How do you determine when your dog is senior and what implications can that have on your dog’s behavior, physical health, and nutrition?
As you know, a dog year is equal to seven human years. It can slightly vary depending on the size of your dog. That means when your dog is reaching seven years, some age-related issues can show up.
There are a few things you can do to understand and spot if your dog reached senior age.
Check your dog’s Skin and Coat
When people get older they usually get thin gray hair, lighter and dryer skin, and of course, wrinkles.
How about your dog? Is your dog an exception from all this? Of course not. Your dog will get similar symptoms of old age. But perhaps in a different way. They will show gray hair for sure, and the coat will get somewhat thinner. The first place you will notice gray hair is probably around the nose and eyes.
You will also notice wrinkles on their skin and their toenails will show some signs of age as well.
Changes to Eyesight and Hearing
When your dog reaches the senior age, they will gradually lose some of their capabilities for eyesight and hearing. Problem with their eyes is a common problem in the upper ages, for example, Cataracts. That is when the eye lens gets clouded with a gray film.
When your dog starts to walk into things, such as furniture in your home or when you’re walking your dog, and he walks into trash cans, etc., then you should get your dog to a veterinarian to have your dog’s eyes checked.
Reduced Mobility
Does your dog refuse to walk or take that afternoon stroll that he used to like? This could be symptoms of bad joints or hips. The cause can be arthritis somewhere in the bone structure. If this is the case, seek care at a veterinarian who can prescribe some medicine that can ease the pain.
Signs of Age-related Health Problems
It can be tough to spot any signs of age or bad health since you need to know what to look for and the fact that the symptoms will come gradually.
When your dog reaches senior age, you need to be observant on the small variations in behavior. Your dog can lose appetite; it can get disoriented, lack of social interaction and suddenly get aggressive.
