Senior Pet Care
As our dogs age, the care and attention they require changes too. In this blog, we’ll explore the different aspects of caring for an aging dog, including when they are considered seniors, the importance of regular veterinary check-ups, their diet and weight management, the importance of exercise, and more.
What is a Senior Dog?
A senior dog is an older dog that has started to experience age-related changes to their body and mind. The age that a dog is considered a senior depends on their size and breed.
Here are some of the common changes your dog might experience with age:
Thinning and Grey Fur: This is one of the most obvious signs of your dog aging—a distinguished, silvery muzzle. Along with going grey, you might also notice their fur start to thin out too. This is totally normal, as the hair follicles age.
Reduced Activity and Mobility: It’s normal for your dog to slow down with age. This is because they typically start to have less stamina and can’t exercise for as long as they did when they were younger. You also might notice them experiencing a little stiffness now and then. As they start to slow down, you might need to reduce the length of walks and opt for less strenuous activities.
Weight Changes: As your dog becomes less active, they’ll gain weight…unless you adapt their food accordingly—like switching to a senior food. Weight gain can have a huge impact on your dog’s life. Along with increasing the risk of arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease, it can also put more strain on their body, making it harder for them to get around and enjoy their walks and playtime.
Susceptibility to Temperature: Some senior dogs might struggle to regulate their temperature as effectively as they did when they were younger. You might notice them having trouble staying warm in the winter or cool through the summer, so it’s important to take extra precautions to avoid heatstroke or hypothermia.
Loss of Hearing and Vision: All dogs will experience some degree of hearing and vision loss as they become seniors. Dogs suffering from increasing deafness or loss of sight might become startled more easily and may snap, so it’s important to remember to go slow and give them plenty of warning that you are approaching.
Behavior Changes: Behavioral changes can also be one of the first signs of aging that you might notice. You might notice your dog become more irritable, especially if they’re struggling with pain or discomfort. Senior dogs can also suffer from cognitive decline or senility, known as canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), similar to Alzheimer’s.
Dental Issues: Senior dogs become more susceptible to issues, like periodontal disease. This is why it’s important to brush your dog’s teeth once a day and get your vet to check their oral health at least every 6 months.
Other Medical Issues: As your dog ages, their immune system weakens, they often become more susceptible to illnesses and diseases. This is why it’s important to keep up-to-date with their preventatives and continue to follow the recommended vaccine schedule provided by your vet.
Caring for Your Senior Pup:
Regular Vet Visits
Regular vet visits and lab testing can allow you to catch health issues before they become clinically obvious, meaning they’re easier to treat, offering a better prognosis.
For healthy senior dogs, some veterinarians will recommend wellness visits at least once every six months with yearly lab work. Dogs with health conditions and geriatric dogs might need more frequent check-ups and bloodwork.
In between vet visits, it’s important to check your dog’s body regularly for any lumps, bumps, and other changes, and get them checked out as soon as you notice them. Along with keeping a close eye on any physical changes, you should also watch for behavioral changes. Any changes in behavior that persists for more than a week or so may require a check-up.
Some signs to watch for include:
Signs of pain, such as limping, whining, unwillingness to engage in exercise or play activities
Changes to eating or drinking habits
Changes to bathroom habits or accidents
Vomiting, diarrhea, or weight loss
Fatigue or any difficulty breathing
Confusion, aggression, or anxiety
Startling easily or bumping into things
Senior Food
Senior dogs have different nutritional needs to younger dogs, including needing food that is easier to digest, different amounts of calories and certain nutrients to help them age well. Typically, you should switch to a senior dog food around age 6, but it depends on the size of your dog and when they are considered “senior”. When switching to a senior food, look for a brand with an AAFCO statement of nutritional adequacy for senior dogs.
Weight gain for senior dogs can impact the quality of life by increasing the risk of diseases. Switching to a senior dog food is a great start, as they tend to be less calorically dense, but you should also keep an eye on their weight and body condition, and adjust portion sizes and increase exercise if necessary.
Supplements
A supplement is a concentrated ingredient that is added to a diet for a nutritional or therapeutic purpose. Supplements include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, botanicals, and enzymes.
Vitamin B, which includes B1, B2, B6, and B12, is used to help counter fatigue and improve appetite.
Vitamin E is beneficial for inflammatory skin disorders, as well as an antioxidant.
Coenzyme Q-10, Alpha-Lipoid Acid (ALA), Dimethylglycine (DMG), and L-Carnitine are considered to improve overall physical performance or reduce the incidence and severity of age-related illness. Coenzyme Q-10 and Carnitine help improve the heart muscle. DMG is recommended as a metabolic enhancer or anti-inflammatory for the joints. ALA is used to promote eye health, as well as help slow degenerative neurological conditions.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids can help reduce inflammation in the joints, lower the need for other pain meds, and might also benefit dogs with cognition issues, as they promote cell membrane health.
Digestive enzymes and probiotics can enhance the availability and absorption of dietary nutrients.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin can help protect the cartilage in your dog’s joints, and has been proven to help manage the pain of osteoarthritis.
It’s important to note that not all supplements are created equal, so talk to your vet before starting a new supplement regimen.
Scientific studies have shown that antioxidants can improve memory and cognitive function in senior dogs.
Consider adding fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants content. Berries, like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are near the top of the list of antioxidant-rich foods. Apples can add beneficial prebiotic fibers as well.
Remember: Not all foods (or all parts of certain foods) are safe for your dog.
