Changing the Way We Think

Indiana teaches me something new nearly every day.  Oh, and Dr. Becker, our vet, too. 

Now that Indiana is nearly 13 years old, and suffering from kidney disease (although she doesn't really suffer,  but she does have it), her eating habits have changed drastically.  It used to be that if she didn't eat or, specifically, didn't inhale the food put in front of her, that indicated something was wrong with her.  But not so much anymore.  She eats three times a day (thanks to a missing pyloric sphincter from cancer #1), and if it goes smoothly once a day, I consider that a success.  Some days, she eats three meals really well.  But other days, well, let's just say it doesn't bring out the best in me.  I try to be patient.  I try to be understanding.  But I really wish she had a way to clearly communicate with me 100% of the time. 

Readers of my blog know that I firmly believe in the power of a whole, fresh diet.  This is the building block of wellness for any living being.  So when Indiana doesn't eat well, I worry that she's not getting the nutrients that she needs. 

We see Dr. Becker twice a month now, and we spend a lot of time talking about Indiana's over-all well being (short-term is kind of more important than long-term these days), which, naturally, includes her diet.  Her lack of interest in eating has concerned me, not because I worry that she's sick, but because it's not what is expected.  We expect our pets to eat the same amount of food with the same gusto their entire lives.  But, apparently, this is not normal.  So we shouldn't expect it.

You see, living bodies contain something called leptins (enjoy this manically complicated Wikipedia entry--good luck understanding it), which are essentially hormones that regulate appetite. Dogs (or humans, even) who are leptin-resistant never feel full.  But as the body ages, and as the dog (or human) becomes less active, the leptins tell the body that it requires fewer and fewer calories.  Little to no activity = little caloric intake.  This is why, if you are fortunate to have elderly parents or grandparents, you see them eating tiny amounts and then declaring themselves full.  But you only ate half a sandwich!  And now you're full?  It's the same with our pets.  A 13 year-old dog shouldn't require the same amount of food as a 4 year-old. 

Yet, we feed our pets the same way their whole lives and expect it never to change.  But it does.  And that's ok.  We are now offering Indiana smaller amounts of food and not worrying when she doesn't eat as much.  Some days, she just gets a can and a half of food, or 2/3 of a pound of raw meat.  It doesn't sound like much, and back in the day, she could eat a whole lot more.  But this is what her body wants, and actually, all it requires.  And now that I've learned that, I will respect it.

*Thanks to Dr. Becker for explaining all of this.  Any potential errors in this post are a product of my crummy memory and are completely mine*

***UPDATE***  I should note that while Indiana's caloric needs have decreased, her nutritional needs have not.  Therefore, we're starting to give her a multivitamin to cover any nutritional holes.