How to Care for an Elderly or Aging Dog

Common Problems With Older Dogs

It can be hard to deal with a pet who is getting older. They start losing their sense of hearing and sight, not to mention their teeth. They may also begin to suffer from arthritis and require more vet visits. It can all be a challenge for a loving parent to deal with, especially because we want the best for the dog who's protected the family, raised the kids, and cheered us up when we've had a bad day for so many years.

My Senior Dog

Currently, I have a dog who's about 13 or 14 years old—no one in the family can remember when we got him. He came into our family as a puppy and has had a long and well-loved life. To this day, if you call or even yell his name from outside when he's on the other side of the house sleeping, he's not going to hear you.

On the off-chance that he does, he'll probably have trouble trying to find you, not knowing exactly where you are. He has slight arthritis and trouble seeing, but the old man still barks at people walking by and when the mailman comes around—if he's lying near our other dog, who's also a senior at 11, that is. Otherwise, he'll never know someone is coming toward the house.

Caring for older dogs can cause heartache, especially as they weaken and age. This article will outline the basic care that one should consider when caring for a dog in his geriatric years.

Signs of Normal Aging: What to Expect

Whether your dog can be considered a senior actually depends on the size. Usually, larger breeds hit their senior years between 7 and 9 years, whereas smaller breeds generally reach it around 11. Your vet will be able to tell you the age bracket for your individual dog.

A few things that you can expect include:

• Overall slowing down. You'll begin to notice subtle changes when your dog gets up from lying down for long periods or when he tries to use stairs. General causes of muscle, bone and joint concerns can be caused by arthritis and hypothyroidism.
• Graying. Dogs usually gray around the face and muzzle. This is much more noticeable in dogs with darker-colored faces.
• Hearing problems. Whether the hearing is completely lost or if there are problems hearing every now and again, consult your vet just to make sure that the problem is caused by old age and nothing more serious.
• Cloudy eyes. Older dogs tend to get a blue-transparent haze over their pupil. This will not have much of an effect on the actual sight unless cataracts are a concern. If so, you'll need to consult your vet. Remember, though, that cataracts are more of a white haze.
• Muscle atrophy. As dogs age, it's not uncommon for them to suffer some loss of muscle mass, usually around the hind legs.

Problems to Watch For in Older Dogs

With older dogs, you want to keep a close eye on them, their health, appearance, and overall movement. Consult your veterinarian if you notice any of the following concerns:

• Arthritis pain
• Bad breath or bleeding gums
• Sudden blindness, hearing loss, or head tilt
• Change in weight or appetite
• Change in urine output and overall thirst
• Hair loss or overall itchy skin (especially if the dog has never really had a skin problem)
• Muscle loss—especially in the head and belly regions (can be a sign of Cushing's disease or masticatory myositis)
• Any cognitive dysfunctions
• Any abnormal behaviors

How to Help an Older Dog Age Comfortably

When you have a senior dog, the best thing you can really do is to make him or her as comfortable as possible. They're not going to act like their younger self and run around the block with you, much less really want to play fetch. So, what you can do is ensure their quality of life is high.

There are actually several different things you should consider:

• Access to food and water: Keep fresh water on every level or end of your home so that your dog doesn't have to go up and down the stairs or all over the house for it. Also, consider raised bowls for larger dogs. It will reduce the neck and back strain of having to bend down to eat and drink, aiding in overall digestion.
• Floor coverings: Cover tile and wood floors with rugs to help them get around your house. Just make sure that you cover the main areas and walkways to prevent them from slipping and potentially causing an injury. You can also prevent slipping and injuries on slippery surfaces by making sure to keep their nails trimmed, as older dogs don't run as much, so their nails don't wear down naturally.
• Diet: The lack of exercise will also increase obesity risks, which can increase heart disease, diabetes, and even early-onset death, so you want to make sure that you give your dog low-calorie and low-fat treats but only occasionally. You also want to avoid feeding him table scraps.
• Specialized senior dog food: Definitely purchase senior dog food. They have fewer calories and fats than the adult version. They are also formulated better in regard to the right amount of fiber, sodium, antioxidants, and other additives.
• Walks: You want to still walk your senior dog, but make the walks shorter. You may even want to consider a harness instead of a collar to help reduce neck strain.
• Grooming: Groom frequently, as simple processes like brushing can increase circulation and help your dog's overall skin condition. Regular grooming also gives you the chance to inspect from head to tail, checking for any unusual bumps, sores, or rashes.
• Weather: Bring outside dogs indoors during extremely hot or cold weather. Older dogs are more susceptible to health problems. For example, the cold can exacerbate muscle stiffness and aching joints.
• Ramps: Use carpeted ramps and stairs to help your dog get onto the couch or bed if he's allowed to be on the furniture.

Recommended

Sweet Shepherd Mix Says a Little 'Prayer' Before Meal Time & It's Too Precious

Jan 13, 2025 5:30 PM EST

• Dog bed: You may want to upgrade your dog's plain old fleece dog bed. You can now find heated dog beds to ease pressure on aching joints and muscles, as well as beds formed to massage your dog as he sleeps and relaxes. Another type you may want to consider if there are incontinence problems are the raised beds that have cotton/mesh material that allows your dog to stay dry if he has an accident. The urine will flow through the bed, and you'll want to put a pan underneath to prevent it from dripping on your floors.
• Incontinence: On that note, consider diapers for dogs with incontinence problems. Also, never yell at a senior dog who has piddled on the floor. Remember that he can't help it. Just clean it up and continue with whatever you were doing.
• Furniture and house layout: Be considerate if your dog is losing his sight. Basically, don't rearrange your house, as your dog no longer has clear eyesight, and the new obstacles can cause him to fall and sustain an injury. Even if your dog loses his sight completely, he'll remember the general layout of the house and shouldn't have any problems getting around.
• Gates for stairs: You may want to consider blocking access to the upstairs or downstairs portion of your house, depending on which area is the most used. This will prevent any use of the stairs, which will only put joints, bones, and muscles under more strain. Consider baby gates to block off the top or bottom of the staircase.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Comments

Linda Kendall on July 27, 2020:

My Bichon is 17 this October and she is walking funny all of a sudden, I was wondering if she lost her vision, she typically runs around excitied but it all stopped. I watched her walk down the stairs to go outside and she turned her self around to take a step at a time.

