The aging rate of dogs is about 7-10 times that of humans. Generally speaking, large dogs over 9 years old and small dogs over 11 years old are considered senior dogs; large dogs over 13 years old and small and medium-sized dogs over 15 years old are considered senior dogs.
In other words, when dogs reach their teens, they are already equivalent to grandfathers and grandmothers in their 80s and 90s. They may also suffer from problems such as weakness in their hind legs, joint degeneration, and even dementia. The owners must take care of them. Just pay special attention.
In order to let owners better understand how to take care of old dogs, Favor Pet has specially compiled the key points that need to be paid attention to when taking care of old dogs, various dog care supplies, and how to help old dogs create a comfortable and safe home environment.
Common Health Problems in Old Dogs
Before understanding how to take care of senior dogs, owners should first understand what common health problems will occur when dogs gradually age. Even owners whose dogs are still in their prime can write them down first to help them in the next few years. Observe your dog well during the year so that you can provide your dog with appropriate help when problems arise.
1. Hearing Degeneration
As the dog ages, his hearing will gradually become less sharp than before, and may even begin to degrade. This is a normal aging phenomenon for dogs. Although there is no treatment that can slow down the deterioration of hearing, owners can help their dogs adapt, such as trying Use gestures and movements to communicate with dogs, etc.
It should also be noted that the deterioration of hearing will also make dogs more easily frightened. Before reaching out to touch the dog, it is best to confirm that the dog knows that you are approaching. For example, touching nearby objects will cause vibrations, etc., to prevent the dog from being frightened. Startled by sudden touch.
However, normal hearing deterioration is usually gradual and does not occur in a short period of time. It can give owners and dogs enough time to adjust and adapt, and usually does not affect dogs or owners too much.
Since some ear canal diseases may also affect the dog's hearing, if the dog suddenly fails to respond to calls or cannot hear in a short period of time, has a peculiar smell in the ear canal, discharges pus and often scratches the ears, etc., it is necessary to go to the animal hospital immediately for observation.
2. Cataracts and vision deterioration
Like hearing, a dog's vision will also age with age. Although it will not lead to complete blindness, the vision will gradually weaken. There is also no special treatment for vision deterioration caused by normal aging, and because dogs' sense of smell and other senses are very sensitive, even if their vision is weakened, they can still rely on other senses to maintain a normal life.
Owners only need to pay attention to using the leash at all times when going out, and try to avoid moving furniture or placing new items at home. As long as the dogs get used to the environment, they usually will not have too many difficulties in life.
However, some diseases may also affect a dog's vision, such as cataracts, which are cloudy spots or lumps on the lens of a dog's eyes. In severe cases, it may lead to visual impairment or total blindness.
Cataracts can be treated with surgery. If you find any abnormality in the appearance of your dog's eyes, or your dog suddenly develops poor vision, such as frequently bumping into things, losing its sense of direction, etc., you should go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.
3. Arthritis
Many dogs will develop arthritis problems when they enter middle-aged and old age. The most common one is degenerative arthritis, which often occurs in the hip joints, knee joints, elbow joints, shoulder joints and other parts that need to bear the dog's weight.
Arthritis usually develops chronically, but sometimes the course of the disease may be suddenly accelerated due to weather or environment, and the condition may become aggravated. The dog may be unwilling to move, go up and down stairs, have difficulty getting up, have stiff limbs, and be lame.
Although there is no cure for degenerative arthritis, you can slow the progression of the disease or relieve your dog's discomfort with the help of a doctor.
Therefore, after discovering that your dog has the above symptoms, you should not use the excuse of "normal aging" or "just needing rest because you are old" to avoid going to the hospital. You should still take your dog to the hospital for judgment by a doctor.
4. Incontinence of urine and feces
Many problems may cause incontinence in older dogs. It is more likely to occur in medium and large dogs than in small dogs. It is also more likely to occur in dogs with overweight problems.
For pet owners, the most important thing is that when dogs have incontinence problems, they should not blame or punish them, because this is a natural reaction of the dog's body and they cannot control it, especially dogs who have been toilet trained. Will blame myself more.
If you want to improve, you can consult a doctor and treat or alleviate symptoms according to your dog's condition. You can also use diaper pads at home or prepare diapers for your dog.
5. Dementia/Cognitive Impairment
As they age, some dogs will develop dementia or cognitive impairment. These signs are often ignored by owners, thinking they are just normal aging, so special attention should be paid to them.
