Issue number 30.3 Other Scientific
Canine aging and frailty
Published 26/11/2020
Also available in Français , Deutsch , Italiano and Español
Our understanding of aging in dogs is making great strides forward; in this paper the authors discuss how to assess if a dog comes into the “frail” category and what we as veterinarians can do to help in this situation.
Key Points
“Frailty syndrome” is a phase that falls between normal and pathological aging, and it is essential that it is detected as early as possible.
The pet population is getting older, and the field of veterinary geriatric medicine is growing in importance.
Management of frailty includes frequent veterinary follow-ups, nutritional evaluation to ensure a suitable diet, and appropriate environmental adaptations.
Two simple methods to assess canine frailty have recently been developed for clinical use in practice.