Courtney on June 22, 2020:

Okay so my dog Abby is a 17 year old senior Dachshund 18th this July I've already had 2 vet opinions on her and I'm trying to make the decision on euthanasia the very difficult decision that I do not want to make here's a quick rundown her eating habits and drinking habits have changed rapidly she went from constantly being hungry eating on her own to barely eating eating out of my hand and then somedays acting like she's starving she will no longer eat her dog food but only craves protein mostly she eats shredded boiled chicken sweet mashed potatoes and on occasion rice and Cottage cheese she started throwing up bile and having diarrhea with blood in it at least two to three times a week she has very bad breath periodontal disease and arthritis she has lost alot if weight and stumbles and falls often and having a hard time getting uo after laying for long periods of time I believe she might be in early stages of dementia because she just stands and stares at wall runs into things I'm up with her constantly at night like a baby I having to catch her throw up and her diarrhea because when she goes she's senile to the point that she just steps in it and gets it all over herself and her bed I feel like shes lived a long good life and she's tired and I am so exhausted I want her to live out her life naturally and pass on her own but at the same time I work at the school and I'm going back to work in August and she needs constant care and I no longer can provide that once I go back to work during the day as I am single and live only with my sister who also works at the school so neither of us are home to take care of her the vet basically said that she's too old to put under to have her teeth cleaned and even if he could it may just offer her a little pep in her step and prolong her life a little bit but just to let her die naturally on her own ultimately the decision is up to me my second opinion that i had said the decision is up to me as well and I just need to listen to what she's telling me some days I feel she's ready to leave and some days I feel she's just holding on to tight my family thinks I should put her down because of my exhaustion I guess I feel guilty doing that i took the quality of life quiz she got a 31 she basically sleeps most of the day and night and if not eating throwing up ir going potty shes seeking comfort from me any suggestions will be greatly appreciated

Bella on May 26, 2020:

I boyfriend has a German Shepherd Age 10 year's age she try to go for number one but she wet's her self she eat and drunk lot's of water her behaviour is little bit strange as she sleeps to go to the toilet does nothing and then to something she's unsure what she's doing yourself Is this behaviour normal for Tanya little dog .

Susan on March 26, 2020:

My Bichon who is 15-1/2 doesn't sleep well even though she is on gabapentin. She wakes up about 1-1/2 hours after going to bed, goes out to urinate, and then when she comes back to bed she moans. Also, I have a sleep number bed but she sometimes wants to go out in the family room on a seatee which is firmer. So my question is, do you think it could be her back. (I take her when I can for accuncture), or arthritis. I am thinking of getting an xray just to see if she has any internal problems. Thanks in advance.

nancy pratt on November 23, 2019:

i have a 12 yr old labadoodle white its a boy he has cadaracks on both eyes and he has loss some of his teeth he has bad breath i rescued him 12 yrs ago the people that use to own him use to beat him and treat him bad so the humane society took him and then i adopted him but over the yrs all he wants is me he follows me all over the house and some times he yips like he is in pain but i cant find nothing on him

David Slaughter Jr. on September 19, 2019:

My dogs name is Josie she's 18 years black lab border college. She's having distressed breathing she's laying on the concrete floor in the garage gasping for air forcing herself to breathe, what should I do?

Christina on September 03, 2019:

I see in the comments several people asking how to know when they should put their dog down. I dont know if this helps it did for me. Do a google search: quality of life for dogs. Its a questionare its really informative and it will help you know if your dogs life is happy or if its not. Its hard to excplain look it up and see for yourself

Linda S. on March 27, 2019:

Pearl, my 16 yr. 4 mo. old Pomeranian, is mostly deaf and toothless.

Last April (2018), she developed a UTI. In many years of geriatric nursing care, I was very familiar with UTI's in human geriatrics, but didn't realize that dogs might get them, too!

From that time on, Pearl had gone downhill rapidly, even with antibiotic treatment.

She walked like a drunk, couldn't keep her footing in my laminate kitchen floor (picture Bambi on his first forage onto a frozen pond - legs splaying out at all angles), and could no longer nogotiate the stairs to go outside for a potty trip.

In successive Vet visits, her kidneys registered high protein levels, so she was put on Enalapril to help her kidney function. Then Aluminum Hydroxide to keep up her Potassium levels. Her blood pressure was high, so she's on medication for that. Plus, she was dehydrated, so I had to give her lactose ringers of 10cc three times a week, subcutaneously in the scruff.

Initially, I didn't think she'd make it to Halloween. She did. Then, I was pretty certain she wouldn't reach her 16th birthday on November 30th. She did. But I was absolutely certain she wouldn't be making the trip up from Utah to British Columbia, Canada, over Christmas. She did!!!

By this time, she was eating pretty well again, but hadn't grown back her Winter coat. (I get her and her daughter, 12 yr. old Leah, a short haircut for the summer - I call it "the squirrel cut" - short hair; bushy tail). Leah had fully grown back her lively, fluffy Pomeranuan coat, but Pearl had not.