What are age signs in dogs or age related symptoms? When is my dog considered old?
As dogs grow older, we are likely to notice various changes in their behavior, both physical and mental.
It is important to be aware of and keep an eye for the signs of age or declination. For sure, one day all dogs start to slow down. Our problem is that they don´t just get up and tell us straight out “I´m feeling old, I´m not bothered to do that anymore” at least when they finally do it´s a bit late in and they´ve already been going through age-related discomfort or ailments for some time.
Not all dogs are the same, their medium age varies between breeds and depends on the level of strain they´ve been through. It´s said that smaller dogs can be expected to live for 15 years, medium dogs for 10-13 years while the giant breeds are only expected to live 8-10 years. But like humans dogs start to feel declination in their body a few years before they die and it is impossible to say exactly when that starts to happen, this is often in context with the strain level they’ve been through or the level of fitness they have. Again just like us humans.
We have a guideline that at certain age dogs should be considered over their lightest stage of life. It´s a normal life curve, at young age they build strength, they build knowledge and at one point they peek their curve and through my work this peek often happens at 6-7 years of age and lasts for approx. 1-2 years and then you start to see them reclining. So I agree with the criteria that dogs of 7-8 years old should be treated differently than younger dogs and the classification that dogs older than 8-9 years are old dogs. This doesn´t mean they are to be stop working or theire life should change in any way only that the owner should be aware that the dog is aging and there are signs to look for to know it´s conditions. A dog older than 11 years should be considered an old dog, should be retired and treated with care accordingly.
Veterinarians and feed manufacturers therefore often recommend changing the feed around the age of 8, especially in larger dogs, but at 9-10 years in smaller dogs. Big dogs get old faster than small and lightweight dogs. It is also a common myth that household dogs perform better than working dogs, but that is not completely standard. Certainly, working dogs are worn out faster. They are more prone to injuries and arthritis, but they are often in better physical shape and stronger than household dogs and therefore better equipped to deal with illness or wear-related problems. It is very important for all dogs to maintain muscle mass especially if joints are beginning to wear.
Unfortunately, like I mentioned before, the aging dogs don´t necessarily begin to show symptoms right away. Dogs are quite tough and they don´t go about complaining all the time – they are very suttle when they start feeling age related pain or stiffness. The first physical problems dogs usually experience: joints, circulatory system, liver and kidneys. Those are the main internal organs that begin to show decline. Vision and hearing can start to falter and dogs can even become dizzy. Our four-legged friends cannot tell us what they are experiencing and, as previously stated, the owners often do not see the symptoms until they have become excruciatingly obvious and are affecting the animals daily routine and behavior.
Our original question: What are age signs in dogs, age related symptoms? When is my dog considered old?
Here are a few symptoms that all dog owners need to know and help us get our friend through the advanced years.
APPETITE & WEIGHT CHANGE
It is common for dogs as the age progresses to show a change in appetite. They can either get increased appetite and start gaining weight or they can lose their appetite and begin to lose weight. Both are signs you should keep an close eye on and for most of us this is easy to do because we are the one who feed the dog and should know it´s daily normal ration.
Because increased appetite seems to be more common in dogs, specially big breeds, dry dog food for seniors contains a lot of fiber. The fibers accelerate the feeling of satisfaction and stimulate the digestive system, thus preventing bowel problems. The bowels in dogs needs physical stimulation, that´s why dogs often need a walk or run before taking a dump. With age the need to move declines, the bowel get´s less stimulation and all this contributes to weight gain. They simply move less and therefore need less energy and that´s why senior feed has more fibers and lower energy values (less fat/proteins).
I have had clients say: “Oh, he´s getting old, we just want him to enjoy life. We don´t mind him getting fat.” But the thing is if you really love your dog and want to have him with you as long as possible, you don´t allow him to become fat. The weight on the deteriorating joints and skeletal system is going to wear it out much faster than if your dog stays in normal weight. He´s definitely not going to love his final years because being heavy puts extra pain on his system.
