As the years go by – older dogs

You’re noticing that your dog is starting to walk a little more slowly. He’ll still fetch a ball, but the enthusiastic jumping about that tells you ‘again, again’ is increasingly missing. Walks are getting shorter and slower. And after each trek you find your dog gratefully crawling into his basket for a well-earned rest. Time is beginning to take its toll and your four-legged friend is entering a new stage of life. He is now an old dog.

When dogs become old dogs

Each and every dog is different, and it’s their bodies that dictate when they’ve reached old age. Large dogs will experience the problems of ageing sooner than small ones. And active dogs will age less rapidly than inactive ones that are a couple of kilos overweight. The guideline is that a large dog will reach old age at around seven years of age. For small dogs this is around eight to nine years.

Supple joints

As your dog starts to get older, he can experience joint problems. You’ll notice that he’s a little stiff when standing up, and less flexible than he used to be when lying down too. Chondroitin and glucosamine are well known for their ability to make joints supple. As an organic brand we can’t add these supplements, as they’re not available in organic form. Instead, we let nature do its thing, adding devil’s claw, field horsetail and rosehip to our dry food for dogs. These three additions ensure supple joints too.

Problems with wheat

You might notice that your older dog develops problems digesting certain nutrients. Wheat is one of those ingredients that dogs can have trouble with in old age. Replacing wheat with non-allergenic cereals such as rice and maize offers a solution for many dogs. Keen to ensure that your dog lives to a ripe old age in good health? Then Yarrah Senior dry food containing devil’s claw, field horsetail and rosehip is a good option.