Geriatric dogs come with their own set of obsticles to overcome. We work to help them in their elderly years. In general,
with a pet nine years of age, they are considered "geriatric".  If severly tangled, I would clip off rather than de-matt as this
precious pet has had many years of being beautiful, now it is time to be comfortable.

Their kidney function may not be as good as used to be but as long as the animal has access to water at all times no
further damage will be done. A mistaken idea is that older animals urinate a lot because they are drinking so frequently,
therefore,some owners reduce the amount of access to water to prevent accidents or the animal having to go outside
so much. The exact opposite is true, in fact, the animal has to drink water to replace the water lost in urination which
can be a lot with a geriatric pet otherwise the kidney function can be compromised. We provide water at all times. We
have comfortable geriatric supports so your precious pet does not have to stand on their own.  We use a kinder brush
for old age furry family members as their skin is often easily ripped especially as the hair is also usually thinner.

DISORIENTATION
Due to mental impairment, blindness or hearing difficulties, the geriatric pet may become confused. We speak to them
at all times before we touch them as not to startle him. A geriatric will produce a feeble bark when they are confused.
Blind dogs are spoken to at all times so they can locate us, this to re-assure to them.

ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is a roughening of the joint ends, which cause pain on movement. Some older animals may have suffered from
Hip Displasia from their youth, which may now cause more problems in old age. When grooming this pet, it may cry out
in pain or bite when the joint is handled therefore we handle all geriatric pets as if they have arthritis.

SKIN
As was said previously, as the dog ages the skin becomes thinner making it more prone to damage to therefore a  
more gentle technique should be adopted when grooming them.

WARTS
Warts can easily be caught by a brush or comb. This can be a problem to the dog too, as damage may cause a growth
to become malignant but at the very least the warts may spread to other areas. The papilloma virus causes warts, which
is present in the blood supply to the wart which, when allowed to contaminate another area of skin, may set up a new
infection. Any large warts should really be removed by a vet rather than risk injury to them. Lipoma are fatty lumps, which
are usually benign but can be malignant. A favourite place for them is on the breastbone but they can appear anywhere
on the body. Usually, if you can put your fingers around the lipoma, it may not be so serious but when it is attached to
underlying tissue it can be more of a problem. Any of these lumps, which grow quickly, should be investigated as soon as
possible. Mammary tumors are very common in older female dogs and we routinely check for them. Often owners do not
notice lumps and bumps especially in a hairy animal.   We will notify you so you can make a visit to your vet.

FEET
Because the pasterns drop when the animal gets older the feet become longer and consequently the nails are not in
contact with the ground to wear them down. The dog needs to have its nails cut more regularly to prevent  ingrown
nails. Please come in for nail trims between appointments.

EPILEPSY
Many geriatric dogs develop epilepsy due to the electrical stimuli to the brain being interrupted prematurely. Typical signs
of an approaching seizure include staring into space, salivating, fitting may or may not be present and urinating or
defecating. Rarely is Epilepsy an immediate emergency, but we will alert you to the problem so that you can report
it to your vet who may prescribe medication.

INCONTINENCE
Incontinent dogs can be distressing for you and your pet f not properly dealt with. Obviously the pet has to be kept as
clean as possible by washing with some kind of detergent especially for removing odor. Infacare is a very good product,
as it does not have to be rinsed off. Vaseline or some other type of barrier cream should be applied. Sometimes certain
types of urinary incontinence can be dealt with very effectively by giving Propalin syrup (Speak to vet). I have found that
talc (preferably Femfresh or the like which does not actually contain harmful products) reduces the amount of chaffing if
used between the legs of the dog if this condition is a problem. If your precious pet has this problem, we ask you to stay
to help with the clean up otherwise additional  fees may incur for clean up.

If at anytime your precious pet becomes stressed, I will stop all immediately. After a few minutes and he is still
in distress, I will phone you to come pick him up and schedule to finish the groom another day.  If the dog
does not respond to the process being halted a heart attack may follow very quickly, therefore we take
all the precautions we can to avoid this potential problem.
Please know that we everything we do is in the best interest of your geriatric family member.

It is often a long and rewarding time we have with your furry family members, seeing them from each groom to their last
trim. As they age and we see they are they are failing,we give each one a final cuddle in case it may be their last visit.
Grooming The Elderly
(239) 267-0172