GIVE YOUR PET AND EXTRA FIVE YEARS
OF QUALITY LIFE

Most pet owners tell us that they wish they could have more years with their beloved dog or cat.  We now have the scientific knowlege needed to increase pet life spans  by an average of 5 years.

Many of the ways that we have to increase lifespan are simple; some require close cooperation between the pet owner and their veterinarian.  Adding great years to the lifespan must begin early in life; now is the time to start.






HERE IS HOW YOU CAN ADD YEARS TO YOUR PET'S LIFE:
1.  Help your pet maintain a lean, healthy weight:                             Add 2 years
2.  Feed the right diet and supplements:                                          Add 2 years
3.  Keep the teeth and gums healthy with regular cleaning:                Add 3 years
4.  Find and treat disease early with regular  blood and urine tests:     Add 3 years
5.  Use regular vaccinations to prevent the major diseases:             Add a lifetime

Ask your veterinarian to help you with these goals, and share more years with your pet.

1.  Maintain a lean healthy weight:  An extensive study revealed that dogs that were fed 10% less calories lived an average of 2 extra years, and the reasons are now becoming understood.  Excess body fat cells release inflammatory chemicals that injure tissues and lead to diabetes, arthritis, and heart and blood vessel diseases.  It is also likely that cancer risk is raised by excess body weight.  Good weight control also improves quality of life by minimizing pain from arthritis or back problems and increasing energy.  Unfortunately, controlling your pet's weight is not easy.  Dogs and cats need at least 5% less calories each year as they age, so feeding the same amount year after year creates a serious calorie excess.  If feeding less and encouraging exercise are not achieving weight control, you may need to check with your veterinarian.  Blood tests can reveal if there are hormonal problems (such as low thyroid).  Treating arthritis or back problems may allow increase activity levels.  Specific diet suggestions may include a change in type of diet, nutritional supplements, or prescription weight loss diets.  Weight control is so important that the effort pays off in several extra years of good health and activity.

2.  Pets are already living much longer lifespans than they used to, and improved diets deserve much of the credit.  There are many high quality premium diets available, but finding the right one for your pet may require working closely with your veterinarian.  In addition to a good diet, there are a number of promising nutritional supplements that have been proven to be helpful.  Glucosamine supplements (often including chondroitin sulfate as well) are very helpful in preventing and treating arthritis, and we suggest that these supplements start early in life in medium and large breed dogs.  Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements have a variety of health effects, including reducing inflammation, normalizing blood fat profiles, improving skin and haircoat, and reducing the risk of cancer.  Although many premium diets have good levels of Omega 3 FAs, additional supplementation can offer further benefit.  It is important to choose a high quality supplement that uses fish oil as an Omega 3 source.  Flax oil contains Omega 3 FAs in an inactive form, and dogs may not convert Flax oil into the active ingredients very well.  Other supplements that show promise are the antioxidants, and there is much more to learn about their role in maintaining health.

3.   Keeping the teeth and gums healthy has a surprisingly large effect on the lifespan.  A recent book on human aging, "How To Live To Be 100", lists regular flossing as one of the best ways to live longer.  Tartar on the teeth leads to inflammed gums and allows mouth bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they cause permanent damage to the internal organs.  The effects of oral problems are compounded as the pet ages.  Good dental care includes appropriate chew items, use of special toothpaste to dissolve plaque  before it hardens into tartar, and regular dental cleaning.  For small dogs and some cats, the teeth should be cleaned every year; larger dogs and some cats can have less frequent cleaning.  Your veterinarian will examine your pet's mouth at every visit and offer advice on how dental care can lengthen your pet's life.

4.  Most serious health problems start months or years before they show visible signs of disease.  Regular screening  blood and urine tests and radiographs are the tools we use to find these health problems in the early stages when treatment is most effective.  Most of the diseases that shorten our pet's lives can be treated if they are diagnosed before they are life-threatening.  Be pro-active and ask your veterinarian what tests would benefit your dog or cat the most.

5.  The major infectious diseases have been controlled by vaccinations,  but these diseases are still common in the environment.  Racoons commonly suffer from the Canine Distemper Virus, 10% of bats in Washington carry the Rabies virus, and stray cats commonly have Feline Distemper, Feline Leukemia Virus, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and the respiratory viruses.  Canine Parvovirus is so persistant in the environment that any dog that goes outside will eventually be exposed.  Fortunately these life-threatening diseases can be almost completely prevented by vaccination.   There has been some concern in recent years that we may be vaccinating more often than necessary, and at Sacajawea Healthcare for Pets we have changed from the traditional yearly vaccination schedules for Canine Distemper and Parvovirus and Feline Distemper and Respiratory Virus combinations.  These vaccines are now given to puppies and kittens, repeated at 1 year of age, and every three years thereafter.  Other vaccines may still need to be given yearly (Rabies and Feline Leukemia Virus in cats, Bordatella in dogs), so your veterinarian will advise you about how you can prevent an infectious from shortening your pet's life.