He isn’t just getting lazy on walks. His aging muscles are running out of energy.
The seven signs owners write off as “just old age,” and the muscle-energy story behind them.
Dr. Mark Saraiva, DVMVeterinary consultant to Pawprint · Updated on 10/2026
The walk you quietly shortened. The leash that used to pull toward the door and now hangs slack. The lift into the car, your arms under his hips, while he looks back at you. He still wants to go. His body quits first. “It’s just old age” is no longer an answer.
It isn’t laziness, and it isn’t only age. Muscles run on energy, and his are working on less of it every month. Here are the seven signs, the story inside the muscles that carry him, and what you can do about it starting tonight.
7 signs his muscles are running out before he is
The ones owners write off as “just old age.” Researchers who study aging in dogs write that signs of aging include a loss of muscle mass and strength [1]. This is how it looks at your door.
The walk keeps getting shorterHe plods a step behind with his head low, and the loop you used to do is now to the corner and back.
He stops and won’t go onHe stops where he is, head low and the leash pulled taut, still wanting to go.
Wiped out for the rest of the dayA walk that used to be nothing flattens him until dinner, leash still coiled beside him on the kitchen floor.
Back legs that wobble, sink or slipThe hind end sits a little low, or the back legs skate out from under him on a smooth floor.
You can feel bone where muscle used to beRun your hands along his spine and over his hips: the ridges you feel now were padded once.
Slow to get up, and the stairs are a negotiationHe stops, looks back at you, then takes them one heavy step at a time.
He can’t jump into the car or onto the couch any moreYou lift him in, or you quietly stopped asking.
Recognized two or more? You are not imagining it. His muscles need support. Here is what is happening inside them.
WHAT MUSCLE RUNS ON
The engine behind every step
Veterinary researchers have a name for the muscle loss that comes with age: sarcopenia, the loss of lean body mass that occurs with aging, and it can happen in a dog who has no disease at all. [6]
Every stride is a muscle contracting, and a working muscle holds only a small store of its fuel molecule, ATP, so it has to keep making more as fast as it spends it.
Muscle cells are packed with mitochondria, tiny power plants that turn food into usable energy [7]. CoQ10 is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, the assembly line inside those power plants that makes ATP [8].
Put it together: the same muscles, the same job on every stride. Think of a phone that is already in the red by lunchtime. It still runs everything. It just has less to run it on, and it needs charging sooner.
An illustration of the idea above. Lower muscle NAD+ is reported in older people [9]; muscle mitochondrial output falls with age in people [10].
What the research shows
DOGSMuscle samples from 25 geriatric dogs with muscle wasting, compared with five healthy young dogs, showed atrophy (shrinking), vacuolization and changes in the mitochondria, the cell’s energy plants. [11]
PEOPLEHis muscle cells run on a helper molecule called NAD+, which in people is widely reported to fall with age, though researchers still argue about how universal that is. A study that compared muscle from young and older adults found NAD+ among the most prominent metabolites lower in the older group, lowest in physically impaired older adults. [9]
PEOPLEIn a study of 146 healthy people aged 18 to 89, the energy output of muscle mitochondria fell with advancing age. [10]
MICEIn old mice (18 to 20 months), two months of NMN in the drinking water restored the number of tiny blood vessels in leg muscle to the level typical of young mice, raised resting muscle blood flow and oxygen, and lengthened treadmill endurance. [12]
Nobody has the full answer yet for why muscle fades with age. What we do know is what muscle runs on, and that is something you can support every single day.
Why shorter walks, rest and joint chews haven’t been enough
If you have tried most of these and the walks are still shrinking, that is not on you. You did the caring thing every time.
Shorter walks and more rest
Kind, and sensible, but it shrinks his world to fit the problem. It was never meant to supply the energy his muscle cells run on.
“It’s just old age”
The sentence every owner hears and repeats. It names his birthday, not the cause, and leaves you with nothing to do tonight.
Joint chews on their own
Built around joints, not the energy his muscle cells run on. A good thing to give, and a different job.
A generic senior multivitamin
General support for the whole dog. Not built around the power plants of his muscle cells.
They work around the problem, not on the energy supply of his muscle cells.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE PAWPRINT PROTOCOL STARTS
Pawprint Protocol: daily support for the muscles that carry him on every walk
Seen your dog in these signs? This is the daily step you can take tonight.
