Helpful senior dog care tips for your dog’s golden years

Growing old is part of life. Just like humans, dogs’ needs change as they age. As a puppy, your dog needed specific nutrition, exercise, and medical care to help them grow into the healthiest, happiest, strongest adult dogs they could be. The same is true for their golden years.

If you start noticing grey hair in their coat or longer, more regular midday naps, it may mean your dog has aged beyond being an adult dog to a senior dog. A good guideline to determine whether your dog has reached their golden years is if they are between 7 – 10 years old. However, every canine breed differs. Larger dogs generally reach senior status sooner than smaller breeds. 

Senior dog health

If your dog falls into this age bracket and displays the following behaviours, they have likely reached senior status. Fortunately, once you have identified the problem, you can provide better senior dog care:

Your dog is ignoring you

If it seems like your dog isn’t heeding your calls anymore, the reason may be hearing loss. One of the behaviours that point to hearing loss is if your dog gets a fright, looks surprised or even seems aggressive when touched or petted. A solution to overcome this communication problem is to start training your dog with hand signals.

Your dog is gaining weight

Despite following the same diet and giving the same quantities, you have noticed your dog gaining weight. Ageing makes older dogs prone to obesity due to lower energy levels, a decreased metabolism and a change in their caloric requirements. 

One way to avoid obesity leading to other health issues, such as heart or liver issues, is to adapt their diet. Formulated with 20% less fat and with added L-Carnitine to help control weight gain, Bobtail’s Specialised Diet for Weight Control is an effective senior dog nutrition solution. If you feed your dog a lot of treats, minimise that as well.

Your dog gets colder easier

Older dogs can have more difficulty regulating their body temperature. This means they get colder much easier than when they were young. Always ensure your dog has access to a warm dog bed and consider purchasing a dog sweater for cold winter days and nights. 

Your dog moves slower or with more difficulty

As dogs age, they could develop osteoarthritis. This is a condition where the inflammation in joints worsen and causes cartilage to deteriorate. Some of the signs of senior dog arthritis to look out for in your dog include:

• Constantly licking their joints
• Lack of energy
• Frequently slipping
• Struggling to stand up or lie down
• Loss of appetite
• Avoiding stairs
• Difficulty getting up and down
• Depression or irritability

If you suspect your dog does suffer from joint issues, there are two areas where you can improve your daily dog care. Firstly, nutrition. Feed them specially formulated nutrition to help develop and support healthy joints, such as Bobtail’s Specialised Diet for Joint Care. The unique formulation with Glucosamine, Chondroitin & Green Lipped mussel extracts aids cartilage elasticity and fluid retention.

Secondly, exercise. Don’t stop their exercise routine, rather change from high impact to low impact activities such as swimming, walking and gentle playing. These types of exercises will also assist with managing their weight and circulating blood to their joints.

Common dog illnesses

Illness is an unfortunate reality that dog owners need to be on the lookout for in senior dogs. The best way to do this is to schedule regular wellness exams with your veterinarian for health checkups. The recommended period is once every six months. 

Nutrition plays a very important part to help your senior dog fight illnesses. This is why Bobtail’s Specialised Diet range contains 23 essential vitamins and minerals, which help to maintain the health of all body systems. 

References:
Caring for older dogs

Dog Joint Health: Pain, Osteoarthritis, and Other Joint Problems

9 Tips to Care for Your Senior Dog

When is a dog considered a senior?

7 Things Your Senior Dog Would Like to Tell You

Osteoarthritis in Dogs — Signs and Treatment

Do This, Not That: Why and How to Exercise Your Arthritic Dog