Complete Care for Your Aging Dog by Amy Shojai is widely regarded as an essential and comprehensive resource—often called “The Old Dog Bible”—for anyone with a senior canine companion. Shojai, an award-winning pet journalist and certified animal behavior consultant, compiles information from interviews with over 100 veterinary experts to create a detailed and compassionate guide.
The book focuses on helping owners keep their senior dogs “vital, happy, and active throughout their golden years” by addressing all aspects of their changing needs:
Medical and Health Reference (The A-to-Z List): A major highlight is the comprehensive list of common age-related health conditions, providing information on:
Medical symptoms and warning signs.
Veterinary treatment and the latest research.
Home care tips to help manage costs and daily comfort.
Conditions covered include arthritis, cancer, diabetes, senility (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction), heart disease, kidney issues, blindness, deafness, and more.
Practical Home Care and Lifestyle Adjustments: The book offers actionable advice on adapting your dog’s life and environment, such as:
Nutrition: Guidance on choosing the right senior dog food, managing weight, and tips for getting picky older dogs to eat.
Exercise and Mobility: How to adjust exercise routines to be gentle yet effective (like slower walks or gentle swimming) to maintain muscle tone and joint flexibility.
Home Modifications: Simple changes like using ramps/steps for beds and cars, adding non-slip rugs on floors, and choosing supportive orthopedic beds.
Mental Stimulation: Ideas for engaging an aging dog’s mind with games and low-stress activities.
Emotional and End-of-Life Support: The book handles the most difficult aspects of senior dog ownership with sensitivity and practical advice, covering:
Understanding a dog’s quality of life.
Making difficult end-of-life decisions, including euthanasia.
Coping with pet loss and helping children understand the grief process.
Nursing Care: It provides “how-to” advice for at-home nursing tasks like administering medication (“pilling dogs”) or fluid therapy.
Reviewers and readers praise Complete Care for Your Aging Dog for its depth, practical focus, and compassionate tone. It’s not just a dry medical reference; the inclusion of heartwarming stories and a focus on keeping the dog happy and active makes it a truly supportive read for owners.
It is highly recommended as a definitive guide for anyone committed to providing the best quality of life for their senior dog, offering both preventative care information and detailed advice for managing specific health challenges.
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