Be it taking care of your puppy who has grown to become a senior dog or an abandoned pet from a shelter who happened to be a senior dog, these animals who are older in age have special and specific requirements compared to younger dogs.
It is important to be fully abreast and ensure that you are fully aware of how to take of your senior dog in order to attend to their needs properly. Taking care of a senior dog can be similar to taking care of a senior citizen. Following are some tips you can remember when taking care of a senior dog.
Vet visits
Your senior dog will require special attention in terms of all aspects including their diet, medication and exercise. Therefore, you need to make sure that you take the dog to the vet whenever needed and have regular check-ups to ensure that they are not suffering from many ailments. When visiting your vet, you can even look into options such as an orthopedic dog bed for all types of dogs to ensure that your senior dog can sleep well.
Diet
A diet plays a vital role in anyone’s diet, be it an animal or a human. However, when it comes to senior dogs, you need to make sure that they receive all the required nutrition to keep them being strong and sturdy. When visiting the vet, it is important to discuss diet options for your senior dog and ensure that this is followed in order to boost their immune system that will help the dog to live longer and to avoid contracting any diseases.
If in case your dog has a heart or kidney condition, you will have to be very careful with the food items that you provide your senior dog and have a close eye on what they eat. It is also important to make sure that they drink plenty of water and get lots of fluids into their system.
Exercise
This might come off as a surprise to many dog owners, but it is important to incorporate exercises in your senior dog’s routine as well. However, this depends on your dog’s breed and age. Based on that you will need to slowly get your dog to walk around the house, garden or road to get them moving and to make sure that they maintain strong bones and joints.
However, if your senior dog has been idling and sleeping most of the day, it is important to bring them into an exercise routine gradually. Make sure that you understand your dog and its limits and gradually increase the intensity, if required. When visiting the vet, it will be useful if exercise routines are also discussed in order to do what is ideal for your pet.
Taking care of a dog is not an easy task. With a pet comes training, preparing special food, vet visits, medication, grooming and so much more. These responsibilities become much more when it comes to senior dogs and the above are some tips you can follow to take care of your senior dog successfully.
