Learning to determine the age of a puppy or adult dog. How to determine the age of a puppy and an adult dog? Initial examination and determination of the age of dogs
It happens that a dog does not have documents, but you need to find out its real age. As a rule, it is determined in accordance with the external signs and condition of the teeth.
Experts say that the last option is the most reliable. This is due to quite rapid growth four-legged friend. So, in puppies there is a pattern of growth and change of teeth, and in older dogs important is given at the moment of tooth wear. In this case, the following features should be applied to healthy pets, since poor quality care of the animal or its illness contribute to the disruption or slowdown of dental growth. In this article we will look at how to determine the age of a dog.
Why is it necessary to know the dog's age?
So that the four-legged friend’s health is normal and he lives for a long time, necessary know how old he really is. First of all, this will help the veterinarian when vaccinating the animal. The fact is that a dog is vaccinated according to its age. Young individuals require an annual vaccine. Further the immune system The animal becomes more developed and vaccinations are done much less frequently.
In addition to vaccination, sterilization of the animal is important. Experts recommend doing this procedure dogs over 7-9 years old. It doesn’t matter whether they gave birth or not. Sterilization for up to six months can harm the animal’s body.
The owner of the pet independently determines at what age to castrate it. Experts recommend castrating an animal based on its health status. However, it is still better to carry out this procedure when the pet matures.
Main features of determining the age of a pet
There are several features, by which the veterinarian determines the dog’s age:
How to determine the age of a puppy
Each period of a dog’s life is accompanied by certain external changes. For example, in the first 7 days of life, newborn puppies’ ears begin to open; after 14 days, the ears begin to open; on the 28th day, the first teeth appear. In addition, during this same period the puppy begins to stand on its paws.
When answering the question of how to determine the age of a puppy, experts recommend paying attention to the condition of his teeth.
- 1 month - almost all front teeth are present;
- 3 months - replacement of teeth from milk teeth to molars begins;
- 4 months - edges and premolars fall out;
- 5 months - the change of fangs begins;
- 7 months - completion of the process of changing teeth.
In addition, the number of teeth can determine the age of a pet. A puppy has 28 teeth, an adult dog has 42.
The age of an adult dog, like a puppy, can be determined by the condition of his teeth.
Experts believe that the above characteristics may deviate a little. This is due to the animal’s malocclusion. In addition, teeth wear down faster due to wearing or chewing on hard objects.
In addition, the age of a pet can be determined by the presence of gray hair. As a rule, it appears around 6-7 years, and around 9-12 years the eyes become more cloudy.
Alternative methods for determining a pet's age
The age of the pet, in addition to the condition of the teeth, can be determined using other methods. The only significant drawback is their low reliability.
As a rule, an older pet already has gray hair. Their number is constantly increasing in accordance with the age of the dog. The first gray hair appears in a pet at the age of 6 years. However, in every pet this manifests itself in individually.
Besides gray hair, y age dogs the pupils begin to become cloudy and the seating of the eyes deepens. Most owners note a decrease in visual acuity in their pet.
A drooping belly, arched back and dull coat are also signs of an older animal.
Thus, using all the methods, you can easily determine how old pet. In this case, not all signs may be present at the same time, but only some of them. A huge role here is played by the dog’s lifestyle, its nutrition and quality care, that is, a lot depends on the owner.
Note that when determining the age of small breeds experts highlight several features. The fact is that such middle-aged dogs are practically no different from ordinary puppies. This is especially noticeable in a toy terrier puppy. After a month of life on their head, their hair roots have a golden tint. While wool adult pet will be completely golden brown in color.
In small dogs, color may vary individually. Therefore, determining age based on the condition of teeth will be much more accurate and effective than using other characteristics.
With the help of such signs, each owner will be able to determine how old four-legged friend without much difficulty. In the event that you do not have a passport for the animal, then more detailed information can be obtained by contacting the veterinarian or breeder from whom the pet was purchased.
