Botataung Pagoda in Botahtaung

The Botataung Pagoda is a famous pagoda located in downtown Yangon, Myanmar, near the Yangon river. The pagoda was first built by the Mon around the same time as was Shwedagon Pagoda—according to local belief, over 2500 years ago, and was known as Kyaik-de-att in Mon language. The pagoda is hollow within, and houses what is believed to be a sacred hair of Gautama Buddha.

The Botataung Pagoda was completely destroyed during World War II, and was rebuilt after the war.

พระมหาเจดีย์ชเวดากอง By supachai CP พม่า

 พระมหาเจดีย์ชเวดากอง 
• พระมหาเจดีย์ชเวดากอง หรือ เจดีย์ทองแห่งเมืองดากองหรือตะเกิง (ชื่อเดิมของเมืองย่างกุ้ง) แห่งลุ่มน้ำอิระวดี มหาเจดีย์ที่ใหญ่ที่สุดของประเทศพม่า มีความสูงถึง 326 ฟุต
• มหาเจดีย์ชเวดากอง : เล่าว่าพระมหากษัตริย์มอญคือพระเจ้าโอกะลาปะ ทรงเลื่อมใสในศรัทธาพระพุทธศาสนา ได้ทรางก่อสร้างองค์พระเจดีย์ชเวดากองขึ้นมาเมื่อกว่า 2000 ปี ก่อน ต่อมาพระมหากษัตริย์มอญและพม่าแทบทุกพระองค์ได้ถือเป็นพระราชภารกิจในการก่อเสริมองค์พระเจดีย์ให้สูงใหญ่ขึ้นเรื่อยๆ จนสูงถึง 326 ฟุต กว้าง 1355 ฟุตในปัจจุบัน โดยเฉพาะในสมัยพระนางซินสอบู หรือนางพระยาตะละแม่ท้าวเจ้า กษัตรีมอญผู้ครองเมืองหงสาวดี ได้ทรงริเริ่มธรรมเนียมบริจาคทองคำเท่าน้ำหนักพระองค์เองในการบูรณะพระมหาเจดีย์ นับตั้งแต่ทรงขึ้นครองราชย์ในปี พ.ศ.1996 (ตรงกับสมัยสมเด็จพระบรมไตยโลกนาถแห่งกรุงศรีอยุธยา) จนกลายเป็นพระราชพิธีที่ปฎิบัติสืบต่อกันมา
• วันนี้มหาเจดีย์ชเวดากองมีทองคำโอบหุ้มอยู่เป็นน้ำหนักถึง 1100 กิโลกรัม โดยช่างชาวพม่า จะใช้ทองคำแท้ตีเป็นแผ่นปิดองค์เจดีย์ไว้รอบองค์ หากสังเกตในรายละเอียดจะเห็นรอบต่อของแผ่นทองคำ ซึ่งมิได้ผสานเป็นเนื้อเดียว แต่จะเป็นแผ่นๆ มาเรียกกัน ครั้งเมื่อแผ่นทองหมองคล้ำก็จะถอดหมุดแล้วแกะแผ่นทองออกมาขัดล้างปีละครั้งเป็นประเพณีสืบเนื่องกันมาตลอด
• สุวรรณฉัตร หรือทององค์ใหญ่บนยอดเจดีย์ชเวดากองเคยมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงครั้งสำคัญเท่าที่มีการบันทึกไว้ในประวัติศาสตร์พม่า 3 ครั้ง คือ ครั้งแรก ในปี พ.ศ.2317 รัชสมัยพระเจ้าฉินบูชิน ทรงถวายสุวรรณฉัตรองค์ใหม่ รูปทรงพม่า แทนองค์เดิมที่เป็นรูปทรงมอญ โดยโปรดฯให้ระฆังเงินระฆังทองและทองแดง รวม 600 ใบ และมีเพชรประดับโดยรอบด้วย เหตุการณ์นี้เกิดขึ้นในวันขึ้น 15 ค่ำ เดือน 4 ต่อมาเกิดเหตุการณ์แผ่นดินไหว เป็นเหตุให้สุวรรณฉัตร หักตกลงมา จึงมีการบูรณะครั้งที่สองในปี พ.ศ.2414 รัชสมัยพระเจ้ามินดง โดยทรงบริจาคพระราชทานทรัพย์ส่วนพระองค์เพื่อสร้างฉัตรใหม่ จนร่ำลือกันว่า ยอดฉัตรแห่งชเวดากองนั้นประดับประดาด้วยเพชรพลอยอัญมณีล้ำค่า คิดเป็นมูลค่ากว่า 62000 ปอนด์ ในสมัยนั้น โดยเฉพาะยอดเจดีย์ประดับระฆังใบเล็กถึง 5000 ใบ ครั้งล่าสุดในปี พ.ศ. 2542 พุทธศาสนิกชนชาวมอญพม่าได้พร้อมใจกันเปลี่ยนสุวรรณฉัตรองค์ใหม่ ถวายพระมหาเจดีย์ชเวดากอง ซึ่งมีผู้มีจิตศรัทธาแห่งแหนมามืดฟ้ามัวดิน ร่วมทำบุญ ถวายปัจจัย บางคนถึงกับถอดแหวนเพชร สร้อยทองเครื่องประดับอัญมณีนานาชนิดประดับสุวรรณฉัตรองค์ใหม่ด้วยแรงศรัทธาสูงส่ง
• รอบๆองค์พระเจดีย์ชเวดากอง เป็นลานกว้างรองรับแรงศรัทธาของพุทธศาสนิกชนได้จำนวนมาก บริเวณทางขึ้นทั้งสี่ทิศจะมีวิหารโถง สร้างด้วยเครื่องไม้หลังคาทรงปราสาท ปิดทองล่องชาดประดับกระจกทั้งหลัง ภายในประดิษฐานพระประธานสำหรับให้ประชาชนมากราบไหว้บูชา เพราะชาวมอญและชาวพม่าถือการกราบไหว้บูชาเจดีย์ชเวดากองเป็นนิตย์ จะนำมาซึ่งบุญกุศลอันเป็นหนทางสู่การหลุดพ้นทุกข์โศกโรคภัยทั้งมวล บ้างนั่งทำสมาธิเจริญสติภาวนานับลูกประคำ และบ้างเดินประทักษัณรอบองค์เจดีย์
• นอกจากนี้รอบองค์เจดีย์ยังมีพระประจำวันเกิดประดิษฐานทั้งแปดทิศรวม 8 องค์ หากใครเกิดวันไหนก็ให้ไปสรงน้ำพระประจำวันเกิดตน จะเป็นสิริมงคลแก่ชีวิต

