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senior dog health problems

Read and learn more about senior dog health problems. For more, visit the Dog Health website DoggyDogHealth.com

Q: Need Healthy Homemade Senior Dog recipes, Any help??
Looking for healthy Senior Dog recipes. Due to my dog having health problems I had to switch from his Solid Gold Dry food due to him refusing to eat it (never has done for 8 years) plus if he tried he would vomit it back up. Right now I have being giving him rice, Ground serloin Beef and a beef extract. I am concerned he may be missing out on his vitamins. He is ten years old. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

A: If you are feeding homecooked or a raw diet, then you MUST become educated on how to make it balanced.

http://dogaware.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/dogfeeding.html#Balance

Minerals often need to be balanced with each other in the homecooked diet to work well. Giving too much of one mineral and not enough of another can affect growth and cause other problems in the body. Balancing takes some study to do it right. http://b-naturals.com/Feb2006.php

Just one example of an imbalance: too much phosphorus (from meat) and not enough calcium (from bones, yogurt, egg shells).

If calcium is deficient in the blood, the body will withdraw some from the bones to insure enough calcium is in the blood stream for regulation of the heart muscle. Bone can lose up to 30% to 40% of its calcium before a deficiency becomes apparent.

You don’t say what the health problem is. That would also be a consideration in the formulation of the diet. You might want to join K9Kitchen where they discuss feeding requirements of healthy as well as dogs with all sorts of health issues.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Kitchen/

Q: Would you, should I, adopt a special needs senior dog?
http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=13777590

Would you welcome this poor sweet old dog with open arms and an open heart (and open wallet)? I don’t know if I should! I have been thinking about it for as long as he’s been in the rescue, since June. Just look at him…. I almost cried when I first read his story. I would love to give him a wonderful, peaceful home but the problem is that my family is on government income (social sec). I have a cat of 3 years and we take care of him just fine; he gets his vaccinations and check up every year (don’t worry, he’s neutered). Of course I have had to sacrifice some things but it’s worth it.

And my mom has just recently spent $500 for car repairs and $250 for new tires so I’m a little iffy about her asking her if I can adopt a dog, and an old special needs one at that, lol. But the sweet thing has been in rescue for 3 months, maybe more and he probably hasn’t been adopted yet because he’s old and disabled. =( Ah but here’s the thing! =) There is no adoption fee for him, but he’s not technically free.. there’s the cost for his food, medication, and routine veterinary check-ups he would most certainly need.

Okay, now for the real question; How much do you think you would spend monthly to take care of this dog? He is on supplements and an anti-inflammatory for his arthritis in his back legs. What do you think his chances are of having some major disease that would require surgery later on in his life? And can anyone give me any information on the common health problems for this breed, (American Eskimo Dog)? Oh, and any tips you can give me on bringing this up with my mom without stressing her out?

Sorry, it’s kind of long but thanks so much for reading this far and thanks for any advice/thoughts you can give me on this. Just really felt like I had to share what’s been on my mind lately.

Man, if only I’d hit the lotto; I’d start my own rescue for senior dogs. Wouldn’t that be great?

A: Oh, poor Moe! I would love it if you would adopt him, but there a lot of things to think about.

You are basically taking in a ticking huge-vet-bill bomb. With his arthritis, I am almost positive he would be on Rimadyl which is no cheap drug, which is an anti inflamitory pain medication typically prescribed for arthritis. $40.00 for 30 pills and that is from the cheaper 1-800-Petmeds. Having had his teeth removed he will probably need somewhat of an adapted diet. As the bio says, he loves his human food in his dinner. He may or may not develop another ear infection and there’s the treatment for that. And probably countless other problems that just come with an older dog. There are always chances that a dog may develop a major health problem that require extensive treatment or surgery, no matter the age.

Depending on the supplements you could be looking at simply $100 monthly for only his meds. Plus his food, any vet extra vet care. Just a guesstimate, maybe $200-$250 a month for him.

I would speak to you mom about it. Ask her to take a look at him, read his story and discuss it with her. The pros and cons and how she feels about bringing a dog into the house.

Good luck and I hope that if you aren’t able to adopt him, that he finds a great home somewhere. He really deserves it.

