Aging “Gray”cefully

Canine aging is not all that different from human aging, although it happens much too soon, as most of us dog guardians know.  You can expect your dog to start showing signs of aging at about middle-age, or 7 years of age for most dogs.  Larger dogs such as Great Danes or Mastiffs have a proportionately shorter expected life span, so middle age may come as early as 5 years.

Like us, dogs may be expected to experience problems with their joints, heart, and lungs, but you may also see changes in your dog’s skin and coat.  In addition, your dog may lose his or her appetite as well as the ability to hear, see, or smell accurately.

It's up to you to help your dog stay healthy well into his golden years.

Joint changes are primarily due to normal wear and tear, although injuries can speed up the process.  As a dog walks, runs, or participates in sports, the cartilage lining his or her joints begins to wear away.  When the cartilage has deteriorated to the point that bone is touching bone without a protective cartilage “shock absorber”, your dog will begin to experience pain when he or she moves the affected joint.

Joint pain from arthritis primarily the weight-bearing joints of the hips and legs; however, it can also impact the joints between the spinal vertebrae and the jaw bones.

When a dog experiences an injury at or near a joint, it can cause misalignment in the joint space which can speed the deterioration of the cartilage, causing your dog to experience joint pain at an earlier-than-expected age.

Some veterinarians suggest giving your aging dog a daily dose of glucosamine-chondroitin to promote joint health.  This supplement has been proven to improve cartilage so that arthritis never attacks.  Once arthritis does set in, treatment can include daily exercise to build up the muscles that support the joints, helping to keep them properly aligned.  In addition, your vet may prescribe any number of anti-inflammatory medications such as buffered aspirin to help reduce your dog’s pain.

You can learn about ways to improve your aging dog’s mobility, here and about canine water therapy, which can be used to ease aching joints, here.

Your dog’s heart and lungs become less efficient as your dog ages.  The valves of the heart begin to harden with age.  As they harden, they begin to allow backflow from one chamber of the heart to another, mixing together the richly oxygenated blood and the de-oxygenated blood.

In addition, the heart’s muscle fibers begin to become tired and to pump less efficiently.  The combination of leaking valves and weakened heart muscle make your dog slow down physically.  Jumping and playing no longer hold a lot of appeal when they begin to take too much effort.  You will notice that your dog may want to play in a more sedate way than previously, or may be just as active, but for shorter periods of time.

Further complicating the problem is that lung function may also begin to deteriorate.  The functional lung volume drops, making it harder for the blood to be cleansed of carbon dioxide and filled with oxygen in a timely manner.

The best defense against this age-related decline in function is a good offense.  Keeping your dog as active as possible for as long as possible will extend the length of time the heart muscle and lung function can be maintained at adequate levels.

Read more about your dog’s cardiovascular system and respiratory system.

What changes might you expect to see in your dog’s skin and coat with age?  Probably the most obvious change is the graying of the muzzle.  This is particularly obvious on a dark-coated dog, but can be seen in dogs of most colors.  The fur around the nose and eyes begins to lose pigment and turn gray, much in the way we see graying around the temples of our (much older!) friends and family members.

The fur may also begin to become dry and brittle with age.  Fatty acid supplements can bring back some of the shine and soft texture to your dog’s coat.

The skin of an aging dog can become thin in some areas, calloused in others.  The thin skin means that small bumps and scrapes can tear the skin fairly easily.  Most of these small injuries can be easily treated with antibiotic ointment, however, if the laceration is more than one inch long or one inch deep, it is a good idea to consult your veterinarian.

Because your dog likely spends a lot of time lying on floors, his or her elbows may become calloused as a protective device for the joints underneath.  You can massage oils into the calluses if they bother you, and you can provide a dog bed to keep the elbows up off the floor.

Finally, your dog may begin to develop small skin tags or tumors.  They are generally harmless, but you must keep track of them because skin tumors may occasionally become malignant.

Read more about your dog’s skin and coat.

Most of your dog’s sensory organs also decline with age.  Eyes may cloud with cataracts, the tiny hairs inside the ears begin to degenerate causing hearing loss.  Similarly, the function of the taste buds and smell receptors decline.  Although none of these are life-threatening, they may become troublesome to your dog and greatly affect his or her quality of life.

Although we all know that everyone’s life must come to an end sometime, your job is to keep your dog’s quality of life as high as possible for as long as possible.  Your best bet is to keep your dog active and provide both physical and mental activity throughout his or her life.