Multiplying by 7 is incorrect for finding dog’s ‘human’ age

Dear Readers: Ever wonder how old your dog really is in human years? The old adage to “multiply your dog’s age by seven” is actually incorrect! The truth is that small dogs and large dogs age at different rates. Small dogs will actually live much longer than their bigger canine friends, based on their weights. Some toy breeds can live up to 20 years!

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has drawn up a chart that provides an average age calculator. Keep in mind that this is just an average, not an exact scientific formula:

DOG AGEHUMAN YEARS

1 year 12 years

2 years 24 years

3 years 28 years

5 years 36 years

7 years 44 years

9 years 52 years

11 years 60 years

13 years 68 years

15 years 76 years

Some signs of old age are problems with hearing, seeing and loss of teeth. Joint pain is very common in older dogs, but there are lots of new arthritis medications on the market for your best friend. Some signs that your dog might be slowing down are limping, slowness to follow commands and loss of interest in fetching games. Try to keep in tune with your geriatric dog — Fido’s signals will be a good indicator of how he’s feeling — and some days will be better than others. Veterinary care has come a long way in my lifetime! You should be able to keep Fido comfortable well into his old age with a bit of extra care. Heloise

Dear Readers: Carla M. Calvin of Springfield, Mo., sent us a photo of her two cats, Frasier and Niles, who are brothers, curled lovingly around each other. Carla says: “I have two cat brothers, born one minute apart. I was looking for names for brothers and finally came up with the names Frasier and Niles, after favorite TV characters. Frasier is this little dude in the spiffy tuxedo, and Niles is the more quiet and reserved guy in his gray flannel suit. Their personalities match.”

To see the stars in their “tuxedos,” visit www.Heloise.com for a look. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I used to always put my home phone number on my dog’s tag, but then when my dog got out through an open gate, I was out driving around looking for her and not available to get a phone call. Now, I have put my cell-phone number on my dog’s tag so I can still hunt for my lost baby and get a call if some kind person finds her. Nancy Stearns, Oklahoma City

Dear Heloise: Animal shelters are always happy to get donations of used, clean linens. We always drop off our old bedsheets and towels, and recently, a down quilt that has seen its day. They were thrilled and said the quilt would be used to put animals on after surgery. Talk about recycling! Gayle, New York

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate