7 tips to a healthy and long lived Senior Cat
Can you reallynot do anything about aging? As in making a difference with the health of your cat… .
Do animals just get older, their organs age, and they get disease?
Turns out there are many things you can do to make a BIG difference.
For example with Kidney Disease, you can help your cat by providing additional antioxidants to help decrease kidney damage, as well as lowering the amount of Phosphorus in the diet which may also be damaging the kidneys.
My supplement ULTIMATE Feline has additional antioxidants, and has NO phosphorus- the Calcium in my supplement will actually bind phosphorus in the diet lowering the amount of phosphorus being able to affect the kidney
Seems like a good idea to be on this…
Dr Jones’ Top 7 Tips to a Healthy and Long Lived Senior Cat
1.Diet: feed a high quality protein, low carbohydrate, increased moisture Cat Food
Most cats are fed dry, carbohydrate loaded cat kibble. It is low in moisture, low in protein and often with the wrong type of protein. (ie Soy, linked to hyperthyroid disease).
CKD or chronic kidney disease has a direct correlation with diet (lack of moisture, elevated phosphorus). Cats that are getting repeated urinary tract disease, this is primarily related to diet (lack of moisture). We’re feeding the dry cat kibble that is primarily carbohydrates which cats can’t properly digest, leading to diabetes.
Get your cat off of the dry kibble and get them onto canned high protein moisture rich cat food, or even a home diet which is primary animal protein and that’s going to go and prevent so many of the most common cat diseases.
Especially with our senior cats ensure they have increased amount of water. Feed them a canned cat food but also you want to make sure that they have easy available and and easy access to water. (ie lower the water, consider a cat water fountain).
2. Vaccines
Give your cat no more vaccines.
We’ve given too many cats too many multiple vaccines year after year, and cats that have had repeated vaccines have a much higher incidence of kidney disease cats, or getting a type of cancer called fibrosarcoma directly correlated with vaccines.
In my opinion any cat past the age of 3 needs no further vaccines.
3.Conventional Medication
Use holistic options instead of the conventional ones.
One big example is the NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as meloxicam. Many veterinarians in practice will prescribe painkillers such as metacam to cats. Unfortunately many cats can not tolerate this drug, it can lead to serious secondary signs as it can cause kidney disease and liver disease.
One cat may be okay for getting Metacam once a day for 5 days, while another cat could react to the drug, leading to kidney disease.
Most importantly it’s knowing that and looking for some of those safe Alternatives which are not going to cause secondary side effects.
A real great option for cats that are in pain would be a natural anti-inflammatory such as CBD (cannabidiol).
The conventional flea medications such as Advantage can cause a host of side effects. Our cats are so much more sensitive to these flea medications than dogs. I even saw this in practice seeing far more number of increased side effects compared to our dogs.
Many of the holistic veterinarians are seeing links to more serious ongoing diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, being linked to Chronic use of these flea medications.
A far safer alternative is Diatomaceous Earth. It’s this fine white powder, looks like flour, and it’s found naturally occuring in the environment. Lightly mist your cat once a week, then use a flea comb to spread it through his fur. You can also use it in the cracks and crevices in your house.
4. Environmental enrichment
Cats especially as they get older, and they’re inside more often need environmental enrichment. Our cats need a whole lot of stimulation, and they need to have far less stress.
There’s a direct correlation between stress in our cats and disease. The big example I can give is our cats getting urinary tract disease as we now know the single biggest cause of that is stress.
Environmental richment can be just as simple as having a little toy that your cat is chasing. You spending direct quality of time with your cat and helping him groom himself.
As our cats get older they just don’t have the ability to properly groom themselves – daily grooming your cat a little flea comb is a good idea.
Many older cats can’t stand and use a scratching post. One of the suggestions is to make a low scratching post so one that’s on on the ground so instead of having to reach up, they just have to reach across.
5. Disease Prevention
It’s estimated that upwards of 30% of cats over the age of 15 are going to have some degree of kidney disease. Many of the feline specialty veterinarians now believe that the single most important nutrient which is damaging the kidneys leading to kidney disease is phosphorus.
It is also linked to low moisture content. To help with CKD or potentially prevent your cat from getting it in the first place, decrease the phosphorus content. Cat foods with the highest phosphorus content are ones that contain fish. Avoid fish, go for poultry as the protein.
Adding a phosphorus binder to your cat’s food can help decrease the phosphorus in his diet. Calcium carbonate also known as ground eggshell – the calcium binds the phosphorus and can decrease the phosphorus in your cat’s diet. Simple cat dose of 1/4 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight daily.
Dr Jones’s Ultimate feline Health formula has no added phosphorus but it does have added calcium – it’s an easy simple way to decrease the phosphorus in your cat’s diet which then can decrease the potential likelihood of your cat getting CKD.
6. Managing the most common conditions that we’re seeing in our older cats: dental disease and arthritis
Dental Health plays a key role in the old overall health of your cat and if you can ensure that your cat has reasonably good quality dental care, then your much more likely to have a long lived healthy cat.
Use your hands to lift up your cat’s lips to look at his teeth and gums. What you want to see is fairly nice softer pink just above the tooth line. Red is gingivitis, yellow over the teeth is plaque, then this turns into rock like tartar.
Tooth brushing is difficult for most cats. One of the remedies I found which is great for many of the cats that have dental disease is propolis. It’s also known as bee glue as bees use it to reinforce their hive. It’s a great option for naturally decreasing mouth inflammation in your cat. Use the propolis spray, lifting up your cat’s lips, a small squirt on both sides, and rub it where the teeth and the gums meet once daily.
