The Doggy Diva Show

Health and Lifestyle Contributor Monica Leighton offers valuable and timely microchip information for Check The Chip Awareness Month and Colleen Gray shares helpful advice on caring for senior pets and celebrating the joys of being a dog mom. 

Listen to Episode #166 Now:

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Announcer: The views conveyed by the guests on this program do not necessarily represent the views of the host or owners of the Doggy Diva Show and do not necessarily constitute endorsement of products.

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Announcer: Medical information shared by the guests on this program are those of the guests and are for informational purposes only.

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Announcer: They should not replace the medical advice of your veterinarian.

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Susan Marie: Hi, this is Susan Marie from the Doggy Diva Show.

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Susan Marie: This episode features helpful advice for Chip Your Pet Month and celebrating senior pets and dog moms.

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Susan Marie: That's what's on our show, so let's get started.

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Susan Marie: Come here, babies.

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Announcer: It's time for a treat, the Doggy Diva Show.

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Announcer: Here's national award-winning author and animal advocate, Susan Marie.

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Susan Marie: Hi, welcome to the Doggy Diva Show, the show for animal lovers.

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Susan Marie: I'm your host, Susan Marie.

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Susan Marie: And as always, I'm joined by my canine co-host, the Doggy Divas themselves.

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Susan Marie: Thank you for joining us today as we bring you the experts in the pet and animal world right to you.

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Susan Marie: Contact us at the doggydiva.com.

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Susan Marie: That's the doggydiva.com.

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Susan Marie: We love hearing from you, so go grab a cup of coffee and your pet's favorite treat, and we'll be back in just a moment.

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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.

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Susan Marie: Welcome back everyone to the Doggy Diva Show.

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Susan Marie: With us to share timely and important tips for pets and pet parents is Monica Leighton, president of Professional Pet Sitting and Monica, it is May and May is Chip Your Pet Month.

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Susan Marie: And I think that, you know, it's great that we have pet IDs on.

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Susan Marie: We always should have our ID on our pet, but it's also important to have our pet microchipped.

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Susan Marie: And it's a great time in case you don't have your pet microchipped.

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Susan Marie: It's Chip Your Pet Month.

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Susan Marie: So talk to your vet about it.

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Susan Marie: And could you just share the importance of having our pets microchipped?

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Monica Leighton: Absolutely.

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Monica Leighton: Microchips have come such a long way since they started.

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Monica Leighton: They're so small, so tiny.

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Monica Leighton: It's very pain free for the animal to get very quick, very fast, very cost effective.

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Monica Leighton: It's one of the best ways to identify your pet.

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Monica Leighton: You know, collars, they break, they come off, tags fall off sometimes.

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Monica Leighton: And, you know, unfortunately, things happen and pets, you know, they slip out of doors or they slip out of a lead or they escape from the car going out and about.

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Monica Leighton: You know, they'll just get away from you sometimes.

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Monica Leighton: And a microchip is a form of identification that is going to live within that pet its entire life.

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Monica Leighton: It's not going to go anywhere.

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Monica Leighton: It's not going to fall off.

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Monica Leighton: It's not going to wash off.

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Monica Leighton: It's not going to break away.

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Monica Leighton: It's going to be there.

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Monica Leighton: So no matter what, your pet can be identified.

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Monica Leighton: And people think, oh yeah, I got my pet's microchip.

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Monica Leighton: That's great.

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Monica Leighton: They're sad.

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Monica Leighton: He's always going to be able to come home to me.

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Monica Leighton: And then most people get it when it's a puppy.

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Monica Leighton: And then three, four years later, they move.

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Monica Leighton: And maybe five years later, they move again.

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Monica Leighton: And this whole time, you're thinking, oh, my pet's covered.

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Monica Leighton: It's great.

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Monica Leighton: Well, when you get your microchip, the microchip, there's a common misconception that clients don't understand how it works.

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Monica Leighton: Your microchip does not hold all your information in it.

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Monica Leighton: The microchip holds an identification number.

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Monica Leighton: The scanner will be placed between the shoulder blades of a pet to pick up the microchip number.

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Monica Leighton: And it sends a radio frequency to have that number pull up on the scanner while they have a database that has everybody's information linked to their numbers.

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Monica Leighton: So whenever a pet's picked up, they're going to scan your pet.

