Month: April 2022

Age hasn’t slowed Ginger down very much. Fourteen years young, the Chow Chow mix loves taking long walks and playing with tennis balls. But recently Ginger became reluctant to play with the balls, her breath started to smell, and her appetite decreased.

“We thought she might have a problem with her teeth,” says owner Michael Ruslander of New York. “We looked in her mouth and found a raised red mass about the size of a walnut on the top of her tongue.” The lump turned out to be a cancerous tumor.

Signs such as lumps and bumps, and reduced interest in play, are common in older dogs. Oftentimes they’re harmless and don’t mean much. But, as in Ginger’s case, sometimes these changes indicate a serious problem. There are other common signs, too, that crop up in aging dogs, suggesting something could be amiss. Changes that warrant investigation include:

1. Limping or lameness. The most common cause of lameness is arthritis, also called DJD or degenerative joint disease, says Linda Workman, DVM, veterinary advisor for the American Animal Hospital Association. Besides limping, dogs with DJD may be stiff or reluctant to exercise, and have trouble rising or handling stairs. Treatment includes anti-inflammatory pain medication, joint and nutritional supplements, exercise therapy, and, most important, weight control: “Excess weight interferes with joint motion and stresses joints,” Workman explains. Other causes of lameness include injury, various diseases, and cancer.

2. Change in appetite or weight. An increased or decreased appetite, or unexplained weight gain or weight loss can be linked to many different conditions, Workman notes. These include internal organ disease (kidney, liver, or heart), diabetes, oral problems (periodontitis, abscessed teeth, mouth tumors), hormonal imbalances, abdominal tumors, and parasitic disease. An accurate diagnosis is critical for effective treatment.

3. Abnormal chewing. Dropping food from the mouth, difficulty chewing, chewing on one side, face rubbing, or bad breath suggest a dental disorder, sinus disease, or mouth tumor. Sometimes lack of appetite, weight loss, sneezing, or nasal discharge accompanies these signs. “Teeth cleaning, removal of diseased teeth, and antibiotic therapy may be necessary to restore your dog’s oral health,” Workman says. Treatment options for tumors include surgical removal, and radiation or chemotherapy.

4. Increased water consumption. Drinking more water, usually accompanied by more frequent urination, can be associated with kidney or liver disease, diabetes, or other endocrine disorders, says David Ruslander, DVM, of the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas in North Carolina. Management depends upon the underlying cause.

5. Changes in urination. Increased urination, straining during urination, dribbling urine, blood in the urine, or repeated or unexplained accidents in a housetrained dog often indicate a problem of the urinary tract, Ruslander says. Problems can vary from infection to urinary stones to a tumor. Depending on the cause, your veterinarian may suggest drug therapy, a special diet, or surgery.

6. Behavioral changes. Circling, aimless wandering, increased sleeping, forgetting housetraining, or seizures can be signs of canine cognitive dysfunction (akin to senility in people), brain tumors, or various neurologic disorders, Ruslander says. “Medications may help cognitive dysfunction, while neurologic conditions are treated medically or surgically. The combination of radiation therapy is useful in managing dogs with brain tumors, and long-term control or even cures are possible.”

7. Lumps and bumps. Small, benign fatty tumors are common in older dogs, Workman says. “After being diagnosed, they are often left in place unless they become larger, interfere with movement, or there is a change in appearance and firmness.” However, other more aggressive tumors should be treated. “Surgical excision is the cornerstone of treatment for most skin tumors,” says Ruslander, but radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be advised.

Seek treatment. “If you notice any of the signs discussed above,” Workman advises, “don’t wait until your next scheduled appointment to take your dog to your veterinarian.” The sooner your vet can evaluate your dog, the more likely she will be able to recover fully, she says.

Such was the case for Ginger. After discovering Ginger’s mass, Michael Ruslander had her examined the next day. Although malignant, the cancer had not spread. “Surgery removed most of the tumor,” he says. Follow-up radiation therapy and chemotherapy came next to prevent cancer re-growth and spread. “Ginger’s appetite has slowly improved, and currently she seems to be doing well.”

