Aging in Dogs

Lucky

Everyone has heard the myth about ‘dog years,’ which often is described to mean that a dog ages the equivalent of 7 human years for every year of a dog’s life. This would mean that a 3-year-old dog’s age is equivalent to that of a 21-year-old person and a 4-year-old dog’s age would be equivalent to that of a 28-year-old person…and so on.
The truth is, the relationship is more complex than that. Dogs of different breed sizes age at different rates and dogs age faster or slower depending on how old they are.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
There are a number of reasons why owners should be aware of this variable aging rate. Among the most important are: Puppies are going through their fastest growth for their first year or even two years. During that entire time, puppies should be fed a complete and balanced puppy food. It may seem strange to call an 18-month-old, 60-pound large breed dog a ‘puppy’ – but that’s what he is.
Large breed puppies have unique nutritional needs. These needs include the need to manage caloric intake to help a large breed puppy achieve an ideal body condition. Keeping your large breed puppy lean helps keep muscular and skeletal growth rates at an ideal pace.
The rule of thumb is that dogs of breeds that typically weigh 50 pounds or more full grown are large breeds and will be puppies for 2 full years. In terms of selecting food and providing health care, you should treat them as puppies for that time.
Even though large breed dogs take longer to reach full maturity, they also will show signs of growing older sooner than other dogs. Very large dogs can become canine senior citizens as early as 5 years.  Owners should treat their dogs accordingly.

SIGNS OF AGING IN DOGS:
As a good rule of thumb, you should start looking for the “Seven Signs of Senior” at about seven years of age. These signs include:

  • Your dog’s coat and the area around his muzzle begin to turn gray. Because your pet is getting older, it is important to know that skin problems may occur more often since the skin may be thinner, less elastic, and does not repair itself as quickly.
  • Your senior dog begins to slow down, has less energy and has trouble getting up or limping.
  • Longer and more frequent naps are common side effects of aging.
  • A change in habits, including play preferences and eating or drinking habits is commonly observed in older dogs.
  • Weight changes are common in older dogs. Some dogs gain weight as they age while others lose weight.
  • Dental problems that translate as bad breath are more likely to appear in older pets.
  • Hearing, vision and other senses become less acute when dogs get older.