Do older dogs need to be left alone? Word to the expert

“Statistically, dogs get older and older, thanks to good care and so on. For the famous German dog lover Martin Ruetterthere is a very important balance that the owner of an aging dog must respect: that is the hours of sleep and the moments of activity of his four-legged friend.

Otherwise the consequences can be severe. The reason? There dementia. This disease is an “important topic” for Rütter not only because his mother suffered from a severe form of senile dementia, but also because he himself dealt intensively with the topic of older dogs.

New study: dementia in dogs

Ahead of a new study that has been published in the journal Scientific ReportsRütter addresses the subject in episode 82 of his podcast Beastly human (literally “Bestial Human”), released October 6, 2022.

Analyzing more than 15,000 domestic dog data collected as part of the Dog Aging Studyit appeared that starting from 10 years of age, the risk of dementia in dogs increases by 50% every year.

Another alarming result: the less active animals they are about six and a half times more likely to develop dementia than highly active animals.

Put simply: exercise and activity have a positive effect on the risk of dementia, because as a result the dog’s brain is more challenged. A phenomenon also known in humans.

The advice of the dog expert

This is why Rütter asks, especially for senior dogs, that they absolutely must continue to be “allowed to participate in everyday life in adaptation to their physical conditions “.

And keeps going:

«The pet should always have the sensation of being present, of being part of the group, of receiving information and stimuli», Concludes the expert.

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