To prolong a dog's life, it is necessary to provide it with quality care and nutrition. In the case when a dog is many years old, this does not mean that his days are numbered. Often the adult animal is still alive long time, while leading active image life.
Often a dog ends up in a family without documents. The pet is found on the street or received from previous owners who did not care about providing necessary information about the animal. In such cases, the new owner has to make every effort to find out how to determine the dog’s age. Knowing how old the pet is, the dog owner will be able to take timely steps to necessary measures, which will extend the life of your pet and preserve his health. There are several ways to determine age by external signs.
- First of all, information about the age of the animal will be useful when visiting the veterinarian. Many diseases can only develop after a dog has lived a certain number of years. The pet's age helps the doctor determine more accurate diagnosis and timely prevent certain diseases;
- When vaccination, this information is no less important. Vaccinations are given only in accordance with age. Young animals are required to receive annual vaccinations. For adults, this procedure is done once every two years. As your dog ages, the time between vaccinations increases. This is due to the fact that the immune system is depleted and the vaccine can cause harm to the animal’s body;
- For owners planning to get puppies from their dog, knowing the age is necessary to determine best period for knitting. Based on this parameter, they find out whether the bitch is still suitable for reproduction;
- You will need information about age and sterilization. Some owners carry out this procedure on their pet when it is still young in order to avoid the appearance of puppies and the inconveniences associated with the rutting period. Other owners send older pets for surgery to prolong their life and avoid the risk of developing diseases inherent in older dogs. Carrying out sterilization as in early age, and in older dogs, can negatively affect their health. If the owner decides to sterilize an adult dog, it is better to have it operated on at 6-7 years of age;
- For volunteers who place dozens of different foundlings in new families, the ability to determine the age of a dog by external signs is one of the most important important tasks. Handing the dog over new house, they try to give as much as possible full information about the animal to the new owners;
- Selection proper diet also directly depends on the age of the dog. Even industrial feed are created taking into account this parameter.
Life expectancy and age groups
Dogs live on average from 9 to 20 years. This factor largely depends on the size of the animal. Dogs small breeds usually live to an older age than their larger counterparts. Giant dogs such as mastiffs, Great Danes and St. Bernards have the shortest life cycle.
There are three main groups into which all dogs can be roughly divided:
- puppy;
- young animals;
- adult representative of the species.
From the moment of birth until 8 weeks, the animal is considered to be a puppy. From this age until reaching 18 months - young animals. Dogs over this age are considered adults.
How to understand how many months a puppy is
The easiest way to find out a puppy's age is to examine its teeth. This technique allows you to most accurately determine how old your pet is. Any dog’s teeth change only once in its life, just like a person’s. By the timing of the appearance of certain milk teeth, you can determine how many months the puppy is, and by the change of teeth, you can determine the age of a young dog.
At birth, puppies are toothless. The first teeth appear by 20-25 days of life. At the age of one month, the front row of incisors and canines are already fully formed. Before the puppy is two months old, all the remaining baby teeth grow in.
Molars are visually very easy to distinguish from milk teeth, which are much smaller and have sharper edges.
When the puppy is 3 months old, the process of replacing teeth begins. In this case, the milk ones fall out in a certain order and new ones grow in their place. By six months, all the teeth had already changed. At seven months, molars are formed in places where there were no dairy plants. This completes the process of tooth formation in a dog.
A healthy adult dog normally has 42 teeth, while puppies have only 28.
Table 1. Frequency of growth and replacement of teeth in a puppy
In puppies large breeds teeth tend to grow a little faster than those of small ones.
The tooth replacement scheme is relevant provided that the bite is correct and normal condition dog health. If the animal has any diseases or has been kept in wrong conditions, the rate of growth and replacement of teeth may differ from the norm.
Method for determining the number of years lived by an adult dog
In an adult dog, the accuracy of determining the number of years lived is lower than in puppies. To ensure that the information received is as close as possible to the real state of affairs, several technologies are used simultaneously.