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Monica Leighton: They're going to get that identification number.

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Monica Leighton: They're going to put it into the database.

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Monica Leighton: And they could come up with a phone number and an address that is years and years old and could be one, two addresses from when you got it put in.

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Monica Leighton: It's changed since then.

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Monica Leighton: So the main thing to know when you microchip your pet is it's not like I microchip my pet, I'm done.

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Monica Leighton: Anytime you change that information, that microchip, that number has to have that change updated as well.

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Monica Leighton: Otherwise, if you have a phone number that's in there from 10 years ago and an emergency contact has changed their number and a different, you know, bad address, it's like that pet didn't have a chip at all because there's no way to track it back to you.

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Monica Leighton: Keeping that chip information up to date is so, so important.

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Monica Leighton: And that's why, you know, they have this Awareness Month every year, you know, to remind people, you know, check your chip, make sure it's up to date.

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Monica Leighton: We always talk about our emergency preparedness, and I know we're going to get ready to do that show soon.

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Monica Leighton: But I always tell people every year, whenever it works for you, everybody's schedule is different.

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Monica Leighton: Some people's like the beginning of the year, okay, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.

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Monica Leighton: Or maybe it's, you know, when I get my hurricane kit together every year, you know, maybe it's pre-hurricane season or pre-tornado season, or however it is in your household.

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Monica Leighton: That time of the year when you sit down and review all your listed to do's and make sure you have everything covered, make sure that one of the items on that checklist is checking the information that's attached to the pet's microchips.

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Monica Leighton: That way, the pet will always get home to you.

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Susan Marie: You said we're going to be talking about this in an upcoming show or any kind of, whether it be a weather emergency or any type of emergency out there, what to do.

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Susan Marie: But if you adopt a pet and the pet does not, like there's the original microchip information for, you know, whether the previous owner, how do you get that change to your name?

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Monica Leighton: So whenever you scan a pet and you get the identification number, certain companies kind of have a similar way of how they do their numbers, or they'll start with a certain symbol or something like that.

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Monica Leighton: So generally, a veterinary office can identify the manufacturer of the chip.

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Monica Leighton: They can say, oh, this looks like a home again number.

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Monica Leighton: This looks like a avid microchip number or whatever.

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Monica Leighton: So you can call that company and say, hey, you know, I have a pet.

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Monica Leighton: They're already microchipped.

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Monica Leighton: This is the number that they have.

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Monica Leighton: I need to re-register.

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Susan Marie: We had to do that recently with one of the pets that we adopted, and you just have to send them the adoption.

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Susan Marie: There's just a few things you send them and work with your vet on it.

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Susan Marie: And it happens because I think sometimes people go, well, you know, she has a chip or he has a chip, so it'll be fine.

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Susan Marie: Well, no, you have to have your number and your contact information in there for the pet to, you know, to come to you.

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Susan Marie: And I think sometimes people may forget that.

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Monica Leighton: And they've had pets, you know, that have gone through a rescue that they picked up.

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Monica Leighton: They'll go in and look and see nothing.

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Monica Leighton: You know, okay, you know, I don't see any information for this chip.

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Monica Leighton: And there's been clients that have gone to reactivate that chip, to pile for it, and then be like, oh, wow, we have an emergency contact for that person.

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Monica Leighton: And we're able to actually find the house that the pet had originally gotten away from.

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Monica Leighton: It's amazing how, yeah.

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Susan Marie: It is, and it's important to keep your emergency contact.

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Susan Marie: You know, being in a state that is a hurricane state, a lot of times our towers go down or there's some sort of communication.

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Susan Marie: So I have a local person that's an emergency person, and then I have an out-of-state person who's an emergency person because just as your number is very important, if per chance there's some sort of an odd chance that they can't reach you or your local contact, you'll have an out-of-state contact too.

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Susan Marie: So with us living in Florida.

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Monica Leighton: Yes, yes.

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Monica Leighton: And so many people, you know, what's the emergency number?

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Monica Leighton: Oh, let's put my wife down.

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Monica Leighton: Mm-hmm.

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Monica Leighton: You know what I mean?

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Monica Leighton: You always want to have somebody outside of your family.

