What is a senior dog?
Like us, dogs go through different life stages: puppy, young adult, mature adult, senior, and geriatric. The speed of aging and likelihood of particular health conditions varies among dog breeds. Large breeds (over 22.7kg) tend to age more quickly than smaller breeds (under 22.7kg). A large breed is classified as senior as early as 6 to 8 years old and geriatric at 9 years of age, whereas a small breed is classified as senior around 7 to 10 years of age and geriatric around 11 years of age. Evidently, as they age their needs become very different and it is helpful to understand the physical and emotional changes that happen as your dog ages.
Common age-related changes include:
- Changes in behaviour and sleeping patterns
- Pain related to movement (jumping, using stairs)
- Changes in sight and hearing
- Decreased sense of smell and taste
- Weight loss and loose skin
- Decrease ability to absorb nutrients and increased need for protein
The lifespan of dogs is five times shorter than the lifespan of a human, so dogs age more quickly than people. Because much can change in a short time, bringing your senior dog for regular checkups is very important. These regular visits and discussions with your vet can help relieve and prevent suffering, identify diseases earlier and ensure your aging dog’s quality of life remains high and that they live longer.
What about checkups for my sebior dog?
Dogs are good at hiding signs of disease and pain, and may appear healthy even if they are sick or hurting. Being a responsible caregiver includes bringing your dog in for regular checkups. Dogs considered geriatric should have checkups every 6 months. Dogs with ongoing health issues may need checkups more often depending on their illnesses. Your veterinarian relies on the information you provide about your dog’s daily lifestyle to identify signs of disease, pain, or behaviour changes.
Annual blood and urine tests can help discover problems early on and monitor your dog’s health. Your veterinarian will compare new bloodwork results with previous testing and examine any changes. Checkups help identify disease or age-related health conditions before they are painful or cost more to manage.
Nutrition for your old friend
For a healthy senior dog, there is a variety of senior diets to choose from. These diets are specifically formulated for your older pet. Senior foods generally have increased antioxidants, easily digestible ingredients, adapted amount of calories to reflect the activity levels of your pet, increased amount of proteins, and additional healthy fats such as Omega-3. However, if your pet has known medical conditions, there are special diets formulated to help manage them, such as mobility diets, renal diets, diabetic diets, etc. Ask your veterinarian for more information on the diet that is best suited for your furry friend.
Hydration is very important for senior dogs, so consider providing multiple drinking stations, and speak to your veterinarian about ways to increase your dog's water intake.
And what about the weight?
Over half of dogs are overweight and weight gain often occurs as they age, as can weight loss. Loss of weight in older dogs is much less common than obesity but is equally important. If an older dog is losing weight for no obvious reasons, it is vitally important to investigate and treat the underlying causes. In these instances, we recommend contacting your veterinarian as soon as possible.
How can obesity affect my senior pup?
There are a variety of influences that can affect your dog’s activity levels, but the most common one is stiffness and aching joints (i.e.: osteoarthritis). Conditions like arthritis are only made worse by being overweight!
Canine arthritis is very common, and large breeds are generally more affected. The most common signs of osteoarthritis are behavioural changes and changes in their posture (e.g.: the position they stand, sit or lie in).
You can help your senior dog by providing steps or ramps for easy access to their favourite spaces, as well as night lights to help them see better in the dark, elevated food bowls, etc. Think about items for senior dogs in a more accessible manner!
In addition to adapting your house for a senior pet with mobility issues, there are other options to help manage their pain. There are a few common methods used to help senior dogs with joint pain.
- Veterinary diets specific for joint/mobility support and weight loss
- Supplemensts, such as Omega-3 oil to add to their everyday diet
- Monthly injections with specific medication that directly targets pain in dogs suffering from arthritis
- Daily anti-inflammatory pills which help in treating inflammation and pain by targeting specific receptors
Key signs of arthritis to look out for :
- Difficulty rising from a lying or sitting position
- Increased tiredness
- Moving less
- Limping or changes in the way they walk or run
- Decreased willingness to go for walks
- Stiff movements
- Reduced interest or ability to carry out normal movements
- Dragging of paws and scuffing of nails
- Wobbliness during walking
- Reluctance to walk on slippery floors
The most effective treatments of osteoarthritis may use combined approaches. Talk to your veterinarian to determine which course of action is best suited for your pet!
Behavioural changes & confusion
Behavioural changes can be subtle but may be the first signs of a health problem starting. These changes can result from a wide variety of medical conditions causing pain, sensory decline, or any disease that affects the nervous system. Behavioural problems may also be due to age-related brain degeneration known as canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), often referred to as ‘doggy dementia’.
What is CCD?
Canine cognitive dysfunction occurs as the brain ages, and results in noticeable behavioural changes similar to dementia in humans. The key signs to look out for are:
- Disorientation
- Increased anxiety
- Decreased learning and memory
- Changes in social interactions
- Changes in appetite and drinking
- Changes in sleep/wake cycles
- Changes in toileting habits
- Changes in activity
Diagnosis of CCD is based on the recognition of the behavioural changes. Your vet relies heavily on the medical history of your pet and information that you, the dog parent, provides. Keeping a diary or taking videos of your dog when they are acting abnormally can be greatly beneficial in your pet’s diagnosis.
How do we treat CCD?
Sadly, CCD is a progressive condition and no cure exists. However, there are medications, treatments and at-home changes that can help improve your dog's quality of life and slow CCD’s progression. There are 3 main forms of treatment for CCD:
- Dietary supplements, such as Omega-3
- Veterinary diet, such as Hill’s Prescription diet b/d for ‘brain aging care’
- Prescribed medication
Together, you and the vet will be able to define the most appropriate treatment plan for your furry friend.
Managing diseases & conditions
It is important to note that not all changes in behaviour are directly caused by CCD. Other common causes may include:
- Sensory loss such as vision and hearing loss
- Pain caused by problems such as spine disorders, osteoarthritis, dental disease, etc.
- Brain diseases such as tumours
- Kidney disease and urinary tract infection
- Hormonal disorders such as diabetes, hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing disease)
As you may notice, there is a great overlap between signs resulting from different causes. Therefore, it is important to report any behavioural changes, however small they seem, to your vet. Early detection of behavioural problems gives the best opportunity to improve or slow the progression of disease.
We understand that it is hard to see our beloved pet's age and that it can be stressful for you and your dog to manage an illness. However, we urge you to voice your concerns, ideas, and ability to follow through with recommendations to your veterinarian, so that together you can create a plan to minimize pain and stress for you and your dog. Continuing checkups and annual blood/urine screening remains the best way to monitor your dog’s health, pain and quality of life status.
