![]() Regular exams will allow minor issues to be treated before they become major. A geriatric blood panel can be invaluable in helping to identify problems. A veterinary exam geared for older dogs, by a Dane-savvy vet, will help to identify and treat any emerging diseases and help you deal with them appropriately. Routine geriatric veterinary exams are an important part of your aging Dane’s health. A dental cleaning should be discussed with your vet anesthesia can be a concern with our older Danes. Examine the teeth and gums carefully as teeth caked with tartar can become a big problem. You should carefully run your hands over his entire body and limbs, looking for any lumps, bumps, tenderness or hot areas. Keeping Them Healthy Performing a weekly “hands on” exam of your senior once a week will keep you on top of his physical condition and any changes that might occur. It is our duty, for their many years of companionship, to treat them with compassion in this journey. We, as their caretakers, can help make the journey through the autumn of their lives safe and comfortable. Genetics, care and fate will all play a part in how an individual Dane ages. Some Danes who grow old at a young age are fraught with problems early on and decline quickly others age gracefully and continue to be active and mobile to their last days. Unfortunately, the road from a mature, vital adult to the inescapable Rainbow Bridge can be a bumpy one. Food, love, attention, a leisurely walk or car ride, a comfortable place on the bed or couch and they are content. They know our routines and ask so very little of us and make even less demands. Those Danes who have been mothers are always mothers and assist raising subsequent litters, teaching the new youngsters all the house rules. ![]() They alternate between being regal and dignified to silly and making us laugh. They know when we want to play and go grab the toys or when we are sad and need their quiet, comforting presence. They understand us and can seemingly read our minds. Senior Great Danes have wisdom not present in their younger counterparts. ![]() I think anyone who has shared their lives with a senior Great Dane will agree the golden years are the most special and treasured times with our beloved breed. Our beloved Dane has reached his senior years. We notice more grey on the face, a slower step, and some stiffness is evident. Then, seemingly overnight our vibrant active Dane gets old. The adult Dane who has received the proper human guidance during puppyhood is, in my opinion, the absolutely best canine companion. ![]() Once past that stage, they then morph again into the most wonderful creature-the fully adult Great Dane. After all, there’s housebreaking, socializing, ring training and all the other stuff a new puppy needs to learn to be a well-rounded adult no time or desire to focus on the inevitable end.Īs time marches on, the active and sometimes crazy puppy morphs into the stubborn teenager who tests our boundaries and frequently our patience. And, puppy rearing takes a LOT of work so the focus is on the here and now, not what’s going to happen many years down the road. Sure, we get into this breed knowing Danes have a short life span-but even so, the average age range of seven-to-ten years seems a long time in the future. When we welcome a new puppy into the household, we rarely think about that happy, exuberant youngster slowing down, growing old and becoming a frail senior. In accepting and giving love while always aware that it comes with an unbearable price.” - Dean Koontz You know the pain is coming, but there’s such beauty in the hard honesty of that, LIVING WITH SENIOR GREAT DANES - By Georgia Hymmen
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