Edie MacKenzie On Dogs

Archive for the ‘Senior Dog Information’ Category

As with every mammal, the muscles of the colon and rectum may lose some of their ability to propel and expel feces adequately during a bowel movement, so don’t be too surprised if this happens to your senior dog. Reduction in stomach and intestinal digestive secretions can produce a bulkier, firmer stool as can diets very high in dry food content if there is insufficient water intake. Your dog will squat and strain to force the fecal mass slowly out. She may cry from the discomfort.

Prostatic disease can mechanically cause constipation as the prostate gland enlarges and presses up against the floor of the rectum. Similarly, tumors in the rectum or on the anus can interfere with the passage of feces. Senior dogs may have an isolated difficult bowel movement on occasion. This should be no cause for alarm if he is otherwise in good health and there is no bleeding or excessive pain.

Repeated bouts of constipation can slowly stretch the rectal muscles, causing permanent dilatation and resulting in chronic constipation. Once this occurs, senior dogs will need frequent enemas as well as fecal softeners to help him eliminate. The increased time the stool remains in the colon and rectum will allow bacteria that normally live there to act on the stool, causing putrefaction and excessive gas production in senior dogs.

Proper and effective grooming contributes only indirectly to your older dog general health but becomes a more significant factor with increasing age.

As the natural skin oils come to be less effectively produced, the skin can become dry and scaly, causing itchiness and discomfort.

Matted or tangled hair-coats likewise cause scratching and, in addition, can hold dirt and debris on the skin from which bacteria can readily enter skin that is already abraded by the scratching and chewing. Bacterial dermatitis is not at all uncommon in an older dog.

The daily grooming patterns begun in earlier years should be continued throughout a dog’s lifetime.

It is my firm belief all dogs, with the possible exception of some show dogs and those with certain skin diseases, should be combed and brushed every day of their lives with a metal comb and a wire-bristle slicker type brush.

Combing should be done first, as its purpose is merely to remove tangles and separate the hairs so the slicker brush does not get caught in them.

This is followed by the brush which should be used in firmly applied, long, slow strokes.

The object of the brushing an older dog is to get the wires down to the skin, which is where the dirt is, to remove that dirt and the dry scales of dead skin.

Noninfectious osteoarthritis is the commonest form of joint disease in the aging dog, a situation not too different from that in humans.

The disease is progressive and causes few, if any, noticeable symptoms in the early stages.

It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to discover the existence of degenerative joint disease or its predisposing causes during a routine checkup even if you don’t have an aging dog.

Primary arthritis develops from the normal wear and tear of a joint with time and age.

While seen occasionally in very old dogs, it is not the commonly observed arthritis that it is in people.

The bulk of aging dog arthritis cases are secondary to disorders which happened or started earlier in life.

The following are just a few of the many such disorders:

• Obesity in any breed but especially in the large and giant breeds.

• Mechanical trauma such as falls and jumping mishaps.

• Torn ligaments in any joint but especially the stifle joint in toy or miniature poodles.

• Chronic dislocating patella (slipped knee cap), most common in toy breeds.

• Osteochondritis dissecans, a disease of young dogs.

• Hip dysplasia.

So look for any of these in your aging dog.

The muscles of mos tolder dogs lose much of their strength and actually decrease in size with each advancing year.

This is a normal part of the aging process and is to be expected. However, there are two as yet poorly understood muscle disorders which at first may look like normal aging weakness.

In one the older dog develops weakness in the leg muscles during periods of exercise or other physical stress, may fall down briefly, seem to recover, get up for a short time only to fall down again.

This is often seen in polymyositis, a disease which causes inflammation of any or all muscles in the body.

Polymyositis occurs mostly in late middle age and early old age, the most common of its several possible causes appearing to be a defect in the dog’s immune mechanism.

Treatment with corticosteroids is quite successful despite the often alarming appearance of the older dog.

Occasionally the muscles of the esophagus are affected, making swallowing difficult, but even these respond.

Muscular dystrophy, the second disorder, occurs mainly in older dogs, bears some similarity to muscular dystrophy in people, and has a cause as yet unknown. Affected dogs develop a stiff gait as the muscles become progressively weaker and smaller in size.

There is nothing we know of which will stop the deterioration or cure the disease. Treatment is palliative, trying to keep the patient as comfortable as possible, and is based on your older dog individual symptoms.

For most people, losing a dog is like losing a member of the family. It is very difficult to imagine life without the creature that has given us such-joy and love over the years. However, death is the inevitable end for all living beings. As a dog owner, you must be prepared to deal with the practical and emotional realities of losing your beloved pet, whether death is brought on by old age, accident, or sudden illness.

Since you are your dog’s primary caretaker, it may sometimes become your responsibility to answer the following question: Is my dog suffering from extreme and irreversible pain and suffering so much so that his life is devoid of pleasure? Make a rational assessment of your dog’s condition, taking into account the quality of his life over a period of time. Consult your veterinarian, asking her or him to tell you the prognosis for relief or recovery. If, after much informed consideration, you can answer yes to the above question, it may be necessary to euthanize your dog. While your veterinarian may advise you, this difficult decision is ultimately up to you.

Your pet will not suffer during the procedure, which consists of a single, painless injection. Some veterinarians will administer the lethal dose in your own home, where you and your loved ones can surround your dog in its beloved environment.

Think about whether or not you would like to be present when the injection is administered. You may wish to be there for the dog’s final moments, or it may be too difficult a task. If you plan to be present, try to bring someone along who can help you through this trying event. If you can’t bring yourself to be there, do not chide or accuse yourself of letting your dog down; it is very difficult to predict how one will respond to the death of a loved one. Concentrate on the warmth and sense of belonging you have given your dog throughout his life, and the gift of relief you are now bestowing upon your suffering pet.

Once your dog has died, you will have to decide what to do with his remains. Ask your veterinarian about cremation and burial. Most veterinarians can arrange to have dogs cremated. If you wish to retain your dog’s ashes, be sure to warn the crematorium ahead of time.

Burying your dog in a pet cemetery allows you to visit your dog’s final resting spot whenever you wish. Pet cemeteries offer plots, headstones, and monuments just as human cemeteries
do. Aside from your veterinarian, you may also want to consult with your local humane society for respected pet cemeteries in your area.