1. Vision:

First of all, the vision of dogs entering old age will begin to decline. The eyes of older dogs look a little cloudy, which may be a sign of cataracts. Decreased vision is not a major handicap for dogs because, relatively speaking, dogs rely more on their sense of smell.

2. Hearing:

As time goes by, dogs’ hearing will also decline. For example, when the owner calls from a distance, the dog reacts slowly, as if it did not hear it, and does not run over immediately like before. Deafness is particularly serious after the dog is over 10 years old. About 1/10 dogs will suffer from it. After 14 years old, the chance of deafness will increase to 1/6.

3. Mental abnormalities:

At present, mental abnormalities in elderly dogs have become a new challenge for veterinarians and dog owners. As dogs live longer, this mental illness becomes more common. One of the common mental disorders in dogs is "senile separation depression," in which dogs usually wake up suddenly in the middle of the night and start barking and panting, showing obvious signs of sadness.

4. Tumor:

After a dog suffers from a tumor, routine surgical resection can be life-threatening due to excessive bleeding or infection. Now, cryosurgery is used, which uses a special needle to apply frozen liquid nitrogen to the tumor to isolate it from surrounding healthy tissue, without the need for a scalpel.

5. Kidney failure:

This problem is one of the main causes of death in older dogs. The dog’s kidneys have an amazing overload capacity. Even if the kidneys become diseased, they can still maintain their function. Normal physiological functions will not appear until the diseased part of the kidney accounts for more than 2/3 of the entire kidney. The most obvious sign of kidney failure is a marked increase in fluid intake and a corresponding increase in urine output. Pay close attention to the water intake of older dogs to detect kidney failure early. However, a dog's water intake is affected by the ambient temperature and the type of food it eats. For example, eating dry dog ​​food on a hot day may cause a sharp increase in water intake. In addition, when dogs go out for walks, they often drink water in muddy pools and puddles. Therefore, it is wrong to judge that a dog has kidney failure simply by relying on the amount of water it drinks. It must be determined through a comprehensive judgment from many aspects.

Due to increased urination due to kidney disease, some nutrients needed by the body, such as B vitamins, may be lost in the urine, leading to deficiency. In addition, the absorption of calcium in the body is also affected.
Another obvious sign of kidney failure in older dogs is bad breath, although dental disease can also cause this.

6. Dental Disease:

Dental disease can affect dogs of all ages, but is more common in older individuals. If tartar builds up on your teeth, your gums may become inflamed, the attachment of the teeth begins to become weak. Because the gums are corroded, bacteria can easily invade the roots of the teeth, causing gum abscesses, severe toothache, and affecting eating.