Dog average age is around 12 years old with depend on the types and health of each one. Dogs are getting to old when they are 8-9 years. Comparing with humans - 1 year of dogs is equal to 7 years of man. There are the most immediately impact to your dogs when they get the old dogs.
1. Nutrition Energy requirements decrease about 20-30% in old dogs which accounts for the increased percentage of fat content in their bodies. Fat dogs die younger than leaner dogs. Keep them trim; It used to believed that reduced protein spared the kidnesys in older dogs. The older dogs need more high quality protein to prevent muscle wasting. They have increased intestinal motility which sometimes make them more prone to constipation. Avoid a high fiber diet, but increase soluble and insoluble fibers. Consumption of vegetables, especially leafy greens, correlate with a reduction in certain forms of cancer, adding a few fruits and vetgetables to your dogs’ diet with very slowly, at first. Give it frequently even if it isn’t eaten. Old dogs don’t always enjoy new things, but if offered routinely or in different form (forzen peas as a crunchy treat vs cooked ones) they may take to it. Add omega-3 fatty, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, and cancers. You may not notice changes for at least six to eight weeks, so be patient, and be sure to consult your veterinarian when embarking on anything new.
2. Flooring Hard flooring is not only hard on a dog’s joints, but offers little traction and puts an old dog at risk for blowing out an ACL or hip. Put down small vinyl-backed rugs for those high traffic spots where the dogs is apt to turn a corner or run to go outside.
3. Bedding They will spend more time sleeping, so offer the best kind of bedding you can manage. Here are some of your choices : Heated dog beds, Gel foam beds, Dog waterbeds.
4. Incontinence In many cases of canine incontinence, a hormone deficiency is the source of the problem and these are typically treated through the use of drugs.
5. The Handicapped Dog Older dogs can sometimes lose the use of their back legs. Older dogs can still walk and get the exercise they need with a sling or dog wheelchair.
6. Hearing Loss In the 4th quarter of a dog’s life, old dogs will get the hearing loss. Hearing aids may not impractitcal for any cases and we can protect them by giving carefu when walking a hearing impaired dog off-lead. Such a dog won’t hear his owner call from a distance and well get lost and become at risk from approaching cars or other animals.
7. Blindness The cloudiness we see in our senior dogs’ eyses is usually sclerosis, or hardening of the lens of the eyes. Glaucoma and cataracts do occur in dogs and any changes in vision, dischange, squinting, swelling or rediness should be seen by a vet right away. Blind dogs adjust pretty well by using memorized routes around the house and feel the vibrations from radios, TVs and the floor to gauge where they are.
8. Taste A geriatric dog may have only 25% of the taste buds he had at a year old, so if your senior is losing weight for no apparent reason that a vet can determine, food may have become tasteless for your dog. Try increasing the tastiness of food with eggs, seasoinings, shredded cheeses (especially the “smelly” kind), a sprinkling of fish bits or a “schmear” of Braunschweiger over the top of food.
9. Arthritis Because cartilage cannot repair itself, it is impossible to heal arthritis once it has begun. At best, we can slow degeneration, reduce inflammation and limit pain, but always check with your own vet before starting anything.
10. Dentistry Older dogs are at an increased risk for dental disease because they have reduce salivary production. Clean your dog’s teeth. If your dog’s teeth have been neglected, a professional cleaning may be in order.
11. Idiopathic Vestibula Disease (IVD) It is the most common disease on old dogs. Characterized by symptoms that almost resemble a stroke, these signs niclude a head tilt, nausea and rapid eye movement.
12. Boredom Most dogs are active by defaut, hunting, show and performance dogs even more so. But when physical abilities diminish and a dog becomes less capable of their former tasks, other ways must be found to keep their mind active. Giving old dogs toys and food puzzles for rewarding because they invite interaction. The Molecuball, Buster Cube, Busy Buddies and Canine Genius all offer interesting food puzzles that help stimulate a dog’s mind as they reward effort.