Elaine Petersen had laminate floors installed in her Florida home a couple of years ago — only to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under her.

“It was a nightmare for Ramsey,” she says of her now 11-year-old Golden Retriever, who was so unsure of his footing that he refused to walk through the living room. Because Ramsey’s rear legs had atrophied, Petersen was afraid they would slide out from under him.

So she covered her slick new floors with huge area rugs, and Ramsey got his house back.

Sharing your life with an aging dog can have its challenges — some of them, like Petersen’s, as dramatic as they might be unforeseen. Along with graying muzzles and slower reflexes, senior dogs have special requirements in their twilight years.

When is old?
The first step for owners is figuring out at what age a dog should get his canine AARP card. Size is a big factor.

“Certain giant breeds reach the senior stage at age 5,” says Kim Langholz, DVM, a community-practice veterinarian at the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. “But in general, we start considering dogs as seniors at about 7 years old.”

While annual wellness exams are a must for any dog, Langholz suggests twice-a-year visits for older ones. “Animals age more rapidly than humans, and an older dog can lose weight so gradually that an owner doesn’t notice.” At these biannual visits, a vet can do blood work to evaluate the functioning of internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver, and monitor the heart.

But in other respects, less is more. Michael Stone, DVM, an internal medicine specialist and clinical assistant professor at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, notes that vets are backing away from the idea of annual booster shots, especially for aging dogs. “We’re really spacing out vaccines now,” he says, noting that studies show that immunity for some vaccines, such as parvovirus and distemper, lasts for as long as seven years.

Make life easier
Because limited mobility is a hallmark of getting older, pet manufacturers offer a variety of products — from pet ramps and steps to heated and therapeutic bedding — to help ease stress on an elderly dog’s aching joints.

Marcy Burke of New York had a memory-foam bed custom made for her 11-year-old Golden Retriever Taylor. “I notice that after she sleeps on it, she’s able to move much more quickly,” Burke says. “And in the car it helps a tremendous amount if I can take the shock out of her ride.”

Burke also reminds that graceful aging begins in the sapling years with a good diet, regular exercise, and even thoughtful training. “I taught Taylor as a young puppy to use every single step on the stairs and not to leap off the bottom.” Although Burke’s intention was to help Taylor’s performance at agility trials, “it has helped her in later life to go up one at a time, and down one at a time,” preventing a dangerous slip and fall.

Common health concerns
Older dogs are prone to some common diseases and problems, including:

Obesity. Long-term weight problems are the No. 1 risk of old age, Stone says, because excess weight can lead to severe arthritis and impaired mobility. Once a medical cause such as hypothyroidism has been ruled out, the solution is simple: less food, more exercise.

Still, Stone estimates that only one in 10 owners heeds his advice to cut calories. “It’s easy to listen to me,” he says, “but hard to look at those sad, brown eyes.”

Arthritis. This common joint problem isn’t just painful; it’s a frequent cause of euthanasia, Stone says, “because it impairs the dog’s ability to get around.”

Keeping a dog trim and well-exercised is key. Vets can recommend supplements such as glucosamine chondroitin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, although the latter can affect liver function.

Dental disease. “The mouth has a tremendous blood supply, and there is information that suggests if there is a lot of bacteria along the gum line, it can seed to other parts of the body,” Langholz says. Regular cleanings need to be weighed against the risk of anesthesia for an older dog. Daily brushing and dental chews can help.

Cancer. As dogs age, their immune systems grow weaker, leaving them vulnerable to cancers. Some, such as lymphoma, respond well to treatments; others, like osteosarcoma, are more aggressive and have a less optimistic prognosis. Regardless of the type of cancer, the veterinary goal is not to cure the disease, but to keep the cancer under control for as long as possible.

As with anything, the earlier you catch a problem, the better. “The majority of lumps and bumps I see are benign,” Stone says. “The thing to watch for is rapid growth. If a lump grows over the course of weeks, it definitely has to be addressed.”

Incontinence. Loss of bladder control is common in old age, but the causes can vary widely, from a simple infection to the onset of dog Alzheimer’s. Consult your veterinarian to pin down the culprit. For chronic “leakers,” there are absorbent wraps and diapers to wear indoors.