Q: Has anyone’s senior dog had surgery?
My almost 11 y/o Lab needs surgery to remove a benign tumor. I’m so scared for him :( Aside from mild arthritis and this tumor, he has no health problems and still acts like a puppy. But I’ve always heard that surgery is a lot more risky for old dogs. So, has anyone been through this with their senior pet? How did it go?

A: I have a 10-11 year old rat terrier that I took from a lady who kept him outdoors for years. He was not neutered when I got him so I felt he really needed to be. He has a significant heart murmur and had poor care prior to my getting him so I was concerned about him going under anesthesia. I gave him some time on his heart meds and worked on his weight issue (he was overweight) prior to surgery.

He did great with the surgery. He had no problems. When I picked him up the next day, he was totally himself – had good energy, appetite, etc.

The vet was aware of his issues and was very careful. He had multiple blood tests done prior to the surgery to check his health and organ function. Many vets require the tests prior to surgery for dogs over 8 or so. I would say, do all the tests the vet recommends to make sure your guy is healthy before the surgery.

The vet said there is always some risk and his risk was increased due to the heart murmur, but if it was her dog, she felt the surgery was important enough to go forward. She assured me that anesthesia methods have improved greatly even just over the past few years. They have fewer complications now.

Ask the vet what the pros and cons are of the surgery. Ask if there are other options for treating the tumor. Some tumors shrink if you give a dog a benedryl daily because they are histimine related. I would only do the surgery if the tumor posed some danger for the dog. If it’s just cosmetic, I wouldn’t worry about it.

When I had to have a mast cell tumor removed from my Boston Terrier, I had his teeth cleaned at the same time. Oral health is super important for long term organ function so if your dog has tartar and you do decide to go ahead with surgery, I’d recommend getting a dental cleaning while he is under.

My Boston was 7 at the time of his surgery and did wonderfully. I also have an elderly guy from a puppymill who had some teeth extracted under anesthesia at about 10 years old and he did fine. Both of those dogs were otherwise healthy when they had their procedures. I did the pre-op blood testing with them also.

I know it’s a hard decision. If you go ahead with the surgery, it will be a stressful day for you, I’m sure. I’m always on the edge of my seat until I get the call that they are out of surgery and waking up.

Good luck to you! Your dog is lucky – you obviously love him a lot!!

Molly

Q: Senior dog stealing food?
My dog is 14 years old. She is starting to slow down after a few health problems have surfaced… thyroid, liver. In the last couple of months she has started stealing food when I leave the house.

Often there is food in her bowl when she does this so my assumption is it’s not hunger related. I was concerned about this with the medication she’s on.

For most of her life I could leave a plate of food on the floor and if I told her no she would not touch it even if I left the house.

She is losing her hearing and sight a bit and is much more attached to me lately. I work at home so she is used to me being home a lot. But I have to leave sometimes and when I do she goes out of her way to find things to eat package and all. Jumping up on a table to grab a loaf of bread is the latest which has prompted this question. Given her age I didn’t even think she’d be able to reach it.

Obviously I will have to make sure all food is out of the way so I’m not interested in those responses. I’m trying to figure out if there’s something emotionally I need to address with her to help change this new behavior. I want her to be as comfortable as possible in her latter years.

How can I make her feel safe and secure when I leave the house so she doesn’t act out?

A: dog trainer 30 plus years -

Okay…I have to chuckle when I read this. Your dog obviously knows how very much she is loved by the way your compassion shines through in your writing. Sometimes when dogs get older they do these things because we are tending to “let them do a little more than we used to” because we feel sorry for them.
What I suggest is that since this really is not an awful behavior learn to laugh…put the things away that you don’t want her to have…and maybe put a few things here and there as “surprise treats” in places that maybe aren’t as high as a cabinet or table and are in places that she “is allowed” to go. Maybe under her blanket or favorite pillow, on the rug in the bathroom, on the footstool…etc… She sounds like a pretty smart dog to me…and very blest to have you as family.

Q: sudden weight gain in senior dog?
i have a korean jindo (very similar to the shiba inu, but slightly larger then a shiba inu) who is around 14 yrs of age. i havent seen him for a few days and today i noticed he gained a SUDDEN amount of weight. even my bf noticed that he just suddenly got fat around the chest and sides. i wouldnt say obese but defiantly a noticeable weight gain. he was never an over weight dog. now he can pass for the more robust chow chow. hes still a very active and playful dog, running around and acting like a puppy, but im very worried about this sudden weight gain and plan to take him to the vet. he doesnt seem like he’s in any sort of pain. what would a common problem for this situation be?

the annoying thing is my parents dont think its a big deal. they think its just because he is old. of coarse i know he is old and more prone to health problems and weight fluctuation, but i dont want him to suffer from some internal problem that we obviously cant see. my cat ended up with cancer because of an internal tumor so i dont want something similar to repeat.

help?

