Older Dog Health Care Questions And Answers

Can an older dog be hurt by using a metal choke chain to train him, or even just to walk him?
Metal chain collars are prefectly safe as long as the dog is in good physical condition. Nylon choke collars provide an alternative.

Is it advantageous for an older dog to wear protective clothing of any kind?
Wearing apparel we would define as being generally superfluous. However, there are some good reasons for wearing clothing on certain occasions.

Why don't dogs get cavities except in rare instances?
It is speculated that the enamel surface of the dog's teeth is harder and more impenetrable to pathogenisis than that of humans. Another factor could be that the dog is presumed to not to have amylase in the saliva as humans do; so while human starch-digestion begins in the mouth, the dog's starch-digestion starts further down the intestinal tract. Some research has since discovered salivary enzymes.

What dog diseases are communicable to humans?
Ringworm, rabies, sarcoptic mange, ticks, can all be communicated to humans. Incidentally, ringworm is a fungus disease of the skin and, as such, it is a misnomer. In the case of sarcoptic mange, when you kill it on the dog, the human symptoms will disappear.

How common is the problem of gastric torsion?
It seems to occur primarily in big dogs. The condition usually is precipitated by a heavy, fatty meal, eaten hastily, followed closely 'by a lot of water then by exercise. The stomach is contracting, trying to digest food and building up fermentation momentum until, in the big chested dog, the stomach literally flips over, twists, and closes off the openings at both ends. It can be remedied only by immediate surgery to unflip the stomach and sew it to the stomach wall if necessary. If not caught in time, the dog goes into shock and dies.

What is the most humane way of ending a dog's life?
Euthanasia, as performed by an overdose of anesthesia, is the most painless way of ending a dog's life. He simply goes to sleep, in a matter of seconds, and feels no pain or apprehension. Phenobarbital is the anesthesia used. Some facilities use suffocation, which means putting the dog in an evacuation chamber and extracting the air, a method most often employed where cost dictates mass disposal. This procedure, of course, is much less humane and to be avoided wherever possible. Carbon monoxide is also used, and could be considered a second alternative to the phenobarbital.

Do mixed breeds live longer than pure breeds?
Researchers have not found that the longevity differs greatly between mixed and purebred dogs.

What is the oldest a dog can live?
We have heard of dogs living to eighteen years. In general, these cases occur among the smaller breeds.

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