Complete Care for Your Aging Dog

by Amy Shojai

Overview

AWARD-WINNING DOG CARE! Today, dogs live much longer lives--thanks to advances in veterinary technology. But older dogs have special needs and require extra emotional support, nutritional help, and medical care. A longer life also means more dogs develop age-related conditions such as kidney issues, arthritis, cancer, stroke, senility and diabetes--all of which can be successfully managed with your loving assistance. Learn: How to entice your aging dog to exercise both body and mind What changes to expect--what's normal and what are warning signs Which over-the-counter medications you should keep on hand Tips for choosing the right products and food Different life spans and concerns for different breeds Filled with heartwarming stories of "golden oldies," and the latest in geriatric veterinary care, age-defying tips, and comprehensive reference materials, this is the definitive "Old Dog Bible" to turn back the clock on canine aging. Keep your senior dogs vital, happy, and active!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944423261
Publisher:	Amy Shojai
Publication date:	02/22/2017
Pages:	350
Sales rank:	612,358
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

Amy D. Shojai is a nationally known authority on pet care and behavior, a spokesperson for Purina, and the award-winning author of more than a dozen nonfiction pet books. She frequently speaks to groups on pet-related issues, and appears regularly on national radio as well as television.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	xix
	Using This Book	xxi
Part 1	How Dogs Age
Chapter 1	Defining "Old"	3
	Benefits of Senior Pets	5
	What to Expect	7
	Insurance and Care Plans	12
	Quality of Life	16
	Treatment Advice	17
	Golden Moments: Collie Love	19
Chapter 2	The Aging Process	22
	How Age Affects The Body	24
	The Senses	24
	Aging Eyes	25
	Aging Ears	25
	Aging Taste	26
	Aging Nose	27
	Golden Moments: Led by the Nose	28
	Bones and Muscles	30
	Digestion	30
	Aging Teeth	31
	Aging Stomach and Intestines	31
	Aging Pancreas and Liver	32
	Endocrine System--Hormones	33
	Heart and Lungs	34
	Immunity	35
	Nerves	36
	Aging Mind	37
	Reproduction	38
	Skin and Hair	39
	Urinary System	39
	Golden Moments: Thinking Young	41
Chapter 3	L.O.V.E. for Health	43
	Listen with Your Heart	43
	Observe for Changes: Home Health Alerts	45
	Behavior Cues	45
	Body Warnings	47
	Visit the Veterinarian: Well-Pet Exams	48
	Screening Tests	49
	Enrich the Environment	51
	Nutrition	51
	Exercise	54
	Physical Therapy	56
	Golden Moments: A Decade of Flying High!	59
	Grooming	61
	Accommodations	62
	Exercising the Mind	64
	Golden Moments: Feeling Important	65
Chapter 4	Nursing Care	67
	Care Considerations	67
	Pain Management	68
	Golden Moments: Kramer's Legacy	70
	Owner Attention	73
	Restraint	73
	Medication	76
	Fluid Therapy	81
	Nutritional Support	82
	Wound and Bandage Maintenance	84
Chapter 5	Advanced-Care Options	87
	Veterinary Specialists	87
	Geriatric Research	89
	Nutrition Research	90
	Food Restriction	91
	Antioxidants--Vitamin Age-Protection	92
	Brain Research	93
	Drug Research	95
	Herbal Options	95
	Pain Management	96
	Acupuncture	98
	Golden Moments: Loving Andy	99
	Surgery	102
	Golden Moments: Care from the Heart	103
Chapter 6	Making Choices	106
	The Final Gift	107
	Preparing for the End	108
	Talking to Children	109
	Right Time, Right Place	110
	Understanding Euthanasia	111
	Validating Grief	112
	Honoring the Memory	115
Part 2	A-To-Z Health Concerns
	Arthritis	119
	Nonsurgical Treatment	121
	Weight Control	122
	Exercise	122
	Medication	122
	Neutraceuticals	124
	Acupuncture	126
	Surgical Treatment	126
	Total Hip Replacement	127
	Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)	128
	Total Elbow Replacement	128
	Joint "Washout"	129
	Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)	129
	Joint Fusion	130
	Arthroscopic Joint Capsule Shrinkage	131
	Golden Moments: Smiles for Hawk	131
	Back Problems	135
	Treating Injury	136
	Degenerative Disease	137
	Golden Moments: Free-Wheeling Willy	139
	Blindness	142
	Accommodations	143
	Golden Moments: Love After Dark	144
	Brain Tumors	146
	Treatment	147
	Cancer	149
	Diagnosis	150
	Treatment	151
	Surgery	152
	Radiation	153
	Chemotherapy	154
	Other Options	155
	Nutrition	155
	Alternative Therapies	156
	Prognosis	157
	Golden Moments: Scout's Lucky Break	158
	Cataracts	161
	Treatment	162
	Golden Moments: Gambling on Heidi	163
	Constipation	167
	Treatment	168
	Cushing's Disease	170
	Treatment	171
	Deafness	173
	Accommodations	174
	Hearing Aids	175
	Golden Moments: Tazzy's Reawakening	176
	Dental Disease	179
	Treatment	181
	Prevention	183
	Diabetes Mellitus	186
	Treatment	187
	Golden Moments: Heidi Sticks It Out	189
	Dry Eye	193
	Treatment	193
	Glaucoma	195
	Treatment	196
	Heart Disease	198
	Diagnosis	199
	Treatment	200
	Golden Moments: Saving Zoe	201
	Kidney Failure	205
	Treatment	206
	Hemodialysis	208
	Transplants	209
	Golden Moments: A Doozer of a Dog	209
	Liver Disease	212
	Diagnosis	213
	Treatment	214
	Obesity	216
	Diagnosis	218
	Treatment	219
	Senility	222
	Treatment	224
	New Frontiers	226
	Stroke	228
	Diagnosis	228
	Treatment	229
	Urinary Incontinence	231
	Treatment	232
Part 3	Additional Resources
Appendix A	Senior-Care Directory	237
	Veterinary Schools and Bereavement Hot Lines	237
	Web Sites and E-mail Lists	243
	Further Reading	246
	Insurance and Care Plans	247
	Foods for Seniors	249
	Product Sources for Seniors	250
Appendix B	Home Medicine Chest	254
Appendix C	Glossary	256
Appendix D	Expert Sources	262
	Index	267