Daily support for the muscle energy and stamina of senior dogs, in a liposomal liquid on the dinner he already eats, with NMN (the precursor the body turns into NAD+), NAD+, resveratrol and CoQ10.
Muscle energy: CoQ10 sits inside the energy chain of his muscle cells’ power plants, NAD+ is the helper molecule those cells run on, and NMN is the precursor the body turns into NAD+. Resveratrol rounds out the four actives.
Stamina for the walk he still wants: daily support for the muscles that carry him on every step: the longer loop, keeping up, the stairs.
Liposomal: built to be absorbed, not just swallowed.
What owners watch for: a longer walk, keeping up again, getting up easier.
Nothing to chew and nothing to push down his throat. Add the daily dropper dose to the food he already eats (best with wet food or kibble) or give it by mouth. The dose follows his weight, from 1 to 4 droppers a day.
Four actives, one liquid: the energy supply his muscles run on
1
CoQ10
A working part of the assembly line inside his muscle cells’ power plants, the line that makes ATP, the fuel of every stride [8]. In Pawprint Protocol it is daily support for muscle energy and stamina.
2
NAD+
The helper molecule his muscle cells run on. Pawprint Protocol includes it directly, alongside NMN.
3
NMN
The lead active, and the precursor the body turns into NAD+. In old mice, two months of NMN lengthened treadmill endurance [12].
4
Resveratrol
A plant compound. In mice, resveratrol increased running time and oxygen consumption in muscle fibers, and the effects were associated with switched-on genes for mitochondrial energy production and for building more mitochondria [13].
Dogs and their people, shared by Pawprint Protocol creators.
Dropper bottle in hand, Rottweiler at her side
Bowl down at dinner time
Dropper over the bowl, then dinner
What customers wrote about Pawprint Lab: walking, getting up and energy
Excerpts from public Trustpilot reviews of Pawprint Lab; cuts are marked with …
NW
Nancy WellsUS
July 9, 2026
Beau is 7 and was already slowing down, having trouble getting up, and gaining weight. … It wasn't until I tried PawPrints liquid nutrients that I finally have my dog back. We are headed into month 3 and today he brought me his Frisbee for the first time in over a year and jumped for it. I thought I never see that again. …
Trustpilot review of Pawprint Lab
AK
Angela KrammUS
June 28, 2026
… Now the product is good it has helped my 10-year-old dog walk a little better and we've only been on it for 30 days so for a small Improvement I was very pleased. I would recommend.
Trustpilot review of Pawprint Lab
PS
Pamela Stanley GAPeachUS
April 18, 2026
… These drops seem to be helping our eleven year old Staffordshire get along a bit better …
Trusted by 100,000+ customers across Pawprint Lab · 90-day money-back guarantee
WHAT TO EXPECT
What owners watch for in the first 90 days
Pawprint recommends at least 3 months of daily dinners, and the 90-day guarantee covers every one of them. Keep a short note from the first dinner so you can read the walks side by side at day 30 and day 90.
What owners watch for: where he turns for home, how he gets up, how the stairs go.
1
TONIGHT
Make it part of dinner
Dose by weight, 1 to 4 droppers on the food he already eats, same time every day.
On his usual meal
Same time every day
Note where he turns for home
2
THE FIRST WEEKS
What owners watch for
A longer loop before he turns for home, keeping up on the easy stretch, a bit more spring at the stairs.
The corner or the block
The stairs
The car
3
AROUND DAY 30
A month in: read your notes
Getting up easier and keeping up again are what owners watch for. A good moment to read your notes side by side.
Keep the routine going
Compare walks and mornings
Note the stairs and the car
4
BY DAY 90
Three months of dinners
Pawprint recommends at least 3 months of daily dinners. The 90-day money-back guarantee covers website orders: email us within 90 days of delivery.
Three months of notes
Decide with your own eyes
Guarantee open the whole time
The walks you are cutting short now are the ones you will want back. His next dinner can be the first dose.
We recommend three months of dinners, so we back all three. Try it on his dinner, keep your notes on where he turns for home and how he gets up, and if it is not right for him, email us within 90 days of delivery for your money back.
1Order on pawprintlab.com and give it to him daily with his dinner.
2Walk him, watch the corner you turn at, keep your notes.
3If it is not right for your dog, email us within 90 days of delivery for your money back.
The 90-day money-back guarantee applies to orders placed on pawprintlab.com.
