Strange situation for older pug

[alix]

Hello everyone, I'm posting on behalf of a friend who has recently run into a strange situation with his pug. He got the dog in 2013 and was told by the previous owner that he was around 1.5 years old, which would put him at about 4 years old right now. However, they went to the vet last night and he was told that the dog is at least 10-11 years old! Needless to say, this was rather a shock for my friend as he has much less time left with his dog than he'd previously thought, and he now has to be on the lookout for issues that typically arise in older pugs.

I'm looking for any advice he can get on older pugs, as this is his first ... he's a pretty healthy dog, doesn't seem to have breathing issues or any noticeable health problems, has all of his teeth, is up to date on his vaccines, doesn't seem to suffer from allergies or skin issues, etc. He doesn't get that much exercise unless it's warm out, but when he does go out on a walk he has good stamina. His eyes have some cloudiness and he has some trouble seeing, but that seems to be it. He is shy, but has no behavioral issues other than the occasional poop/pee in the house. Is there anything else my friend should watch out for, or any preventative measures that would be useful to know about?

And here are some photos of the little guy, since I know we love photos here -










Thanks, everyone!

[6 Beautiful Pugs]

He doesn't look 10-11 to me. I would say 4-6 by appearance. Vets are often wrong when it comes to guessing the age of a dog. It is merely an educated guess based on the condition of the teeth.

He should probably have a specialist (veterinary ophthalmologist) evaluate the eyes now. Early intervention often keeps problems from becoming worse and more costly over time.

He appears to be a mix, and has a nice nose which should serve him well as he moves into his senior years, less chance of respiratory issues. But mainly I would tell him the same thing whether he is 4 or 10, feed great quality food, keep his weight down, protect him from heat, use lubricating drops twice a day on his eyes, and be alert for lumps and bumps.

Take care,
Lisa

[LilyFayre]

Hi!

If those are recent photos, I wouldn't say that dog was 10 to 11 years old. He looks much younger to me. If your friend has already had him for three years before seeing a vet, he looks to have very white teeth if he's never had a dental, and there's very little grey to speak of on his muzzle.

Maybe your friend could enquire on what evidence does his vet come to this conclusion?

[Suri]

I also agree he looks much younger.

[myboysRmylife]

I was expecting a grizzled, grey senior! Looks 5-6 to me too =)

[Bugoneal]

I totally agree with Lisa. Having all his teeth at 10-11! He looks much younger in his pics - and a handsome boy he is too! No grey to speak of and he has a bit of a nose - nothing wrong with that - it will serve him well in his real older years. Maybe you could get a second opinion from another vet and get an evaluation of his eyes.

[scooterpug77]

So we are all agreed at 6 then? BTW grizzled and gray??? I like to think of my guys as distinguished and wise. LOL

[Nina_W]

Looks like a younger dog to me as well, definitely not 10 - if he is 10, you can likely expect him to live for another 10 years :P

yup, ask the vet why he reckoned 10-11, because methinks she/he did not have their glasses on.

[myboysRmylife]

So we are all agreed at 6 then? BTW grizzled and gray??? I like to think of my guys as distinguished and wise. LOL

Of course they are (distinguished and wise, that is)! Actually, since grizzled simply means grey, it was my bad for using redundant terms =D

[bnwebm]

If he's 10 or 11, your friend should bottle and sell whatever is keeping him looking that young! All kidding aside though, I highly doubt he's that old.