Senior Dogs: Health Care, Grooming, Nutrition Tips

Like humans, as dogs age they may become a little forgetful, suffer from aches and pains and prefer to have a nap rather than a run around.

When is a dog considered to be 'senior'?

The breed and size of a dog plays a major role in determining when a dog enters its senior years. Smaller breeds of dog typically have a longer lifespan, so are considered senior later in life.

• Small and medium breeds - 7 years of age
• Large and giant breed dogs - 5-6 years of age

Senior dog needs

As with humans, the needs and activity levels of senior dogs will change as they age. They are also more likely to:

• Become overweight
• Suffer from diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, cancer and dental disease
• Experience cognitive decline or dementia, vision and hearing decline
• Develop unusual lumps and bumps on their body

It is important to take your senior dog to your veterinarian for wellness checks every 6 months

A few senior problems!

Healthy mouths are important

Poor dental hygiene and dental disease places your dog at risk of damage to other organs. Talk to your vet about the best ways to maintain good dental health in your dog. This may include:

• Manual tooth brushing
• Feeding chew treats or dry dog food formulated to help keep teeth clean
• Regular teeth cleaning at the vet

Unusual lumps and bumps

Older dogs can often develop unusual lumps and bumps, on and under their skin. Not all lumps and bumps are sinister, but look out for changes in size, shape, colour and consistency, as well as redness, weeping and ulceration.

Sore and stiff joints

Osteoarthritis is a gradual but progressive degenerative condition of the joints. Bony outgrowths can also form around the joint, which can cause pain and further restrict mobility.

Signs of osteoarthritis

• Decreased activity
• Reluctance to climb stairs
• Stiffness and difficulty rising after a rest
• Yelping or whimpering in pain
• Loss of appetite
• Occasional aggression (due to pain)

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but it can be managed

Management of osteoarthritis can include:

• Anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medication
• Nutritional supplements
• Physical therapy, including hydrotherapy
• Weight loss
• Environmental modification – ramps, padded bedding, massaging of joints and mental stimulation

Senior pets can become a little forgetful

Cognitive dysfunction, or dementia, is a progressive disease that changes behaviour.

Signs of cognitive decline

• Urinating and defecating in unusual places
• Disorientation e.g. getting stuck in a corner or difficulty finding their food
• Attention seeking behaviour
• Waking at night and sleeping a lot during the day
• Disinterest in toys and physical activity
• Pacing and irritability
• Loud vocalisation, often at inappropriate times e.g. at night
• Anxiety, particularly separation anxiety
• Reduced intake of food

Managing cognitive decline

Cognitive decline cannot be cured, but the progression of the disease can be managed through dietary modification and drug therapy, which can be discussed with your vet. It is also important to:

• Ensure more frequent trips outdoors or provide an indoor elimination area
• Provide mental stimulation
• Stick to a daily routine for your dog, to make them feel safe and secure
• Avoid stairs where possible, particularly if your dog is also arthritic

Other considerations for the senior dog

Things can get a little blurry

Like humans, senior dogs may start to develop changes in their eyes which can affect their eyesight. Common signs of vision impairment include:

• Bumping into things
• Not being able to find their food or water
• Easily startled
• Cloudiness to their eyes

Most senior dogs will have a bluish-grey haziness seen through their pupils, which can be mistaken for cataracts – this is a normal age-related change in the lens of the eye, and does not usually affect vision.

What did you say?

It is not uncommon for senior dogs to experience hearing loss. With a bit of support, dogs with hearing loss can continue to live full and happy lives:

• Always keep your dog on a leash when outdoors
• Alert your dog to your presence when approaching e.g. turn on the light or tap on the floor
• Use hand cues for commands and reward your dog when they respond

Keeping your senior dog active

It is important that older dogs remain active, to avoid obesity and muscle wasting and remain mentally stimulated:

• Know your dog’s limits, and modify the intensity and duration of activity depending on their health
• Swimming is a great low-impact sport for senior dogs
• Dogs love the challenge of using their senses to find food, so be creative and hide some of their food as a treat e.g. under cups, inside food toys

We understand flea and worm protection is important

It is important to continue parasite protection to protect your dog from nasty biting insects and worms with the Advantage Family range of products.