A: I agree it’s probably a thyroid problem. when you take him to the vet they will do bloodwork and if it is the thyroid, he will be put on some meds that will help.

Q: Does it mean anything if a senior dog drinks a LOT of water..?
I have a 13yr old standard Dachshund & lately he’s been drinking a great deal of water -I worry that it may be a sign of a health issue, but he seems normal (except for incontinence problems which is normal w/his age).
He had tests & bloodwork done back in Aug. & the Vet didn’t find anything..should he go again?

A: Please take him to the vet.

Excessive drinking might be a sign of kidney damage, diabetes or another endocrine illness. He needs a blood test and a physical examination. – Please do not delay, as some of those illnesses can be serious and would need immediate medication.

Btw – I would not agree that incontinence problems are normal for older dogs. I’d recommend to take a urine sample with you when you go the the vet and ask to check for a UTI.

Good luck,
Christina

Q: What is a good healthy dog treat i can use to replace greenies?
My dog and I love greenies because they take a while to finish and my dog loves the taste. The senior version isnt sold in bulk and are too expansive. Does anyone have any ideas on a good, healthy treat, like greenies that take awhile to finish, that would be good for my older pug w/ some health problems. Something that is sold in quantity would be great.

A: There are lots of good options.

- Bully Sticks
- Raw Meaty Bones
- Bright Bites (made by diamond)
- Flossies
- Sam’s Yams
- Baa Baa Q’s

Greenies are not very healthy anyway, so good for you for switching off of them. Natural animal parts are best, but any chew that does not have corn, wheat, or rawhide is fine too.

Q: Is a cat or a dog a better pet for a senior citizen?
Does one have less health problems?
Suzie , I think it’s a great idea. I’ve heard of dogs for this program but never cats.
I forgot about the hairball situation with cats!
I also forgot about cats walking on whatever you are trying to read.
And they also are usually VERY strong in the paw and can knock the crap out of your head when they think you should be getting up.

A: Depends on how old the person is. Cats are easy to take care of but they will circle your legs and possibly trip an older person. A dog has to be walked or let out. Both get sick sometimes and leave messes. It can be overwhelming for an older person. I am 64 and I have two Chihuahuas and a kitty. But they keep me pretty busy. They all sleep with me and the other night the kitty had a hair ball problem and threw up all over my bed in the middle of the night. I had to get up and clean it all up and change the sheets. Dogs want to go out sometimes in the middle of the night. They do have pets you can rent and someone else takes care of their health problems. Check that out on the web. Or your friend could dog or cat sit during the day. They could charge a small fee. Many people like to have someone take care of their animals for them while they work during the day. That way you have the fun of being a pet owner but not all the responsibility. My Chihuahuas are paper trained but they bark a lot and then sometimes miss the papers.

Q: Why does it bother people when someone describes dog as a teacup?
I know they’re runts, but every animal deserves to be loved. What do you want someone to call it runt yorkie or just yorkie. i had a one and it wasn’t sickly just small, and it hasn’t have any health problems at all and is in its senior years.

A: The dogs themselves don’t bother me, and honey, you can call it whatever you want… what bothers me are the backyard greeders that have coined the term and are charging huge amounts for the dogs because of the cutesy title slapped on.

No one ever said the dogs don’t deserve to be loved. But before you buy a ‘teacup’ dog, you need to think about the place that dog came from and the other dogs left behind there suffering.

Also, you were very lucky that your dog didn’t have health issues. Most ‘teacups’ do.

Q: I need a low protein dog food?
I just found out that the protein in my dogs liver is too high, so my vet recommended a low protein diet. She said Science Diet, Wellness should have something like that, but I haven’t found any of their dog foods with low protein (Daisy will be 7 in October, she is a Jack Russell Terrier). She also recommend that I buy the senior dog food. I’m worried that this will lead to more health problems, my vet did mention that she is great otherwise. If you could suggest a low protein diet that would be great, but please no lamb, she hates it.

