fb-pixel

Rocky’s Viewpoint

Rockys Viewpoint

A blog for people who treat their dogs better than family

It is easy for us to put on a couple pounds and not notice it until we try wearing something we haven’t worn for a while. It’s even harder to notice small weight gains in dogs. So how do you know if your dog is overweight? Here are some ways to tell.

The big news this week is that Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets tore his ACL ending his season as the Jets’ star cornerback.  This isn’t the end of the world, well maybe for the Jets this season, but he will heal and most likely come back next season. The same injury that Darrelle…

I know there are different opinions as to whether table food or scraps are OK to feed your dog. Many veterinarians are adamantly opposed to feeding “people food” to a dog. I personally don’t see a problem. I’ve been feeding my dog Beau the same food I’ve been eating for a long time. In addition…

Category: Health Management

On a day when Miles decided he just wasn’t into swimming, he just wanted to dance! See the video….

Category: At Rocky's Retreat, Fun
dogs aging

Just like people, each dog ages differently. In general, mixed breeds and smaller dogs tend to live longer than purebreds or larger dogs. Dogs less than 20 pounds may not seem to show any signs of age until they’re around 12, 50-pound dogs around 10, while larger dogs begin to show their age between 7 to 9 years old. As a general rule, a dog who is 7 years or older should be considered middle to senior aged.

Why would you want to be concerned about your dog’s core muscles? Because dogs rely on their core muscles to control their body when jumping, turning, and running. Ensuring your dog’s core muscles are strong can reduce and prevent injuries. Whether you have a performance dog or a pet, core strength is essential. Below is a video of Emma…

Degenerative myelopathy, or DM, is a disease of the spinal cord in dogs that is normally contracted between the ages of 8 and 14. DM is primarily seen in German Shepherds but other large breed dogs can also be affected. DM first occurs in one hind limb and then moves to the other side.  The…

Category: Health Management

This past Saturday we attended a great workshop in Ocala taught by Liz McGuire, a physical therapist for humans and someone who works with dogs for injury prevention and sports specific conditioning. While the primary focus of the workshop was on canine athletes, the techniques we learned can be applied to any dog to help keep them in…

Although I think most people are familiar with dysplasia, I thought it would be good to review what it is.  Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia are the common terms used to describe the abnormal development of the respective joints. Both hip and elbow dysplasia are inherited conditions.  Hip dysplasia is due to abnormal looseness between…

In the last month or so, we’ve had calls from several people who unfortunately we were not able to help. One was a dog that was morbidly obese and as a result had heart issues. Another had a degenerative disease that had progressed to the point of hind end paralysis and loss of bladder and…