Is your dog age 8 or older?  Then he may be considered a senior citizen!  Small dogs age more slowly than larger ones, so an 8-year-old Golden Retriever is considered older than an 8-year-old Yorkie.  As your dog ages, there are several things you can do to help keep him healthy, including monitoring for early signs of disease.

One of the most common problems associated with aging in animals (and people, too!)  is arthritis.  Most older pets will suffer from some degree of it.  Larger dogs will show more obvious signs because they are carrying around more weight, but small dogs can also be affected.  Your pet may seem to struggle to get up from lying down, be slow or reluctant to maneuver steps, or even limp intermittently.   He may have trouble getting in or out of the car.  These signs may indicate arthritis and a visit to the vet is recommended.  A nutritional supplement to help protect the joints or a pain reliever may be in order.  Putting your dog on a premium diet formulated for older dogs can also be helpful.  There are several diets now available that offer nutritional supplements to protect the joints right in the food.  Many of these diets are also formulated with antioxidants to help protect against cancer.  They are nutritionally balanced to meet the needs of an older dog.  Ask your vet for a recommendation!

If your dog does have obvious sings of arthritis, he may not want to go for walks like he used to.  However, allowing these dogs to become sedentary is a mistake.  Short frequent walks will help keep your dog's weight down and will keep his joints from stiffening, compounding the problem.

As your dog ages, there are some early warning signs of disease that you'll want to watch for.  Excessive drinking and urinating can signal kidney disease, diabetes, or even cancer.  A change in appetite or activity level may also signal an underlying problem.  If these signs are noted, a visit to the vet is definitely in order.  Blood tests will help diagnose the problem.  Yearly physical examinations are very important to help diagnose disease as early as possible. 

We now recognize a syndrome know as Old Dog Cognitive Dysfunction, similar to senility in humans.  Signs include not responding to family members as usual   (e.g. not greeting you at the door), general confusion, and house soiling problems.  There is medication available to help these dogs, so tell your vet if you notice these signs.  An observant owner can be a wonderful asset to help an older pet stay healthy!