Afghan Hound Dog

History and origin: Often referred to as the “Dog of Noah's Ark”,  the Afghan Hound is one of the oldest, if not the oldest breed in existence.  He was used as a herding dog, a guard dog,  and a hunting dog.  The Afghan's long...

Tumors In The Older Dog

Tumors of the brain and spinal cord are seen with relative infrequency in the older dog, the former having a higher incidence in boxers and Boston terriers. Symptoms will vary depending on the actual location and size of the tumor but will often...

Rare Diseases That Strike The Aging Dog

Fortunately, the aging dog has relatively few disorders of the brain and spinal cord associated with the process of growing old. Arteriosclerosis, that bane of human aging and a primary cause of senility, is quite rare in dogs. Hence it is unusual...

Prevention Of Dog Heat Stress During The Summer Months

There is no excuse for heat stress ever occurring. No one questions your love for your dog, or he wouldn't have survived this long. Just a little logical forethought during hot weather is all that is needed. Don't take him shopping with you if your...

Dog Nutrition

When dogs were wild, or at least still hunted for their food, hunger may have been an occasional concern, but rarely were nutritional deficiencies or imbalances ever a problem. Dogs killed and ate almost all of their prey's carcass including the...

Muscle Atrophy In The Older Dog

The muscles of most aged mammals lose much of their strength and actually decrease in size with each advancing year. This is a normal part of the aging process and is to be expected. However, there are two as yet poorly understood muscle disorders...

Less Adaptability As Your Dog Ages

It is not uncommon to find the older dog less adaptable to changes in diet, routine, or environment. For example, my dog always loved riding in the car, bouncing about with a sense of excitement. He never missed a thing that passed by; now that...