By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Our Sweet Seniors! As you read scroll through and see all the senior pets submitted by their owners here on LI for this article!

If you are a pet owner and have been lucky enough to have your pet live into their senior years, you know how special their senior years are. While some of our senior pets, can act like pups well into their senior years, the care and attention to their needs changes as they get older. With my own dog Max, he eats his dinner early in the day, like 3pm, think early bird special (and boy is he vocal about that 3pm feeding time)!  I still take Max for daily walks, but they are slower and shorter, and I must always be sure in the warmer months I have a good amount of water with me for him- more so than younger dogs need.  We may have to adjust our life styles a bit for our senior dogs, but remember when they were puppies chewing your shoes? BOL!! I love the puppy stage too, but there is just something about our senior pets that just warms the heart.

I asked Dr. Michel A. Selmer of Advanced Animal Care Center for some advice on caring for our seniors and he had these wonderful tips to follow: 1.) Take your dog to the Veterinarian for twice-yearly checkups; 2.) Become informed about conditions and diseases common to senior dogs, be on the lookout for symptoms and, should they arise, inform your Veterinarian promptly;  3.) Don’t overfeed – obesity causes many health problems and may shorten your dogs life; 4.) Consider, on your Veterinarians’ recommendation, the use of dietary supplements such as glucosamine/chondroitin/green lipped mussels for arthritis; 5.) Have your Veterinarian do a risk assessment to determine an “appropriate” vaccination protocol for your dog; 6.) Do your utmost to make sure your dogs environment (his bed, play area, etc.) are always spotlessly clean; and Give your dog lots of love and attention and do all you can to keep him interested, active, happy and comfortable.

Dakota is a 9-year old collie/Aussie mix.  She is deaf and blind from merle-to-merle breeding.  She was adopted from a rescue in upstate New York when she was three years old.  Dakota has her CGC, does nosework, and despite arhritis, still likes to climb on furniture, open baby gates with her nose, and patrol the backyard.   Mochaccino is a 9-year old shepherd/chow mix.  He was adopted from North Shore Animal League as a 10-week old puppy.  Mocha has his CGC, knows American Sign Language, is a therapy dog with Paws for Friendship, and does agility, flyball, and nosework. Both owned by Kimberly Mocker.

Our pets, when they age, often need additional care in their senior years.  Since our pets have been integral members of our family for years, we want to do what we can to make them comfortable and happy.  We are lucky in this day and age to have treatments, supplements and formulas to help us keep them happy and active. Some dogs that are suffering from aches and discomfort are often depressed, sullen and can be on edge (or cranky!!). They tend to sleep more, withdraw from the family or can even become aggressive. As they age, it’s increasingly important to support a dog’s joint mobility and flexibility.

One supplement that Max has tried and did really nicely on is all-natural DGP that has been specifically formulated by master herbalists and scientists in Australia to help support a dog’s joint mobility and flexibility.

“DGP helps ease aches and discomfort caused by daily exercise and activity. Not a prescription medication – it is an herbal formulation that you can give to your dog with confidence. It is 100% natural, safe, effective and affordable, with a unique blend of high quality ingredients, to help maintain your dog’s mobility as he ages,” stated Denise Mingione of DGP by American Biosciences.

Koty is the Siberian Husky and she is 12 yrs old. Her bday was May 31st. She howls every morning to wake me up! Excellent alarm!  Dublin is the Westie, he is 9 yrs old. He is a forever puppy though and wants to play ALL the time!  Owned and photographed by Lisa Thomas

This is my chihuahua CHICO. He is going to be 12 years young this  December. (on 12/12 ! ). Everyone thinks he is still a pup when they see him. Even though he is getting older, and his health is failing, I still think of him as my baby. He is such a good boy who brightens my  world everyday! He is slowing down a bit now, so we don’t go to as many parties as we used to, but I do take him to work with me sometimes, where he tends to nap on my desk… when he isnt doing his tricks and enjoying the attention from my co-workers! Here is Chico looking very professional before taking his nap! Puppies are always fun, but senior dogs touch your heart in a totally different way. I love my Chico and I am amazed at the bond we have. I am so blessed to have him in my life all these years!  Stella.