Cognitive dysfunction. Langholz says it takes “quite a bit of detective work” to determine whether a dog’s changing behavior is due to dementia or some other cause. An owner’s input is crucial because “they are very tuned in to signs that something is wrong, such as not recognizing family members.”

Deprenyl treats cognitive dysfunction by increasing brain concentrations of dopamine, which helps improve mental awareness.

Renal disease. After a lifetime of exertion, a dog’s organs inevitably slow down. “Dogs can lose 70 percent of their kidney function, and the kidneys can continue to do their job [only] until the teeter-totter tips too far,” Langholz says. Even though impaired kidney function can’t be reversed, early treatment can help stabilize the kidneys.

Heart problems. Like the kidneys, the heart can falter after a lifetime of hard effort. Depending on the specific problem, veterinarians can prescribe medication to manage some cardiac abnormalities. And, following in the footsteps of human medicine, today’s canine cardiologists can even implant pacemakers to keep your dog’s ticker tocking.

Diabetes. Usually occurring between ages 7 and 9, diabetes is a deficiency of insulin, the hormone the body needs to absorb blood sugar. Diet changes and daily injections are needed to manage this disease.

Hearing and vision loss. These sensory deficits require owners to change the way they approach their dogs — sometimes literally. Coming up to a hearing-impaired dog from behind will startle him, and trying a new configuration of the living-room furniture will likely upset a senior canine whose eyesight is dwindling.

Think outside the box: Use vibration — such as a foot stomp — instead of your voice to get the attention of a hearing-impaired oldster.

Celebrate the years
The fact that a dog has reached an age where these inevitable problems occur is something to celebrate itself.

“As dogs are living longer, we are seeing more ailments that we tend to associate with older humans,” Langholz says. A strong focus on preventive care, an emphasis on dogs as family members, improved nutrition, and spaying and neutering have all contributed to canine longevity.

Watching your dog grow grayer has its lighter moments, too. Ramsey, the carpet-loving Golden, has developed cognitive dysfunction, requiring Petersen to monitor his swimming and fishing sessions in a nearby lake, lest he wander off. But as his memory dwindled, he forgot his lifelong rivalry with the Great Dane next door.

“They’re great friends now, though he still hates the UPS truck,” Petersen laughs. “Some things never change.”

Q: I have an older dog with the beginnings of arthritis. She is having trouble with her back legs when she goes up and down steps. She has to use the stairs in order to get outside. She also has congestive heart failure and is taking Lasix to keep the fluid down. This causes her to make more frequent trips up and down the steps. As she gets worse she will need to be carried, and I can’t be home all the time. Do you have any suggestions or ideas on what to do? I thought of building a ramp for the steps but am unsure if that would be any easier for her.

A: These are common ailments in older pets, and it is not unusual to see them together. Your veterinarian should be consulted for recommendations regarding arthritis treatment and control because many excellent new options are available.

Unfortunately, you may not be able to do a lot about the need for increased trips outside. This is the expected and desired result of diuretic therapy (water pills) as the medication rids the body of excess fluid that would end up in the lungs or abdominal cavity. Ask your veterinarian about using other heart medications such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. These drugs are readily available, well-tolerated by most dogs and can reduce or eliminate the need for diuretic therapy. The cost of these medications has dropped, making them more affordable. Evidence suggests longevity in heart failure patients may be maximized when diuretics are kept to a minimum by using other treatments. If possible, your dog should also be on a reduced sodium diet. Check with your veterinarian if diet changes have not yet been recommended.

A ramp is an excellent idea because old and arthritic joints often have a reduced range of motion, and dogs experience pain when they exceed the range. Climbing up and down stairs or furniture requires a good range of motion, especially in smaller dogs. Ramps can significantly reduce the effort required by dogs with arthritis, back problems, heart disease and other illnesses. Use sturdy building materials, and cover the surface with carpeting to maximize safety and your dog’s confidence in the ramp. Ramps are also available from several manufacturers.

