Anything I need to know for a dog whose turning 5?

Question

My dog is turning 5 next year.

They grow up too fast! It seems like she just turned 3 but she is 4.

Answer 1

Dogs aren't considered "seniors" until the age of 7, so your little girl should still be treated as a "child", her joints may MAY be starting to become stiff, but not likely.  Her attitude and behavior shouldn't chage much at all.  Happy birthday to her!

Answer 2

Talk to your vet about senior dogs.  Also around 5 or 6 years old you're going to want to switch them over to senior food depending on the size of dog.  If it's a smaller to large dog you have a few more years to go (7-8 years).  Giant breeds are senior at age 5/6.  It has less protein in it which can be hard on their kidneys however just as much vitamins and minerals.

Keep up the exercise and walks - it helps to keep their bones healthy along w/ their cardiovascular system, muscular system, etc.  Depending on the size of the dog you may want to start giving him/her glucosamine and chondrotin - it helps to keep and treat arthritis and dysplasia.

Keep an eye on their teeth - periodontal problems and gingivitis are prominent which may lead to heart problems.  So keep brushing or start brushing if you need to

Other than that.. pretty much everything stays the same.

Good Luck

Answer 3

they want to mark their teretory

Answer 4

What kind of breed is your dog? If he is an extra large breed, he will probably only have 3-5 more years to live. If he is a large breed, he will have about 5-7 more years. If he is a medium breed he will have about 5-9 years. If he is a small or toy breed, he will have 7-11 years. If he has only a couple years like 2-3, you should get him checked up on to check if he has anything wrong already. cause this is like a 45 year old human. Also, get him a way to excercise without straining him. Also you could feed the correct food for the aging dogs. This is also when most dogs have settled down and are more likely to lay down than run around. Also they might end up costing a lot to help if something is wrong and make sure you prepare. Make sure you keep him even when he gets old and no longer fun. Hope this helps. Good luck! =)

Answer 5

The dog is still young, the only thing you need to remember is to spoil her rotten and make the day extra, extra special.

Do not waste time thinking where as the time gone,  every day is special and if you are lucky enough to share your life with a dog then every day is extra special.  

what the h**l, don't wait for her birthday spoil her rotten every day for the rest of her life. She deserves it.