As we love and care for our senior pets, as we can see by the many pictures and words about our senior babies from dog owners around Long Island, I encourage anyone reading this to seriously open their hearts to adopting an older dog.  So many older pets get overlooked at animal shelters – it is truly sad.  Older pets make just as loving pets as the younger ones do, and they are so grateful for their new homes. We have fantastic veterinary care option these days too, that helping our dogs live happy and healthy into their senior years is not just possible but you can see here from the photo’s living proof!!  For some more great veterinary tips for our seniors scroll down and see more!

Lily, my nine-year old manipulative Pekinese has arranged to live the good life. She is cute, smart and adored by very member of her family. Even her younger “brother,” a three-year old goldendoodle who is five times her weight, lets her be the boss. Lily’s vet says she’s in very good health but can’t understand why she doesn’t exhibit any signs of pain. You see, Lily has arthritis in all four legs. The vet joked, “You’d think she never had to use her legs!” Well, guess what—she usually doesn’t. Since she puppyhood whenever Lily wants to go somewhere she barks and looks at you with those sad eyes. In accordance with her plan, this behavior usually results in her being picked up and carried wherever she wants to go. She uses her sad eyes to serve her purpose—to melt your heart and bend you to her will. Lily’s clearly smarter than her “dumb blond” looks might suggest. At this rate, by staying off her feet, her vet says she’ll probably live pain free to the age of 20. I couldn’t be happier! Owned and photographed by Dee McMeekan.

Chloe-aka-Chloe Fab! Not at all a “typical” Beagle, but rather an uncanny mirror of her human mom. She relishes moments of quiet & reflection, is wary of new people & requires trust to be earned. She is assertive & confident in her comfort zone. She has proven to be an exceptional teacher to the young & inexperienced foster pups who visit on their journey to their forever homes. 13 years young & forever my baby girl. In her company I’m filled with gratitude for the unconditional love & acceptance she so generously offers. Owned and photographed by Chrissy Connors.

Thank you to Dr. Selmer for providing more information about caring for our senior pets:

• Avoid “senior” diets that have reduced levels of protein. Studies have shown that the protein requirement for older dogs does not decrease with age, and that protein levels do not contribute to the development or progression of renal failure. It is important to feed older dogs diets that contain optimum levels of highly digestible protein to help maintain good muscle mass.

• Talk to your veterinarian about increasing your senior dogs GLA intake. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that plays a role in the maintenance of healthy skin and coat. Although it is normally produced in a dog’s liver, GLA levels may be diminished in older dogs.

• Senior diets for dogs should contain probiotics to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.

• Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can damage body tissues and cause signs of aging. Senior diets for dogs should contain higher levels of these antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants can also increase the effectiveness of the immune system in senior dogs.

• Exercise is critical to keeping your dog healthy, both physically and mentally. Your dog may not be able to go on long hikes with you but shorter, less strenuous walks will keep him feeling good. (Max RUFFS his exercise on his doggie walks!!)

Parker pictured here Sleeping. Parker is a 9-year old rough collie rescued from an animal hoarder’s house on Long Island in June 2010.  He is deaf and blind (born without eyes) from merle-to-merle breeding.  Parker has his CGC (taken using only touch signals), is a therapy dog with Paws for Friendship, and does nosework.  Parker also has his own Facebook page (Parker’s Fan Club) and organization called Parker’s House, which is devoted to the rescue, education, and training of deaf and blind dogs. Owned by Kimberly Mockler.

Angel is my white fluffy Bichon Frise who will be celebrating her 13th birthday in 2 weeks (8/24). She joined my family when she was a just a tiny little puppy that fit in my pocket. My little 10 pount Angel has given brought so much very much love and happiness into my life. She “worked” as a pet therapist at Sagamore Children’s Hospital for many years, entertaining and bringing joy to so many children by playing ball (pushing the ball to each and every child, making sure every child had a chance to play with her), dancing on her two back legs and walking around the room following the children, and doing many “tricks” for them so the children could relax and laugh and feel free enough to “open up” to their therapist and to Angel. She loves agility and when I say “let’s do agility”, her tail wags so fast one worries it will fall off. This summer she earned her CPE CT-ATCH and her AKC MXP and MJP in agility. Her love for agility comes through loud and clear when she is permitted to go through the obstacles. She loves to demonstrate the sport of agility so others can see the sport in action. When she looks at us with her puppy eyes, the world becomes hers, and she knows it. Angel will always be a very special little white fluff girl who has earned a large place in my heart and in the heart of my family.
Owned by Sylvia Cardines.

Thank you to everyone who submitted your senior pet photos and loving words about them!

