Keeping Older Dogs in the Field
Keeping Older Dogs in the Field
“Every good thing has an end”. No matter how much we try to ignore this reality, it’s just that, a reality. Think about it, vacations, hunting excursions, championship seasons, this article (just checking to see if you’re still with me) every good thing has an end. The truth is, everything has an end, but we really only try to prolong the things that we deem good.
When we bring a puppy into our home, we understand that our dog won’t live forever. This isn’t a mindset we focus on, but the inevitable starts to set in as our dog ages. In these instances, we find ourselves yearning to slow down time and extend the moments we have with our dogs. After all, our dogs become a part of our family. Family we chase upland with. Family we track deer with. Family we fill waterfowl limits with. Family we look for sheds for our future hitlist bucks with.
Our dogs have a place on our “good” things list. They are a relationship that we enjoy and create a lot of experiences with. With this in mind, there are a few things we should consider that’ll help us enjoy moments with our dogs as they age.
Keep Them Active
Just because our dogs slow down with age doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep them active. As our dogs age, they’re more subject to obesity. Keeping them active will help them stay fit, limber and healthy. Proven dogs require different training and exercises, but they still require training and exercise. When we make the choice to cut corners or skip exercising our dog, we’re ultimately cheating their health. On the flip side, we have to remember that our older dogs might injure or overwork themselves if we give them room to push beyond a limit that is suitable for their age.
Keeping our dogs mentally and physically active with retrieving drills and foundation drills isn’t just good for their training and health, but for their overall well-being. In addition to maintaining training sessions with our dog, swimming and brisk walks are two simple ways we can keep them active. Not only will these activities help keep them in shape, but they’ll help them stay limber.
Change Their Diet
Studies have shown that older dogs require less fat and more protein. As a result, dog food companies produce special blends for older dogs. These blends have higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids (which helps tone down the inflammation from arthritis), Chondroitin (which helps keep their joint fluid thick and cushiony to maintain mobility) and Arginine (which helps with blood flow to their brain for enhanced cognitive function).
Each bag of food has a recommended feeding chart based on the dog’s age and suggested weight at maturity. However, it’s still up to us to limit the quantity they eat. In some scenarios, they need more than the recommended rations and in others, they need less. A simple way to evaluate our dog’s physique is to view them from above. They should have an hourglass shape.
When evaluating our dog’s diet, we also need to consider their water intake. One of the simplest ways to make sure they are drinking enough water, especially during hunting season(s) is to mix water with their food.
Consider Adding Supplements
Many dogs develop arthritis as they age. This doesn’t mean they won’t want to hunt or that we shouldn’t hunt them. If our dogs do have joint issues (which our vets can help identify), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can do wonders. Joint supplements like Glucosamine, Chondroitin and Omega-3 fatty acids can also help slow down the effects of arthritis. If your dog still isn’t huntable after these treatments, your veterinarian might try injections of steroids, hyaluronic acid or regenerative medicine. These targeted injections can achieve a high concentration directly in the inflamed joint.
Visit The Vet
Scheduling an annual check-up for your dog is a gift. At their visit, the vet can perform a physical examination, make sure their vaccinations are up to date, make sure their teeth are healthy and do some blood work. During a physical, vets can identify issues like abnormalities, potential electrolyte imbalances, nutrition deficiencies, dental disease and internal parasites. With blood work, they can also identify issues in organs like the kidney and liver. Unless you have pet insurance for your dog, these expenses come out of pocket, but without them, we risk a loss that is greater than the cost of the visit.
Weigh The Consequences
When we enter a training session or a hunting scenario, our dogs desire to give us a hundred percent. One hundred percent might be too much for them, so we need to have a plan that helps keep them from harm and sets them up for success. We need to anticipate situations where our older dogs might put themselves in harm’s way as a result of their excitement.
We need to consider elements like distance and water conditions before we send our dog on a water retrieval. Even more, we need to consider even taking a shot if the retrieve is going to be out of our comfort zone.
It’s important that we consider the terrain and obstacles we’re hunting around before we send our dog on the chase. They aren’t as agile as they once were so deep ravines and fence lines pose more of a threat. When we ignore these factors for the victory of a harvest, we ignore the risk we’re putting our hunting partner in. Sure, we might miss filling our limit, but if it means we get to go home with a healthy hunting partner, it’s a price worth paying.
Lastly, limiting our aging dog’s time in the field is a choice we can make. They’ll likely keep hunting if we let them, but at what cost? Ultimately, we have to ask ourselves, “what’s another hour in the field worth?”
by Kyle Dana
May 2023
