Caring for your older gundog

Owning a gundog, or any dog for that matter, is one of life’s great joys. We take them in as stumbling, clumsy puppies and watch them grow, mature and learn. We see them develop into skilled and vital companions for our shooting exploits, take pride in their successes - those long, blind retrieves or and the occasions when they located the bird that everyone else’s dog had missed - and grow to love their unique characters and foibles. 

But with this joy comes the melancholy knowledge that we will outlast our canine friends, and that one day they’ll be too old to join us in the field. Making that transition from working dog to retired old stager is as key a part of your hound’s life as their first training session and their first retrieve. And after a lifetime of faithful service, we owe it to them to make the final years of their life as happy and comfortable as possible. For the most part, this means paying careful attention to their health.

Look after your old dog's joints and muscles

One of the first signs that our dogs are not as young as they used to be is when they struggle to jump in and out of the truck. Like us, as dogs age their muscles take longer to recover from the strains of exercise, and they can suffer from arthritis and other muscular-skeletal problems. Getting their exercise right here is key - too much and they’ll suffer, too little and they’ll get stiffer and stiffer. 

To prevent injuries, take care when exercising them too - they don’t know how old they are so you’ll need to stop them from over-exerting themselves. Things like dog ramps for the car are a good idea to reduce heavy impacts. 

Diet can also help here - a ‘senior’ formula will have the right balance of nutrients and minerals to support your aging dog’s bones and muscles, as well as additives to promote joint flexibility.

Good teeth and gums

Another aspect of aging in dogs is the decline in their oral health. Build-up of tartar can lead to gum disease, making it painful for them to eat. Making sure that they have something to chew on helps to reduce this risk - a bone or a dental chew - but in extreme cases you may want to get your vet to take a look. The first sign is to look for yellow-brown buildup, or when the ‘dog-breath’ becomes particularly pungent.

Watch your retiring gundog’s weight

Just like us, as they age and begin to do less “work”, a gundog can start to pile on the pounds. This extra weight not only puts additional strain on your dog’s joints, but on their vital organs as well. 

Exercise is still vital here too - keeping your retired gundog moving will help to keep their weight down, but they won’t need the same amount as when they were a youngster. It is as important not to over-exercise them as it is to avoid too little. 

But absolutely key is to adjust their diet to reflect the reduced exercise load and the propensity to put on weight as they age as their metabolism slows down. Diets specially formulated for older and retired gundogs - such as Chudley’s Senior - are designed to provide for the changes in your dog's nutritional needs as they get older. Simply put, they need less fat and more protein as they age. 

Helping your retired gundog to lose weight

If your old dog is already looking a bit chunky, there are a few things you can do. First of all, you need to work out the scale (excuse the pun) of the problem. On some dogs you’ll be able to see the build up of fat, but to be certain that they are a healthy weight, you’ll have to weigh them. There are handy scales to use like the PFMA “Dog-Size-O-Metre” which can help to set a target weight for the dog.

Then, there are tactics like changing the feeding routing, which has been shown to help with weightloss. Splitting meals into two or three helps the dog to feel full for longer, and promote digestive efficiency in older dogs. 

Another useful tactic is to try scatter feeding. This encourages additional exercise and keeps them using their nose as they hunt around for their supper.

Our gundogs bring us so much joy, and it is a huge shame that we can’t enjoy their company on the peg or in the beating line for longer, but with care, you can ensure that their “golden years” are the best they possibly can be - a reward for their service and love!

Top tips for keeping your retired gundog fit and healthy

• Care for their muscles, bones and joints through diet and exercise
• Look after their teeth and gums
• Make sure they are on a diet designed for older dogs, with a reduced fat and increased protein content, and additional nutrients to promote healthy joints and digestion