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★ From the Tom Hale Dogs channel

The Long-Life Dog & The Long-Life Cat — keep your dog or cat healthy, happy and around for longer

Two complete owner's manuals · First edition 2026

Dogs and cats hide pain and illness. The signs are almost always there early, but they're small: a number on the scale, a change in the litter box, a dog who stops at the stairs. These two books show you what to look for at home, what to do in an emergency, how to feed for a longer life, how to fix the problems that drive you crazy, and what your pet is really telling you.

📥 Instant PDF download🖨 Prints on plain paper📱 Phone · tablet · computer🩺 Built from veterinary sources🛡 14-day money-back guarantee
316Chapters · 2 books
651Illustrated pages
22Printable cards
14-dayMoney-back guarantee
Tom Hale of Tom Hale Dogs
★ First edition | Illustrated
The Long-Life Dog cover

The Long-Life Dog

The complete owner's manual

Emergencies, the monthly home check, food that keeps dogs lean, a four-week training plan, real fixes for problem behavior, and a 30-breed guide. 303 illustrated pages.

What you get
  • 167 chapters in 12 parts, 303 illustrated pages
  • The Four-Week Training Plan, a few minutes a day
  • Fixes for barking, accidents, panic when left alone, fireworks
  • The Breed Guide: 30 breeds, health problems and costs
  • 12 printable cards: Vet-Today, Poison Call, Bloat & Heatstroke…
  • Clickable contents, works on any device
$29
One payment · Not a subscription
Get the dog book — $29Instant download · 14-day money-back guarantee
★ Best value | ★ Both books
The Long-Life Cat coverThe Long-Life Dog cover

The Dog & Cat Bundle

The Long-Life Dog + The Long-Life Cat

Both complete books, the same PDFs sold on their own, with all 22 printable cards. One checkout, one email, $13 less. Made for homes with both, or as a gift.

What you get
  • The Long-Life Dog — 167 chapters, 303 illustrated pages
  • The Long-Life Cat — 149 chapters, 348 illustrated pages
  • All 22 printable cards for the fridge, the carrier and the vet
  • The cat Symptom Index, with the page for each sign
  • Emergency steps, home checks, food, behavior and care in both
  • 14-day money-back guarantee on the whole bundle
$45$58
One payment · Not a subscription · Save $13
Get both books — $45Instant download · 14-day money-back guarantee
⚡ Download link right after checkout · 🖨 Prints on plain paper
★ First edition | Illustrated
The Long-Life Cat cover

The Long-Life Cat

The complete owner's manual

The early signs cats hide, feeding by weight, fixes for the litter box and the 5 a.m. wake-up, a happier indoor life, and what every tail, blink and purr means. 348 illustrated pages.

What you get
  • 149 chapters in 10 parts, 348 illustrated pages
  • The three-minute sofa check, to catch illness early
  • Fixes for peeing outside the box, night yowling, a second cat
  • Cat Language: 22 chapters on what your cat is saying
  • 10 printable cards: Vet-Today, Litter Box Guide, Symptom Index…
  • Clickable contents, works on any device
$29
One payment · Not a subscription
Get the cat book — $29Instant download · 14-day money-back guarantee
Tom Hale
◆ A note from Tom Hale Dogs

We're not vets, and the books say so plainly on every health page: here's what you can do at home, and here's where your vet takes over. What we did was read the veterinary guidelines, the university vet school pages and the published research, and turn them into short chapters an ordinary owner can use on a stressful night.

Every fact has a source listed at the end of its part. Where the science isn't settled, the book tells you. Start with Part 1 of either book. It's the part most likely to save you a vet bill, or more.

— Tom Hale, Tom Hale Dogs

Contents

316 chapters. Two books. Ordered for the night you need them.

Both books start with what can't wait, then the quiet signs to watch for, then the everyday: food, behavior, care, and every stage of life. Each part is short, illustrated, and ends with its sources.

The Long-Life Dog

167 chapters · 12 parts · 303 pages · 12 printable cards

From the emergencies to the four-week training plan and a 30-breed guide.

Part 1 · 10 chapters

When Minutes Matter

  • Before Anything Happens: Your 10-Minute Plan
  • Bloat: The Belly That Swells and the Retching That Brings Up Nothing
  • Heatstroke: Too Hot, Too Fast
  • "He Ate Something": Who to Call and What to Say
  • Chocolate: How Much Is Too Much for Your Dog's Size

The situations where every minute counts, and exactly what to do on the way to the vet.

Part 2 · 13 chapters

The Monthly Home Check

  • The 10-Minute Monthly Check
  • Quiet Pain: How Dogs Hide It
  • Weighing Your Dog at Home
  • New Lumps: When to Get a Needle Test
  • Drinking More, Peeing More

Ten minutes a month that catch most problems while they're still small.

