Health Considerations For Senior Dogs

Tags: dogs, pets, health, senior dog

As the famous saying “nothing in this world is permanent” goes, everyone in this world ages and that includes our dear canine pets. Even if we wish that they would stay cute and cuddly for everyday of their lives that is very far from reality. Although some dogs stay cute even if they are older just like the small dog breeds such as Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus and Pomeranians they still age and that is the inevitable stage.

So if every thing in the universe is constantly changing our pets are subject to that as well. When a dog gets old its basic needs changes and its health requires a different approach. That is why as owners you should be able to provide it with the necessary care to secure its health.

When you first adopted it you are so eager and excited to provide it with the proper dog stuffs to keep it happy and contented. However caring and nurturing a pet does not stop there. When your pet enters the golden years of its life its totally personality as a senior dog plus its physical, emotional and mental set up differs.

Your pet is considered as a senior dog when it is in its 12th year for small dog breeds and 7th year for large dog breeds according to a report from Tuft’s University. So when your pet is at this stage take note of the following tips to keep it in shape.

First its behavior changes from playful and attentive to a serious nature. You will notice your senior dog as confuse, disoriented, lacks attentiveness, and barks for no reason at all. Guide your senior dog’s emotional needs by making it feel that your relationship with it as its owner is still the same.

You can do this by doing the things you used to do together but in a slower pace. Your pet’s physical health condition is also different so you might want to cut down the running and walking activities. If your senior dog has arthritis, moving around is painful even for a simple walk.

Get appropriate treatment from your pet’s vet. Proper medication and food supplements such as glucosamine aids mild arthritis. However if your pet prefers to just lie and snooze all day you can still build quality bonding time by combing or grooming its hairs. Another sign of old age is graying of hairs and drying of skin.

Here you can give your pet some massage or bring it with you on your next visit to your favorite massage parlor. Dog sickness is not only a result of old age because some of it is due to genetics. So it would be best if you discovered any genetic problems regarding your pup earlier in its life so you could watch any developments during it ages.

In addition to sickness is its weakening vision and hearing so be patient every time you call its attention. Regarding your pet’s nutrition its diet should be change from being protein rich when it was a pup to something rich in calcium to aid its bones. Your pet’s health is a serious matter in this stage because its bodily set up is now different.

Exceptional diets can delay the signs of aging so try to provide your pup with healthy dog food always. Expect loss of appetite from your pet but make sure that it is still getting proper nourishment. If feeding it becomes difficult have it checked by its vet so proper food supplements can be administered.

Make your senior dog’s life significant even when it is nearing the end of its days. It’s by this stage that you can make up any irresponsibility you as its owner have made in the past or this can be the stage where you can cherish every precious moment left.

About the author

Alex De La Cruz is a successful Dog Trainer who has been advising and coaching dog owners for many years. Alex now decided to share his knowledge through this site, Doggyweb.info. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.

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