The Senior Dog – Pet Care at a Glance

But how do you know when your dog's ‘senior’ years has been reached?

As a general rule, small dogs live longest while larger dogs and those classed as giant breeds have shorter life spans. For example, the life expectancy of a West Highland Terrier is from between 13 and 15 years while the Irish Wolfhound has an estimated six to eight year life expectancy.

As your dog gets older its body will begin to change. Senses may become affected, resulting in impaired vision, hearing, taste and smell. Deteriorating health may come about slowly so keep an eye on your senior dog’s condition on a daily basis. It’s easy to attribute symptoms to old age when there may be a disease process going on.

Your aim now is to keep your senior dog as healthy as possible.

Regular checkups at the vet will help. Continue with vaccinations, worming and flea treatments. Have your dog weighed regularly and ensure your dog’s teeth and gums are healthy. Ask your veterinary practice if they run a special clinic for older pets – some do.

Provide your senior dog with an extra-comfy bed to support older joints. Some dogs will appreciate a spot near a radiator or in front of the fire while others prefer a cooler spot.

Your senior dog may enjoy a bath in warm (not hot) water. Not only does this keep their coat healthy but the warm, massaging action of the water may ease tired limbs and joints. Bathing will also remove toxins that accumulate in your dog’s fur. Use a good quality dog shampoo.

Grooming will help your dog feel secure and supported as the years advancie.

Even if your dog seems to have slowed down, regular exercise is still needed to keep the blood oxygenated, the mind active and to help prevent obesity and other medical conditions. If you are unsure how much exercise your ageing dog needs ask your vet to devise an exercise plan.

Your dog may still enjoy a game of fetch but throw the ball or toy a little closer than previously. At some point it will be more appropriate for your dog to devote exercise time to gentler forms such as walking or swimming.

What you feed your senior dog is, of course, vital to long-term health.

Senior dogs are less active and their metabolisms slow down. This means that it is essential your dog receives high quality, digestible protein, low amounts of fat and easy to digest carbohydrates.

A good quality commercial pet food will aid ageing joints and the vitamins it contains will support your dog’s immune system. In general, cheaper products are nutritionally inferior. The more of a food that your pet’s body can actually use the more economical that food is in the long term. Look out for highly digestible carbohydrates like ground corn or ground rice. Ground barley provides protein as well as carbohydrate.

See our flynnthedog leaflet ‘What Does the Label Mean?’ for detailed information on what constitutes a good pet food or read it here.

Introduce new foods over a seven day period so your dog’s digestive system has time to adjust to the change.

Older dogs can become fussy eaters so feeding little and often may be a more suitable path to take than the former two meals a day. Watch out for obesity though.

Ensure that food and water are within easy reach; you don’t want an arthritic dog to have to make unnecessary trips up and down stairs.

Some symptoms to look out for in your senior dog that indicate a trip to the vet for diagnosis and treatment, include: lethargy, lameness, stiffness, difficulty getting up from a prone position, reluctance to exercise, excessive salivation, pawing at the mouth, halitosis, swellings below the eye, excessive thirst, frequent urinations, coughing, sudden weight loss.

Some dogs get ‘warty’ – growths appear on the skin. These are usually harmless but must be investigated as they may bleed.

If your dog’s eyes look hazy with a bluish appearance this is probably indicative of nuclear sclerosis. Don’t worry: this is normal in older dogs. Your vet will be able to distinguish between this and the more serious cataracts.

If you notice any of the above signs, or any other signs of illness such as vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, etc contact your vet.

Just as in humans, ageing can cause upset and confusion so be aware of what is happening to your dog and provide greater reassurance. Your continued care and commitment will make all the difference to the happiness your dog enjoys in these senior years.

DISCLAIMER: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained here it is for educational purposes only. The writer of this article and flynnthedog can not diagnose any physical, mental or behavioural condition in animals nor prescribe treatment. We urge you to consult your vet if you have any concerns about your pet.