Nicholas Dodman: "Good Old Dog"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-12-15/nicholas-dodman-good-old-dog
Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine many of the dogs in our lives are living longer and healthier lives. But just like people, as they age, the kind of care they need changes. Experts at the Cummings Veterinary School of Medicine at Tufts University treat more than eight thousand dogs a year. In a new book edited by animal behaviorist, Nicholas Dodman, they share their knowledge on what dog owners can do to further the good years of their pet’s life. Join us for a conversation with Nicholas Dodman on how to keep your older dog healthy, happy and comfortable.
Guests
Nicholas Dodman
director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of "The Dog Who Loved Too Much," "The Cat Who Cried For Help," and "Dogs Behaving Badly," among other books.
Comments
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We adopted our now 7-year-old lab husky mix two years ago. He's a wonderful dog and almost perfect in every way and we love him very much. But, he pulls on the leash like you would not believe! We've tried everything - expensive trainer, electric collars, "no-pull" face collars, nothing seems to help. If you have any tips, we'd appreciate it.
I have an almost 16 year old mutt (cocker/collie/lab mix) around 37 pounds. She is in the early stages of kidney disease and on prescription renal food. She can no longer have dental cleanings due to the increased risk. I treat her water with an additive that is supposed to help and only feed her hard food. Is there anything else I can or should be doing to keep her teeth as health as possible? So far, she still has them all, but some tarter is building.
Thanks
We have a 60 pound lab mix who is nearly 14 years old. Her overall health is excellent. She recently began not eating much of the time. After some experimentation, it appears that hard kibbles were the problem. If I put some water on the food to soften it up, she eats fine. Is the softened food potentially a problem in the long term?
I have a German Short Haired pointer the best breed in the world. What are some of the things I should look out for as he ages. I feed him only Natural Balance Organic and it does supper for him.
I love my dogs - had two Australian Heelers. One died last year, one month shy of her 16th birthday. I have not gotten over it. As much as the other dog tries to fill in the void, I don't think I'll ever get over the hurt. I regret all the things we did to keep her alive, and wished that I just let her die on her own. She had developed kidney disease, and we did water treatments, pills, stays at the vet, for probably half a year. In the end when her eyes started to yellow, because of liver failure, we had her put to sleep. I regret that too. She was ready to go, and when I was poking pills and food down her throat and talking to her, she would communicate with her eyes that she was ready to go. I just wasn't.
Our 8yr old Wire Fox Terrier has progressive liver disease. He is on medication and special food which is very expensive each month. given his expected life span of 15 yrs. is this really going to make a difference in his well being? He still drinks bowls and bowls of water a day even on the medicine and special diet.
thank you,
Cleveland, Ohio
As a praticing veterinarian, I am concerned that we "require" owners to test their dogs for heartworms, to sell them the preventive medication. However, the preventive is also part of the treatment. Clients ask, "Should I be sure my dog is negative prior to statring the medication?" The true answer is, start the medication if he is positive or negative. Shouldn't we explain this to our clients?
Oh yes dogs smile! My 8 yr old Lab and my Pit Bull mix smile with their whole bodies! I swear my 3 year old Doberman female has a sense of humor (mischevious), literally, and she also smiles, literally. So love to see a happy dog.
On the down side here in southwest Georgia (a CDC "non" endemic area) my Lab and I been effected by tick borne diseases, from our nature walks, and my concern is how many dogs suffer needlessly because loving owners are unaware of the risks for their dogs-- and for themselves related to zoonotic diseases. Especially since diagnostic labs have such low sensitivity.
Diane-love your show!
We are getting a new Cavalier King Charles puppy this Saturday. I am looking at a fresh or frozen raw food for him. One of the brands that is easy to get in our area contains inulin. I have no idea why this is in the food, but I'm worried that it is harmful. I may be projecting my own problems onto him, because inulin gives me headaches. What do you think about inulin in dog food?
We have a shitzui-poodle mix. She is 12 years old and has some arthritis. But lately she has been acting younger than herself. We had this happen to our yorkshire terrier who lived to be 17 years old. Is this a common phase as dogs age?
I have a 13 year old Havanese who is pretty good health. He has a heart murmur, level 2, controlled by medication. The real problem I have is his teeth. He has had to have several removed, but has both canines and a few front teeth and one molar. I think it is difficult for him to eat hard food. To keep his remaining teeth healthy, what food should he be eating?
I recently put down my 13-yr old golden retriever "before" she had to deal with severe pain from bone cancer. We had managed her pain for 4 weeks and she just started to exhibit signs of a possible increase in pain, panting and restlessness. Although it was a difficult decision given that she still seemed to feel fine, I made the decision to put her down early to spare her increasing pain. I'd like to urge pet owners to not "wait" until their dear friend is suffering to make this important decision. As their owners, we owe our pets a peaceful passing. Some dogs are more stoic than others, and do not show signs of pain (that we as humans recognize). Thanks for this great program. Beverly
you have one of the most difficult to leash train breeds of dog. My heart goes out to you in trying to train him. Be happy that he is so good in so many other ways.
I have two dachsunds, one of which has now cost about $30,000. We love her, obviously. She has been paralyzed from the front legs back, for about 8 years now, due to disc disease. She has one eye that has disappeared due to an injury. She is now 15 years old. We call her our two legged, one eyed drag queen. She is just as active and vital as she was with 4 legs at the age of 5. Dogs are the best. Unconditional love, devoted friends, and beautiful beings in this world. We are lucky to have them. We recommend to all to never give up on their disabled dachsunds!
