Senior Care

What can you do for your aging dogs?  LOVE THEM.  Now, more than ever, he needs your attention, affection and sweet talk.  Cherish these golden years and be a great caregiver.  Your pet has given for years unconditionally; now it’s your turn.

Aging occurs when our bodies start to deteriorate faster than it can regenerate, which is the same for our canine friends.  Dogs age at different rates, depending on the breed, size and the genetics.  Larger breeds age slower in the early years and speed up as the years increase as in comparison to smaller dogs who age quicker in the years up to 5 and slow down after 5.  for instance, larger dogs tend to age more rapidly than do smaller dogs; flat-faced breeds tend to age more rapidly than do dogs with longer muzzles.  Some dogs have good genes when it comes to longevity, no matter what their breed or size.  In general, though, a dog enters their senior years at age seven or eight.  Giant breeds typically begin aging a little earlier, achieving senior status at five or six.  Toy breeds age a littler later than average, entering their golden years at nine or ten.

Fortunately for dogs (and for the people who love them), advances in veterinary medicine and canine nutrition have greatly increased the canine life span; senior diets, new medications, and ramps and other aids are available to improve their health and comfort.  With lots of love, and good care, dogs can live into their mid-teen, with a rare few reaching advanced ages of eighteen or nineteen years.

How do you know if your dog is starting to feel the effects of aging?

You will probably notice that they move a little slower when they get up from a nap; which is the first sign. The dog who walks with a spring in their step now slows to a stroll and the muzzle and eyebrows start to gray.  They may gain or lose weight:  so ask the following questions:

Is my dog drinking more water than usually?

Have they recently gained or lost more than 10-12 percent of their body weight?

Has appetite increased or decreased significantly?

Does you pet have an odor or bad breath?

Is their coat or skin dry, dull or flaky?

Do they have less energy?

Is there lower stamina?

Do they have accidents in the house for no reason?

Do they no longer ask to go outside?

Do they seek less attention?

Does your pet appear lost or confused in the house or yard?

Do they stare into space, wonder or pace?

Does your pet experience anxiety attacks?

If the answer to one or more of these questions are yes, it is time to make an appointment with your veterinarian or holistic vet for a

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Exams

Senior years make up to 50% of a dog’s life.  During these years, our dog’s body is constantly changing and developing health problems.  As your dog ages, take him into your veterinarian for a geriatric checkup.  This physical exam will help establish your dogs baseline and help with early diagnosis.  A semiyearly checkup can uncover physical problems, such as tumors, joint disease, dental problems, eye and ear problems and other illness and aging diseases that are easier and less expensive to treat in the early stages.  A through exam includes a complete physical, lab tests and interview with your veterinarian and you about your dog’s lifestyle.

Before you head to the vet, you should prepare for the exam and develop questions and a list of habits and changes in your dog’s life.  Be prepared to tell how often your dog goes for walks, runs or gets exercise.  How much and what type of food and treats and along with how interested they are in the food.  Discuss your dog’s behavioral changes such as sleep, friendliness, excitement, interests and overall energy.  Inspect your dog for lumps or other issues such as skin irritation, sinus changes and joint changes such as limping or slowing in stairs and walking.  Take notes with you to your exam to insure that you ask and get answers to these questions.  Remember, the vet does not know your dog as well as you and only has a few minutes to access the aging and view the symptoms.  Your dog might have anxiety with a different environment. 

The exam should include:

Physical exam:

Walking and strides

Vital signs (heart rate, temperature, respiration, weight, reflexes and hyrdration)

Kidney and liver functions

Lumps and enlarged lymph glands

Range of motion

Vision and hearing checks

Coat and skin check

Dental and oral check

Lab work:

Complete blood count (cbc)

Additional Blood work:  Testing blood urea nitrate (bun) and creatinine, which are important in determining kidney health; glucose, high levels of which can indicate diabetes; and albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin, which are indicators of liver function.  Depending on your dog’s medical history your vet may recommend:

x-rays

echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (ecg or ekg)

eye exam:  tear test for dry eye or tonometry indicating the presence of glaucoma

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Senior Health Problems

Common problems in aging dogs include:

Cancer and cancer related diseases
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells on or in the body.  The incidence of cancer increases with age; dogs 5-7 years in age are most likely to develop some type of cancer.  Not surprisingly, cancer is the most common cause of death in dogs and contributes to 50% of all deaths in ages over 7.  The good news is that it’s more treatable now than ever with early detection and new advances in canine oncology.  Dogs can develop benign or malignant tumors.  Benign tumors are harmless and noninvasive, meaning they don’t spread to other areas of the body.  Malignant tumors are harmful; they invade surrounding tissues and can spread to other areas via the bloodstream or lymph system.  The most common malignant cancers in older dogs are lymphoma (lymphoid tissues), osteosarcoma (bone), soft tissue sarcoma (muscle and connective tissues), oral melanoma (mouth), and mammary cancer (chest area).  Please see our top ten warning signs.

