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Tiny dogs have a longer life expectancy while giant and large breeds are on the other end of the spectrum biologically, aging faster. When you are caring for an aging dog, there are some things you can do to improve or even extend her life

As dogs age, their nutritional needs and dietary preferences may change. Dog food recommended for senior dogs is usually soft, wet, or canned. The wide variety of soft foods on the market makes it easy to find one to fit your senior’s specific needs, as you will see here.

A quietly shocking truth sneaks up on the luckiest dog people, and it’s this: Nothing compares to the companionship of a senior dog.

As you see your beloved old dog’s muzzle beginning to gray, it’s natural to consider adding a puppy to the household. You’d love for the next generation to learn from the best, and honestly, you’re thinking it would soften the eventual loss to have another dog already in the family.

I had the opportunity to read a pre-publication proof of WDJ contributor Kathy Callahan’s newest book, co-authored with Helen St. Pierre, and I can’t recommend the book strongly enough. Old Dog, New Dog helps dog owners anticipate the potential pitfalls of bringing a new young dog into a home already inhabited by a senior dog—and adroitly steer around them in order to seamlessly create a joyful, trauma-free blended canine family.

Sundowners syndrome in dogs is officially called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, abbreviated CCD or CDS. It is a degenerative disease that it will steadily get worse over time. Activities, supplements, and medications can help to slow the progression of the disease.

It can be challenging to tell how old a rescue dog is, especially if not much is known about her history. However, there are some strategies that help narrow down a dog’s approximate age.

Selegiline, or Anipryl, is a medication to help senior dogs with signs of cognitive dysfunction. In senior dogs, cognitive dysfunction, or dementia in dogs, often shows up as increased vocalization, sundowners syndrome (confusion and/or agitation that occurs at the end of the day), and general wandering at night.

A dog’s heat cycle is different from a human “period.” Both involve bleeding, but for a dog, it signals a start to a fertility period whereas in humans it is the opposite.

If your dog won’t stop panting or settle down, she is probably either hot, stressed, or having trouble getting enough air or otherwise in distress.

The holiday season is approaching—a prime time for traveling to visit friends, relatives, and loved ones. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking about how to travel with your dog. As someone who has driven from New York to California and Colorado to California multiple times so my dogs didn’t have to miss a holiday or spend time with a pet sitter, I’ve accumulated a wealth of knowledge when it comes to traveling with my furry friends.

All dogs can benefit from dog exercise of some sort, but especially canine conditioning, as it’s appropriate for canine athletes as well as senior couch potatoes and everything in between and beyond, including puppies.