Senior dogs deserve special care

Hi, it's me Luna again! This post has some more information about the elderly canine friends and how to take good care of them. I truly believe dog owners should pay special attention to them, they deserve to have the best senior dog life!

When is a dog considered senior? 

This really depends on each individual. In general giant breeds are considered aging faster then the small ones. Overall speaking small size dogs are considered senior around the age of 9 while medium/large breeds can considered elderly earlier around 7-8 years old. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that emotional maturity doesn't necessarily aligns with physical maturity. For example an 10 month old pup may be socially and sexually active but full maturity isn't achieved until age of 3 to 4 years.

What are the signs of ageing? 

The most physical complaints vets hear are loss of vision, hearing, teeth, immunity, energy and muscle tone. This goes together with gaining weight and arthritis or other joint problems.

Which are the mayor diseases/health concerns?

-cancer

-heart disease

-kidney/urinary tract disease

-liver disease

-diabetes

-joint or bone disease

-senility

-weakness: Difficulty standing up or sitting 

To what can you pay extra attention to improve their lives?

1. Teeth

Generally it is very impawtant to brush all dogs teeth. For elder dogs it is extra important to do more general teeth check ups to prevent dental diseases and decay. If possible the best option is to brush your dogs teeth daily, in case your dog doesn't accept this you can ask your vet to recommend you good 'plaque off products' like treats or chewing bones or powder to add to the food.

2. Keep a daily exercise routine.

You may have to modify the amount or intensity of training routine you have but make sure to keep your dog moving every single day. Not only it is important in order to prevent your dog from becoming obese but also for their mental well being. In case your dog is showing signals of pain visit your vet and discuss alternative training routines. For dogs with arthritis I highly recommend considering hydrotherapy or underwater treadmill therapy. Although this option may be 'more expensive or time consuming' this is the best way to exercise older dogs since buoyancy is used to counteract the painful effects of gravity. Studies have shown that many elderly dogs feel no or less pain while working out in the water. Ofcourse it is necessary to find a professional specialized in rehabilitation/hydrotherapy to guide your dog safely into this new form of exercise.

Exercise not only your dogs body but also their mind! This can be done very effectively with small search games and puzzles. This way you keep your dog senses sharp and you can have a nice time with your furiend. It is recommended to always supervise your dog while playing with puzzles and toys. 

3. Evaluate your dogs diet.

As mentioned before aged dogs are more sensitive for developing obesity, this is caused mainly by the fact that they no longer have the same levels of energy as before and therefore run and play less often. There are several special senior dog diets on the market. The difference is that they are most of the time lower in fat and have fewer calories, sometimes they contain also extra added glucosamine or chondroitin. 

Warning! Always analyze the actual ingredients of your new dog food, it is not the case that when the package states 'senior diet' it is also effectively and suitable for your beloved furiend. In case of doubt give a call to your vet or consult a qualified pet nutritionist.

Beside changes in food you can also consider adding supplements. Such as natural pro- and prebiotics, omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), glucosamine with Chondroitin sulfate and CBD oil. 

4. Adjust the environment.

Especially if our elderly furry friends are having arthritis it can be beneficial to adjust the environment. Most important is to check your dog's habits. Does he likes to jump on the sofa or in the car and is it going more difficult? In this case you could invest in a dog ramp. Another important factor is the bed, Luna has an orthopedic dog bed and we definitely see difference in her sleep. She looks much more comfortable and can stretch out properly. There is also a clinical study* done by Big Barker (dog beds) proving that the choice of your dog's bed can have a tremendous impact on their quality of life.

5. keep a diary for your dog!

This is not only fun and a lovely memory in the long term but also this way you can monitor changes in appetite, weight, behavior. Is your dog having a hard day observe and write down how your animal generally responds etc. In case you need to visit the vet all this little details can help the doctor have a complete image of the causes of pain or disease, when it started and so much more.

