Aging is not a disease, but it inevitably affects your dog’s bones, muscles, and joints. We’ll show you what changes to expect and how to break the “vicious cycle” caused by lack of movement.
No matter how good your dog's genetics are, and no matter how carefully you've looked after it since puppyhood, certain changes to its joints, muscles, and bones are inevitable as it gets older. Below we explain exactly what these changes are, so you know what to pay even closer attention to.
Musculoskeletal changes in aging dogs
Age and aging are not, in themselves, a disease. At the same time, it's undeniable that they affect the dog's body, including the organs of movement:
- bones
- muscles
- joints
- ligaments
These changes develop gradually, and while they can't be stopped completely, they can be significantly slowed with proper attention.
Bones becoming more fragile
The structure of an aging dog's bones changes continuously: bone mass decreases, and the cortical layer - that is, the outer layer of the bone, directly beneath the periosteum - becomes thinner and more fragile. As a result, the bone becomes increasingly vulnerable to injury.
Arthrosis
The joint cartilage becomes gradually damaged, bony deposits appear, and the joint capsule thickens. The amount of joint fluid decreases and its quality deteriorates as well. The ligaments that stabilize the joints also weaken, lose their elasticity, and become prone to injury.
The result of all this is that the joints become painful and their range of motion narrows.
Muscle loss
As an aging dog moves less and less, its muscles also gradually lose tone and mass. The muscles become flabbier and slowly begin to atrophy.
Sensation and movement coordination
With age, the function of the sensory nerves also declines, as do motor skills: fewer signals reach the brain, reaction time slows, and muscle control deteriorates as well.
Positional awareness (proprioception) also declines, which makes the dog's movement less coordinated - it may stumble more often or wobble. And because the circulatory system ages too, stamina can gradually decrease as well.
The vicious cycle: when lack of movement reinforces itself
Overall, an aging dog becomes less and less willing to move than it used to be. This, however, sets off a self-reinforcing, negative process:
- the muscles deteriorate even further
- the joints become even stiffer
- the structure of the bones also keeps changing in a negative direction if there isn't enough proper loading
So this is a vicious cycle - but it's not inevitable that we have to be at its mercy. With an exercise program properly tailored to your dog's condition and professional physiotherapy, this process can be significantly slowed, and your dog's quality of life can be preserved over the long term as well.
If you'd like to know how you can help your aging dog maintain its mobility, or if you're already noticing some kind of musculoskeletal symptom in your dog, feel free to reach out to us - we'll help with personalized advice and a physiotherapy program.