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Monica Leighton: That way, if something comes up and you guys are unreachable, then you have somebody else that can, oh, yes, you know, they're, oh, they're on a cruise.

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Monica Leighton: That's why you can't get any of them on their phones or whatever it is to where they can, you know, yes, that's their pet.

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Monica Leighton: You know, we'll get them taken care of.

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Monica Leighton: We'll get them home.

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Susan Marie: That's great.

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Susan Marie: And it's also for your ID on your dog's collar or cat's collar to have, you know, your emergency number too.

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Susan Marie: We always put that as the bottom number on the back of the ID, is you just never know.

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Monica Leighton: Absolutely.

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Susan Marie: Well, Monica, as always, this is great information.

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Susan Marie: And everybody, it's May, it's Chip Your Pet Month.

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Susan Marie: So if you're not quite sure if your pet's chipped or not, or if it's something you want to make sure that it's updated, that you make sure this is a great month to just like, oh, I better update my contact information or make sure my contact information or my emergency contact information is current and up to date.

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Susan Marie: So sometimes you just, it's like, ah, this is the month to do it, even though we should be doing it every month, but it's great to know during May because it's Chip Year Pet Awareness Month.

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Susan Marie: So Monica, as always, great information, very timely information, and I thank you very much.

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Susan Marie: Thank you.

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Susan Marie: We'll be back in just a moment.

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Susan Marie: Hello, everyone.

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Susan Marie: Susan Marie here to tell you about the award-winning three-book series, The Doggy Diva Diaries.

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Susan Marie: It is a trilogy of heartwarming and inspirational stories about Miss Olive, a lonely little rescue pup, hoping to find her forever family and friends and a life filled with love.

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Susan Marie: In this series, Miss Olive learns that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, it's the kindness and love you have on the inside that counts.

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Susan Marie: Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers.

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Susan Marie: And please visit us at the doggydiva.com for more information.

00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:15.340
Susan Marie: Thank you, everyone.

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Susan Marie: Coming up, a special celebration for dog moms.

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Susan Marie: Stay with us.

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Susan Marie: Welcome back, everyone, to the Doggy Diva Show.

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Susan Marie: As a dog mom, I feel it's my responsibility to be sure my pups are living in a healthy and safe environment, ensuring regular veterinary care, providing proper nutrition, exercise, and basically having fun with my dogs, all the way from puppyhood to when they become seniors.

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Susan Marie: Being a dog mom, that love has no bounds.

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Susan Marie: For all of the dog moms out there, Happy Dog Mom Day!

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Susan Marie: National Dog Moms Day is observed on the second Saturday in May, and this year it's on May 11th.

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Susan Marie: And with thanks and celebrations, all these dog moms who dedicate their love and support every single day with their beloved pups get to celebrate a day just for them.

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Susan Marie: So feel free, dog moms, to shower your pups with extra love, hugs, treats.

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Susan Marie: For you and your dogs, love to do that, and it strengthens the strong bond between dog moms and your precious fur kids.

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Susan Marie: And with us back today to celebrate Dog Moms Day, with me, who has three precious pups of her own, Callie, Keegan and Cisco, and loves them all to bits, is going to share with us how much fun having a puppy is, having a middle-aged dog, and the benefits of being a senior dog mom.

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Susan Marie: Welcome back to my sister, Colleen.

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Susan Marie: Hello, hello.

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Colleen Gray: Happy Dog Moms Day to you.

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Susan Marie: Happy Dog Moms Day to you.

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Susan Marie: I always talking for the new listeners, my sister and I, throughout our entire lives, from when we were infants, we've had animals in our life.

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Susan Marie: We've been a pet family our whole lives, loving our pets.

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Susan Marie: They were family members, and that's just how we were brought up.

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Susan Marie: So we kind of just took that into our adult life.

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Susan Marie: I'll say that lightly, into our life.

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Susan Marie: And we now have a fur kid family of our own.

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Susan Marie: Each of us have dogs and we absolutely love them.

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Susan Marie: So for our first time listeners, can you just tell them a little bit about you, a little bit about your fur family, and how will you be celebrating Dog Mom Day this year?

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Susan Marie: Yes, yes.

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Colleen Gray: Thanks again for having me.

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Colleen Gray: It's such a treat to be here.