Domestic Dog is friend

Dogs were probably the first tame animals. They have accompanied humans for some 10,000 years. Some scientists assert that all dogs, domestic and wild, share a common ancestor in the small South Asian wolf.

Today humans have bred hundreds of different domestic dog breeds—some of which could never survive in the wild. Despite their many shapes and sizes all domestic dogs, from Newfoundlands to pugs, are members of the same species—Canis familiaris. Although they have domestic temperaments, these dogs are related to wolves, foxes, and jackals.

Domestic dogs still share many behaviors with their wild relatives. Both defend their territories and mark them by urinating on trees, rocks, fence posts, and other suitable sites. These scent posts serve notice to other dogs that an animal is occupying its territory.

Many pet dogs also bury bones or favorite toys for future use, just as their wild relatives sometimes bury a kill to secure the meat for later feasts.

Dogs communicate in several ways. Scent is one method, another is physical appearance. Body position, movement, and facial expression often convey a strong message. Many of these signals are recognizable even to humans, such as the excited tail-wagging of a happy dog or the bared teeth of an angry or threatened animal. Vocally, dogs communicate with a cacophony of sounds including barks, growls, and whines.

Domestic dogs serve as more than companions; many earn their keep by working hard. Dogs herd livestock, aid hunters, guard homes, and perform police and rescue work. Some special animals even guide the blind—a poignant symbol of the dog's longstanding role as man's best friend.

