Pets Pets Pets spokes' dogs tribute. In the photos here you see my rescue dogs that have contributed to the good feelings at Pets Pets Pets and taught me much about canines in general.
The young German Shepherd in the photo with the small dog and ball is Dallas, the 10th rescue dog in my adult life. The little dog, Cookie, is an adult Dachshund/Terrier mix, who runs the pack. The beautiful black and white senior face is that of my aged, Lab/Great Dane, Maggie. The German Shepherd with the green ball is my most loyal Ringo, who passed at age 11. And the knowing stare from the Aussie/Shepherd mix, is my beloved Missy Girl, who passed at age 13.
Maggie has now been registered with thousands of other dogs in the "Dog Aging Project", an ambitious research project to study health and aging in canines. Maggie has been selected to contribute her vet records, now after her life information was accepted. Look for updates on Maggie as they happen.
Update on "Maggie" aka Magnolia: Magnolia was not accepted to the geriatric trial testing a new drug attempting to improve quality of life in aging dogs. Her vet records were incomplete because we moved around so much and therefore there was not enough documented data. Sadly Magnolia passed on 4/27/2021 of complications from old age at 14yrs.
If you would like to register for the dog aging project, accepting dogs of all ages and puppies, follow the link https://dogagingproject.org/
All of my rescues have had remarkably long lives, in spite of their often neglected and starved start in life. I speculate this is a result of many factors which keep them healthy and in a happy, low stress emotional state. Environmental factors, social factors, veterinary care and of course food/ nutrition all play an important role.
My dogs thrived from the following:
Environmental: safe room to run, play and enjoy the sunshine; indoor area to den up and relax; enriched surroundings with toys, chew toys and balls, and nature: birds, rabbits, squirrels and deer. Low stress environment. Frequent and regular opportunity to relieve themselves.
Social: always had at least 1 other dog to pack with; lots of human interaction too
Veterinary care: annual vaccinations and prompt treatment of wounds
Food/ Nutrition: good quality, commercially prepared dog food; regular feeding schedule; few table scraps & treats to always keep their weight and body score condition healthy; always free access to clean water.
Cheers to you and your healthy happy dogs!