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Colleen Gray: So I am Sue's sister Colleen, and I have had several dogs throughout my adult life, mostly Pembroke-Polish Corgis.

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Colleen Gray: Currently, I have two Corgis and a Shelty, and Callie is my oldest Corgi.

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Colleen Gray: She is seven.

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Colleen Gray: Keegan is five.

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Colleen Gray: Those are my two Corgis, and my Shelty is just over a year.

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Colleen Gray: But I've had dogs in my life, precious fur kids from puppyhood all the way up to age 15.

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Colleen Gray: So the entire lifespan of our pups can really be a joy and so many wonderful things to do at all stages of their life.

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Colleen Gray: So I'm so happy to be here and celebrating this year for Dog Moms Day.

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Colleen Gray: We're going to be going to our favorite park.

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Colleen Gray: We have this wonderful 20 acre park near our home here in Southern California.

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Colleen Gray: And we just love it.

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Colleen Gray: Lots of open grassy fields and it's just beautiful.

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Colleen Gray: So that's what we're gonna be celebrating.

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Susan Marie: Now, we both are dog moms and we're dog moms to young dogs, middle-aged dogs, senior dogs, and both of us have had senior, senior, senior dogs.

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Susan Marie: And I love my little Sassy.

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Susan Marie: She has such an energy.

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Susan Marie: She brings me so much joy.

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Susan Marie: But I have to tell you, I also love my seniors because they still have energy.

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Susan Marie: But in my case, it's like not that overwhelming energy.

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Susan Marie: It's like a nice, comfortable, calm energy.

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Susan Marie: Coco was at one time a puppy.

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Susan Marie: We rescued her as a puppy or she kind of adopted us.

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Susan Marie: And she was a handful.

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Susan Marie: And she is now a gracious nine-year-old senior.

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Susan Marie: She just became a senior.

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Susan Marie: She's into her senior years now.

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Susan Marie: And of course, Fawn just turned 13.

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Susan Marie: So she's an elegant senior lady as well.

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Susan Marie: So I guess what maybe we could talk about, sister, is technically when does a dog become a senior?

00:15:45.882 --> 00:15:48.942
Susan Marie: Like when in reality does a pet become a senior?

00:15:49.242 --> 00:15:50.782
Colleen Gray: So very good question.

00:15:50.862 --> 00:15:53.922
Colleen Gray: I did some research before our chat today.

00:15:54.322 --> 00:15:58.242
Colleen Gray: And the short answer to that question is it varies.

00:15:58.542 --> 00:16:11.182
Colleen Gray: So according to the AVMA and the AKC, which are two very important organizations in the animal world, it kind of depends on the dog's size.

00:16:11.422 --> 00:16:19.922
Colleen Gray: So for smaller toy breeds, dogs that are less than 20 pounds, a senior dog would be 8 to 11 years old.

00:16:20.262 --> 00:16:24.262
Colleen Gray: So an 8 to 11 year old toy breed is considered a senior.

00:16:24.402 --> 00:16:26.942
Colleen Gray: Same for medium sized dogs, very similar.

00:16:26.982 --> 00:16:33.562
Colleen Gray: So if you have a dog that's 20 to 50 pounds, if they're aged 8 to 10, they'd be considered a senior.

00:16:33.682 --> 00:16:40.422
Colleen Gray: For the larger breeds, 50 to 90 pounds an 8 or 9 year old dog would be considered a senior.

00:16:40.582 --> 00:16:43.702
Colleen Gray: And then the giant breeds are considered a senior.

00:16:43.882 --> 00:16:48.082
Colleen Gray: So the 90 plus pound dogs at 6 to 7 years old.

00:16:48.102 --> 00:16:57.702
Colleen Gray: So the smaller dogs tend to age less quickly, but at all those ages, there's still so much vibrance and joy that you can experience together.

00:16:57.802 --> 00:16:58.562
Susan Marie: That's so true.

00:16:58.582 --> 00:17:05.462
Susan Marie: And I think sometimes when people think of senior dogs, they think, oh, well, you know, we're not gonna be able to go for our walks.

00:17:05.462 --> 00:17:08.422
Susan Marie: We're not gonna be able to go for our runs.

00:17:08.442 --> 00:17:11.662
Susan Marie: You know, they're not gonna be playing frisbee, but they do.