Some dogs are skinny all their life, have small muscle mass, very lean looking dogs. For them reduced movement and thus reduced muscle mass usually means they lose weight. They eat less because of decreased energy requirements associated with less exercise. This I have seen in working dog breeds like Border Collies and Spaniels, that they tend to eat all their life only according to basic needs. As they grow old, they eat less because their body doesn´t require the energy.
What seems to be most difficult for us is to assess when to put the dog on a senior feed, decide whether we should be giving supplements or take them for a thorough medical examination. I have mainly based on the age of the dog because I strongly believe that prevention is always better than a cure. For age-related ailments we don´t have any cures. So from 6-7 years of age I start thinking about supplements and from 8-9 years of age I alter the feed according to senior needs. Of course I always monitor the dog during the alterations to be sure he is coping well and thriving.
EYESIGHT
I have 4 common examples of dogs with signs that the eyesight is getting poorer:
A jumpy dog, who is startled when something approaches from his side or comes up from behind him.
A dog that suddenly starts barking at things that move in the distance, or even seems to be barking at imaginary things.
A dog that suddenly starts walking very close to the walls or brushes against the doorways as he passes.
A dog who shows insecurity, walks behind his owner rather than ahead or stays much closer to owner than he did before.
A dog showing such symptoms may have poor vision. It is also good to keep in mind that it is common for the night vision to deteriorate first, so some of these signs are only visible during your night walk. There are also physical signs in some dogs: the color of the eyes changes, they get a grayish shade or a cloud seems to cover them.
Eye diseases are difficult to deal with, so everything we can do to prevent them is important. What can be done to strengthen the vision in dogs? The solution is in supplements and what we feed the dog.
Amino acids are important in preventing eye diseases and can be found naturally in eggs, broccoli, avocado and garlic. It is also believed that vitamins A, C and E, lutein and Selenium can cure certain eye diseases. Then finally certain fats that contain omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent eye diseases. This fat is found in oils like: salmon oil, cod oil, linseed oil. Grapeseed or Grapeseed extract is often added to dog feed as a supplement for the optic nerves.
I want to stress that although vitamin A is good for the eyesight and essential for dogs, the lack of it causes blindness but too much of it causes toxicity. We have to have balance in nutrition for it to work with us not against us.
JOINTS
Joint related problems seems to be most obvious problems aging dogs have. The first sign most dog owners recognize that their best friend is growing old.
I have heard hundreds of times from different owners about their dogs is not old and does not show signs of aging, but after a short chat I hear about clear age related symptoms of discomfort :
A dog that ALWAYS got up when I came home and welcomed me, he doesn't get up when I arrive but just lifts his head and then keeps on sleeping."
A dog that has suddenly (or increasingly) begun to sneak up on a sofa or bed or some softer place, but always chose to lay on the cold tiles before.
The dog that always welcomed me with jumping on me when I came, no longer raises up on his behind legs.
He stretches more in the morning when he wakes up, he has not slowed down but he just spends a bit more time in the morning stretching.
He no longer jumps the way he did
He behaves normal and just like a puppy on the walks but limps later in the day when we are back home and even the next day.
She seems to be more sensitive to cold.
It is important to keep in mind that sudden movements can cause inflammation in injured joints, which is why the dogs don´t stand up as quickly or not at all. Cold surface or climates makes damaged joints and arthritis hurt. So you might need to change how you exercise your dog, walk him, lift him up or play with him.
Keep in mind that although a dog suffering from joint problems should do less activities it is very important that they get regular exercise and some kind of strength training so that their muscle mass does not decrease. With less muscles the load on the joints increases even more. There are plenty of options for dogs with arthritis problems, specialized vitamins and medicines that can either anoint the joints, coat them or at least prevent the animal from suffering from pain during daily activities.
KIDNEYS
Kidney failure is one of the most common illnesses in dogs today. Kidney problems are extremely difficult to deal with because these organs are very hard working and don´t show any weakness until they suddenly cease to function.
