Aging is now the focus of attention for all those involved in the well-being of pets, because like their owners, they see their life expectancy increase. Advances in medicine, surgery, human and veterinary dietetics, and research in gerontology and geriatrics in particular, have in fact contributed to extending our lives as well as those of our "four-legged" companions.

So one day we notice the white goatee of our Briard, the opaque eyes of our poodle or the lethargy accompanied by gluttony of our alley cat... Hey! Yes, they are getting old!

Puppy or kitten, as soon as they arrived home, with vigilance, patience and indulgence we had to make them learn to live with us.

After this time of childhood, the respect due to an entirely dependent animal has maintained our attention, to offer our dog and/or our cat all the care they needed.
But when we reach old age, this is perhaps when we owe them the most, so how can we help them live their senior lives serenely? At what age do we talk about old age in our pets?

Depending on their size, weight, living conditions and personal genetic potential, our cats and dogs are not equal when it comes to aging.

It is observed that a large dog enters the 3rd age after its 7 years, its average life expectancy being 10 to 12 years. Working dogs (police, rescue, ring, tracking etc.) and breeding bitches are also retired from this age.
A small breed cat or dog can live much longer (15/18 years), their old age will not begin until around 10 years old.
Based on various criteria, comparison grids of human ages compared to those of dogs are even proposed. These estimates are only of interest to remember that a dog or cat aged 10 to 16 is not an adolescent but an old person! and that it must therefore be treated with respect.

Certain factors influence the longevity of our little companions. The genetic code of course, but especially all the care we have taken of them from a young age, to ensure they are in good physical and mental condition (one does not go without the other).

Be aware of certain signs

Gradually less beautiful, less active, less present, the elderly animal is more fragile than a young adult and must therefore be the subject of very particular observations and attention.
Watching him live and move, feeling him, noting any changes to recognize his progressive deficiencies, helps to quickly detect the onset of an illness linked to aging.
The increase in rest and sleep time, which is normal for him, should therefore not be a cause for concern.

But slowly the animal can come to suffer in its locomotion, become out of breath, have poor hearing or vision... several of these deficiencies end up adding up! As a result, its vitality is diminished and it may be less prompt to respond to requests.
The brain, the organ of information processing and control, is affected by aging. Its inevitable degeneration gradually leads to and accompanies many organic disorders, but also mood and behavior disorders often. The signs of aging are therefore seen on the physical, psychological and behavioral levels.

Physically:

• As its physical performance gradually diminishes, the animal tires more quickly and has difficulty jumping or climbing steps.
• White hairs appear on the muzzle, body, the fur becomes duller or hairless in places
• Warts or cysts may form, which must be examined because tumors are common among seniors (moreover, many older females develop mammary tumors).
• The animal sometimes gets heavier. Being overweight is always harmful to the heart, kidneys, etc., but especially if it is a dysplastic dog, which will then limp more.
• Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye, making vision increasingly blurry.
• Hearing faculties diminish and the dog no longer "responds": hence the interest in teaching him to react to voices and gestures.
• The older dog or cat may start coughing or become short of breath, or even faint…perhaps symptoms of heart disease, according to the veterinarian.
• Renal failure (kidneys filtering less well) can cause the death of the animal (this is one of the leading causes of death in cats): alert your veterinarian if you see the animal drinking more.
• Loss of appetite or the opposite, nocturnal incontinence, constipation alternating with diarrhea are all signs of the weakening of the vital functions of the animal's body.

Psychologically and behaviorally
Gradually, the relational life of our aging companion becomes impoverished. But this phenomenon is sometimes accompanied by more marked mood and behavioral disorders, and some of these dysfunctions require consulting the veterinarian:

• The animal has less interest in everything that once stimulated it
• The cat plays less or not at all and remains isolated
• The dog greets its owners with less enthusiasm and reacts as if "late" or "a little out of step" when asked, to the point of no longer responding to requests.
• He sometimes moans in everyday circumstances (always a bit the same) for what does not seem to be pain; he starts to scream (in distress) when we are absent whereas he knew so well how to calmly stay alone before; he becomes less patient (even despotic for someone who was already not very flexible!)
• He may have disproportionate or somewhat inappropriate reactions to more or less familiar noises.
• He may start to wander around during the day and even at night, or even get “lost” in his usual environment (in the garden in particular)
• He may be reluctant to go outside his home, and seem to have forgotten what he learned when he was young, or even to have "fallen back into childhood", ingesting, like a puppy, everything he finds.

Faced with some of these deficiencies, what can be done to help him live his third age better? • First, regular visits to the veterinarian, who can delay or prevent the appearance of diseases inherent to "middle age", knowing that no treatment can ever rejuvenate an old animal, but often ensure a more optimal quality of life.

