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It depends on the breed of dog, but your pet's senior years generally begin at age 7. Louise Murray, DVM, director of the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City and author of Vet Confidential (Ballantine, 2008), tells you what you need to know to keep your older dog spry and happy.
At this stage, Murray recommends taking your dog to the vet twice a year. 'So much can happen to an elderly dog,' she says. Your veterinarian can take blood annually to test liver and kidney functions. 'Discovering problems early is extremely important,' she says. Your vet can be on the lookout for conditions that often affect older dogs, such as anemia and arthritis.
Pay attention to what might be subtle changes in your dog's habits: Is she drinking more water or urinating larger amounts? These behaviors might indicate a liver or kidney problem. Have your dog's bowel movements shifted? This could indicate a digestive issue. Diabetes or digestive problems might cause your dog to eat more but still lose weight. Knowing the dog's patterns can help the veterinarian determine a course of treatment.
Continue to use preventive medicines.
Clean your dog's teeth daily. If she has tartar buildup, you might need to have her teeth professionally cleaned at your vet's office, which requires sedating your pet.
Your dog is probably less active, so steady, moderate exercise is best for her now. Don't turn her into a 'weekend warrior' who, after lying around on weekdays, accompanies you on a 10-mile hike on Saturdays. This is especially hard on an older dog's joints.
Your veterinarian might wish to put your dog on a senior diet, such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Senior Plus. These formulations contain nutrients specifically geared toward older-dog health.
Your new puppy's first meals at home are very important. Find out what formula your puppy has been eating, and continue feeding this food for a day or two after you bring him home. If you want to change his diet to a premium food such as IAMS™ ProActive Health™ Smart Puppy Original , gradually move him to the new formula and help avoid intestinal upsets by using the following steps:
Day 1: Fill your dog's bowl with 75% of his old food and 25% of IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original.
Day 2: Mix his former food and IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original in a 50/50 ratio.
Day 3: Feed your dog a mixture that's 75% IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original and 25% former food.
Day 4: Feed 100% of IAMS ProActive Health Smart Puppy Original.
To feed a puppy from weaning to 4 months of age, offer a 100% complete and balanced premium puppy formula. To determine each serving size, start with the daily amount recommended by the feeding guidelines on the pet food label, and divide that number by the number of times a day (usually three times) you plan to feed your puppy.
Serve the food at room temperature and remove the bowl within 30 minutes after he's done eating. After four months, you can feed a puppy twice daily on a regular schedule.
Don't add nutritional supplements to your dog's diet. Adding commercial dietary supplements or 'people food' such as hamburger, eggs, cottage cheese, or cow's milk is unnecessary and might even do more harm than good.
