McClatchy Newspapers
Barney has lost his gusto.
Carrie says he’s “slowing down.”
The 10-year-old boxer has been lacking energy over the past few months. Carrie’s husband says it’s due to the dog’s old age, but Carrie is worried.
I’m inclined to agree with Carrie. There is an underlying reason for the change, and it’s not old age.
Old age is not a disease. I feel very strongly about this. Certainly, as our pets age, there are changes in their bodies that can bring about change in their activity level. That change is due to something in the body not working like it used to. The key is figuring out what that might be and then helping Barney based on the results.
Pets are routine-oriented, so it’s important to understand their routines in order to recognize changes in behavior.
In Barney’s case, I know only that he’s slowing down. Perhaps he’s unable to complete his daily walk. Maybe he can’t fetch the ball as long as he’d done in the past. These are just suggestions to illustrate changes in routine that can indicate underlying change in a pet’s body.
The list of possible causes for Barney’s slowdown is long. I suggest strongly that Barney have a physical examination and a diagnostic work-up appropriate to his age. This would likely include routine blood work, parasite screening, radiographs of Barney’s abdomen and chest and perhaps some specific heart testing.
Barney’s underlying problem could be as simple as the development of arthritis in one or several of his joints, which could cause some pain with motion and decrease his desire to move. This condition is amenable to treatment.
It may be Barney has heart disease and he is not able to expend as much energy because his heart is not able to keep up. Boxer dogs are a higher-incidence breed for heart disease, with an early symptom being exercise intolerance.
I hope Barney’s decreased activity is the result of something that can be treated so that he can return to a more energetic and active life.
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(Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto, Calif. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352.)
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