• We can obtain an activation of vital functions slowed down by old age, a functional recovery of nervous tissue, relief in inflammatory conditions of the joints or bronchi, an improvement in the function of the heart, the digestive tract, the liver, the kidneys... the diet can be changed, adapted, supplemented, the intake of food fractionated...
• Homeopathy, herbal medicine, acupuncture, osteopathy etc. are particularly effective in helping and relieving certain ailments of old age. (Plants to the rescue: herbal medicine for our dogs and cats)
• Generally speaking, it is necessary to keep the habits of the old animal. The daily routine is reassuring and the break with its daily landmarks disorients and stresses it easily (a boarding place for example can be badly experienced, a move also, but also the absence of a family member ...)
• Make sure to provide him with a softer (out of drafts) and quieter place to rest, because while maintaining contact with family life, the animal needs longer periods of sleep.
• Without relegating him, he must be protected in particular from the agitation of children. Their turbulence is less well experienced by a cat or a dog that has become less tolerant, simply because it suffers from the various ailments of old age, hence sometimes growling and even being bitten by the dog or scratched by the cat.

Any animal suffering from kidney problems, arthritis or dysplasia for example, will also fear caresses that become painful, hence again legitimate aggressive reactions that can increase. Suffering from deafness and/or impaired vision, it is constantly "surprised" and can no longer anticipate approaches.

It is up to adults to make the children in the family, their little friends and those who come across the dog during walks understand that the older animal is less patient, wants to play less and seeks caresses less.
Because his vitality and mobility have diminished, children will have to learn to approach him and play with him without roughness, to caress his back or his arthritic legs less forcefully and for less prolonged periods.

Why have so many children been bitten by their old, "nice" dog until then? Because the animal that suffered from their repeated roughness, one day had the natural defense reaction of canines: the bite.
The animal had probably growled or bared its teeth before, it had already "warned" in some way, but very young children in particular do not notice this threat from the dog intended to stop their behavior. The animal ends up biting because it did not see its warnings come to fruition and it continues to be the victim of brutality.

There are things you can do to help reduce your dog's suffering. Here are some examples:

• Gradually adapt the pace, duration and locations of the old dog's walks (shorter, slower and on flatter paths)
• Walks should be adjusted to their reduced mobility, heart and/or respiratory failure, deafness and/or poorer eyesight, reducing them a little more during extreme weather conditions (high heat or intense cold). Commercial coats and raincoats will protect the most fragile.
• In particular, think about helping him get in and out of the car, and be careful not to let him stray too far (some, suddenly worried when they can no longer see their owner, put themselves in danger by running in all directions). The deafness of the old animal can be compensated for by trying to stay in his field of vision and developing exaggerated and encouraging gestures for recall among other things (be careful in the dark in winter, he sees less well!)
• In mild weather, careful brushing, once again adapted to stiffness, pain, or skin imperfections, remains beneficial. It allows monitoring of lumps, the presence of harmful parasites, etc. while maintaining bodily contact and tender complicity with an animal, whose diminished sensory faculties isolate it a little (and still for painful stiffness, be careful to wipe dirty paws when returning from outings) (Plants to the rescue: herbal medicine at the service of our dogs and cats)

Maintaining moderate activity is necessary for the good balance of an old dog, and not a "brutal retirement" for one who used to hunt or jog with his owner on the pretext that he is no longer performing well!

• Check the water level in the bowl of an animal whose thirst is increased more often (without trying to reduce its consumption, under the pretext of more frequent urination! at the risk of aggravating the pathology)
• Would a new companion be beneficial for him? It is better to refrain from bringing "into the paws" of a senior dog or cat, a naturally turbulent puppy, who risks jostling and exhausting him with his overflowing vitality and his nibbling.

But if you introduce a young animal into the family group when the senior is still very active, then it is beneficial for both. The youngster will learn a lot by imitation with his "old teacher" (it is better in this regard to have a well-ordered "older", because his bad habits will also "rub off" on the younger one!)

Stimulated, a senior dog can find a second youth, but you have to be careful to respect the ascendancy that he maintains over the young, and sometimes to moderate it if, not feeling old, he was doing a little too much! And if finally later with all your care, your dog only spends his time sleeping and seems to become more "mechanical", to be only interested in his bowl and the time to go out (and want to come back very quickly as soon as he does his business!) you will have to become even more indulgent to accompany him until his end. Keeping your old animal alive in comfort until his death, obviously should never mean that we will persist unreasonably to keep him, and end up making him suffer unnecessarily and only for our own comfort.

Source: Danièle Mirat - Caniconsultant