The dog lifetime and life quality depends of many things. But the main condition is the proper care. One can judge about the man's feeling to his dog by the time when his companion grows old.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPER
Senior dogs are usually more sedate and have more dignity. They are conservative in their habits and change the environment with difficulty. They may become naughty, irritable and shrewish. The temper is likely to get worse when the dog suffers some serious disease, feels discomfort and stands constant pain.
Some of aged dogs become shy, fearful and diffident. Others, on the contrary, pick a fight with young dogs, trying to stay leaders.
Regarding to owners, the senior dogs are more importunate, jealous and offensive or may become unsociable and keep away from contacts. Spending the daytime in drowse they stroll along the rooms at night because of sleeplessness.
The senior dogs are extremely sensitive to emotional and physical overloading. Stresses really destruct them. In some cases quite a cheerful dog becomes decrepit and helpless after the stress (loss of an owner, car crash, etc.)
AGEING AND DISEASES
In senior dogs it is often hard to draw a line between age-related changes and pathology. The immune system function reduces and symptoms are hazy and sometimes owners don't notice them in time. But even mere signs may indicate serious disorders. Some dogs become very sensitive to changes of weather, the feature that may mislead the owner who may think his dog's sickness is due just to this. With age animals get the full bunch of chronic diseases. To keep the delicate balance intact, this matter should be taken into account while selecting and prescribing the drug therapy.
Drug sensitivity may also change. Even for the obviously harmless medication the dose should be selected with regard to age, because the liver and renal functions are reduced and excessive dose will cause intoxication.
DOG OUTDOORS AND INDOORS
The locomotor system of many senior animals, especially the large ones, suffers various disorders. So the owner should pay special attention when the dog is hard to get up and lay down, clumsy when turns round, goes upstairs and downstairs with difficulty, or easily loses balance.
Of course, exercises are necessary. They maintain muscles in tone and joints flexible. But be reasonable. When the weather is good, you can make the walk longer. But don't be guided by your dog who hasn't lost her ready and sportive temper. Of cause it's good to give your dog pleasure, but it's apparently bad to overestimate her abilities and to tire her out. One should remember that ligaments lose elasticity and bones become more fragile with age. Even the mere injures heal very slowly, therefore one must be very attentive when outdoors. After play or quarrel with other dogs the senior animal may complain of sick legs or the backbone. Overstress may cause weakness, heart arrhythmia or dyspnea (short breath).
In icy conditions the large-breed dogs should be walked on a breast-band leashed. This will guarantee you'll be able to maintain the dog and reduce the impact, if the dog's legs will slide apart and she'll began to fall.
VISION
Up to eight years the dog's vision loses acuity. This may be the result of glaucoma, retinal degeneration or optic atrophy. But the common reason is age-related alteration of lens. The incipient cataract may be signified by a barely noticeable bluish hazy in the dog's eye. To interrupt the process one should apply eye drops (Catachrome-ophtan, Taufon) administering 1-2 drops 2-3 times a day in long-termed courses. In case of progressive cataract doctors usually indicate operation. If this is impossible, the blind dog should be always leashed outdoors and be walked along the familiar route. To avoid indoor traumas take all the dangerous objects away from her path.
Loss of vision acuity may happen without apparent reason. It reveals as a refusal to go outdoors at night, feeling unsure and embarrassed when overcoming even small obstacles.
One-eye blindness may provoke quite unexpected reactions: fright or aggression towards a dog your dog knows but who approaches to the side with the sick eye. Or the dog falls beyond the door or the gate.
Obvious sings of blindness are wary gate, sniffing the path. The dog aims at each next step, stumbles on things, and feels unsure.
Fortunately, for dogs loss of vision is not a tragedy. They rather quickly get used to orientate by means of other senses - smell and hearing, in the first turn. The owner's task is to diminish the risks of trauma and loss of vision, to teach the dog the basic commands (e.g., Stay, Easy, Move) to make the animal feel sure and show her she can rely on her master as well.
HEARING
Hearing impairment is one more coming change in the aged organism. Often dogs with chronic otitis are more inclined to hearing loss. The disorder is not as evident as loss of vision. After she spent a long life with the man, she is guided not only by the voice, but also by expression, gestures, she can read from the lips familiar commands and words and the owner begins to suspect only when the dog doesn't notice commands, gets lost on a walk and despite the owner's calls runs to the opposite side.
The dog that suffers hearing impairment should be walked on the leash. Of course it's impossible to recover hearing, but after all, timely treatment of otitis and correct ear care reduce the opportunity of deafness in the old age.
SKIN CARE
With age the skin loses elasticity and dandruff appears. This happens because sebaceous glands produce less grease. The fur gets dim and looks badly groomed. Regular combing helps skin get rid of shed hair, dandruff, and stimulates circulation of blood. The brush should be soft enough not to scratch the skin, because abrasions are very sensitive to infection.
Nails grind off slowly. When too long they impede movements and cause lameness. Observe them regularly and clip carefully if needed.
An old dog is prone to catching cold, therefore wash her only if she is very dirty. It is even better to use a special dry shampoo.
FEEDING
The major attention should be paid to the food quality, not its quantity. The best choice is the number of products the dog is used to. Abrupt change may cause indigestion. For dogs with chronic diseases, the veterinary may prescribe a certain dietetic food, including commercially prepared ones. One of the essential conditions to make the senior dog feel good is to keep to the diet.
Change of tastes is typical for an old dog. Some animals become very fastidious, others are always hungry. Bulimia (voracious appetite due to a disorder in satiety center) may provoke overfeeding. More than that, when dog eats everything she can get, she runs the risk of poisoning. Both bad appetite and gluttony are the cause to visit a vet.
The organism of the old dog very much needs vitamins. It is desirable to use complex supplements, developed specially for senior animals (Decamevit and other veterinary medications). To make a proper choice you should consult a doctor. Some drugs, like Gerontodog contain Acanthopanax and the like substances maintain the dog's vitality, though they are contraindicated in case of diseased liver. Vitaret for senior dogs also made a good showing. It improves health, stimulates activity, has a salubrious effect on joints and makes the fur brighter.
SLOVENLINESS
The one of the common reasons for euthanasia in old animals is slovenliness. Really, one day the dog loses control over spoiling and wetting and begins to make her business inside the house. Being tidy is a skill that a young puppy is taught. But in the old animal many of conditioned responses fade and this leads to untidiness. There's no sense in scolding and punishing but it is better just to add extra walking time.
Many senior dogs consume excessive water - one reason for enuresis. Thirst may be the result of renal activity disorder. Of course it's hard to bear but you must never forbid drinking. You can take your dog out more often so she will not have to endure it for long. Abnormal thirst may indicate some other diseases: pyometra (accumulation of pus inside the uterus), pancreatic diabetes, etc. To define the cause one should take the dog to the vet and make tests.
Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow)
(MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).