Part 3 · 13 chapters

The Bowl

  • Thinner Dogs Live Longer: The Labrador Lifetime Study
  • How Much to Feed: Calories, Not Cups
  • A Weight-Loss Plan That Works
  • Reading a Dog Food Label in Two Minutes
  • Choosing a Brand: Six Questions to Ask

Lean dogs live longer. How to feed for it without guessing.

Part 4 · 14 chapters

Out the Door

  • The Sniff Walk: Why Your Dog's Nose Needs a Walk Too
  • How Much Exercise Does My Dog Need?
  • Collars, Harnesses and Leashes
  • Teaching a Loose Leash
  • The Dog Who Barks and Lunges on Leash

Walks, leashes, recall and weather, matched to your dog.

Part 5 · 16 chapters

Dog Language

  • Read the Whole Dog, Not Just the Tail
  • What a Wag Really Means
  • Ears, Eyes and Mouth
  • The Stress Signals Owners Miss
  • The Growl: A Warning Worth Keeping

What your dog is telling you, from the whole body, not just the tail.

Part 6 · 12 chapters

The Four-Week Training Plan

  • How Dogs Learn, and Why Rewards Win
  • Before You Start: Treats, Timing and Short Sessions
  • The Marker Word
  • Week 1: Attention, Sit and Nose Touch
  • Week 2: Down, the Mat and Waiting

Short daily sessions with rewards. Four weeks to a dog who listens.

Part 7 · 14 chapters

Fixing the Hard Stuff

  • Every Fix Starts With a Health Check
  • Accidents in the House
  • Barking
  • When Your Dog Can't Be Left Alone
  • Fireworks, Thunder and Other Scary Noises

Real fixes for barking, accidents, panic and noise fear, after a health check.

Part 8 · 10 chapters

Hands-On Care

  • Teaching Your Dog to Enjoy Being Handled
  • Nail Trims Without the Wrestling
  • Brushing Your Dog's Teeth
  • Brushing and Coat Care by Coat Type
  • Baths

Nails, teeth, coat and fleas at home, without the wrestling.

Part 9 · 12 chapters

A Whole Life

  • How Old Is My Dog, Really?
  • How Long Do Dogs Live?
  • The First Days With a Puppy
  • Puppy Health: Vaccines, Worming and Spaying or Neutering
  • The Teenage Months

Puppy to senior, and the hard goodbye, stage by stage.

Part 10 · 10 chapters

The Vet and the Money

  • Choosing a Vet You Trust
  • Getting the Most From a Checkup
  • The Tests Worth Asking for as Your Dog Ages
  • Vaccines: Which and How Often
  • Paying Less for Prescriptions

The tests worth asking for, and how to spend less at the vet.

Part 11 · 12 chapters

Choosing a Dog

  • Start With Your Life, Not the Photo
  • Puppy or Adult?
  • Breed, Mix or "Just a Dog": What Genes Really Tell You
  • Energy, Size and Coat: The Practical Match
  • Good Matches for First-Time Owners

The right dog for your life, and how to avoid the bad sellers.

Part 12 · 31 chapters

The Breed Guide

  • Labrador Retriever
  • Golden Retriever
  • German Shepherd Dog
  • French Bulldog
  • Bulldog

Thirty breeds: health problems, costs and what each one needs.

The Long-Life Cat

149 chapters · 10 parts · 348 pages · 10 printable cards

From the early warning signs to cat language and choosing the right cat.

Part 1 · 20 chapters

Catching It Early

  • Why Cats Hide Illness, and How to See It Anyway
  • Weighing Your Cat at Home
  • The Three-Minute Sofa Check
  • The Litter Box: Your Daily Health Report
  • The Male Cat Who Can't Pee: Go Now

Cats hide illness. These are the small signs that show up first.

Part 2 · 17 chapters

Food and Water

  • Built for Small Meals of Meat
  • Weigh the Food, Not the Cup
  • How Many Calories Does Your Cat Need?
  • Wet, Dry or Both
  • Water: Bowls, Places and Fountains

Weigh the food, place the water, and keep your cat lean for life.

Part 3 · 17 chapters

Fixing the Hard Stuff

  • Every Fix Starts With a Health Check
  • Peeing Outside the Box
  • Spraying and Marking
  • The Early-Morning Wake-Up Call
  • Yowling at Night

Peeing outside the box, 5 a.m. wake-ups, a second cat: real fixes.

Part 4 · 14 chapters

A Happier Indoor Cat

  • Indoors or Outdoors? An Honest Look
  • Is Your Indoor Cat Bored?
  • Windows, Birds and Screens
  • Catios and Harness Walks
  • Boxes, Shelves and Hiding Spots

A safe home that keeps an indoor cat busy and happy.

Part 5 · 10 chapters

Hands-On Care

  • Teaching Your Cat to Accept Handling
  • Nail Trims, a Few at a Time
  • Teeth: Brushing and Dental Care
  • Brushing, Coats and Mats
  • Baths: Rarely, and Gently

Nails, teeth, coat, fleas and pills, a little at a time.

