Life care of elderly dogs

The average lifespan of a dog is 12 years. The lifespan of ultra-small or large dogs is slightly shorter, and that of medium-sized dogs is longer. Small dogs slowly enter middle age in about the fifth year and begin to age. Of course, the health of each dog is different, and it is often seen that they get stronger with age. However, with the physiological changes of old dogs, their past life changes. Management should also make appropriate adjustments while also taking into account their emotional changes. Exercise: Choose cool weather and take a leisurely walk (1km 30 minutes pace). In addition, dogs with obesity or heart disease should pay attention to their breathing and heartbeat speed, and the degree of exercise should be controlled.

Regular health checkup:

Dogs aged 6 to 10 years old should have a health checkup once a year, which can be done at the same time as the annual vaccination. Older dogs over 10 years old are best vaccinated twice a year (old dogs still need vaccinations because their immunity will be reduced).

Temperature changes:

Old dogs are less adaptable to temperature, and can easily cause discomfort if they are too cold or too hot. Therefore, in winter and summer, please try to create a suitable temperature environment for your dog.

Bathing:

It depends on the physical condition of each dog. If there is no skin disease, bathing once a month is enough. If it gets dirty during this period, wipe it with a dry cloth or a hot and wet towel. Because bathing can easily cause nervousness or psychological stress in dogs, and if you accidentally catch a cold, it may lead to pneumonia. Be sure to use warm water when taking a shower and be sure to blow dry after washing.

Considerate mood:

The old dog’s waist and leg strength are no longer as strong as before, and it cannot vividly experience your love for it in games. At this time, instead, regular petting is the most comfortable thing for it. Expression of love. If there are other young dogs in your home, you have to pay special attention to giving the old dog the dignity of an elder in his actions. Otherwise, once other dogs become the leaders of the pack, fights often result in physical and mental injuries to the old dog. . On the other hand, old dogs also have a tendency to be stubborn, so if the situation is not serious, you might as well tolerate it with a considerate attitude. Just because they need a quiet and peaceful resting environment, please avoid shouting and scolding.

Food for elderly dogs

Starting from middle age, the dog’s eating habits must gradually adjust. Please master the following four points. Give soft foods to suit the teeth's chewing ability, but avoid fatty foods. Due to the decrease in the ability of the digestive organs, constipation often occurs, so it is necessary to supplement enough fiber. In order to reduce the burden on the kidneys, liver and heart, the intake of salt and protein should be reduced. In order to facilitate digestion and absorption, it is best to feed the food three times a day. Although the food intake is not as good as when they were young, the basic nutrients are still complete. Nowadays, there are dog foods on the market specially designed for old dogs, which are very suitable for the needs of old dogs. If your dog no longer has healthy teeth to chew food, you may wish to soak the dog food in milk or water first, and soften the meat food.Also chop and cook as much as possible. However, if you have not had the habit of drinking milk for a long time, giving too much milk suddenly may cause diarrhea. Therefore, when adding milk, you must give it slowly and in small amounts, and then increase it slowly.

Diseases that elderly dogs are susceptible to

Diseases caused in old age are more difficult to cure. In addition, old dogs have weakened resistance to skin diseases and infectious diseases, so they have a higher chance of going to the hospital. Therefore, a healthy old dog must be maintained from a young age. Old dogs suffer from a variety of illnesses, including cases of internal organ function problems, cranial nerve disorders, and cancer. The five diseases listed in this article are the most important diseases of old dogs. If your dog has begun to have these symptoms, it also indicates the beginning of aging.

Cataract:

Symptoms - the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, which can lead to blindness in severe cases. Choose to observe at night when the dog's pupils are wide open, which is easiest to detect.

Treatment:

There are treatments such as surgery and drugs, but they may not all be cured depending on the severity. So early detection is an important key to treatment. Generally speaking, dogs will have cataracts around the age of ten. Diabetes can sometimes cause cataracts, which can be detected with a urine test. However, treatment of dogs that are too thin is generally not encouraged because its effect is very limited.