What other dog diseases come with old age?
Posted by Dog Supplies Advice in Dog Supplies Q&A, Dog Supplies Tips, tags: Diseases, Dog, Dog Advice, dog care, Dog Diseases, Dog Healths, Dog Operations, dog Q&A, dog supplies, dog supplies advice, Operations, Pet SuppliesWhat other dog diseases come with old age?
As well as cancer, there are a number of other conditions which become increasingly common as dogs grow older. One of the most significant is kidney failure. The kidneys have the important function of eliminating the waste products of metabolism, particularly those resulting from the breakdown of proteins in the body, and of regulating the composition of the blood plasma. With age, the number of functional units which comprise the kidneys gradually diminishes, and this may be accelerated by severe damage (e.g. from a road accident), bacterial or viral infection (e.g. leptospirosis or infectious canine hepatitis) or, rarely, neoplasia. When around 70 % of the kidney tissue has ceased to work, the waste products will accumulate in the blood and cause such toxic effects as a loss of appetite, listlessness, vomiting, increased thirst, dehydration, weight loss and, after a time, ulcers in the mouth. This condition, chronic renal failure, is not reversible, and to enable the dog to live with it the diet needs to contain less protein than normal, in order to reduce the production of these waste materials. When cancer or some other progressive cause (e.g. amyloidosis) is responsible, euthanasia is advisable.
As in man heart disease occurs with increasing frequency as dogs grow older, although it is of a different type. Blockage of the pulmonary arteries with blood clots (coronary thrombosis) or with fatty deposits (atherosclerosis) is common in humans but very rare in dogs, and the major canine disorder is a progressive thickening and distortion of the mitral valve of the heart. Increasingly blood leaks back through the valve instead of being pumped around the body, a situation known as cardiac failure, so that fatigue, breathing difficulties and coughing become apparent, at first only after exercise but eventually even when resting.
As they get older dogs, especially bitches, are more likely to suffer from bacterial infections of the urine (urinary tract infection) which are the most common cause of cystitis (inflammation of the bladder). Enlargement of the prostate gland, causing interference with urination and defecation, is common in old male dogs, as it is in elderly human males.
The incidence of periodontal disease, the most frequent dental disorder of dogs also increases with age in all breeds. Chronic ear conditions appear more frequently and there is deterioration of hearing and vision.
Osteoarthritis, due to a gradual degeneration of the cartilage lining the joints, occurs more frequently with age. The lameness it produces is shown particularly as stiffness and difficulty in rising, and becomes less obvious as the animal moves about.
‘Slipped discs’ are also due to degeneration, although in fact most cases become apparent in middle-aged rather than geriatric dogs. The intervertebral discs are the natural ’shock absorbers’ between all the bones (vertebrae) of the spine. In reality a disc does not ’slip’ anywhere, but with age the tough outer layer hardens and may rupture, allowing the soft inner core to bulge out and press on the spinal cord in either the neck or lower back regions. The result is severe pain, with complete or partial paralysis of the front or hind legs respectively. Short-legged, long-backed breeds are particularly at risk; in one survey Dachshunds accounted for 70 % of cases. Such dogs should be discouraged from jumping up, which often initiates the damage.
Other problems may include obesity due to overfeeding and lack of exercise, or under-nutrition – especially if the appetite is impaired. Constipation is not common in old dogs, compared with elderly cats, but if present it is usually associated with insufficient exercise. Lack of exercise can also result in the claws becoming overgrown. Inability to control the sphincters of the bladder and/or anus can result in urinary and/or faecal incontinence.
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