A: If your Vet recommended a senior food, go with a senior food. Most senior formulas *do* have a lower protein content than the regular adult foods.

Q: Dog with urinary incontinence… questions about diaper fit?
I need help from those with personal experience. My senior dog leaks urine when she is sleeping, or relaxed. Luckily she’s only 10 lb so it’s not too bad.
What can I expect from the ‘pants’ with pad inserts? Is this even the best option? I bought a pair from the pet store (don’t remember the brand but they were $20) and some pad inserts. The ‘pants’ are denim cotton with vinyl inside. Washed them once to soften them up but haven’t used them yet. Will they chafe or rub? Do they stay on? Do they provide adequate coverage? I know it varies on the shape of the dog, but what’s been your experience?

I know most of you on YA are very conscientious about canine health, so let me say that her health problems are under control as much as possible. I know you would ask :) . The leaking is getting worse but she is otherwise doing as well as expected.

Thanks guys :)

A: Actually, you can find baby diapers that are cheaper and work better.

I had a 4 pound Pom in newborns when she was recupping from being attacked by a large dog. (The Pom was a foster dog)

You do need to change them regularly. Diaper rash is a problem. Use the same stuff they do for human babies. Also, if she has hair in that area, get it shaved. Easier to keep clean.

Good luck and bless you for taking good care of your dog.

Q: Feeding Concerns For My Senior Dog?
For the last month, My 12 plus years dog has decided she no longer liked her food which did seem to upset her stomach as she was vomiting.. I switched to a better brand. She ate that bag of food and no longer likes it. Went back to the old brand, doesn’t like that either. She has not problem eating the cats food at every chance she gets or an occasional sweet. Should I switch her to canned food? She has seen the vet on a regular basis and is in good health for her age. She is a German Shepherd Mix. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
( I do not feed her treats on a regular basis, just every once in a great while.)

A: It would be a good idea to have her teeth checked by the vet and talk to him/her about her diet and what is best to feed her. cat food is not a good idea because it is made for the specific needs of a cat and is not healthy for a dog.Canned food is not good for her teeth but if she has dental problems at her age she may need it.

Q: I have a question on pet insurance, for those of you who HAVE pet insurance.?
I’ve recently adopted a nine year old shih-tzu. He doesn’t have any health problems, but I’m anticipating some solely because of his age. I would like to know if anyone who has experience with pet insurance with senior dogs has found the cost worth it.

A: Most insurance companies wont take on a new pet over 8 years old. There may be some but I can’t think of any. For dogs that have been insured since younger they will continue the cover until they are 14, 16, 20 whatever, they just will not start a new policy on an already elderly dog, Sorry.

Q: Adopting a senior Chihuahua…good idea? Should I buy pet insurance?
We are thinking of getting a 9-10 year old chihuahua…gets along with cats, very friendly, great for our apartment…super personality. Overall great dog. I’m wondering what the average life span is, and if health problems are common? I’ve read about some of them, but I’m not sure if they are really prevalent….advice???

A: I’m not sure of how many pet insurance companies insure older dogs. Ones i know of only insure a dog until the age of 8 years. Chihuahua can live for 14 – 18 years. If it were me I’d just save up money each week in case of emergency vet treatment. Not sure about health problems but they can become easily injured due to their fragility.

Q: My dog is sick! need advice….?
I have an 11 y/o Corgi/Shepard mix. He had senior blood test panel done 8 months ago and I was told he had no health problems and was “very strong.”

On Wednesday evening, my dog started not to feel good. He threw up and wouldn’t eat. By Thursday, he didn’t have much energy and so I took him to the vet. He had a lot more energy at the vets. lol He didn’t even ‘look sick’.

He drank a normal amount of water on Thursday (without getting sick).

The vet felt his stomach and said it just seemed like he had an upset stomach (didn’t feel any lumps or anything). I was sent home with some pills to give him.

That night he ate a whole can of Tuna with one of the pills. But Friday, he wouldn’t eat at all. I don’t know what happened. He still drinks a lot of water (the normal ammount).

I am worried because the vet is closed over the weekend (although there is an emergency one).

To me it seems like he has the flu, and like people, he can’t eat for a few days afterwards. He IS keeping water down and there’s no more throwing up.

What should I do? How long can he go without food?

A: call/take him to the vet again and try sum different kinds of dog food.

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