It's Never Long Enough: A practical guide to caring for your geriatric dog

by Mary Gardner

As our dog's muzzle turns grey and their footsteps begin to wobble, we often wonder what more we can do to ensure our aging companion's well-being. Based on more than 15 years of veterinary visits with her geriatric dog patients and their families, new studies in animal and human health related to aging, and a lifetime of heartfelt tales about her own beloved senior dogs, Dr. Mary Gardner answers vital questions pet parents ask about how to extend and enhance older dogs’ lives and better manage the pressures of caregiving for ailing dogs.Breakthroughs in veterinary healthcare and deepening people-dog relationships have helped dogs live longer. Yet it seems our canine family members reach their senior years after only a few fleeting moments. Keeping our silvered-muzzle friends physically comfortable and emotionally engaged sometimes brings struggles that pet parents may not be fully prepared or equipped to handle. We may juggle tasks that involve alleviating pain, meeting special nutritional needs, creating a senior-dog-friendly home, and cleaning up frequent messes—along with learning to recognize and successfully manage our own caregiver-related stresses. With warmth and a steady dose of humor, Dr. Mary Gardner's go-to guide is perfect for dog parents who want to ensure their furry family members continue living their best lives throughout every stage of their golden years. From cloudy eyes to crusty noses, knobby knees to achy hips, picky eating to tucked tails—and everything in between—parents of senior dogs will learn which ailments their dogs will commonly confront and how these impairments may affect their lives. Drawing on her veterinary medical expertise and focus on geriatric pet healthcare, Dr. Gardner helps us walk our wagging-tail family members through their twilight years with dignity and celebrate the deep relationships we share with our dogs.

Genres: Dogs

771 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2022

About the author

There is nothing better to Dr. Gardner than a dog with a grey muzzle or skinny old cat! Her professional goals as an author and veterinarian are to increase awareness and medical care for geriatric veterinary patients and to help make the final life stage to be as peaceful as possible, surrounded with dignity and support for all involved.
Dr. Gardner didn't always know this is where her life would lead. She realized she wanted to become a veterinarian only after a decade as a Software Product Manager. After graduating with her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Florida's veterinary school  in 2008, she worked for several years in general practice before finding her calling in veterinary hospice. She cofounded the internationally-renowned veterinary hospice and end of life practice--Lap of Love--in 2010.
Through helping thousands of families with hospice and end of life care, she learned that way before their pets reach the end, caregivers really struggle caring for their aging pets. That's how she fell in love with helping the weak and the wobbly and those that care for them.
Dr. Gardner and Lap of Love have been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, The New York Times, the Associated Press, The Doctors and numerous professional veterinary publications. Her writing is focused on providing resources that help support pet owners during this beautiful and challenging season of their pet's life. 

Reviews

[Brandi D'Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent guide to your aging dog! I can't think of anything that wasn't covered in detail. Topics range from figuring out if your dog is entering their senior years, pain management, food, medical records (which prompted me to buy a notebook to track vet visits), and skincare. There was even a section on creating a bucket list for your canine! There is also a website that you can access for further information. The only downside is the length (771 pages on Kindle), however, I highly recommend having a copy on hand, even if for reference. I don't think it needs to be read cover to cover.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing resource to have. I felt so validated to read about the same struggles that I’ve been dealing with for years. And felt the despair and helplessness that even a highly trained vet feels when caring for her own geriatric pets. I cried reading most of the relevant parts for me, particularly in planning for the end of life sections. I feel more equipped for the future even if it’s going to suck beyond belief. The reality that most dogs don’t just die in their sleep even if we all hope, and how if you want your dog to die naturally, you have to be prepared that it won’t be pretty. She does a good job in preparing you for all the roads you can take. “Sometimes we suffer so they don’t have to.”

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit I cried while reading several parts of this book. It was a difficult read because of the subject matter and took me quite a while to get through, but I’m very grateful for all the knowledge the author shared. I also really enjoyed reading about the obvious affection she has for her patients! I would def recommend this book for anyone with cherished grey muzzle (senior dog) in their life! 🐶🐕🦮🐩🐕‍🦺🐾