We recently had the
opportunity to interview veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward, a pioneer in senior
animal health, about the special nutritional and health needs of older
pets. Dr. Ward and Iams teamed up to educate
pet parents how best to keep four legged companions healthy, active and playful
throughout their lifetime. Iams recently
introduced Senior Plus diets to specifically address the unique needs of pets
age 11 and older.
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| Dr. Ernie Ward |
If you’re wondering
if you need to take any special steps to care for your senior pet, you’re not
alone. Just like humans, the pet population is living longer. In fact, 11
percent of pets in the U.S., approximately 33 million, are 11 years or older.
Veterinarian
Dr. Ernie Ward, a regular contributor on the Rachael Ray show and author of the
book
Chow Hounds,
says that antioxidants and nutrients like L-Carnitine,
Glucosamine and Chondroitin are important for maintaining health in senior
pets.
“L-Carnitine helps
maintain lean muscle mass and that’s critical because as we age and as
our pets age we lose muscle mass each year,” said Dr. Ward. “I’ve personally
been taking L-Carnitine since I turned 35 because humans lose about a percent
of muscle mass a year. “
Ward also explained that antioxidants are important as pets
age to help combat oxidative stress or free radical damage to cells. “This is one of the big causes of aging and
organ failure or other diseases,” said Dr. Ward.
“For older dogs, Omega-3s are really important for
combating aging changes, and they are going to help fight inflammation and
oxidative stress. Glucosamine and Chondroitin will help with
maintaining healthy joints.”
What about supplements for senior
pets?
Dr. Ward, who partnered with Iams on the announcement of its
new
Senior Plus formula,
says that with the new formulation, Iams boosted all the essential nutrients to
levels that would help with the vast majority of senior pets.
“But if a dog has arthritis or a cat has inflammatory bowel
disease or other conditions, then you may want to talk to your vet about adding
other nutritional supplements."
High protein diets vs. kidney
disease
As dogs and cats age their ability to digest proteins
decreases, so it’s very important to have a good protein source, explained Dr.
Ward.
So what about high protein diets? Can they contribute to
kidney disease?
“There’s no correlation between high protein diets and
kidney disease,” said Dr. Ward. “That’s a myth that was perpetrated about 40
years ago. Delmar Finco did the first research on the topic and then he
completely reversed his opinion about 10 years later. The reality is, as pets
age they need higher protein levels. There’s absolutely no corollary or
relationship with kidney disease.
“Now having said that, if your dog or cat already has kidney
failure it depends on what degree. We have a system where we actually grade or
assess kidney disease stages called the IRIS staging system. Depending on the
stage, we might restrict phosphorous or sodium.”
Immunizations for older dogs
Dr. Ward says he’s been an advocate for extended duration
vaccines for more than a decade. “The
general consensus is that all dogs and cats should be vaccinated as
infrequently as possible with as few antigens as permissible. So
for most of us that’s going to be on about an every three-year schedule. There’s not as much debate about is as there
was about 10 years ago when people like me were first speaking out.”
Is there any age when you shouldn’t immunize them?
“It’s all based on individual risk assessment, and that’s a
conversation to have with each individual veterinarian. I think where people
stray is that they try to make broad blanket recommendations for all dogs or
all cats,” said Dr. Ward. “It’s based on lifestyle, geography, if you travel… all those sort of things. “
Keeping chompers healthy
Periodontal disease is a very serious condition affecting
about 80 percent of all dogs and cats. Good food, brushing, oral rinses and
chews can all help maintain healthy teeth and gums.
“The cool thing about the Iams formulation is they got it
right many years ago when they developed a unique coating on their food that
reduces tartar by about 50 percent, so it’s pretty remarkable stuff. In short though, these diets can help, but
you still need to make sure you are brushing if you can, “said Dr. Ward. Talk to your veterinarian and especially make
sure you have senior pets examined. You
vet should tell you if your pet needs a professional cleaning. “
The bottom line on senior pet health
Eat right, get plenty of exercise, take care of your oral
health and get regular checkups. If it sounds familiar it should. Good healthy
practices for pets and their humans aren’t vastly different.
One final tip from Dr. Ward… In April, Iams is hosting some
fun contests with fabulous prizes on its
Iams Facebook page.
So go grab a healthy snack, go for a walk or play some games
with your pets! Then check out the Iams Facebook page for more fun and games next month!