For example, changes in sleeping habits, disorientation, pacing back and forth, suddenly stopping in corners, howling inexplicably, alienation from family members, personality changes (sudden depression, increased aggression, etc.), random urination and defecation (forgetting what you have learned), etc. Signs such as these may be manifestations of dementia, but they may also represent other diseases. Therefore, when a dog has the above conditions, be sure to record observations and go to the animal hospital for blood, urine tests, neurological examinations, Diagnosis and treatment through imaging examinations and other methods.
Tips for caring for an old dog
Faced with an increasingly older dog at home, you can pay attention to the following key points in taking care of it:
Pay attention to diet
Diet directly affects the dog's physical health and disease development. Especially for overweight dogs, chronic diseases may become more serious or complications may occur, so special attention must be paid.
It is recommended that the diet of old dogs increase the intake of high-quality protein, such as lean meat, fish, etc., reduce the intake of calories, and try not to feed snacks.
If you are making fresh dog food by yourself, you should try to use ingredients that are easy to digest and chew. Cook the ingredients until soft and chop them into smaller pieces to make it easier for your dog to eat and reduce the possibility of choking.
Also, be sure not to feed old dogs human food!
As repeatedly emphasized in previous articles, human food contains risks such as high salt, high sodium, and high fat. There are also some processed foods that are very harmful to dogs and may cause pancreatitis in dogs, not to mention dogs. For older dogs whose physical functions have gradually weakened.
Therefore, never feed your dog random human food again!
You can also supplement your dog's eye and joint-related health foods according to the doctor's recommendations. For how to choose dog health food, you can refer to: Introduction to pet health food: What kind of health food is suitable for dogs?
Change interaction/activities
Unlike humans, dogs will clearly know that their body functions have aged, and they must pay attention to their activities to avoid harming their bodies. Therefore, pet owners should pay special attention to helping dogs.
Old dogs are prone to joint discomfort and reduced muscle strength. Movements that used to be easy for them may now cause physical harm accidentally.
Breeders should mainly change the way they interact with their old dogs. For example, if they often played Frisbee or fetch games with their dogs in the past, they should now play fewer games and replace them with educational toys or other interactive toys to reduce the chance of their dogs sprinting and jumping.
For educational toys, you can choose hide and seek treat toys such as: circus sniffing treat balls or table food snuffle mats. These are activities that are very suitable for old dogs to consume energy, satisfy curiosity, and are gentle and non-injurious to their joints.
Hide and seek treat toys can satisfy the activity needs and curiosity of old dogs without causing any burden on the body's joints.
You should also pay attention when going out for a walk and reduce activities such as climbing hills, stairs, and fast running. Also try to avoid going out at noon in summer to reduce the possibility of heat stroke.
Also try not to choose routes that are unfamiliar to your dog to avoid increasing your dog's anxiety.
Pet strollers are also very helpful for older dogs. When they are tired from walking, they can sit in the car and enjoy some fresh air, allowing them to walk freely where they want to go.
Pay attention to daily routine
Maintaining a regular and healthy lifestyle is one of the key points in caring for an old dog. Rest is a very important part of daily life for senior dogs. A fixed daily routine can ensure that they are emotionally stable and get enough, high-quality rest.
When the dog is sleeping, do not interrupt the sleep deliberately or loudly. Please wait quietly for them to get up. If it is time to eat, you can approach them softly and wake them up gently.
It is recommended to arrange the time for fixed items of daily life such as eating, playing, going out, sleeping, etc., and not to change it easily, and try not to change the living location, move, etc., so that the old dogs can have a sufficient sense of security and do not need to spend energy to re-evaluate the time. Be familiar with the environment.
Close contact with physician
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, older dogs will go through many physical changes and functional degradation, and there are many health problems that will silently invade the dog's body as he enters old age. Dogs cannot speak and cannot express their physical discomfort through words.
Owners must observe closely. If they observe abnormal behavioral changes or physiological abnormalities in their dogs, such as lumps on the skin, cloudy eyes, etc., they must be alert enough and go to the animal hospital for examination as soon as possible.
Some dogs will also suffer from many chronic diseases in their old age, such as heart disease, kidney disease, degenerative arthritis, etc. These diseases and health problems need to be controlled through good living habits and always following the doctor's instructions, taking medication, and taking care. .
Therefore, if your dog has health problems, you must keep in touch with the doctor and follow the doctor's instructions to take care of the dog. Do not neglect it.
If you are going out or staying overnight, you must also check whether your dog's medicine and other necessities are ready.
Prepare nursing supplies/improve home environment
If you want to take good care of your old dog, the safety of your home environment is also very important.
Old dogs move more slowly and are not as flexible as in the past. Hard objects that are easy to collide with, or items that are easily broken or dropped should be kept away as much as possible. Do not place them near the dog's accustomed travel route to prevent the dog from moving. He was injured due to falling and collision due to unstable walking.
