Author: Dorothy

Housebreaking An Older Dog Is Easy

It will take a little time, but housebreaking a senior dog is not so hard!
It will take a little time, but housebreaking a senior dog is not so hard!

If you’ve just made the admirable decision of bringing home an adult dog from the shelter, housebreaking an older dog is the first challenge you and your new companion will overcome.

Though advanced in age, your dog might have gone through several stages and will need re-training, or they’ve probably never been housebroken before. Either way, there are tried and tested methods that will help your dog adjust to the new environment.

First of all, take your senior dog outside on a leash when you bring him home for the first time. This will help them understand that this is where your dog should pee and poo.

The next concern of you and your new buddy is the time to eliminate. You must set up a schedule for this, and follow that schedule religiously. It could be after meals, at playtime, or during your morning walks. Follow this routine until your dog gets used to it. In the meanwhile, you can place your dog in a crate until your dog gets used to the routine.

House training your older dog won’t happen overnight, and sometimes they won’t stick to the routine. In this case, watch out for some telltale signs.

Housebreaking an older dog is easy!

Dogs will often pace, pant, bark or run around the house to get your attention when they have to go. Take them outside as soon as you notice such behavior.

It is best not to overreact or punish your dog if he or she goes in the house. If you do, it could make your dog fearful. If you catch him or her in the act, it is best to firmly say “stop” or “no.”

Take your dog outside promptly if he or she does eliminate in the house, and continue using positive reinforcement. (More here)

Because older dogs are more patient, house training them should be easy. All it takes is a positive attitude, and you and your furry pet will get there soon!

Time to change your senior dog treats?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_Ci-mtaFrU

At a certain point of your dog’s aging process, you may notice that they don’t respond as excitedly as before to dog treats. This is normally, as dogs normally becomes a bit more picky and sensitive as they grow old. One of the changes you may notice is that they simply don’t love the same dog treats they used to.

It’s about time for you to look up new senior dog treats that will get them excited! Senior dogs would love oven-baked goodies filled with flour, eggs, and chicken stock among other healthy ingredients. Learning how to bake fresh-baked dog treats is a great alternative to buying grocery store treats. Just keep at it, and your dog will surely love what you come up with!

Keeping Dog Arthritis At Bay

Keep your dog active as much as you can, early on.
Keep your dog active as much as you can, early on.

20% of dogs suffer from arthritis. The odds are even worse with your older dog, as arthritis is most common among dogs in advanced age. Nobody wants to see their precious dogs stumble and limp about—so before it comes to that, you might want to err on the side of caution and take note of senior dog arthritis treatment methods that prevent this debilitating condition from getting worse.

The first step you have to take is to regulate your dog’s diet and nutrition. If your dog loves food, you don’t have to reduce their food intake or impose a strict diet altogether. What you can do instead to help regulate your dog’s weight is by replacing their calorie-high foods with a low calorie-diet regimen. There are even dog foods exclusively made for senior dogs, which are rich in calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants.  If you don’t find the nutrients you’re looking for, you might also want to whip up your own low caloric recipe for your furry friend.

It will also be necessary to purchase certain things, all for the good of your older dog, such as a warm cozy bed and ramps.

Keeping Dog Arthritis At Bay

All elderly pets appreciate a warm bed. Safe heating pads are available to ease the aches and pains that come with arthritis. I prefer electric mats that are encased in water proof plastic and have a chew-proof cord. Purchase one that can not rise above 102F. Make entry and exit from your pet’s bed as easy as possible with at least one low side. Be cautious if your pet can not move away from the pad, should it get too hot. Puppies and elderly dogs are more susceptible to heavy flea infestations because their immobility assures that they are always conveniently available to the fleas. Fleas can get out of hand rapidly in both the very old and the very young. If there is a possibility of a flea problem, be sure bed liners can be easily run through a dryer cycle and use one of the modern topical products to control fleas on your pet.

Wood ramps, covered with carpet are a real help for pets that can no longer climb stairs. Just be sure they are stable. Make the slope as gentle as possible. Keep one that hooks securely, in your car to help your pet get in and out. Canvas slings work well for this too.

If your pet is no longer able to get about, there are, slings, carts and other apparatus that you can purchase to return some of its mobility. There are online stores that specialize in meeting the needs of disabled pets.  (Read more Here)

You might want to join your senior dog for a daily moderate exercise, as this has been proven to help slow down the effects of arthritis. If it’s been a while since you’ve taken your dog for a 30-minute walk or haven’t played with them for some time now, this is your wake-up call.

