9 Bichon Frise Old Age Problems & Useful Tips

All the puppies are energetic and easy to take care of when young. But real challenge is to take care of your pup as it grows old. Now you might think about Bichon Frise old age problems or what conditions or diseases are Bichon Frise prone to in old age. Diabetes, vision issues, heart diseases, arthritis, pelvic dysplasia, stiff joints are a few such problems to be mentioned. Indeed, there are many more issues to be mentioned that can be observed as your bichons grows old.

Let’s learn more about all the issues than can be faced by your Bichon with its increasing age and the solution to these problems. Moreover, you will also learn to take some necessary steps to decrease the inconvenience faced by your Bichon Frise owing to its old age.

Lifespan Of Bichon Frise

Before discussing Bichon Frise old age problems we need to understand the age range of Bichons so that we can evaluate in which age group does our Bichon stands. The entire lifespan of Bichons range between 12 to 15 years. This is the average lifespan, but some Bichons can live up to an age of 20 years. But this is observed rarely.

In this way they tend to reach their adulthood at about 2 years which certainly is a very rapid process. But once they enter the adulthood, the process slows down and the adulthood then lasts up to the age of 11 years. At 11 years the old age finally starts. Today the problems that we are going to discuss are mostly observed when the age of Bichon reaches 11 years or more.

How Do We Know That Bichon Frise Is Aging?

Most bichon owners do not understand when their bichon starts to age. The first thing to know in this respect is that dogs age quite faster as compared to humans so you will have to look out for certain signs. Some of these signs are mentioned below:

1. Difficulty in movement
2. Slow understanding of commands
3. Muzzles on face

As far as the above the above signs are concerned we can say that with progressing age it becomes difficult to understand when your bichon frise response is slowing or when it is denying to obey your demands. So you have to be very patient when bichon frise golden age comes.

Bichon Frise Old Age Problems

Dogs are the most adopted pets by majority of families and couples. But a great number of these adoptions are made when these pups are of young age and like any other living being the problems arising at different age groups are quite different. Therefore, most owners are not aware of the problems that Bichons or any other breed of dogs may face during the later part of life. This is why, there is a dire need of explaining this aspect of Bichons life to first time Bichon owners who want to keep them comfortable and healthy even when the pups grow old. Let us know more about the Bichon Frise old age problems in details:

1. Diabetes

Diabetes can be described as bichon frise old age problems in which the body of the pup is not able to metabolize the ingested sugar as a result of which it can experience symptoms like high appetite, lethargy, rapid weight loss and excessive urination. The treatment of diabetes is injecting insulin from time to time so that it can be used to metabolized blood sugar. But if proper treatment is not received it can be fatal for your Bichon and they may die. Therefore, getting your Bichon Frise treated for diabetes is a must.

You can take following steps to relieve this bichon frise illness:

1. Take it for exercise
2. Help it lose some weight
3. Ensure regular insulin usage
4. Take proper regulations when feeding bichon frise

2. Arthritis

A painful illness that requires early diagnosis and treatment out of all Bichon Frise old age problems is arthritis. This illness can be extremely painful for canines. In order to prevent such conditions you need to take certain precautions like maintaining a constant daily routine of physical activity. This can help your Bichon stay active and you can easily diagnose sign of pain on physical activity right away. This will ensure proper treatment right away. Moreover, after diagnosis of arthritis you need to give proper prescription if provided by the vet. Besides, you can buy an orthopedic warming bed. This can sooth the joint pain and provide comfort to the puppy.

3. Shedding

One of the best thing about adopting Bichons is their low maintenance. They do not shed like other canines. Rather you can say that during their early age and adulthood they do not shed at all. But if someday you suddenly observe shedding then it may due to some illness if your Bichon is still an adult. But if it is 11 years or older then this show its progressive aging.

4. Stiffness of Joints

If at some point after the age if 11 your Bichon experiences pain whenever you touch its joint, it means that your canine is experiencing stiffness of joints. You should consults a vet immediately after noticing such symptoms and then proceed according to the advice of the vet consultant. Taking all precautions and abiding by the advice of the vet will help provide comfort to your bichon even at time of such discomfort.

5. Pelvic Dysplasia

Pelvic dysplasia is a medical condition that is present in some Bichon Frise from the early age. Although the symptoms do not start to appear until the bichons reach the later part of their adulthood therefore it is included in the list for Bichon Frise old age problems. In this condition the muscles around the hip socket do not develop properly and as a result the ligaments do not attach properly and the hip joint is dislocated from the original position. Once again the only way out is to seek immediate medical advice from the vet so the problem can be treated in the best possible way.

6. Behavioral Change

Yes behavioral changes are also observed in bichons as they grow old. Although you might not notice it right away but in most cases they become more clingy and tend to follow their owners every where. This can be avoided by proper crate training during during early age where pups are trained to stay in crate whenever the owner is busy.

7. Anxiety

Old age can be as frustrating for bichon frise as it is for any living being including humans. The weakness in the body may lead them to become anxious. You may observe them bark and whine from time to time. Anxiety may lead them to pee in wrong place. This is also referred to as Old Dog Syndrome. This can be known as dementia of dogs. They may forget the training commands as well.

8. Urinary Tract Infection

UTI or urinary tract infections can occur due to bladder infections and also as a result of diabetes and other underlying causes. You can recognize UTI from following symptoms:

1. Large urine volume
2. inability to pee for long durations
3. Licking the genitals
4. Lack if appetite

9. Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is an illness of pancreas in which it is unable to release secretions that digest fatty food. Consequently your bichon frise pup may not be able to digest its fatty food at all. It can be acute or chronic depending upon the severity and duration of illness.

If you observe following symptoms then your bichon is suffering from this disease and you need to visit the vet right away:

1. Diarrheoa
2. Vomiting and nausea
3. Lack of appetite
4. Irregularity in heart rate
5. Dehydration

Suggestions For Dealing With Bichon Frise Old Age Problems

In order to relieve the pain of your Bichon during its golden age, you need to abide by certain suggestions. These tips can aid you in keeping your Bichon comfortable even during a period of constant sickness. Some of these tips and tricks are mentioned below:

1. Closely observe for any change in the normal activities of your Bichon. For instance, check its activeness, appetite level, weight and urination. In this way you will be able to lead your bichon to early diagnosis which itself tends to solve half of the problem
2. Secondly, get your Bichon regularly checked from a professional vet. This will also help in early diagnosis.
3. Ensure proper physical activity in daily routine. You can take your bichon for a swim as it is an excellent physical exercise and release pent up energy.
4. Maintain the weight in a proper range as this can help avoid certain old age ailments.
5. Lastly, if your bichon is suffering from any of the ailments then ensure regular medication and also comfort them by canine equipment like orthopedic beds and heating pads.

Conclusion

Although pets may seem like fun to adopt, but along with fun they are a great responsibility. Like humans they also grow old and during this golden period they require greater care, love and attention. As far as the illnesses, solution and the precautionary guidelines are considered, your care and attention can help in noticing any abnormal behavior or change. In this way diagnosis is timely which can increase the chances of good prognosis. Therefore, always treat your canines with greater care during this time of discomfort so that Bichon Frise old age problems do not impact your relationship with your Bichon Frise.

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