Holistic Health and Pet Aging
Keeping Senior Pets Vibrant, Mobile, and Thriving
By Toni Shelaske
My dog Bo is a 13.5 year old cattle dog. He is wise, wonderful, and sometimes a little wobbly. He’s not the active dog he once was. While Bo still has the spark in his eye, his hips say otherwise. For the past 5 years or so, he’s dealt with arthritis symptoms (not unusual for a working breed like him). Because of my background as a pet retailer in the holistic space, I’ve put a lot of time and resources into learning about how to keep him feeling his best. It’s truly my mission in life to help pets and people so I hope you find this information useful if you have a senior pet and want to take care of them the holistic way.
Bo - 13yo cattle dog
Natural Supplements to Support Aging Dogs
I got him started on a joint supplement called InClover Connectin that supports mobility and reduces inflammation. It worked beautifully for a while, but as expected, things started progressing with age. That’s when we leveled up.
I added green-lipped mussel to his routine and yes, it’s as fancy as it sounds. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory, especially great for joints. On top of that, he gets Ease XS by CBD Dog Health, which includes CBD, turmeric, frankincense, and MCT oil. It’s a powerhouse combo, and it’s helped manage inflammation without harsh pharmaceuticals.
Ruling Out Degenerative Myelopathy
But as much as I wish a supplement could solve everything, sometimes we need to go a little deeper. Bo started knuckling and dragging his back feet instead of planting them, which can be a sign of something really scary: degenerative myelopathy. It’s basically the dog version of ALS and causes the brain to stop communicating with the hind legs. Cue the panic. I immediately did a cheek swab DNA test to see if that was what we were dealing with. Thankfully, it came back negative. But I didn’t stop there.
Senior Dog Wellness Routine
Bo now gets cold laser therapy, hydrotherapy on an underwater treadmill at Steel City K9 Rehab, and we’ve added the Assisi Loop and even a red light therapy jacket. Yes, he’s practically got his own wellness spa.
If you’ve got a senior dog (or cat!) at home, don’t wait until things get bad. Because old dogs can definitely learn new tricks, they just might do it at a slightly slower pace.
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