#pet aging

Spike used to be the cat who learned how to tell when I was going to sit in the armchair he liked to lounge in, and learned to get up and move somewhere else.

He was the first cat I ever had who learned his name.

And now he is so confused about where my dad is whenever my parents are out of town. He doesn't recognize a laptop computer anymore.

He no longer understands when he is told "no" in response to his attempts to climb onto people, coming back again and again, where he used to go away after the first time.

Different Types of Pet Hair Loss – Part III

  There are many diseases and conditions which can cause a dog to lose hair; more than most people realize even exist. This article will reveal some of the less common causes of hair loss and the treatments.

1. Alopecia Areata – An auto-immune disorder.

Symptoms: Patches of hair loss especially on head, neck, and body; no itching.

Treatment: Microscopic examination of hairs; biopsy if needed, and…

Different Types of Pet Hair Loss – Conclusion

  There are many diseases and conditions which can cause a dog to lose hair; some more common than others. This article will help reveal some of the least common causes of hair loss in dogs and cats and some of the most successful treatment options.

Chemotherapy – Loss of hair due to chemotherapy.

Symptoms: Dogs with continuously growing hair (e.g. Poodles and Maltese), often lose some hair;…

Different Types of Pet Hair Loss – Part II

  There are many diseases and conditions that can cause a dog to lose hair. Some of these may be considered normal, while others can indicate that another condition or more serious disease may be present. Causes of hair loss can either be very common or very rare. This article will discuss the most common types of hair loss and their causes.

Allergic Inhalant Contact Dermatitis– An allergic…

Different Types of Pet Hair Loss

  What is Hair Loss?

Hair loss on a dog or cat is the abnormal thinning or complete loss of hair in one area or the entire body of the animal. The medical term for hair loss is alopecia. Hair loss is so common that it is one of the main reasons pets visit their veterinarians. Hair loss always indicates a medical problem, and fortunately the most common cause is an allergic reaction to fleas. Hair…

I know that some weeks I talk about medically related topics in a serious tone and some weeks I get a little more personal. This week we are heading into a personal topic as I am trying to come to grips with the fact that my dog Logan is truly an aging senior. I can tell everyone at work that every day your dog lives after reaching 12 is a blessing for most breeds. Sure, we expect the smaller ones to live longer and most will, but the average life span for most dogs really is 12-15 years for the majority of breeds as well as mixed breeds. Take heart, cats usually live closer to the 15 year mark or older, especially when indoors due to decreased risk to certain diseases.

Well, Logan is approaching 13 years old on April 30th and while he is healthy overall on paper, the dog is almost completely void of hearing(my nice way of saying he is almost as deaf as a stone!). He is probably the first one of my own pets who has had this much hearing loss in his life time. Yes, my kids have lost hearing, but not to the point that I had to go find the dog when I came home from work or I had to go tap the dog to let him know dinner was ready or we were going out for a walk. If Logan was not always under my feet at certain times of the day I don’t think he would know these things were occurring! Thankfully this is the worst that is happening to my boy at this time.

While this is basically inconsequential in the long run as Logan is not at risk for a predator catching him unaware other than maybe one of my two year old girls tackling him to play, it saddens my heart. My super sonic speedy dog is now a much slower, albeit still playful, old man who could use a hearing aid if they made them for dogs. Thankfully Logan can still enjoy walks, even with kids who want to hold his leash, and happily tags alongside for ANY outdoor activity, though I do notice him watching me for more physical cues than he would have in his youth. This I believe is truly the key to my senior statesman or yours. Help them adapt to whatever physical changes they are experiencing in their advanced years. If your pet is losing hearing, use more hand gestures, body language signals, and physical guiding by touch. If your pet is losing sight, try to keep the house organized without rearranging furniture and talk to them more often when outside of the house to help give them guidance and direction to prevent walking into unknown objects in their way.