Author: Dorothy

Monitoring Your Senior Dog for Signs of Disease

As your dog ages, the likelihood he will develop various changes in the function of his body system increases. Some of these will be normal changes to the aging process, others may be indicative of disease. To be more easily alerted to possible signs of disease early in the disease process:

  • Monitor food consumption: how much is being eaten? what type of food is being eaten( does your dog leave the hard kibble and only eat the canned) any difficulty eating or swallowing, any vomiting?
  • Monitor water consumption: drinking more or less than usual?
  • Monitor urination and defecation: color, amount, consistency and frequency of stool: color, amount of urine: any signs of pain  while urinating and defecating
  • Measure weight every 2 months. Note any changes up or down
  • Groom and clip nails, look for any lumps, bumps, or non-healing sores, and abnormal odors, any change in the size of his/her abdomen? increased hair loss?
  • Monitor behavior; sleep behavior, sleep patterns, obeying commands, any house soiling, easily startled, anxious when left alone
  • Monitor activity and mobility, difficulty with stairs, inability to exercise without tiring quickly, bumping into things, sudden collapses? seizures? any loss of balance? any lameness or change in gait?
  • Look for any changes in respiration, panting? sneezing?

Brush your little guy’s teeth regularly..examine the inside of the mouth, any sores?bad breath, swollen gums, yellow, light pink or purplish?

Finally, all these signs indicate the need for a vet appointment. This does not mean that a disease is present. It means you want to get ahead of any problem!!

The goal is always to keep your senior dog happy and as healthy for as long as you can.

reading-glasses-funny-dog-25871384

LONG LIVE SENIOR DOGS!!!!

Cheers and Boos: Good, bad and ugly of 2016

The New Year is just around the corner. It is a good time to reflect on the good, bad and ugly.

Cheers to our ever-loyal furry senior companions. The warmth of your pet on your lap, and the sheer joy your dog shows when you walk through the door are enough to brighten and dreary winter day.

Boos to irresponsible pet owners who do not properly contain their pets. Loose dogs are at great risk of personal injury, as well as a possible menace to other dogs, people and livestock. Contain your dogs!

Cheers to folks who care for senior dogs and provide these guys who have given so much, with love and care in their golden years. These include muttville, Susie’s dogs, and others.

Boos to dog walkers who still don’t get that it’s their responsibility to pick up after their clients! For goodness sake, take a poop bag with you!!

Boos to those ‘Wrong Dog Owners combinations. How many times have we seen pets returned to a shelter due to a mismatch of personalities?

Finally, kudos to those to everyone who adopted a senior from a kill shelter. Seniors are in shelters for various reason, perceived behavior problems, death of the owner, etc. Puppies will be adopted first, because after all they are TOO CUTE!

Happy Holidays to you and your Pet!!!

 

Monitoring Your Senior Dog for Signs of Disease

As your dog ages , the likelihood he will develop various changes in the function of his body system increases . Some of these will be normal changes to the aging process, others may be indicative of disease. To be more easily alerted to possible signs of disease early in the disease process:

  • Monitor food consumption :how much is being eaten? what type of food is being eaten( does your dog leave the hard kibble and only eat the canned) any difficulty eating or swallowing, any vomiting?
  • Monitor water consumption:drinking more or less than usual?
  • Monitor urination and defecation:color, amount, consistency and frequency of stool: color, amount of urine: any signs of pain  while urinating and defecating
  • Measure weight every 2 months. Note any changes up or down
  • Groom and clip nails, look for any lumps,bumps, or non-healing  sores, and abnormal odors, any change in size of abdomen? increased hair loss?
  • Monitor behaviour ; sleep behaviour, sleep patterns, obeying commands, any house soiling, easily startled , anxious when left alone
  • Monitor activity and mobility , difficulty with stairs, inabilty to excercise without tiring quickly, bumping into things, sudden collapses? siezures? any loss of balance? any lameness or change in gait?
  • Look for any changes in respiration,panting ? sneezing?

Brush your little guys teeth regularly..examine the inside of mouth, any sores?bad breath, gums swollen,yellow, light pink or purplish?

Finally all these signs indicate the need for vet appointment. This does not mean that a disease is present. It means you want to get ahead of any problem!!

The goal is always to keep your senipr dog  happy and as healthy for as long as you can.

