Do you know if your dog already reached old age? You can determine it by breed or body weight. We can say that a dog is senior if their age is around five to ten years old. Large dogs mature faster compared to smaller ones. If your dog maintains a normal body weight, he’s less likely to age fast compared to overweight dogs.
What are the things we should do to minimize the effects of old age? Let’s go ahead and start with the diet.
When your dog reaches or is about to reach old age, his body condition also needs a special type of diet.
They tend to get slower and prone to certain diseases so we must plan what they eat. This might be a challenge for some pet owners since they have to constantly monitor and measure their old pal’s daily intake. Since elderly dogs can’t force themselves to strenuous activities unlike the young ones, they become prone to obesity. Without a pet owner’s intervention, it would be difficult for an old dog to maintain an ideal weight. An overweight dog is prone to health problems.
Obviously your first course is to determine if your dog is overweight, underweight or normal. If your dog is overweight, you should have him checked by a vet. There’s a possibility that he’s been suffering from an underlying health issue without you being aware. The only qualified people to diagnose your dog are veterinarians.
Generally, older dogs need a diet low in calories to maintain a healthy weight and a diet high in fiber to have a healthy digestive tract. Since older dogs have a slower metabolic rate, they easily become overweight. A lot of dog food in the market offers a low calorie, high fiber diet. For better guidance, you can ask your vet for some suggested brands.
Aside from food intake, his ability to maintain water balance might be compromised as he gets older, so you might want to give him plenty of water to drink.
If you find out that your dog has a certain disease like heart disease, liver disease or diabetes, you should seek professional advice especially on your dog’s diet. This special diet should be outlined by your dog’s vet. They are the only ones that should tell you if your dog needs a special diet or treatment.
There are also factors that may cause your dog to become overweight. This includes arthritis, hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid, Cushing’s disease or overactive adrenal glands, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, pituitary gland diseases and insulinoma or tumor in the pancreas.
You should talk to your vet about any changes that you observe on your dog such as frequent urination, lethargy and change in appetite. It’s not uncommon for older dogs to have a decrease in appetite. There are a lot of notable causes of reduced appetite like gastrointestinal problems and cancer.
If you want to really know their underlying health problem, you may subject your dog to blood tests, radiographs and ultrasounds. You may want to know your dog’s condition at its early stage since time is our enemy here.