Simply said bark to your pawrents every day to take you for a walk, eat healthy and visit a little more often the vet (looking cute at the veterinary hospital will give you possibilities of getting more treats!)

Paw Luna 🐾

*Link to the complete pilot study regarding the Big Barker beds:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0218/1356/files/Pilot_Study_to_Evaluate_the_Big_Barker_Therapeutic_Mattress_in_Dogs_with_Osteoarthritis.pdf?v=1597598958

*Short summary:
https://bigbarker.com/pages/upenn

The importance of responsible breeders

Hi pawfriends it's me Luna again! This time I would like to write a little bit about the impawtance of responsible dog breeding. The current lockdown situation has lead into a tremendous amount of new pup owners. If you are thinking of getting a (second) pup please check out your breeder before you buy!

Currently there are a lot of scam breeders going around because of the puppy popularity it even happened last week to my humans when they where walking wif me in the park. A random person came and told them: "I have pups for 250 euro if you want one call me and come pick it up." As you can imagine mum was super angry.. He didn't cared at all who we where, he didn't showed the parents of the pups etc., the only thing he said is pricing and his phone number if we wanted to have one. This is clearly the kind of breeder you don't want to come from! 

Let's start with the short definition of a responsible breeder in my eyes:

Responsible breeders are people with great love for the pups that have educated themselves with specialized information such as historical research, behavior, bloodlines, heritable defects and temperament of the breed of their choice. They also educate and screen potential buyers and keep providing support if the owner needs this. Breeders that care keep connected and supervise the dogs they bred during their entire lifetime. Last but not least they never breed for making money because they know that with the time and effort they will spend on educating and caring for the pups they will not make profits out of this. 

 A responsible breeder:

• Screens and fully tests the breeding dog's for any heritable diseases
• Avoids at all time inbreeding
• Keeps the pups in a warm and clean family environment with enrichment and place for the pups to play
• Can tell you why she/he choose the mother and father combination and what are the characteristics of both parents
• Bases breeding frequency on health of the mother (max. 1litter/year)
• Complies with all applicable laws and will gladly show you their breeding license and registration papers of the dogs
• Will take back any animal of their breeding in case owners can't take care of the dog anymore (this can be temporarily when the owner is injured for example or permanent when the owner died or any other reason that might apply)
• Never sells puppies to dealer or pet shop
• Let's you visit the pup as many times as necessary before moving permanently to new home
• Asks you a lot of questions and talks with you about the future of the dog (Will the dog be used for sport, herding, does the breed fit with you?) And also gives you the space to ask all questions you have about them
• Provides a clear purchase contract and gives you the time to read it before you sign
• Chips and vaccines the pups and provides all health care needed

Now after reading all this you can maybe understand why mum sterilized me, it was never her plan to get pups from me from the beginning even though I am her favorite dog ever. Even if she would like to breed one day in the future she would have to educate herself so so so so much more and pick up the best pawsible parent combination ever. The mission of breeding should ALWAYS be "breeding to improve the breed" and not just get pups out of your dog.

Big paw from me,
Luna 🐾

Potty training your pup

Hi furiends! It's me Luna again! As most of you may know I am already 5 years old but there was a time that I was a mini puppy that didn't knew how to poo outside the house, my mum would like to give all the new puppy owners an idea how I was potty trained, my mum was lucky enough to be with me at home the first weeks after I managed the potty training I would go for short periods of time in the crate. Please keep in mind this is our personal experience and each of us pups is unique!

If you go with your pup to the dog school or vet most of the time the first thing you will hear is ' take the puppy outside if he peed in the house'. The truth is that this kind of 'punishment' is not working for puppy's. It took a while for my mum to realize how she could easily convince me to do my thing and make this a positive experience instead of telling me that "I was a bad puppy" when I peed indoors.

First of all it is impawtent to observe your pup daily as much as possible, most pups show some 'signals' when they feel they have to pee or poop. I would start walking around in small circles for finding the spot, other dog's may start crying/barking, scratching the door,.... Experts suggest to start training your dog around 12-16 weeks old.

