Caring For Your Aging Dog
August 21, 2009
Dogs experience many of the same signs of aging as people. They can have arthritis, have changes in their appetite and weight, have dental problems that make eating difficult, and experience changes in their hearing, eyesight and sense of smell and taste. All of these changes make caring for your aging dog a challenge.
Signs To Watch For As Your Dog Ages
If you are caring for an older injured dog, or if your dog is simply aging, then you should know the signs that can indicate your dog may be having difficulties. Among these are signs of arthitis, dental problems, loss of senses, and cognitive dysfunction.
Arthritis
Arthritis is one of the most common ailments in older dogs. Even if your older dog is otherwise healthy, he may feel some degree of stiffness in his joints. He may have some mild pain when he tries to get up after sleeping. You may notice that he walks stiffly at times. In more severe cases, arthritis may be causing him some real pain. If you believe that your dog is experiencing pain from arthritis it’s a good idea to talk to your vet. The vet may want to prescribe some medication for your dog. However, if the pain is mild, you may be better off treating your dog with supplements that have helped some dogs, such as glucosamine-chondroitin and MSM. Products such as Dog Gone Pain and Young At Heart have helped other dogs. Your older or injured dog may also benefit from sleeping on an orthopedic dog bed. These beds can be quite expensive for some models, but you can find models that have an egg crate mattress that will work very well for most dogs. Many older dogs also appreciate a heated dog bed for their aging joints.
Dental Problems
Many aging dogs can experience problems with their teeth. If your dog begins to walk away from his food and lose weight you should check his teeth. He may have an abscessed tooth or other dental problem. See if his breath is particularly bad. Most dogs do not receive good dental care throughout their lives and this can catch up with them when they are older. Bad teeth can make it painful to eat. Many people assume that a dog is simply getting old and is uninterested in eating, but the fact is that it’s too painful for the poor dog to eat.
Dulling Senses
As dogs get older many of their senses begin to dull. Your older injured dog may start to lose some of his hearing. His eyesight may not be as keen as it used to be. And his senses of smell and taste may diminish. As a result, you may need to help your dog do some things that were once easy for him. For instance, he may have problems with stairs, especially at night. He may not have the depth perception that he used to have so if he needs to walk up and down steps you may need to guide him. When you call your dog he may not hear you, at least not at first. Your dog may not always know where you are. Don’t be surprised if your dog may bark for you if you are in another room. His ears may not be able to pick up where you are. With his sense of smell and taste not as sharp as they used to be, your dog may be less interested in food. You may need to make his food more tempting in order to get him to eat because he can’t smell and taste it the way he once did.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction may be indicated if your dog shows a high degree of confusion or change in behavior. This condition is sometimes compared to Alzheimer’s in humans. A dog may walk into a room and stand staring at a wall, as though he can’t remember what to do. He may get “lost” behind a piece of furniture and be unable to find his way back out. If you believe that your dog is showing signs of Cognitive Dysfunction you should talk to your vet. There is a good medication for dogs called Anipryl that can often restore them to normal functioning. It can be hard to watch our dogs aging but there are many things you can do to help your older dog be more comfortable. If you watch your older injured dog carefully for the signs of changes then you can help him through any difficulties.
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