Golden faces health issues in senior years
Dear Dr. John,
My Golden Retriever is fast approaching 14. Her breath does smell badly, she has tartar on her teeth and her gums seem inflamed. Should she have dental work done at her age? My vet said that she has hyperplasia on her gums. Her hind legs seem to be getting weaker and she scrapes the top of the nails on her hind feet when she walks.
Her ears are always greasy and this is the condition I am most concerned with. My vet informed me that she has stenotic ear canals and so I medicate them daily. She takes a cardiac drug called Amlodipine, Trazodone for anxiety, Meloxicam for I don’t know what, and one drop of Tresaderm in each ear. Any light you might shed on all of this would be appreciated. B.M.
Dear B.M.,
Good dental health is always important and if her bloodwork and overall health, as based on your veterinarian’s assessment, are in good shape then I would consider cleaning off the tartar and reducing the gingival hyperplasia as needed surgically. It would probably improve her breath and be in her best interest.
Amlodipine is used to treat high blood pressure as well as some specific cardiac conditions so she may be too high risk for a dentistry with anesthesia. High anxiety doesn’t help either. The hind leg weakness could be attributed to various things and hip dysplasia, or ankylosing spondylosis of the lumbar spine are the most likely causes. That is why she probably takes the Meloxicam, an NSAID drug used to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. Weight management and supplements might prove to be helpful. I would ask your veterinarian about these.
Stenosis of the ear canals develops after years of inflammation and infections due to yeast and/or bacteria. If her ears are still greasy, I cannot help but wonder what the Tresaderm is doing especially at such a low dosage. I think you might be far better off flushing the ears out daily and medicating when infections are obvious. Chronic use of any medication may lead to ineffectiveness so I would consider changing the protocol you are using for her ears. I hope this helps and wish you good luck.