Washable dog diapers give senior dog owners peace of mind
As you know I am always on the hunt for great products to help older dogs retain their dignity and enjoy life. One of the toughest things to deal with as a dog gets older is that many tend to lose control of their bladder or bowels. In the past many dog owners have taken dog incontinence as an indicator that the dog should be put down, but thankfully times have changed. Dogs have become a much bigger part of families and for many they have become like children. A direct result of this is better care and longer lives for our dogs which is fantastic.
In addition to the shift in how we accept and treat our dogs, products have evolved over the years and really can make a big difference. This is why I started DogQuality.com in the first place, to be able to provide owners of senior dogs with the best selection of products to help with incontinence, mobility etc through dog diapers, dog strollers, dog wheelchairs, dog steps, dog ramps and more. We can make a difference, just look at what can be done for elderly humans – we have these same products for our dogs so why don’t we use them?
This brings me to today’s dog product review which is on a new dog diaper product line we have just introduced. These dog diapers are handmade by a company located right here in Canada and they are beautiful. Just because a dog loses some of their control over bodily functions doesn’t mean they can’t still look great. These stylish, comfortable and practical dog diapers have models suitable for both female and male dogs and the best part is that they are reusable, washable dog diapers which is great.
Wow, when you hear stories like this it really changes your perspective of professional athletes. Maybe they really are human with real emotions and genuine interests. Whom might I be referring to you ask? Well, let me start by saying, I am not a baseball fan and most certainly not a fan of the overly paid athletes who play the game but when I read the story about Ken Griffey Junior and his three dogs I had to lighten up a bit. According to an article by Seattlepi.com columnist Jim Moore, Ken Griffey Junior is a big dog fan and considers them apart of the family even going as far as researching what hotels accepts pets before embarking on the family vacation.
Particularly touching, is his love and devotion to his aging 12 year old Rottweiler. Akiba’s been through a lot — she had E. coli as a pup and almost died, and more recently, she had a basketball-size tumor removed from her chest. Moore explains that Griffey and his wife, Melissa, were at a loss with what to do but weren’t ready to give up, It’s no different than one of your kids, you want to try everything you can. With the help of an experimental drug administered through shots given once every two weeks followed by a cycle of once every four weeks the tumor disappeared.
Ken Griffey Junior lovingly talks about the rest of his dogs in the article and shows an honesty of emotions rarely shown by athletes, unless of course, they are found guilty of using muscle enhancements…sorry, but I had too. Haha. Anyway, aging dogs always find a way of tugging on my heart strings and this story reminded me that we really must find ways of keeping them in our lives happy and active for as long as possible. They are great companions and when they give you 12 plus years (as in Griffey’s case) of unconditional love we owe it to them to do what we can.
I read a great post by Best Bully Sticks (@bestbullysticks on Twitter) talking about caring for your senior dog. In this post they mention the importance of taking your dog to the vet, not only when your dog is sick but at a time when they are healthy so your vet has a baseline to use to compare results to down the road should your dog become sick. I have been through this exact same thing and trust me it does help. Before I was able to put my 13 year old Pug on Medicam, he needed blood work to make sure his body could tolerate this prescription. When the blood work came back they compared it to a test he had a couple years back and discovered that he had some issues with his liver that weren’t there in his last test. We were able to address the liver problem and Mackenzie is now safely on Medicam and happier than ever.
Another important point mentioned was the need to keep your older dog active. I have spoken about this before and I think it is worth mentioning again. What tends to happen, and I know this because I went through this myself, is that as your dog gets older and starts stiffening up, you stop walking them. In my case I even stopped taking Mackenzie to dog parks. Then I realized that by doing this I am actually accelerating the aging process. Old dogs still need exercise for physical reasons, but also for mental stimulation. What I often recommend is using some of the wonderful products out there to become creative in how we manage this side of our older dogs life. For me I use a dog jogger and Mackenzie comes on long walks and visits dog parks and all along the way he goes in and out of the jogger. So he gets the right amount of exercise and an abundance of mental stimulation. He is still an adventurer and loves to explore, I just needed to find the right way to let allow him to do this in a healthy way.
Our senior dogs still enjoy all the same things they used to love when they were younger and it is up to us as dog owners to find ways to let them continue to enjoy life.
Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.
This is a story that reminded me that when one door closes another one opens. Paddling Paws Pool is an indoor heated swimming facility in the U.S. that is designed to restore a quality of life to dogs that suffer from mobility issues. Here you can take your crippled companion and enjoy the benefits of warm water activities. These can include increased circulation, balance, and the loosening of tight muscles for increased range of motion. I think the biggest benefit though is the happiness that the dog (and dog owner) enjoys from discovering another opportunity to be active and have fun. Companies like Canada’sDogQuality.com and U.S. based Paddling Paws are the hidden doors that are sure to add years to your loved one’s life.
A recent article by Pete Keesling about older pet care reminded me about a very important point when taking care of your senior dog. He describes the need for keeping your dog active to help keep both mind and body healthy. As dogs get older they typically become less active because of arthritis or other health issues that slow them down. However, this is something that with the help of your vet, you can help to alleviate in most cases. The bottom line is that you need to do what you can to keep your dog walking, exploring, and playing to keep his or her mind active as much as his or her body.
This point is something I had almost forgotten. I have a 12 year old Pug named Mackenzie who suffers from arthritis. I have just put him on Metacam to help him since he has been in pain due to one leg in particular, and as a result we have not been able to do much walking. My focus has been on alleviating his pain which of course is the most important thing, but at the same time I was ignoring the benefits that having him mobile can bring.
Even with his pain under control I realize that Mackenzie will not be able to go on long walks, but that is ok. He has his dog jogger, which is our favourite thing in the world because it allows him to walk for a bit and then ride for a long period of time. This accomplishes two key things. He gets his much needed exercise to help keep his body healthy and he gets to enjoy the fun of riding in his jogger, which keeps his mind stimulated as he sees new things, new people and gets out of the house.
Often we are so worried about our older dogs that we treat them like fine china. Senior dogs still need to get out, move around, play and experience life to the fullest. The health benefits of keeping them stimulated are numerous so find the right balance and start enjoying life with your older dog.
Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.