“Old age” names his birthday, not the cause. Researchers who study aging in dogs write that signs of aging include a loss of muscle mass and strength [1], and when they adapted the human frailty check to 80 Labradors and Golden Retrievers aged 9 and older, they scored weakness, slowness, poor endurance, low physical activity and shrinking [14]. Run your hands along each side of his spine and over his hips, the places the WSAVA Muscle Condition Score looks at [5]. A muscle runs on energy like any engine, and Pawprint Protocol is daily support for the muscle energy and stamina of senior dogs.
How fast will I notice something?
It is a daily routine, not a switch. Pawprint recommends at least three months of daily dinners, and the 90-day money-back guarantee covers all of them. What owners watch for is a longer loop before he turns for home, keeping up again and getting up easier. Keep a short note of where he turns for home, how he gets up and how the stairs go from the first dinner, then read it around day 30 and again at day 90.
Can he have it alongside his other supplements?
Pawprint Protocol goes on his food as a daily dropper, like any topper, and the label lists exactly what is in it. Add it to the dinner he already eats, at the same calm time each day.
How do I give it to a tired or picky dog?
Mix it with food (best with wet food or kibble), or give it directly by mouth, at the same calm time each day. Dinner is the easiest anchor for a tired dog: a routine he already knows, with nothing to chew and nothing new to learn.
Is it a joint supplement?
Pawprint Protocol is built around the energy supply of muscle cells, with CoQ10, NAD+, NMN and resveratrol in one liquid. It goes on the dinner he already eats, alongside whatever else he gets.
What is in it, and what does liposomal mean?
Four actives: NMN, NAD+, resveratrol and CoQ10, in one liquid. Liposomal means the ingredients are carried in liposomes, tiny bubbles made from fats; Pawprint Protocol is built to be absorbed, not just swallowed. Other ingredients: Vegetable Glycerin, Purified Water, Rice Syrup, Beef and Apple Flavoring.
How does Subscribe & Save work, and can I cancel?
Save 25% when you subscribe, with free shipping. The product page shows delivery every 4 weeks. You can pause, update or cancel anytime in your account or by contacting support. Prefer no subscription? There is a one-time option on the same page.
Is it made for dogs?
Yes. Pawprint Protocol is made for dogs and dosed by weight, from 1 to 4 droppers a day. It is made in the USA with domestic and imported ingredients and third-party lab tested.
He still wants to go. Give his muscles what they run on: his next dinner can be the first dose.
The walks you cut short, the lifts into the car, the look he gives you at the door. Pawprint Protocol is daily support for the muscles that carry him, starting with tonight’s dinner.
Subscribe & Save 25% + free shipping. Three months of dinners, backed by the 90-day money-back guarantee.
References
[1] Lorke M, Willen M, Lucas K, et al. Comparative kinematic gait analysis in young and old Beagle dogs. J Vet Sci. 2017;18(4):521-530. doi 10.4142/jvs.2017.18.4.521. PMID 28385001. Dogs (Beagles).
[2] Dhaliwal R, et al. 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2023;59(1):1-21. doi 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7343. PMID 36584321. Guidelines for dogs and cats; the statement used here is about dogs.
[3] Hutchinson D, Sutherland-Smith J, Watson AL, Freeman LM. Assessment of methods of evaluating sarcopenia in old dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2012;73(11):1794-1800. doi 10.2460/ajvr.73.11.1794. PMID 23106466. Dogs (19 healthy Labrador Retrievers).
[4] de Castro A, Pacheco LG, Goloni C, Costa VE, Carciofi AC. Body composition, physical activity and energy requirements estimated using two isotopic methods in old and adult Beagle dogs. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2026 (online 13 Oct 2026). doi 10.1111/jpn.70120. PMID 42867307. Dogs (Beagles).
[6] Freeman LM. Cachexia and sarcopenia: emerging syndromes of importance in dogs and cats. J Vet Intern Med. 2012;26(1):3-17. doi 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00838.x. PMID 22111652. Review (dogs and cats).
[7] Chistiakov DA, et al. Mitochondrial aging and age-related dysfunction of mitochondria. Biomed Res Int. 2014. doi 10.1155/2014/238463. PMID 24818134. Review (cell biology). Hargreaves M, Spriet LL. Skeletal muscle energy metabolism during exercise. Nat Metab. 2020;2:817-828. doi 10.1038/s42255-020-0251-4. PMID 32747792. Review (exercise physiology in people).
