Mark Herz: This is GBH's Morning Edition. You've heard of the human midlife crisis, but what about our pets? As animals like cats and dogs reach midlife, they can begin to show signs of aging, including changes in behavior, mobility, and even appetite.

Dr. Kelly Fishman is a veterinary sports medicine and rehab expert, and founder of Strut Animal Mobility Specialists. She joins us this morning to discuss the signs of midlife crisis in pets, and strategies to help. Good morning, Dr. Fishman.

Kelly Fishman: Good morning, Mark.

Herz: What is a mid-life crisis in a dog or a cat? I assume it's not mental, but I don't know. Maybe you're going to tell me I'm wrong about that, but tell me what it is, and when does it happen?

Fishman: So midlife crisis means that you have a dog or cat at the human age equivalent of 50. So dogs that are small breeds, under 50 pounds: those are our French bulldogs, our miniature greyhounds -- they're reaching their midlife crises at 10. And then our kitties and our large breed dogs over 50 pounds like Labradors, Great Danes, they're reaching that at about seven. So here's what you're going to see: they can gain weight due to their metabolism slowing down. Some of the other things I see are sight changes -- so their eyes sometimes get a little bit cloudy. Harder of hearing as well, harder to build and maintain muscle. Also, sometimes they get a little bit of behavior changes -- less playful, sleeping more, slowing down on walks, withdrawing from their pack and their family, maybe asking for either less or more attention. So those are some common things that I see. What I want pet parents to know is if a dog is having a midlife crisis, first of all, know about it. And then second of all, understand that there are things that you could do for prevention to make their senior years the best.

Herz: So what are those things?

Fishman Specific things, okay, here it is: exercise your dog. Exercise is super beneficial, but it's also great for stopping doggy dementia, cognitive decline, things that we see older in life. It's really good also to exercise our dogs that have arthritis. And you don't want to exercise them too hard, but keeping them strong and keeping them moving is really good. The other thing -- midlife dogs and cats are going to gain weight because their metabolism is slowing down. So keeping them moving is also beneficial for that. So these are just some of the things that you can do to help your midlife dog move into senior life.

Herz: And so everything you're saying about dogs, I assume, applies to cats as well.

Fishman: Yes, exactly. And we have great recommendations for some supplements. I start my midlife dogs and my mid-life cats all on the same supplements.

Herz: Okay, so what are those?

Fishman: So number one, joint supplements, everybody starts them. The problem is when you go to the pet food aisle, you're overwhelmed by a million different options. The best evidence we have is for type two undenatured collagen, and things with omega-3 fatty acids, like fish oil and green lipped muscle -- starting a joint supplement with one of those two things. Another thing I love to do is probiotics. That helps as well, because we know that their digestion is changing. So that's a really good thing to help with that. The other thing is they're losing muscle, just like we lose muscle midlife. So I also start them on a supplement with Fortetropin, which has been scientifically proven in dogs and cats in multiple studies at veterinary universities to build muscle, and actually to prevent muscle loss associated with aging. So Fortetropin found in MYOS pet -- that's what I prescribe my dogs and cats, that's the other great one I love. I like evidence-based things that are well tolerated in my pets, and that's what I do.

Herz: Sounds good. Veterinary sports medicine and rehab expert Dr. Kelly Fishman, with some expert advice on your pet's midlife crisis. Thank you, Dr. Fishman.

Fishman: Thank you, Mark.

Herz: You're listening to GBH.

You’ve heard of a midlife crisis, but did you know our pets can go through one too?

As animals like cats and dogs reach midlife, they can begin to show signs of aging, including changes in behavior, mobility, and even appetite.

Dr. Kelly Fishman is a veterinary sports medicine and rehab expert, and founder of Strut Animal Mobility Specialists. She joined GBH’s Morning Edition to discuss the signs of a midlife crisis in pets, and strategies to help.

What is a mid-life crisis in a dog or a cat?

Fishman describes midlife as the time when a dog or cat becomes the human age equivalent of 50.

“So dogs that are small breeds, under 50 pounds: those are our French bulldogs, our miniature greyhounds -- they’re reaching their midlife crises at [age] 10,” she said. “And then our cats and our large breed dogs over 50 pounds like Labradors, Great Danes, they’re reaching that at about seven.”

Symptoms of a midlife crisis can include weight gain due to slowing metabolism, worsening eye sight and cloudy eyes, harder time hearing and a difficulty building muscle.

Are there any mental changes during a pet’s midlife crisis?

“Sometimes they get a little bit of behavior changes,” Fishman said. “Less playful, sleeping more, slowing down on walks, withdrawing from their pack and their family, maybe asking for either less or more attention.”

Fishman said when it comes to aging in pets, the most important thing is to notice the differences, and understand the steps you can take to “make their senior years the best.”

Related Stories

What can pet owners do if they notice signs of aging in their furry friend?

Exercising a dog or cat can be beneficial for physique, but also preventing dementia and cognitive decline, according to Fishman.

“It’s really good also to exercise our dogs that have arthritis,” she said. “And you don’t want to exercise them too hard, but keeping them strong and keeping them moving is really good.”

Fishman added that it’s normal for pets to gain weight as they age because their metabolism is slowing down — but getting them moving can help keep weight gain at bay.

What about their diet?

Fishman says supplements are great. “Number one, joint supplements — everybody starts them,” Fishman said. “The problem is when you go to the pet food aisle, you’re overwhelmed by a million different options.”

Recommendations for older pets (both cats and dogs) includes Type 2 undenatured collagen, probiotics, and things with omega-3 fatty acids — like fish oil and green lipped mussel.

“The other thing is they’re losing muscle, just like we lose muscle midlife,” Fishman said. “So I also start them on a supplement with Fortetropin, which has been scientifically proven in dogs and cats in multiple studies at veterinary universities to build muscle, and actually to prevent muscle loss associated with aging.”