In order to reduce the possibility of a dog slipping and being injured, carpets, cushions, etc. can also be laid in the dog's living environment to increase friction and make the dog more comfortable and have more places to rest.
Old dogs usually have limited range of movement at home, especially owners who cannot accompany and care for their dogs for long periods of time a day. They should arrange water, food, and places to go to the toilet properly, and try to keep the corners where their dogs often stay. Being comfortable, dry, clean and convenient can reduce the chance of your dog being in danger at home.
You should also prepare dog "care supplies" and "auxiliary aids" at home so that your dog can live a more comfortable and convenient life. Please see below for an introduction to these items:
Introduction to dog care products
If the dog in the family has reached an advanced age or is suffering from diseases, chronic diseases and other problems, owners can prepare these care products and assistive devices for the dog so that the dog can live a more comfortable and convenient life.
Dog stairs
Senior dogs or dogs with long spines should try to avoid jumping, standing on one foot and other actions. The height difference in the home environment will cause pressure and even damage to their limbs, hip joints, and lumbar joints.
Therefore, if there is a height difference in the dog's living environment, such as beside the bed, next to the sofa, etc., after the dog reaches an advanced age, you can put dog stairs to help the dog move and prevent the dog from jumping and other actions.
When choosing dog stairs, you should pay attention to choosing non-slip materials, and it is recommended that the height difference of each step should not exceed 15 centimeters. If your home is spacious enough, you can also choose a dog staircase with a gentle slope design.
In places with large height differences, such as next to the sofa or bed, you can place dog stairs to help your dog move up and down.
Dog diapers
There are many physical factors in elderly dogs that can lead to urinary leakage, incontinence and other conditions. When this happens, the dog should not be blamed, but the home environment should not be allowed to become dirty due to urination and defecation.
Diaper pads can be laid around the dog's living environment. If the dog is willing to accept it, you can also use diapers so that the dog can eliminate at any time.
However, when wrapping a dog's diaper, the owner should pay attention to the dog's excretion and change it as soon as possible after there is excrement to avoid prolonged contact between the excrement and the dog's skin, causing odor and even skin diseases.
Dog walker
Inability to move and weakness in the hind legs are common problems for old dogs. In order to prevent these problems from depriving the dog of the opportunity to go out, owners can help the dog walk with assistive devices such as auxiliary harnesses and walkers.
The auxiliary harness can wrap around the dog, allowing the owner to use force to help the dog walk, go up and down stairs, rehabilitate, etc., reducing the burden on the dog's forelimbs and hind limbs.
There are three common forms. One is a harness with a larger coverage area, which can assist the dog's forelimbs and hindlimbs; the other is a harness that covers the dog's chest and assists the forelimbs; and the other is a harness that covers the dog's hip joints. Hind limb auxiliary harness.
Because dogs have different body shapes and breed characteristics, the types of auxiliary harnesses suitable for use are also different, such as corgis and dachshunds with longer bodies. If an auxiliary harness that is too short is used, it may increase the burden on the dog's limbs. Owners should follow the doctor's advice and purchase an auxiliary harness suitable for their dogs.
The auxiliary harness for larger dogs can not only assist the dog in walking, but also make it easier for owners to carry it up and down stairs.
If an old dog has weakness in its hind legs, you can also choose an auxiliary harness for the hind limbs.
If your dog has severe weakness in its hind legs, hip joint dislocation, resulting in inability to move, or paralysis of its hind limbs, you can also choose a walker like a wheelchair to help your dog move.
However, the wheelchair must be adjusted according to the dog's size and condition, and you must consult a professional or doctor before using it.
Dog wheelchairs can help dogs with weak hind limbs walk, but they should be used after consulting a professional.
Dog anti-slip mat
In addition to preventing slipping, dog anti-slip mats also have a soft cushioning effect, which can prevent old dogs from slipping and causing injuries to vulnerable parts such as hip joints.
There are many choices of anti-skid mats on the market. When selecting, you can choose according to the anti-skid effect, ease of cleaning, comfort, and appearance. Those with all functions are bound to be more expensive. Owners can choose according to their own needs.
Because the non-slip mat covers a large area, it is also important to choose a mat that both you and your dog find comfortable. Dog anti-slip mat can prevent dogs from slipping and falling, allowing dogs to rest and play more safely.
The above are the care precautions that old dog owners must know and the recommended supplies. There are many options for dog care products on the market. Owners can decide which products to buy according to their own financial situation. They can also discuss with their doctor and buy the most important items that will affect the safety of their dogs first, and then slowly add other items. Supplies, try to keep the home environment clean, convenient, comfortable and safe, so that old dogs can spend their old age comfortably and safely.
