Hairs out of place

Hi Dogs Today

My Flattie's coat has become quite dull of late. I'm not sure whether it's because he's getting older (he's nine years) or whether it's connected to his moulting, which he is doing a fair bit of at the moment.

Can you suggest anything I can give him to get him back to his usual glossy self?

Thank you.

Mrs Bond, by email

Alison Logan, vet, advises…

The same happened to my twelve-year-old Labrador over Christmas – she was losing her coat in handfuls yet grooming it out just left a dull lifeless coat. You will be relieved to know that it is back to its usual glossy self now, because it was just the result of a heavy moult. There is a supplement you can add to her food which will help his coat at this time. Made by Lintbells, it is called Yumega.

Naturally, if your Flattie’s coat does not recover its glossiness then I would take him to your vet. There may be an underlying problem such as an underactive thyroid, for example.

Playing with your food

My dog eats her dinner so fast it is literally over in seconds. I would really like to use one of these clever devices to change her food into more of a longer lasting game.
Which is the best brand for using in something like a Maze or a Buster Cube?
Has anyone already tried a few varieties out?
Is it better to have small round shaped kibbles that roll?
Do share your experiences!
Gill Knight, London

Is all dry food the same?

I was having an conversation with someone at work the other day about dog food and they said that there are more than one type of dry food, and I said it was all the same - just different brand names. Can you settle the argument, it's just dry or wet surely!
Kevin Lynch, Newbury, Berks

I have to break it to you - I can think of four different types of dry food at least! Extruded, baked, cold pressed and freeze dried. There may be even more! Can anyone think of any more?
Beverley Cuddy, Editor

… and that just relates to the texture of the dried food. More important for your dog’s health is the formulation. That refers not only to the quality of the ingredients but also to the proportions in which they appear in the food.
Dog food has come a long way since the days when you simply bought dog food for your dog, or perhaps cooked it from scratch. I well remember the smell of pet mince boiling on the stove – we bought it from the butcher, cooked it in a saucepan with a little water, and then poured it into aluminium tins. Once cool, an inch thick layer of white fat solidified on top.
When you go to buy dog food now, there is a very wide range of brands available, which in itself will vary between outlets. The initial decision is between wet and dried, or deciding to feed a combination of the two. There are essentially two broad categories of dog food: life stage or prescription. A life stage food is designed for the dog with no health issues, and addresses the needs of the healthy individual as he moves through life from puppy to young adult, active or inactive, entire or neutered, and in to senior years. It is also possible to find foods geared to meet the special needs of toy breeds and large breeds, and some ranges offer foods for specific breeds.
A prescription food is fed under veterinary supervision because the formulation addresses a specific health issue such as, for example, kidney disease, liver disease, obesity. As such, your dog’s health will dictate the need to feed a prescription diet. There are different ranges which address health issues in different ways through their individual formulations.
Above all, however, there is one factor which decides which food a dog will eat – palatability. We have different tastes from each other, and dogs are not much different. Some are fussier than others. I am lucky in that my Labradors will eat anything put in their bowls (and anything else they find outside their bowls, whatever its state of decay!). A food may have great health attributes, but it will be of no help if it is not eaten. One dried food may look very much like another, but they do taste differently, as any owner of a fussy dog will attest!
Alison Logan, Vet

What's the very best dry food?

Dear Think Tank
I've just inherited Bonnie, a seven year collie, from an elderly relative who sadly passed away. Bonnie's been used to a dry complete food but a really basic economy brand probably full of E numbers and I'd really like to put her on something a lot better.
Where do I start? I've not had a dog for decades and I'm blown away by the vast array of foods I'd never even heard of before mentioned in your magazine! There's only a fraction of these more interesting sounding brands on the supermarket shelves.
What's the big differences - apart from price? I'd like to give Bonnie the best possible food. So which is it? And before anyone says raw, I can't stand the sight and smell of meat - we're a veggie household, so dry suits us all just fine!
Sally Millar, Esher, Surrey