We have a ten-year-old pit-bull mix with Cushing's Disease, now controlled with medication.
My question is whether breeding dogs for fighting selects for Cushing's, which I understand is frequent in pit bulls. I wonder if the excess adrenaline, in increasing their tolerance for pain, is the reason.
Hello,
Please discuss the importance of feeding a species appropriate balanced raw meat diet, natural treats (no grains), raw bones to keep teeth and gums healthy. Our dogs come from the wolves and should be fed accordingly. I have three Jack Russell Terriers two are 6 and one is 5 years old and love their food! They are healthy and happy on this diet. I feed them twice a day and they look forward to their food every time. My vet is Dr. Becker from Bourbonnais, Illinois and she has guided me on this path.
I love my JRTs!
Carmen
Ottawa, IL
Can you discuss a dog's memory capacity? We recently adopted a 10 year old Maltese, and so far "Charlie" remembers all of his training commands from his first mom who did a great job training him. The vet describes him as a "smart pistol."
Birmingham, Michigan
I have a Chow mix who is estimated to be between 6 and 8 years old. He loves to take long walks in the woods with me. Two hours after a walk, he started to limp. For days, he has not been able to put weight on his front left leg. After a few days of anti-inflamatory and pain meds, he's slowly getting more mobile, but still limps. He did not yelp when examined at the vet. Could he have just pulled a muscle? - Cindy in DC
So, Dr. Dodman, when will you do a book on older cats?? My eldest will be 18 in April; he has compensated kidney deficiency but some stiff joints. I am concerned about giving him glucosamine, because I can't seem to find whether it would have a bad effect on his kidneys. We need a book on this!
We have had yellow labs for over 25 years and the last lab we had always had a smile!!! She would smile more for some but always a smile on her face!!! She was the only one of our labs with a constant smile. She died two years ago and miss her dearly. Life with a dog is an enhanced life...
Love your show and always listen. Thank you for your objectivity.
I just wanted to comment regarding Dr. Dodman's statements regarding pet insurance. Currently there is at least one company that will NOT drop your pet's coverage if they develop a chronic condition, and they also cover conditions that other companies exclude that are considered hereditary. I have insured my Portuguese Water Dog with this company. She was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at age 3, and her insurance has paid for any and all treatments including physical therapy and alternative treatments such as accupuncture. That was two years ago and she is still covered. The premiums are more expensive than some other companies and right now I pay about $500 for her coverage. So there are options available for good quality health insurance. I'll add the amount varies by breed, and a mixed breed dog I have coverage for is substantially less.
I have a 12 year old adopted mutt, 35lbs who has fatty tumors around her chest and shoulders, she is having problems walking long distances (3 miles). My vet says she is too old for surgery to remove the lumps. Please advise.
Question: We have a 65-pount old dog with increasingly weak rear legs. Anticipating that she is reaching the end of her life, our vet suggested that we could save money by skipping heartworm medication. Is this a good idea?
I had a 3 year old American Water Spaniel who developed pain from an apparent congenital deformity which caused her to have many spurs and microfractures all along her spine. Initially she responded well to IV therapies, and on medications I gave her at home as well as many injections in our vet's office. Over the course of one year I spent over $2500 on her treatments. Throughout this entire time, she seemed happy, loving, energetic at most times. After I was injured and out of work, I had to make the heartbreaking choice to have her put gently to sleep at my vet's office. I took many photos of her during those short years, and although at the time I thought she was happy, now when I look at those photos, she appears painful, with arched back and low head. I fear I was paying for her treatments for my selfish wish to keep her love. I believe I made the correct choice. I now have just one dog - a very happy little 11 pound mixed poodle and she is so happy, energetic, and her posture is marvelous. I hope I never selfishly extend her suffering.
my 10 year old lab has been diagnosed with lung cancer. the vet said thecancer has matastasized into her lungs. She has been on pregnizone since last August. Does she have to stay on this forever? What would be her prognosis?
MY husband and I have four aussies. The most recent one is a rescue and is having behavior problems around his feeding time. He is 2-3 years old and jumps and pulls at my husbands clothes for food ( we think). He recently ripped my husbands polar fleece pullover in his quest for food. He has already been feed his dry dog food and seeks to get more in this manner.
He does not do this with me. Please advice.
Christina
I am wondering about Lyme disease; my dog has Lyme disease and was treated for a few months with antibiotics. When the titer showed a low amount of the antibodies in her blood, I am wondering if that means she will not later exhibit signs of arthritis, etc. Is there anything I can do? Thank you.
Hello, I am thrilled to hear you talking about dogs! I am wondering if you have thoughts regarding tick repellent (such as frontline). I have heard of dogs reacting poorly to these drugs. What do you think of natural remedies, and do you have any suggestions?
Also, I am wondering what you think about giving cow bones to dogs. My dog loves these and I wonder if the marrow is healthy for her. Thank you!
I had a cat that lived to be about 23 and we feed it table scraps all the time. Since then I've had several cats and only fed them dry cat food. One only lived to 6 years and had kidney problems. The others also did not live long lives.
Luly has a terrible skin problem. She scratches her behind raw to the point there are sores. We have changed her food she is bathed checked for fleas etc etc. Do you have any suggestions to give her comfort?
Thanks,
Sue