Body condition chart

1 EmaciatedRibs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences evident from a distance. No discernible body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass.
2 Very ThinRibs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences easily visible. No palpable fat. Minimal loss of muscle mass.
3 Thin Ribs easily palpitated and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar vertebrae visible. Pelvic bones becoming prominent. Obvious waist and abdominal tuck.
4 UnderweightRibs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. Abdomen tucked up when viewed from the side.
5 IdealRibs palpable without excess fat covering. Waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above. Abdominal tuck evident.
6 OverweightRibs palpable with slight excess fat covering. Waist is discernible viewed from above but is not prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent.
7 Heavy Ribs palpable with difficulty, heavy fat cover. Noticeable fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent or barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be absent.
8 Obese Ribs not palpable under very heavy fat cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of tail. Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious abdominal distension may be present.
9 Grossly ObeseMassive fat deposits over thorax, spine and base of tail. Waist and abdominal tuck.

dog feel love

We feel tremendous love for our dogs, and our dogs sure seem to love us. But is a dog really capable of emotions? Or are we just projecting our feelings onto our dogs?

Scientists avoid the subject because part of what sets humans apart from the animals is our ability to experience feelings. To say that animals actually have feelings, in the same way we do, would change everything – perhaps disrupt our entire position and standing in the animal kingdom.
However, any dog owner knows that dogs love completely and have a greater capacity for love than most people. If one were to describe the main characteristics of a dog, they would have to be:
1. strong affection
2. warm attachment
3. unselfish loyalty and benevolent concern for others

Wait a minute – those are the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definitions of love. Probably why the author of Dogs Never Lie About Love, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson writes, “dogs are love.” So there isn’t a question of whether dogs love, the mystery is how they have such an enormous capacity for it. Dogs who are neglected or abused still show love for their human and wag their tails in hope of a little affection.
Dogs taken from abusive situations hold no grudges toward the human race. A half an ounce of kindness from a new person results in an abundance of affection from the formerly mistreated dog. Humans rarely have the capacity to so completely forgive and love under those circumstances.
Probably the biggest reason the dog has become man’s best friend is because we know that when it comes to love, a dog can always outdo us. The highest form of love, agape love, which is completely unconditional, is something that people often have to work at or grow into. Agape love seems to come naturally between parent and child, but it’s more difficult between husband and wife, and harder still between friends. To love someone regardless of what wrongs they have done you is very difficult for humans.
A dog, however, is born with an endless capacity for agape love, and doesn’t even have to work at it. You can be a complete grouch, ignore your dog, and refuse him your love. When you decide you’re ready to be sociable again, your dog doesn’t pay you back by ignoring you too. He’s just happy you’re there. More amazing still, is that the love that dogs and owners feel for each other lasts a lifetime. This is the ideal love humans strive for, but often fail at. As Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson so beautifully writes in Dogs Never Lie About Love, “Learning to know somebody intimately is often the beginnings of dislike, sometimes even of contempt. Among humans, love often does not survive a growing acquaintance, but in a dog, love seems to grow with acquaintance, to get stronger, deeper. Even when fully acquainted with all our weaknesses, our treachery, our unkindness, the dog seems to love strongly – and this love is returned by most dog-loving humans. We, too, seem to love our dogs the more we get to know them. The bond grows between us and our dogs.” This is why we need dogs. They do something for us that rarely a human companion can do. No matter how much you mess up your life, or how much wrong you do, no matter how many mistakes you make or how often you make them, regardless of your looks, income or social standing, your dog never judges you. He always thinks you are wonderful and loves you with all his heart.

Caring for your pregnant dogs

pregnant dogs

Pregnant and nursing dogs have very different nutritional needs than normal adult dogs. In fact, nursing is the most nutritionally challenging period a dog will ever encounter. There are special considerations for the feeding and care of these dogs.

In general, it is recommended that experienced, well-equipped professional breeders handle the breeding of puppies. Caring for the pregnant dog, birthing the puppies, and raising the puppies to a level at which they can be separated from their mother is a very involved, costly and time-intensive task for which most casual dog owners are ill prepared.

Someone knowledgeable in the subject should oversee the actual mating of the dogs. If you intend to breed your dog and have never done so before, we strongly urge you to consult a professional or a good book. However, there are some specific issues to watch out for.
Make sure the female is over a year in age
Make sure she is in at least her second heat period
Make sure the dogs are in good physical health - overweight females may have complications
Make sure the dogs are compatible. If you aren't sure, consult a veterinarian
If you are not a professional breeder with established sales channels, make sure you have homes lined up for the litter Once you have a pregnant dog, you will need to adjust her feeding and exercise accordingly. You will also have to make special preparations for the birth of the puppies.

