Are You Ready to Thrive?

Arthritis in dogs is one of the main health concerns that I see.  As pet owners, we’ve all been there.  We’ve had a long, lovely life with our dog, and they’re getting a bit older.  They’re starting to have difficulties getting up from lying down, especially in the morning after lying there for a while.  They have trouble getting in the car to go to the park.  They don’t run like they used to at the park, and then that evening they’re super stiff.

I see this scene play out on a regular basis, and very often, the owner/friend/treat-hander-outer has brought them to me as a last resort.  Is there anything that can be done to keep our beloved dog comfortable just a bit longer?  I always get excited at this point, because yes!  Almost without fail (there have been a few cases where we just couldn’t make enough of a difference in the pup’s pain levels) we can get that old dog moving more smoothly again.

In Chinese medicine, our Kidneys play a huge role in the aging process.  I’m not talking about the biomedical kidneys here, so if I say your dog has weak kidneys, there’s no need to panic.  I’m talking about the Chinese medical Kidneys.  These are the jobs that are attributed to the Kidneys in Chinese Medicine:  bone health, aging, some aspects of the urinary tract, menstruation in women – just to name a few.

When our dogs (and us, for that matter!) get older, their Kidney’s ability to manage all of the jobs mentioned above starts to decline.  This is when we start seeing arthritis, graying of hair, and incontinence (and in human women – menopause).  The process for treating arthritis in dogs involves strengthening the Kidneys, and making sure that their Qi flows smoothly throughout their bodies.

It’s always exciting to see that dog who previously hobbled into my office come bounding up the stairs to give me a kiss hello before their next treatment.  Yep, there’s no better reward than that!