she had bad diarrhea and we had to give her a bath, which is basically like bathing a wild animal. She’s small but incredibly feisty and doesn’t like to be messed with. It took about a week to recover from this “kibble episode” but she’s back on track and continues to have nicely formed stool as long as she is on an exclusively raw diet.
Stop by the store to see them for yourself and let us know if you have any success stories of your own. For example, we just received a some great news from customers Melinda & Jon about their newest family member. These are the kinds of stories we live for. 🙂
Taking Care of Senior Dogs
in Dog Health/by Claire MartinClaire Martin, CCMT (that’s Certified Canine Massage Therapist), CVT, shares advice on taking care of senior dogs and how massage can improve their physical and mental state of health. Check out our event calendar for Claire’s massage days at The Happy Beast and read more about her services at Peak Animal Wellness and Massage.
AGE IS NOT A DISEASE.
“Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog.” – Sydney Jeanne Seward
As my practice continues to grow, over 50% of my patients are animals in their golden years. It is with deep gratitude and honor that I work on these animals, and with some amazing results. While almost any dog can benefit from massage therapy, it’s especially true for senior dogs.
Our dogs grow and age similarly to us. The once overly rambunctious and naughty puppy will eventually begin to slow down. Age is not a disease, and it’s really important to remember to embrace this process with an open mind and an open heart. It can be scary when you suddenly realize you are caring for a senior animal, but use this time to empower yourself with the knowledge and understanding of how to prepare for this inevitable, AND wonderful, experience.
Arthritis – Almost every old dog will experience this, no matter what. It’s just a part of the romping and galavanting that goes on in the puppy years. Would we have it any other way!? My arthritic and senior patients who receive regular massage see MAJOR benefits. The list of massage benefits goes on and on, and soon I’ll have a blog on just that! Adding in Omega fatty acids can be incredibly helpful too!
Dental disease – Dental disease can depend greatly on the breed and size of your pup, but no matter what, it’s really important to address. Dogs are absolutely incredible at hiding pain, and so you may never know this is going on without a thorough oral exam by a veterinarian. Once this is taken care of, your senior dog can munch down — and pain free!
Kidney disease – Pay attention to water intake, change in eating, or bowel habits.
Cancer – Sadly, many of our older dogs suffer from cancer. My best advice, if available, is to create a team for your animal. If there’s an integrative veterinarian near you, this is optimal. Continue feeding your senior pup a high quality diet, and continue letting them do the activities that they love!
Depression – This is a really important piece that I don’t want to skip. Older dogs really can feel a sense of sadness, as they are not physically and mentally able to what they did when they were younger. Massage therapy is a blood-pumping activity that can feel similar to exercise, and can act as a tremendous emotional support as well.
Movement – Sometimes we want to protect our senior dogs so much, that we forget that they still need to be dogs! Controlled exercise (multiple, short, leash walks) can be emotionally supportive and also good on overall joint health and flexibility.
Fish Oils – Fish Oils act as a natural anti-inflammatory and help lubricate the joints. If your senior dog (or any dog!) isn’t on these yet, it’s definitely something to consider.
Body Work – Consider massage therapy, for all of the benefits – the physical and emotional benefits, and the detoxifying qualities as well.
Emotional Support – Remember your old pup is still a dog! This is really important for BOTH of you. Be there during the process . . . I know it can be hard.
If you’re really super lucky, your dog will grow old. Every dog and person’s experience will be unique, and it is never easy to lose a best friend. My goal is to keep you feeling prepared and empowered. Let me know what questions you have, or how you are helping your best friend during their golden years.
Love & Light,
Claire