Corner
Aging Dogs
Byjacquie Pipkin
Wasn’t it just yesterday that you picked up
your new puppy and were overwhelmed
with her energy, impulsiveness and exuberant joy over all things new? Now, seven,
nine maybe 12 years later, she’s slowing down a bit and is perhaps just content to be
quietly beside you. Even though your dog may be slowing down, with some under
standing of how dogs age and what can be done to keep them healthy and engaged,
there can still be many happy times ahead for you to enjoy together.
Symptoms of aging vary with the breed and size of the dog. Small dogs live the
longest. In general, large breed dogs such as Great Danes and Irish wolfhounds
begin the aging process at age five or six, medium-sized dogs (30-50 pounds) such
as cocker spaniels and corgis at around age eight and smaller dogs such as toy
poodles and Shih Tzus at about age 10. In addition to a dog’s breed, diet, exercise
and healthcare are factors in how long your dog will live.
Some of the typical signs of aging include graying around the muzzle, stiffness in
the joints and decrease in eyesight and hearing. Maladies in older dogs often mimic
those of aging humans. Our veterinarian once told us that dogs often respond stoi
cally to pain and that it is up to their people to observe and be responsive to signs
of aging and conditions that may be treatable if discovered early. For example, is
your dog noticeably gaining or losing weight? Does he drink excessive amounts-of
(Continued on page 21)
e Library
Autumn Moods. Make the transi
tion from summer to fall with a great
book. Here are two suggestions for
young readers; Autumn Days, by Ann
Schweninger, and Lionel in the Fall, by
Stephen Krensky.
Get Puzzled. Bogue Banks Public Library has a collection of beautiful and chal
lenging jigsaw puzzles for you to enjoy in-house. According to experts, solving
puzzles is like brain calisthenics for older minds and brain food for younger minds.
Come check out our selection.
Activities for Children. Preschool Storytime is held each Thursday at 10 a.m.
September 1 will be “Takk.” September 8 will be “Ahsante.” September 15 will be
“Arigato.” September 22 will be “Kiito.” September 29 will be “Merci.” Preschool
Storytime is for ages 3-5. Programs are with Ms. Brita.
Featured Artwork. In September, the Art Gallery of Bogue Banks Public Library
will display a collection of posters for previous North Carolina Seafood Festivals.
Also, the original painting of the winning poster design will be on display from
August 31 to September 30.
The Showcase. The shell crafts of Teddy Wimberly will be featured. In addition to
painting and writing children’s books, Teddy has been creating beautiful items such
as wreaths, shell floor lamps, gifts, eggs and various jewelry items from her vast
shell collection gathered from our own beach here in Pine Knoll Shores.
The library’s regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
There will be no artist reception in September.
The Bogue Banks Public Library, at 320 Salter Path Road, Suite W, in Pine Knoll
Shores, is a branch of the Carteret County Public Library in Beaufort and is afiih-
ated with the Craven-PamHco-Carter,et Regional Library. For more information;
call 247-4660 or go to http://carteret.cpclib.org.
Carteret Community College
Corporate and Community Education
September Schedule - Call 222-6200 for details.
Course Start Date End Date
Bank Teller Training 09-20-11 10-27-11
Carteret Adventure:Cape Lookout 09-15-11 09-15-11
Certified Prof. Wedding Planner 09-13-11 10-06-11
Computers for Beginners,Window 09-20-11 10-27-11
Knitting - Beginning 09-20-11 10-20-11
Marine Captain’s Licensing OUPV 09-13-11 12-13-11
Medical Office Administration 09-12-11 12-21-11
Medical Terminology 09-13-11 12-01-11
Microsoft Office, Intro, to 09-12-11 10-19-11
National Electric Code Lie. Prep. 09-07-11 12-12-11
Networking & Job Search 09-19-11 09-22-11
Photoshop Elements 09-13-11 10-06-11
Professional Cake Decorating 09-15-11 12-22-11
Professional Digital Imaging 09-13-11 11-03-11
Professional Organizer 09-20-11 10-27-11
Professional Wine Appreciation 09-19-11 11-07-11
Real Estate Provisional Broker 09-26-11 12-06-11
Small Business Ownership 09-13-11 10-06-11
Wastewater Treatment Plant 0per09-08-11 12-08-11
www.carteret.ed u/cced home
m
J. cholh designs
handcrafted jewelry
EXPERT JEWELRY REPAIR
WATCH REPAIR - APPRAISALS
1010 W. FORT MACON ROAD
ATLANTIC STATION. ATLANTIC B
(252)726-5559
WWW.jCHALKDESIGNS.COM
Sept8mber2011 I Thef'Shortiifng* '9