Determining age by dental condition
Determination by teeth is the most common way to determine age. Over time, the condition and appearance teeth changes and this allows without special problems determine how old the animal is.
The accuracy in this case directly depends on the conditions in which the dog was previously kept and the diseases it had. Sometimes the error can reach up to two years.
After all the teeth are formed, they gradually begin to wear off and change color:
- In animals from one to two years old, the edges of the teeth are sharp and have characteristic protrusions, shaped like a trefoil;
- At the age of 2, these tubercles begin to wear off, but the teeth remain intact. White color. By the age of four, the tubercles are no longer noticeable. The teeth begin to fade and acquire a dull grayish tint;
- At the age of 5, the color of the teeth begins to change to yellow, and the fangs gradually become dull. From 6 to 8 years, the incisors acquire a concave shape, a clearly visible yellow plaque. The fangs are completely dull by this time. In some cases, stone appears on the teeth;
- At 8-10 years of age, the dog’s teeth acquire a distinct yellow or light brown color, and the fangs shorten and become less sharp. The hooks take on an oval shape;
- After 12 years the dog is at an advanced age. During this period, teeth may become loose and malocclusion due to malalignment of teeth. Some individuals lose some of their teeth.
What determines the deviation from the age-appropriate norm?
Often, tooth wear can be slowed down or accelerated under the influence of certain factors. Improper fixation of the jaws is one of the main reasons for rapid abrasion. If the dog initially has a scissor bite, the process occurs much faster. When determining age, it should be taken into account that with such a bite, teeth wear down twice as fast. With an undershot, on the contrary, the hooks are on lower jaw can be preserved in almost perfect condition.
In dogs dwarf breeds Calcareous deposits often appear on the teeth. This causes them to prematurely loosen and crumble, inappropriate for their age.
A dog's diet throughout its life also has an impact big influence on the rate of tooth abrasion. Too hard food leads to rapid abrasion. Soft, porridge-like foods provoke the formation of tartar, inflammatory processes V oral cavity and crumbling of teeth. Sometimes dogs tend to chew on unsuitable things, which also leads to faster abrasion. In most cases, this happens in nurseries, where animals develop the habit of gnawing on the iron bars of the cage.
If a dog is forced to carry in its mouth throughout its life heavy objects, her teeth will wear down faster.
IN modern world many veterinary clinics offer services for cementing and strengthening dog teeth. If the animal has undergone similar procedure, the abrasion rate will be significantly lower than under normal circumstances. Save teeth in at its best Procedures for cleaning your pet’s teeth, which can be done at home, will also help. We will talk about how such cleaning occurs and how to set the dog in the right mood below.
Another pathology that does not occur very often, but may be the reason for incorrect determination of age based on the condition of the teeth, is missing milk teeth. In this case, a double row of teeth is formed and this affects the rate of abrasion.
Additional methods for determining a dog's age
If it was not possible to obtain complete information on the condition of the teeth, you need to take a closer look at other factors. They do not provide such an accurate picture, but can serve as additional parameters for clarification.
Wool
Assessing the condition of the coat is used only in combination with other methods. How independent method, it is often ineffective. The condition of the coat can be influenced by many factors, the main ones being the dog’s nutrition and care.
A young healthy animal has a soft, silky coat, which becomes stiffer and becomes duller and brittle with age. In older dogs, the coat has a patchy, heterogeneous structure, and dirt accumulates on it more quickly.
Gray hairs around the mouth and nose begin to appear in individuals over 6 years of age. Some dogs begin to go gray as early as 3 years old. Most often this is due to the characteristics metabolic processes in the body and pigmentation.
Eye condition
Puppies and young dogs have clear and shiny eyes, but with age they become increasingly cloudy and dull. In some breeds, the set of the eyes deepens as they age. As dogs age, their eyesight decreases and their tearing may increase.
Muscle tone and activity
Young dogs are more active. They are active, always ready to play and run. Old animals prefer walking at a walk and try to sleep a lot.