Also, you may not have heard of this before, but good nail care will also help in arthritis prevention. By clipping your dog’s toenails regularly, they can work normally and won’t have to adjust their gait and put pressure on their joints and ligament.

The steps I just  mentioned may sound like a lot of work, but in the long run, making these changes will help your senior dog live a fuller life. Isn’t that what every pet owner would want for their cherished senior dog?

Senior Dog Recipes that Your Buddy Will Love

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa5RQgF3sA4

As dogs advance in age, you will have to pay extra attention to their changing dietary needs. It’s especially troubling if they no longer want the food they used to love. This is perfectly normal. If you’re in a rush and have no time to go to the vet or the nearest dog store, perhaps it’s time for you to look up a couple of senior dog recipes.

When cooking a dog recipe, pay attention to the special dietary needs of your dog. For instance, your senior dog might need to add more protein and calcium to their food. Here’s a video of a quick homemade dog recipe that contains some essential nutrients from turkey, chopped meat, and eggs. The entire recipe cost just $20 to $25 days, and can last for a couple of days. And if your pet friend responds well to it, perhaps you can include it in your dog’s regular diet.

It’s not difficult to make at all! Just combine, stir, and cook, and you can serve your senior dog with a healthy platter. Bon appétit, indeed!

Helping Your Dog With His Arthritis

It can be hard to see your dog in pain from arthritis
It can be hard to see your dog in pain from arthritis

There are several causes of arthritis in dogs. It may be caused by misaligned joints when the dog was born or by an unfortunate accident. As I mentioned before, it may also be the normal wear and tear of joints as your dog advances in age. Whatever the cause is, the pain and suffering usually will not be apparent until your dog grows old. At this point, you should immediately seek senior dog arthritis treatment.

There are several treatment options available for a dog suffering from arthritis, but it’s first important what happens to your beloved pet dog with arthritis. Unfortunately, not a lot of studies have been conducted explaining this. What we do know is that there’s not much difference between how humans’ and dogs’ joints deteriorate over time.

Arthritis is known to be difficult to detect in older dogs, but it’s even harder to identify if your dog is large. Dogs of large breed tend to resist pain, and won’t manifest their pain until it’s quite severe. The same problem holds true for overweight dogs, because it can be difficult if their pain is caused by their condition or arthritis. This is precisely why going to the vet is even more necessary if your dog is either of the two.

Helping Your Dog With His Arthritis

Your veterinarian has learned to be a very good judge of the subtle signs that dogs give to tell us that they are in pain. It may be just a worried look in their eyes when the veterinarian overly flexes their joints. Or you pet may withdraw its leg, or even growl or snap. You veterinarian will probably ask you to lead your pet around the examination room so he/she can observe its gait and locomotion. Over their career, vets get very good at that. The veterinarian may notice that the major muscle masses of your pet’s legs and spine have shrunken (atrophied) due to disuse. Your pet may wince when areas of it spine are palpated.

But the key tests your veterinarian will perform are x-rays. Depending on how subtle the changes are, it may take more than a single x-ray film. X-rays of advanced arthritic joints are very distinctive. If you look at the hip and spinal photos of Hannah, at the top of this page, you can understand the changes your vet will see. Most veterinarians will set these x-rays up in the exam room and point out to you the important bone changes that they are seeing. (Read more Here)

Once the vet determines that your older dog suffers from Arthritis, he will make sure that your dog doesn’t suffer from any other health problems that will make the condition worse, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s diseases, and diabetes.

Do not administer any drugs to your dog, unless the vet says so. The traditional medication for arthritis is Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, or NSAIDS, although it’s not as simple as just feeding it to your dog. NSAIDS can have serious side effects, especially to your dog’s digestive tract. Your dog might have diarrhea, characterized by dark-colored stool or worse, develop kidney problems.

There are several NSAIDs, but you should only choose the brand that your vet prescribes to you. Carefully follow the instructions of the vet regarding when to administer the drug, and what should be done before or after it. Observe any changes your dog might be going through before or after taking the NSAIDs. Most importantly, just let your dog feel that you’re there, and everything will turn out fine.

Beat Common Dog Ailments Like Arthritis

Common dog ailments like Arthritis are highly treatable.
Common dog ailments like Arthritis are highly treatable.

