Caring for Older Dogs

Aging of course is not preventable. Every dog is going to age. There are some breeds that have more diseases that are common to their health and sometimes those can't be prevented, but knowing the possibilities can at least help you take the proper care. Part of prevention is making sure they have their vaccinations on a regular basis. Some of the vaccinations are going to be your choice. For information on those you should seek an article dealing with vaccinations and the proper schedules. There are some vaccinations that are state mandatory. Vaccinations are just part of prevention. Good nutrition is another method. If you are providing the healthy foods at all stages in life your dog is generally going to be healthier. This means that you take care for the proper food such as protein, carbohydrates, and the minerals your dog needs to grow healthy. Some of the generic foods are not going to have what is needed. So just double check the label.

Exercise is of course very important. When you offer daily exercise for the type of dog you have you will see their health continue. Basically all dogs require a certain amount of exercise. Some of the dogs require just short walks and playing around the home, while others need at least a half a day of playing outside in a large field. The proper exercise even for an older dog can help keep up the health. Old dogs do like to play and walk, but sometimes they may have health issues that take away from the length of exercise they can handle. While you may feel you are doing them a disservice by making them exercise you are actually helping them even when they are a little ill or have arthritis. They need the little bit of play and exercise. You just don't want to go overboard.

The other part of preventative care is going to be cleaning their teeth, grooming them and checking their ears. First with the teeth you want to make sure they are not getting gum disease from a lack of proper cleaning. Gum disease can lead to the falling out of teeth and while this is common in older dogs, a healthy diet and care can make this happen less frequently. Grooming your dog is very important as well. As long as you can keep his skin and coat healthy you will avoid skin infections. When the skin begins to look dry, thin, or brittle they can experience health related diseases. You will usually find sore spots and body odor from not taking care of your dog.

Your older dog needs to have the proper care. Just because they are nearing ten or twelve years of age doesn't mean you shouldn't give them the care they deserve. You should realize that aging begins at birth. We as humans go through the process, as do dogs. They just tend to have shorter lives than we do. At birth they will grow and mature just like we do. However as your dog gets older there are going to be changes that you should recognize. Some of the signs include a decrease in activity, tendency to sleep a little more, change in exercise pattern and play, and a loss of interest in things going on around them.

As you may have seen with humans, they tend to start taking naps in the middle of the day or just drop off to sleep while sitting watching TV. For dogs, who already take a lot of naps during the day you will start to see longer naps, more naps, and a decrease in over all activity. In other words they may play with their favorite toy for thirty minutes as a teenager, but as an adult they will only play for about ten minutes. You will also notice that they don't want to take as long a walk. They may have a change in gait because of arthritis or just walk more slowly and try to turn around after a few minutes of walking. These behaviors will indicate that they are reaching the older age where things aren't as fun as they used to be. In some cases you will find the dog won't greet you at the door or they may look with one eye open and then ignore the world around them. These changes in behavior are natural, but you should always monitor the behavior. Make sure that you look at their age, diet, and check to make sure there are no other health issues that could have premature aging signs such as cancer or other diseases.

You will also find that with a change in behavior comes an increase in sensitivity to temperature. Extreme temperatures are going to start bothering them. They may not want to sit in the sun anymore like they used to during the summer, but seek shade. They may also refuse to go out during the cold winters even when they need to go to the bathroom. You may also find that temperature affects arthritis which means they can have trouble getting up from a nap or act stiff legged after sitting around for a few hours in the extreme temperature changes.

Sight and hearing loss are things to consider as well. You may know what that is like. Most of us as we reach adulthood start to have sight and hearing problems. Some of course have issues a little early. Dogs are going to be the same way. Their sight may be affected by diseases like cataracts or glaucoma or it could just be their eyes are deteriorating with age. They may bump into things that they could see before or have distance issues when playing. You will also find that hearing is usually going to change. You may have to yell their name to get their attention when before you could just call them. They may not hear the dog whistle any more.

