Some naturalists will point out that raw meat is the way carnivores have always eaten in the wild. Indeed, man is the only animal who cooks his food. However, dogs are so far removed from their wild wolf ancestors that many do not last long in the wild and much of that is due to disease and parasites gained from their food sources. Most wild animals lead short and violent lives but we enjoy seeing our canine friends live long, happy and full lives free from strife and worry. The ‘wild card’, as it were, is not the best played hand when it comes to the argument of raw and cooked but there are plenty of other excellent points to consider.

Almost any time you apply heat to something the structure of it changes; heat alters compositions, often destroying the original product. In the case of food – any food – heat breaks down the natural proteins and damages nutrients, if not outright annihilates them depending on the extent to which the food is exposed to heat source. Heat also kills the pathogens and parasites that might be found in foods, especially meat. Not cooking meat increases the likelihood that such undesirables as salmonella and E.coli are more readily contracted. High heat has the power to alter certain fats and essential acids into undesirable, even carcinogenic, by-products. On the other hand, lightly cooking meats leaves a large amount of the desirable stuff intact while also destroying most bacteria and pathogens.

Raw foods have the benefit of all amino acids, proteins and nutrients kept intact but a dog cannot digest grains unless they are well cooked, which removes them as a carbohydrate source in their raw form. Vegetables also need to be cooked to a degree for a dog to benefit from any nutrients to be found within; else his digestive track is too short to break them down. On top of that, dogs have the teeth of the carnivores meaning they are designed to rip and tear flesh, not gnaw on plants. They also lack digestive enzymes in their saliva needed for breaking down plant matter. Cooking is a form of pre-digestion and the case of non-meat matter, it vastly benefits the canine and ends in less waste. Pureeing vegetables is a viable alternative to cooking.

Both schools of thought have their pros and cons, but some may prefer to look at it from a completely different view: that of highly-processed versus fresh. By its nature, the dry kibble offered in bags sees quite a bit of processing and it is best to think of ‘processed’ more along the lines of ‘a process by which the end product is farther and farther removed from its original state’. Many experts are now connecting processed foods with obesity and degenerative diseases more and more in both humans and domesticated animals as processed foods are both cooked and jammed full of foreign chemicals like preservatives. The steps a dog (or cat) food company goes through to create its kibble will not be discussed here but it may cause some alarm in more sensitive pet owners. While kibble is not known to have been the death of dogs and pets are actually living longer these days, there are better alternatives for delivering balanced nutrition and wholesome meals.

In then end it does not actually seem to matter if a dog eats raw meat or cooked meat but if raw is your choice, take pains to ensure it is suitable for human consumption. Do not feed your dog anything you would not eat or feed to another human. Do not serve Duke raw pork and be very careful with the chicken. Keep meats refrigerated, leaving them out only long enough to reach room temperature before feeding but avoid leaving the meat out for long where it has time to grow bacteria. Keep easily splintered bones, like pork and chicken, out of Duke’s reach. A dog will not get everything he needs from meat alone, so talk to your vet about supplements or cook him up some grains and veggies. Just remember that the less processed food is, the better it is for both you and Duke.

First of all, how old is older? The old “seven dog years to one human year” is ok as a general rule of thumb, with some adjusting for size and breed. The size of a dog’s heart doesn’t change that much compared to the size of the rest of the body so that means a toy breed, such as a toy poodle or papillon, might have a heart that is large for its body, compared to a Great Dane or Newfoundland, whose heart would be comparatively small for its body. This means the same size pump pumping blood around a small network of blood vessels versus a large network of blood vessels is working harder in the larger dog’s body and thus might wear out more quickly. That is why larger dogs often have a shorter life expectancy than smaller dogs.

