Have you ever noticed that when your dog gets older there are behaviour changes? It really is like people. As your parents get older or you get older you notice that there are changes in behaviours and of course health, which is just like what your dog is going through. This article is going to examine the various changes an older dog can go through. We will look at maturity and aging to help you understand your dog a little better. The genera life span for any dog is going to be 9 to 15 years. Part of the reason for such a short or long life span is the breed, but it is mostly the actual care they have received in life. It's just like a human. Someone who smokes is usually going to have a short lifespan than someone who didn't. In the same the more exercise one typically gets the longer you will live. So when you think about your dog's life span consider their lifestyle and health throughout your care. It is important to have preventative care over fixing each problem as it arises.
Aging of course is not preventable. Every dog is going to age. There are some breeds that have more diseases that are common to their health and sometimes those can't be prevented, but knowing the possibilities can at least help you take the proper care. Part of prevention is making sure they have their vaccinations on a regular basis. Some of the vaccinations are going to be your choice. For information on those you should seek an article dealing with vaccinations and the proper schedules. There are some vaccinations that are state mandatory. Vaccinations are just part of prevention. Good nutrition is another method. If you are providing the healthy foods at all stages in life your dog is generally going to be healthier. This means that you take care for the proper food such as protein, carbohydrates, and the minerals your dog needs to grow healthy. Some of the generic foods are not going to have what is needed. So just double check the label.
Exercise is of course very important. When you offer daily exercise for the type of dog you have you will see their health continue. Basically all dogs require a certain amount of exercise. Some of the dogs require just short walks and playing around the home, while others need at least a half a day of playing outside in a large field. The proper exercise even for an older dog can help keep up the health. Old dogs do like to play and walk, but sometimes they may have health issues that take away from the length of exercise they can handle. While you may feel you are doing them a disservice by making them exercise you are actually helping them even when they are a little ill or have arthritis. They need the little bit of play and exercise. You just don't want to go overboard.
The other part of preventative care is going to be cleaning their teeth, grooming them and checking their ears. First with the teeth you want to make sure they are not getting gum disease from a lack of proper cleaning. Gum disease can lead to the falling out of teeth and while this is common in older dogs, a healthy diet and care can make this happen less frequently. Grooming your dog is very important as well. As long as you can keep his skin and coat healthy you will avoid skin infections. When the skin begins to look dry, thin, or brittle they can experience health related diseases. You will usually find sore spots and body odor from not taking care of your dog.
When an older dog bites or scratches their skin surface, itching is the typical result, which eventually leads to abrasions - a common health affliction of older canines. An herbal treatment of blackberry leaves, elder flowers, and rosemary leaves mixed with Witch Hazel is the recommended course of action when this occurs. Take care to Avoid using oily and/or sticky mixes since these will keep the skin moist therefore delaying the healing process.
Abscesses are a very common occurrence in older canines and these normally result because of toxins in the dog's blood that finds a way to seep through the skin layers. The dog's waste disposal system is rendered useless due to increased toxicity levels in the animal's blood supply. Once the levels are elevated to a certain point, the dog's body instructs the white blood cells to attack and these toxins are cast off through the skin of the animal in the form of pus.
Should the dog develop a frequency in the occurrence of abscesses, then feed them nothing but distilled water with raw honey mixed in. Do not exceed dosing them more than two to four teaspoonfuls daily as this should correct the issue. Remember too, that dietary modifications can also help eliminate excess toxins and prevent the future build-up of any more. Make sure that you include several cloves of garlic in their diet which will enhance their detoxification processes.
A good follow-up procedure is to apply hot blackberry or elderberry leaf compresses directly to the abscess. You can also make hot compresses of garlic and/or onion which have been heated up in castor oil as well. Both remedies are very effective as treatments for abscesses in canines. Take care not to make the compresses excessively hot as this will cause the dog more discomfort. These herbal treatments not only enhance the dog's recovery process, but they add also help to restore vitamins such as A, B complex, C, and E.
Anemia is another health affliction that older dogs encounter and is caused by decreases or a lack of hemoglobin and oxygen in the animal's blood. Anemia can be caused by any of the following (or a combination of any of these):
constipation
internal parasites
lack of sunlight
poor diet
scarcity of white blood cells
shortage of blood
A quick check for anemic conditions in the dog involves applying pressure to the gums until they turn white, and then seeing how quickly they return to the normal pink hue. It is also a sign that the dog has developed an arthritic condition as well. Loss of stamina and an onset of weakness are definitive signs that anemia is present so herbal additions to the diet and an increase in the supply of iron is oftentimes the recommended course of action. Additionally, you should add Vitamins A, B complex, C, Copper, and E to their diet as well.
Arthritis usually becomes apparent in dogs that encounter any to all of the following:
diets consisting of cooked foods
lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of the dog
no exercise
non-absorption of minerals
As a result, the bones and the joints become inflamed which in turn hinders the animal's mobility and is quite painful as well. Give the dog nothing but distilled water in order to flush out any excess mineral deposits in the joints. Feed them garlic, raw fruits and vegetables, and even sprouts while avoiding an acid-forming diet at the same time. You can add chopped comfrey combined with parsley leaves to their diets, as well as always making sure to keep the dog in a dry and warm environment. Also, when you take the dog for walks, make sure you do so in direct sunlight.
Finally, here is a list of minerals and vitamins to make sure that the dog is getting sufficient amounts of in their diets:
Both Gerry Ronson & Jeff Nenadic are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gerry Ronson has sinced written about articles on various topics from German Shepherd Dogs, Hoodia and Programming. Gerry Ronson writes for his website from where he sells .. Gerry Ronson's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.
Jeff Nenadic has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Dog Breeds and Dogs Training. Written by Jeff Nenadic from - the top place to buy online. Jeff Nenadic's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.