A Different Approach: Chloe's Story

This is Chloe, a 12-year-old mixed-breed who is cared for to the highest possible level by her mama. Anything Chloe needs is mandatory, not optional - and dogs like this rarely cross paths with me because they're in such fantastic shape. However, one small problem appeared that we were able to rectify with some out-of-the-box thinking.

Despite her age, Chloe has fantastic mobility and no problem getting around. When her mom told me she was starting to have trouble going down the stairs, the first thing I wanted to ask was about her level of mobility. As I guessed, it was just fine. She's a good weight, still loves to play, and her age didn't seem to be a factor in the problem. Or was it?

Chloe is a mixed breed but it can be assumed a large part of her ancestry comes from herding, sporting, or working breed dogs. Some of these breeds tend to overanalyze things and think too much before executing a simple action. Considering her age, Chloe might also be feeling a bit more vulnerable to a tumble than she would have felt ten years ago.

I decided to start with cognitive support since nothing else stood out to me. Lion's Mane Mushroom is a great, simple additive that supports brain health in older dogs. My theory was that if her worry and analysis paralysis went down, she would be more keen to go down the stairs again.

It worked.

Sometimes a different approach is key to solving a problem. Holistic wellness is taking everything into consideration when we are treating the patient: mind, body, soul, and environment. Chloe's breed, history, age, and care from her mom all played a part in landing me at my suggestion for her. Everything in the body is connected, sometimes in ways you would never think.