Okay, we are definitely into Fall! Welcome back to the Senior Dog Digest from Grey Whiskers. One of my passions is advocating for our seniors, and the next three issues are all about that. Let’s get into part 1!

In this week’s issue here’s what we are sniffing out

• What to look for in a groomer

• Another spooky recipe

Dogs are living longer…

I could start Every. Single. newsletter article with “dogs are living longer” but by now, you get the point. Our dogs are older, we have a vast array of insurance options to give us more financial options for their care, and there are more medical treatments than ever before. As medicine improves, those medical treatments are getting more intense (radiation and chemo, heart surgeries, joint repairs, etc) so in some cases, the dogs are also living frailer lives as they live more years.

As a result, grooming salons around the country (among other disciplines) are now seeing dogs who are older and far more medically fragile than they used to be back when I worked in a salon. I know from personal experience that your groomer does their absolute best to manage older pets safely… We are all very aware in the industry that there isn’t another option for you and your dog that we have grown to love. If we pull the ripcord and tell you we can’t safely handle her anymore in our salons, what on earth will you do? We desperately need more people doing what I do… I’m hopeful that more businesses like mine will pop up in the next 5-10 years, but there isn’t any training (yet) for groomers that prepares them specifically to work with old dogs. As qualified and experienced as I am, my education is the culmination of nearly 30 years of my own education and personal experiences across 2 species and 3 disciplines. 

When you’re researching, look for as many of these qualifications as you can find:

1. Consider independently owned grooming salons and small operations first and whenever possible. They have more flexibility in their policies to evaluate on a case-by-case basis what they feel safe handling and what they don’t.

2. Mobile van operators (independently owned!) and in-home practices sometimes specialize in dogs who are older or more anxious either because they like that target audience, or by nature of the fact that people whose dogs can’t tolerate a salon tend to seek out these options next.

3. Look for Fear-free certified groomers. Fear Free is a course that groomers can take to learn methods of handling dogs to help reduce stress and make the groom as manageable as possible for each dog they see. I am certified for this myself, and highly recommend using groomers who’ve taken this course. Note that according to the rep I spoke with at Fear Free, LLC, there is no certification for an entire grooming salon. Any number of groomers in the salon can be individually certified, so if they have one groomer who is, consider booking with that person. Directory here: https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/

4. Ideally, someone who works with geriatric dogs should be first aid and CPR-certified

5. Someone who has a veterinary technician background is a plus. I know several groomers who are former vet techs, and that medical knowledge really goes a long way to helping them understand older dogs and their issues.

6. If their website mentions anything about senior dogs, is there anything specific listed, or is it just generic language? ie We see dogs from puppies to seniors. Or, we have a lower-stress environment to fit seniors and anxious dogs.

Halloween Recipe Alert

Here is another recipe that’s a healthy treat option for Halloween. This makes standard-sized pupsicles, so for extra small pets consider a miniature popsicle mold. Always supervise your senior pet. Hold the stick/handle for your pet with dementia who may not remember how to hold things with her paws, and for your super food-motivated dog who could swallow the whole thing at once!

• Yogurt: First, start with 1 cup of either low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt. See below for yogurt guidelines.

• Pumpkin Puree: Next, include 1 15-oz can of pumpkin puree. Be sure that you are not using pumpkin pie filling, which has a host of added ingredients. We just want pure pumpkin puree (here’s how to make your own!)

• Banana: Next, mash up 1 banana for using as the yellow part of the candy corn.

• Stick Ideas: Last but not least, choose your dog’s favorite stick shaped treat to use as the popsicle stick. Ideas include dog treats, carrot sticks, or celery!

🐶 Sniffing Out Senior Dog News 📰

 🥰 A True Senior Dog Hero - Steve Greig is a local hero to those of us in Denver’s senior dog rescue community. He just recently relocated to Ohio, which is a huge loss for Colorado! You can follow him on Instagram at wolfgang2242

🫠 Senior Dog Changing Lives of Owner - Rainbow Bridge Raina is my favorite grief support advocate on social media. Check her out at rainbowbridgeraina

Senior Dog Humor

How did we do with this week’s newsletter?

• High Paws

• Pooped in the House