When stroking, one can notice a stronger and more developed muscle frame of young animals. With age, muscles become more flabby. With a passive lifestyle, old animals are prone to obesity.
Video - How to determine the age of a dog by external signs
Relationship between a dog's age and human years
Previously, there was an opinion that one dog year is equal to seven human years. This calculation may not be completely correct. A dog develops at different rates at different periods of its life.
From birth to one and a half years, the animal goes through childhood and teenage periods. That is, one and a half dog years correspond to 16-17 human years. By two years of age, it is a fully developed adult animal, which is close to a person reaching their 25th birthday.
From the third year of life, the dog's development becomes much slower. From now on, the 1:7 count is already more acceptable for the ratio. In any case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the breed and the size of the animal. Small dogs age much more slowly than their large relatives. Also, the life expectancy of small dogs is longer than that of representatives of giant breeds.
For small dogs An acceptable calculation is that a dog’s year is equal to 5 human years. For medium-sized breeds, the most suitable ratio is 1:6.
Good living conditions, proper nutrition and quality care can somewhat slow down the aging of a dog. Pets that live warm and comfortable have a longer life cycle than their stray counterparts.
Table 2. Correlation between dog and human age
| Pet age | Equality of the ratio of 1 dog year to human years in a given period | Age by by human standards |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 1:7 | 14 months |
| 6 months | 1:10 | 5 years |
| 1 year | 1:14 | 14 |
| 2 | 1:12 | 24 |
| 3 | 1:10 | 30 |
| 4 | 1:9 | 36 |
| 5 | 1:8 | 40 |
| 6 | 1:7 | 42 |
| 7 | 1:7 | 49 |
| 8 | 1:7 | 56 |
| 9 | 1:7 | 63 |
| 10 | 1:6,5 | 65 |
| 11 | 1:6,5 | 71 |
| 12 | 1:6,2 | 75 |
| 13 | 1:6,2 | 80 |
| 14 | 1:6 | 84 |
| 15 | 1:5,8 | 87 |
| 16 | 1:5,6 | 89 |
Conclusion
The physical condition of the dog largely depends on the conditions of detention, hereditary and acquired diseases. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the age of an animal by external signs precisely because of its exhaustion or health problems. In any case, the determination should be made using several methods that take into account different factors. This increases the chances of getting a more accurate and reliable result.
To prolong the life of your pet, you need to provide a diet and care appropriate to its actual age. Regular visits to the veterinarian and timely treatment diseases also have a great impact on slowing down the aging process and prolonging life cycle four-legged friend.
You have got a four-legged friend, whose age you for some reason do not know, although, of course, you need to know, at least approximately. Don’t be discouraged - there are many ways that give a fairly accurate answer to the question of how to determine the age of a dog? Let's look at a few. Which are used more often than others.
How to find out a dog's age
Firstly, he will say this muscle tone animal. A young, active dog can “boast” of well-developed muscles. An elderly dog prefers a mostly quiet lifestyle, which indicates either its weight loss due to muscle atrophy, or obesity due to body fat. Next, we pay attention to the coat: in a young dog it is, as a rule, silky and soft, but with age the coat coarsens, becomes tougher, and sometimes oily. Graying is observed, primarily around the muzzle. The dog’s age and eyes “give away” it. Devoid of secretions and tears, shiny, clear eyes clearly indicate the dog’s youth. An old dog's eyes are opaque and dull.
Teeth
When examining your teeth, the first thing you notice is the change of baby teeth, as well as the wear of the canines and incisors.
- 18-25 days – the primary incisors begin to erupt; at one month the dog growls with all his front milk teeth.
- 4-5 months – on both jaws, the primary incisors are replaced by permanent ones.
- 5-6 months – fangs change.
- 7 months – growth of all permanent teeth is complete.
- 1 year – achievement with teeth normal level, the cutting surface of the incisors takes on the shape of a trefoil.
- 2 years – the hooks of the lower jaw are erased, the middle ones begin to wear off.