Joey is edging toward 13. His muzzle and paws are grizzled with gray, his eyes clouded with cataracts, and his hearing certainly isn’t what it used to be. He eats a quality senior diet that helps him maintain a healthy weight and meets his nutritional needs. Joey also takes medications to keep him pain- and symptom-free from canine intervertebral disk disease.

Joey’s owner, Merry Jordan, cajoles him into taking daily walks and drags favorite toys to hidden locations in the house so that the Dachsie can scent his way to his most wanted playthings.

According to Gary Landsberg, DVM, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a partner in Doncaster Animal Clinic, Jordan is doing everything right to mentally stimulate her dog.

“A lot of people [who own senior dogs] stop exercising and interacting with their dogs,” Landsberg says. “Maybe because the dog is suffering from disease or is not capable of doing what she used to do. Or, owners often think it’s not necessary to keep an older dog active. “

When is a Dog Old?
“A senior or geriatric dog is, by definition, one that is in the last 25 percent of her expected life cycle,” explains Robert T. Goldston, DVM, author of the veterinary textbook, Geriatrics and Gerontology of Dogs and Cats (W.B. Saunders Company, 1995, $89.95), with senior being the first half and geriatric being the second half of that 25 percent. In general, however, senior status starts at 7 years of age and geriatric at around 10 years of age, depending on the dog’s size. Larger dogs typically age more quickly than smaller dogs.

“Mental stimulation greatly improves both the longevity and quality of life of all senior dogs,” Goldston says. “Just like our muscles and joints, the brain needs its exercise. The use it or lose it principle’ is equally important in preventing senility in geriatric dogs as it is in aged humans.”

So, how do you keep your older dog mentally stimulated? According to Goldston and Landsberg, by doing what you’re already doing and providing an enriched environment.

Something Old, Something New
“Do everything you did in the past with your dog, but know her limits,” Landsberg suggests. A regular schedule of eating, exercise, playtime, training, riding in the car, and other activities offers continued opportunities for your dog to learn.

Goldston also recommends adding something to your dog’s life: a new puppy. “By far the best activity for mentally stimulating senior and geriatric dogs is the near constant [attention] they get from a young puppy.”

Before you commit to buying or adopting a puppy, arrange a few opportunities for your senior dog to interact with a few different puppies. Some older dogs, especially those with painful conditions, won’t appreciate a pesky new pet around the house.

For exercise that stimulates the mind, Goldston suggests controlled exercise allowing them to utilize their available senses of sight, smell, hearing, etc. A simple walk provides sights, sounds, and smells, touching on many of your dog’s senses. If you normally walk a certain route with your senior dog, take a new one. Devise three or four routes near your home, and your old dog will get new stimulation each time you take her out.

Stimulation and Accommodation
But what if your dog has a medical condition that prohibits her from exercising much? “Give your dog alternatives,” Landsberg suggests. “Favorite chew toys, toys your dog manipulates to get food, and new toys can stimulate her mentally without a lot of physical activity,” he says. You can also teach your dog new commands or even tricks that don’t require much body movement. The effort of understanding your request, then complying, will exercise her mind.
 
“And then there’s just attention from you: Probably the most important mental stimulation in less mobile pets is a daily time for the owner to just pet, scratch, rub, talk, squeak toys, hand feed, etc.,” Goldston notes.

Finally, consider accommodations that will help keep your dog active and involved. “Adapt to the needs of the pet,” Landsberg says. If your dog doesn’t do steps as well, use a ramp. If she can’t see well, improve the lighting, and use scent cues.

It will take some work to mentally stimulate your older dog, but she’ll be happier for it. And a happier dog typically has a happier owner at the end of her leash.      

Treat your new rescue dog like a 2-year-old child, and you’ll make friends fast, says Jean Smith, coordinator of Collie Rescue of the Carolinas. “It is important to establish right away that this is his new home and he is staying,” she adds.

Here are 10 tips to help you welcome your rescue dog.

1.  Know your dog. “Get as much information as possible from shelter or rescue organization personnel about his behavior and daily routine,” says Emma Parsons, adoption intake coordinator for Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. Continuing the feeding, exercise, and grooming routine he was used to gives your dog confidence in his new home.