LONG LIVE SENIOR DOGS!!!!reading-glasses-funny-dog-25871384

How Seniors Dogs Behave as they age!

senior-dogWhen dogs reach senior status, expect physical and behavioral changes.  Listed are some senior issues:

  1. Changes in elimination patterns
  2. Decrease in interactions with other pets
  3. Onset of aggression in a normally nonaggressive pet
  4. Disorientation and/or poor problem-solving
  5. Changes in sleep patterns
  6. Changes in vocalization ( chico is having more conversation now that he is 13 yers old.
  7. Onset of novel phobias

Research has shown that medication, diets, and supplement as well as environment interventions can help  aging dogs  to improve their quality of life.

Some older dogs experience  canine cognitive dysfunction with some brain changes that people experience  with Alzheimer’s. Canine senior thinking is not as good as it once was. With normal aging , a lot of bodily processes slow down and don’t play as much. They tend to like the same things and thrive on a steady routine.

Don’t neglect stimulation and products that contain  Omega-3 DHA. Research has proven to show that this supplement slows the mental deterioration of our seniors.

A lot of seniors suffer from osteoarthritis or obesity. Carrying too much weight adds stress to the joints and impede movement. Vision and hearing  are also signs of aging.

Preventive care during the mature years  goes a long way toward keeping seniors happier and healthier.

 

Senior Pet Care

Due to improved veterinary care and dietary habits, pets are living longer now than they ever have before. One consequence of this is that pets  along with their owners and veterinarians, are faced with a whole new set of age-related conditions. In recent years there has been extensive research on the problems facing older pets can best handle their special needs.

What kinds of health problems can affect older pets?

  1. Cancer
  2. Heart Disease
  3. Kidney/urinary tract disease
  4. Liver Disease
  5. Diabetes
  6. Joint or Bone disease
  7. Senility
  8. Arthritis/Weakness

Sound familiar? These are most of the diseases tha plague humans.

Possible Behavior Changes in Older Pets

  1. Increased reaction to sounds
  2. Increased vocalization
  3. Confusion
  4. Disorientation
  5. Decreased interaction w/humans
  6. Increased irritability
  7. Decreased response to commands
  8. Increased aggressive/protective behaviour
  9. Increased anxiety
  10. House soiling
  11. Repetitive activity
  12. Increased wandering
  13. Changes in sleep cycles

The above reasons are usually why owners will turn their pets into shelters.  I am always amazed that this pet , who has given so many years of love, is now a burden to some parents. I am however happy that pet owners who can no longer give them the care they need , take them to shelters .

“Dont forsake me when I am old.” This is a bible verse, which I think applies to the senior dog parent.  Chico is fifteen years old. I cannot imagine my life without him!!! Long Live Senior Dogs!!!2013-03-12_2047_copy (1) copy 2

Excercising the Mind of Your Senior Dog

One of the most important  contributions you can  make to your aging dog’s quality of life is helping to keep his mind active. The canine mind, as well , as the human mind not challenged on a regular basis becomes stagnant , bored and less engaged in the world.

Include brain teasing games in your daily routine to keep his mind agile. Ask him to bring you his ball, or play hide and seek with treats you stash beneath pillows.  Put his nose  to use with a pungent treat.  Liver and fishy treats work very well.

First show him the treat, and let him have one. Next allow him to watch you hide the treat in an obvious location-maybe in your shoe, or on the bottom of a bookshelf. “Find it” , “Find it!”  Get excited when he finds it, heaping on the praise!1

Puzzle toys that dispense treats can keep your dog engaged and thinking. Clicker training at this age works rather well.

Choose a new route for your walk, which add variety , and new sights and smells to explore. Excercing his mind is one of the best gifts you can give him as he ages.older-dogs

 

Brain Food For Your Dog

dog-eatingDid you know that your pets diet can influence  behaviour? Have you ever eatan a big meal, and then felt lazy? Then you have idea of how what we eat can affect our behaviour. The same applies to dogs.  In face, scientists now believe its possible to change the neurological and physical aspects of a dogs brains, then directly affecting his behaviour and intelligence, through nutrition.  Linolenic (Omega 3)and linoleic (Omega 6) fatty acids play an important part in a dog’s diet.

Commercial pet foods don’t contain some things we wish they did: adequate quantities and qualities of proteins, fats,vitamins and minerals, or fresh food.  Secondly, they contain things we wish they didn’t , slaughterhouse wastes, toxic products from spoiled foodstuffs, pesticides, bacteria, artificial colors, as well as others. All processed  foods are missing something.

