Integrative Veterinary Medicine and Geriatric Care
Phoenix Rising Veterinary Care presents Integrative Veterinary Medicine and Geriatric Care.
Minoue with Dr. Radica Raj
Minoue is a 19 year old, female, spayed cat. She was brought to me for euthanasia. Her clinical symptoms were urinary incontinence and severe weight loss. She was emaciated with clumps of matted hair. She was cranky, as she was in chronic pain from severe osteoarthritis. Her blood work showed she was severely hyperthyroid. She was drinking water all the time to cool down and nourish her body fluids, but her high metabolic rate failed to absorb any water and she was urinating copious volumes of dilute urine frequently.
And yet, she had the will to live! She seemed to communicate this to me as she nestled in my arms, purring loudly.
I requested permission from Minoue’s owners to give her more time and explore the benefits of integrative veterinary medicine, to see if her system could right itself with some help. While they were only too happy to do so, these wonderful people were also emotionally unprepared for this. And this is how little Minoue ended up as my pet 5 months ago.
Minoue was placed on a special canned diet to support her thyroid function, as well as a combination of Chinese herbs to manage the pain of osteoarthritis, slow down her metabolism and nourish her body fluids. Her tangled, matted fur was clipped, making her appear even more emaciated with her bald patches. She also had severe dementia and would quite often sit and stare blankly at the wall, interacting very little with the other cats in her environment.
Minoue enjoying the sunshine.
However, within a period of 2 weeks this strong-willed cat started showing signs of recovery: her water intake gradually returned to normal, her voracious appetite settled, and she even started to slowly gain weight.
She is no longer living in chronic pain due to the herbs. More importantly her whole demeanour has changed – from being a depressed, cranky, geriatric cat, she has blossomed into a beautiful, long-haired tabby with the attitude to match her gorgeous mane. She has started to jump up onto the kitchen counter with an agility that surprises me. She swishes her tail and puts my younger orange cat, Calvin, in his place by smacking him when he tries to steal her food. She now rules the roost, wanders around the yard, chooses to lay in her favourite spots in the sun and leads a contented life, thanks to a combination of Western medicine and Chinese herbs.
Minoue at play.
This is why Phoenix Rising emphasizes geriatric care. It is possible to provide quality of life to our aging pets and help them to live out their lives in comfort until they choose to call it a day. At Phoenix Rising Veterinary Care unwarranted euthanasias are rare. We take the time to counsel our clients and discuss options for managing geriatric patients. Many of our patients live out their lives and leave this world peacefully at their will. And of course, for those that are ready to leave their bodies and are unable to do so, we are there to give them a hand. After all, that is the most compassionate care that a veterinarian can provide.
Dr. Radica Raj