One of the main signs to look for are the dogs drinking habits. A dog that is ill or has kidney problems is likely to either increase it´s water intake or decrease it. You might see him stop drinking at all or start drinking uncontrollably, show signs of much thirst. Therefore, I recommend that people know just about what their dog needs to drink per day, as with all species their water intake depends on the individual. Best solution is regularly measuring the water you serve your dog. Know what he drinks on average during 24 hrs. People who know their dog's water intake, when healthy, usually discover changes in drinking behavior soon and have a greater chance of diagnosing illness or discomfort and intervening early.
In general, a dog needs to drink approx. 55-110 ml per kg per day. Of course, the dogs size & weight, it´s daily routine & exercise level, type of feed has all to be taken into account – but most dogs should fall under this criteria. It´s common that dry-feeding dogs need more water than dogs who are fed moist feed. A dog who suddenly starts drinking much more than 100 ml / kg a day should be checked by a veterinarian.
Did you know that one sign that your dog has a fever or illness is a dry and warm nose? The tip of their nose should be moist, fairly cold and soft to the touch. Internal illnesses are often discovered due to fever.
As important as knowing your dogs water intake is the amount of urine the release pr. daily basis. Now, I´m not asking you to measure the urine. But simply knowing how often and approx. How much they pee pr. day helps you diagnose abnormalities.
For example, if a dog that usually pees 2-3x in each walk suddenly starts to pee more often and maybe only a little bit each time or each stop becomes much longer than normal and the amount seems greater than normal. It´s quite apparent and even has a name, it´s called flooding. It is worth to mention that it is NOT natural for a house-clean dog to suddenly start peeing inside. If your dog can´t control the bladder something is wrong. Normal amount for a dog to produce is about 20-40 ml/kg of urine per day.
To prevent kidney problems and promote their healthy function, you can feed high quality dog food with a careful combination of key nutrients. To reduce the burden on the kidneys and reduce the likelihood of kidney failure, most dog food manufacturers reduce phosphorus and sodium into "senior" feed as that´s the most burden for the kidneys to dissolve. It may be worthwhile to consider changing to senior feed sooner than later - if the dog isn´t doing any physical challenging things.
SENIOR DOG FEED
If you prefer or advised to change to dry foods for seniors, consider things like:
It is often best to change feed within the same feed manufacturer as it reduces the likelihood of stress / problems associated with feed conversion.
Where do the vitamins in the feed come from, are they natural or artificial?
What is the pellet size, does it suit my dog?
Is it easy to moisten the feed? - especially for dogs who have lost teeth or have sensitive gums
What is the fat content? (benchmark for dogs with reduced energy needs is about 10% for large dogs and 12% for small dogs)
The feed should have lower energy values than normal feed, but how do they reduce the energy, are fillers used?
If you feed the dog other than dry feed whether it is wet food, leftovers or raw feed. Adjust the composition of the feed according to the age of the dog and consider the nutritional supplements that prevent and promote better well-being.
Remember all dogs need access to water 24/7.
MENTAL ISSUES
Health failures cause mood swings and mental disorders. Frustration can be related to pain and fear often induces crankiness.
Two examples: A dog who feels pain in the back when jumping in the car boot might suddenly lash out at it´s four-legged brother by the car. A dog with arthritis that sees a toddler approaching and can´t react quick enough to flee, might show teeth or snarl to scare the kid away. Same applies for a dog with other pain in joints or intestines.
Sudden changes in behavior should always result in a vet visit. A thorough physical examination is needed to rule out all injuries and illness before the mental aspect is considered. Animals don´t get cranky with age, it´s an expression of distress.
I hope my article gives you answers to your questions What are age signs in dogs, age related symptoms? When is my dog considered old? I also hope you now have some ideas what to look for in your dog when you suspect he´s starting to age.
Source for this article are different seminars I´ve attend through my career how ever as I´m not a veterinarian I had to double check a few facts and I used among others the following articles:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/5_4/features/5445-1.html http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/ins-and-outs-polyuria-and-polydipsia