Senior Dog Wellness - How To Ensure Your Dog Grows Old Gracefully

Just like people, dogs age at different rates, but we can’t escape the fact that they age. We can however, help them to age gracefully.

If you have ever rescued a worried dog, and watched them grow old, you may have seen their worries that were left behind years before start to re-emerge. Even dogs who have never been anxious and who’s sight and hearing start to fade can show anxiety and clinginess with us, due to the new world they find themselves in. As a human who with hearing loss I can vouch for the emotional toil it has, and for dogs, with far less control over their environments, it must be even more of a jolt.

If your dog is showing signs of being unwell, it’s important to take them to the vet. Even if you can’t quite explain specific changes or physical symptoms, a good vet may recognise something specific.

If your dog is showing mental and physical signs of age, there are a few things that you can do to help improve their mental wellbeing.

Psychological Signs of Mental Ageing

These are common signs that are seen in dogs that would indicate that they are getting older and declining mentally.

• Fear or anxiety around novel (or even familiar) people or objects.

• Changes in the sleep cycle, such as restlessness or pacing at night.

• Barking or vocalising more frequently.

• Repetitive or compulsive behaviours such as licking or wandering.

• Forgetting cues that they once kne