00:17:12.662 --> 00:17:14.002
Susan Marie: I mean, they do.

00:17:14.002 --> 00:17:15.682
Susan Marie: They have a lot of vibrancy.

00:17:15.722 --> 00:17:27.002
Susan Marie: Again, it may not be that kind of chaotic energy that a puppy or a young dog brings to the house, but it has that kind of like a calming, fun energy.

00:17:27.022 --> 00:17:33.642
Susan Marie: And especially for those people who adopt, because they're, you know, most times they're house trained.

00:17:33.762 --> 00:17:36.022
Susan Marie: They've already know their basic commands.

00:17:36.142 --> 00:17:40.962
Susan Marie: They kind of know their way in life and what to kind of expect.

00:17:41.042 --> 00:17:47.362
Susan Marie: And they definitely appreciate being with the family if they've come from a family, like the way we adopted Fawn.

00:17:47.542 --> 00:17:53.522
Susan Marie: Her two pet parents were hospitalized, but it was going to be a permanent thing.

00:17:53.602 --> 00:17:55.262
Susan Marie: So she needed to find a new home.

00:17:55.282 --> 00:17:57.842
Susan Marie: So we took her in at 11.

00:17:57.902 --> 00:18:03.082
Susan Marie: But she has a sweet gentleness to her, and she fit right into our pack.

00:18:03.102 --> 00:18:07.222
Susan Marie: And she was a single dog and a single, you know, she had no other dogs around her.

00:18:07.242 --> 00:18:09.182
Susan Marie: It was just her and her two pet parents.

00:18:09.562 --> 00:18:13.402
Susan Marie: And she acclimated fine to a multi-pet household.

00:18:13.402 --> 00:18:22.982
Susan Marie: So I think that there's some misnomers out there about maybe what a senior pet can do, can't do, or what we can do with our senior pets.

00:18:23.322 --> 00:18:29.122
Susan Marie: Sister, what are some things that we can do to help our senior dogs live their best lives?

00:18:29.542 --> 00:18:34.402
Colleen Gray: So there are countless things that we can do to help our older dogs live their best life.

00:18:34.482 --> 00:18:45.002
Colleen Gray: And I'm gonna touch on six things that seem to be consistent throughout my research as I was looking into the topic for our chat today.

00:18:45.342 --> 00:18:51.382
Colleen Gray: And the first thing that seemed very important, it's just kind of intuitive, is grooming.

00:18:51.442 --> 00:18:57.402
Colleen Gray: So grooming your older dog, it's wonderful bonding time, keeping it positive and pleasant.

00:18:57.502 --> 00:19:00.282
Colleen Gray: Your senior dog will absolutely soak up the pampering.

00:19:00.302 --> 00:19:04.902
Colleen Gray: It's just a really wonderful time to bond with them and connect with them.

00:19:04.922 --> 00:19:10.062
Colleen Gray: A few things in particular with the grooming is keeping their nails trimmed.

00:19:10.222 --> 00:19:16.742
Colleen Gray: So keeping your senior dog's toenails short and tidy is an essential part of caring for them.

00:19:17.042 --> 00:19:26.062
Colleen Gray: Long toenails may cause the dog to stand and walk abnormally, resulting in pain or accelerate or exacerbate arthritic changes.

00:19:26.102 --> 00:19:36.342
Colleen Gray: And since we're not walking with our older dogs, quite the distances that we did with our younger dogs, they're maybe not out on the pavement as much, wearing down their nails.

00:19:36.362 --> 00:19:41.622
Colleen Gray: So keep an eye on that and just make sure that their nails are nice and trimmed and tidy.

00:19:41.862 --> 00:19:43.582
Colleen Gray: Also, brushing your dog.

00:19:43.942 --> 00:19:45.922
Colleen Gray: I love to brush my dogs.

00:19:46.182 --> 00:19:53.582
Colleen Gray: And it's again, very important to their overall health and also to keep their coat health the way it should be.

00:19:53.762 --> 00:19:56.442
Colleen Gray: It'll keep it shiny and smooth and tangle free.

00:19:56.702 --> 00:20:16.842
Colleen Gray: And also while you're brushing and you're very close to them and you're petting them at the same time, you can take a look and see and sort of inspect for any kind of lumps, open wounds, any fleas or ticks or anything of that nature, all while enjoying the time together, just brushing with a nice soft brush with your senior dog.