Diet is the last thing I would be altering at this point. Bonnie was used to living with an elderly person, perhaps as a sole companion since she has now moved in with you. You say that you are a household, so that suggests at least two people, possibly children – all big changes. Give Bonnie a chance to settle in. This is going to be a big change for her so I would keep her diet to exactly as she is used to eating for the time being.
Change of environment, change of water, can upset the balance of the bacterial flora in the gut. The diet is the one feature which is easy to keep constant as it sounds as if you know what Bonnie has been eating. Once she has settled in, then you can think about changing diet and routine.
As a side thought, I would definitely be inclined to either plug in an Adaptil DAP diffuser and/or fit a DAP collar, to help Bonnie settle in.
For a vegetarian household, dried food is ideal as it is visually a long way removed from meat, and without a meaty odour. A seven-year-old collie is middle aged so an adult food will be fine. Has Bonnie been spayed? Is she at the correct bodyweight? Choice of food will depend on whether she needs to lose weight, or whether she is at the correct bodyweight but has a tendency to gain weight.
Then one should consider other features of Bonnie’s health. Does she have dental disease? Is she used to exercise? If she is a border collie, she will naturally love exercise, but may have had a low plane of exercise whilst living with an elderly person. She may therefore be unfit and will need a carefully rising plane of exercise. Indeed, do you know if Bonnie’s parents had their hips scored, and eyes tested? Does she have any other health issues, hidden or diagnosed, which might make a prescription diet more suitable?
Which brings me to a burning question – when was Bonnie last examined by a veterinary surgeon? If it was more than a year ago, then I would suggest a routine appointment when you can raise any other concerns as well as the ideal food to feed her.
Alison Logan, vet

Eye of the storm

Hi Dogs Today,

Can you clear up a sisterly squabble for me?!

My sister thinks I shouldn't let my dog lick my face as I will catch something and if she licks my eye I will get that disease that makes you blind. We both grew up with dogs as kids and must have had every inch of our faces licked and neither of us ever got ill.

Please can you tell us the facts? (Though I bet I'm right!)

Thank you!

Susie Morris, Birmingham


Alison Logan, Vet, advises...

There are, I am afraid, elements of truth in your sister’s assertion.

I think that she is thinking of ocular larva migrans when she talks about you running the risk of going blind, but it is not contracted directly across the eye from a dog’s tongue. This is a rare complication of migrating Toxocara canis larvae within the body reaching the eyes.

If a dog has an active roundworm Toxocara canis burden, he or she will be passing T canis eggs in his or her faeces. These eggs are invisible to the naked eye, which is why routine preventative treatment for roundworms is recommended. After a few days in the environment, the eggs mature and became infective – if they are then accidentally swallowed by a person, larvae develop and can migrate through tissues, causing an inflammatory reaction. In rare cases, organs such as the liver or lungs may be damaged, and the larvae can affect vision or even cause blindness if they reach the eyes.

Simple personal hygiene measures such as washing your hands before eating greatly reduce the chances of accidentally ingesting roundworm eggs. This is why children are generally more at risk than adults. Visceral and ocular larva migrans are rare, but obviously to be avoided as the effects can be devastating.

So, with roundworm eggs needing to spend time maturing in the environment before they are infective, there should be no problem with your dog wiping your face with her loo paper. Yes, you did read that right! Whereas you and I drop soiled loo paper after use into the loo to be flushed away, your dog’s loo paper is her tongue. Therefore … well, need I say more? This is why we are taught to wash our hands after stroking our dogs, and other pets, before eating. Dogs wash themselves all over with their tongues, and may well wash their rear before washing their coat, or your face. Faeces, dog and human, are a potential source of other infections. We are taught to wash our hands after using the loo for very good reasons!

In the dark about shots

Hi

Me and my wife have just got a Cockerpoo puppy and he had his first vaccinations at the breeder and his second lot when we had had him a couple of weeks. We're taking him to puppy classes and one of the other owners said dogs don't need annual vaccinations.

Please could you tell me if this is true?

Thanks.

Jim MacColl, Chesterfield, Derbyshire



Alison Logan, vet, advises...

Vaccinations have brought us to today’s situation where the incidence of diseases which were the scourge of our dog population has fallen to a, thankfully, very low level. I remember when canine parvovirus was first identified in the UK, and the fear that it would wipe out our nation’s dogs. Thankfully, a vaccine became available, but not before many canine lives had been lost. I did see distemper in an unvaccinated dog whilst training during the 1980’s, but have not seen it since. In 1991, I battled unsuccessfully to save four unvaccinated farm dogs from leptospirosis.