Arthritis
This painful joint disease affects an estimated 70 to 80 percent of dogs of certain breeds.  Most prone to arthritis are large breeds; nonetheless, any dog-large or small-can develop arthritis and its most common in seniors.  Medication in the form of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is available to treat arthritis pain.  Arthritis may also be helped by nutraceuticals foods or nutritional supplements with health benefits such as glucosamine and chondroitin which help to repair cartilage and reduce pain and inflammation.  These supplements have little to no side effects; ask your vet about the appropriate amount to supplement your dog.

Dental disease
Dental disease is a common and serious problem in seniors.  Unbrushed teeth are a breeding ground for bacteria, plaque and tartar buildup on teeth and can cause them to hurt.  Brushing teeth, dental sprays, mouth wash and yearly cleanings will aid in keeping gums healthy.  Soft foods might help with seniors and their diets.

Eye disease
Cataracts, dry eye, and nuclear sclerosis are all forms of eye disease that affect seniors.  Fortunately, most dogs get along just fine with decrease in or even complete loss of sight.  They can run, play and even hunt without vision.  Today most eye diseases can be treated with medication and surgery.  There are also glasses for dogs, doggles.

Hearing loss
Ears like other organs can lose their acuity with age, either because of a history of early infections or simply because the sound receptors in the ear have begun to degenerate.  There is not much you can do for deafness, but you can still communicate with your dog.  Teach hand signals, stomp your foot for vibrations and most of all be patient.

Heart Disease
The heart is the most important organ in your pet’s body.  As your pet ages hearts become taxed.  Heart conditions occur more frequently with increasing age and overweight.  If you notice any of the following symptoms, please see your vet who can get you to a cardiologist; tired, lack of energy, partial paralysis, fainting, abdominal swelling, reduced appetite or weight loss, frequent coughing, breathing difficulties, or reduced ability to exercise.

Hypothroidism
As dogs age, their levels of thyroid hormone can decrease, causing skin and coat problems—such as hair loss, slow re-growth, and overall coat dullness—unexplained weight gain, lethargy, and mental dullness.  Hypothyroidism is diagnosed with a blood test that measures the level of circulating thyroid hormones.

It can be treated with a daily dose of synthetic thyroid hormones.           

Kidney disease
Kidneys are multi-tasking organs; they filter waste from the body and eliminate it as urine, they maintain the balance of chemicals in the blood, they help regulate blood pressure, and they produce erythropoietin—a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells.  When detected early, kidney disease can be kept at bay with an appropriated diet and in some cases medication and iv fluid therapy.  Vitamin b, c, and e supplements, and omega-3 fatty acid supplements can also help.  Be you’re your dog has fresh or purified water, this will help with kidney disease.  The following are the most common warning signs:  staining when urinating, blood in urine, incontinence, frequent attempts to urinate, decreased flow of urine, and licking around genital area.

Senility, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS)
CDS is caused by degenerative changes in the brain.  Signs of CDS in dogs include anxiety, confusion, aimless wandering, house-training accidents, irritability,  less desire to interact with people, changes in sleep habits, and repetitive behaviors or changes in activity level.  Don’t assume that nothing can be done in your older dog seems to have lost her way mentally.  The signs of CDS can be managed with medication techniques, such as revisiting basic house-training.  First, though, CDS must be correctly diagnosed because some of these signs can be caused by other health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, hormonal disorders or urinary tract infections.  You vet can prescribe medication for CDS which can help with the symptoms.

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Old Age Is Not A Disease

As your dog grows older, he will slow down, but that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy life.  It’s easy to make changes that will help him stay comfortable and remain able to participate in family activities.  Here are some ways to make your pet’s life easier.

Aging hints:
• Comfortable bed in warm place (you can purchase an orthopedic bed designed to cushion and warm rickety bones)

• Nonskid mats so your dog doesn’t slip and hurt himself

• Warm beds (especially in winter as warmth helps with soothing achy joints)

• Temperatures (keep warm in winter and cool in summer, extremes are hard on older dogs

• Ramps instead of stairs

• Fleece stairs or easy landings for your pet to get to the bed or sofa

• No jumping (help your aging dog with a lift under the rib cage and behind the legs so they will not jump to the car or other higher elevated places.  You may use a towel or sling to help your dog ease the elevation difference.

