It is believed that one year of a dog's life is equivalent to 5 years in human chronology, which means that our four-legged friends live 5 times less. The life span of a dog, its health throughout this life and physical condition depend not only on the breed, but also on those subjective conditions in which the dog is kept. But there are also objective criteria for the onset of a dog's old age.
Breed and age of dogs
Of course, the main criterion that determines the life span of a dog is its size, and, therefore, the breed. Small breed dogs live on average almost 5 years longer than giants such as mastiffs and mastiffs. Accordingly, a lapdog at 12-14 years old will still be "young and good-looking", while a boxer or a hound will already grow old.
The first signs of advancing old age in dogs appear already at the "middle age", which for large dogs is 5 years, for simple large breeds - 7 years, for medium-sized breeds - 8-9 years, and for babies - 9-10 years. This period is especially dangerous because any serious illness can simply not be noticed, mistaking it for one of the symptoms of approaching old age. Health problems can be indicated by weight loss, poor appetite, increased thirst, frequent urination, difficulty breathing, chronic diarrhea or vomiting, putrid smell from the mouth, or sore gums. Painful manifestations must be distinguished from signs of aging.
Proper nutrition and an active lifestyle at a young and middle age can prolong the life of a dog. In old age, she needs to adjust her diet in order to exclude obesity associated with a slowdown in metabolism.
Signs of old age in dogs
The first symptoms of an aging dog are a decrease in activity and muscle tone in the neck and trunk. The animal may lose a little weight, its skin sags, the muscles no longer support the abdomen and it sags, just like the ridge in the back. The joints of the front paws turn slightly outward, muscle tremors appear, vision begins to fall, and hearing is lost. An older dog usually has dental and gum problems.
With age, the activity of the sebaceous glands in dogs decreases, their skin becomes dry, dandruff may appear, the coat grows dull, gathers in tangles and begins to fall out, in some breeds, gray hair appears on the face. The pads on the paws of older dogs thicken and lose their elasticity, and may begin to crack, causing lameness. The animal is no longer as flexible as in youth, it becomes difficult for him to bend and carry out hygiene procedures in the anus and groin. Heat exchange is impaired, so older dogs are less tolerant of heat.
Try to protect the old dog from stress, pay more attention to it and provide proper care, exclude increased physical and emotional stress.
The dog's behavior also changes - it becomes calmer and less curious. If the aging of the body is accompanied by some kind of disease, her character may also change - the dog becomes irritable and may even start biting if careless touches cause him pain.