- 3 years – complete erasure of the middle incisors of the lower jaw, the beginning of erasure of the hooks of the upper jaw.
- 4 years – complete erasure of the hooks and the beginning of erasure of the incisors of the upper jaw.
- 5 years – the edges on the lower jaw are erased, the canines begin to wear off.
- 6 years – the edges of the upper jaw are erased, the fangs are blunted.
- 7 years – on the lower jaw the hooks acquire an oval-reverse shape.
- 8 years – the middle incisors acquire the same shape.
- 9 years – the same shape is characteristic of the upper jaw hooks.
- 10-12 years – the beginning of tooth loss. The hooks of the lower jaw fall out first, then the upper ones.
Aging
The threshold for old age depends significantly on the breed pet. Basic rule: large dog ages earlier and the rate of aging is faster. Thus, a five-year-old Great Dane is considered already elderly, while some poodle remains energetic and cheerful even at the age of 10 years. However, it is not worth a substantial dog age directly linked to imminent illness and rapid decline. Quite often, an older dog leads a full, measured life, remaining active and healthy. The best way life extension little brother, as well as improving its quality, is a manifestation of due attention to the dog’s nutrition. An aged dog (like a person) requires special diet, consisting of easily digestible and high-quality products.
"Human" age of a dog
People often try to determine the age of a dog by human standards, but this is not always done correctly. Below is the corresponding table.
Relationship between dog and human age.
This article will teach you how to determine the age of a dog by looking at its teeth. This method age determination is approximate and more suitable for puppies whose teeth change according to a certain “schedule”. But the age of an adult animal can also be determined by its teeth, albeit in a rough approximation.
First, let's find out how many teeth dogs have and what kind of teeth they are.
Dog dental formula
In an adult healthy dog There are 42 teeth: 20 teeth on the upper jaw and 22 on the lower jaw. Sometimes there are animals with insufficient teeth - oligodontia - or, conversely, with extra teeth - polyodontia.
All teeth are divided into 4 types: incisors, canines, premolars and molars. A schematic record showing the type, number and location of teeth in the mouth is called a dental formula. The types of teeth in the dental formula are indicated with Latin letters: I – incisor (Incisivi), C – canine (Caninus), P – premolar (Praemolares), M – molar (Molares).
Thus, the dental formula of an adult dog will look like this:
2M 4P 1C 3I 3I 1C 4P 2M
3M 4P 1C 3I 3I 1C 4P 3M
The top line indicates upper jaw: 2 molars, 4 premolars, 1 canine and 3 incisors on the right and left sides. The bottom line shows the arrangement of teeth on the lower jaw: 3 molars, 4 premolars, 1 canine and 3 incisors.
Changing teeth in puppies
Puppies, like human children, are born toothless. Puppies begin to erupt their first teeth at the age of 3-4 weeks. The first to erupt are the deciduous canines. After 4-6 weeks, primary incisors and premolars appear.
A full set of primary teeth, which normally consists of 28 teeth, is formed in puppies by 8 weeks and remains virtually unchanged over the next 3 months.
At about 5 months of age, puppies change their milk teeth to molars. The first to fall out are the primary incisors, followed by the replacement of the canines and premolars. The 1st molar appears at approximately 5 months, the 2nd at 6 months, and the 3rd at 7 months.
Thus, the complete change of teeth in puppies is completed at 7-8 months.
Dental condition in an adult dog
At one year of age, the dog's teeth are fully formed. They are snow-white in color and have trident-shaped tubercles, by the gradual erasure of which one can approximately determine the age of an adult dog. In the first years of life Special attention They are pointed at the tubercles of the incisors located in the center, the so-called hooks.
Many factors influence tooth wear and their general condition:
- habit of gnawing hard objects (bones, sticks, stones);
- Regular use of chewing sticks to clean teeth;
- diet;
- lack or presence of oral care.
The following approximate age stages in changes in the condition of teeth in an adult dog can be distinguished:
- 2 years – erasing of the tubercles on the lower toes.
