Want Your Senior Dog To Be Sharp As A Tack? #BrightMind

When we adopted Phoebe in 2011, the shelter estimated her age to be approximately 3 years old.  It felt like in the blink of an eye suddenly she was  a senior dog! 

Phoebe was always a feisty little dog and very smart, but as she got older I noticed some changes in her.  It's like she wasn't as.... sharp as she used to be.  My Husky Icy, on the other hand, is two years younger and was always sharper and quicker, especially when learning new things. 

Sometimes I felt bad for Phoebe when we played games with treats.  Icy was right on it but Phoebe needed some coaching and a bit more time to "get it" and join in.  By that time Icy had usually gotten nearly all of the treats!

How do we play this game again?

Don't get me wrong, I think senior dogs totally ROCK, but sometimes they rock a little slower!  According to the experts at Purina Pro Plan®, around age seven the glucose metabolism in a dog's brain begins to change.  That can have a negative impact on a dog's:

** MEMORY

** LEARNING

** AWARENESS

** DECISION MAKING

This actually made me breathe a sign of relief, at least I know the changes I was seeing in my dogs as they age are normal!

This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™.  I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.  Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.

If you have a senior dog who isn't quite as sharp as his or her younger self, don't worry!  I have some great news to share with you.  

Purina Pro Plan has discovered a way to promote alertness and mental sharpness in senior dogs, 7 years and older, through nutrition with BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®  dog food formulas.  I love the idea of achieving improvement in my dog's mental sharpness through quality nutrition!

> BRIGHT MIND 7+ was created with enhanced botanical oils shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs 7 and older, with visible results in 30 days.  When added to the daily diet of dogs 7 years and older, formulas that contained enhanced botanical oils promoted memory, attention and trainability.

> BRIGHT MIND 7+  contains glucosamine to help support joint health and mobility.

> BRIGHT MIND 7+ contains vitamin A and linoleic acid for healthy skin and coat.

> BRIGHT MIND 7+ contains high quality protein as the first ingredient!

These are all really important for an aging dog!

Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND 7+ promotes alertness and mental sharpness in dogs 7 years and older 

By feeding Phoebe and Icy a daily diet of Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND I hoped to see some positive changes:

** I hope to see more of an interest in interaction and play.
 
** I'd like to see Icy catch on to new games and other things as quickly as she used to, so she doesn't feel frustrated.

** I'm hoping to see a continued interest and enjoyment in our adventures. 

Click these links to learn more about Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ and watch the BRIGHT MIND Effect video.


You can purchase Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND at PetSmart, Petco, Chewy.com, Pet Supplies Plus  and other quality pet food supplies stores.

Remember to do a slow transition whenever you change your dog's food!  Transition your dog from his or her current food to Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND over the course of 7 to 10 days, following the instructions on the side panel of the package:

Why You Should Consider Adopting A Senior Dog

You don't have to wait until the official Adopt A Senior Dog month to consider adopting  an older dog.  It's a sad fact that at shelters, as a cat or dog's age increases, the likelihood of them being adopted decreases.

One of these cuties is much older than the other one, and will likely take a lot longer to find a home.

Once they pass around 5 years of age, many potential adopters think twice about adopting a dog or cat.  Why?  There are a number of misconceptions adopters have, here are a few I have heard in my years as a shelter volunteer:

She's 5 years old, she probably has health issues and her family didn't want to pay the vet bills

She's older already, if she doesn't have health problems now she probably will soon

We won't get many more years with her.  It's not worth it

He's too old to train, I want a dog I can train

He probably won't be able to love me as much as his first family, he was with them for so long

We really want a puppy!  We don't want an old dog

We want an active dog that can play with the kids in the yard.  This one won't have enough energy

We don't want a dog that's more than 3 years old.  I don't know, anything over 3 just seems old!

The list goes on, but you get the idea.  If a dog is more than 7 years old, we have an even more difficult time adopting them.  Not many people want to adopt a senior dog.  The 10 year old dogs we've had.... well, it's a special person that will open their home to a 10 year old dog. 

One of my absolute favorite adoptions was a 10 year old blind Daschund.  I was so worried that no one would take him.  One morning a man showed up at the shelter, he was an older military Veteran.  He had driven all the way from a city about 50 miles North of Phoenix just to adopt this dog.  He'd seen him online and said that he and his wife felt the dog "deserved to live out the last years of his life in comfort".  He didn't mind that the dog was blind, he had researched tips on living with a blind dog and how to make things easier for the dog in the home.  He didn't mind that there might be veterinary bills.  They loved Daschund's and wanted this sweet, beautiful little dog to join their Doxie pack and spend his last years with their family.  I could have KISSED that wonderful man!!  My eyes are tearing up now just thinking about that great adoption.  I'll never forget it.

My darling girl, Phoebe.  She was about 6 years old when we adopted her.  She's brought us so much joy! I can't imagine our family without her!

Don't make assumptions!   Senior dogs can make the best pets! Here are just a few benefits of adopting an older dog:

Senior dogs are often already house trained

Older dogs may be well trained in general, and possibly easier to teach new things

Older canines are usually much calmer than a puppy or 1 to 3 year old, but still have plenty of energy for walks, hikes, and playtime!

An older shelter dog is probably just as healthy as any other dog of the same age.  Don't assume they have health problems!

Your senior shelter dog just might outlive that shelter puppy or 1 year old dog.  You can never tell how long any dog will live.  Just like people, a dog's health is as individual as he is!

Older dogs available for adoption are often Owner Surrenders due to divorce, death, or failing health of the owner. 

Sometimes older pets are surrendered due to extreme financial issues in their family.  We saw a lot of that at the animal shelter during the economic downturn.  It's heartbreaking.

People sometimes forget that puppies are a TON of work, and that they are only puppies for a few months.  An older dog will bring your family just as much joy and love as any puppy can.

Spring and Summer are Puppy and Kitten Season. It's the time when animal shelters and animal rescue organizations have an abundance of puppies and kittens.  Senior dogs and cats are often passed over for adoption in favor of irresistible puppies and kittens at the shelter.  One thing is for certain, when you adopt a senior dog, especially in Spring or Summer, you SAVE A LIFE!!

Have you adopted an older dog or cat?  Please leave a comment and share your Senior pet's story with us!