Things to look out for as your dog gets older

Fenian Army

My golden retriever is 10 years old now and I was wondering if there are specific things I should be looking out for now, or things I should be doing different...

I've noticed she isn't as quick at getting up as she used to be and can't jump up on the couch as easy as she used to. Besides that though she is grand, still energetic and active but not as young as she used to be...

Any advise for looking after an older dog?

Wisco

Regular vet checks are especially important with older dogs.
Being slower to get up is often a sign of arthritis, which can be helped with supplements, diet, or when it gets more severe, prescription meds.
If I had a dog that age, I'd be looking for a blood profile to be done at next checkup to look for early signs of organ failure, etc, so I could manage it before it gets bad.
Dogs (and cats) often won't vocally complain, but I'd be surprised if she wasn't a bit painful, hence the being slow to get up.
Diets designed for senior dogs are often a good idea too- low in bits that the kidneys find hard to process, but highly digestible, etc. Again, your vet can advise you if there's a particular issue to address with your dog.

Zapperzy

Another thing to watch is her peeing and drinking pattern and her weight. Excessively drinking or peeing is a sign of many things including diabetes and kidney problems which are common enough in old age. Weight loss is another symptom of loads of problems. Main thing is yearly (or twice yearly) check ups and bring her to the vet if you notice any changes at all.

Fenian Army

Wisco wrote: »

Regular vet checks are especially important with older dogs.
Being slower to get up is often a sign of arthritis, which can be helped with supplements, diet, or when it gets more severe, prescription meds.
If I had a dog that age, I'd be looking for a blood profile to be done at next checkup to look for early signs of organ failure, etc, so I could manage it before it gets bad.
Dogs (and cats) often won't vocally complain, but I'd be surprised if she wasn't a bit painful, hence the being slow to get up.
Diets designed for senior dogs are often a good idea too- low in bits that the kidneys find hard to process, but highly digestible, etc. Again, your vet can advise you if there's a particular issue to address with your dog.

When I say she is slow to get up I just mean she doesn't leap up like she did when she was puppy... Its not a struggle for her to get up if you know what I mean..

If she was having trouble with arthritis or whatever after a long walk wouldn't it be more noticeable? She is always grand after walks

Cherry Blossom

Fenian Army wrote: »

When I say she is slow to get up I just mean she doesn't leap up like she did when she was puppy... Its not a struggle for her to get up if you know what I mean..

If she was having trouble with arthritis or whatever after a long walk wouldn't it be more noticeable? She is always grand after walks

Arthritis is progressively degenerative, if you do nothing at the first signs that's when you have a problem. The joints need sufficient lubrication on an ongoing basis to prevent the friction from getting to the stage where the damage can't be fixed, you can't replace joints in an old dog as they tend to not do very well with anaesthesia and it's major and expensive surgery with slow recovery and there is no other treatment once it has gone too far, so you need to look after the dogs joints to ensure they will last as long as the rest of the dog does.

Get the dog an orthopaedic dog bed to reduce stress on the joints, you should also be starting to ease off the amount and type of exercise expected of her. Drive to a park/forest/beach and walk her there instead of long walks on hard surfaces.

Loss of hearing/eyesight is something else to watch out for.

paultf

Fenian Army wrote: »

My golden retriever is 10 years old now and I was wondering if there are specific things I should be looking out for now, or things I should be doing different...

I don't mean to scare but just to make people aware. This happened to my 9 year old dog last week.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=78304126

Initially I thought it was old age but Darby has now being diagnosed with heart diesase. I am hoping he can get an ultrasound this week. He has started on heart medication but I think they are not agreeing - vomit at times and diarrhoea. I'm waiting to speak to my vet and I'll have to bring Darby in again.

What the other posts said is important: regular checkups. Normally I would go into the vets once a year for vaccs. Now I think with an older dog I'll do it twice a year.

Jimbob 83

Diabetes
Strokes
Joint Issues

Would be the main issues

kimberworth

Don't forget teeth - my 8 year old dog had a lot of plaque on his teeth which surprised me cos he's on dry food and gets dentastick type treats and toys. Vet cleaned teeth, thankfully no decay, and while dog was sedated vet did routine blood test just to make sure we weren't missing any problems. All clear! As for joint care in older dogs you can get dog food which has Glucosomine (spelling???) in it or you can buy Glucosomine in a powder supplement to add to food you're currently using.

DBB

A specialist subject of mine is Canine Cognitive Dementia! This is a common condition in dogs as they get older, and can be exacerbated by allowing an elderly dog drift into old age by withdrawing into themselves, becoming less socially active, their reduced mobility and decreased sensory abilities making matters worse as they become more withdrawn.
The first step, which is extraordinarily successful, is to get older dogs onto a diet that can actually reverse the physical causes of dementia. This diet contains omega 3 fatty acid, l-carnitine, vitamin e, reduced fat, and higher protein. Fish, fresh meat, fresh veg, chopped nuts and seeds, yum yum yum! All contain exactly what an older dog needs to not only reduce, but reverse the deposition of substances in the brain that cause dementia. Unfortunately the same can't be done for humans, but dietary intervention, if necessary coupled with appropriate medication, is remarkably successful in older dogs... And perhaps cats too but more research is needed there.
Behaviorally, the older dog needs mental support too. Reduce the length of walks but go out more often, giving the dog lots of opportunity to do social stuff (as long as he enjoys it). So, if he likes other dogs, get him out meeting other dogs. Or kids, or adults, or both, if he loves human attention!
Retrain old skills, like sit, wait, down etc, and teach him some new ones you never got round to when he was young!
If he's not as mobile as before, put his essential resources near his main resting area... Water, food, toys. Buy him some new toys too, and get him using interactive toys like Kongs, Nina Ottosen type toys etc.
Play with him! Hide food, play chasing, do easy fun stuff with him to keep the endorphins flowing!
Reduced mobility can scare older dogs, so help him along by walking up the stairs behind him giving him a bit of support... Ditto for going down stairs and steps. Arrange his bed so he can get in and out easily. Use ramps for getting in and out of cars etc.
If there is sensory loss, eg encroaching blindness or deafness, train him now to a light beam or floor-stomp to get his attention. Place rugs and mats near his bed, food bowl etc so he can feel his way around. Use different scents in different rooms so he can find his way around by smell. Play radios at floor level, it creates echoes so dogs can "hear" where the couch or coffee table is and avoid walking into it. And don't rearrange furniture!
Use a DAP diffuser near his bed so he can both find his bed by scent, and feel chilled when he's in there.
There endeth my rant about older dogs! I know much of this doesn't apply yet to OP's still youthful enough dog, but I hope this arms you to prepare for the future!