Part 6 · 12 chapters

Trust and Daily Routine

  • How Cats Build Trust, Stage by Stage
  • Reading Consent: Petting Where Cats Like It
  • A Simple Daily Routine
  • Play That Copies the Hunt
  • How a Cat Chooses "Their" Person

How trust is built, and a daily routine your cat will count on.

Part 7 · 22 chapters

Cat Language

  • Read the Whole Cat
  • The Tail
  • The Ears
  • Eyes and the Slow Blink
  • The Stare

Tail, ears, eyes, purrs and kneading, explained.

Part 8 · 13 chapters

A Whole Life

  • How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?
  • How Long Do Cats Live?
  • The First Month With a Kitten or a Rescue Cat
  • Kitten Health: Vaccines, Worms, Tests and Spaying or Neutering
  • Kitten to One Year

Kitten, adult, senior, and saying goodbye.

Part 9 · 12 chapters

The Vet and the Money

  • Choosing a Cat-Friendly Vet
  • Getting the Most From a Checkup
  • The Tests to Ask for by Name
  • Blood Pressure: The Check Older Cats Miss
  • Vaccines: Core, Non-Core and FeLV

Tests to ask for by name, and how to lower the bill.

Part 10 · 12 chapters

Which Cat Is Yours

  • Kitten or Adult?
  • Adopting From a Shelter or Rescue
  • Coat Color and Personality: Myth vs Data
  • Male or Female?
  • One Cat or Two?

Kitten or adult, breed or shelter, one cat or two.

Look inside

Real pages from the books

Short chapters, clear steps, a "When to call your vet" box on every health page, and an illustration in every chapter.

Sample page: bloat
Dog, Part 1: Bloat, and why every hour counts
Sample page: chocolate
Dog, Part 1: Chocolate, how much is too much by size
Sample page: breed guide
Dog, Part 12: one of 30 breed pages
Sample page: blocked male cat
Cat, Part 1: The male cat who can't pee
Sample page: lilies
Cat, Part 4: Lilies and other deadly plants
Sample page: slow blink
Cat, Part 7: The slow blink
The Vet-Today Card for dogs The Vet-Today Card for cats
Free · Print it tonight

The Vet-Today Card

Twelve signs that mean "go to the vet now, not tomorrow," with the two 24/7 animal poison lines and space for your vet's number. One page, for the fridge. There's a dog version and a cat version.

Get the free card
How the books were made

Built from veterinary sources, written for owners

Every fact has a sourceEach part ends with its own source list: veterinary guidelines, university vet schools and published research.
Your vet comes firstEvery health chapter ends with "When to call your vet." When the book and your vet disagree, your vet wins.
Kind methods onlyTraining and behavior advice is reward-based. No punishment, no gadgets that hurt.
Plain EnglishShort chapters, tables and step-by-step boxes, built to be used on a stressful night.

Sources include the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and ISFM, the Cornell Feline Health Center, the Merck Veterinary Manual, VCA Animal Hospitals, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the FDA and the American Kennel Club. These organizations did not review or endorse the books.

Before you buy

Questions people ask

What exactly is in the bundle?

Both complete books, the same two PDFs that are sold on their own, plus all 22 printable cards (12 for dogs, 10 for cats). You pay $45 instead of $58.

How do I get it after I pay?

Checkout is handled by Gumroad. The download link appears right after payment and is also sent to your email, so you can download again later.

Is this a printed book?

No. It's a PDF that works on phones, tablets and computers, and you can print all or part of it on plain paper. The cards are designed to be printed.

Does this replace my vet?

No. Tom Hale Dogs is not a veterinary practice, and the books are not veterinary advice. They help you spot problems early, act fast in an emergency and get more out of every vet visit. Every health chapter tells you when to call.

My pet is older. Is it too late for this to help?

No. Both books cover every stage, from the first days at home to the senior years, with chapters on comfort, common age-related problems and quality of life.

I live outside the US. Will it work for me?

Mostly, yes. The health, behavior and care information applies anywhere. Measurements are in US units with metric alongside. The poison hotlines and some prices are US-specific, so look up your local equivalents.

Is this a subscription?

No. One payment, and the books are yours to keep.

What if it's not for me?

Email us within 14 days of your purchase and we'll refund you in full. No questions, no forms. Just reply to your purchase receipt.

Can I share it?

The books are for your household. If a friend would like a copy, please send them to this page.

Start with Part 1

Read the first part this week. It's the one you'll want on the worst night.

Weigh your pet on the weekend. Put the Vet-Today Card on the fridge. Learn the signs that can't wait. Small habits, and you'll be the one who notices first.

$58$45
Both books · Save $13 · One payment · 14-day money-back guarantee
Get both books — $45Instant download · 14-day money-back guarantee See what's inside

Just one? The Long-Life Dog — $29 · The Long-Life Cat — $29