For feeding, select a dog food formulated for all life stages, rather than that formulated simply for the maintenance of adult dogs. The food should have 1600 digestible calories per pound of food and at least 21 percent protein. Unless the dog has a tendency to put on too much weight, give her all the food she wants. If she seems to be losing weight, try moistening the food or switching to a more nutritionally dense food.

Canine pregnancies tend to last about nine weeks. For the first six or seven weeks, food intake shouldn't be that much higher than normal. Between weeks six and seven, the female's weight will increase. At this time, put out 25 percent more food. Always keep out plenty of fresh water in a clean bowl. Make sure she gets regular, but not stressful, exercise. Prepare a place for the birth, usually a large container in a quiet area. Line it with towels or rags (straw will also work) and keep it clean.

Around whelping time in week nine, her appetite may slip or disappear. This is often a sign that the babies will be born in the next day or two. Be sure to consult a book or expert on what behaviors or events to expect and what signs signal trouble. For example, some bleeding is normal, but discharges of the wrong type can indicate a medical problem in the birth.

After the puppies are born comes the most nutritionally challenging time of the dog's life: lactation. Expect her diet to steadily increase over the next 20 to 30 days as the puppies grow and nurse more. By the time the first month is through, the mother may be eating two to four times the amount of food she ate before pregnancy. Give her all she wants and encourage her to eat by moistening the food. In the third or fourth weeks, the puppies will probably start nibbling at her dish, too, which is a good way to introduce them to solid food.

Between six and eight weeks, the puppies are typically weaned. The following process is recommended to help stop milk production and make the transition as easy for the mother as possible.

On weaning day, do not give the mother any food, only water. The next day, give her 1/4 of her pre-pregnancy intake; the next day, 1/2; and the next, 3/4. By the fifth day she should be back to her normal diet, although you may increase it for females that have lost weight during pregnancy until she gains her weight back.

