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Senior Dogs: How to keep them Healthier Longer

We have created the Health and Wellness Section of our website as a way to help other pet owners dealing with the challenges their senior dogs encounter because of an experience we had when Albert, one of our dogs, nearly died from Congestive Heart Failure in September of 2015. It has been three years since he was diagnosed. Our Vet says he is a miracle.

We saw firsthand how proper diet and routine care can keep your dog healthy beyond their average life expectancy and in our case save a dog's life.

We rescued Albert in 2006. We don't know his exact age but the shelter people listed him as 5 years at the time. Northern California Sheltie rescue asked us to foster him until they could find him a forever home. That plan changed! We fell in love with this little boy who quickly became part of our family.

Prior to the CHF diagnosis, Albert was healthy, except for occasional allergies. When we relocated the company to Nevada, his allergies became worse. Therefore, when he developed a cough, we thought it was from the dry desert climate. When his cough became more frequent, we took him to the Vet, who took a chest X-Ray.

The X-rays confirmed he had advanced stage Chronic Heart Failure. The Vet gave him a shot and prescribed Lasix, a common diuretic. “He needs to lose weight” the Vet said, and told us he could live up to 6 months.

His cough stopped within a few hours, but he was lethargic and refused to eat. I called the Vet two days later and told him that Albert would not eat; his reply was "that's okay, he needs to lose weight.” For the next week, Albert would not eat and I had to feed him baby food from a syringe. He was so weak we had to carry him outside to relieve his bladder. He had lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks. Although he stopped coughing, it was obvious he was not getting better. I called a friend who was a Veterinarian in Southern California. She told us to start him on COQ10 immediately and to feed him raw meat and vegetables with no salt. She was adamant we take him to a cardiologist to have tests done. I called the only canine cardiologist listed in the area and asked if they used both western and alternative approaches. The receptionist said no and referred us to Dr. Joanne Stefanato, a Veterinarian who practices both Western and Holistic Medicine. As Dr. Stefanato examined him, she said she could barely find a pulse. "He can go anytime she said quietly". We asked if we should consider euthanasia. Dr. Stefanato said she sensed he was not ready and felt she could help him. She told us it was our decision. Although skeptical, we were willing to do anything to help him get better. When his blood tests results came in the next day, it confirmed what Dr. Stefanato suspected. His kidney and liver elevations were off the chart. We did everything she asked and within a few days, we could see a huge difference.

The first step to bring him back to health was to change his diet to raw food, continue with the COQ-10 and give him alkaline water. He was also given a specially formulated Heart and Liver Tonic. She also insisted we give him a bath with Organic Dog Shampoo once a week to allow his body to get rid of toxins. She mentioned his nose was dry and crusty and said that it was painful for him; we tried a product called Snout Soother. We could hardly believe our eyes as we watched him regain his strength and stamina. His teeth were bad and he hated having his teeth brushed so she prescribed colloidal silver as an Oral Antibacterial Solution because it is critical to keep bacteria from getting into the blood stream and other organs. Since we could not find tooth-paste that was free of sodium and chemicals we began researching and consulting with experts. The result was Pup-Phaste™ all-natural chemical and sodium free enzyme toothpaste for dogs. Yes, it really works and dogs love the taste!

July 1, 2018 We marvel everyday that this boy is still with us. He is happy and still follows me everywhere. He has a limp because of arthritis in his elbow, yet he looks great and loves his daily medication routine. Because his Arthritis was getting worse, we took a leap of faith and started him on CBD Oil. After a week we saw improvements and after 10 days he was walking normally. Once again our Vet was amazed.

Even though I considered myself an informed dog parent, I missed critical information. When I went looking for answers, I was overwhelmed with conflicting information from different sources. I began a mission to find consistent comprehensive information and organize it in a way that would help other pet owners easily find answers, resources , and even miracles!

The information and products we recommend have been tested on our own dogs. despite Albert’s grim diagnoses, he is healthy and enjoys a quality life. An added bonus is all our dogs have benefited from a raw diet and PH water. They have all lost weight and have more energy than before.

Since "Knowledge is Power”, we have compiled snippets of information we believe are sound and based on what we experienced with our own dogs. Below are links to information and products that may help you make the best choices for your dog’s senior dog health.

Sincerely,

PupGear Pet Products