‘Old age is not a disease’

Often a problem which you suspect is due to the advancing age of your pet may actually be the result of a treatable medical condition.

• A dog that has ‘slowed down’ may be suffering from arthritis, heart disease or cognitive dysfunction (‘dementia’).
• Weight loss and a pickier appetite may be an early sign of liver or kidney disease or dental pain.
• Various medical conditions can cause or increase the likelihood of urinary ‘accidents’ in the house.

As your dog ages, there are changes to their physiology, behaviour and vulnerability to illnesses. These include: 

• Arthritis
• Dental disease
• Heart Disease
• ‘Lumps and bumps’
• Diabetes
• Cognitive dysfunction (‘dementia’)
• Urinary incontinence
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Cancer

Many of these conditions do not show symptoms early in their course and at this stage are only identifiable through testing. They are however likely to be progressive. The earlier a problem is detected the better it can be managed, improving longevity and quality of life for your dog.

Many common conditions can be diagnosed with a clinical exam and laboratory screening therefore regular health checks are advisable. These could be combined with your annual vaccinations. If you feel that your dog is actually showing signs of ageing or any symptoms of a problem, we would particularly recommend booking an appointment.

We offer a “Wellness Package” which decreases the cost of initial screening tests. For more information please visit the Wellness Package for dogs Page.

Dietary considerations

With ageing, the nutritional requirements of you dog may change. We have various diets designed for the older dog as well as for specific problems such as obesity, joint pain or dental disease.

Royal Canin ‘Mature’ diet

This is a very good quality food, containing supplements to aid cognitive function and preserve muscle mass. There are different versions for smaller, medium and larger dog breeds, as they have different requirements with ageing, and bigger dog breeds tend to ‘mature’ faster than smaller dog breeds.

• Small (under 10kg), over 8 years – additional supplements for healthy skin and teeth.
• Medium (10-25kg), over 7 years – easy to digest with additional supplements for healthy skin.
• Large (25kg), over 5 years – easy to digest with additional supplements for healthy joints.

Royal Canin ‘Satiety’ & ‘Obesity’ diets

If your dog is overweight or obese, they may benefit from one of the weight management diets. Obesity is a major health problem. It can exacerbate joint pain, heart disease, respiratory disease, skin disease and can lead to diabetes. It has been proven that obese dogs have a shorter life expectancy than dogs with an ideal bodyweight. These diets are designed to help your dog lose weight whilst still getting all the vitamins and minerals they need from their diet.

We run ‘weight clinics’ to help, provide advice, support and monitoring progress. Please phone us if you would like further information about this.

Royal Canin ‘Mobility’ diet

This diet contains various extra supplements; including helping maintain mobility in dogs with joint problems such as arthritis, or following joint surgery.

Common Health problems in older dogs