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Friday, 22 January 2010

Growing old gracefully

I have a Border Collie bitch who is nearly 10 years old, and I have recently noticed that her tail has lost some of its bushiness, especially around the base. Is this normal as a dog ages?
She is fed a raw chicken wing every morning and a scoop of Burns every evening, sometimes with added meat and veg. Should I supplement her diet in any way to help her cope with the ageing process?
She is spayed and weighs 15kg so is quite a small collie. She has so far shown no signs of athritis and is happy and active.
Mrs V Garrad, by email

2 comments:

  1. Christine Bailey25 January 2010 at 08:20

    I have noticed my own collie's coat has improved markedly with the addition of salmon oil to his meals - well worth a try. I use Kronch, and get it from a company called swallowhealthydiet.com, though I'm sure there are other stockists. It improves the condition of the coat, so might have an effect on the growth!

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  2. As your dog ages, less food is needed.As you are already feeding Burns you might think of reducing the daily amount of Burns or stopping the additional chicken. Like you I have ageing small Collie who is now 14. Although yours weighs 15 kg it is likely that around 100 gr a day of Burns should suffice, that's without the chicken.
    Best wishes
    John Burns BVMS MRCVS
    Burns Pet Nutrition

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