Steep Steps, Steady Strides

Improving Lakota's gait, muscle mass, and, most importantly at present, her diet has been quite challenging. Focusing on each aspect, from her nail length, oral hygiene, general hygiene, physical therapy, mobility aids, pain management, to enrichment has been crucial for her overall wellbeing.

Keeping nails trimmed is a critical aspect of a dog's physical health. Nail length directly impacts their mobility, posture and pain levels. Long nails mean sore paws, worsens arthritis by misaligning the skeletal system and negatively affects traction. After purchasing countless nail trimmers, I have finally found a "dremel" or rotary tool that is working for us.

Soft, non threatening hum cordless rotary tool

The tool offers multiple speed settings and includes a light to improve visibility in your work area. Using your thumb and forefinger to hold the nails serves as a cushion to reduce vibration, ensuring safety and control. Lakota and Sultan aren't too enthusiastic about it, but they've come to trust me with it. Patience, patience.

Potty time reveals whether change in diet is working or needs adjustment. Loose stools is a red flag. An abrupt switch triggers an inflammatory response in the intestines, causing bloating, gas and loose stools. Veterinary guidelines recommend gradual transition:

• Days 1-2: 75% old food, 25% new food

• Days 3-4: 50% old food, 50% new food

• Days 5-6: 25% old food, 75% new food

  
  

Naturally, this approach didn't work for Lakota, a 15-year-old senior. Furthermore, I wasn't altering all of her food. She already receives fresh food with lean meat and steamed vegetables, along with various supplements.

Carrots, Kale

I was simply replacing the vegetables with a pre-mix that would provide the calcium missing from her diet. Two days after switching to the pre-mixed vegetables, she suffered from severe, watery diarrhea.

It was so bad that I considered taking her to the vet for hydration. Fortunately, Lakota has always seen ice as a treat, so I gave her bowls of crushed ice, which she happily ate. "Whew." It's time to adjust her consumption of pre-mixed vegetables.

Currently, she receives 2 tablespoons of pre-mixed vegetables per meal instead of 1 cup, along with 1/2 cup of steamed kale and carrots and white rice as a filler. She is now producing solid stools.

General Hygiene for Lakota has become more frequent. She now requires showers and "baby wipes" regularly. Because of her bad hips, she cannot keep her back end elevated enough to prevent it from touching the ground. Consequently, her inner thighs and paws often come into contact with urine.

Ensuring Proper Oral Hygiene for Lakota and Sultan is crucial. With my extensive experience in dentistry, I understand its importance. Excess plaque and tarter in a dog's mouth can create serious heart problems. Oral bacteria travels through the bloodstream and damages the heart valves and muscle lining directly. Since I am a "DYI-er" and need to save money where I can, I take the responsibility for cleaning Lakota and Sultan's teeth. Again, much like the nail trimming, they are not crazy about it, but with patience we get it done. Patience has allowed me to avoid hundreds of dollars of teeth cleaning bills going to the vet. This tool has paid for itself 100 times over:

Tartar & Plaque Remover

Physical Therapy, Hip and Leg Braces are incorporated daily. I am starting to notice the results of our efforts. There is no more "scissoring" of the back legs while walking and less "licking" of the front legs to alleviate arthritis pain, all without using carprofen. I can rely on Lakota to approach me when she requires a spinal, shoulder or leg massage. I can make sure she receives her physical therapy by just leaving the room, confident that she will follow me since she won't let me out of her sight. There will be challenging days and positive days, but hope and persistence remain constant.

In conclusion, getting to know your pup and their unique requirements can be challenging, involving experimentation and a process of trial and error. However, with guidance from your veterinarian and the abundance of information accessible online, you can discover methods to enhance and extend your puppy's health, wellness, and lifespan.