Taking Care of Our Old Dog – Buddy

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We have loved having Buddy, our Australian Shepherd. We’ve known him for longer than we’ve had him. Our good friends have had him since he was a puppy. They decided to move across the country and thought it would be best if Buddy didn’t go with them. They would be living in an apartment and Buddy loves to have room to roam.  The Hardworking Husband and I asked if we could take him. We have just under a half an acre. He would have room to play and wander. When we got Buddy he was over 7 years old which according to Purina Pro Plan makes him a senior dog.  According to experts at Purina Pro Plan, the glucose metabolism in a dog’s brain begins to change around age 7 which can affect memory, learning, and awareness. Taking care of our old dog had become a priority for us.

I had seen commercials for Purina Pro Plan Bright Minds and was curious what it would do for Buddy. I also saw that it was formulated with enhanced botanical oils. I’ve known I could use my essential oils on him, but wondered how the enhanced botanical oils in the food would affect his mind. Apparently Purina Pro Plan discovered a way to increase alertness and mental sharpness through nutrition. When added to the diet of 7+ dogs, the oils enhance the dogs memory, attention and trainability.

We went to the PetSmart to pick up the Purina Pro Plan Bright Minds food.

It was pretty easy to find in the store. We chose the large dog formula. Buddy had a great time going to the store and smelling everything. PetSmart has wonderful labeling on the sections of the store and the rows.

The section for the Bright Minds food was labeled and stood out.

We began transitioning Buddy to the new food gradually. We did this because often dogs have a difficult time switching food.  It can be hard on their digestive system.  We feed him twice a day. So each time we fed him for the first couple days, I would give him 3/4 of his regular food and 1/4 of the Bright Minds food. Then on the 3rd day, I gave him 1/2 of his regular food and 1/2 of the new food.  On the 6th day I gave him 3/4 of the new food and 1/4 of his old food.  By the time we got to the 9th day, we were giving him only the Purina Pro Plan Bright Minds food.  He loves the new food.  Towards the end of the transition he was picking out the Bright Minds food and leaving the old food for later.

We have loved having Buddy as part of our family. He has been quite the protector and shepherd. He will walk with me around the yard and lay down near the opening of the garden area to protect me while I garden. He lays near me when I’m sitting outside. He often tries to herd me toward the house because in his mind that’s where I belong.  He has also been very gentle with Little Thing. She is just learning how to treat a dog. So sometimes she can be a little rough with him. It’s great that she gets to learn how to treat animals with a dog that is so gentle with her.

I am excited to see how the Purina Pro Plan Bright Minds food makes Buddy’s mind more active and more involved in our family. The food is supposed to help him get back to his old tricks. One of my favorite of his “tricks” is protecting us from squirrel infestation. Buddy and I are on the same page about keeping squirrels out of the yard. 

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