Figuring Out When Your Dog Can Be Classified As Older
Dogs are great pets. In fact, most of us treat them like just another family member. The one problem is the lifespan of a pup is much shorter than ours. This means your dog starts reaching old age much quicker. You need to change how your treat your pup when this happens. That of course assumes you know what to look for to make the determination. Here is how to know.
Just what is old age with a dog? Well, we’ve all heard the old cliche that on human year equals seven dog years. It sounds nice, but isn’t really that accurate. The bigger determining factor is the size of your dog. The bigger the dog, the shorter the lifespan in general. A big dog is generally going to be entering its mature years around the age of seven to eight. A small dog won’t be classified the same way until they reach their early teens. There is one caveat to all of this. Certain breeds will have very defined aging patterns. Poodles can live very long for instance. Make sure to discuss the issue with your vet at your pets next visit.
Of course, the easiest way to tell if your dog is aging is to simply keep an eye on them. Graying around the mouth is a sure sign. So is lethargy. If your otherwise playful dog starts to take it easy more and more, then they’ve moved into a new period of life. Then there are the physical changes. Older pups will actually get smaller in size as they lose their muscle bulk. This may be hard to see if they have a lot of fur, so take note when you wash them. They will also tend to have hearing problems and their eyes may start to take on a cloudy appearance. A dog that constantly sits down suddenly when walking is also one that is having hip problems. Any of these signs should have you heading off to the vet to get a checkup.
An aging pup is still a great pet. That being said, you need to take better care of them. Watch them closely for signs of pain or problems. If you see symptoms, make sure to get them treated.
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About the Author:
Thomas Ajava writes for <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.askavetaquestion.com”>AskAVet.com</a> – where you can learn what <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=”http://www.askavetaquestion.com/veterinarian/questions-to-ask-your-vet-before-surgery”>questions to ask a vet before surgery</a> and read up on other vet topics.
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