Toy dogs: senior

Toy dogs are small companion breeds bred mainly for company rather than work, and generally don't need much exercise. Several conditions — patellar luxation, dental disease and heart disease among them — turn up often enough in UK research to be worth an early, ongoing conversation with your vet.

Example breeds in this group: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, Bichon Frise.

Toy breeds are often longer-lived than larger dogs, but dental and heart checks matter more here than in most groups, and vets commonly recommend seeing senior dogs twice a year rather than once.

• UK life-table research put average life expectancy for the Kennel Club Toy group at around 10.7 years, and separately found small, long-nosed dogs living to a median of over 13 years — among the longest-lived shapes in the study.

  Source: Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom, Scientific Reports (Teng et al.), 2022

• PDSA advises a vet dental check at least once a year for older dogs, naming Cavalier and King Charles Spaniels among breeds prone to dental disease — daily brushing at home is the other half of the advice.

  Source: Dental disease in dogs, PDSA

• Because myxomatous mitral valve disease becomes more common with age in small breeds, regular vet check-ups — more frequent as a dog gets older — are recommended so heart changes are picked up as early as possible.

  Source: ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Keene et al.), 2019

• General guidance for older dogs suggests check-ups at least every six months so changes can be caught early, and PDSA lists arthritis, obesity and cognitive decline ("dog dementia") among the common concerns to watch for.

  Source: Looking after the elderly… from the experts at PDSA, PDSA / Countryfile, 2024