How my mum teached me:

We where living in a house with a garden at the time. After several months we moved to an apartment without outside garden so I had to adapt to this with different way's.

Garden training:

This one was the most easy for me as a pup. The first weeks the moment my mum would see me turning small rounds she would pick me up and carry me to the 'dog spot' in the garden. She was staying there with me until I would do my wee. Honestly the first times I was making her wait very long and sometimes also while it was raining. 😜 Afterwards she would start screaming from happiness and bring out my favorite toy, honestly I thought she was a little crazy. 😂 After a while she would take me out on random times of the day and I realized this is my potty time. 

In the house without garden: 

When we moved to the apartment without garden I was struggling a little more not only did I had to go outside to pee but also this time it was in an environment with distractions and on a leash?! Mum trained me already inside the house on a leash and would carry me to the field next to our apartment. We would go out every 2 hours. The difference was now that I can not walk free and other dog's off leash would try to distract me. Mum was always telling the owners to not let their dog's play with me so that I could focus better. In the beginning it was really difficult focusing on doing my potty training instead of playing and biting my mum's shoes 😂 My mum was standing patiently giving me the vocal command and ignoring my attempts to play. After I would do my wee she would play with me, throw my toy and bring out cookies! 

Puppy pads: There is this thing called 'puppy pads' to use inside the house. For me personally I would only use it the first couple of weeks when the pup is too small to go outside (before the vaccinations). My pawrents decided that they would instantly teach me to go outside to avoid creating the habit of peeing in the house. Ofcourse there happened some accidents the first couple of weeks but your pawrents should just clean it up and keep going with a smile. 😊

Most common problems:

-Pup keeps peeing on the same place indoors after an accident: This may be caused by the smell that stayed after cleaning use specialized household products for pets (pet stain cleaners)

-Accidents happen often during the day: Take your pup more out in the beginning, recommend after eating/drinking, when the pup wakes up from a nap, after playing indoors and ofcourse always first thing in the morning and last thing at night before sleep. Also controlled feeding might help, don't give your pup unlimited portions of food but structured feeding moments. 

Ps. Tell your pawrents this: Great things take time! 

Paw Luna 🐾🐶

Joint supplements for dog's

Hi pawfriends! It's me Luna again. Today's topic is about supplements for joint health. There are many different opinions regarding this topic. This article is  based on scientific researches, beside of that I would like to mention that my mummy has used this kind of supplements also for her first dog with osteoarthritis and there was a visible improvement in the dog's quality of elderly life.

When to use joint supplements?

- For aging dogs: 

Aging comes with some little negatives such as joint pain and stiffness. Your dog can have this symptoms even before osteoarthritis is really developed, especially larger breeds are more prone to these ailments. Why does this happen? It’s kinda the same for dogs as it is for humans. As our bodies age, we lose the natural ability to make healthy cartilage and thus, incur damage to our joints.

- For sport, very active and gun (hunting) dog's:

Sporting dogs are predisposed to injuries due to the type of activity that puts increased strain on their muscles, bones and ligaments.

In all cases physical therapy, weight management, hydrotherapy and other options can also improve a dog's comfort and mobility.

It’s important to note that no nutritional supplement will correct structural damage to a dog's joints!

Which brand of supplement to buy?

We have chosen to keep this article neutral and not to mention brand names since the market supply is different in each country. We strongly recommend seeking advice from a pet nutritionist or your veterinarian. Below are recommended ingredient combinations you can look for.

- Tablets/powder with a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), Green lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus)

- (fish) oil with omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

- CBD oil 

A recent study found a decrease in arthritis pain and improvement in activity in dogs taking CBD after just 4 weeks. Importantly, there were no harmful side effects detected in the dogs in the study. Therefore we have also added CBD to the list.

