AR-News: (US CO) Keep a close eye on pets in their senior years

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

SUMMIT COUNTY - Gray hair, creaky bones, failing eyesight - all the signs and 
symptoms of aging - creep up on pets just as they do on humans, only faster.

A pet's advancing age can weaken the immune system and increase vulnerability 
to many medical problems, including arthritis, diabetes, dental problems, 
allergies, cancer and loss of hearing and vision, according to the American 
Humane Association.

Your pet ages about seven times faster than you do, but there are steps you 
can take to help it grow old gracefully.

First, know when your pet is entering its senior years. Cats are considered 
to be seniors at 8-10 years old, while a dog's aging process is partly 
weight-dependent.

Very small dogs may not become "old" until the age of 9 or 10; medium-sized 
dogs hit old age between 6 and 9 years; large dogs (over 80 pounds) may earn 
senior citizen status as early as 4 years old.




full story:

http://www.vaildaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040216/NEWS/402160104&rs
=2 

"The world is a dangerous place,
not because of those who do evil,
but because of those who look on and do nothing."
Albert Einstein
      /\   /\         
>' .' <   
                              
There is no justice, just us!  








    
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