Lexington Animal Clinic

10/22/2026

Dog owners listen up!! I’ve been telling you that our lean dogs live on average 1 year longer than their overweight counterparts!! This study showed lean Labradors live almost 2 years longer and have longer onset to aging problems than their overweight peers!! If you want your dog with you longer, make an appointment today and we’ll help you REACH THAT GOAL!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆

This study followed 48 Labrador Retrievers throughout their lives, and its findings helped establish a lasting connection between nutritional management, healthy body weight, and longevity in dogs.

Here’s what the research found:

𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗻: Dogs fed 25% less food than their pair-matched controls had a median lifespan of 13.0 years, compared with 11.2 years in control-fed dogs—a difference of 1.8 years.

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲: Food-restricted dogs developed age-related chronic diseases later in life, with osteoarthritis among the particularly notable conditions.

𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: The study linked greater fat mass and declining lean body mass with mortality, highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy body composition.

𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: The dogs followed their respective feeding regimens from puppyhood, emphasizing the potential importance of nutritional management throughout life.

Although initially published in 2002, this is still as important today.

Because healthy weight management is more than an aesthetic goal. It is an important component of preventive veterinary care, with potential implications for both lifespan and healthy ageing.

For veterinary teams, this research reinforces the value of regularly assessing body condition, individualizing feeding recommendations, and discussing nutrition with pet owners before excess weight becomes a problem.

Subscribe to VetEd to help us access more veterinary journals.

Kealy RD, et al. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. JAVMA. 2002;220(9):1315–1320.

Lawler DF, et al. Diet restriction and ageing in the dog: major observations over two decades. British Journal of Nutrition. 2008;99:793–805.

10/14/2026

Looking for your next pup? He may be looking for you too! This guy is 8-10months old with no issues, he just needs a forever home❤️

08/14/2026

Such important information!!! If you have an anxious dog and would like to see if nosework could help your beloved pet - connect with us and we’ll help you get started!

When a dog lowers their head, slows down, and starts working their nose, there's a shift happening beneath the surface.

The olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that processes scent, sits right next to and communicates closely with the limbic system, the brain's emotional and stress-regulation centre. That wiring means scent processing has a genuine influence on how a dog feels, not just what they learn about their surroundings.

Research backs this up. Duranton and Horowitz (2019) gave one group of dogs two weeks of nosework and another group two weeks of heelwork. Afterwards, the dogs who'd been sniffing showed a measurable shift toward optimism on a cognitive test, approaching an ambiguous situation faster and with more confidence than before. The heelwork dogs showed no such change.

Anxious or overwhelmed dogs often stop to sniff. It gives them a way to gather information, and reduce uncertainty in a world that suddenly feels unpredictable, and all of that can support emotional regulation.

Sniffy walks are one of the few genuinely evidence-backed ways to actively support a dog's emotional state.

Let them sniff. It’s much more important than we often think.

Photo ref: Little Luna looking for her new home with German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund

Reference: Duranton, C., & Horowitz, A. (2019). Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 211, 61–66.

07/22/2026

Would you like your dog not to pull when walking on a leash? This is one way to stop the pulling behavior. Have more significant difficult/bad behaviors you need help with? Reach out to us for more information or reach out directly to Jenna, a certified behavior consultant through Facebook or at https://www.thefutureisforcefree.com

04/25/2026

Look at these two cuties!!! They need a home, just dumped on a Good Samaritan this morning! Message or call the clinic at 803–359–5514. 

04/02/2026

April is Heartworm Awareness month!! Are your furry friends protected??? Call us to find out more about Heartworms and preventing them!!

03/29/2026

It’s always good to research a breed before purchasing or considering breeding them, this has to make one think before getting a doodle!

🐕 A new study from the RVC has revealed that three popular designer Poodle-crossbreeds (often generically called Doodles), Cockapoos, Labradoodles and Cavapoos, often display higher levels of undesirable behaviour than their purebred parent breeds. As the first UK study of its kind, these findings challenge widespread public perceptions that these Doodle breed dogs are easier to train or especially suited to family homes with children compared to purebred dogs. The results also provide vital information which can assist prospective owners deciding which type of dog to welcome into their family.

➡️ Read more: https://rvc.uk.com/designer-crossbreeds

03/14/2026

This beautiful boy has a gorgeous harness, a fence collar, and is sweet as he can be! What’s missing???? He does not have a MICROCHIP!!!!! Don’t let your dog get LOST!

02/26/2026

Does your dog hate, dislike, or FEAR nail trims???? Check out this webinar at 6pm our time! Sign up for a free account at .com pay a small fee ($19.95) for the webinar and you will have it in your library for life!

02/05/2026

I’m sure you all were celebrating the New Year on January 1, 2026 - but we were brining these cuties into the world!!!! Now they’re ready for their next big steps - coming home with you! Check them out!