2.  Clarify dog-care duties and limits in your home. These duties include who will walk the dog and when, who will feed him, and whether any furniture or rooms will be off-limit to four paws. Make sure no duty goes neglected and that everyone enforces limits consistently.

3.  Check the dog’s health. “Take him for a veterinary exam, including a heartworm test,” says Lori Blackburn, director of Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio, Inc. Arrange for spaying or neutering, the Humane Society of the United States recommends.

4.  Take it easy. Bring your rescue dog home when you have a few full days to get used to each other. For the first two days, let only immediate family have contact with him. “Slowly introduce the new dog to other pets during short supervised sessions,” Parsons says.

5.  Give him security. “If the dog is used to sleeping in a crate, continue making his crate available,” Blackburn suggests. Your dog will feel protected there.

6.  Give him frequent potty breaks. Assume the dog is not housetrained. Take him outdoors often to eliminate to help prevent accidents and learn how to signal to you that he needs to go. “Dogs don’t know which door to go to in a new home,” Parsons says.

7.  Walk, don’t sit. Your companion needs to run and play with you. Those activities not only boost his health, but also strengthen the bond between you.

8.  Go to school. Enroll in obedience classes, even if your dog already knows the basics, the Humane Society suggests. Learning together establishes you as the leader.

9.  Keep him leashed. “Don’t let the dog run free too soon,” Parsons says. If you must chase him, escapes become a game. “When people manage their dogs well, the dogs naturally fall into the kind of behavior people want from them,” she says.

10.  Be patient. Give the dog time to adjust to his new life, the Humane Society recommends. Just as with people, taking your time helps you both to ease into a happy lifelong relationship.

Evo, a 6-year-old Boxer mix, had gained weight and lost his get up and go, according to owner Jan Hargis of Johnson City, Texas. She took him to the veterinarian for a geriatric checkup.

With the exception of arthritis and some weight gain, the veterinarian gave the Boxer a clean bill of health, recommending a lower-fat senior diet, which would help reduce Evos weight, and thus, his joint pain. Within a few weeks, Evo had lost 5 pounds and his activity level had climbed. As Hargis puts it, He was back to his young self again.

As pets age, their metabolisms slow down and activity levels drop. As with people, their diet must change to meet the needs of their changing lifestyles, says Linda P. Case, M.S., of the University of Illinois College Veterinary Medicine, author of Canine & Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals (C.V. Mosby, 2000, $69.95).
But when should you change your dogs diet and what kind of senior diet should you look for?

No Magic Number
Most commercial diets label a 7-year-old dog as a senior, but the actual age varies depending on the size and breed of the dog, says Rebecca Remillard, DVM, Ph.D., senior staff nutritionist at Angell Animal Medical Centers in Boston. I’m not an advocate of changing to a senior diet just because a dog has reached a certain age, Remillard says. Each dog should be monitored individually.

Your veterinarian can help you determine whether your dog is ready for a senior diet, based on his breed, weight, activity level, and overall health.

What Seniors Need
Senior diets are often equated with chronic renal disease in which a reduction of protein is prescribed. Many people mistakenly think that senior dogs need a low protein diet, Case says. But protein requirements don’t necessarily decrease with age if the dog is healthy. Senior dogs still need protein to maintain good muscle mass.

Protein transforms food into energy, and the amount of energy needed depends on a dogs size, activity level, and health. A specially formulated senior diet with less protein might, for example, be appropriate for a small, sedentary dog, but not suitable for an older, active search-and-rescue dog.

Without good nutrition, your dog can suffer from a number of problems, including allergies, malnutrition, skin and coat problems, and obesity. Nutrition-related problems can affect any dog, no matter the size.

While dogs can be allergic to many things, some have food allergies to different meats, grains, dairy products, and artificial additives such as colorings, flavorings, and preservatives. Dogs with food allergies often develop skin problems such as rashes, hives, chronic itching, and hot spots (painful, warm infected areas of skin). Some dogs develop allergies to protein and carbohydrate sources after being exposed to them for a long time, so simply changing the protein and carbohydrate sources of your food from beef and corn to turkey and rice, for example, may be enough to halt the allergic reaction. Many dogs with severe skin allergies finally find relief when their owners switch to feeding them a homemade diet.

