After all the care that we have given the dog, it will sooner or later grow old. Our job is to help them through this stage in their life. The man and the dog grow old together and when the time of death comes, the owner lives through sad moments.
A Dog’s Life Span: The dog’s life span has increased due to the use of medicine. Nourishment plays a very important role in the prevention of certain diseases. On the other hand, the practice of canine activities is very important for the dog to stay in shape for a long time. The veterinarian geriatrics has experimented a great development and don’t think it is ridiculous to make certain checks when the dog reaches a certain age. Humans aren’t the only ones that grow old. The third age in dogs must be taken into consideration. We will have to double the care and attention.
Calculating the Dog’s Age: In order to calculate the dog’s age in proportion to us, it is not enough to multiply their age by a certain number. In order to make this analogy we must compare the different stages in life. Weaning come after 6 weeks. The first dentition in dogs is completed by the fourth month and in the child at the age of 5 years. Adult dentition in dogs happens 5 months and continues until they are 7 months old, while in children it happens at the age of 10 years. The sexual maturity in dogs happens when the dog is about 8 months and in people it happens at the age of 16 or 18. The old dog can present several illnesses due to the years of its organs. In the man it is considered that these types of illnesses happen after we are 60. In the dog this risk happens after it is 10 years old. Therefore, according to this we can establish that the dog is old when it is 10 years old.
Differences According to the Dog’s Breeds: It is usually said that pure breed dogs are more fragile than the hybrid ones. This is probably true when it comes down to infections, but it has not been demonstrated when we talk about age. It is evident that important differences exist between the larger and smaller breeds of dogs. The small dogs have a longer life span, and it is considered that they enter old age at the age of 12 or 13. On the other hand, the larger dogs enter at the age of 8 or 9.
The maximum life span for a dog is 27 years. Scientifically it is said that the average life span of a dog is about 13 years. Older Dog Diets.
Signs of a Dog’s Age
- Lack of energy
- Sleepiness
- Less shiny hair
- Walking problems
- Emotional changes
- Pain
- Obesity or loss of weight