Care of the Aging Dog

Aging in dogs, as in human beings, is composed of gradual and constant biological changes. The aging process begins when the dog is born and continues until his death. While the dog is always aging, the process becomes more noticeable after the dog reaches 6 or 7 years of age. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a 6- or 7-year-old dog is decrepit or senile; far from it, many dogs this age are very alert and active. But age is upon them. The 6- or 7-year-old dog may be compared to a 40-year-old person: both have telltale signs of age.

Most dogs manage to remain in good health up to the time they are 6 or 7 years old, even beyond that. They still have good eyesight, hearing, hair, teeth and muscular coordination. But when they go past 6 or 7 years, the aging process makes heavy inroads.

With reasonable care, your dog can live to be 12 years old. Many dogs live to be 14 to 17 years of age. Some live to be 25! But these very old dogs or canine centenarians are usually the exceptions—and they are usually small or toy dogs. There is a definite relationship between the size of the dog and longevity. In general, the smaller breeds mature earlier and live longer than do the large breeds. And another actuarial fact on canine longevity is that males outlive females. This is the reverse of human beings. For the sake of comparison, a 17-year-old dog is equivalent to a 100-year-old person.

A few years ago, the Gaines Dog Research Center, New York, conducted a survey on the longevity of dogs. The Center was mostly interested in “canine centenarians”—dogs 17 years old or over. Five hundred dog owners with dogs 17 or over were queried as to what they contributed the dog’s longevity. The consensus of opinion was that good care, a sound diet, plenty of affection and a congenial environment were the most important factors contributing to longevity. Of course, genetic and freedom-from disease factors contribute to longevity, but even these must be supplemented with good care.

The Gaines survey dealt only with dogs 17 years of age and over, but many of the conclusions drawn from it can be applied to dogs 6 years and up.

Your Complete Guide to Dog Care and Dog Training.