In recent years, there have been localised outbreaks of parvovirus, and there really is nothing quite like the frustration at nursing a puppy with parvovirus, knowing that vaccination could have prevented it. It is a truly horrible illness to witness…

The annual vaccination visit is also an opportunity for your dog to be examined by a veterinary surgeon for health problems, and a chance for you to air any concerns you may have. There are many dogs who are fortunate enough to have only vaccination visits recorded, having not needed veterinary attention for illness, accidents or other reasons. These visits provide a baseline for health, with bodyweight recorded and monitored on an annual basis. I enjoy vaccination visits - you would be amazed what can be found by a veterinary surgeon of which an owner may not have been aware, such as dental disease, heart murmur, early signs of arthritis, and even obesity.

We are as a profession seeking to base our vaccination protocols on best research and also tailored to the particular life style of each dog, so that we do not over-vaccinate for an individual’s level of risk. The first annual vaccination, after your puppy’s first birthday, is now seen as an important part of the puppy vaccination course, providing a vital boost to that initial level of protection. Rather than worrying about other dog owners’ views, ask your veterinary surgeon for his or her opinion, either now, or when you see him at an appointment for something else, or at that first annual booster visit.

Our priority as veterinary surgeons is your dog’s health and wellbeing.


Richard Allport, vet, advises...

Quite true, Jim, the WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) has published advice for dog vaccination which states categorically that for what are known as the ‘core vaccines’ (Distemper, Parvovirus and Canine hepatitis) dogs that have had puppy vaccinations followed by a booster a year later will have protection for many years and need revaccination only after three years or more. Also the advice states, equally categorically, that if dogs have had puppy vaccinations and a booster a year later, but no subsequent boosters, it is only ever necessary to give a single shot to achieve full protection and not (as many vets seem to suggest) another course of two vaccinations.

Vaccines for other diseases, such as Leptospirosis, Rabies and Kennel Cough do not give protection for as long, but are not classified as core (essential) vaccines. They should only be given to dogs at particular risk of these diseases.

Leptospirosis vaccine is particularly associated with adverse effects, doesn’t necessarily give protection for a full twelve months, doesn’t give protection against all types of Leptospirosis (there are many different strains), and is inadvisable to give to toy breeds unless they are in an environment of especially high risk.

Rabies, in the UK, is only given to dogs that will be travelling abroad. It is also a vaccine associated with a higher risk of side effects, and in my view it is far better to keep your dog in the UK than to risk not only side effects from the Rabies vaccine but also that of contracting unpleasant diseases such as Leishmaniasis and Ehrlichiosis which your dog can contract on the continent.

The Kennel Cough nasal vaccine is unpleasant to administer (it has to be squirted up the nose), often causes side effects (symptoms of coughing and sneezing) and isn’t guaranteed to prevent kennel cough occurring anyway, although it may minimise symptoms.

Do not, under any circumstances, allow your Cockerpoo to have a full booster every year.

Alfie may need retraining for the train?

Can anyone advise me please. I do drive but fancy a train trip to visit relatives soon with my gorgeous dog Alfie. I think he will be fine BUT he has a habit of 'over cocking' his leg and marking his spot. I am afraid he will 'pee' up anything and anyone on the train! He is house trained but whenever we visit new places he is very over enthusiastic with his peeing. Any ideas please?
Lynda Readman, via our facebook page

Does perfume drive dogs mad?

I just wondered if any research has been done into strong perfume and dog behaviour?
I know horses can become unrideable when the rider wears it.
My friends horse was very bad when she wore Charlie.
Does it affect dogs?
I just wondered.
Could dog attacks/bad behaviour be linked to it?
Wendy Woo Hillings, Via Facebook

Dirty habit

Dear Dogs Today

My six-month-old Maltese-Shih Tzu cross has developed a dirty habit - she is bringing poo in from the garden and leaving it on the floor!

I first discovered something funny was happening a couple of weeks ago when I noticed our cat had dog poo stuck in his fur. I have never seen him roll in our garden so I thought it was a bit strange. I then found a few deposits on the floor, but as my pup is housetrained, I kept a closer eye on her. I then caught her coming in from the garden carrying poo in her mouth!

