Having successfully tackled Blossom the Labradoodle’s Arthritis issues, I decided to check out  other common health problems in dogs; actually not that dissimilar to human health problems!

Blindness

Look for: cloudy eyes; bumping  into things; falling; dilated pupils.

Blossom’s eyes look slightly cloudy, but she clocks where a piece of the seemingly delicious fish food has fallen into the grass  and dives on it as soon as playtime is over,  so I suspect all is ok there! Which is lucky, because blindness issues are best caught at onset, when you can start teaching your dog to rely more on hearing and other senses, and Bloss has selective hearing! Drop a single biscuit into her metal bowl and she’ll hear it from 500m away; call her in for any other reason and it takes several minutes of calling before she hears!!

Gum Disease

Look for: Gums that bleed, or are tender, red and swollen.

Blossom’s gums look pink and healthy. Her teeth are incredibly blunt, but her dinner disappears very quickly so hopefully no issues there! If not treated, infected gums can spread to their bloodstream and cause serious damage to organs. There’s a dog mouthwash, but I’m not sure how I’d get her to gargle; I think the vet will be my first stop if I notice any gum problems.

Kidney Disease or Diabetes

Look for: Drinking more; urinating more; apathy; weight loss

Bloss has always been a big drinker, and has incredible bladder capacity, so no issues there yet! Apathy; well, she can go from it being the best day ever to looking like it’s the worse day ever in minutes, but pick up a thrower and she’s raring to go anytime of the day or night, so no issues there! And weight loss? She wishes, ha ha. When we rehomed Bloss we had to agree to keep her weight around 25kg, not always easy! Her feed and treats are carefully measured, much to her disgust. 

Cancer

Look for: Lumps; bumps; bleeding from mouth; blood in stool.

No obvious issues there with Bloss. She has a fatty lump on her chest that the vet checks out each year, but it’s fluid and not a problem so far.

Dementia

Look for: Forgetting familiar toys; forgetting their name; staring blankly into space for long periods; pacing; walking round in circles repeatedly. Even forgetting you and house rules. 

There are 3 stages of dog dementia:

Stage 1 is mild, and easy to miss. There might be changes in their sleep patterns, or how they socialise with other dogs. Bloss has always been eccentric, and usually ignores other dogs, so I’m not sure we’d notice anything was amiss! 

Stage 2 is moderate, and the signs might be more apparent. They might start house soiling when they haven’t before. 

Stage 3 is severe; an increase in the signs mentioned above, and wandering about at night instead of sleeping, or barking at things that aren’t really there. Bloss  barking at the dry cleaning hanging on the French window probably doesn’t count; I took her round to the front door so that she could investigate further, but it was apparently far too scary to look closer without me by her side! 

It’s important to keep dogs with dementia active with play and socialisation. If I notice any new signs with Bloss I’ll video her new behaviours; it will aid the vet in diagnosing her issues.

So far it looks like I’ll continue to enjoy a few more years of Bloss; she’s 11, with a life expectancy of 12-14, so I’m hoping to keep her happy and healthy for as long as I can! 

Useful Links: 

1. Blindness: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/vision-loss-in-dogs/
2. Gum Disease: https://ebusiness.avma.org/files/productdownloads/petdentalcare_brochure.pdf
3. Kidney Disease: https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/kidney-disease-dogs-what-dog-owners-should-know
4. Cancer: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/health-and-injuries/coping-with-cancer-in-dogs
5. Dementai: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/behavior-counseling-senior-pet-cognitive-dysfunction