Arthritis it’s a condition of just normal joint wear and tear as you have bone rubbing on bone, and you lose that soft articular cartilage with secondary joint and bone inflammation.
The three big core supplements are glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. All three of those nutrients are in Dr Jones’s ultimate feline Health formula.
7. Involved and Active Cat Parent
You’re taking an active role in your cat’s health care. If your veterinarian is suggesting a whole aray of different Diagnostics, but your cat is clinically healthy… .
you may want to ask number one why are you doing these tests and number two if we do these tests are we going to be doing anything different.
You’re going to actively question your veterinarian, and you’re going to ask about side effects. You’re going to probably say NO to something like annual vaccines to ‘protect against disease’, and consider a supplement with nutrients such as colostrum. It’s such a better way to support your cat’s immune system and prevent disease.
If you do all those things and you follow all those seven tips, in my opinion you have a much higher chance of having a happy long lived healthy cat.
P.S. You reallycan make a BIG difference. Choose to feed your cat differently now. Do NOT give NSAIDs. Enrich the environment. Question your vet.
P.P.S.About my cat supplement
Additional antioxidants
Lower kidney damagingphosphorus
It’s here
My 20 year old cat, started to have strange behavior, with seizures every few hours. She was on hyperthyroidism meds 2xd
We stopped those meds. And it’s taken six days for the seizures to stop. She Was wanting to eat every couple hours. Yesterday and today the appetite is slowed down. She is up Is urinating pooping is normal. Drinking lots of water. We were wondering if we should bother to get her blood drawn and put her on another medication. She’s going to be twenty one in two weeks. She hasn’t had any new vaccines in over three years.
Check an article that can help:
HYPERTHYROIDISM
SIGNS
This is a disease that occurs only in cats. Your cat will usually be over the age of 10. She will have an increased appetite, but will be losing weight. Her coat will be sparse. She may be urinating more often. She will have evidence of muscle loss. You may be able to feel an enlarged thyroid gland beside her Adam’s apple. Her heart rate will be elevated (greater than 200 beats per minute).
CAUSES
In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland enlarges and produces an excess of thyroid hormone. This speeds up your cat’s entire metabolism, producing the signs of weight loss, increased appetite, elevated heart rate and often high blood pressure.
The disease is diagnosed based on a veterinary exam, and in many instances enlarged thyroid glands can be palpated on either side of your cat’s trachea (windpipe). High heart rate and elevated blood pressure point towards hyperthyroid disease. A chemistry panel measuring thyroid hormone (T4) can confirm the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.
SOLUTIONS
SEE THE CAT DOC. If your older cat is showing some of these signs, you should have your veterinarian perform blood tests to confirm hyperthyroidism. Some cats may already have a pre-existing kidney disease, and in those cases we may not be able to treat. A simple blood panel with a T4 test will confirm the disease.
RADIATION. One of the safest and most effective ways to treat your hyperthyroid cat is with radioactive iodine. Your cat will be given one dose of radioactive Iodine that selectively targets the abnormal thyroid cells. It requires a specialized licensed facility, and can only be performed at a few referral practitioners.
SURGERY. Surgery is a potential option, but based on the risks of hypocalcemia, and anesthetic concerns in older cats, it is seldom performed.
CONVENTIONAL MEDICATION. Most cats are treated with a conventional medication called methimazole, but the medication has drawbacks. First, medication must be given at least daily, usually twice a day – and this can be a challenge. 15% of cats have some type of side effect, typically GI (vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance). Some can have allergic type reactions (i.e. facial scratching). A small percent will have serious liver disease, and some can have their bone marrow affected (this happens in 2-4% of cats on medication).
CARNITINE. This is a supplement that has been found to be effective in reversing the signs of hyperthyroid disease in people. The starting cat dose is 250 mg a day.
HERBAL:
BUGLEWEED (Lycopus europeus) AND MELISSA (Melissa officinalis). These are two herbs that have been used in combination to combat the effects of hyperthyroid disease. Bugleweed has been shown to decrease thyroid hormone levels in rats 24 hours after administration. The standard dose is 1 drop per lb of body weight of the tinctures given twice daily.
HEART SUPPORT. If your cat also has a heart murmur, then you can add in these herbs:
Herbal Cardiovascular Tonic
1 part Hawthorn, 1 part Dandelion, 1 part Ginkgo
Dose: 1 ml per 20 lbs of body weight daily of the tincture.
HOMEOPATHIC:
NAT MUR. Thyroid reduction. Alternate practitioners’ favor Nat Mur 30C as the remedy of choice. In fact a clinical trial with this homeopathic gave impressive results, treating the hyperthyroidism in many of the cats. Give 1 tab every 12 hours and assess the response after 30 days.
Med she was on is methimazole 2.5mg 2xd. We did look up side effects and it says that it can cause seizures and cats.
I have 8 cats. All from various places/ people. As a longtime caregiver, I was often given the option of keeping a clients cat after they passed. I regret some of those adoptions, but I’ll take it to the end. Started them all on the ULTIMATE FELINE SUPPLEMENT a few weeks ago plus DR JONES CBD,, and I’m
Seeing so much positive improvement,, in calmness, health, stress reduction, overall better health and happiness. So this was the right choice. They range from 2 yrs old to 16 yrs,,, getting along better, feeling better. No more KIBBLE!!! I’m very thankful.
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