She has been housetrained without any accidents for a few months now and so I have stopped praising her when she had gone outside correctly. Do you think the reason could be that I have stopped praising her and she is bringing the poo inside for attention?

I really don't know what to do, she was doing so well! I would really appreciate any help or advice anyone can give me.

Thank you.

Justine, Surrey

Sudden agression problem

Dear Dogs Today Think Tank,

My five-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitch has always been a kind-hearted dog who has never show any aggression to any other dog.

But, every time she sees this small Jack Russell, she goes into a very scathing growling teeth showing aggressiveness.

The only different thing about the Jack Russell is that it has big lumps on the side of it’s belly, the owners say they are tumours but are benign.

My question is why has my usually placid bitch who has never shown aggression to any other dog suddenly has developed a hate for this poor little dog?

P.S. Her son, who I also have, is fine with the dog when we have met.

Kind regards,

Simon John Gibbons, by email

Destination UK

Dear Dogs Today,

Mischa, our 32kg Chow Chow, will be flying from Malaysia to London in July.

Can you recommend the best, safest, most reputable pet freight service provider?

Please can you also recommend the best airlines for safely transporting dogs from the Far East to the UK?

Thank you so much.

Mei Lee, by email

Not so simples!

Hi Dogs Today

Can any of your experts help me?

My dog, Holly, goes mad at the TV whenever meerkats appear, both real and the price comparison ones!

Have a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHM-u_06eDo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

And here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTMLHUZfZuw

Can anyone help me to keep Holly calm?

Thanks very much.

Amy Bright, by phone

Wetting the bed

Hello Think Tank,

I would be grateful if you could offer me some help with my rescued, 18-month-old Border Collie cross.

We have had him for five months and he seems to have settled in well. When we first got him he used to do a nervous/excited little wee in the morning when we came downstairs to let him out but after a couple of weeks this stopped. A few days before Christmas I took his bedding out of his plastic bed to give it a hoover and noticed dampness on the plastic. I felt the bedding and it was a little damp but thought it may have been where he had come in from the garden and jumped straight into his bed. I decided to give him the benefit of doubt and just ignored it, however this has happened on numerous occasions now so I think he must be weeing in his bed. It is just happening overnight.

I have always left the radio on for him when he is left on his own, as advised by the rescue shelter, and he always settles down when he is left by himself. He is not sore anywhere so I am assuming he is deliberately doing it. There is nowhere else around the house that has damp patches, just the bed. He has only ever chewed something he shouldn't have once and he hid the evidence in his bed so maybe he thinks he is hiding the evidence in his bed again.

Please help!

Julie Smith, Berkshire



Alison Logan, vet, advises...

This sounds to me like urinary incontinence, more familiar in the bitch but also occurring in male dogs. The nervous/excited little wee passed in the morning when he greeted you is a sign of a weak bladder, and although that stopped it would seem that he is now passing urine accidentally when asleep in his bed. I really do not think he is doing this deliberately, hiding the evidence in his bed like he does when he hides things he has chewed. Your dog sleeps in his bed; whilst asleep in his bed, he is relaxed and urine leaks from his bladder.

It would be worth having a urine sample checked by your veterinary surgeon to rule out an underlying infection, for example. Is he producing more urine than usual with an increased thirst (polyuria/polydipsia) so that his bladder is filling up quicker whilst asleep? An anatomical explanation may be revealed by imaging the bladder with the ureters running to it from the kidneys and the urethra connecting it to the outside world.

If your vet feels this is simply a weak bladder, or sphincter incompetence, as I would suspect, then there are drugs which can help. Your dog’s bedwetting could be a thing of the past.

Decision making

Hi

I'm trying to find out all that I can about neutering before making the decision about my miniature Labradoodle bitch. She's seven months old now but hasn't come into season yet.

My vets advise having small breeds neutered before they're six months, with ovariohysterectomy, but I have my doubts about this after having read Richard Allport's column recently about a new drug for pyometra.

My thinking so far is to put off neutering until after Cookie's first season, at least. I have a neutered male five-year-old Border Terrier and how he copes with her being in season will be part of the decision. Their relationship with each other is very important.

We have had the experience of having a dog neutered prematurely - we had a Springer
Spaniel from The Dogs Trust and had him neutered at six months, as they stipulated. We regretted it because it really wasn't necessary - he was not very "male" in the first place and remained rather immature. After neutering he also had a lot of unwanted attention from other males, presumably because he didn't smell right? So I recognise the importance of hormones for the dog's physical and emotional wellbeing!