00:20:17.222 --> 00:20:26.102
Colleen Gray: Another topic that seemed to come up frequently in the research was providing a little bit of extra comfort for your older dog.

00:20:26.222 --> 00:20:33.462
Colleen Gray: They should have easy access to nice, warm, comfortable beds and without fear of disturbance.

00:20:33.482 --> 00:20:46.102
Colleen Gray: So I don't know what your experience has been in the past, but sometimes my older dogs like to kind of be in their own little space away from kind of the chaos of, you know, the day to day life from time to time.

00:20:46.122 --> 00:20:51.462
Colleen Gray: So having a nice, comfortable space for them to be quiet on their own is really important.

00:20:51.902 --> 00:21:00.982
Colleen Gray: If your dog has joint issues at all, like arthritis, maybe consider an orthopedic bed or a memory foam bed, which are really nice.

00:21:01.002 --> 00:21:03.922
Colleen Gray: And you can get them just about anywhere these days.

00:21:04.042 --> 00:21:10.722
Colleen Gray: And also another thought for when it's chilly out, consider a heated bed or a heating pad on the top of the bed.

00:21:10.822 --> 00:21:13.742
Colleen Gray: They're really great for soothing stiffness and aches.

00:21:13.922 --> 00:21:16.122
Colleen Gray: And it keeps them nice and warm when it's cold out.

00:21:16.362 --> 00:21:20.062
Colleen Gray: The third thing that I wanted to mention was maintaining their mobility.

00:21:20.082 --> 00:21:34.682
Colleen Gray: So as I had mentioned, maybe we're not taking our older dogs out for as long of a walk as we used to or as frequently as we used to, but it is important to get them out and about not only for their physical well-being, but also for their mental well-being.

00:21:34.702 --> 00:21:47.282
Colleen Gray: You know, kind of getting out and experiencing new sights and smells and the fresh air, in addition to keeping their muscles strong and keeping them mobile is really important as they get older.

00:21:47.642 --> 00:21:51.662
Colleen Gray: Another thought is to make your home more senior dog friendly.

00:21:51.922 --> 00:21:57.162
Colleen Gray: So a couple of ideas, add carpets for better grip to provide traction.

00:21:57.602 --> 00:22:06.222
Colleen Gray: Maybe a yoga mat or an anti-slip rug on slippery floors in front of food and water dishes just to help your dog with the traction.

00:22:06.302 --> 00:22:11.862
Colleen Gray: You know, as they get older, sometimes it's a little harder for them to get up or to stand on a slippery floor.

00:22:11.902 --> 00:22:16.722
Colleen Gray: So just maybe providing those few extra things that would make it easier to get around.

00:22:16.942 --> 00:22:20.562
Colleen Gray: Also pet stairs or a ramp to get on and off furniture.

00:22:20.782 --> 00:22:24.522
Colleen Gray: And then a ramp also maybe to get in and out of the car.

00:22:24.662 --> 00:22:35.122
Colleen Gray: For my dogs as they get older, I lift them in and out of the car, but for the larger dogs to save on our backs, it's kind of nice to be able to use a ramp.

00:22:35.142 --> 00:22:39.382
Colleen Gray: The fifth thing that I wanted to mention was to pay particular attention to their nutrition.

00:22:39.542 --> 00:22:53.522
Colleen Gray: So speak with your vet about possibly transitioning your older dog to a new diet that's specifically formulated for the health and wellbeing of an older pet, especially if they have any underlying health conditions.

00:22:53.762 --> 00:23:01.102
Colleen Gray: And finally, the last thing I wanted to mention, and certainly not the least important, is veterinary care for your older dog.

00:23:01.122 --> 00:23:14.982
Colleen Gray: It's really important that they get proper veterinary care because early detection of chronic diseases like kidney disease and thyroid disease, diabetes, the detection and treatment of those diseases really can help preserve their quality of life.

00:23:15.142 --> 00:23:20.142
Colleen Gray: So consider taking your senior pet to see the veterinarian twice a year.

00:23:20.162 --> 00:23:32.182
Colleen Gray: I know usually with the younger dogs, you bring them once a year, but consider taking them twice a year so that you can catch any sort of illnesses soon and they can be treated before they become major illnesses.

