Supporting Your Elderly Dog

I now know that she would have lived so much longer. She would have not suffered from as much arthritic pain as she did in her latter years. I am so thankful that I can feed Ruff a balanced and healthy vegan diet.

He is 11 now and needs all the support he can get with his little bent inherited front legs and heart murmur so common in small elderly breeds. We all want our elderly dogs to stay as healthy, happy and as comfortable as possible so that they live as long as possible. None of us want our elderly pets to be in any form of discomfort or pain!

💚 1. Elderly dogs need high quality proteins that contain all 10 essential amino acids. The proteins must be readily available and pure plant-based proteins. Meat-based protein diets are high in phosphorus which can hasten kidney disease if your dog is predisposed (read my experience of  having family dogs die from kidney failure here). Healthy older dogs can tolerate higher levels of plant-based protein which are naturally pure amino acids with none of the toxic build up found in fish and animal organ meats (as exposed when speaking at the London Vet Show just how many toxins were in Royal Canin, Hills and Purina dog foods). The healthiest sources of these proteins is through any of the dry foods we have in our Just Be Kind shop and we even stock the UK's only Senior tinned food - VegDog Senior Pea and Millet for your dogs in the UK!

💚 2. Even more important than protein levels, plant-based diets contain anti-oxidants that protect the ageing cells in your dog's body. Beta-carotene is a natural anti-oxidant found in bright orange sweet potato, blueberries and fresh carrots for example. The highest level of antioxidant is found in the bright pink microalgae called Astaxanthin that quite literally delays the ageing process in dogs!  Greying around their muzzles will be slowed down, as well as signs of early onset doggy dementia. Our Omega 3 Daily contains Astaxanthin which is a bright pink (and delicious microalgae) that has an anti-oxidant effect that is 150 x more potent than eating carrots!! This means that your elderly dog can stay bonded to you and recognise you for longer by delaying the onset of any doggy dementia.

💚 3. Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient that helps to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells functioning. This MUST be supplemented in any age of dog on a vegan diet, but even more importantly in our elderly dogs to delay doggy dementia. Some dogs such as German Shepherds may begin to show signs of dragging of their hindlimbs with spinal nerve dysfunction. This vital vitamin is found in nutritional yeast (with added Vit B12 which is even better such as found here), as well as in beans, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and added to our JUST BE KIND supplement. 

💚 4. A healthy gut is key to your dog’s overall health and longevity. 70% of the immune system is found in the intestines. Plant-based diets made with natural prebiotics and high in fibre are ideal. They provide all the elements to feed your elderly dog’s immune system and produce a functioning and balanced gut microbiome. Our 4 homemade recipes that you can make for your dog, contain 30 different colours and varieties of plant proteins to naturally feed your dog's good gut bacteria. We also advise fresh blended 'smoothies' made of colourful nutritious raw ingredients such as kale, blueberries, spinach, cucumber, apples, parsley and some plant-based milk to enhance their health when being fed any of the dry biscuits.

💚 5. Always supplement a home cooked diet for dogs of all ages. One important amino acid addition in the supplement and added too to the dry and tinned foods we stock - Methionine - is needed in our elderly dogs. It helps to acidify the digestive tract environment. Vegan diets tend to be alkaline promoting diets and with age, a dog’s digestive tract also becomes more alkaline. This can reduce the amount of important nutrients absorbed such as Iron, Zinc and Vitamins. Adding Methionine helps to neutralise this alkalinisation. Asparagus, peas, brown rice, lentils and bright pink natural cranberry powder added to any homemade food for your dog also help to acidify the intestinal environment.

💚 6. I advise that a homemade plant-based diet is fully mashed or blended. Peas, beans or seeds are completely softened and broken down to allow for maximum intestinal absorption. (Read about increasing digestibility of Give A Dog A Bean here for your dog). This is even more important in our elderly dogs who may not chew as well as they used to, due to loss of teeth. Give A Dog A Bean is an ideal food to feed elderly dogs due to its palatability and it is full of pure plant proteins without any soya or wheat that is usually genetically modified and may contain pesticide residues. ALL of the ingredients in Give A Dog A Bean and ALL the other products that we stock are FREE OF GMO's which means no extra toxins, just pure proteins to enhance the health of your elderly dog.

💚 7. You can select natural anti-inflammatories such as herbs like basil and oregano. Natural spices are also so beneficial such as boswellia (Boswellia is added to GOLD DUST Joint and Heart Supplement)

 

💚 Why did we develop GOLD DUST Joint Supplement?

• It contains the powerful antioxidant combination of plant proteins such as organic non GMO maize and oats which naturally rejuvenates dogs in their golden years
• Glucosamine and MSM sooth stiff painful joints while promoting gentle joint healing for dogs in discomfort
• Manganese and lysine are essential components of collagen and cartilage and in all other supplements are added as avian cartilage called chondroitin, but we use the pure source
• Hyaluronic acid has been added which is the only anti-inflammatory supplement that has published studies as being effective in dogs to help plump the cells in the joints and greatly reduce pain and discomfort
• Fast acting with results noticed in just a week
• Boswellia enhances the natural systems that control inflammation
• Biotin, Vit B12 and Vit C support dog breeds predisposed to cardiovascular stress and is an anti-oxidant for the heart
• Psyllium husks combined with palatable Aniseed and Oatmeal provide natural prebiotics to enhance the absorption of nutrients for a healthy immunity
• Gold Dust powder can be combined with Omega 3 Daily for a true Power Duo for your elderly dog's joints
  

 

Does A Wholefood Plant-Based Dog Food Diet Delay Doggy Dementia?

The story of 25 year old vegan dog Bramble shown here and the dogs owned by Anne Heritage is proof of longevity of dogs on a wholefood plant-based diet.

We do not have published research in dogs, but we do have it in humans where an intensive change in the lifestyle of humans suffering from dementia, was shown to reverse Alzheimers!

A study in May 2024 from Dr. Dean Ornish & colleagues 👏 (Ornish, D., Madison, C., Kivipelto, M. et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: a randomised, controlled clinical trial featured in Dr Michael Greger's nutrition video.

Further evidence supporting the power of wholefoods🌱and the consensus, "what is good for your dog's hearts is also good for their heads" (and ours).

It is not just length of life that we want for our elderly dogs; but quality of life. We want them to be able to see and be aware of us for as long as they possibly can to enhance the bond well into their golden years ❤️

What published studies are there about vegan dog food diets and longevity?

 

The lovely Dr Sarah Dodd shown above, published a ground-breaking research paper in 2022 shown here which due to the positive health impacts of weight loss and eating pure plant-based proteins while enhancing the gut microbiome; plant-based dogs could live up to 18 months longer than meat-based dogs which is almost 10 years in human terms - astounding!

Listen to Prof Andrew Knight speaking at the London Vet Show about these remarkable studies that have been done