Dr. Monica, who you likely recognize as seniordogdoc on Instagram, is the founder of Senior Dog Revolution, co-founder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society, and co-founder of The Pet Loss Community, whose content I’ve often shared because of how much comfort it’s brought people, both in anticipatory grief and after they’ve said goodbye.

Dr. Monica shared that her own journey into this work started with her first dog, Frodo, who was perfectly healthy until he turned ten and then seemed to face one health issue after another. That experience, and the sense that she didn’t have enough guidance for caring for an aging dog, is what eventually led her to build the education and resources she offers today.

Alyson Brewer and I have been waiting months for this conversation and it did not disappoint! Some of my biggest takeaways:

* Seven is generally considered the age a dog becomes a senior, even for a dog who “still acts like a puppy.” Dr. Monica described it as the equivalent of us turning 65.

* Dental disease is one of the most under-recognized sources of chronic pain in older dogs. She recommends annual (annual!) dental cleanings under anesthesia, and explained that a mouth can look completely fine on the outside while there’s real disease happening below the gumline.

* Senior dogs generally need more protein, not less, to help maintain muscle mass. And muscle mass itself is worth tracking separately from weight; a dog can be at an ideal weight on the scale while quietly losing muscle.

* The two most common sources of chronic pain in senior dogs are their joints and their mouths, and the signs are often incredibly subtle: a little more hesitation before jumping on the couch, being a bit slower to get up, a pause before eating.

* When it comes to end-of-life decisions, Dr. Monica talked about the “gray zone” so many of us live in with a senior dog, and how leaning on a quality-of-life scale, rather than just how we’re feeling in the moment, can help. Her favorite is this one from Lap of Love. (As a reminder, Puppy Brain ends with a chapter on this end of life decision making process, and that chapter was reviewed by Dr. Dani McVety, founder of Lap of Love).

Aly also shared about her decision to say goodbye to Wyatt, the guilt and denial that can creep in, and what the last day was like (“he ate Cheezits til the very end”). I’ve already heard back from so many people on Instagram who were deeply moved by Aly’s story, and who feel less alone in the similar decision they are facing.

This is exactly what Aly and I hoped for in this podcast.

I’d love to hear what resonated with you - leave a comment below. And as always, please thank Dr. Monica for taking the time to share so generously with all of us, and thank you to those of you who support this content with your subscriptions. It means the world to us.

A few resources Dr. Monica mentioned during our conversation:

* Senior Pet Con - September 12th

* www.seniordogvets.com: find veterinarian with geriatric certification

* The Pet Loss Community, for grief support

* Glow Up, her small-group coaching program for building a senior dog wellness and end-of-life plan

* Omega 3 Supplement, the one Dr. Monica recommends (and is actually the one we use)

The Nicholberry Dispatch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Aly and I I left the conversation astonished by the scope of the program and inspired by the profound kindness on which it is built. These are good people doing good work.

If this conversation leaves you wondering whether you and your dog might do this someday, two good starting points came up: the AKC Canine Good Citizen test, a solid foundation of manners and temperament that many therapy programs build on, and Pet Partners, the national organization whose certification CHLA requires of every team. You can learn about volunteering with CHLA specifically here.

I think you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as we did. (And if so, please leave a comment for Kate and Michelle below, as the best way we can let them know how much we appreciate their time is to simply tell them).

Thanks for reading The Nicholberry Dispatch! This post is public so feel free to share it.

If you found this helpful and would like to support the work I do here, please consider upgrading to become a paid subscriber. Every new subscriber helps me reach more people and do more of this work. Thank you.

My typical Nicholberry Dispatch has a very different format, but I wanted to get a couple of podcasts posted over here from YouTube, as this is content that you don’t want to miss.

First up is this conversation with Juliana DeWillems, owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training, and author of Manage It (a book that should be in the library of every dog person).

Juliana sets the gold standard in modern dog training. As faculty for the Karen Pryor Academy, she teaches the Dog Trainer Professional program, grounding her work firmly in the science of behavior and learning. Her commitment to positive reinforcement is matched by an exceptional ability to communicate complex concepts with clarity and nuance. Her Instagram reflects the same ethos —thoughtful, practical, and consistently evidence-based.

In this episode of Nicholberry Conversations, Alyson Brewer and I talk all things dog with Juliana, including Juliana’s analysis of a wrestlemania clip from my Instagram. So fascinating and interesting - enjoy!

The Nicholberry Dispatch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This conversation with Kerry Burnight was life changing for me. I wanted to talk with Kerry in order to share her with all of you, as she is such a special human being. We met when she became a Nicholberry mama, but very quickly, she became a friend.

I have learned so much from her account as The Gerontologist over on Instagram, but never did I expect that I would lean so heavily on the things she shared in this conversation. Between my heart dog being in her senior years and one of my parents battling cancer, Kerry’s insights have been like medicine for my soul, providing the kind of perspective-shifting thinking that she has become famous for.

Her book — Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half — releases August 5th and I promise you, you want to order this book. Endorsed by Mel Robbins (The Let Them Theory) and already generating a ton of buzz in publications like The New York Times and Oprah Magazine, this book is tracking to become a bestseller. But more importantly, this book is truly transformative.

Part manifesto, part how-to guide, Joyspan proves that internal strength is as critical as external fitness.Filled with both perspective-shifting strategies and troubleshooting for the specific challenges of aging—including caregiving, dementia, unexpected diagnoses, isolation, uncoupling via death or divorce, financial concerns, and more— this book is an essential resource for a generation looking for a better way to grow older—and to help our aging parents do the same.

A huge thank you to Kerry for coming on Nicholberry Conversations, and to Alyson Brewer for being my fearless co-host! And if you watch this episode and glean something valuable, come back and comment. For those of us producing content or putting ourselves out there on social media, your kind and encouraging words are also a medicine for our souls.

The Nicholberry Dispatch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.