By Marcella Durand for The Dog Daily

Getting old is no excuse to become a couch potato—and that goes for dogs, too! As your dog ages, regular exercise keeps its muscles toned, his joints protected, his body trim and his mind sharp. He may no longer be able to slaughter the Frisbee like he used, but an exercise routine tailored to his individual likes and needs will make his remaining years truly golden.

“The most important thing with older dogs is making a routine,” says Nann Dawn, shelter manager at the Oakland Adoption Center in Oakland, California and one of the founders of the shelter’s innovative Silver Muzzle Club, an adoption program for pets eight-years and older. “Make time for exercise every day. They can’t afford at their age to be weekend warriors.”

Whether your dog’s idea of fun is swimming, walking, or playing with other dogs, build up slowly. If it’s walking, start with a few blocks and gradually progress to a couple of miles a day.

Beware of overstraining your pooch. An older dog will want to please you and might end up playing beyond its limits. Monitor the situation closely and make sure your dog doesn’t become dehydrated, overheated or too tired.  “The key is not to push a dog,” says Chuck Keicer, DVM, at the Heartland Veterinary Hospital in Kentucky. “You don’t want to push an animal beyond a comfort zone.”

Steer clear of high-impact activities like jumping which can stress aging joints. Keicer recommends swimming as “absolutely the best” for older dogs because it is low-impact. Walking is a close second for the same reason.  Surprisingly, however, Keicer also likes agility training, which he says can be easily adjusted to suit a senior dog’s ability. “There are lots of ways an agility course can be modified for an older dog,” says Keicer. Lowering jumps is a good example. “It can still be a blast for them to participate.”

Obedience training is another option to get senior dogs moving. “Every adult dog who joins the Silver Muzzle Club goes through obedience work,” says Dawn. “We have yet to find one that doesn’t like a little round of treat training,” she says. And a lot of the senior dogs have gone on to do pet therapy. “Most dogs don’t make it to old age without being really good dogs.  Sometimes they’re really ready to work.”

Dawn also recommends at-home toys, such as Buster Cubes and Kongs filled with kibble, because they keep a senior dog entertained and exercise the jaw muscles. As for social activities, she prefers large dog parks where an older dog might avoid getting bullied or crowded by younger aggressive dogs.  “Older dogs can’t take those adolescent body slams,” she says. “Most of them can’t keep up with the youngsters.”

By knowing your older dog’s likes and limitations, the two of you can develop an exercise regimen that will keep both of you having fun for years to come.

We try not to think that our dogs will grow old but they do. And just like people, dogs will experience a lot of changes as they reach a certain age. One such change is that your dog will most likely develop dog arthritis. As dog owners, it is our responsibility to understand, prepare, and adjust to what our dogs will go through once they have reached a ripe old age.

How old is old?

The popular belief states that one dog year is equivalent to seven human years. This means a dog that is nine years old, in human years, is actually sixty-three years old. However, this system may not be an accurate measure. In reality, the size and the breed of the dog plays an important factor in dog aging. Studies have shown breed differences as follows:

• Smaller breeds have a longer life expectancy than their larger counterparts. Smaller breeds such as terriers become geriatric (late adulthood, 60+ in humans) at about eleven years,
• Medium-sized dogs become geriatric at ten
• Large dogs become geriatric at about seven.

Changes in Your Senior Dog

Dogs age similarly to humans. When your dog reaches its geriatric stage, its body undergoes changes. For example, blood vessels in the brain become less elastic and the lung capacity is decreased. This means less oxygen goes to the brain affecting your dog’s memory and learning.

Below are some physical changes caused by aging:

• Your dog may experience loss of hearing and loss of sight (due to cataracts).
• Your dog’s heart may weaken as the valves of the organ lose their elasticity. As a result, your dog will become less active.
• Your dog may lose hair or the hair may whiten. The skin becomes thinner making it more susceptible to injury, although calluses will develop in the elbows and the skin on the foot pads thicken. The nails may become more brittle.
• Your dog will be at risk for gum disease and tooth loss.
• Your dog will be prone to gastrointestinal and urinary problems.

Another significant health issue for senior dogs is dog arthritis. This will affect your senior dog’s mobility as the joints may get inflamed and painful due to cartilage deterioration over years of wear and tear. Senior dog that are overweight and inactive are especially susceptible.

