Aging Changes in Dogs & Cats Catherine MacLean, DVM - Grantham, NH
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s pets age, they experience a number of physical changes. Some of these changes may seem sudden like hearing loss, and others are more subtle such as arthritic changes. The changes that you may see with your aging pet can often not be cured, but they can often be managed to help your pet feel more comfortable. Just like people, as pets age their nutritional requirements change due to a decrease in metabolism and decrease in exercise. Most senior pets need their calories cut by about 20% without any change in exercise. Their energy requirements may decrease by another 10% with decreased exercise. It is important to monitor your pet’s weight as they get older. Increased weight makes it harder for older pets to move around and can lead to other health issues and a shorter life span. Talk to your veterinarian about nutrition and calories that your senior pet may need. Elbow callouses are another thing commonly seen in dogs as they age. This is because they are not as active and are laying around more. The elbows are pressure points when a dog is laying down, and that is why the callouses form. Callouses more commonly form when a dog lays mostly on hard surfaces. Make sure that your dog has a soft place to lay on like an orthopedic dog bed. You may notice as your pet ages that you will start seeing gray hair. This tends to be more common in dogs than cats and is often seen on their face more than any other part of the body. Dogs and cats can also start developing more skin tumors. These tumors can Fall 2021
