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Feeding a picky eater is a challenge, but the right high-quality, palatable kibble can make all the difference. Choose a dry dog food that uses real animal protein, animal fat, palatability boosters, like natural flavors, and has a satisfying texture.

We all want our dogs to enjoy the highest quality of life for the longest possible time. Proper diet, adequate exercise, weight control, appropriate supplements, and good veterinary care can all help our dogs remain active and vibrant well into their senior years.

Can older dogs and younger dogs live happily together? Will a puppy bounding around (and possibly on) the arthritic body of an older dog encourage her to be more active, bringing energy and vitality during senior years? Or will the perfectly normal antics of a young dog aggravate and stress what should be a time of happy retirement for a senior dog? If you've lived with an older dog, you've probably heard someone at some point recommend getting a puppy or younger dog. The advice may be something like, "It will keep your older dog young," or "The new puppy can learn from your older dog." While you will likely find some truth in both statements, the opposite may also hold true. Your older dog could be stressed or exhausted by a younger dog. Your young dog will certainly learn from your older dog, but the lessons may not be those you would like to be passed from one generation to the next.

Sometimes we don't want to admit our dog is aging. We ignore the graying muzzle and scoff at the idea of a senior dog food." After all

Some low-fat recipes for dogs are excessively low in fat, providing as little as 5 to 8 GFK, with as much as seven times more starches than meat. With very few exceptions, it’s not necessary to feed such an extremely low-fat diet to dogs recovering from or prone to pancreatitis or with other forms of fat intolerance, nor is such a diet likely to be nutritionally adequate, regardless of how many supplements you add.

You've no doubt heard the adage, You can't teach an old dog new tricks." If you have an older dog

Many clients bring their aging dogs to me for private sessions because they have started having difficulty or reluctance with – or can no longer perform – normal life activities like climbing stairs, getting into the car, or walking on smooth flooring. These problems are often related to muscle atrophy in the hind end. Once the dogs get the all-clear from their veterinarian, we work on fitness exercises designed to rebuild hind-end strength; we increase the difficulty of the exercises slowly over time until more function returns.

Aaron Epstein's 14-year-old Australian Shepherd-mix, Sam, was losing weight and his appetite wasn't the same. I just thought he was getting old because in addition to not eating with the same vigor

Low-maintenance and low-energy dog breeds may be the answer for some older adults, but not for everyone. You need to adopt the dog you want and can handle safely.

How often your dog should be seen by your veterinarian, and what sort of routine screening diagnostics should be conducted, are highly dependent on...

An examination of veterinarian-prescribed dog foods that purport to prevent or treat disease, and over-the-counter foods that promise to "promote" improved health. Medical diets are the ones formulated for dogs with health problems, from vexing but garden-variety conditions such as itchy skin or digestive issues, to more serious health problems such as cancer or kidney disease. Some of these foods are what we'll call veterinary diets" (available only from veterinarians); the rest are over-the-counter (OTC) products

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.