Dr Patrick Mahaney Treats a Senior Canine Patient with Laser Acupuncture
As my veterinary practices integrates western and Chinese medicine to improve a pet's overall wellness and reduce reliance on medications potentially having side effects, I have many patients that are well into their senior years.
When is a pet considered senior? That question has multiple answers and perspectives. I consider most pets senior at seven years of age. Smaller dogs tend to show fewer traditional geriatric signs (arthritis, mobility problems, etc) at seven years of age as compared to larger dogs. Larger dogs having reached age seven are less prone to periodontal disease and other metabolic illnesses (Cushing's disease, diabetes mellitus, etc) in comparison to smaller dogs. Regardless of age, it's important to prevent and manage illnesses before potentially life altering chronic diseases (obesity, arthritis, etc) emerge.
Recently, AOL's PawNation asked me to contribute my veterinary perspective to their column on senior pet health titled Ask the Expert: Your Senior Pet.
Question 1: Is it common for aging dogs to get arthritis in their later years? How can I tell if my dog is suffering from it?
Answer 1: Read the answer to question 1-5 by following this link.
Thank you for reading my article. To receive my next article via email, sign up here.
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2012) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format. Dr Patrick Mahaney Treats a Senior Canine Patient with Laser Acupuncture
As my veterinary practices integrates western and Chinese medicine to improve a pet's overall wellness and reduce reliance on medications potentially having side effects, I have many patients that are well into their senior years.
When is a pet considered senior? That question has multiple answers and perspectives. I consider most pets senior at seven years of age. Smaller dogs tend to show fewer traditional geriatric signs (arthritis, mobility problems, etc) at seven years of age as compared to larger dogs. Larger dogs having reached age seven are less prone to periodontal disease and other metabolic illnesses (Cushing's disease, diabetes mellitus, etc) in comparison to smaller dogs. Regardless of age, it's important to prevent and manage illnesses before potentially life altering chronic diseases (obesity, arthritis, etc) emerge.
Recently, AOL's PawNation asked me to contribute my veterinary perspective to their column on senior pet health titled Ask the Expert: Your Senior Pet.
Question 1: Is it common for aging dogs to get arthritis in their later years? How can I tell if my dog is suffering from it?
Answer 1: Read the answer to question 1-5 by following this link.
Thank you for reading my article. To receive my next article via email, sign up here.
Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook.
Copyright of this article (2012) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.