Vital Signs: Recognizing and Understanding the Signs of Aging in Your Pet
February 5th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Dr. Elizabeth Murphy
by Dr. Elizabeth Murphy
When your dog or cat was very young, it probably seemed as if there were huge changes in size and development every day or every week. Once adulthood arrived, you may have even breathed a sigh of relief that life with your pet was more peaceful and predictable. The “senior” years and their changes may have arrived so gradually that you didn’t even notice, but changes can begin to occur in the later stages of life at the same fast pace that you noticed at the beginning. Watching for these changes can help you not only to understand what is going on with your pet, but also to be proactive about medical problems that commonly occur as pets age. Please keep an eye on this blog in the coming weeks – several articles will be posted that will help you anticipate the good things that come with age as well as plan for the some of the inevitable difficulties.
The most common aging change that people notice about their pets is a decrease in hearing. This is a change that involves sensorineural deafness – which is a decrease in the ability of the nerves to transmit sound signals from the hearing apparatus in the ears to the brain, where sound is perceived and interpreted. We humans tend to listen to loud music at concerts or have jobs that expose us to loud noises, and we usually have age-related hearing loss related to damage in the hearing apparatus in our ears as well as to aging changes in our nerves. People expect to experience hearing loss as we age and usually recognize it without surprise when it occurs. But think about how a loss of hearing may be experienced by your pet – cats and dogs tend to live for the here and now, react to things as they happen (or not) and don’t reflect upon life very much. If your dog doesn’t hear you moving around in the next room, or banging pots in the kitchen, he may just assume you are not even in the house. If your cat is asleep, and has a decrease in her hearing-related alerting mechanisms that would keep her aware of approaching predators in the wild she may not hear your keys jingling in the lock and no longer greet you at the door. Your cat or dog may appear not to care if you are home – but are more likely to just not be aware of your presence.
Understanding this helps you not to take this personally, and should help you to change some of your behaviors to make it easier for your pets to know that you are there, even if they can’t hear you. Some pets get startled when they are touched, and some even lash out in fear or may bite. Stomping on the floor as you come in the door may alert your dog to your presence and wake him so he can greet you as usual, or making sure you approach your cat from the front, so she can see you before your touch her, may keep you from getting scratched.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your pet may no longer hear you say “No” and then may take this as permission to do anything he wants! You may want to take a proactive approach while your pet still hears well and teach your dog (or even your cat) some hand signals for such commands as “No”, “Come”, “Off” and “Drop It”.
Observing, understanding, and anticipating aging changes in your pet can lead to a better quality of life for both of you, and hopefully, a better quantity of life for your pet as you will detect health problems early. Keep checking this blog for more tips about how to help your pet age gracefully. Or for more information, feel free to call us at 317-257-5334.
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Thanks for the article on aging pets. What about not using the litter box, sometimes and sometimes not. Sharon Stoten
There are lots of potential reasons for inappropriate elimination in older cats. For example, most people have the litter box in a location which is out of the way and out of sight – often in the basement. An aging cat may not have the inclination to go downstairs on stiff joints, or into a dim room with eyes that don’t see well anymore in low light – so he or she may just use the nearest rug. Some cats may not have the ability to “hold it” as long as they used to, due to some sensory changes in the anal or urinary systems. Others may have medical conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease, that make their bladders fill up very quickly and then the urge to go takes the cat by surprise. Holding the position necessary to defecate properly may not be possible in cats with stiff hips, poor balance or weak back legs, so constipation may occur, and the cat may suddenly need to defecate when far away from the box.
Having several easy-to-find, easily accessible litter boxes – especially with low sides which are easier to get in and out of – may be the quickest answer. And getting in for a check-up to see if there are any underlying medical conditions that could be found and treated would be advisable, too.
As a brand new pet owner I welcome all the information and facts listed here. I would like my family dog to be properly trained and have a healthy atmosphere to live in. I am grateful for the tips.