Most pet dogs are more likely to become overweight than malnourished, but when a dog is fed a diet lacking in basic nutrients, he can become malnourished. Malnutrition can be caused by a diet that is not complete and unbalanced or by a limited diet (for example, meat only). Dogs who aren’t fed enough, often due to neglect or other poor conditions, are likely to become malnourished.

On the other hand, too much protein may contribute to kidney disease in some dogs. Some dogs, especially the large and giant breeds, can develop bone problems if they were fed too much calcium as puppies. Some puppies, especially the toy breeds, need many small, frequent, nutrient-dense meals to avoid hypoglycemia. A lack of antioxidants like vitamins C and E could possibly contribute to an increased cancer risk (studies suggest this could be true for people), and inadequate fat can result in a dull, dry coat and itchy, sensitive skin. Some dogs are sensitive to too much copper or a dificiency of zinc in their diet.

Knowing what to feed your dog may be one of the most confusing and conflicting areas of dog ownership. But it’s also one of the most important things you can do to positively impact your dog’s health and well-being. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the maze of canine nutrition, from choosing a food, reading a label, and preparing a homemade diet, to staying up on commercial pet food recalls.

Choices abound
Store shelves heave with hundreds of dog foods, requiring choices beyond merely dry food versus canned. With so many offerings — exotic venison and bison, weight control formulas, dental diets, premium products, bargain fare, and so on — how can you determine the best food for your dog?

Lots of pet owners don’t take at face value the claims they hear, whether from manufacturers, critics, or ordinary websites purporting to offer expert advice. But there are some basic guidelines to consider:

Know your dog’s age, size, and activity level. A gangly puppy with growing bones needs up to twice the energy intake as an adult, so choose a food formulated for pups. Small breeds — under 20 pounds — reach adult size in nine months to a year; giant breeds may take until age 2. Adult dogs with normal activity levels need a lower-energy diet, so look for foods marked with the term “maintenance.” Ask your veterinarian for guidance on whether to switch to a food specially formulated for seniors when your dog gets older. Generally, senior status occurs when dogs less than 50 pounds reach age 7, large dogs hit age 6, and giant breeds mark their fifth birthdays.

Healthy dogs need a high-quality, balanced diet. Dry or canned or pouch — it’s your call. Pick a brand that you’ve heard of, advises Ana Hill, DVM, Ph.D., who lectures on nutrition at Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences. Most well-known brands devote research to the product and have quality controls in place, creating consistency from container to container and better accountability, she says.

Look at the ingredients panel. Choose a food with the words “AAFCO” — the Association of American Feed Control Officials — printed on the label. This means the food meets the basic requirements for providing complete, balanced nutrition for dogs. Also  check out the top four or five ingredients listed. Maybe you don’t want your dog eating “animal byproducts,” which may contain feet, heads, and other parts — though the protein quality sometimes is superior to muscle meat, according to FDA Consumer magazine. Or maybe you prefer foods with natural preservatives such as vitamin C instead of BHA or BHT — though natural preservatives have a shorter shelf life. Go with a food whose ingredients you’re comfortable with. As long as the AAFCO assurance appears on the label, it’s really a matter of personal preference.

It is worthwhile, however, to keep an eye on which ingredients potentially contain the toxins that prompted the latest pet food recalls, advises board-certified veterinary nutritionist Tony Buffington, DVM, Ph.D., a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition and professor of clinical nutrition at Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital. Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has assured consumers that the melamine-tainted wheat gluten and rice protein ingredients are no longer being used in pet foods, “I would not” feed products containing them, Buffington said in May. (To see a list of recalled dog foods, go to www.fda.gov)

Price isn’t everything. The most expensive foods aren’t necessarily best. Price is the last thing to consider. Nutrition and quality aren’t necessarily higher in pricier foods, Hill says. A better judge: Does the bag or can mention AAFCO, meaning the food is formulated to be complete and balanced? Foods that meet or exceed standards are generally priced in the same ballpark — $1 to $1.50 per pound for dry dog food; 75 cents to $1 for canned food, Hill says. “Premium,” “natural,” and “gourmet” are marketing terms that aren’t regulated and have no standard meaning.

