At what age is my dog considered a senior?
Typically, I consider dogs to be of senior age around the age of eight. For our giant breed dogs, sometimes we'll give them a little bit earlier, likely based on clinical statistics.
What are common health issues in senior dogs and how can I recognize them?
I'd say one of the most common things that we'll see happen in our seniors is degenerative joint disease. Typically, you will see them start to slow down from their normal activities or not want to go as far on walks, not want to jump up in the car or on the couch. Cognitive decline is something that we'll notice a fair bit too. Try to keep an eye out for changes in their typical behavior.
What changes should I make to my senior dog's diet?
I don't readily make changes right away just when your dog becomes a senior. I think it's important to think about what they have going on and what changes you're noticing, and then we can make recommendations based off of that.
How can I help manage my senior dog's arthritis or joint pain?
We usually will treat joint pain and arthritis in general in several different ways. The first is just trying to decrease the stress on your dog's joints, which, the largest piece is probably making sure they have a good body condition score. The more extra weight they have, the harder it's going to be on their joints.
We'll also utilize supplements at certain doses to help reduce inflammation in the joints, like an omega-3 supplement. Beyond that, it depends on your pet's individual needs. There are a lot of different things that we can do, whether it's laser therapy or acupuncture versus daily medications to help control your dog's discomfort.
What signs indicate that my senior dog might be experiencing cognitive decline?
When cognitive decline starts, it can be very subtle changes, but they usually get progressively worse. Some things to look out for are really any changes in their normal behavior. Are they all of a sudden seeking more attention versus being more withdrawn from you? Sometimes we'll get more restlessness, especially later in the evenings or at night. Sometimes they'll get a change in how vocal they are, either more vocal or less, depending on your dog.
How will wellness exams change for my senior dog?
The exam itself doesn't typically change too much. We still need to do a thorough exam of your dog, but we typically recommend seeing senior dogs more often. A lot can change in a year, especially when they become seniors. Doing exams every six months becomes a little bit more important as they get older. And then we always recommend annual wellness lab work, but it becomes more important when your pet is a senior.
Again, that's something that we typically will start to recommend every six months as well. The goal of that is to, I mean, initially get a baseline for your pet, but then track changes in hopes to find disease to support before your pet becomes clinical for it.
What special dental care does my senior dog need?
Dog's simply need dental care in general, no matter their age. As your pet develops other health conditions, so heart disease, kidney disease, etc., dental disease can make the overall stress level on those organ systems worse. Trying to decrease that bacterial load, as well as keep the mouth feeling good, is important. That's a combination of routine cleanings, if your pet's a safe anesthetic candidate, and dental health care at home.
What should I do if my senior dog starts losing weight or has a decreased appetite?
Really, with any changes in your senior dog, but especially those changes, they really just need to get evaluated by a vet. That starts with a physical exam, but will often turn into lab work, plus or minus imaging, to help learn more information about how we can help support your pet.
What are the best ways to monitor my senior dog's health at home?
I would say to any pet parent that they know their dog the best. You know what their normal is, and you know if anything changes kind of outside of that. If you're noticing changes with their appetite, how much they're drinking, when they're going to the bathroom, how much they want to be involved in their normal activities, you are the best judge of that. You know them best, and you should trust yourself.
How can I modify my home to make it more comfortable for my senior dog?
I think, like a lot of these, it depends on what's going on with your pet. If they have a condition where they're starting to kind of lose their vision, you're going to want to not make changes because they're really good at adapting and learning the routes around the house to get to where they want to be.
For more degenerative joint changes, it can be helpful to give them stairs or ramps to help get up to furniture. And having things like rugs or yoga mats down on slick surfaces like wood floors or tile floors can help them keep their grip a little bit extra.
What should I do if my older dog becomes blind or deaf?
With any changes, especially any quick changes, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but get your dog checked. Any quick changes to vision and hearing are not expected, and it's good to rule out any underlying conditions.
If you’re looking for veterinary care you can trust, call us at (704) 318-2228 or email [email protected]. We’re here to keep your pet healthy, happy, and thriving!