Physical Changes
Might it surprise you to know that the physical changes most immediately noticeable with a healthy dog is the same as with humans? Yes, the unwanted, yet unavoidable gray hair that you are plucking right now is the same one that indicates a dog’s increase in age. Dogs do go gray, just like humans, and the first place you might see some graying is around the eyes and on the muzzle. Just as is the same case with humans, genetics will determine how young or old a dog is when graying starts and how much of the face and body turns gray. Sometimes a dog as young as two or three will develop some gray, but seven or eight years old is a more common age for gray to develop.

Let’s Start With the Head
Cataracts are another early aging sign in dogs. Cataracts are a very common eye ailment in which a filmy covering grows on the outside of the eye. This does impact sight and once the “sheath” is fully covering the eye, it can be addressed surgically with great success. Similarly, many dogs experience diminished hearing and eventually go deaf as they age. It is not uncommon for dogs to lose their sense of smell or have it decrease with age. Teeth and gums need additional attention and may need additional care in older dogs. Plaque may build up and teeth can rot or break.

Oh, My Aching Bones
Arthritis is another extremely common physical symptom of aging in dogs. Arthritis can affect any joint, but knees, shoulders and hips are very common sites for this condition to manifest. The main symptom an owner might notice is pain and stiffness upon getting up and hesitancy to be as active as in the past.

Did You Think You’re the Only One Capable of Weight Gain and Incontinence?
Metabolic changes mean that weight gain is common in older dogs. Obesity can result from the combination of a slowing of the metabolism plus trouble moving around due to arthritis, which then places more strain on the already painful joints.

Spayed female dogs are at increased risk for developing incontinence and changes in toileting habits are common as dogs age. Constipation can become a problem, as everything slows down a bit.

I’m Feeling a Bit Verklempt Lately!
Imagine how you’d feel if everything started to hurt a little more than usual, and you had trouble seeing, hearing or smelling and you peed on yourself sometimes. You might get a little touchy! Often temperament and behavior changes as dogs age. Willie may become less tolerant of young dogs or children and “cranky” even with those he loves.

Dogs can also develop dementia and senility and show signs of disorientation and forgetfulness. In severe cases, incontinence can result, as the dog has actually forgotten where he or she is and “thinks” s/he is outside.

What to Do with Your Best Friend?
Common sense “ain’t too common” but here, common sense prevails. Responsible dog owners should manage older dogs with the same sensitivity to your dog’s special needs as you did when the dog was a puppy and a young adult. Exercise is still important but should be scaled back a little. Shorter more frequent walks are probably best, and hard exercise sessions should be shortened. Consider providing more opportunities to swim if your dog will swim, as this is excellent exercise for elder dogs.

Also consider trying supplements. Discuss this with your vet: some vets do recommend glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis symptoms and fatty acid supplements for skin and coat. Some vets recommend anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers for arthritis and other conditions, but having a definite diagnosis and veterinary advice before spending any money on supplements is a wise move.

Older dogs can be a challenge, but they have much to give back. Enjoy your senior dog and remember: every phase of life has pros and cons and special joys.

Determining Obesity
So how do you know if Matthew is fat? Obesity means that your dog is 30% greater than the normal weight for that breed. You can look up the breed standard for him and check what he should weigh. But the best way to know for sure is to take a trip to the vet. Your vet can weigh him accurately and can tell you if he needs to lose weight and if so, how much. A good rule of thumb is that if you can no longer see his ribs and hipbones, he’s overweight. But a vet can determine to what extent.

If you’ve looked her over and it’s quite obvious that little Buffi is grossly overweight, you may be asking yourself, how did this happen? As with people, excess pounds generally come from too much food and not enough exercise. If Buffi doesn’t get her daily play time and if you tend to fill up her food bowl as soon as it is empty, mystery solved.

