As they age, your dog’s body goes through changes that make maintaining them healthy more and more challenging. All geriatric dogs develop age-related conditions, and this article tackles the 5 most common ones.
Aside from the health issues showcased here, dogs now have a higher likelihood of developing cancer, hypothyroidism, and cognitive dysfunction (canine dementia) in their senior years.
Osteoarthritis
All senior pets get arthritis as they age. It is a degenerative disease, so while there is no complete and effective treatment for it, you can manage it with your vet’s help.
Some symptoms you might notice in your older dog if they are starting to experience osteoarthritis are:
- A reluctance to exercise, jump, or move too much
- Pain in certain body parts, especially the joints
- Weight gain
- Stiffness, mainly after sitting in the same position for a while
Arthritis is easy to diagnose using general and special methods. Because it is so common among geriatric patients, your vet will tell what’s wrong in a timely manner.
Since this is a chronic condition, you won’t be able to rely on highly effective, but also highly risky, medication such as steroidal drugs.
NSAIDs (non-steroidal pain relievers), some pet supplements containing chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, and alternative treatments like physical therapy prove their worth in this case.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease and eventually, kidney failure, is a silent killer of senior animals. The first symptoms often go unnoticed. Poor oral health is one of the primary causes of kidney disease in geriatric dogs.
Some symptoms you might notice if your dog developed a kidney condition range from changes in the way they drink water (not enough or too much), changes in urination frequency and amount, a loss of appetite, vomiting, and weight loss.
As kidney disease reaches the more severe stage, you might notice mouth ulcers or blood in your dog’s urine.
Unlike other organs, kidneys do not have recovery capabilities. Once one or some of their functioning units are lost, they are lost forever. Getting treatment as soon as possible is paramount for preserving your dog’s renal performance.
Long-term treatments exist these days. They can increase your dog’s lifespan even following a diagnosis of kidney failure.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious metabolic and endocrine disease that affects more and more dogs, especially those older than 7. Obesity often causes diabetes.
Like diabetic people, diabetic dogs have a very hard time dealing with infections and even minor health issues.
They have decreased resistance to bacteria and fungi. Their immune system doesn’t have the same natural mechanisms as completely healthy animals.
Signs of diabetes in senior dogs include:
- Excessive appetite for water
- Increased urination
- Significant changes in appetite
- Progressive loss of vision or cataracts
- Weight loss
Vets diagnose diabetes by performing blood work and urinalysis. Ideally, there should be no sugar (glucose) present in the urine. If that occurs, it is a sign that a dog may have diabetes.
Luckily, veterinary medicine has seen many advances over the past few decades. So, if your dog has diet-related diabetes, you can definitely manage it and even reverse it with insulin, hypoglycemic medications, and diet and lifestyle changes.
Dental Disease
Let’s face it. Brushing your dog’s teeth and using mouthwash regularly is challenging. You’ve probably tried to deal with it time and again and noticed how reluctant dogs can be when having the inside of their mouths touched.
But maintaining your dog’s oral health should be a primary concern for you from the get-go, even from the moment you bring your dog home for the first time. You should take your dog to professional cleanings at least once every six to nine months.
According to some sources, more than 80% of all dogs aged 3 and above have periodontal disease.
Plaque and tartar buildup eventually lead to tooth loss. But that’s not the only problem with canine dental disease – your dog’s teeth and gums have a massive effect over how the rest of their body works. If your pet has a tooth infection and there’s a port of entry in their gums, dangerous bacteria from their mouth (or whatever they might lick or chew on the street or in your house) can easily get into their bloodstream.
Heart Disease
Even though there are multiple cardiovascular diseases that affect senior dogs, the most common one by far is congestive heart failure (CHF).
This illness involves the heart not being able to pump enough blood to the other organs in the body, which leads to adverse effects such as edemas and respiratory complications.
Congenital and genetic factors may cause congestive heart failure, but with geriatric dogs, obesity, a lack of exercise, and old age are at the root of the disease.
These are the most common symptoms of canine heart disease:
- Exercise intolerance
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Fainting
- Extreme fatigue
- Restless sleep
- Bloating of the abdomen (because of fluid accumulation)
Your dog’s heart is essential for maintaining their general health. If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Depending on the specific type of heart disease that your dog has, your vet can prescribe the right medication and lifestyle changes so that your pet lives for many more years to come.
