Yes, you certainly know that an older dog can still get Lyme disease. A tick is going to get on an older dog just as much as a younger dog. A mosquito can bite them the same, whether they're old or young. So they still need to be on heartworm prevention. They still need to be on flea and tick preventatives. They still need their vaccines. They need to be protected, even by law, against rabies. And particularly they need to have a physical exam every year so that we can identify problems like whether they can see and hear, and what their teeth look like, if their heart and lungs are normal, if they have a murmur, and if they’ve gained weight. So we can talk about these things together and make a plan so that they be healthier throughout their golden years.

No. Just in case that wasn't clear on tape, no. No. There's no evidence or proof that that is a positive thing. Look, I grew up with people telling me that my whole life. "Oh, I heard it's a good thing to let them have a litter," and the simple fact is, there's no truth to that. I will tell you that in recent years, certain research has come out that shows that large breed dogs may benefit from not being spayed or neutered until closer to that year of age. Okay? You can find plenty of information about that if you look, and I think there's some truth to it. What it implies is that dogs that are spayed or neutered at a later age have a less likely chance of developing hip dysplasia, or if they do develop it, they don't develop it as early. So that's very intriguing to me. I have to heed that and I do want to pay attention to that. At the same time, normally I will spay or neuter animals before their first heat cycle. Why? Because there are also studies that show that with every heat cycle that a female dog goes through, she is more likely to develop mammary cancer later in life. So which way do you go? It varies on personal opinion. It varies depending on the veterinarian that you use. But for the average case, usually before the first heat cycle is when it's done on females and about six to seven months or so on a male as well.

Absolutely is my answer to that one, although there are certain vaccinations that may be able to be slowed down or not given with as much frequency perhaps as the dog ages. For instance, I'm not really worried about Parvo in a 13-year-old Labrador as I would be in a 13-week-old Labrador. Your veterinarian will use their discretion to decide if those things are still necessary or not. Preventative care, absolutely. I consider preventative care to be things such as routine blood work, heartworm prevention, flea control, and other things like that.

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.

Not necessarily. I think that's a myth going around. I've heard that a lot. "They must be sick or they have an upset stomach." I think dogs sometimes just eat grass. They're bored. They like the taste of it. I mean, the point I'll hit later on is just making sure that they get carbs, proteins, and grains in their diet. That's something they've eaten in the wild, whether or not they're eating a wild animal, etc.

I get this question a lot. My answer to that question has always been, "No, not necessarily, because you have to think about their diets.” Most of these commercially prepared diets are formulated to contain all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and everything else they need. I would be a hard person to convince that they're not getting enough in those diets. And now they've got to start seeking out grass—that doesn’t make sense. What I have seen and anybody that's owned a dog that eats grass will probably see is that they usually throw the grass right back up. It’s hard to find a known cause in literature, but I think that when they feel nauseous, they will seek grass out to empty their stomachs and hopefully make them feel better. This is only my impression and my interpretation, but that is what I have seen. That's what I've seen in my own dogs for the 30, 40 years I've owned them.

I wouldn't say it's necessarily more nutritious. It may offer certain things that dry food doesn't. Wet food, for example, is really good if we're worried about moisture and ensuring that they get enough water throughout their day. Whereas dry may be better for their teeth. Kibble breaks up the tartar on the teeth. Each one plays their own role.

If you ask the dog, absolutely. It's more nutritious. It tastes better. Just imagine, you get to eat a little piece of dry kibble that looks almost like cardboard, or you could eat this nice, juicy, wet dog food. Yeah, they're always going to choose that. Is it more nutritious? That’s a bit more complex. If you start reading the labels, most of the products—whether it's a prescription diet or regular maintenance diet—most of the formulations have very close to the same levels of proteins and carbohydrates and fats and those kinds of things. Normally, my vote is dry food. I know I didn’t make it sound very scrumptious, but it's better for the teeth. And I find it's a little bit easier to control your dog’s weight with dry food.

If you miss a dose of your heartworm prevention for your dog, get them back on prevention ASAP—speak to your veterinarian. Six months from that time that you missed is really the only time that we're going to be able to detect whether or not your dog was infected during that period. Nonetheless, if you want to be sure, you can get a heartworm test done then.

You can help reduce the mosquitoes present by limiting their access to getting inside, such as having a screened-in door. At the end of the day, however, they're still going to be present, so that's why prevention is key.