Dog Care 101

Signs Of Aging To Watch For In An Elderly Dog

elderly-dog-by-protographer23.jpg Are you wondering what to expect as your dog becomes a senior?

As dogs get older, they begin to slow down a bit and they don’t move around quite like they did in their younger years.  Your dog probably won’t seem as spry and chipper as he used to.

At the same time, an aging dog’s working parts get a little rusty and they simply don’t function the same as they did before.

Large breed dogs are considered a senior at 6 or 7 years of age, whereas small breeds aren’t considered a senior until their teen years.  Source

Here’s a dog age calculator to determine how old your dog really is.

Generally speaking, senior dogs need to be cared for differently.

If your adult dog is approaching his senior years, you will start to notice these signs…

Signs Of Aging In Elderly Dogs

Some typical signs of dog aging to watch for:

50% of dogs over the age of 10 are going to die of cancer. That’s from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). Other common problems are renal and kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes. Look for increased or decreased thirst. Changes in their bathroom habits. A lot of time you’ll see pain of movement, or lack of movement.  Source

TIP: If  your elderly dog has an accident don’t get mad at him.  Just start taking him out more often.

Here are some elderly dog care tips & things you should do early — before your dog gets too old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XeF773CxjI

Here’s how to monitor your elderly dog for signs of disease.

https://youtu.be/cnKI0XtFe0k