Main causes of death in older dogs

All the people who have a elderly dog We ask ourselves the same questions and these are none other than what are the main causes of death of an older dog or what can we do so that our pet lives more years with us?

When our dog reaches the e10 year old, we must pay more attention to the sintomas that these can showAs with people, the older you are, the more you have to take care of yourself.

There are four main causes of death in older dogs

Cancer

A 2011 study at the University of Georgia showed that cancer (neoplasia), is the leading cause of death in old dogs.

This study shows that cancer is a disease that is associated with aging and that is a lot more common in older dogs than younger dogs and despite claims that cancer is due to exposure to environmental toxins, commercial dog food, vaccines, etc. the figures show that cancer increases with age in all races.

The symptom to look for are lumps or bumps on the body, weight changes, ulcers that heal slowly, drooling, coughing, excessive panting, difficulty eating, extreme tiredness, diarrhea, constipation, blood and mucus in the stool or bleeding from the mouth, nose or ears.

Heart disease

According to a study conducted in 2009, approximately 10% of all dogs suffer from heart disease in their lifetime, increasing substantially with age.

The symptom to look for are, cough, shortness of breath, changes in behavior, lethargy, depression, lack of appetite, pérdida peso, a bloated belly, collapse, fainting, weakness, restlessness at night or isolation.

Liver diseases

Talk about the liver disease it is difficult, because symptoms and life expectancy vary widely depending on the cause, severity, and general health of the pet.

The symptom to look for are confusion, yellow eyes / tongue / gums (jaundice), loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst, instability, increased urination, weakness, blood in the urine or stools, seizures, dark urine, or a swollen belly.

Renal disease

The kidneys are responsible for the balance of certain substances in the blood and the elimination of waste and there are many things that can cause renal insufficiencysuch as kidney stones, a ruptured bladder, ingestion of toxins, infections, urinary obstruction, or aging.

The symptom to look for are, a increased thirst, increased urination, listlessness, loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, loss of coordination and / or losing the brown color of the tongue.

When can you consider that your dog is old?

Not all dogs age at the same rateas it depends on the breed and size of your dog. There are also variations according to each individual and their lifestyle.

The small breed dogs have a long life expectancy14-18 years) and are considered older than 10 years, dogs of medium breed will be older than 8-9 years and have a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years and big dogs have a short life expectancy (8-10 years), being between 6 and 7 years old (approximately 5 years for giant breeds).

As in humans, the aging of your partner is accompanied by changes in your body more or less important.

So and for all dogs, aging results in joint problems, weakened kidneys, a 'lazy' gut, dull hair, bad teeth, increased sensitivity to stress and disease, etc., therefore older dogs need to be given a specific diet.

It is important to be very attentive, since many of the death cases attributed to old age are caused by weakening of one or more organs that could have been treated.