The Forever Dog - by Rodney Habib & Karen Shaw Becker

Book Synopsis

#1 New York Times Bestseller

In this pathbreaking guide, two of the world's most popular and trusted pet care advocates reveal new science to teach us how to delay aging and provide a long, happy, healthy life for our canine companions.

Like their human counterparts, dogs have been getting sicker and dying prematurely over the past few decades. Why? Scientists are beginning to understand that the chronic diseases afflicting humans--cancer, obesity, diabetes, organ degeneration, and autoimmune disorders--also beset canines. As a result, our beloved companions are vexed with preventable health problems throughout much of their lives and suffer shorter life spans. Because our pets can't make health and lifestyle decisions for themselves, it's up to pet parents to make smart, science-backed choices for lasting vitality and health.

The Forever Dog gives us the practical, proven tools to protect our loyal four-legged companions. Rodney Habib and Karen Becker, DVM, globetrotted (pre-pandemic) to galvanize the best wisdom from top geneticists, microbiologists, and longevity researchers; they also interviewed people whose dogs have lived into their 20s and even 30s. The result is this unprecedented and comprehensive guide, filled with surprising information, invaluable advice, and inspiring stories about dogs and the people who love them.

The Forever Dog prescriptive plan focuses on diet and nutrition, movement, environmental exposures, and stress reduction, and can be tailored to the genetic predisposition of particular breeds or mixes. The authors discuss various types of food--including what the commercial manufacturers don't want us to know--and offer recipes, easy solutions, and tips for making sure our dogs obtain the nutrients they need. Habib and Dr. Becker also explore how external factors we often don't think about can greatly affect a dog's overall health and wellbeing, from everyday insults to the body and its physiology, to the role our own lifestyles and our vets' choices play. Indeed, the health equation works both ways and can travel "up the leash."

Medical breakthroughs have expanded our choices for canine health--if you know what they are. This definitive dog-care guide empowers us with the knowledge we need to make wise choices, and to keep our dogs healthy and happy for years to come.

Review Quotes

"If you optimize your own diet and exercise for wellness and longevity, shouldn't you provide your dog with the same thoughtful care? The Forever Dog has solid scientific guidance from trusted experts to help your dog live a long and healthy life, disease free." -- Mark Hyman, New York Times bestselling author and Pritzker Foundation chair in Functional Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine

"Everyone who lives with dogs needs to read this book. We all want our dogs to live longer lives, but the ingredients to healthy longevity aren't in a pet food bad: The Forever Dog aims to make the tools just as accessible as reaching for that bag. This book is a thoughtful, deeply researched tribute to the author's love for not just their dogs but all dogs." -- Alexandra Horowitz, author of Inside a Dog and Our Dogs, Ourselves

"The Forever Dog is the ultimate guide to becoming your dog's best health advocate. Its practical tips will help your dog live longer, healthier, and happier." -- Sergey Young, author of The Science and Technology of Growing Young, founder of the Longevity Vision Fund, and development sponsor for the Age of Reversal XPRIZE

"The Forever Dog applies the latest science and principles about health and longevity to help your dog live longer and healthier." -- Dr. Jason Fung, physician and New York Times bestselling author

"A must-read guide . . . to keep tails wagging for as long as possible." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)