Adapting the Environment for Your Senior Dog
Dogs are incredibly adaptable individuals, so a senior pooch with mobility issues will most likely do whatever he can to keep himself moving when necessary. But you can help him deal with his loss of locomotion by adjusting his environment to meet his current needs.
Getting around your home and into your car may be easy for you, but for a dog who has locomotion limitations, home turf and car entry may seem like obstacle courses. Slippery floors, steep stairs, high-car entrances, and chilly indoor temperatures can make your creaky-jointed pooch uncomfortable. You can make minor alterations that ease your pooch's pain and lessen the challenge of negotiating her home turf.
Some alterations you may want to make include
- Ramping up. If your senior companion can't hop up into your car the way she used to, make it possible for her to forego hopping altogether. You can get a slanted ramp that lets her walk up into your car rather than jump into it — which gives her sore muscles and joints some much-needed relief and spares you from lifting her into the car.
When you're not using your doggy ramp, tuck it behind the driver's seat. Such placement prevents the ramp from becoming an airborne missile if you must stop suddenly.
- Stepping up. Senior dogs who can't get themselves up on a couch or human bed will probably welcome some carpeted steps to preclude the need for jumping. A company called Dog Bed Works sells such products in two-step, three-step, and four-step sizes.
- Bedding down. Sure, your dog didn't mind sleeping on the cold, hard floor when she was younger — but now that she's older, she may enjoy having some heat and some cushioning. Soft, cushy beds can cradle your four-legged friend in soft-as-a-cloud comfort. Orthopedic beds —also known as egg-crate beds, because the mattress looks like the inside of an empty egg carton — have special foam linings that can add to your dog's luxury. Some orthopedic beds even have heating elements to increase that sense of ease. You can find good dog beds, orthopedic and otherwise, at any pet superstore.
To keep your senior comfy no matter where she is, try placing beds not only where she usually sleeps at night, but also at other favorite places in your home. There's no law against a dog having more than one bed!
- Giving her some stockings. Many older dogs have calluses on their elbows from years of lying on hard floors and other surfaces. The constant rubbing of the dogs' elbow on the floor causes the hair to wear away and the exposed skin to thicken. A callus can actually protect the elbows, but if it gets painful, a product called DogLeggs can help. The product looks like a stocking that's open at both ends, and it's lined with fleece. Simply pull the stocking over your dog's paw, onto her leg, and over her elbow. You can order one or more pairs of DogLeggs, which are custom-fit to your dog's measurements.
- De-flooring it. Bare floors can be tough on your older pooch because they don't offer any traction. You could install wall-to-wall carpeting in your home, but a cheaper option is to add some rugs in strategic places. Make sure, though, that the rugs adhere to the floor either with their own backings or with backings that you buy. If you feed your senior in the kitchen, which probably has a bare floor, putting a rug in the feeding area can help her stay on all fours while she eats
- Warming up. Most elderly people are more sensitive to cold temperatures than younger folks are, and most elderly dogs are the same way. Your mobility-challenged senior will probably feel much more comfortable if you turn up your thermostat a couple of degrees in the winter and use a little less air conditioning in the summer.
- Giving her a raise. Or, more accurately, giving her dishes a raise. A dog whose back hurts or has trouble bending down will be grateful to eat from dishes that are lifted up from the floor. Many pet-supply companies sell platforms that you can set food bowls on; you can also rig up your own doggy place setting simply by placing the food bowls atop a low bench.
Do not raise your dog's dishes from the floor if she's at risk for bloat, a potentially deadly condition in which gas fills the stomach and compresses the surrounding organs. Dogs who are at risk include large dogs with narrow chests, dogs who've already had bloat, or dogs with one or more relatives who've had it. A dog's risk increases with age, and the condition can be fatal if left untreated.
One of the toughest aspects of caring for a dog who's losing mobility is the feeling that you're alone in the task. Able Dogs, an electronic mailing list, can put you in touch with other owners of mobility-challenged dogs.
Dogs Glossary
A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
