Owners of older dogs face special challenges in keeping their pets healthy. This necessitates remaining attentive to all the signs and symptoms of health problems in older dogs if you want to keep your pet healthy for as long as possible.
Dogs are considered to have reached old age by the last third of the typical lifespan for their breed.
If you notice that your senior dog seems to have less energy than it used to, it’s simply due to a natural slowing of the dog’s metabolism.
Older dogs are at an increased risk of developing diseases in their later years. Common health problems in older dogs include arthritis, hip dysplasia, congestive heart failure, and kidney failure.
If you’ve allowed your dog to become obese or seriously overweight, it places extra stress on the dog and worsens all of these conditions. Therefore, it’s important to maintain an older dog’s ideal weight by combining the right diet and sufficient exercise.
Older dogs are more accident-prone than younger dogs, so it’s imperative that you help your dog prevent falling over objects in the house or yard. Also watch for large cracks and uplifted areas of sidewalks when taking your dog for a walk.
Health problems in older dogs
Three of the most serious health problems in older dogs are:
Arthritis and Hip Dysplasia
Arthritis usually worsens with age or may not develop until a dog is older. The disease causes significant joint pain and stiffness in dogs. A dog suffering from arthritis will experience impaired mobility and will limp or have difficulty running and climbing stairs.
Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint and is one of the main causes of severe arthritis.
Regular non-strenuous exercise, combined with nutritional supplements like Winston’s Joint System, will help lessen the pain and discomfort caused by arthritis and hip dysplasia. Winston’s was designed to help dogs suffering with joint diseases like arthritis, bursitis, osteochondrosis (OCD), hip dysplasia and other degenerative problems obtain long-term relief without drugs.
Winston’s Pain Formula is an excellent addition to help ease a dog’s pain and discomfort. This powerful and natural pain relief product is fast-acting and highly effective. It works exceptionally well with Winston’s Joint System to help a dog recover much faster.
It’s also important that an obese or overweight dog lose weight to help take the pressure off its stressed joints caused by the arthritis or hip dysplasia.
Sleeping can also be a problem when the pain of arthritis or hip dysplasia is severe. To ease the pain in your dog, I recommend using the Canine Cooler Bed to soothe your dog’s inflammation and painful joints. It has really helped my older dog and he loves his bed.
Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a painful condition that can affect a dog at any age, but older and overweight dogs are more apt to succumb to this disease. Dogs with congestive heart failure accumulate fluid in their lung and chest cavities because their weakened heart can no longer efficiently pump their blood.
The symptoms of congestive heart failure include coughing, difficulty breathing, bluish tongue and gums, dizzy spells, sudden fatigue, a potbellied-looking abdomen, and weight loss. There is no cure for this disease and treatment consists only of drug therapy and vitamin supplements.
Your dog will need to be fed foods low in sodium and high in protein. Regular exercise is also very important. Should your dog collapse during exercise or any other activity, seek medical attention immediately as this is an emergency situation.
Kidney Failure
Aging usually impairs kidney function in dogs and can result in kidney failure.
Chronic kidney disease sometimes goes undetected for years. You should be alert to the symptoms of kidney disease which include excessive thirst, excessive urination, weight loss, and fatigue.
Being proactive about health problems in older dogs
Keeping your dog healthy becomes very important when it reaches old age. Graying hair and irritability are common in senior dogs but never assume that physical and behavioral changes are simply due to old age.
Keeping track of your dog’s illness symptoms, staying on schedule for its check-up appointments, and providing preventative care will help keep your dog feeling and acting younger.
Being proactive about your dog’s health will directly impact its life expectancy and ensure that any disease can be diagnosed at its beginning and treated in the early stages, improving the odds for recovery, or at least a more comfortable existence for you beloved pet as it ages.
Since 1990, Winston’s Joint System and Winston’s Pain Formula have helped heal over twenty thousand dogs from all over the world. Our staff specializes in hip dysplasia, arthritis and all joint, pain and mobility issues.
There is an excellent chance we can help your dog, so please contact us at: www.dogshealth.com or call our toll free number at 888-901-5557.