Old Age 
Old Age Age-related changes are inevitable, but a lifetime of good nutrition, exercise, and proper veterinary and home care can make the difference between your dog living an average life span or a maximum one. The antiaging suggestions offered here by veterinarians can help boost the health and energy of an older pet.
In more than forty years of veterinary practice, I have never come across any natural or synthetic agent with the systemic-enhancing potential of chlorella, a human nutritional supplement available in health food stores. Chlorella is a single-celled, freshwater algae that packs a storehouse of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and a high level of chlorophyll, one of nature’s most effective cleansers and detoxifiers. In addition, it contains a unique ingredient called “chlorella growth factor,” rich in nucleic acids. The quantity of nucleic acid in the body decreases with age, a decline associated with the aging process and weakened immunity.
Chlorella offers great benefits for aging dogs. When added regularly to the diet, it markedly slows down the aging process, maintains a youthful energy level longer, helps to normalize an animal’s blood picture, improves liver and kidney function, and offers significant detoxifying effects. Some of my clients have taken chlorella after seeing the improvement in their animals, and they have told me they feel more energized with it. Research on chlorella indicates that it improves the hemoglobin count, meaning improved ability of the blood to deliver oxygen throughout the system, and boosts immune cell activity.
Dogs fed chlorella just don’t seem to age like other animals. One typical case several years ago involved an aging dog with a heart murmur and an early cataract. Today the dog still plays actively with the household cat and hasn’t slowed down. He still has the heart murmur, but there are no signs of heart-related coughing and shortness of breath, and the cataract has remained stable.
I recommend chlorella as a long-term antiaging, health-boosting agent and as an accompaniment to any treatment program for cancer, colitis, and liver or kidney disease. It will also benefit skin conditions, speed up healing of wounds (when taken either internally or used locally as a poultice), and help clear up smelly skin infections very quickly. Chlorella is available in powder or tablet form.
Numerous studies with chlorella show it is safe at very high levels. I normally recommend 1 gram a day for smaller dogs. I once prescribed 6 grams of chlorella for a fifteen-year-old Yorkshire Terrier who was passing blood from the bladder and bowel. Another veterinarian had said the dog only had a short time to live. The owner was considering euthanasia. He decided, however, to get a second opinion and made an appointment with me. I suggested chlorella. We started the dog on the supplement. The owner called a short time afterward to say the bleeding had stopped. A few weeks later the overall condition and energy level showed improvement. It appeared that we bought the animal some extra time with improved quality of life.
For general use, give small dogs 1 gram of powder daily, mixed into food; larger dogs, up to 3 grams. As a nutritional support for dogs under treatment, the amount can be doubled and in many cases given up to five times the regular dose.
More than half a century ago the late Canadian physician Wilfrid Shute, M.D., a pioneer of vitamin E therapy and an ardent dog breeder, found that supplementation with vitamin E could revitalize older animals. Shute was at one time president of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America and used doses of 300 to 400 IU daily to create an optimum physiology and vitality among his dogs.
Vitamin E has worked reliably for me over the years to help energize aging animals. Studies have shown that older animals need more of this important antioxidant vitamin in order to slow down the oxidative damage of tissue associated with aging. Additional animal research has shown that vitamin E improves circulation, the immune system, endurance, stamina, skin problems, and libido.
Small dogs, 100 international units (IU); medium and large dogs, 200 IU; giant breeds, 400 IU.
I recommend two whole-food pet supplements that work very well to reenergize older animals and build up their health. Either one is excellent. If an animal doesn’t like the taste of one, try the other.
Missing Link, from Designing Health Inc. (800-774-7387). It contains enzymes, fatty acids, fiber, beneficial bacteria, vitamins, trace minerals, and health-boosting compounds from plants. Follow label instructions.
Vita-Dreams Daily Greens, from Halo (800-426-4256). It contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids, chlorophyll, barley and alfalfa juice, bee pollen, bee propolis, and royal jelly. Follow label instructions.
Senior Support for Dogs has helped many of my geriatric animals. This liquid combination of herbs and flower essences is made by Tasha’s Herbs (800-315-0142) and promotes health, appetite, and energy. Hawthorn, nettles, oatflowers, chamomile, dandelion root and leaf, kelp, and garlic are components of the formula.
Follow label instructions.
Give them more exercise and fewer calories and supplement with digestive enzymes.
Lower the amount of protein in the diet. Be sure the protein you do feed is high quality. I often supplement older animals with a good multi-vitamin/mineral, because as they get older they do not absorb the nutrients from their food as they did when younger, and their needs for nutrients may be higher.
It is very helpful if you can get them to start eating fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables clean up the gut and act like a broom, sweeping out toxins. Don’t overcook the vegetables. Just steam or lightly cook them.