00:23:32.322 --> 00:23:48.122
Colleen Gray: And also, your veterinarian is the best resource to address any questions or concerns you may have about taking care of your senior pet, because they all have unique issues and unique needs and having a wonderful veterinarian, a veterinarian, corner advising is really important.

00:23:48.442 --> 00:23:57.242
Colleen Gray: So those are kind of the highlights that I found, I've kind of experienced as a senior pet parent and also in the research that I saw.

00:23:57.262 --> 00:24:06.382
Colleen Gray: But there are a lot of other things that you can do with your older pet that can make your time with them just as wonderful and fulfilling as it was, or maybe even more so than when they were younger.

00:24:06.582 --> 00:24:08.642
Susan Marie: I think that those are so great.

00:24:08.662 --> 00:24:11.262
Susan Marie: And they're very timely and very helpful.

00:24:11.282 --> 00:24:16.782
Susan Marie: And you came to visit me when you came last year, actually Franny was still with us.

00:24:16.782 --> 00:24:21.642
Susan Marie: And as you saw, we had literally, you can't go into a room without dog beds.

00:24:21.702 --> 00:24:23.642
Susan Marie: I mean, I have dog beds everywhere.

00:24:23.662 --> 00:24:29.662
Susan Marie: Wherever she decided she wanted to plank herself down, it was gonna be in a dog bed, an orthopedic dog bed.

00:24:30.062 --> 00:24:32.102
Susan Marie: And I think it's just a wonderful thing.

00:24:32.122 --> 00:24:38.022
Susan Marie: And to have, we also had the runners, the rug runners so that, cause we have all tile, we're in Florida.

00:24:38.042 --> 00:24:39.382
Susan Marie: So we have rug runners.

00:24:39.562 --> 00:24:56.342
Susan Marie: And one of the things that you talked about with partnering with your veterinarian, and I think that you went through this, like with your pups too, which is you could use chiropractor, acupuncture, laser therapy, things such as that too.

00:24:56.362 --> 00:25:03.302
Susan Marie: And anything to do to partner with your veterinarian to make your senior pet comfortable, I'm open to it.

00:25:03.322 --> 00:25:13.962
Susan Marie: I know you are, you and I, as some of our dogs got a little older, those walks became shorter and shorter, and we both invested in awesome dog strollers.

00:25:15.662 --> 00:25:21.322
Susan Marie: And we were those dog moms that walked around with their dogs and dog strollers, but they still like to be out.

00:25:21.342 --> 00:25:26.782
Susan Marie: They just still like kind of like going, okay, I did the walk, I did the run, I'm ready for the stroller.

00:25:26.982 --> 00:25:27.742
Susan Marie: And they love it.

00:25:27.762 --> 00:25:30.102
Susan Marie: They totally enjoyed it.

00:25:30.242 --> 00:25:32.522
Susan Marie: So those are some great ideas.

00:25:32.542 --> 00:25:34.622
Susan Marie: The things that you brought up were so helpful.

00:25:34.642 --> 00:25:39.702
Susan Marie: And I love with the grooming because you're right, when you, I love brushing my dogs.

00:25:39.722 --> 00:25:41.222
Susan Marie: And my dogs are short haired dogs.

00:25:41.242 --> 00:25:48.542
Susan Marie: You have long haired dogs, but that bonding experience and the feeling that is there when you're doing that, it's so wonderful.

00:25:48.562 --> 00:25:50.462
Susan Marie: I don't think it can be duplicated.

00:25:50.662 --> 00:26:02.302
Susan Marie: It's not only are you grooming them, but you're also strengthening that bond, which is so important between a dog mom and their pup or a pet parent and their pup, whatever.

00:26:02.342 --> 00:26:06.642
Susan Marie: It's a very, very strong bond and they trust you.

00:26:06.882 --> 00:26:07.962
Susan Marie: And that's what that's about.

00:26:07.982 --> 00:26:09.802
Susan Marie: So I thank you very much for that too.

00:26:09.922 --> 00:26:11.002
Colleen Gray: Yeah, they kind of melt.

00:26:11.142 --> 00:26:14.022
Colleen Gray: They kind of melt in your mouth as you're brushing them.