[8] Hernandez-Camacho JD, Bernier M, Lopez-Lluch G, Navas P. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in aging and disease. Front Physiol. 2018;9:44. doi 10.3389/fphys.2018.00044. PMID 29459830. Review (cell biology, people). Broome SC, Pham T, Braakhuis AJ, Gillies N, Cantrell M. The effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on skeletal muscle function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2024;54:2291-2309. PMID 39060742. Review (people). Tsai IC, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on mitochondrial and muscle function: preclinical and clinical evidence. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:883251. PMID 36091835. Review (cell biology, animals and people).
[9] Janssens GE, Grevendonk L, Perez RZ, et al. Healthy aging and muscle function are positively associated with NAD+ abundance in humans. Nat Aging. 2022;2:254-263. doi 10.1038/s43587-022-00174-3. PMID 37118369. People (muscle). Peluso A, et al. Age-dependent decline of NAD+: universal truth or confounded consensus? Nutrients. 2022;14(1):101. doi 10.3390/nu14010101. PMID 35010977. Review (several species, including people).
[10] Short KR, et al. Decline in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function with aging in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005;102(15):5618-5623. doi 10.1073/pnas.0501559102. PMID 15800038. People (146 healthy men and women aged 18 to 89).
[11] Pagano TB, Wojcik S, Costagliola A, De Biase D, Iovino S, Iovane V, Russo V, Papparella S, Paciello O. Age related skeletal muscle atrophy and upregulation of autophagy in dogs. Vet J. 2015;206(1):54-60. doi 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.07.005. PMID 26257260. Dogs (25 geriatric dogs with muscle wasting, five healthy young dogs).
[12] Das A, Huang GX, Bonkowski MS, et al. Impairment of an endothelial NAD+-H2S signaling network is a reversible cause of vascular aging. Cell. 2018;173(1):74-89.e20. doi 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.008. PMID 29570999. Mice. Erratum: Cell. 2019;176:944-945.
[13] Lagouge M, Argmann C, Gerhart-Hines Z, et al. Resveratrol improves mitochondrial function and protects against metabolic disease by activating SIRT1 and PGC-1alpha. Cell. 2006;127:1109-1122. doi 10.1016/j.cell.2006.11.013. PMID 17112576. Mice.
[14] Lemarechal R, Hoummady S, Barthelemy I, Muller C, Hua J, Gilbert C, Desquilbet L. Canine model of human frailty: adaptation of a frailty phenotype in older dogs. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023;78(8):1355-1363. doi 10.1093/gerona/glad006. PMID 36617213. Dogs (80 Labrador and Golden Retrievers aged 9 and older).
[15] You Y, et al. Subacute toxicity study of nicotinamide mononucleotide via oral administration. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:604404. doi 10.3389/fphar.2020.604404. PMID 33384603. Beagles (a safety study); the NAD+ readings in that paper came from mice, not the beagles. Further reading only; it is not cited in the page text.
Each study above is labeled with the species it studied.
Disclaimer
THIS IS AN ADVERTORIAL AND NOT AN ACTUAL NEWS ARTICLE, BLOG, OR CONSUMER PROTECTION UPDATE
This is an advertisement for Pawprint Lab™ and is intended for informational purposes only. All information provided by Pawprint Lab™ does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as a replacement for veterinarian advice. Please consult your veterinarian regarding any change in treatment or supplementation.
Individual results may vary. The research cited on this page studied the individual ingredients, not Pawprint Protocol, and results may differ in dogs.
Please note that Pawprint Lab™ products are not drugs and are not intended to treat, prevent, or cure any disease.
Pawprint Protocol is a dietary supplement, not a medicine. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If your dog suddenly can’t stand, drags his back legs, collapses or seems to be in pain, see your veterinarian.
The video clips under the headline and in the sections “7 signs his muscles are running out before he is”, “The engine behind every step” and “He still wants to go. Give his muscles what they run on: his next dinner can be the first dose.” are real footage of other dogs, shown to illustrate the signs described. Those dogs are not Pawprint customers, and the clips are not product results. Four photos in the sign list and the photo in the offer card are illustrations.
The photo and videos in the reviews section come from Pawprint Protocol creator content; the dogs shown are not the reviewers quoted.
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