Are there nutritional or environmental changes I should make as my dog grows older?

Nutritional, yes. There are various senior dog foods that are on the market and for good reason. They do have different nutrient requirements as they age. So yes, I think senior dog food would be a definite plus. And then some of the changes I kind of alluded to a few questions back when I was talking about ramps to get on and off furniture, into vehicles—those kinds of things are changes that you can make. One other one that comes to mind if you have an animal with arthritis, you might consider elevated food bowls, food and water bowls that you can put on an elevated platform, if you will. It might make it a little bit easier for your dog to access. Just kind of think ahead of how you can make it a little bit easier for them to go about their daily lives. Guys, that does it for this segment. Thanks for tuning in. If you have any questions, reach out to us; Facebook, internet online, too many options. You can simply come by the office. If you're old school like me, just come on by and talk to me, and I'll answer any questions you have. So thanks for tuning in. We'll see you soon.

Yes, certainly the accommodations we were talking about to the environment—make it brighter, make it less slippery, and make fewer steps. Nutritionally, we're going to want to probably have foods with fewer calories in it and less protein so it’s safer for the kidneys. We’ll also probably want to add joint supplements to their foods so that the older and larger breed dogs get help with their arthritis. There's a lot we can do and adjustments we can make as they get older.

Yes, you should offer a more secure location for them to sleep and bedding. If they’re not an indoor dog, you may want to have a warmer area for them to sleep in in the evening or at night. As we mentioned, elevating their bowls can help if they have arthritis. You also want to ensure they have easy access to bowls to not have to walk a long way to the water or food bowl.