My pup Chops has just turned 17 years old, and I can’t help but reflect on all the things I have learned about caring for pets over the years, both as a dog mom and during my time working for a wonderful rescue organization (Paws4ever in NC, check them out!). I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m far from being an expert (at anything). I was a complete novice when I first adopted Chops and her sister Shiloh when they were babies. But I’ve learned a great deal and hope that sharing these insights will provide you with some food for thought.
This page isn’t a guide on how to provide care for your pet, but rather some notes on things I had not considered when I first adopted, with much of the information steered towards providing care in their later years.
If you’re new to being a pet parent, I’m sure you have tons of questions on how to get started. You’ll find a lot of great resources on the Paws4ever adoption page. Plus, Paws4ever has an entire Help page (scroll to the bottom of the link) with training tips and recipes for enrichment treats, and even more on their Training page.
When I worked for the rescue, I became aware of the alarming frequency of people having to surrender a pet because the pet parent passed away or could otherwise no longer provide care due to health concerns. We all like to think that we’ll outlive our pets and/or that someone in our friend/family network will step up to provide care if something happens to us. Sadly, my experience has taught me that this isn’t always the case. If you love your pet and want to ensure they always have the care they need, it’s best to plan ahead. This topic is so important, I’ve written an entire post about it: PLANNING for Pet Care.
When my dogs were younger, we enjoyed practicing basic skills at home, such as sit, stay and leave it, on a regular basis, and we even attended more advanced classes for fun. We had a blast learning new skills, and the girls were always eager to please. As the pups got older, though, we found ourselves training less and less. They were well behaved at this point and didn’t “need” the training anymore, or so I thought. However, when they became seniors, they began to lose strength and awareness of their hindlegs. I learned that those basic skills we practiced when they were young could actually help them retain their hindleg strength as seniors. Learn more about using skills training for physical fitness in this post: Basic Skills as Strength Training for Long-term Health.
Physical fitness is important for dogs, but their mental health should also be a top priority. Mental stimulation is helpful at any age, but as a dog gets older and becomes more limited physically, providing enrichment should become a top priority. While there are a lot of activities you can do that will work your pup’s brain, I’ve described some pros and cons to a few options I have tried. Learn more in the post, Mental Stimulation for a Happier Dog.
There is some skill involved, but it’s possible to administer massage and acupressure at home. For improved movement, you can help your pup stretch and loosen their back, legs and shoulders. You’ll want to devote some time to learning these skills to ensure that you help, not hurt, your pup. But once you master a few basics, you’ll be able to provide wonderful relief while intimately bonding with your dog where they’re most comfortable – at home! Learn more about At-home Massage, Acupressure & Stretching.
Alternative Treatments
It’s important to visit your vet every year, or twice a year if your pup is a senior. This allows you to keep up with necessary vaccines and keep an eye out for any potential problems. In addition to traditional vet care, you might find that your dog, especially in their senior years, benefits from some less common treatments. Both my girls started getting acupuncture in their late senior years, and it’s amazing how much it has helped them. Truly, you can see a real difference before treatment and after! Acupuncture has been especially helpful for Chops because she is unable to take a lot of pain medications. She gets acupuncture, laser and B-12 acupressure twice a month. We primarily focus our efforts on improving/retaining mobility, particularly of the spine and hindlegs, but these modalities are also incredibly helpful for upset stomach/digestion issues and a variety of other ailments.
There are professionals who specialize in canine physical therapy, including using water as therapy. And there are even canine chiropractors. We have not gone to either for treatments, but you might find them helpful. And lastly, Chinese herbs might be something you want to consider for your dog. Both Shiloh and Chops have taken the Hindquarter Weakness Chinese herb, though that’s the only herb I saw a noticeable difference with.
Practitioners who offer these alternative treatments might be limited in your area, and the cost of treatments adds up quickly, but I wanted to include them in case you decide to look into it.
How do you choose your vet clinic or other vet care professional? Proximity to your home? Online reviews? Recommendations from people you know? How do you know if a vet is a good fit for you and your dog? What if your current vet is no longer able to provide the care your dog needs, especially if their needs have changed as they’ve gotten older? Check out the post What to Look For in a Vet for a list of things to consider when choosing a vet care professional. They might be things you haven’t thought to consider.
Now THIS is a contentious and frustrating topic! With all the dog food options on the market, how do you choose what to feed your pet? Kibble, freeze dried, frozen, raw, canned, cooked? What about nutritional value and recalls and diet-related dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)? There’s so much to consider when choosing what food is best for your pup, and the information available – marketing jargon, media scares, etc. – makes it more difficult to decide. I can’t tell you what food to purchase, but I can at least share with you some of the things I’ve learned over the years, particularly since Chops was diagnosed with DCM. Find these tidbits in the post: Doggy Diets.
I typically only make dog food for my pup if she’s sick or otherwise needs a temporarily-altered diet. But I do make one treat recipe that Chops LOVES! Plus, my vet swears by a recipe for upset stomachs that uses slippery elm bark powder. Check them out at: Doggy Recipes.
With age comes decreased mobility and the possibility of incontinence. Getting old is hard, but you can make life a bit easier for your pup and yourself when your dog gets to this stage. To learn about some things I have tried and how they worked or didn’t work, check out Managing Senior Dog Mobility & Messes at Home.
Keep a journal
My final piece of advice is to keep a daily dog journal. Track when you take them out, when they are fed and how much they eat, when they get their medicine and any abnormalities (diarrhea, urine in bed, vomiting, etc.). When you have issues that come up, like an upset stomach or lameness in the leg, it’s helpful to be able to look back to see if anything from your journal can offer insight as to the cause and/or solution. Your vet will likely have a lot of questions for you that you might not remember if you don’t write them down. Keeping a journal is tedious and probably not something I would do for a younger dog, but I have found it invaluable in my dogs’ super senior years. Even if you don’t keep a daily journal, I recommend taking note of any significant changes with your dog, including any diet changes or medical issues.
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