Old Dogs, New tricks?

My dogs are getting old.  As much as I hate to say it it is true.  Annie who I picked up as a puppy while living in Steamboat Springs turned eight this year.  Annie is an Irish wolfhound, Husky, German Shepard mix with one blue eye and one brown and while not as large as a full Wolfhound is still pretty big at 120 pounds.  So eight is kind of a milestone although most people who met her wouldn't guess she is eight even the Veterinarian checked her chart twice and then asked to confirm her birthday.  Which is good because I couldn't imagine a life without her.  She has the most personality of any dog I have owned. 

Keegan is six this year although the only sign of aging on her is her greying muzzle. She keeps herself in tip top shape running around our four acres.




I get asked a lot how to keep older dogs healthy so here is what I do.  First and foremost I feed good quality food.  When I first got my dog I had no idea there were better foods than the ones found at Petsmart but boy was I wrong.  Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com to see how your food measures up.  Keep in mind the website is completely independent, they just rate the food.  I don't feel there is one great food for every dog.  Keegan has allergies so there are foods we need to avoid even if they are good foods.  I would shoot for a 4 star or better food from the website.  A great place locally to find good food is Essential Pet on Cottonwood Dr and Parker Rd next to the DMV, they are great and really know their dog foods.  So first step is get your dog on a good food that works for them.

My second thing I do is lots of walks.  Just like in people the more active you are the better you feel.  We strive for daily walks with longer hikes on the weekends.  This activity helps keeps joints moving freely and muscles strong and healthy.  If your dog has been sedentary for awhile make sure you work into longer walks, you don't want to injure your dog by doing too much too soon.  Also make sure to take plenty of water to keep your dog hydrated.

Speaking of joints I firmly believe in joint supplements, not only for dogs but horses too.  I know there is no evidence that joint supplements work as prevention but I have always given them to my dogs from a young age and it has kept arthritis to a minimum.   So my dogs get a daily joint supplement. Right now they are on Glyco Flex 1 soft chews since they are not showing any joint discomfort yet.  For being 8 and 6 with the sizes they are that is really good.  If I do see the Glyco Flex 1 isn't strong enough anymore I can move them up to 2 or 3 which is why I long Glyco Flex's three step system.

Lastly annual visits with my Veterinarian are very important.  When you see your dog daily it may be hard to see subtle changes that your veterinarian can pick up on.  As dogs age some may benefit from twice annual visits.

So keep them moving and active.  Start aching pets on a joint supplement and see your vet to keep those old dogs feeling young!