Quality of the supplement:

When choosing which supplements to purchase, it is necessary to inquire about the product’s source and strength before using.

Choose products made with ingredients sourced in the USA, EU or UK (or in other countries with strict regulatory oversight and testing). This can be the "more expensive" option in the market but you want quality to reassure your dog's health and wellbeing!

Only purchase lab grade glucosamine chondroitin.

When do you start seeing results? 

It may take several weeks to months of administration before there’s a noticeable improvement in mobility and attitude, strongly depends on the dose. 

What is the dose one should use for their pet?

For maintenance you can follow the dosage guide on the product itself. In case that more intensive treatment is needed you can show the supplement to your vet so he/she can calculate the required and safe dose. Example of dosage: a standard dose for glucosamine is 15 mg/kg.

Are there side effects?

Veterinarians state that side effects are almost unheard of as long as the supplements are used in the recommended dose. Your dog might experience an upset stomach in the beginning but this generally resolves as the dog's digestive system adjusts to it.

Literature 

1. McCarthy G, O’Donovan J, Jones B, et al. Randomised double-blind, positive-controlled trial to assess the efficacy of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate for the treatment of dogs with osteoarthritis. Vet J 2007 174(1):54-61.

2. Wooten, Sarah J. “Joint Supplements for Dogs: The Helpful vs. the Hype.” DVM 360, 16 June 2017, veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/joint-supplements-dogs-helpful-vs-hype.

3. Verrico, Chris D.a,b; Wesson, Shondac; Konduri, Vanajad; Hofferek, Colby J.d; Vazquez-Perez, Jonathand; Blair, Emeke; Dunner, Kenneth Jrf; Salimpour, Pedramg; Decker, William K.d,h,i; Halpert, Matthew M.d,* A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of daily cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain, PAIN: September 2020 - Volume 161 - Issue 9 - p 2191-2202 doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001896 

4. Rialland P, Bichot S, Lussier B, et al. Effect of a diet enriched with green-lipped mussel on pain behavior and functioning in dogs with clinical osteoarthritis. Can J Vet Res 2013;77(1):66-74.

5. Hielm-Björkman A, Tulamo RM, Salonen H, Raekallio M. Evaluating Complementary Therapies for Canine Osteoarthritis Part I: Green-lipped Mussel (Perna canaliculus). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009;6(3):365-373. doi:10.1093/ecam/nem136

Why do puppies need to exercise only for a short amount of time?

The answer is very simply explained. The growth plates, the areas of cartilage at the ends of the leg bones are still developing. 

They can become damaged very easily causing early arthritis. This damage is NOT gonna be recovered by growing up and can cause deformities for the rest of their life. It is your responsibility as dog owner to make sure your pup keeps a moderate amount of exercise. Just as kids, pups don't realize when they are overdoing it.  

Once they are fully grown, they can go out for much longer, but remember this is completely depending on the breed, temperament, health and many other variables. There is never a one size fits all approach. 

How should it be done to not harm the pup?

A good rule is a ratio of five minutes exercise per month of age maximum twice a day until the puppy is fully grown.  Don't take your puppy for jogging or jumping until he is fully grown. Make also sure they're fully vaccinated before coming in contact with other dogs. In case this is not done yet you can make short 'walks' in the garden or another safe play area.

Never exercise your puppy on a full stomach as this can contribute to GDV (Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus also know as bloating or twisted stomach) wait minimum 2 hours after dinner to go out. This also counts for adult dogs!

Paw Luna🐾

Dog backpack: why it is a must have!

Why is a good idea to buy a dog backpack?

Carrying a dog backpack gives your dog a job to do. Luna is more focused on me rather than the traffic or other dogs in the city. When hiking in the mountains she can carry her own water, foldable travel bowl and small emergency kit. 

I also have seen that other dogs stop pulling on the leash because they are busy with their "job". Another big benefit is that a weighted backpack can help anxious dogs. They start focusing more on balancing the added weight, sometimes this distraction in combination with the pressure of the bag can calm them down. 

