The number of years our pets are able to provide us with their love and companionship is mostly related to their weight.

Pets that weigh less than twenty pounds often live twenty years and perhaps a little more.

Those between twenty and fifty pounds live about sixteen to eighteen years, and those over fifty pounds are only with us for some twelve to fifteen years.

When we know about how many years our pets have left to share with us, we can make certain that we make the most of each day we can share together.  You can get a better idea of your pet's lifespan by using the age and longevity chart at the top of this page.

A client wrote us recently that Sam, his Golden Retriver, was nine years old and he realized that his much beloved pet had only six more years or about 300 more weekends to share with him.  He went out and bought Sam's favorite yummies and put them on a glass jar on his kitchen counter.  Every Saturday, in addition to Sam's other treats for the week, he gave his furry four legged friend just one of those extra special yummies from that jar.

As he focused on that jar and watched the yummies slowly but steadily diminish, he thought about how precious Sam's remaining time was to him.  Because of this they spent  much more quality time together.

The story has a special message in it from me to you.  There always comes a time when pet owners and their veterinarians wish they could extend the life of a loved one.  With our pets, there are a few simple steps that we can do together, that can add three and even four years of very comfortable companionship to our pet's lives.

These life extending steps just can't be done in the last year of life.  It's what we do when our pet's are younger that decides whether they will be able to live the longest, most comfortable lives possible, or whether we will lose them befor their time.

There are no miracles involved, just three principles that are as important for your pet as they are for you and me.

• The first is sound nutrition.  Your pet's diet must not be based on which TV star is paid to promote a particular brand of food.
• The second is good dental care, which is more prevention than treatment.  Dental infections effect more than 50% of our patients, spreading infections to their heart, liver, kidneys, and brain, seriously shortening their lives by as much as four years.
• Finally, an annual test of your pet's blood, urine, and feces will help us detect disease early enough to make a real difference.

As your veterinarian, I can tell you what makes sense for your best friend, but doing it is a commitment only you can maketo your pet`s health and longevity.  It's really so little when we consider the love that they share unselfishly with us every single day.

Come in and talk to us about a simple program to help you and your pets share more yummies together in the years ahead.

Delaying preventative medicine doesn't work any better for pets than it does for humans.  Your pet depends on you!

The chart above shows comparitive human ages for pets based on their age and weight.