In addition, I believe there are various options for surgery: remove the uterus and the ovaries, remove the uterus or remove the ovaries. If only the uterus is removed then Cookie will have the benefit of having hormones, but does this mean she still comes into season (but can't get
pregnant)?

Can you help me please?

Thanks.

Sue Issac, by email


Alison Logan, vet, advises...

Oh, this question has been on my mind all day, and I was pondering it as I drove home from the practice this evening. Deciding to have a bitch spayed is indeed a very important decision to make and does need careful consideration – although it is routine surgery, it is major surgery.. The advantages and disadvantages have been debated in the pages of Dogs Today and elsewhere for years, and I think there is probably not a single ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer which will suit everyone.

All I would say, from my side of the table so to speak, is that pyometra is a particularly nasty condition for a bitch to experience, however it is treated. The chances of an unspayed bitch developing a womb infection are high and, as it tends to occur later in life, there are often other health issues associated with ageing complicating the picture which may affecting the choice of treatment and the ultimate outcome. Additionally, if a bitch has her womb and/or ovaries then there is the potential for growths (cancer, to stop beating around the bush) which would have been preventable through ovariohysterectomy.

There is also the issue of pregnancy, planned and otherwise. Mismating does happen. It is possible to inject a drug to terminate a pregnancy but, to be honest, I would rather not be placed in that position in the first place. When an unplanned pregnancy goes to term, there is not only the worry of the birth and whether there will be complications, but also rearing the litter and then finding homes for the puppies.

Pseudo- or false pregnancy is an important factor. If a bitch is not mated, or does not become pregnant after a mating, the hormones circulating still trigger some of the changes associated with pregnancy. There may be mammary gland development, often with milk production. There may be changes in appetite, nesting behaviour, hiding toys and becoming possessive over them, and general moods swings. Aggression is a rare but worrying feature.

Preventative surgery has always been and will continue to be a contentious issue. Neutering is a form of preventative surgery, but there are multiple benefits. Also, and this thought hit me as I turned into our drive, our canine friends age at a far more rapid rate than we do, resulting in them having far shorter life expectancies. Surely, therefore, it is in their interest to prevent health problems which could potentially reduce their life span further?

Perhaps I have digressed, and I did not mean to be drawn into the whole range of issues raised by neutering when I started this answer. It does occur to me that, with Cookie having reached seven months of age, I would probably be advising you to let her have one season anyway before spaying because she could come into season at any time. Standard procedure is to remove uterus and ovaries – leaving the ovaries will mean the bitch will still come into season, show the signs of false pregnancy and, of greater significance, there is the risk of an infection developing in the remnant of the uterus, a so-called stump pyometra.

I do hope this has helped. Go back to your vet and talk it through further with him or her because either way you need to make an informed decision. Your vet is the person who will be caring for Cookie’s health for the rest of her life.

Infection protection

Hi peeps

Another query for the Think Tank….I live in Spain but a vet in Gibraltar this week told us there is a new Parvo strain which the vaccine does not yet protect against.

I don’t know if this is true to the UK but do you have any news on this?

And is there any way we can protect our dogs in the meantime aside from the usual disinfectants that kill off this bacteria?

Donna Saunders, The Dog House, Spain

Richard Allport, vet, advises...

Well, unless there is a totally new strain I haven’t yet heard of, this isn’t true. About four years ago a new strain of Parvo was isolated (CPV-2 – also known as 2c or F strain), but the existing vaccines work perfectly well against this strain. I haven’t yet heard of any other ‘new’ strain. However, as always, when this new strain was discovered, stories were soon perpetrated on the internet that a new ‘killer strain’ of Parvovirus was around that existing vaccines weren’t effective against.

Whilst it’s true that CPV-2 is more likely to cause serious illness than the original strain, existing vaccines are perfectly effective protecting against it.

I am pleased that you mention using disinfectants as a preventive agent. I think we forget that - as well as vaccination – regular disinfection of food preparation areas, floors, feeding bowls and toys with a safe brand of disinfectant (such as Zoflora), is an important way of protecting dogs against serious bacterial and viral diseases.

