Normal Aging or Medical Problems?

Hi, I'm Fenway, and I'm a senior dog recently diagnosed with cancer. I have multiple myeloma, which is cancer of the blood plasma. It sounds bad, but I have a really good prognosis because my parents caught it right away.

How did they do that? They noticed my behavioral changes and responded by immediately taking me to the vet. Owners of senior dogs often make the mistake of attributing behavior changes to old age. Your dog may eat less, be less active or show behavior changes. This could be old age, but it might be a health problem. Dogs are living longer and may continue to live for a couple more years if you catch a health problem early. If you notice something suddenly, you should consult your vet, even if it seems like something that may be attributed to old age.

For example, I missed a couple of meals and start suddenly showing some fear behavior and inactivity. I have missed meals throughout my life. I have also been fearful. And during the last few months, I have slowly become less active. However, all these changes were dramatic and sudden. My parents could have easily assumed that I was just getting older. But they didn't.

If you are hesitant to run to the vet at every small behavior change, make a list of all the things your dog really loves to do. Car rides? Walks? Chicken and rice? Definitely head to the vet if your dog is showing less interest in those things. Maybe your dog misses a kibble meal or two. Try adding some chicken. No dice? Maybe you should think about the vet.

As Muggsy was dying, he had very clear signals. He had never skipped a meal his entire life. When he missed the first one, Mom took him to the vet. She began feeding him human food. When he lost interest in that, he would still go on short walks. On his final two days, he even lost interest in those. This was obviously a very aggressive progression of a disease, but it's good to think about these things with your senior dogs. If your dog loses interest in something he/she loves, that may not be a typical progression of old age. And it never hurts to check it out. You may be adding months or, in my case, years to your dogs life.

Love, Fenway