4 Common Aging Dog Problems You Should Know About
By Michael Whitman
While every dog is an individual, a few age-related maladies seem to strike many of them. You should of course discuss how they affect your dog - and the best approach to treating them - with your veterinarian, but knowing a little bit about what you're dealing with before you go in is helpful.

Here are a few old-dog problems, along with some things you can do to help:

1. Stiffness: Your veterinarian can help you determine if the stiffness is because of temporary muscle soreness - say from overdoing it - or the onset of arthritis. Many dogs are worse in cold weather and first thing in the morning. Arthritis is common in older dogs, and while no cure exists, treatments are available that can make your pet's life comfortable. Your veterinarian may prescribe buffered aspirin, food supplements, or anti-inflammatory medications, all of which your pet may need to take for the rest of her life. For your part, you need to be sure that your pet is not overweight and is kept consistently, but not strenuously, active.

2. Decline of the senses: Deaf and blind dogs do just fine, as long as you do your part to keep them out of any danger their disabilities may cause. Blindness, in particular, is a problem dogs adjust to with an ease that stuns their owners. But consider the following: Dogs don't have to read the newspaper, they don't care about TV, and they count on you to read the ingredients label on a bag of kibble. Sight isn't their primary sense anyway; they put much greater stock in their sense of smell. After they learn the layout of the land, they rarely bump into things (as long as you don't keep moving the furniture). Handicapped pets should never be allowed off-leash on walks, because they can't see danger and cannot hear your warnings.

Even if your older dog is blind, there may be something that you can do. Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a specialist like a veterinary ophthalmologist. Problems such as cataracts may be treatable with medications and surgery.

3. Incontinence: There are many inquiries all of the time from frustrated owners wondering why their older dogs are no longer house-trained - and how they can get them back on track. The first rule of any sudden-onset behavior problem is to make sure that it's not a health problem, and we can think of no case where this rule is more true than with an older dog who's suddenly urinating in the house. Your pet could have an infection or, if she's an older spayed female, she may be suffering from the loss of muscle tone related to a decrease in her hormone levels. Both are treatable; see your veterinarian. At a certain age, a little dribbling of urine is practically inevitable, especially while your older dog is sleeping.

4. Lumps and bumps: Benign fatty tumors are common in older dogs, and the vast majority are nothing to worry about. Benign tumors are round and soft, with well-defined edges. You can usually get your fingers nearly around them, and they don't seem well-anchored. Showing them to your veterinarian for a more complete evaluation is important, and you should inform

August 13, 2004 "Honk if You Love Dogs!"
August 13, 2004 "Honk if You Love Dogs!", read the sticker on the old van's back bumper. Joyfully, a yellow Labrador Retriever lapped the breeze through the half cracked window on the passenger's side. He was so happy to be alive and riding with his person that you could feel his joy. Caught up in emotion, I chuckled and patted my own dog (Prudence) as the old van overtook us and rambled on down the highway. As it passed, I thumped my horn a couple of times. Chiming in, other vehicles beeped their opinion as the Econonline chugged on by. Good old America. "Land of the Free" A land of dog lovers. That's why so many American citizens are involved in Animal Rights groups. Correct? If you are one of the many that believe this statement to be true, you are sadly mistaken. Animal rights organizations are just the opposite of groups that truly love animals. These organizations do not love dogs nor do they love people. If you find this shocking, you are not alone. True enough, many members on the lower echelons of animal rights groups really do love animals but they are being used and deceived by a much more menacing group who has human enslavement as their final goal. Motivated by sensationalistic imagery and encouraged by shallow movie stars who don't take the time to look deeply into issues before opening their mouths, the foot soldiers of the animal rights army donate hard earned cash as well as their time to promote a future America where animals are no longer "enslaved" by the Human bonds of love. These unenlightened, well meaning members are simply cogs in the wheel of a very big machine designed to CONTROL HUMAN RIGHTS. Currently these so called Animal Rights groups are trying to take away our Human Right to pet ownership but someday, if they are successful in taking away our beloved pets, the animal rights groups will morph into something even more vile, such as removing our Human Right to own private property such as a home or a farm. From there, it's an easy step to taking away our right to private bank accounts and once they've taken our money and put it into a national account "for the greater good", it's a very slippery slope to total enslavement by a group known as the Communist Party. If this sounds like science fiction to you, then you weren't paying attention in history class. You need only to look as far back as Castro's Cuba, Nazi Germany, the atrocities of Communist China or the Russian Revolution to see how Fascism takes hold and crushes the spirit of the populous through fear and indignation. The idea of protecting cute fuzzy animals is the perfect Trojan Horse for gaining the populous' trust. Be careful who you support with your time and money. The rights you remove may be your own. Do you really want to live in a society that condemns pet ownership? Think about this. If everyone in the United States of America stopped breeding dogs - where would we find a dog after the current generation died out? If we were to follow zero population growth for dogs, meaning everyone spayed and neutered their dogs, within less than twenty years, dogs would be extinct in America. Yes, you read that right. Dogs would be extinct just like the Dinosaurs. Not so surprisingly, our beloved Heinz 57s would be the first to go since American mutts are nothing more than happy accidents between different breeds of purebred dogs. If the animal rights groups have their way, in the future, neither you nor I will be allowed to own a dog. But the elite will still have their dogs. Just like in the days of Prohibition, movie stars, rich politicians and other members of the elite classes will still be buying the things they want on the black market. Under the ruling party of the animal rights fascists, dogs will be hugely expensive and a privilege for the very few. The middle class will be enslaved and dogless. If this isn't your vision of our American heritage than share this story, learn all you can and speak out against the animal rights movement. Keep America free.... Honk if you love dogs!
More to come
More later, Prudence needs her beauty rest. Next rant...solutions.

her of any changes in size or shape, especially if they happen rapidly. Your veterinarian may be concerned enough about the size, appearance, or location of a mass to suggest its removal and a biopsy; most bumps, however, are left alone. The best time to check for lumps and bumps? During regular grooming, weekly, at least. Run your hand over every inch of your dog, and don't forget to talk sweetly - she'll think it's petting.

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Michael Whitman can teach you how to quickly and easily train your problem dog. Dog Training Advice