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Caring for Senior Dogs: What You Need to Know

Publish Date: August 9th, 2021; Author: Darren M. Jorgenson.
Caring for Senior Dogs What You Need to Know

Senior dogs do need care at their developed stage. You need to take care of your dog’s basic needs, such as their diet and exercise.
While they step into their senior stage, they become good at hiding their health problems. Their behaviour gets changed in many terms, and they switch into different routines.

So, being an owner, it’s your responsibility to keep a regular check on them. There are several ways to keep their immune system healthy and maintain their physical health and mental health.

Through this article, you will know the needs and requirements of senior dogs and the tips to keep your dog healthy.

Changes that occur in senior dogs with Aging

Just like your dog enters its adult age after birth, it will also go through the senior stage in its life span.
During each stage, you will need to take care of them as much as possible. During the dog’s elderly phase, you are the only one that they rely on. When an emotional support dog ages, it will start facing low energy, might develop cataracts or hearing problems, and its organs eventually stop working as well. They can suffer from possible issues such as:

  • Arthritis disease
  • Cancer(testicular or breast cancer)
  • Prostate disease
  • Cognitive disorders
  • Intestinal problems
  • Deafness or hearing disorders
  • Dental disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • Eyesight problems

Tips to take care of a senior dog

Other than puppies and adult dogs, senior dogs have different care requirements. To provide the best possible senior dog care, you need to treat them differently. Here are some tips to take care of your old dogs:

  1. Provide with a nutritious diet:
    With aging, your dog might not get the necessary nutrients that they need to be healthy and fit. A balanced diet helps in maintaining the dog’s health with aging. Once your dog ages, the energy level differs from high to low.
    However, You should avoid your dog from overeating as it can result in being overweight too. Provide your dog with food items that are low in fat and have fewer calories, and fulfill your dog’s nutritional needs. You can recommend a vet in case your dog is not eating food properly.
  2. Go for daily exercises:
    If you take your dog for regular exercises, it can maintain its ideal weight and have a beneficial impact on its overall health. Start with slow, regular walks and light jogs, and be patient while building your dog’s stamina. Since aged dogs have lower energy levels, they might not be able to run for long. So, take care of your dog properly while you take them for exercise. You can ask your vet for recommended exercise programs as they can tell the health and limitations of your dog in a better way.
  3. Visit vets for regular checkups:
    Regular vet care is necessary for your dog, no matter if they are young or elder. Once your dog gets older, you should ask vets for their medical health concerns and take the necessary precautions. Their immune system becomes weak that makes them more prone to all sorts of diseases. Before your pet’s health gets more severe, you must take your dog for checkups in 3 months at least. It helps you to figure out whether anything is wrong with your dog or not.
  4. Routine grooming:
    Give your dog regular baths and care for senior dogs, as they are more likely to shed their hair at this age. You need to brush their skin coats to look shinier as their hairs become dull and brittle at an elderly age. If you do not care for your dog, it can suffer from dry, flaky, and irritated skin. Make sure to use natural shampoos that can help your dog nourish and heal irritated skin and coats.

Conclusion

Every dog varies with its breeds, and at some point of their age, they get low at their energy, lose taste in food, suffer from hearing loss, and get trouble in walking. If you own a pet, then every owner should be prepared for their dog aging. These changes take time and won’t happen overnight. So, you also have time to maintain their health and learn how to care for a senior dog. You can live happily the time that is left and lead a happy life.

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