Health Risks and Costs
Overfeeding your dog or cat can be very costly. First, there are health problems to consider. Extra weight can lead to diabetes, which may require daily insulin shots. Arthritis is also a big health issue with overweight dogs, which will require medication, often injected, and potentially surgery. As with humans, high blood pressure is a serious result of obesity, which also means medication. Another serious one is Kidney failure, which may lead to dialysis or surgery. The cost of caring for a pet with any of these issues can add up quickly! Even just a daily pill can be expensive. According to the Veterinary Pet Insurance Company, in 2010, customers claimed $25 million for obesity-related conditions. Other pet insurance companies say that their top claims each year come from treatments needed for overweight animals. In addition to medical costs, overweight pets consume a lot of food. Especially with large breeds, pet food costs can also skyrocket.

Once you have recognized what has happened to little Matthew, it is time to make a change. But, don’t close up your wallet just yete, this will cost money too. First, you need to find out just how much to feed him. Your vet can tell you that as well as the type of food he will need. In fact, most brands, especially store bought ones, suggeset you feed Buffi and Matthew more than is recommended.

Indeed, there are diet foods for pets, and they are pricier than regular foods. You will also need to get Matthew and Buffi some exercise. That could be accomplished with a daily walk for a dog. Treadmills are now made specifically for dogs and you can even purchase a Tread Wheel from GoPet in a variety of sizes. The Tread Wheel is essentially an oversized hamster wheel, which ranges in price from $375 to $970. If you can afford it, it would release you from the need to walk Matthew outside or to play with Buffi and her toys. But then again, you didn’t get a dog just to watch him or her spin around or get on a treadmill, now did you? No! You got a dog to play catch with, run around your back yard and have loads of fun with!

The bottom line is that by allowing your pet to get overweight, you can seriously compromise his health. Besides the monetary costs, his life will be shorter and his quality of life significantly diminished, which really isn’t fair. So, perhaps it’s time to start measuring the kibble and to go out for a walk. Chances are, you can both use it.

All dogs require exercise daily. Regardless of their breed, or the size, they need to get out and run around or at minimum, have at least two walks a day. A walk doesn’t mean that you take him outside to do his business and bring him back home. All that you’ve ensured is that he won’t eliminate in the house.

Ideally, you have a park nearby and you can take him there to really exercise. If that’s not an option, he needs to walk at least 3 blocks in each direction. A vigorous walk is preferable over a slow one. Running is in all dogs’ blood as each was bred for a purpose.

Some were bred to herd sheep, others to chase rats on a farm, others to retrieve animals that their owners hunted and killed, others still were bred to pull snow sleds.

Dogs, if they’re in good shape, will not tire easily. This is the case with small or large dogs. If your lifestyle doesn’t allow for long walks, you should consider whether having a dog is for you.

Dogs living on a farm or in the country are likely to get an ideal amount of exercise as their owners spend a lot of their time outdoors. This is ideal, but those of you living in the city or the suburbs can exercise your dogs regularly.

Apart from dogs getting fat and being at risk for developing diabetes as a result of a sedentary life, there are other equally unpleasant results of not exercising your dog regularly.

They are:

• Bored barking – if you have every wondered why your neighbor’s dog barks day and night, ceaselessly, this is why
• Chasing one’s own tail – this is a symptom of pent up energy. Eventually this grows into an “OCD” type manifestation.
• Aggression – where else will that pent up energy go?
• Running from one end of the apartment or house to another, over and over and over again – another sign of pent up energy
• Chasing objects in the house as you are trying to clean
o Not referring to your cats but rather the vacuum cleaner or broom

Exercise needn’t always be in the form of a long walk. Here are some ideas for how you can ensure your dog gets the exercise he or she needs and it not feel like drudgery for you:

Ultimate Frisbee
Maybe as a teenager your friends and you played this fun game with each other. Dogs are amazingly adept at playing this game. Indeed the first few times he or she will drop the Frisbee or run in the wrong direction or just sit there after you’ve thrown it. Encourage him or her to run and chase it. It won’t take long, dogs live to serve you and please you.

Set Up an Obstacle Course
Given that dogs are bred to hunt or retrieve, and part of that means crawling in small spaces, running and jumping, set up a course that incorporates all the above. Again, initially you may have to encourage him or her, but it’s something that you’ll have fun doing together for hours.