Overlooking senior dogs' health concerns - Pets - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2002

For many Americans, dogs are part of the family--almost like kids in some instances. However, although owners want to provide their dogs with the best possible care, a number of them inadvertently fail to recognize signs that indicate health problems in their pets.

A survey conducted by Yankelovich Partners for Pfizer Animal Health discovered that 61% of senior dogs (age seven and over) play the role of either friend or child in their families. Just as parents remember key moments in a child's life, 85% of owners of senior dogs were able to recall memorable moments in their pets' lives. Nevertheless, while many regard their dogs as children, some don't always recognize their pets' signs of aging.

"It's important that people learn to recognize the signs of pain in their pets," says veterinarian Bernadine Cruz, Laguna Hills (Calif.) Animal Hospital. "Just as parents notice when their children are in pain, dog owners should pay special attention to the signs of pain and aging in their senior dogs and not just accept them as normal."

Osteoarthritis is one of the most-common canine diseases, affecting more than 8,000,000 dogs in the U.S. Yet, 55% of those with arthritis pain go untreated. In fact, the prevalence of arthritis in dogs is similar to humans, with one in five dogs experiencing symptoms, compared to one in six people.

"Because the incidence of canine arthritis more than doubles in senior dogs, it's important to learn which signs to watch for before your dog reaches senior citizen status," Cruz points out. "Teaching owners to recognize the signs of canine osteoarthritis pain will help them help their dogs, especially since many veterinarians don't routinely check for osteoarthritis during an exam."

Signs of osteoarthritis pain include tiring easily on walks; limping, lagging behind, or appearing stiff after activity; reluctance to climb steps or jump up; and being slow to rise from a resting position. It is important to recognize these signs early and provide pain relief to help keep the dog active and mobile, and therefore less likely to become overweight.