Your dog’s lifespan, part 2

Last time, I talked about some of the amazing advances that science is making in the field of anti-aging drugs for your dog. But while we wait for those drugs to come to market, there are a number of things that dog caretakers can do to help insure a long and healthy life for our dogs.

First, let’s look at aging itself. Size is one of the primary factors that determines the rate of aging in dogs and defines “senior” status. Generally speaking, larger dogs age faster than smaller dogs: for instance, small and medium-sized breeds (between 2 and 50 pounds) are considered senior at 7-10 years old, while giant breeds like the Great Dane that weigh in at 90-plus pounds are seniors at only 5 years old. We can also look at individual breeds to determine seniority status: experts suggest that dogs