00:26:14.042 --> 00:26:14.742
Colleen Gray: It's wonderful.

00:26:14.882 --> 00:26:16.102
Susan Marie: Yes, they look forward.

00:26:16.122 --> 00:26:18.382
Susan Marie: They see the brush and they go, yeah, we know what's next.

00:26:19.902 --> 00:26:25.182
Susan Marie: So Colleen, I'm so happy that you spent Dog Mom Day with me.

00:26:25.522 --> 00:26:45.062
Susan Marie: And I want to thank you also for sharing the joys of being a dog mom and for those great tips and that great advice for being a dog mom to a senior pet, because there's so many ways that you're giving back love that is, it's unconditional love, but in a very special way.

00:26:45.082 --> 00:26:45.802
Susan Marie: It's wonderful.

00:26:45.882 --> 00:26:49.022
Susan Marie: Young pups are good, but I love me a senior.

00:26:50.862 --> 00:26:59.462
Susan Marie: And I also want to wish Happy Dog Mom's Day to our producer Cara and her two beautiful pups, Murphy and Mimi.

00:26:59.522 --> 00:27:01.702
Susan Marie: So happy Dog Mom's Day to you.

00:27:01.802 --> 00:27:15.462
Susan Marie: And for those of you looking to share extra love and appreciation for the dog moms in your life, you might consider giving them a special card, sending them a special note, getting them a cute dog mom mug.

00:27:15.622 --> 00:27:17.762
Susan Marie: I have so many and I love them.

00:27:17.762 --> 00:27:19.502
Susan Marie: They bring such smiles to my face.

00:27:19.542 --> 00:27:28.462
Susan Marie: A dog mom tote, T-shirt or even, yes, I'm one of them, a matching T-shirt for the dog mom and one for the far kid.

00:27:28.482 --> 00:27:35.582
Susan Marie: And you can never go wrong with making a donation in their name to their favorite personal cause or charity.

00:27:35.722 --> 00:27:40.262
Susan Marie: It's truly a special one of a kind gift that will be very appreciated.

00:27:40.402 --> 00:27:49.582
Susan Marie: If you're not a dog mom yet, there are so many fur kids out there that are waiting for their dog mom to come and bring them to their forever home.

00:27:49.842 --> 00:27:53.642
Susan Marie: There's always a happy story and it's full of unconditional love.

00:27:53.702 --> 00:27:55.982
Susan Marie: So it's truly a special day.

00:27:56.222 --> 00:27:59.862
Susan Marie: So why not connect with dog moms all over the world?

00:28:00.142 --> 00:28:06.222
Susan Marie: And you can do this by using hashtag national dog moms day.

00:28:06.462 --> 00:28:08.222
Susan Marie: Happy dog moms day, everyone.

00:28:09.062 --> 00:28:10.122
Susan Marie: We'll be back in just a minute.

00:28:17.562 --> 00:28:20.642
Announcer: Full episodes of all our shows are available on demand.

00:28:20.662 --> 00:28:25.782
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00:28:25.942 --> 00:28:28.922
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00:28:29.082 --> 00:28:33.162
Announcer: Let's Talk Pets, live and on demand, only from Pet Life Radio.

00:28:38.542 --> 00:28:40.322
Susan Marie: We would like to thank our guests this week.

00:28:40.922 --> 00:28:46.962
Susan Marie: And also, as our doggy divas always say, please love your pets because they love you unconditionally.

00:28:46.982 --> 00:28:53.902
Susan Marie: And please remember to adopt, foster, spay, neuter, and microchip.

00:28:54.702 --> 00:28:57.622
Susan Marie: And as always, please have a great diva week, everyone.

00:28:59.262 --> 00:29:02.602
Announcer: Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Doggy Diva Show.

00:29:03.042 --> 00:29:11.602
Announcer: To find out more about Susan Marie and the doggy divas, visit them at their website, thedoggydiva.com, and on Facebook at the Doggy Diva Show.

00:29:11.942 --> 00:29:13.522
Announcer: Tell your fellow pet parents about it.

00:29:13.802 --> 00:29:16.822
Announcer: We look forward to having you join us again for the next episode.

00:29:17.262 --> 00:29:17.822
Announcer: See you soon.

00:29:18.922 --> 00:29:24.982
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