Feeding Dogs For life Stage

FEEDING DOGS
Feeding Adult DogsWhen a dog reaches full maturity, it enters the maintenance period. Normal healthy dogs who are not pregnant, nursing, or hardworking have relatively low nutritional requirements for maintaining an appropriate body condition. A good body condition is one in which the animal is well proportioned, with an observable waist behind the ribcage, and ribs that can be felt with a slight fat covering over them.
With the variety of nutritionally complete and balanced dog foods available, providing a proper diet for an adult dog can be straightforward and simple without the need for supplements of any kind. If supplemental meat or table scraps are fed, they should account for no more than 10% of the total diet. Higher levels can dilute the nutritional value of the commercial diet, predispose an animal to obesity and may create a finicky eater.
For dogs with lower caloric needs and/or for dogs that are less active, attention should be paid to the potential for excessive weight gain. Often a dog's weight can be reduced simply by eliminating table scraps and treats from the diet and by avoiding high-energy dog foods. Overweight dogs may have more health problems and a shorter life expectancy.
Feeding recommendations for adult dogs can vary, depending upon the breed, activity, metabolism and owner's preference. Whether or not an animal is fed once or twice each day, it should be fed at the same time, and fresh drinking water should always be made available. Just as with humans, a dog's appetite may vary from day to day. This should not pose a problem unless the loss of appetite persists or the dog shows signs of illness or weight loss. In these situations, the dog should be examined by a veterinarian.
Feeding During PregnancyRegardless of the breed of dog, the female should be at least one year of age and in at least the second heat period before she is bred. The body condition of both males and females used in a breeding program is important. If males are overweight, they may be physiologically and anatomically inefficient for mating. Overweight females can have lower conception rates and more problems at whelping. Food intake will vary according to age, activity, body metabolism, and environment. If possible, each dog should be fed as an individual to achieve and maintain normal body condition.
The nutrient requirements of the female during the first six or seven weeks of pregnancy are not higher than for dogs at maintenance. During the last two to three weeks, requirements for all nutrients will increase, and caloric requirements can be met during this last trimester by gradually increasing the female's food intake. Diets containing more than 1600 metabolizable calories per pound of food and at least 21% protein are recommended. The easiest way to ensure proper nutrition is to feed a good-quality dog food that is labeled complete and balanced for reproduction and growth, or for all life stages. When feeding these diets, supplementation of vitamins and minerals is not necessary. Problems can occur with oversupplementation, especially when high levels of Vitamin A or calcium are added.
Unless a female has a tendency to put on too much weight during pregnancy, she can be given all the food she wants to eat. It is not unusual for a pregnant female to temporarily decrease her intake at about three to four weeks into the pregnancy. Normally, she will eat more during the latter phase of pregnancy. However, if this does not occur and body condition begins to deteriorate, steps should be taken to increase food intake. This can be done by moistening dry food with warm water to improve palatability, or by adding small amounts of canned dog food to the dry food and feeding several times each day. As whelping nears, the female may lose her appetite. This is considered normal behavior, and unless she appears to be having a health problem, no change in the feeding program is necessary. In may cases, food refusal during the ninth week is an indication that whelping will occur within the next 24 to 48 hours. Usually within 24 hours after whelping the female's appetite will return. After the puppies are born, she should receive all the food she wants.
During reproduction, water serves as a carrier of nutrients to the developing fetus and removes wastes for elimination. Other important functions of dietary water are to help regulate body temperature and as an aid in milk production. Keeping water bowls clean and changing water frequently tend to encourage water consumption. Fresh water in a clean bowl should be available at all times.
Feeding During LactationMilk production is one of the most nutritionally demanding stages in a female's life. A complete and balanced diet for reproduction and growth, or for all life stages, will supply the nutrition a female needs during this time. The demand for milk by nursing puppies will continue to increase for about 20 to 30 days (or up to 4 weeks). Consequently, the female's food and water requirements increase during this time. At peak lactation, the female's food intake may be two to four times above her usual or maintenance food intake. Very attentive females may rarely leave their puppies to eat or drink and will need encouragement. The same diet used during the gestation period can be fed during lactation. In order to maintain good body condition and to provide ample amounts of milk for the puppies, nursing females should be offered all the food they want.
Moistening dry dog food with water will help increase food intake during lactation. Another important reason for offering the dry food moistened is that at three to four weeks of age, normal puppies will start nibbling solid food. Acclimating puppies to a good-quality commercial diet at an early age will help prevent finicky eaters. Home-prepared diets should be avoided. As puppies begin to eat more solid food, the demand on the female for milk production will decrease. Normally puppies are weaned between six and eight weeks of age, and by weaning time the female's food consumption should be less than 50 percent above her usual or maintenance level. To help reduce the milk flow and prevent mammary gland problems, the following procedure for weaning is recommended:
On the day the puppies are weaned, the female should not receive any food, but should have plenty of fresh water to drink. The puppies should be separated from the dam and offered food and water. Dry food moistened with warm water may help stimulate the puppies' food intake. On the day after weaning, the dam should receive 1/4 the amount of food she was fed prior to being bred. The dam and puppies can be grouped together for several hours on the day after weaning so that the pups can nurse the dam dry. On the third day, the female should receive 1/2 the amount fed prior to breeding, and on the fourth day, 3/4 the amount. By the fifth day she should be offered her usual maintenance level of food. If the litter is large, the female may be quite thin when the puppies are weaned. In this case, she should be given extra food after the fifth day of weaning and until her body condition returns to normal.