As dogs advance in age, most of them become less playful and active. While most dog owners easily attribute this change to their dogs’ personality changes as they grow old, these symptoms may in fact be a sign of arthritis or degenerative joint disease. One of the most common dog ailments, arthritis is found in one in five dogs.   As arthritis is most prevalent among older dogs, you might not realize that your dog is already suffering from this chronic pain condition. It is caused by a variety of reasons—from genetics to the lack of physical activity during your dog’s earlier years. Just like humans, arthritis is also caused by the wear and tear of the joints over time.

The signs of arthritis don’t come all at once. These changes take place over time, and most pet parents don’t realize the symptoms until later on. This is why you should pay careful attention to your dog’s disposition.  When your dog doesn’t move around and play as much as used to, you should already be put on guard. You might also notice that they don’t want to go up and down the stairs, and would limp at times.

Beat Common Dog Ailments Like Arthritis

The very first thing to do is take a trip to your vet. Let him examine your pooch to rule out any underlying medical problem such as broken bone, torn ligament, or cancer that could be causing Fido pain. By conducting several diagnostic procedures, your vet will find out the real cause and decide on the most effective management strategy. If your dog suffers from arthritis or a similar form of chronic joint pain, your vet will likely recommend pain medication. Try consulting your vet for any recommendation on specific foods that are especially made for both joint care as well as pain management.

In addition, although your dog is already slowing down, remember that he still needs exercise to keep him fit. A nice walk in the park or swimming can be both therapeutic. (Read more here.)

You are in the best position to observe the changes in your dog. Once the vet has recommended the appropriate foods and exercises for your dog, you can also help ease your dog’s pain by rubbing their muscles gently or taking them to a dog massage specialist.

Does your dog seem to be in pain lately? Perhaps a visit to the vet will finally settle once and for all if your dog has arthritis. Whatever the diagnosis may be, the most important thing is for your canine friend to get help and be comfortable, no matter what.

Keeping Your Senior Dog Healthy

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikA0-S0GVnA

This video from About.com has some great tips for several items that will help you to keep that old pooch in tip-top shape!  The nutritional needs of a senior dog increase and can mean that a change in diet is necessary.  The expert here has some great advice about options that you will want to consider.  If your dog is getting to be a finicky eater, changing up what you feed them can make a real difference.  Getting human grade food may seem a bit much, but it can go a long way toward keeping your dog healthy and happy.

Nutritional supplements are also a great idea, as are toys to keep your dog active and interested as well.  There are fine pet supply stores popping up everywhere, and when you can get into one, there is always shopping online – so there are no excuses for not trying out some things that will make your fur baby happy.

“Ol Boy” Just Wants To Die Loved

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGxVowZ66n0

This is a beautiful story of  ‘Ol Boy’, a stray senior dog that was found in pretty bad shape.  A trip to the vet’s office confirmed what looked to be true on the surface…he was not going to make it.  Being malnourished was only one of his many problems.  It turned out he had several medical ailments that were going to be tough to handle – but at this late stage, there was not much to be done.  A animal communicator  was brought in and found out that Ol Boy did not want to be put to sleep.  He wanted to die in a home.  A home where he could feel safe and loved…things he had wanted for a very time already.

A staff member of the clinic agreed to take Ol Boy home and to make him as comfortable as possible and stay with him to the end.  That is exactly what happened.  They helped him drink some water, they petted him when he was in pain and reassured him that they would not leave him.  And they didn’t.  True to their word, they loved Ol Boy until he was ready to go.  He passed away in peace, when he was ready, safe, in a loving home and surrounded by kind people.

His last wish was to be cremated and then his ashes scattered near the beach.  He is free, he is happy and he died with dignity the way all dogs and all living things should.  What a blessing!

How To Deal With Senior Dog Incontinence

Sorry, mom, I didn't mean to make a mess!
Sorry, mom, I didn’t mean to make a mess!

You worked so hard to house train your dog only to find that as they get past a certain age, they seem to be having accidents in the house again.  This may present itself as a few drips here and there, to full out messes with a huge wet spot on the rug or on the dog’s bed.  While this certainly isn’t pleasant, it is fairly common and there could be lots of things causing the issue.  In fact, the laundry list of items that could be the culprit for your pooch is rather long and so this is one item that you should not deal with on your own.  A trip to the vet really is the wise choice here, and will help with diagnosing exactly what the issue is.  Whatever that core issue is, it is leading to a hormone deficiency.

