I have a 10 year old Bernese Mt. Dog and would like to know what I can do to help her stay healthy in her later years. What recommendations do you have?
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I would suggest the following to help Josie age gracefully;
Shorter duration walks, more frequently Switching to a dog food with is intended for older dogs Adding lean protein to her diet in the form of boneless boiled chicken breast or extra lean ground beef Supplements for joint health- I suggest osteo trubenefits and omega benefits
http://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/?petcoach=1977955
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Keeping Josie thin and fit will increase her quality of life. Walking once or twice daily will keep her muscles strong and help reduce arthritis discomfort. I prefer to limit jumping and heavy physical activity. Keeping her thin can be a challenge as dogs age. I like to feed a good quality senior food and if she's heavy reduce the amount and add in vegetables like green beans, broccoli or canned pumpkin to fill her up. As far as supplements I recommend a high dose of omega 3 to reduce joint inflammation. She can have up to 6,000 units of fish oil daily, usually I split this morning and night. Other joint supplements are good too. If she's painful and reluctant to exercise then pain medication may be helpful. A big dog like Josie needs to be able to rise to maintain her quality of life so addressing her weight if needed and regular exercise to keep the rear legs strong is the most important thing. Thanks for using PetCoach to help you care for Josie.
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