Good Old Dog: Expert Advice for Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable »

LAWRENCE LINDNER is a best-selling collaborative author.

NICHOLAS DODMAN is a world-renowned animal behaviorist, who has appeared on Oprah, the Today show, 20/20, and CNN.

The CUMMINGS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY treats more than 26,000 cases annually, and its emergency critical-care program is the largest residency training program in the United States.

Our dogs are living longer than ever thanks to enormous advances in medical treatment and a highly evolved understanding of what they need to thrive. No one knows this better than the faculty of the Cummings Veterinary School at Tufts, who treat more than 8,000 older dogs annually. Their philosophy of caring for aging dogs combines empathy for each individual dog and owner, a comprehensive approach to patient care, cutting-edge science and technology, and a commitment to innovation. Good Old Dog brings their renowned clinic into your living room, arming you with essential advice to see your dog through his golden years.

Featuring

• Nutritional advice—not every senior diet is right for every senior dog

• Emphasis on treating conditions common to older dogs so they live longer

• How to evaluate complicated procedures and decide what’s right for your dog

• The cost of caring for an older dog and how to shoulder the burden

• How to identify cognitive decline and how to manage it

• Advice on creating a healthy and comfortable environment

• How to determine when “it’s time” and how to cope with the loss

• And much more

A Note to the Reader ix

Preface xi

1 "Old" Is Not a Disease 1

2 How to Make Sure You're Choosing the Right Diet 22

3 Five Common Medical Conditions of the Older Dog 58

4 Protecting Joints Stops Pain 85

5 Fighting Canine Cancer 103

6 Heart Disease: Not About Holding the Butter 134

7 When the Kidneys Start Giving Out 149

8 The Price of Aging Gracefully 163

9 Might the Changes You're Seeing Be Dementia? 178

10 Changing the Environment to Suit the Dog 198

11 Emergency, Rather Urgent, or Non-Emergency? 209

12 End-of-Life Decisions 225

Resources 237

Tufts Faculty Contributors 241

Acknowledgments 247

Illustration Credits 249

Index 251