| Our senior dogs are living longer and healthier lives due | | | | If you notice your dog bumping into furniture, then it is |
| to better nutrition, owner care and advances in | | | | time to have your vet examine him for vision problems. |
| veterinary medicine. However, as our dogs get older, | | | | Cataracts can be removed but the treatment is quite |
| they become subject to a number of age-related | | | | expensive. |
| canine diseases. What is "old" for a dog? Probably the | | | | Glaucoma is a very painful disease in which fluid |
| best definition is the last 25% of your dog's life. Our | | | | pressure increases inside the eyeball. The tendency to |
| aging dogs have been our loving companions for many | | | | develop glaucoma can be inherited or it can develop in |
| years and we have learned to appreciate their good, | | | | older dogs or dogs with untreated cataracts. |
| or at least predictable, behavior and calm demeanor. | | | | Glaucoma can occur very suddenly and needs to be |
| However you recently may have started to notice | | | | treated immediately to prevent blindness. Symptoms |
| changes in your dog's appearance, activity level and | | | | include pawing at a painful eye, excessive tearing, |
| disposition. In two earlier articles I discussed the | | | | cloudy eye lens, bloodshot eye, enlarged eyeball and |
| symptoms and treatments for the two most common | | | | tipping of head to one side to try and relieve the |
| age-related diseases - Canine Arthritis and Dog | | | | pressure. Take your dog to the vet immediately, who, |
| Diabetes. These are two diseases that can be | | | | upon diagnosing glaucoma, will prescribe eye drops to |
| managed if you recognize the symptoms early enough | | | | be given to your dog several times per day. |
| to seek help from your veterinarian. However, there | | | | Blindness or partial blindness tends to develop more |
| are a number of other diseases that dog owners | | | | often in elderly dogs as a result of cataracts, |
| should be watching for. | | | | glaucoma or more often progressive retinal atrophy |
| As always, when you observe any significant changes | | | | (PRA). Unlike the first two causes, there is no cure for |
| in your dogs diet, activity level, temperament and/or | | | | PRA, in which the retina progressively deteriorates |
| weight loss, then consult with your veterinarian. | | | | over time. The tendency for PRA can be inherited and |
| Treatment costs can be expensive and the early | | | | it is why breeders test the breeding parents for the |
| purchase of pet health insurance may be a good | | | | disease before selling their pure-bred puppies. |
| decision. Some other common age-related diseases | | | | Symptoms include clumsiness, reluctance to go outside |
| such as Deafness, Blindness, Glaucoma, Cataracts, | | | | at night, moving more cautiously and permanently |
| Dental Disease and Cancer are discussed below. | | | | dilated pupils. Your dog can still have a good quality of |
| Deafness or hearing loss in older dogs is fairly | | | | life as a blind dog but you will have to adapt to meet |
| common. As dogs age their internal hearing structures | | | | his needs. Always keep his food and toys in the same |
| often start to deteriorate. Behavior changes and | | | | place and don't rearrange furniture. Pick up objects |
| symptoms include: continued sleeping when you arrive | | | | that he may trip over. Expect your dog to always be |
| home, ignoring voice commands, startling easily and | | | | near you as he will be dependant on you. If your dog |
| even snapping when woken. You will have to adapt | | | | has partial sight, then keep the lights on at night so he |
| and train your pet to recognize hand signals. In order to | | | | can find his way around. |
| get your dogs attention, you will have to resort to | | | | Cancer is the major cause of death in senior dogs. |
| stamping your feet or flicking a flashlight on and off or | | | | Early diagnosis of cancer can result in successful |
| even purchasing a remote control vibrating collar. | | | | treatment. There are a wide range of symptoms that |
| Some attempts have been made to use hearing aids | | | | can alert you to problems that may be caused by |
| with deaf dogs with poor success as many dogs | | | | cancer. These include: difficulty in eating or swallowing, |
| won't tolerate them. | | | | weight loss, loss of appetite, sores that won't heal, |
| Cataracts cause some loss of vision and can be | | | | abnormal growths or swellings, and bleeding or |
| inherited or develop with age. Most cataracts develop | | | | discharge from body openings. Your vet will look for |
| slowly with age and cause cloudiness in the clear eye | | | | external and internal cancerous growths and then do a |
| lens. If cataracts are allowed to develop, they will | | | | biopsy. If the growth is cancerous then he may |
| eventually cause blindness and become quite difficult | | | | suggest surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Your |
| to correct. Early symptoms are cloudiness in the clear | | | | veterinarian will discuss the cost and probability of |
| eye lens and impaired vision resulting in clumsy | | | | success of the various alternative treatments. |
| behavior or cautious movements in unfamiliar locations. | | | | |