Choosing the right backpack:

Make sure you take the exact measurements, because you will put weight later on in the backpack it needs to fit correctly. When the backpack is too big it will start sliding around, if it is too small the dog will have problem moving comfortably. Also check out that the shoulder can still move around freely. 

Pick a backpack with proper padding, with the extra weight there will come some pressure on the dog's chest and belly straps so make sure this are made with soft, durable materials. 

Another important feature is to choose a vibrant color, in case your dog runs further away during the hike it's easier to spot them. 

How to start using the backpack in daily life?

First of all check with your veterinarian if your dog is capable of carrying extra weight, it is not recommended to use backpacks on puppies, older dogs or dogs with existing health issues. You can still let them carry the backpack without weight inside if you want give them a little challenge. 

In the beginning you need to let your dog get used to walking with the backpack on. Personally I walked Luna a couple of weeks without the weight to make sure she is comfortable. The first sessions I rewarded her with treats and playing with her favorite toy. 

How much weight can you add?

Once your dog is used to carrying the backpack you can gradually increase the weight. For most dogs (with good fitness and condition) 10% to 12% of their body weight is a good starting point. 

This is +/- 1,5 kg for Luna (bodyweight 15kg) After you load the backpack check its weight on your scale!

What objects can you put to add weight?

Our backpack came with water sackets that you can fill until the same amount to make sure the backpack is balanced out. If you don't have this option you can just let your dog carry his/her toys, poopbags or small water bottles. Ensure that each side has the same amount of weight otherwise this can cause unbalanced muscle growth. 

How long can I let my dog walk with the backpack on? 

Generally a 15 minute walk with a weighted backpack is equal to a 30 minute walk without. (this is for a trained dogs in good condition) 

*This blog post is not sponsored by Ruffwear. This backpack was bought by my pawrents. 

Paw Luna🐾

MDR1 Multi-drug Resistance

What is the MDR1?

Multi-Drug Resistance 1 gene protects the brain by ensuring that any harmful chemical are transported AWAY from the brain.  This gene specifically codes for P-glycoprotein. If this specific gene is mutated, it will create a defective protein, and consequently, drugs will remain and build up in the brain to toxic levels. This dominant gene is inherited from the parents, whether the parent has two copies of the gene or only one copy. If neither parent has a copy of the mutated MDR1 gene, then the offspring will not have it either. 

Which breeds are affected?

Below is a list of breeds that are frequently affected by the MDR1 mutation, keep in mind that any mixed breeds you might find at the shelter with possible relation to the breeds in the list could also have the same problem.

Australian Shepherd

Border Collie

English Shepherd

Longhaired Whippet

McNab Shepherd

Old English Sheepdog

Shetland Sheepdog

Silken Windhound

Rough Collie

Smooth Collie

German Shepherd

American White Shepherd

English Shepherd

Attention! Even dogs that are unaffected by the MDR1 mutation may be exposed to toxic doses of this medication if they consume the feces of recently wormed cattle, horses, and sheep.

How can you find out if your dog has the MDR gen?

At the veterinary clinic your dog can be tested with either a cheek swab or a blood sample. The result you want to hear is Normal/Normal. 

If your dog gets this result you don’t have to worry about any drugs related to the MDR1 gene.

Normal/Mutant, or Mutant/Mutant should be considered sensitive to the drugs indicated in this list below:

Drugs that should be avoided: 

Acepromazine

Apomorphine

Butorphanol

Doramectin

Doxorubicin

Erythromycin

Ivermectin

Loperamide

Milbemycin

Moxidectin

Paclitaxel

Selamectin

Vinblastine

Vincristine

Vinorelbine

A common over the counter antidiarrheal (loperamide) is also a known substrate. 

ALWAYS discuss this matter with your veterinarian, in case your dog is not tested yet mention this so that your vet can assist you in the process. 

Paw Luna🐾