- 4 years - erasing of the tubercles on the upper hooks, teeth lose their shine, becoming dull. In the absence of proper dental care, yellow discoloration and signs of oral diseases (gum inflammation, tartar, unpleasant odor) may appear.
- 5 years – erasing of the tubercles on all incisors, blunting of the fangs, yellowing of the enamel.
- 6 years – forward displacement of the lower incisors, grinding of the canines and erasure of large tubercles of molars and premolars.
- 8-10 years – obvious wear of all teeth, blunting of fangs. Plaque and tartar appear.
- 10 years and older - almost complete erasure of the crowns of the lower toes. The teeth begin to loosen and fall out, which indicates the dog’s advanced age.
Taking into account all of the above, you can fairly accurately determine the age of the puppy and approximately estimate the age of the adult dog. For clarity, below is a table summarizing this information.
Every self-respecting dog has veterinary passport, which contains information about vaccinations, treatments and time of birth. Particularly respected individuals take pride in detailed pedigrees. A conscientious owner always knows the exact birthday of his pet and often celebrates them vigorously. But a fateful meeting can happen any way. A lonely squeaking lump will rush at your feet or you will be faced with a look full of hopeless melancholy. The heart will tremble, and so it will appear in the house new member families. In order not to guess from the tea leaves, our article will tell you in detail, in all possible ways.
They don’t ask about age, but look at the dog’s teeth
The most accurate idea of the age of the four-legged homeless person will be given by comprehensive assessment condition of teeth, eyes and general condition. Offhand, it is easy to understand who is in front of you: a very young puppy, an angular teenager or an adult animal. Then the difficulties begin. The first thing an experienced dog owner will do is look carefully into the toothy mouth. But to do this, you need to know exactly where to look and what to evaluate.
Show your teeth: anatomy
Canids are classified as heterodont animals. Their teeth differ in structure and perform different functions. In adult quadrupeds 42 permanent teeth(20 at the top and 22 at the bottom), and puppies sport 28 milk teeth (14 in each jaw). Knowing the atomic structure of a dog's jaw will greatly help during examination.
What types of teeth do dogs have?
Incisors
When viewed from the center of the jaw, the incisors are six teeth growing three by three to the right and left (the upper ones are much larger than the lower ones, only 12 on each jaw). They help the animal bite off food. The central pair of incisors are called "hooks", followed by the middle incisors and edges. The crown of all incisors is in the form of a wedge, and the cutting surface seems to be divided into three lobes (trefoil)
Fangs
It is difficult to confuse them: 4 sharp fangs are an attacker’s worst nightmare. The crown has a conical, forward-curved shape, specially adapted for tearing prey. We must not forget that even the cutest baby is a ferocious predator at heart.
Chewing teeth (molars and premolars)
The teeth located from the canine to the beginning of the jaw belong to the chewing group. 4 premolars (false roots), 3 molars (molars) on each side on the lower jaw, and 4 premolars, 2 molars on the upper jaw. For ease of clamping and grinding food, their surface is equipped with tubercles.
The method of estimating the age of an animal by teeth is based on general patterns in the schedule of their eruption, replacement and wear.
What do puppy teeth say?
Having determined which teeth the puppy has are still baby teeth and which have been replaced by permanent ones, you will answer the question: “ How to find out how old a dog is? accurate to the nearest month. Children's teeth are thinner, unusually white and needle-sharp.
Teething schedule
How baby teeth change
- if the foundling still has all its primary teeth intact, rest assured that it is about 2 months old.
- 3-4 months: milk hooks leave the mouth
- 3-5 months: middle incisors change
- 4-6 months: permanent edges appear
- 6 months: the six-month age equator is marked by the change of canines
- 7-8 months: replacement of molars and false molars occurs
- 12 months (year): the milk teeth have completely given up their fast to the permanent teeth, and they have grown and become stronger.
