The field guide / Browse
Senior dog care guides: joint support, cognitive health, diet adjustments, and how to give your older dog the best years yet.
Find a useful next question, a change to record, or a topic to bring to your veterinarian.
Browse by category
All articles
I have a soft spot for dogs who suddenly decide yesterday’s perfectly good dinner is now beneath them. After losing my golden Cooper at 9, I learned to take appetite changes seriously…
Read the guide: What can I do to satisfy my picky eater?
I learned the hard way that an older dog’s stomach can change before the rest of them seems “old.” When my golden Cooper started having more gurgly nights, softer stools, and less…
Read the guide: What ingredients support digestive health in senior dogs?
I learned the hard way that nighttime changes in an older dog are easy to dismiss until they become a pattern. When a senior dog starts panting at night, the most common…
Read the guide: Why Do Old Dogs Pant At Night
I do not treat a senior dog panting at night in a cool, quiet house as “for no reason.” In my experience as a careful dog-health researcher and a dog mom who…
Read the guide: Senior Dog Panting At Night For No Reason
I learned the hard way that “he’s just slowing down” can hide a real problem. When an old dog starts losing muscle in the back legs, the most common reasons are age-related…
Read the guide: Old Dog Losing Muscle In Back Legs
I’ve lived through the way subtle mobility changes in an older dog can sneak up on you. One week your dog is slower getting up, the next you notice the hind legs…
Read the guide: Senior Dog Losing Muscle Mass Hind Legs
When a senior male dog starts leaving wet spots on the bed or dribbling urine after a nap, most of us go straight to worry. I would too. The short answer is…
Read the guide: Urinary Incontinence In Senior Male Dogs
No. I do not provide emergency or after-hours veterinary care, and DogAgeWell is not a clinic. This site is for education only. If your dog is having trouble breathing, collapses, has uncontrolled…
Read the guide: Do you provide emergency or after-hours care?
I always want the short answer first, especially when I am deciding whether a course is actually worth my time and money. If you are asking How long will I have access…
Read the guide: How long will I have access to the course?
I’d say yes, you may still want the course, but probably not for the reason marketing pages usually imply. If you already have a thoughtful care system for your senior dog, that…
Read the guide: What if I already have a care system for my senior dog, do I still need this course?