Aging is a natural process that, unfortunately, cannot be avoided. Proper care will help you to preserve the health of the husky and temporarily postpone the approach of old age.
Aged dogs may have weakly appeared symptoms of diseases. Sometimes it’s difficult for the owner to understand the nature of the disease: chronic or associated with the development of dangerous diseases. It’s important to carry out prophylaxis on time. Dogs older than 7-8 years should be regularly examined to control their health status.
First of all, pay attention to changes in the organisms of an elderly dog. It can occur not only from genetic features of husky and transferred diseases, but also from loads during training and use of the dog in work.
The claws of an aging pet need to be taken care of, while young individuals have enough runs on the asphalt to wear off their claws. With the onset of old age, dogs become less active, therefore, the claws are worn off worse. In addition, the age of the animal changes gait, which causes an uneven load on the paw. For this reason, sharpened claws may be formed. They need to be cut when the claws reach the ground.
The condition of the skin indicates the changes in the aging husky organism: it becomes less elastic, less secret produces in the sebaceous glands, the hair dulls and dandruff appears. Some owners are troubled by an unpleasant smell that appears in the dog with the years. It should be remembered that this is not the fault of the animal, but the natural process of changes in the skin. In this case, you need to carefully wash the dog and dry it carefully. For this purpose, choose a special softening and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. What if the pet is not accustomed to washing or it’s difficult to do it? Use dry lotions or shampoos. Huskies have the right to look good even in old age.
Elderly dogs lose visual acuity for a number of reasons: glaucoma, retinal and optic nerve atrophy, age-related changes in the lens. If suddenly your pet’s eyes seem to be covered with a light “haze”, and the dog refuses to walk when it’s dark outside, and overcomes small obstacles with caution, then be sure to consult a doctor. Fortunately, even with the loss of vision huskies easily adapt to orientate in space with the help of hearing and smell. In this case, the owner’s commands like “forward”, “stand” and “calm” will protect the dog from possible injuries, as well as give confidence to the pet.
As the husky ages, it loses its hearing acuity. This can cause inconvenience to the owner when, for example, during a walk the dog will not hear the owner’s commands. However, the husky will adapt to this. Living with a person, the dog is able to learn to recognize facial expressions and gestures, without hearing the voice commands. It can feel through vibration the clap of your hands or if you stamp your foot. To understand how well your pet performs commands, just watch him.
Proper nutrition is essential for the well-being of an aged animal. With the onset of old age, muscle mass decreases, and fat deposits become more. The digestive system becomes more sensitive, so the diet of an elderly four-legged friend should be of high quality and easy to digest. You need to give a special food for older dogs, which is rich in protein and contains less fat. If necessary, put your pet on a diet or medical diet. Portions of food depend strictly on the recommendations of the veterinary.
With age in the dog’s organism occur oxidative processes in the cells. For this reason, the immune system deteriorates, the aging process begins. It’s important to diversify the pet’s diet and increase the number of vitamins and microelements in the food, in particular, antioxidants. In addition, a decrease in physical activity reduces the dynamics of the bowel. Therefore, for a husky in years, which is overweight, you need food with a high content of fiber. And on the contrary – such diet will harm dogs which it’s difficult to gain weight.
Protein-rich food favourably affect the lifespan of a pet. The amount of protein doesn’t depend on the occurrence of renal failure signs. In the absence of clinical symptoms of this disease, it’s not recommended to reduce the amount of meat or protein in dry food. Huskies older than 6 years should be given less products with a high content of phosphorus, such as fish.
The appearance of dog enuresis can be caused by excessive consumption of liquid. However, before you limit your pet to water, consult a doctor to find out the causes of thirst. They can also become diabetes, failure of the kidneys, pyometer. If such animal lives in the apartment, go out more often with him to walk on the street to reduce the number of puddles on the floor in the house.
It‘s important to remember that walk should not be too long for an elderly husky, especially when the weather is cold or wet. If it’s warm and sunny outside, and the animal wants to rest and walk longer, then don’t rush and give him this opportunity. Thermoregulation of aged dogs deteriorates, so don’t leave your pet in places where it can easily overcool or overheat.
A common problem for older dogs is osteoarthritis. Several signs may indicate the disease: the pet began to limp, the pace decreased during the walks, it became harder to give any physical activity. For example, the animal struggles to get up on the sofa. A dog with osteoarthritis is recommended to buy an orthopedic mattress that will help it lie down and get up, and will provide the body with additional heat during sleep. However, swimming is extremely useful for aging joints. After bathing, wipe the dog and its fur dry.
Old age can also cause cancer. An age-related animal is at risk zone, so carefully examine and feel your four-legged friend once every two months. Show the dog to the veterinary about twice a year. If you notice any seals on the dog’s body, contact your doctor immediately.
Starting from 7-8 years, bring the dog to the veterinary for a preventive examination more often. To monitor the main indicators, be sure to take a biochemical and General blood test, as well as urine. From the age of 8, Echocardiography of the heart and ultrasound of internal organs are added here. This should be done even if you don’t notice any abnormalities in your pet. The sooner the doctor will identify failures in the work of the dog’s organism, the easier it will be to recover it to normal functioning according to age.
For any symptoms, the veterinary can advise to castrate or sterilize your husky. It’s better to make such a decision on time and not to postpone the operation. After all, the older the animal, the more difficult it can undergo a surgery and recover from its consequences.
Age-related dogs often show tender feelings, so don’t deny attention and communication to your pet. Treat it with patience and give more time and care.
A loss of four-legged friend is always a painful process. You can soften it if you get a puppy in advance. However, an elderly animal is not always happy with such replenishment. The young individual will cause jealousy and irritation in the age-old pet with its activity and energy. It can have a bad effect on his health. If your husky has already felt weak and cannot adequately fight for a place with a young puppy, lunch and a toy, then don’t hurry to take a new animal. Indeed, the baby will have to pay more time and attention, and this can greatly affect the old and sick dog.
Unfortunately, owners of old husky may face with an unpleasant situation when it’s impossible to relief the suffering and torment of the animal. The owner encounter a difficult choice: to prolong the life of the pet no matter what, or agree to euthanasia in order to stop the torment of the old animal. There is no unambiguous advice, so everyone makes its own choice. Such situations are emotionally stressful and unpleasant. It’s hard to get over a loss, and you still need some time to recover. However, it’s always important to look to the future, so when your pet was with you, he was able to teach you a lot. And it’s likely that one day you will want to share this knowledge with a new dog.