My 10-year-old dog, Lenny, has gotten picky about eating. He has always been a good eater. Two or three months ago, he started refusing to eat his regular dog food. I thought he might be bored with it and bought him a different food. He ate that for a few days, then didn't want it either. Since then, I've tried feeding him several kinds of canned and dry food, but he didn't like any of them. He has lost some weight. Do you think his age has anything to do with this?
When pets gets older, it's common for owners to attribute changes in behavior to aging, but aging isn't a disease.
Dogs get gray hair and slow down just as we do when we get older, but decreased appetite and weight loss aren't usually signs of aging. When a senior dog such as 10-year-old Lenny becomes picky about his food, it could mean any number of things, veterinarian Ron Hines says on his website, 2ndchance.info. An older dog's sense of smell may be less sensitive or he may have tooth or gum problems, making it hard to chew.
Weight loss shouldn't be taken lightly because it can indicate a serious, even fatal, illness or condition. While there are too many possibilities to list here, when a dog loses a substantial amount of weight or is consistently refusing food, he might be suffering from heart disease, liver or thyroid problems, kidney failure, a systemic infection or cancer.
The only way to know what's behind Lenny's eating issue is to have your veterinarian examine him. Most likely, the vet will want to start with a blood test. Depending on what he finds, he could suggest a X-ray, ultrasound or some other type of scan.
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Ever wanted to put words in your pet's mouth? Check out My Talking Pet, a 99-cent app for Android, iPod, iPad and iPhone devices. The app makes it possible to create speaking versions of your pet photos. You simply use an existing photo or shoot a new one with your smartphone or tablet, then align a couple of dots on the eyes and lines on the chin. Record your voice into the microphone, play it back and watch your pet talk.
After you record your voice, you can adjust the pitch to make it more or less high and squeaky. It's kind of amazing how well it works. The "lips" move in sync with the words so it appears as if your pet is really speaking. The app works best with photos of your pet with his lips closed or slightly open, plus he has to be photographed full-face forward.
The results are cute, funny, perhaps a touch creepy. I tried it with several photos of my dog, Simone -- "Mom, can we eat now? Can we? Can we?" -- and it worked every time. After you've given your pet a voice, you can shoot an email to family and friends and amaze them (or not) on Facebook. You could get creative and make talking birthday or other special-occasion messages. Simone says, "Get busy."
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People often wonder about dog-human age equivalents, with most being familiar with the adage that one dog year is equal to seven human years. But it's not that simple. While dogs age at different rates than people, the amount could be more or less than a ratio of 7-to-1, depending upon the dog.
To get a reasonable estimation of your dog's age in people years, you must consider his size. According to the Dog Owners Home Veterinary Handbook, ages vary widely when you compare small dogs to large dogs. For example, a 10-year-old dog weighing less than 20 pounds may be the age equivalent to a 56-year-old person while a 90-pound 10-year-old dog's age would be closer to 78.
A 2013 study by biologists at the University of Gottingen in Germany confirmed that large dogs age more quickly than small dogs, with every 4.4-pound increase in weight (normal weight, not excess weight) reducing life expectancy by about one month. The Germans analyzed data on more than 56,000 dogs representing 74 breeds, according to an article in The American Naturalist. The scientists didn't offer any clear reasons why larger dogs age more rapidly. That's the subject of their next project.
Do you have a question about pets? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail
askcreature@att.net
Family on 03/19/2014