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Much like humans, the digestive system regarding
arthritis in pets is extremely important to maintaining health where
arthritis is concerned. Particularly in older pets, the digestive
system begins to function in less efficient way where it can become
a major issue.
Diet and the Digestive System
As your pet ages, their muscles weaken and become
more inefficient. This makes it much more difficult for food to pass
through their bodies. At the same time, it is critical that a pet
has a nutritious diet particularly when they suffer from
osteoarthritis. That issue becomes even more important when your pet
is taking supplements to alleviate their arthritis problems.
One way to view the problem is to consider that if
your pet is not digesting food as well as they used to, neither are
they digesting their supplements as well. Of course, that becomes
self-defeating when trying to address osteoarthritis. That is one of
the primary reasons that so much focus is placed on providing your
pets with the best possible diet.
Antioxidants and the Diet
Antioxidants have historically been used to
protect the liver from free radicals. Most use Milk Thistle (an herb
you can buy in any health food store). Losing free radicals is
equally important for pets as it is for humans if the digestive
system is going to function at its highest efficiency.
If your dog weighs fifty (50) pounds, give them a
daily dose of about 50 mg. of Milk Thistle. This will assist in
maintaining a healthy liver in your pet. And, as a general guideline
for doses, use the 50-50 rule just mentioned. For example, if your
pet weights 25 pounds, use 25mg. of Milk Thistle.
Aiding the Respiratory System Along the
Way
Your pet's respiratory system also suffers with
aging. As they age, they lose cilia (a small, hair like part that
helps clear the mucus and other obstructions from the airways.)
Their overall ability to breathe is reduced due to outside sources
such as pollution and cigarette smoke.
Since oxygen becomes scarce for the pet, their
blood-cleansing ability decreases; brain cells suffer; and, their
cardiovascular system has to work double time. By adding moderate
exercise and using antioxidants to their diet, you have increased
the oxygen available to them and helped them to fight off the
effects of pollution and other toxins that invade their bodies.
Other antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase and
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) are also excellent additions to your
aging pet's diet. (Generally, these are available through your
veterinarian.)
Take these simple added precautions and you will
see a much healthier, happier pet that is winning their battle with
arthritis. |