Create a More Comfortable Environment
Senior pups might find it difficult to climb stairs, so you might need to move their sleeping area to one that is reachable without climbing stairs. It might also be useful to install ramps for them to navigate steps more easily. As their mobility deteriorates, older dogs might also struggle with their balance and can find hard, slippery floors stressful to walk on. Covering them with carpet, rugs or mats will help provide more grip.
Dogs suffering from arthritis or other painful conditions might benefit from a thick, therapeutic pet bed to provide additional comfort while they are resting.
Senior dogs might also have a harder time bending down to reach their food and water bowls, so a raised food and water bowl could make it easier for them.
Alternative Therapies
If your senior dog is struggling with pain, loss of mobility or muscle mass, they might benefit from certain alternative therapies like aqua-therapy, massage, acupuncture, or LASER therapy.
CBD has also been shown to reduce pain in dogs suffering from arthritis, and there are scientific studies currently in progress for its effectiveness in treating a number of other conditions, such as chronic pain, seizures, and anxiety.
Exercising Your Senior Dog
Senior dogs still require physical activity and mental stimulation to remain happy and healthy. Movement helps keep the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints of the body strong and healthy. It also helps limit the risk of obesity and maintain a healthy weight and condition in senior dogs, which is important for their overall well-being.
Keeping the mind active is just as important as physical activity because it helps to maintain cognitive function, which can potentially slow the onset of canine dementia.
How much exercise should my senior dog get?
The amount of exercise depends on your dog’s degree of mobility, their breed, any previous or current medical history, as well as their lifestyle. If your dog is showing no signs of pain and is cleared by their vet to do so, you can exercise them daily.
Outdoor Exercise Options:
Walking: Choose a low-impact walking surface, such as grass or dirt. Walking is a great exercise option because it helps control weight, promote healthy joint motion, can aid in digestion, and provide physical and mental stimulation. Keep a routine by walking around the same time of day and for the same duration, and aim for two 30-minute walks per day (let your dog set the pace).
Swimming: This low-impact, total-body exercise is great for senior dogs, especially if they have arthritis or other mobility issues. Only allow your dog to swim in a pool, lake, or stretch of shoreline that is pet-friendly, easy to get in and out of safely, and temperature appropriate. Watch your dog closely when they’re swimming and keep them safe by using a life vest, especially if they have mobility issues, tire quickly, or are new to swimming. Don’t let them get too tired to where they are unable to continue or can’t get out of the water.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt: Outdoor scavenger hunts allow your dog to utilize their hunting instincts, which helps provide a physical and mental workout. Try hiding treats around the yard or scattering treat-filled paper towel tubes for a self-paced, fun game. The great thing about scavenger hunts is that if the weather is poor, it can be an indoor game as well!
Indoor Exercise Options:
Puzzle Toy or Snuffle Mat: These indoor activities help provide mental stimulation as dogs work to solve the puzzle to find and earn treats hidden inside. Some puzzles can also provide physical activity by encouraging movement. Snuffle mats, which provide mental stimulation as well as new sensory experiences, involve finding treats and require your dog to search through mats with various textures and types of fabric to find their tasty snacks.
Dog Yoga and Massage: Dog yoga, or “doga,” can provide slow movement and stretches for seniors who might be struggling with joint pain. Actively stretching and massaging your dog’s muscles and joints can help alleviate pain and swelling.
Fetch with Soft Toys: Choosing soft toys and balls instead of tennis balls might be more comfortable for dogs recovering from treatment for dental issues. Rolling or tossing the toys at a closer distance will be helpful at avoiding strenuous running and jumping.
Exercise Tips:
Ensure your senior dog is on a well-balanced diet so they can keep up with the caloric demands of increased exercise
Start any new exercise regimen slowly to ensure it doesn’t increase any mobility or other health issues
Begin one exercise at a time so you know exactly what does and doesn’t work for our dog
Avoid using stairs, excessive running, jumping, or other activities that put stress on the joints
Let your dog set the pace
Stop the activity right away if they appear tired, stiff, or sore
Keep an eye out for stiffness or soreness after exercise
Adjust activities as needed to keep it safe and fun
You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
You’ve probably heard the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But have you ever wondered where this expression came from and how it was made popular?
This expression was made popular by John Heywood in 1546 when Heywood referenced a treatise on husbandry by John Fitzherbert, who wrote: “The dogge must lerne it, whan he is a whelpe, or els it will not be: for it is harde to make an olde doggie to stoupe.”
This translates to, “A dog must learn when he is a new puppy, or else it will be hard for him to comply.”
Many experts have contested the statement that we can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Old dogs are very much trainable, as long as they are of sound mind and if the trainer is patient, positive, and carries high-value treats.
Obedience and recall training aren’t just for younger dogs, they can also help keep your senior dog moving, stimulate their mind, and keep their sight and smell senses active.
Have your dog practice sit, stay, come, down, and other commands. Use positive reinforcement training methods by rewarding them with a small training treat when they respond appropriately to your command.
Start out by practicing old commands and slowly add in a few new ones to provide simple exercise and mental stimulation. Go at a slow pace and avoid tricks that may put excessive pressure on their joints or muscles.
Conclusion:
Providing the right senior care ensures that your dog enjoys comfort, health, and happiness throughout their golden years. From nutrition and exercise to veterinary check-ups, every pet parent should understand how to adapt to their dog’s evolving lifestyle. These suggestions on caring for your aging dog can make a difference in their overall well-being and quality of life, ensuring that your dog has a long, happy and healthy senior life.