If you didn’t get a chance to submit your pet, please email info@LIPetPlace.com and they may just end up on our Facebook page too!

See below for a few more pictures and my dog Max!!!

“There has never been a better product then DGP!! Nittany, my 18 yr. old Chow/cocker mix started w/arthritis in her elbows then hip dysplasia in her right hip. She’s been on Rimadyl for sometime, took her to vets last week and they put her on Tramadol. What a nightmare. She got soooo sick, I took her off that, put her on carafate to calm her tummy, off food for a day or so, then started w/bland diet, when she was eating again, started DGP.  After 5 days, could hardly see her limping at all. In fact, she wanted to chase after a duck. This is a miracle w/DGP and God’s help. She’s now been on DGP 7 full days now, today 8th day, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! She’s back to doing some morning walks, not the 5 miles yet, but, each day gets better. Like she’s a whole different girl!!! Recommend this product with everything in me.“  Damaris R.

Charlotte has turned out to be the canine love of my life. She’s my little doggie daughter and I love her more every day.  Miss Charlotte Rose continues to surprise me every day – she learned “paw” when she was 10.  My girl gets sweeter eveyday and I love seeing a maternal side of her now that we have the new doxie rescue in the family.  Owned by Linday & Trevor Williams, photographed by Nancy Hassel.

What can I say about Max? BOL too much! He is my 12 year old senior boy, celebrating his 12th birthday on July 1, 2013, who still acts like a pup most of the time. I adopted him from Out of the Pits 12 years ago this coming October! Max loves life and is always so happy in the mornings, he loves the beach and the water, loves EATING!, loves to go for walks with his bud Dobby, and while he is a scardy cat in some respects - he has taught so many non-pit bull lovers to become huge fans of the breed just from knowing him! Max is my little white shadow, following me where ever I go, but he is getting sick of pictures being taken of him - haha. The funny thing is when he was younger some people were scared of him, (seriously? he is so cute!), but now that he is more white due to his hair turning white around his face - so many people comment, did you see that cute dog, or awww how cute he is. So many smiles when they see him coming along in his slower old doggie walk. 🙂 Good boy Max you change the perception of a pit bull one person at a time! Owned and photographed by me, Nancy Hassel!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

The puptials of Titus & Hailey took place on Sunday, July 14, 2013 at their home in Islip Terrace, NY.  Hundreds of guests from all around LI and even as far away as Texas were in attendance to watch this dynamic duo tie the knot!

Titus sporting a tux and top hat and Hailey a beautiful wedding gown, they had bwides maids too, their 3, four legged sisters, and even a human Best Man and Maid of Honor!

All the lovely wedding decor, gifts and donations wasn’t just for pomp and circumstance, but was a fundraiser for Tuff Tails Animal Rescue group.
There were raffles, vendors, tons of human food (and treats for the pups of course) and evening a wedding cake adorned with, well a Titus & Hailey cake topper.

Titus & Hailey have a big following on faciebutts at Titus likes to say, from all over the country and world and because so many of their fans could not travel to Long Island for the ceremony – it was lived streamed on UStream and they had nearly 1,000 people watching it live!  Here is video that I shot of the ceremony:

After the ceremony, there was a reception of course, and the DJ also announced each bridal party member and of course the bwide and groom too. (It was pretty darn adorabull!)  Hearing roomers this morning that the newly married couple spent the honeymoon suite together, it is a good thing they are both fixed! BOL!! (that’s Bark Out Loud!)  For a lot more PICTURES click here.  Woof!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Working in the pet industry you get invited to a lot of events, some promotional events like trade shows, but the majority are fundraisers for animal rescue groups. This summer, I am attending two events that, if you asked me when I was in college pursuing a degree in communications for television, I never thought I would be attending. TWO Dog weddings, that’s right I said it, TWO different dog weddings withing a couple weeks of each other!  Is it silly of me to say that I am looking forward to them more than some human weddings? (Said from a brides maid/ maid of honor 6 times over – yes people I learned to say no after a while! BOL!).

One wedding takes me to Connecticut and this is a black tie gala wedding event, where I will be getting dressed like I am going to a human wedding.   May I present the prestigious Wigglebutt Wedding held on Friday, June 28, 2013 in Stratford, CT at the Baldwin Center.  This wedding is a ‘fun’-draiser to raise money and awareness for Life’s Little Paws Cocker Spaniel rescue, who rescued the bride-to-be, Zoe who was to be euthanized the day she was rescued.  Her story went from near death, to a loving, happy life who will be wearing a couture dog bridal gown!