Feeding PuppiesFor the first seven to ten days of life, the newborn puppy's eyes remain closed. Yet during that time, puppies double their birth weight and become increasingly more active. As a rule of thumb, each puppy in a litter should gain approximately its birth weight each week during the lactation or nursing period (the first week may be slightly less than that and the final weeks may be more than that).
While most females are excellent mothers, some nervous or inattentive dams may require special attention to help them calm down and accept their new offspring. This may involve working with both the dam and/or puppies, and placing pups near nipples at feeding time. Poorly nursing puppies may be smaller in size, cooler in body temperature, and weigh less. Routinely handling the pups will allow for an opportunity to check their condition and progress, although excessive handling may be stressful for the dam and pups and should be avoided.
The typical introduction of a puppy to solid food (around 3 to 4 weeks of age) usually amounts to the pup romping around and through the dam's food bowl, and licking moistened dry food from its paws. Puppy traffic will tend to compact the food, so stirring the compacted diet or offering fresh amounts periodically should be considered. By six weeks of age, most puppies are ready to be weaned. If they have started to eat solid foods from the dam's dish, it is not unusual for puppies to begin to wean themselves at about four to five weeks of age.
The nutrient requirements to support normal growth and development of puppies are greater than those for an adult dog. For this reason, nutritionally complete and balanced diets designed for growth and reproduction or all life stages are recommended. No additional supplementation in the form of vitamins, minerals, meat, or other additives is needed.
A puppy's stomach capacity is not large enough to hold sufficient food in one feeding to provide its daily requirement of needed nutrients. Young puppies should be fed at least three times a day until their food requirements, per pound of body weight, begin to level off as they mature. Feeding schedules can be reduced to twice a day when pups are four to five months old, and once a day when they are eight months or older. Fresh water in a clean bowl should be available at all times.
As with pregnant females, dry food can be moistened with warm water to encourage food intake. Milk may also be used to moisten dry food, however, too much milk can act as a laxative and cause digestive problems for some puppies and adult dogs. One hour should be allowed for a puppy to eat, after which the uneaten portion should be discarded. Moistened dry food or canned food left at room temperature can become unpalatable and may even spoil if left out for several hours.
Establishing routine eating habits by feeding a puppy in the same place and at the same time each day is recommended and can help in housebreaking. Offering human foods from the table is not recommended because it encourages begging and may create a finicky eater. Puppies consuming a complete and balanced diet do not need supplemental vitamins, minerals, or meat. In fact, oversupplementation has been shown to be detrimental to proper development of young, growing pups.
The amount of food offered to a puppy will vary depending upon its size, activity, metabolism, and environment. Puppies should not be allowed to become overweight. An overweight puppy not only presents a poor appearance, but the excess weight can cause bone abnormalities. If a puppy appears to be gaining too much weight, its food intake should be reduced. If a puppy appears to be too thin and there are no health problems, its food intake should be increased. Anytime owners have questions or concerns about their animal's body condition, they should consult their own veterinarian.
Feeding Hardworking DogsRegardless of the seasonal environmental temperature or a dog's physiologic state, when all else is equal, the more active a dog is, the more food it will require. All nutrients will be required in greater amounts than for an adult dog at maintenance, not simply additional protein or extra minerals such as calcium and phosphorus. Physical activity is the outwardly visible result of a complex sequence of muscular contractions. The combustion of dietary fuels such as fat, protein and carbohydrates provide the energy for muscular work. Water, vitamins and minerals are involved in utilizing energy for work.
Hardworking dogs are usually referred to as those used for hunting, herding sheep, or sled dog racing, as well as dogs who routinely run long distances (i.e., greater than 20 miles per week). These groups of working dogs may have increased nutrient needs when they are training or actually working. The requirement for additional nutrients will depend on an individual dog's activity level. A benchmark for these foods would be that they are complete and balanced with high nutrient density including at least 26 percent protein, 10 percent fat, 30 percent carbohydrates and 1750 kilocalories per pound of dry food.
During those seasons when a dog is neither training nor working, it is recommended that the amount of the dog's training/working ration be reduced, or that the dog be gradually changed to a lower energy, less nutrient dense dog food (containing at least 20 percent protein and 1,500 kilocalories per pound of food). Maintaining dogs in good body condition in the off-season will help make conditioning for training/working seasons less stressful.
Working/training dogs should not be fed a meal immediately before or immediately after a session of hard activity. Feeding meals too near to workouts can result in poor performance and gastric upset or discomfort (evidenced by vomiting or loose stools) and may increase the risk of gastric bloat. The proper use of food (such as snacks or treats) during periods of increased activity can prevent hunger discomfort and fatigue in hard-working dogs. Proper use dictates that the snack or treat be fed after a period of rest, in small portions, with fresh cool water and followed by a period of rest.
Feeding Older DogsAging dogs are defined as older or geriatric when they have reached the last 25 percent of their expected life span, which is directly related to size or breed, as well as the care received during a lifetime:
Small breed dogs greater than 12 years of age
Medium breed dogs greater than 10 years of age
Large breed dogs greater than 9 years of age
Giant breed dogs greater than 7 years of age Some signs of aging are described as:
changes in body weight
difficulty in locomotion (movement)
changes in hearing and/or eyesight
changes in skin and/or haircoat
changes in urine or bowel habits
bad breath associated with teeth or mouth problems Studies have shown that healthy older dogs utilize protein in a manner similar to the young adult dog, and that geriatric dogs may need about 50 percent more protein than younger adult dogs. However, current commercial diets formulated for adult dogs at maintenance generally provide adequate protein. Less active animals may have reduced energy requirements, and caution should be used when feeding energy dense diets to avoid the risk of excessive weight gain.
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