When is a Dog Old or a " Senior"

It doesn't matter if you have a toy, small, medium sized or big dog; you need to bear in mind that as of six or eight years of age, your female dog enters the stage and we commonly know as old-age. From this moment on you have to change the diet for another more specific diet. In many cases and breeds you will notice how the hair turns white, or how the hair grows in between the pads as the first signs of old age. Other symptoms that can appear in this stage are, for example, greater difficulty to mold or get out of bed, a certain lack of interest or apathy with regards to what happens around him, lack of appetite and even, in some cases, urinary incontinency, especially during sleep.

In order to make your dog feel entertained and accomplished, as a suggestion, you could look for the company of a puppy who will learn from the experience of the older dog, which will undoubtedly prove to be beneficial in making your older dog's life more interesting, useful and necessary. In this stage, your dog must (and deserves to) live in your own house -- that is if she hasn't since the first day -- and have a comfortable bed in which she can accommodate her weakened skeleton better; it would even be convenient to cover her with a coat during cold and rainy days. The regular walks must be shorter and slower paced; you must only stop going on walks if you have been advised by the veterinarian not to because exercise, even when moderated, is always a good ally in this stage of old age.

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