Caring for Your Senior Dog with Dog Arthritis

When you notice that your senior dog is having problems moving around, it necessary for you to consult a vet so that the proper diagnosis can be done. For dog arthritis, early detection is crucial so that cartilage damage can be controlled and tissue rehabilitation can be started in the earliest possible time.

Given that your senior dog has been diagnosed with dog arthritis, working with your vet to create a treatment plan will help your pet live a happy and healthy life regardless of the disease. For this to happen, as a dog owner it is important to manage your dog’s weight through proper diet and exercise:

• Change your dog’s diet. Make sure that its medical needs are met. It would also be better to give smaller meals throughout the day, rather than two big meals. There are some fantastic ‘life stage’ foods on the market.
• Your dog may not be as energetic as it used to be; however, exercise is still needed. Short walks in the morning and in the evening are highly recommended. This will promote blood circulation around the joints as well as strengthen your dog’s muscles.

Caring for your senior dog is not easy, especially when your pet is suffering from dog arthritis. However, knowing what to expect and knowing what to do will greatly help you with this task. We can still provide our pet with the same love and affection through the later stages of its life.

Dr. Christoper Durin is a veterinarian and creator of Dog Arthritis Blog, the authority site for dog arthritis.

Written By: Amna Plummer, DVM, Critter Care Animal Hospital

While aging is both natural and inevitable, it is important to realize that pets age much faster than people.

Aging is a natural and inevitable process that we all face. Pets, however, age much faster than people. Size and breed are significant factors – with some large dog breeds aging more rapidly than smaller breeds. On average, by age two most dogs and cats have already reached adulthood, and by age seven, many pets are entering their senior years.

Because dogs age more rapidly than people, significant health changes can occur in a short amount of time. The risks of cancer, diabetes, obesity, arthritis, heart disease and other serious conditions all increase with age. And, because today’s pets are living longer, chances are many will experience a potentially serious illness during their lifetime.

Since pets age, on average, up to seven times faster than people, it is recommended that they get a check up twice a year. Routine check ups should include blood chemistry tests to evaluate the functionality of a dog’s organs. These tests can detect conditions or diseases before symptoms emerge.

Blood work is recommended for young pets undergoing any surgical procedure. Also, if a problem such as liver or kidney disease is suspected, blood work can help to identify this. A significant percentage of young animals, especially purebred dogs, can have congenital or hereditary problems such as porto systemic shunts (liver), kidney disease, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and diabetes.

While most pets experience the best health of their lives between the ages of two and six years of age, stress, illnesses and poor nutrition can affect and potentially cause disease to their organs. Blood chemistry tests can detect these early changes and provide a good baseline for comparison later in your pet’s life. Treatment is usually the most effective when begun in the early stages of the disease process.

Advances in medical diagnostics and treatment enable your pet be more comfortable and also to prolong its life. New pain management medications also help pets with chronic pain have a better quality of life. In addition to medications, appropriate nutrition for your pet’s condition will also prolong its lifespan.

About Critter Care Animal Hospital

Built in 1998, Critter Care Animal Hospital is a full service veterinary hospital for small animals. It opened it’s doors in November of that year and was formerly The Animal Clinic on Wilcrest in southwest Houston. It is now owned and operated by Amna Plummer DVM.

When the idea of a wheel chair for dogs was first mentioned to me I immediately saw the sense in it. In fact, most mobility devices designed to assist humans can be adapted in some way or form to dogs, i.e. dog strollers, wheelchairs, harnesses, carriers etc…The selling point for me in any of these products has always been its functionality. In other words, its purpose must be practical not some superficial reason.

To me, carrying a healthy dog in a front baby carrier is not only confusing but also serves to undermine to intention of the product and subsequently prevents potential buyers from considering it as a useful tool for dogs with mobility issues. It’s easy to understand why a pet owner might consider these products for their aging dogs and nothing drives the point home more than actually seeing one being used properly.

Just yesterday I saw an older dog using a wheel chair and while it saddened me to see that it had lost the use of its hind legs it was really uplifting to see how excited it was to be outside actively engaging with other dogs.

I believe that it is our responsibility to provide the best quality of life for our dogs and denying them there natural right to an active life is not only unfair but also abusive.

This is why it is important that these devices be marketed in a manner that promotes practicality rather than as an extension of someone eccentric personality.

I love technology. Check out the short video I was able to create to help show people our dog jogger prototype called a Dogger™. We are working on this product to help senior dogs, injured dogs and handicapped dogs enjoy life.