How can pet owners estimate their dog or cat’s age if they weren’t present at birth or didn’t buy from a breeder? Many pet owners find their pets at rescues and shelters.
How do dogs and cats age?
Lifestyle is the most significant factor affecting how your pet ages. Lifestyle is 70% of the equation, and genetics is 30%. Most pet diseases are due to degenerative processes that occur as pets age. Research tells us that feeding pets a good diet and adequately supplementing their diet can help slow your pet’s aging process so they stay young and healthy longer and enjoy daily quality of life.
Balanced pet diets are essential, but they can’t provide your dog or cat with the optimal levels of nutrients that their body needs. For example, to receive the correct levels of Vitamin E, your canine would need to become a chow hound.
He would have to eat 5000 calories daily to get enough Vitamin E.
What about all the other vitamins and minerals he needs? That’s the problem.
In addition, if your pooch ate 5000 calories a day, he would soon suffer from being overweight and become predisposed to a multitude of health issues like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer as a result.
How can pet owners assess the age of their pets?
To determine whether a pet is old, it’s important to distinguish between chronological and biological age. Chronological age is determined by the year your pet was born or the number of candles on your pet’s birthday cake. Biological age determines how your pet looks, acts, and feels.
Pet Aging begins at maturity. For most pets, it starts at age seven. This is when your pet’s bodily systems begin to slow down. Cells deteriorate faster than their body can repair them, causing a progressive decline in mental and physical functioning and appearance.
Signs of Aging in Dogs and Cats:
Signs of pet aging occur slowly. Detecting them requires careful observation by the pet owner.
Before beginning your pet’s longevity program, use Dr. Carol’s Pet Anti-Aging Checklist to identify signs of aging. Re-evaluate your pet 30-60 days later and decide for yourself.
- * Weight changes or appetite loss
- * Skin and hair coat alterations
- * Excessive shedding
- * Frequent urination
- * Arthritis-Limping or loss of mobility
- * Bad breath
- * Vision or hearing loss
- * Behavioral shifts
- * Mental decline or senility
- * Having accidents in the house
Ronald Klatz, M.D., president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, calls Dr. Carol Osborne “one of the best and brightest forward-looking minds in the medical profession.”
Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM, is a pioneer in pet anti-aging medicine and longevity research for dogs and cats. She developed and patented a six-step approach to optimize pet health and extend pet life spans by up to 30%.
Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM
Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM, is a practicing integrative veterinarian and a nationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of functional medicine. She is the founder and director of the Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center and Pet Clinic and an Emmy-nominated television journalist. Her first two books, Naturally Healthy Dogs and Naturally Healthy Cats hit the international best-seller lists. She is a regular contributor to several television shows and networks including FOX & Friends, The Today Show, Discovery’s Animal Planet, and Good Day LA.Dr. Carol is board-certified in Anti-Aging Medicine and developed and patented PAAWS: Pet Anti-Aging Wellness System for dogs and cats. Today she has turned her passion for functional pet medicine, real food, nutrition, and wellness into activism. Dr. Osborne is leading a pet health revolution that challenges us to reimagine our pet’s biology and the process of aging to create and sustain your pet’s health for life. Learn more at http://www.chagrinfallspetclinic.com
