Senior Dogs Health

As a dogs grow older, their health concerns change. With puppies, owners are worried about the dogs eating forbidden items. For the owners of senior dogs, which are dogs over seven-years-old, weight problems and certain medical conditions become the main considerations. Care for a senior dogs is slightly more expensive than care for adult dogs, as the vet checkups become more frequent. However, the joy of seeing your dogs live a long and happy life should be more than enough to convince you to provide all of the care they need.

According to Dr. Daren McVay, senior dogs should be taken to the veterinarian for a checkup every six months. This is because serious health problems must be caught as early as possible to prevent irreversible damage. Of course, any time dogs exhibit troubling symptoms, they should be taken to the vet.

Senior dogs are at an increased risk of becoming obese. One way to combat this risk is to feed them food made especially for senior dogs. These foods are lower in protein and fat. Feeding the dogs two small meals will help them to digest the food better than feeding them one large meal per day.

According to Healthy Happy Dogs, 25 to 30 percent of dogs develop degenerative joint disease. This condition is just as painful for dogs as it is for humans. If your dogs suffer from this condition, they may limp about. You may notice that they move slowly upon waking and that they are no longer able to stand or sit. A trip to the veterinarian can give you a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan tailored to your pets.

Healthy Happy Dogs states that cancer is responsible for half of the deaths of senior dogs over 10-years-old. The most common sign of canine cancer is a hard lump that doesn't go away. However, loss of appetite, extreme weight loss and mood changes are other signs of canine cancer.

Heart disease, such as congestive heart failure, is a common condition among senior dogs. The first sign of a heart condition is a heart murmur. When you take your dogs to the vet for their regular checkups, ask the vet to check for murmurs. Other signs to look for are a swollen abdomen, lethargy, lack of appetite and trouble breathing.