It is impossible to list all the various dog foods available for  mature dogs, but you can start with the following:

Eukunuba Senior

Hills Science Diet Mature Adult Dog Food

Nutro Natural Choice Senior

Purina Dog Chow Senior 7 Plus

Pro Plan Prime for 7 year and older. I swear by this food. It is designed to slow the mental deterioration of the senior’s mind. I give Chico this food, along with the food that is prepared by me, which includes lots of fruits and vegetable. I have found that none of these foods have enough of these items

 

 

 

2013-03-12_2047_copy (1) copy 2

Staying on the Move

One exercise that’s great for dogs is swimming.
One exercise that’s great for dogs is swimming.

If you are trying to keep your senior dog reasonably limber, the most important thing that you can do is keep him moving.

Experts urge  men as well as women , in orfer to forestall osteoporosis, to keep moving. This use it or loose it principal applies to dogs too. The typical senior tends to spend most of the day on the couch, which can accelerate her physical decline in mobility. This is because dimishef excercise accelerates bone and muscle aging. Staying sedentiray  can speed up both  muscle mass and bone density. This turns into a vicious cycle.

Every senior dog is unique and that uniqueness extends to his ability to engage in physical activity. You can do some things to adapt to the enviornment ;

  1. Ramping Up- A slanted ramp will aid in getting in and out of car-no more jumping.
  2. Stepping onto bed-Carpeted steps will aid with this
  3. Bedding- Younger dogs don’t mind sleeping on the floor-but as they age, heat and cushioning should be the order of the day.
  4. Stockings over elbows . This will be open to allow feet to be exposed but wil cover the elbows which may be painful
  5. Wood Floors can cause slipping and sliding-Put rugs in as many spaces as possible.
  6. Keep the room a little warmer of provide heating pad
  7. Try and keep the food high enough to reach with out bending over.. Do not raise the dish if your dog is prone to bloat-this is a life threatning condition if not treated
  8. Physical theraphy such as underwater treadmill, with pressure off the joints and legs
  9. Is it time for wheelchair-Discuss this with vet.
  10. KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF
  11. BRUSH TEETH DAILY , AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK

 

What is old for Dogs?

This is the question that I am asked the most. The old one human year equals seven in dog years, however this is not the most accurate. Large breed dogs such as a Great Dane are considered senior at six or seven years of age.Small breeds such as a yorkie are considered a senior into their teen years. As a rule however a vet visit should be considered when your little guy turns seven. This visit is important to start the correct diet and excercise for his age.
Each poopie (I call all dogs “poopies”) is different, just as we humans are different but here are some things to look out for.
If you dog is slowing down. Look for subtle changes like how she gets up from her bed.
The most common is the gray around the muzzle.
You may notice that yo have to call louder than you used to.
His eyes are cloudy or bluish. Vision doesn’t seem to be diminished.
These are just some of the signs of aging. The most important thing is to be patient, and have more patience.
LONG LIVE SENIOR DOGS!!!

What are the current dog food trends for dogs-senior dog

PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR CORN-FREE AND GRAIN FREE.

Grains contribute to a healthy and balanced diet that is beneficial to their overhall health. Understnding the broad dietary needs of your dog will help you make an informed decision  about what dog food you select.

Corn contributes to a balanced diet. A balanced diet will keep your og healthy and improve his life. Corn proides protein, enery, and linoleic acid, which is essential fatty acid for dogs. Ounce for ounce, corn has twice the level of aantidoxidants as an apple.

Raw Diet is Bad. I know many breeders who suggest that raw is better. A raw food diet is unhealthy for dogs, especially senior dogs. This diet may expose them to the threat of foodborne pathogens. Most importantly raw diets may not provide dogs with the complete and balance nutrition they need.

Omega 6 fatty acids are foubd in plant sources whereas Omega 3-fatty acids are typically found in marine sources. These fatty acids are important components of a dog’s diet and have avariety of biological functions , including promoting healthy skin,coat and immune system, and  helps to regulate inflammation.

The best coaching advice  can give would be to spend a little time reading the labels before purchasing food. Find out what the best food is for your best little guy.

LONG LIVE THE SENIOR Dog

How to Add Year’s to Your Pet’s Life

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec bibendum porttitor turpis, vel ultrices dolor porta sit amet. Integer orci libero, tempLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec bibendum porttitor turpis, vel ultrices dolor porta sit amet. Integer orci libero, tempLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec bibendum porttitor turpis, vel ultrices dolor porta sit amet. Integer orci libero, tempLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec bibendum porttitor turpis, vel ultrices dolor porta sit amet. Integer orci libero.