Clicker training is no treat

Hello Dogs Today,

I have recently taken on a young rescue collie cross, Ben. We're not sure how old he is exactly, about a year the rescue thought, and we don't know much about his background as he was picked up as a stray, but expect he was mistreated as he cowers when anyone is holding a mop or duster etc and he doesn't like loud or sudden noises (although noise-sensitivity may not have anything to do with any possible mistreatment).

We're attending basic obedience classes at the moment as if he had had any training, he needs a refresher! I also have an older rescue Lab, and when she came to live with us four years ago I introduced her to clicker training as she is bright and I wanted something fun to keep her mentally stimulated. I have tried to introduce Ben to clicker training but he is scared of the noise! I have a clicker where you can reduce/increase the volume, but even on the lowest setting he cowers at the noise, but then comes straight back to me for a treat. I discontinued using the clicker immediately and only tried it for three or four clicks before stopping.

I'm wondering what to do, has anyone else had this problem? I'd love to get Ben enjoying the clicker but don't want to try it again in case it upsets him again. Should I wait until he's been with us a bit longer and build the trust and then try the clicker again? (We've had him since October and began training classes - where clickers aren't used - two weeks later.) Or should I just give up on the idea? Are there any alternatives to the clicker that will help with training and provide mental stimulation, but not scare Ben?!

Thanks,
Mike Cartwright, Selby, North Yorks

Cold shoulder... and other joints

Now that the colder weather is here my seven-year-old boxer, Boris, is much less bouncy than usual. In fact, when he gets up in the morning he really seems quite stiff in some of his joints and on a very chilly day he’s almost reluctant to go for his morning walk, although once he’s got going he does seem to find all his energy again. I have to say, I know how he feels, as my joints aren’t great in the cold weather either!

He doesn’t seem to be in pain as such, just slowing down a bit and I don’t like the idea of putting him on drugs long term. Is there any way of making an older dog’s life a bit more comfortable in the winter?

Pam Duncan, Chelmsford



Alison Logan, vet, advises...

Stiffness is painful, as I am often telling my clients, and I speak from experience. Chronic pain is also very wearing (and, again, I speak from experience) and can have all manner of subtle effects such as depressing one’s mood. As you have quite rightly noticed, it is the colder weather which can often make stiff joints play up and need some extra support. Boris is only middle-aged, but Boxers are indeed very bouncy by nature which puts stress on the joints. His relatively young age is no reason to dismiss the stiffness you describe as not needing drugs long term although, fortunately, there are alternatives to try first.

First port of call is Boris’s weight. Is he the correct weight for his size, ie is he at an ideal body condition with a waistline, just able to discern his ribs? If he is overweight then losing that weight may be all that he needs to be less stiff, especially if he becomes fitter at the same time. Swimming is a great form of exercise, being non-weight-bearing, and could help him improve his general level of fitness as well as achieving an ideal bodyweight and muscling up.

Two or three short walks per day are going to suit stiff joints better than one long walk. Choosing softer terrain will be less concussive on the joints, and days when the ground is frozen hard will be particularly problematical. Try to avoid that special long walk at weekends when you have more time than during the week. Boris is going to fare best on a constant walk regime.

There are also dietary measures you can take. Feeding a food formulated with joint support in mind is one way, or adding a glucosamine/chondroitin/essential fatty acid supplement such as Yumove to his usual food. There are also joint chews and the like, but do allow for the extra calories they involve. Carrying extra weight is really not a good idea for the joints – I cannot over-emphasise that fact!

A magnetic collar is also worth considering. I have had some really good results, and this is certainly a straight forward thing to do.

Giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID is not an admission of defeat. Doing this can be very useful for determining if the stiffness is painful: if it improves with a trial course of NSAID, or even if there is just an improvement in the overall demeanour, then there must have been an element of pain present. The NSAID may be needed on a regular basis, or for spells of a few days during a flare-up precipitated by over-exercise or cold weather, for example. The choice of NSAID depends on how a particular dog reacts to it, just as in humans one NSAID may suit one person but be ineffective or cause a stomach upset in someone else.

Walking my dogs is the best part of my day, when I can switch off and just enjoy their company and the countryside. Looking after their joints is important from puppyhood so that they too can look forward to their walks into old age.