Dexter & Zoe! Photo Credit: Carol Bryant

The much anticipated puptials are drawing in pet professionals, pet enthusiasts, supporters, couture pet fashion designers and high end pet photographers from all over the country, I kid you not! There is even a TV crew coming to film  – and everyone is excited about it. Why? Not just to see the adorable bride and groom tie the knot – but because it is for such a wonderful animal rescue group – and I can guarentee the dog guests will be dressed to the K9’s as well!

The bride Zoe is owned by Val Sorensen and Dexter, the groom is owned by Carol Bryant of Fidose of Reality – they came up with the idea to do the wedding as a fundraiser a little over a year ago.  And all the pomp and circumstance is for a good cause, and yes us humans plan on having a great time! I mean seriously we usually like dogs better than most people….BOL (That’s Bark Out Loud in case you didn’t know!)

Carol lives in PA and Val lives in Connecticut and decided to host the wedding in Stratford, CT as it is a mid-way poing between them if you will. This event is acutually already SOLD out, with 120 two legged guests, 56 dogs and 1 cat, meow. But if you are moved enough to make a donation, there is also a bridal registry for products and donations to benefit Life’s Little Paws!

Carol Bryant with Dexter & Val Sorensen with Zoe!

If you just so happen to be in the Pet Industry and live nearby – the morning after the wedding on Saturday, June 29th, 2013 from 9am – 11am, Long Island Pet Professionals (LIPP), is hosting a Special Breakfast Networking Event at the Homewood Suites Hotel.   This is LIPP’s first out of state event for LIPP is also donating a portion of the proceeds from the networking event to Life’s Little Paws!

So if you didn’t get a chance to get a ticket to the Wigglebutt wedding, you can attend the networking breakfast event, meet the bride and groom (and their owners), network, and learn about other pet pros in your area and beyond!

The 2nd wedding is closer to home for me, and while the dogs will be dressed up it will be more casual for the guests, but yes people the dogs will be in proper wedding atire! The wedding of Titus and his Girl Hailey – two rescued Pit Bulls who are now living the life of luxury, here on Long Island!  Titus has a similar story to Zoe as he too was rescued within hours of his life ending.  Titus was at the New York City AC&C – he had a broken leg and mange and scheduled to be put to sleep when he was pulled.  His mommy and daddy agreed to foster him, and then he became their foster failure – when they adopted him 2 months after fostering him.  Titus’s love for his girl Hailey, grew so much his mom, Laura Morgillo, told me that she couldn’t imagine separating him from her – you can see how much he ruffs her in the hundreds of video’s and photo’s posted on their Facebook page.

This wedding of Titus and Hailey is to benefit Tuff Tails Rescue Group a local group who pull dogs from local municipal animal shelters here on Long Island and NYC AC&C and even help with stray dogs too.

Titus’s owner Laura  posts daily on their FB page (they have a lot of fans!), making people laugh with Titus’s antics and her ‘voice’ for him is really quite amazing how she captures what he is ‘thinking’ and ‘saying!’ I am not normally a fan of ‘dog talk’ by their owners, but Laura is a riot and that is captured by Titus’s ‘voicie.’ Fans of his page, and admittedly myself can’t get enough of his daily posts on Faciebutts.

Titus and Hailey are also two dogs who go to work with their owner, out on the family boat in the Great South Bay for many adventures and also are breed ambassador’s at many pet events too. Titus & Hailey have 3 other sisters of the furry kind, each are also rescues. Their event is taking place on Sunday, July 14, 2013 from 1pm to 7pm in Islip Terrace, N.Y. and like the Wigglebutt Wedding people from all over the country plan on attending. Laura told me recently that fans of Titus & Hailey are flying in from Texas just to attend the wedding! Laura may have too soon cap off the wedding attendee’s as this is an outdoor wedding in their very large backyard. She told me in an interview recently they are expecting 100 – 200 people and she even hired security to check people in, smart! The wedding is $10 per person and for people only, they will have a ton of human food, DJ, vendors, raffle baskets, 50/50 and much more at the event.  And of course you can get a kiss from Titus at his kissing booth!  Also the bride and groom, just like in a human wedding, will not see each other until Hailey walks down the aisle!

I was lucky enough to meet Titus & Hailey and their 3 sisters Mercedez (aka Bubba), Austin & Kiah recently and let me tell you these are five incredibly lucky dogs and they have super nice, loving pet pawents.

