text: Bad Labs: Grommit's Getting Old
  We are packing up the car to head to Dog Days for a short visit, and the Dogs are starting to guess what I am doing! They seem positively excited; that makes me think that they are enjoying their new playground. I wonder when they will start picking up on Oscar and I talking about Dog Days and get nuts!
  Grommit has been slowing down a lot recently due to his age, weight, and general poor fitness level. We have been working to help him lose weight with some success, which will help him feel better and age more slowly. I have started giving him some arthritis medicine to help him keep moving so that he can keep losing weight and enjoy the outdoors, and it seems to be having a good effect. I wanted to hold out as long as possible, as most arthritis medicines seem to have more negative side effects on the Labrador breed, and they can have some long-term effects on kidneys and livers that worry me. BUT, I think I have timed it correctly and now is the best time to give him the meds to keep up his quality of life. It has been a few days and he seems to be going outside more and has been having less trouble getting up on the bed; all good signs!