For example, a puppy’s toe has just begun to grow, which means he is 3 months old. If the hooks have changed, and the middle incisor has just appeared - 4 months, has grown completely - 5 and so on. Using this principle, you will never make a mistake!
Dog's teeth instead of a passport
Adult dog
One-year-old dog beams snow-white smile without plaque and tartar, the crowns retain their original shape, and the cusps and areas of the chewing surface are well defined. The older the pet, the more noticeable the process of tooth wear is. In this case, dog handlers make an age-specific diagnosis in increments of one year for adult dogs and two for older dogs.
- 2 years: noticeable erasing of the trefoil of the middle incisors occurs, the corollas become less prominent or become even smaller. Teeth lose their original shine and become dull.
- 3 years: the blades of the middle incisors completely disappear, abrasion of the toes begins. The first gum diseases are also characteristic of this age: yellow plaque and tartar appear.
- 4 years: the chewing surface of the toes and middle incisors is completely smooth, without trefoils, the turn of the edges has arrived.
- 5 years: at complete absence trefoil on all incisors, the tip of the canine is slightly smoothed.
- 6-7 years: the older the pet gets, the more noticeable the wear of the teeth is. How to find out how old a dog is, if her fangs are blunt, yellow in color? This means that in front of you is an adult animal about 6 years old. If the hooks on the lower jaw have become oval shape(shape chicken egg), then we can safely add another year of life.
Canine maturity
The ovoid shape of the incisors is typical for dogs aged 7 years and older. So, by the age of 8-9 years it is acquired by the middle incisors, and by the age of 10 - by the upper toes. It is worth paying attention to the smoothness of the masticatory cusps of the molars and premolars, and how worn the fangs are. From the age of 11-12 years, a dog can begin to lose teeth almost in the same order in which they grew. If there are not only no hooks in the mouth, and their absence is not associated with injuries, then we're talking about about a wise old man.
How to find out how old a dog is: appearance tells about age
Despite the specificity of the dental method, if you rely only on it, errors are possible. The fact is that the appearance of teeth adult In addition to age, living conditions also influence. Poor nutrition, malocclusion, and other reasons why a dog is forced to survive rather than live - wear out teeth much faster. Therefore, it would be correct to assess the condition of the tailed pet using several other indicators.
Wool, or what type of coat the dog has
Young animals have softer coats and are less susceptible to dirt. With age, the fur coat becomes dull and becomes oily. The first gray hair appears by the age of 6-7 years, starting on the chin, around the lips. Gradually it descends to the chest, affecting the front paws. The older the dog, the more uneven the coat grows. With poor care for old people, the probability of "clots in different directions" is quite high.
Eyes to eyes
Do devils dance and show tongues in the eyes of a miracle, an interested and clear look? This means we are talking about a puppy or a young dog. The cornea of a healthy animal is bright, without any discharge. Whereas with each passing year, the look grows cloudy, becomes dull, tearing appears.
Muscle condition
In older dogs, muscle tone is lower, slight atrophy is possible, and bones protrude more strongly. This is due to a decrease in overall activity. Young pets are always ready for hide and seek, catch up and any other games. But an adult dog will never miss an opportunity to rest once again.
Looking for information about how to find out how old a dog is, you need to take into account the fact that representatives of large breeds age faster. While the little ones retain their youth a little longer.
Why do you need to know the dog's age?
Celebrating the tailed monster's birthday is definitely great. But information about age is also necessary for a number of more important reasons.
Compliance with the vaccination regimen
Dogs, like people, are susceptible viral diseases. Timely vaccinations (annually for young animals and puppies, once every two years for adult dogs) create a strong barrier against a number of deadly diseases. dangerous infections. For older pets, the vaccine is administered even less frequently, so as not to burden the body, relying on accumulated immunity.
Treatment and surgery
Age is important for calculation correct dosage medicines, carrying out surgical operations. For example, veterinarians advise spaying all female dogs over 7 years of age to reduce the risk of developing cancerous tumors reproductive system.
