A fun look at the unbelievable rear suspension on the Dogger dog stroller. You don’t see shocks like this everyday.
Enjoy the video
For more info or to order your own Dogger click here
If your family is like mine then Christmas is a time where the dogs make out way better than the humans 
Our Christmas tree is usually filled with more gifts for our family dogs than for any of the two-legged members and I couldn’t be happier.
I am often asked for suggestions on the perfect gift to get an older dog so I thought I would write a post that summarized my top 5 picks for Christmas gifts this year.
1) If your dog is like mine then food is the number one favourite gift. For senior dogs I have started to give Greenies for seniors. For those of you not familiar with Greenies, they are treats that also act as a dental aid and breath freshener. 
The type especially made for senior dogs have the added bonus of ingredients that help promote healthy joints, bones, skin, and coat health. They are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Dogs seem to love these and they are just soft enough that even our older dogs can enjoy this healthy treat. All of my dogs are getting some of these in their stockings.
2) Another great gift for an older dog, especially one that struggles with mobility, is a dog stroller. I know there is likely snow outside but winter is not forever
and before you know it the roads will be clear and your dog will be ready to feel the wind beneath their wings. Or you could plow through the snow with our very own product, the Dogger dog stroller. It has 12 inch air-filled tires that have proven to do quite well on snow covered roads and sidewalks.
3) If your dog is suffering from arthritis then they may appreciate the therapeutic help that an orthopedic dog bed can bring. I recommend going with a bed that is made of memory foam because this helps to evenly distribute their weight and reduce the pressure on sore joints. I tested these against a regular fluffy bed and the difference was significant. Mackenzie, my 14 3/4 years old pug used to get up limping and at times would even fall over and now that he only uses orthopedic beds, he gets up without any difficulty. I was so happy with the results that I filled my house with these beds.
4) Outside of the product world another terrific gift to give your senior dog is a canine massage. There is a growing number of professional dog massage therapists popping up to address the growing demand for this alternative treatment. If you have ever had a massage yourself you should understand just how great it can feel, not to mention the therapeutic benefits for your dog.
5) My fifth pick for the top Christmas gift for your older dog borders on controversial, but I am becoming a believer. Stem cell therapy is a fast growing treatment that is showing some tremendous results in the treatment of dog arthritis. I am confident that before too long this form of treatment will become much more mainstream as the number of vets that are offering this type of treatment continues to escalate. Keep in mind that this is an expensive treatment, but from what I have seen so far in terms of results, it seems to be worth it.
This of course is not an extensive list, but hopefully I have given you a few things to consider this Christmas for your older dog.
What are you giving your senior dog this year? Please feel free to share you Christmas gift ideas.
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.
Click to watch the dog diaper video review
Do you prefer washable dog diapers or disposable dog diapers? Let me know.
Ann-Marie Fleming is the Founder of www.DogQuality.com, a site focused on products that help older dogs enjoy life.
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.