Titus & Hailey!

When I asked Titus, was he a bit nervous as most grooms are he said, “OMD….rite now I is bewwy excitabulls but as da day gets cwoser I is gettin butterfwies in my tummy….I can not wait to sees My Girl walkien down da isle….dat is wen I mite just faint!”

Titus, we RUFFS you too! See you at the wedding!

While these two dog weddings are different, a few themes that are the same are that all the dogs involved are rescues; both events are fundraisers for animal rescue groups; Titus was rescued 1 hour before he was scheduled to be put to sleep and the bride Zoe’s fait was also the same. If neither of the rescue groups didn’t step in to save these dogs, and they the parents ultimately taking in two sick, injured and unwanted dogs – we would not be looking forward to attending these elaborate celebrations of their puptials.

Dogs change our lives for the better and Titus & Hailey and Dexter and Zoe’s stories, huge fan base, and dedicated people who love them sure tell a tail that saving just one dog can make a huge difference in your life (and theirs).

Congratulations to the bwide and gwooms! (As Titus would say) and a big Thank you to the pawents for loving you all so much, opening their hearts to help more dogs from each of these weddings.

Titus testing the water! BOL with Kiah the water dog!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

This past Sunday, the friends of Sagamore Hill hosted their first ‘Dog Day’ as part of the celebration of National Park Week – it was hosted at the beautiful grounds of the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. From 11am until 4pm dog owners romped the grounds, posed for pictures. watched the performances of Jilli Dog, learned about LI Dog and participated inthe ‘dog fur’ contest.  There was also a comfort station for the pups and even yummy dog treats being made on site.

Beautiful grounds to walk with your dog

Sagamore Hill Historic Site was former home of President Teddy Roosevelt and his family willed it to the National Park Service with the condition of always having it be accessible to dog owners too. The Roosevelt’s had many dogs and other animals on the historic site in the sixty years there. It is a treasure, in beautiful Oyster Bay. You may have read that the historic home is under renovation – but the rest of the grounds are open to walk your dog. Also, the museum is open, visitor center as well. If you are looking for somewhere to go with your dog that is different, and a step out of history – head to Sagamore Hill you and your dog will absolutely love it! Scroll down for link to tons of pictures – maybe your dog is in them!

Dogs big and small loving dog days, hanging out in the barn.

Sagamore Hill is located at:
12 Sagamore Hill Road
Oyster Bay, NY 11771

For MORE Pictures click here!

Would love to know your favorite place to walk your dog, leave a comment below!

Gus posing in the flowers at Sagamore Hill!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Now that the snow is melted, the flowers are starting to bloom and the temps are above freezing, it is officially tick season.  If you walk your dog in the woods, along a grassy area, at a park or even if you let Buddy in your yard – chances are your dog can now pick up a few ticks.

It’s time to thoroughly check your dog for ticks each time it comes in the house or before you get back into you car.  Lyme Disease is always a concern for dogs contracting this from ticks, but there are other tick borne illnesses that your dog could get.  In most cases the tick must feed on your dog for 24 hours to infect the dog, so that is why it is good practice and training for your dog to make it a routine to check him.

Be diligent about checking your dogs ears, paws (and I in between the toes), front and back of the neck.  Ticks go anywhere, but those areas seem to be prime real estate for them. The also like moist places, so make sure you look in your dogs ears. And check yourself as well, they can crawl pretty quickly.  You can use a flea comb too to find them and if you are so inclined there are topical monthly treatments to prevent ticks from staying on your dog.  I am not a fan of most of these treatments and prefer holistic alternatives, and and a thorough daily screening of my dog.  This also helps for spotting any abnormalities on your dog that you may have not noticed by just putting monthly drops of a preventative on your dog.

Ticks are everywhere on LI, don’t fool yourself to thinking your well manicured and landscaped property won’t have any.  And check yourself as well, they can crawl pretty quickly.  Ticks are nasty little creatures, but they are a part of life when owning a dog on our infested Island. For more information on ticks click here.   And to see a video to preventing ticks and other saftey tips while out in the park with your dog, click here.

Happy tick hunting? Yes, make it a rountine for your dog and reward him or her afterwards – my old Dobie used to immediately lay down and roll on her side when we got back to the car because she knew it was tick check time.  What a good girl!

What is your best tick prevention or removal method?  Put them in the comments below!