Health and Illness in Your Aging Dog
Health and Illness in Your Aging Dog
Scheduling regular health and wellness examinations for your aging dog could help to maintain health and alleviate any potentially fatal illnesses. You need to be alert and responsive to the changes that you see in your dog. Do not jump to the conclusion that just because there are changes in your dog’s behavior and responses to you that it is a sign that death is around the corner. Most often, these changes are merely signs of aging. Many of the age related illnesses that dogs are prone to getting, are very treatable conditions. Be certain to mention to your vet, the changes that you notice in your canine companion. Has your pet lost or gained noticeable amounts of weight? Is the dog you used to leave alone, now suffering from separation anxiety? Feel any differences in your aging dog’s skin?
Do Dogs Get Cancer? The incidence of cancer is low when compared with humans. Even when dogs are diagnosed with a lipoma, a benign fatty tumor, or breast tumors that are diagnosed as malignant, these do not necessarily indicate a spreading malignancy or death. Once in a while, dogs will have a liver or spleen tumor that spreads to the lungs. Such dogs can bleed to death because the tumors bleed, or the malignancy can cause sufficient damage to the liver to cause death. Fibrosis of the heart and kidneys, which means a loss of elasticity in those organs, is far and away the most common disease-induced cause of death. Cancer affects more cats than dogs, but the reasons for this are somewhat obscure. Much can be done to control and prevent cancer in dogs.
Is the pressure rising? If a dog has a bad heart, he usually has low blood pressure because he is hampered by an inefficient pump and poor circulation. This is why a dog with heart problems often also has kidney problems. You must maintain adequate pressure and blood supply to organs in order to maximize kidney efficiency.
What about surgery risks? Depending upon the status of the heart and the kidneys most aging dogs are able to withstand the rigors of surgery. However, all of the pre-surgery work should be thoroughly checked prior to the older dog being anesthetized. The anesthesia proves to be a greater risk than the surgery itself. If the dog is evaluated competently before surgery, there should only be a one-percent risk factor of anesthetic death. When sodium pentobarbital was more widely used as an anesthesia, many dogs never woke up because of a condition called acidosis. Over-dosing caused excess absorption of the pentobarbital into the body. Just when you would think the dog was safely asleep, his fat began to release the drug, thereby causing an overdose in the dog. When sodium pentobarbital is in the blood stream, there is no control or reversal. Today, with gas anesthesia, risk is nearly absent because of the greater control the vet has.
What is the most common cause of death in dogs? Cars kill more dogs than all other causes combined, more than all diseases. If your elderly dog does not hear or see as well as he once did, an outdoor exercise pen that is portable is a good option. Among diseases, kidney and heart diseases take equal toll, and cancer is a more common cause of death nowadays than heretofore. Let us repeat here what was stated earlier. There must be respect for community leash laws. Dogs should not walk themselves. Always take your dog for his walks, whether to answer a call of nature or just for a stroll, on the leash. We, the dog owners, have that responsibility to our pets; their safety and longevity depend on us.
What is the most humane way of ending a dog’s life? Euthanasia, as performed by an overdose of anesthesia, is the most painless way of ending a dog’s life. He simply goes to sleep, in a matter of seconds, and feels no pain or apprehension. Phenobarbital is the anesthesia used. Some facilities use suffocation, which means putting the dog in an evacuation chamber and extracting the air, a method most often employed where cost dictates mass disposal. This procedure, of course, is much less humane and to be avoided wherever possible. Carbon monoxide is also used, and could be considered a second alternative to the Phenobarbital.
How often should the older dog be bathed? The older dog, as well as any age dog, should be bathed whenever he is dirty. This is especially true when your dog may have lost bladder and bowel control and has soiled bedding often. However, bathing too often will remove natural oils from your dog’s skin. Be certain that you rinse the soap completely away from his body and dry him carefully. You might consider the use of a waterless, herbal based shampoo as an alternative. Using a natural shampoo and conditioner with herbs may also help to calm him. Check your natural foods stores for suggestions.
Should a new puppy be introduced into a family with the older dog? This is not thought advisable for several reasons. The older dog may bully the younger pup, causing permanent damage to the puppy’s personality. Also, the older dog may feel forced to compete, resenting strongly the presence of this newcomer. An older dog, in resentment, may try to hurt, or even kill, the new puppy, causing a tragedy that you can well live without. Sometimes the older dog gets a more acute awareness of his age and debilities, causing him undue stress and unhappiness. On the plus side, some older dogs have been known to become rejuvenated by a new canine family member. A sedate older dog can sometimes act as a calming influence upon a young boisterous puppy. Chewing and barking problems are sometimes lessened when anxiety is diminished through companionship. But, here again, it is just as possible for a new dog to pick up bad habits from an older dog, as it is likely that he will pick up the good habits. We advise that you do both yourself and your dog a service by not introducing a new puppy into the family until such time as your present devoted companion has died.
Be cognizant that aging in your canine companion brings changes that are sometimes difficult to cope with for both of you. Patience, understanding, respect, and kindness are keys to making the aging process easier. Celebrate the years that you had together during youth and cherish the good times that you have left. Try to ensure that your pet is comfortable and loved until you say farewell.