How To Deal With Senior Dog Incontinence

Hormone deficiencies are essentially the cause of senior dog incontinence.  As the amount of testosterone and estrogen in their bodies decreases, they lose their ability to control the urethral sphincter, a band of muscle located near the base of the bladder.  Spayed or neutered dog are more likely to develop the condition because their reproductive organs have been removed, therefore they have smaller amounts of hormones.  Older female dogs are also more likely to be affected by incontinence because they have shorter, wider urethras.  (Read more)

No matter the root cause, you will want to help your furry child clean and comfortable.  If they are a longer hair breed, you should keep them groomed shorter and be sure to provide them enough water so that they do not get dehydrated.  Arrange to have them let outside often so that you can try to get in front of any indoor accidents and be sure to clean the urine spots as soon as you can with an enzyme cleaner.

The vet may prescribe medication or advise you as to options for you and your dog.  Follow the advice and be sure to report back to the vet if it does not seem to be working.  With a little effort and help from the vet, you should be able to get the issue under control and your life back online with a clean home.

Mature Works! Adopting a Older Dog

Older dogs rock!
Older dogs rock!

When people are considering adopting a dog from a shelter, they often only want to consider adopting a puppy or younger dog.  Sometimes the perception is that there must be something wrong with older dogs.  I mean, if they were great dogs, the owners would have kept them, right?  That’s not quite the case.  Shelters are often full of older dogs based on issues that the people were having and not because of any illness or behavior problems presented by the dog.

Mature Works! Adopting a Older Dog

Older dogs lose their homes for many different reasons….most of them having nothing to do with problems the dog has, but rather with those of the person or family surrendering the dog. Many folks think dogs who end up at shelters or in rescue are all genetically and behaviorally inferior. But, it is not uncommon for very expensive, well-bred, well-trained dogs to outlive their usefulness or novelty with folks who bought them on impulse and no longer want to take responsibility for them.

Other reasons older dogs become homeless: death of a guardian….not enough time for the dog…… change in work schedule….. new baby…..need to move to a place where dogs are not allowed…. kids going off to college…. allergies…. change in “lifestyle”…. prospective spouse doesn’t like dogs. (All these reasons are taken from real case histories.)  (Read more)

Some of the advantages of adopting an older dog are that they often have already been trained.  Sometimes this training is quite extensive, more often, they are at least house trained already and understand what “no” means and what should and should not be chewed on in the home!  They are already socialized and usually deal well with kids, other dogs and other pets.  You will still want to get a report on the dog’s general health from the vet, but you get to start with an instant friend and companion.

Not only these reasons, but adopting a mature, older dog can show a respect for age and keep the horrid puppy mills from getting your money to further their practices.  Respect for dogs and the current problem with so many being put down because there is simply not enough homes for them all should also help with your decision.  Do the responsible thing…do the loving and amazing thing of welcoming an older dog into your home.  The rewards will outweigh any risk!

Water Therapy For Arthritis – Owner’s Routine Soothes

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMyI9RFU9pk

John Unger and his dog, Shep, are the picture of what true love is.  Shep has pretty bad arthritis as well as hip dysplasia that has him in a lot of pain and leaves him pretty uncomfortable for most of the day.  John discovered that being in the water, in the ocean that is nearby, Shep could rest and felt better without any pressure on his joints.  In John’s arms, Shep could finally sleep peacefully and without the discomfort that he feels when laying on a bed or on the floor of their home.

These images of John holding Shep in the water so he can sleep have touched so many people.  Why is this story so powerful?  With Shep being 19 years old, John wants to do what ever he can to help his beloved pet feel comfortable and to be able to sleep for a few hours without all that pain.  This is love in action. It is love that knows no bounds, real love, and anyone who has loved a dog can relate.

Arthritis Supplements For Senior Dogs

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvTx9HfrJs

It is highly likely that as your dog ages it will end up with some degree of arthritis.  Glucosamine is one supplement that has shown to help in treating osteoarthritis in lots of dogs.  It is a safe supplement with very little side effects and can help with the pain associated with joint disease.  This pet owner recommends Glucosamine in liquid form that you can just pour on your dogs food.  They will eat it easily enough and it, in turn, lubricates the dog’s joints and can help with stiffness and pain.

What is Glucosamin, you ask?

 Glucosamine is an all natural substance that is used to treat arthritis and other joint diseases found in both humans and pets.  It can be taken in both liquid and tablet forms and is much safer with virtually no side effects compared to its prescription counterparts.  Not only is it safer, it is much less expensive than any of the doctor prescribed medications. (Read more)