The Older Dog.

Over the years I've kept a bunch of dogs - I remember them all as though they were still dribbling on my trouser leg giving me an imploring look while I eat. Doesn't seem to matter how many dogs you've had though, old age is still the hardest part of keeping a dog.

It's always seemed to come as a suprise to me when one of my faithful companions doesn't bounce around quite the way they used to, or when they spend more of the day sleeping than I do - but a dogs old age can last a long time, so when I do notice then my habits as a dog owner have to change. First thing I always look at is the diet of my dog, switching gradually from very rich foods to meals more suitable for a slower digestion and metabolism - I tend to take this more seriously since I kept a wolfhound, as with any large and long dog their intestine is very large and as the digestion slows in older age then the threat of conditions such as torsion become a real issue.

Unless my aging lil pup is having real difficulty with the current schedule and distance of walks then I don't tend to change it - after all, exercise is important for all of us as we get older and dogs are no different.

In all, old age doesn't really change the relationship I have with my dogs, sure I'm a little more careful about what we do and what they eat - but in my mind they're still the same little dog I house-trained twenty years ago.

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