Keep your dog’s health problems in mind. Ask your veterinarian whether a special diet is advisable for your pet’s health issues. For instance, does your dog’s breath smell foul because of gum disease, which can lead to infections and other issues? The Veterinary Oral Health Council gives its seal of approval to 11 dog foods and treats that meet standards for retarding plaque and tartar (www.vohc.org/accepted_products.htm).

Factor in obesity risk, and make your dog work for his meal. An estimated 25 to 40 percent of dogs are overweight — which can lead to a host of problems, including diabetes, arthritis, herniated discs, and ruptured ligaments. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs under a thin layer of fat. Preventing obesity is ideal, and as any human knows, it’s easier to keep off weight than to take it off. Ask your veterinarian whether she recommends feeding a “light” food.

Nutritionist Sarah Abood, DVM, Ph.D., of Michigan State University, suggests providing your dog thumbnail portions of regular food as treats, and making him do a trick for every meal. Give him the trio command: Sit, Down, Sit, which are like doggie pushups, Abood notes. It’s exercise — and fun.

In the end, there is no single best dog food. Every owner has his own preferences and often chooses foods based on personal experience, referrals from friends, or recommendations from vets. And despite the high-profile pet food recall, it affected only about 1 percent of all commercial dog and cat food available at the time, and most recalled foods weren’t associated with illness or death, according to various sources, including the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. There are still many safe pet foods and treats available, assures the American Veterinary Medical Association.

A decade ago, BARF was the acronym that raw-feeders used to describe feeding raw, meaty bones to their canine companions. Coined by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, it stood for “Bones and Raw Food,” which later morphed to the eggheady-sounding “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.” But now, everyone pretty much just calls it “raw.”

Labels aside, the raw pet food movement got a lot of attention this spring, when wide-scale pet food recalls prompted many owners to rethink commercial foods. Suddenly, the idea of feeding a fresh, well-hydrated, varied, raw diet, whose enzymes and amino acids have not been altered by cooking, didn’t seem like such a radical idea anymore.

Owners often switch to raw feeding in times of crisis, such as when their dogs have been diagnosed with deep-seated problems like allergies, says Monica Segal, author of “Optimal Nutrition, Raw and Cooked Canine Diets: The Next Level” (Doggie Diner, 2007). But more and more owners are becoming proactive. “They’re asking themselves, ‘If a method of feeding is being touted as good when an animal is ill, why not when it’s healthy?’”

Still, despite the interest — and the growing number of companies that offer frozen and freeze-dried raw diets — many vets are still uncomfortable with the idea of feeding dogs a diet that mimics what they would eat in the wild: basically, raw meat, uncooked bones, and pulverized vegetables and fruit. Among their concerns are the risk of bacterial contamination, dietary imbalances, and internal injury from inadequately chewed bones.

Not every dog is cut out for a raw diet, agrees Segal, who is certified in animal healthcare by the University of Guelph and formulates raw diets for her clients.

“If you have a really immune-compromised dog, it might not be the way to go.”

When it comes to objections about raw feeding, its advocates note that good hygiene is important when handling any raw meat. Most healthy dogs can handle bacteria such as Salmonella or E. coli, and grinding raw meaty bones into a hamburger-like consistency eliminates any choking risk. (Never feed cooked bones, which are brittle and can splinter.)

Nutritional balance is also a concern: Not having an adequate calcium source, for example, can leave a dog at risk for severe orthopedic problems. The key is never to embark on a raw diet without doing adequate research. In addition to Segal’s writings, a good introduction for wannabe raw feeders is “Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats” by Kymythy Schultze (Hay House, 1999).

One of the biggest drawbacks to raw feeding is cost. Segal notes: If you do it right, but don’t have affordable meat sources, feeding your dog can be as costly as feeding yourself.

From the canine point of view, though, the pluses of raw feeding are pretty obvious. “Very few dogs,” Segal says with a grin, “will turn their noses up at it.”