• Carpet runners will help with slick floors

• Booties will help with griping slick areas and give footing

• Don’t move house furniture, you dog will become familiar with the house plan

• Scent trails, mark a trail with perfume or some other scent the dog is familiar

• Toys with bells

• Keep leashed and or in a fenced area for protection

• More trips and walks to help with bladder issues

• Confined space while you are out for protection

• Diapers

• Elevate food dishes for older giant/larger dogs

• Anxiousness may be decreased by leaving radio/television on when leaving alone

• Toenail trims so they don’t catch on carpets

• Parasite control as older dogs have less resistance to disease carried by parasites

• Keep weight levels normal with appropriate diet

• Soft foods for aging dentals, see nutrition

• Cleanliness, keep your pet groomed as aging dogs sometimes develop odors

• Supplements, see holistic, eastern medicines and nutrition

• Fresh or purified waters helps keep down bacteria

_{Credit: Most of the above information taken from, Senior dogs, by Kim Campbell Thornton}

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Keeping Your Adult and Senior Dog Healthy

Where has your puppy gone? Once a dog has reached the one-year mark, the pace of physical changes slows dramatically. You may miss that rambunctious baby, but look at the bright side. If you continue to focus on preventative health measures such as good nutrition, exercise, safety, and home dental care, you may now be able to limit your vet visits to once a year. The senior years-beginning anywhere from age 8 in an extra-large dog to 12 in a small dog-often bring an increase in medical concerns, but your continued good care will have an enormous impact on your older dog’s health and well being.

Once your dog has reached adulthood, your relationship will probably settle into a routine. Make sure it’s a mutually rewarding one by following these guidelines.

1. Continue to give your older dog at least a half hour of your undivided attention every day. Don’t stop going for walks just because your dog moves more slowly now. She still needs the mental and physical stimulation of touring your neighborhood.

2. Make sure he wears a flat collar and up to date ID tag at all times, even indoors, to help bring him home safely if he should escape or get lost.

3. Keep practicing basic obedience commands: “Come,” “Sit,” “Down” “Heel” and so on. Sign up for a refresher course if your dog or you need it.

4. Take him to the vet once a year for a thorough physical exam and discussion of any new or ongoing health issues.

5. Brush his teeth once a day. That may sound like a lot, but you have to stay ahead of the tartar.

6. Keep him on heartworm prevention during the mosquito season.

7. Bathe him whenever he’s dirty, smelly, or itchy.

8. If your dog is home alone all day consider putting him in “doggie daycare” or hiring a dog walker to take him out during the day. Dogs are intensely social animals and they become bored, lonely, and destructive without companionship.

9. Provide your dog with a comfortable place to rest in the area where he spends most of his time, and respect his need for “quiet time” when he is napping or relaxing there

10. Supervise children when they play with the puppy, and teach them not to tease her or encourage undesirable behaviors, such as chasing and barking.

12. Take and older dog out to urinate every three to four hours during the day, to keep her comfortable and maintain her housebreaking skills.

13. Don’t assume an older dog’s decline in health is “just old age” and nothing can be done about it. Tell your vet about symptoms such as lethargy, weight loss, reluctance to climb stairs, or increased panting so the vet can determine what’s causing them and suggest remedies.

14. Dogs with weak hind legs can slip and fall on bare floors. Place carpet runners with a nonskid backing on slippery floors your dog must cross frequently.

15. Provide an older dog with a thick but fairly firm bed to cushion her joints while still allowing her to climb in and out easily.

16. If your dog has trouble climbing stairs, set up an area on the main level of the house where she can eat, sleep, and spend most of her time. Use baby gates to block stairways if she might fall down them.

17. You an use a bath towel as a sling under a large dog’s abdomen to help support her hind legs as she climbs stairs or gets into the car.

18. A stand that raises dishes to the height of your dog’s chest will make eating comfortable is she has an arthritic back or weak legs.

21. Keep her clean and tidy. If she needs clipping but has trouble standing for long periods of time, find a considerate groomer who will clip her while she sits or lies down.

11. Touch and warmth are especially soothing to the sometimes achy joints and muscles of older dogs. Pet you dog, brush her, gently massage her neck, back, and legs every day to improve her circulation and make her feel good all over.

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