Seeing that your aging dog receives regular expert vet care is vital in maintaining its good health. Regular checkups and preventive veterinary care can add years to the life of an older dog.
Many pet dogs are living longer lives due to early diagnosis of diseases and quicker treatments. Early intervention in a disease means the dog has a better chance of recovering and living a longer life. Most veterinary clinics and animal hospitals have special preventive care programs for older dogs. These programs may go under the moniker of âgeriatric wellness programs,â or âsenior care programs.â These exams usually include blood tests, urine tests, stool tests, and x-rays.
A dogâs health is partly determined by the health of its parents when conception occurred. The rest is up to the dogâs owner. A dog should have the necessary vaccinations, proper nutrition, good dental care, heartworm prevention, and other professional vet care during its life because all of these will have a direct bearing on a dogâs health as it ages. The healthier a dog is while growing up, the better its chances of being healthy as it grows older.
Appointments with a veterinarian usually include measuring the dogâs weight each visit. Any rapid or unexplained weight gain or weight loss is often the first sign of disease. Regular visits to the vet should be a part of every dogâs health care. Itâs also very important to follow the vetâs recommendations on the proper feeding of older dogs. This helps ensure the dog is receiving the correct nutrition as it ages, and assists in preventing obesity which is one of the most common and preventable diseases in older dogs.
Older dogs should receive regular physical exams. How often these exams should be given depends a lot on the health of the dog; but older dogs, no matter their health status, should be examined by a vet at least once a year. Some older dogs who are diagnosed with health problems will need more visits with the veterinarian.
A physical assessment of the dog will include an examination of the mouth, teeth, gums, tongue, and throat. A rectal exam is also a part of the examination of an aging dog. The veterinarian will examine the inner pelvic area, the lining of the colon, check the dogâs lymph nodes, and the prostate in male dogs.
The physical exam will also include checking the dogâs skin and ears for ticks, fleas, or mites. Heartworm prevention is another important treatment for dogs of all ages but more so for aging dogs. Heartworm medications are available at all pet stores so itâs not difficult to prevent this disease.
If a dog shows any warning signs of heart, lung, kidney, or liver disease, X-rays will need to be taken. When a dog grows older and is still healthy, an X-ray of its chest and abdomen should be taken in case the dog later develops signs of disease. An X-ray taken when the dog was in good health can be compared to a new X-ray and will be valuable in diagnosing any symptoms the dog exhibits.
Owners of senior dogs should understand that the immune system of an older dog is not as strong as it was when the dog was younger, so itâs imperative that an aging dog be kept up-to-date on its vaccinations.
The problem of trying to control an animalâs pain must be handled by the vet. There are medications available that can help relieve pain in older dogs and make their lives a little more comfortable.
Older dogs need expert vet care to help prevent disease and to diagnose any health problems that can be treated and cured with the proper care. A veterinarian is the best partner a dog owner can have for keeping their dog healthy and making its senior years pleasurable.
Diseases that affect older dogs can be more serious simply because the dog is older.
Our pet dogs are susceptible to many of the same diseases that we as humans have to deal with. Here is a list of the most common diseases that can affect your pet and the symptoms or warning signs to guide you in knowing when to contact your vet. Some are serious and require immediate attention while others may have slow onsets and can be more difficult to diagnose. Many of these diseases affect older dogs more than younger ones, but a dogâs age does not render it immune to any of these debilitating diseases. When deciding whether any of these symptoms affecting your dog are serious enough to warrant a visit to the vet, you should always err on the side of caution and contact your vet when any of these symptoms persist in your pet.
Cancer â Signs and Symptoms
Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow
Sores that do not heal
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Bleeding or discharge from any opening in the body
Unusually strong stinky odor
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Hesitant to exercise or suffers from a loss of stamina
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating
Dental disease â Signs and Symptoms
Bad breath
Difficulty eating or swallowing
Weight loss
Arthritis â Signs and Symptoms
Difficulty getting up from prone position
Difficulty climbing steps and/or jumping
Behavior changes â irritable, reclusive
Urinating or defecating inside the house
Loss of muscle
Kidney disease/failure â Signs and Symptoms
Increased urination and thirst
Weight loss
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Pale gums
Diarrhea
Blood in vomit or black, tarry stool
Bad breath and oral ulcers
Behavior change
Prostate disease â Signs and Symptoms
Urinating or defecating inside the house
Dribbling urine
Blood in urine
Cataracts â Signs and Symptoms
Cloudy appearance to the eyes
Bumping into objects large enough to be avoided
Not retrieving objects when thrown
Hypothyroidism â Signs and Symptoms
Weight gain
Dry, thin coat
Lethargy and/or depression
Cushingâs disease â Signs and Symptoms
Thin coat and thin skin
Increased thirst and urination
Pot-bellied appearance
Abnormally increased appetite
Urinary incontinence â Signs and Symptoms
Urinating in the bed or the area where the dog was sleeping
Gastrointestinal disease â Signs and Symptoms
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of appetite
Loss of weight
Blood in stool
Black and/or tarry stool
Inflammatory bowel disease â Signs and Symptoms
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Mucous or blood in stool
Increased frequency of defecation
Diabetes mellitus â Signs and Symptoms
Increased thirst and urination
Weight loss
Anemia â Signs and Symptoms
Exercise intolerance
Very light-colored gums
Liver disease â Signs and Symptoms
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Behavior changes
Yellow or pale gums
As you can see from this list of symptoms, it would be nearly impossible to self-diagnose your pet with any of these diseases that can affect older dogs. If you notice that one or more of the above symptoms persist for any length of time, make an appointment with your vet and have your dog thoroughly checked for these serious diseases. You owe your faithful companion the best care you can afford.
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