Episodes > 106 > Pet Vet

It's a dog's life, and it's been good!

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” But why would you want to? The older they get, the better they get!

At one time or another we all have tried to calculate how old we are in “dog years”. The old myth was that you added 7 years on to your present age. The truth is that dogs and cats age much more quickly in their young life than in their latter life. Here’s an example…Your puppy will be fully grown and sexually mature on his 1st birthday.  He will be as matured as a 10-15 year old boy.  The second year is equivalent to 3-8 human years and year three is about 4-5 years.

So a 10 year old dog would be around 56 years old in human years. And like their human counterparts there are certain advantages to growing old. 

Older dogs make great pets because they have already been trained and know what “no” means! They are calmer and quieter and especially good for a home with young kids or senior citizens.

And also like their human counterparts there’s a down side to growing old. Just like Grandpa, dogs are susceptible to diseases like arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. But if you take care of them they could outlive the oldest dog on record…that was Bluey who lived to be 29…that’s 121 years old in human years!

Is Rover becoming a “senior citizen?” Look for these signs!

• Slowing down
• Sudden loss of weight and appetite
• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Excessive panting
• Loss of hearing and vision
• Graying hair