A Guide to Downsizing With Your Pet

How Dog Owners Can Keep a Clean House on a Budget

5 Must-Haves for Your Senior Dog

5 Must-Haves for Your Senior Dog

After years of loyal companionship, you’re dedicated to keeping your dog happy and healthy as a senior. But where and how do you start? Caring for senior dogs is different than caring for a pet in its prime, but it doesn’t need to be overly complicated. With these five things, you can give your senior dog the care it needs and deserves.

A Great Veterinarian

Routine veterinary check-ups are smart at every life stage, but they’re especially important in your dog’s senior years. You’ll get better care from a veterinarian who knows your pet’s health history, so search for a vet you like and stick with them rather than hopping around. Signs you’ve found a great veterinarian include thorough examinations, easy-to-understand communication, and staff that listens to your concerns — both health-related and monetary.

Pet Insurance

Speaking of money: No one wants to skip veterinary care because they can’t afford it. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many pet owners. Veterinary care can be costly, and while families budget for routine vet appointments, they’re not always prepared for veterinary emergencies and sick pets. If you don’t want to find yourself in the position of choosing between your pet’s health and your wallet, consider buying a pet insurance policy.

Pet insurance is designed to cover the unexpected parts of veterinary care, although some policies offer wellness plan riders. That means you need to buy before your pet develops a health condition and or passes the age limit. While most pet insurance policies require you to pay first then file for reimbursement, some have the ability to pay vets directly. However, it’s still important to ensure you can afford the deductible.

Pill Pockets or a Pill Gun

If your pet does develop a health condition, you’ll need an easy way to administer their medications. While some medications are easy to hide in food, others are more challenging to mask. If your dog turns its nose up at medications hidden in food or Pill Pockets, you’ll need a pill gun to administer oral medications.

Orthopedic Pet Beds

Senior dogs are prone to arthritis just like senior people, but the right home furnishings will keep your aging pet comfortable. One must-have for senior dogs is an orthopedic dog bed. Orthopedic pet beds have foam cores that relieve pressure on your dog’s tender joints. As a result, they develop fewer joint calluses and have an easier time getting up to play after a nap.

Don’t think older dogs need playtime? While senior dogs do tend to slow down, exercise is just as important as ever. As long as you don’t overdo it, exercise is a great way to promote joint health and keep your dog’s mind active during their later years.

Balanced Dog Food

Nutritional needs change as your pet ages, and so should its food. However, it’s not as simple as going out and buying a product labeled as senior dog food. As the Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University explains, there’s no standard definition of senior pet food. Some foods marketed for senior dogs may fail to meet your pet’s nutritional needs.

Instead of simply switching to senior dog food, talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s specific nutritional needs and look for a food that matches them. That could be dry, canned, freeze-dried, or raw food (Primal Formulas from Shelzsmide K9s have 100 percent human-grade ingredients), but the important thing is that it has quality ingredients and is nutritionally balanced for your pet’s health.

There’s no friend more loyal than a senior dog. After enjoying your dog’s company for so many years, repay the favor by making your dog’s health and well-being a priority in seniorhood. While it’s tough watching your dog slow down, with the right care, you and your dog can enjoy more good years ahead.

Coutresy Writer Jessica Brody 

Channel 7 Out & About South West Florida with Shelzsmide K9s

german shephard recsue dogs

South West Florida German Shepherd Rescue

South West Florida German Shepherd Rescue: http://www.swflgsdrescue.com

Erik Hoffer | (941) 575-0243 | alphadog63@comcast.net

Shelzsmide K9s works with a number of rescue groups in Southwest Florida. Over the years we have worked closely with South West Florida German Shepherd Rescue in helping to train some of their more challenging dogs for placement in a new home. If you’re considering adopting a GSD, we would love to introduce you to Erik Hoffer of South West Florida German Shepherd Rescue.

Erik has been running South West Florida German Shepherd Rescue for seven years. Prior to that, he has an additional 18 years involvement in dog rescue and training. Erik first got into rescuing dogs when he lived in New Jersey. He would use his own pets, a German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever, to do therapy visits at nursing homes and schools. His work didn’t go unnoticed and he was soon asked to help train shelter dogs. Erik fell in love with the German Shepherd breed and has made a commitment to do whatever he can to help the big, lovable creatures.

Erik pays for as much as he can out of the Hoffer Family Foundation, but also relies on the Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County to help with some expenses. The generosity of fellow pet lovers has helped him take care of and successfully adopt out 471 German Shepherds to date just in Florida and another 50 in New Jersey.

Erik is involved with a number of local organizations, including:

Animal Welfare League of Charlotte County
Peace River Dog Fanciers, Inc
The Back Pack Kidz
Harry Chapin Food Bank

How can we help?

Like many rescue organizations, Erik appreciates the generosity of fellow animal lovers. He is always willing to collect Martingale collars, leashes and Costco Salmon and Sweet Potatoes dog food. Other food brands are appreciated as well and help wean dogs off their current food to the Costco brand Erik feeds his rescue dogs.

If you would like to donate money, please send your check made payable to the ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE, 3519 Drance Street Port Charlotte FL 33980.

Please write in on the memo line: donation for German Shepherd Rescue so the funds can be correctly allocated.

Rescue Spotlight

german shepherd rescue jake
Jake, who is nine years old, needs a forever home. Jake will be one of the pets included in Pet Day this Saturday at Fifth Third Gateway Shoppes in Naples from 10 am to 1pm.

Click here to meet Jake

Click Here for info on Saturday’s event
(August 9th 2014)

Tracking SW Florida Fox News

Fox News – North Naples FD employee trains dogs to help locate missing elderly

Michelle Delaney interviews with Fox News on how her trained Search and Rescue (SaR) dogs help save lives in SW Florida. Click here to watch the full video on Fox4News.

NORTH NAPLES, Fla.- Imagine your loved one is lost, vanished without a trace. Fears are high and time is of the essence. It is a harsh reality for many families in Southwest Florida. The North Naples Fire Department is using man’s best friend to reunite them.

“We have so many nursing homes that people just wander out and if somebody wanders out hopefully we can get a jump on that and bring them home quickly,” Lt. Michelle Delaney said.

With missing and endangered elderly cases reported in our area nearly every day, North Naples Fire engineer and acting Lieutenant Michelle Delaney decided to turn her hobby in to a life saving skill.

“Since I’m with the search and rescue department and with as much training as we’ve done with the tracking, it all just fit hand in hand. So people aren’t standing out on a street corner wondering where their loved ones are,” Lt. Delaney said.

Lt. Delaney said in a matter of minutes, her family of German Shepard’s can locate the lost and it all starts with a simple scent.
As you step you’ve got thousands of skin rafts that are falling off and it’s falling on to the ground getting stuck in the shrubs,” Lt. Delaney said.

“If we were out here on feet, we would have to do a grid search and we’d still be walking to find the location of the person. So in essence she found you in three minutes, we would still be by the road developing a plan,” Delaney said.

Lt. Delaney said the dogs have gone through years of training and different certifications. She said their services can be vital to Southwest Florida.

“It is a great feeling especially if we can bring someone home and it’s part of our job so it puts one more tool in our tool belt to help the community,” Lt. Delaney said.