You will find that all dogs age at a different rate. There are several factors that can speed up aging or change your dog's health. When you take excellent care of your dog you will find that he or she can live for many years. There is of course the inevitable with aging. All dogs will get older and they will eventually expire. There are many things you can do to make this process more comfortable for your dog. While it may seem difficult to do when they have arthritis or other health problems if you understand the signs of aging and take precautions you will find your dog can be happier.

For other signs of aging you will find the skin and coat will change. Most often your dog will experience a skin loss to where their skin looks very thin rather than the thickness it used to be. You will also find the oil production they had to help keep their skin and hair looking shiny and beautiful is going to diminish. This means more hair loss as well as a change in the skin. Wounds, if they develop any, will take longer to heal. They may have an increase in allergic reactions and they can have skin problems develop. Most often you will find non malignant tumours begin to form around the mouth and under the skin. You will also find they are more susceptible to intestinal parasites that will hinder the health. As your dog ages you will find that the heart, live and kidneys will begin to have issues. While the organs may not fail completely they can begin to loose their efficiency. You will also find that your older dog will have less immunity to some of the bacteria and viruses that they can get. This is because the immune system will have less ability to fight off diseases as it ages. The bladder will also change. Most of the older dogs have to go to the bathroom more frequently and can develop muscle decrease in the bladder. This means they typically have accidents before you can get home to let them out.

When you have an older dog there are many things you should consider for making them more comfortable. Sometimes it is simply changing their diet to account for the body changes and sometimes it is pushing them a little when they are being a little too lazy. What you really want to do is make sure that you keep their health up as best you can and have your vet recommend changes in diet and medications that can help certain ailments from becoming a larger problem. For instance with health issues there are medications to help your dog regenerate or at least keep from a further deterioration in the bladder muscles. You can also help supply foods that have more minerals, and enzymes that can protect against the bacteria and viruses that may spring up.

You should realize that making your dog comfortable is a good thing, but you also don't want to make them an invalid. You have to continue to provide the right care and make sure that they are continuing in good health over just letting them become lazy and unhealthy. The real key in making them comfortable is keeping them happy and healthy over lazy.

All dogs are going to age. There is no one breed that will never age. Since this is the facts of life it is important to look at how to make your older dog as comfortable as you possibly can. This means after you have prevented most diseases, found an understanding in the signs of aging you have to find a way to make them comfortable with out allowing them to be lazy or becoming an invalid.

Yes there are times when your dog will have a hard time walking and they may be susceptible to the temperature changes, but you shouldn't allow them to not walk on a daily basis. You should still allow your dog to get that walk they need. The walk can just be five or ten minutes three times a day. This gives them an opportunity to get exercise and can be combined with the whole bathroom process. You can also allow for a little play time with their favorite toy. Treats can help you coax your dog outside. It may take a few minutes for the stiffness to leave the limbs so allow them to stand, but not sit or lie down when you are about to head out.

Part of providing comfort is also making sure that there is some place they can lay in the house besides the floor. The floor will help the stiffness in the limbs to become more pronounced. While they may have had a bed in the bedroom or their living area to sleep on at night you can also add a few other dog beds around the home. You can give them more comfortable places to lie down when they need a nap to help those limbs feel better. The bed should be a thick pad, blanket, or dog bed you pick up at the pet store.

You can also make sure that you continue to groom them on a daily basis. To get the oils in the dog's skin and hair to secrete brushing is often need to stimulate this. You can brush them on a daily basis with a softer brush and help to get those minerals out. You may even find that there are some foods and treats that are to help promote healthy hair and skin for your dog. It basically supplies the enzymes they need to produce the oils.

While I am sure you have always checked for fleas and ticks you should continue to do so. You may want to look every day if they have been outside a lot. You will find that fleas and ticks offer tapeworms, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme disease, and other aliments like allergies. Your older dog is going to be less resistant to these bugs and this can cause an increase in early death or illness.

You should also reduce the calorie intake you provide for your dog. Most often as a dog ages they become more lethargic. This lethargy can help the weight gain of your dog and make them uncomfortable. If you provide the proper diet for older dogs you can reduce the risk of weight gain and other health issues. You want to make sure that you provide a food that will help with digestive issues as well. Sometimes as dogs get older their systems are more sensitive to the various foods they are given. You may need to eliminate these foods or try gas medications.