Senior Friends Need Special Attention!

Pets are living longer than ever before, thanks to better preventative care, advances in veterinary medicine and better nutrition.  As a caring owner, you play an important role in your senior pet’s health. Around the age of seven, dogs and cats enter their “golden” years (age 5 for giant breeds).  The decisions you make regarding exercise, nutrition, and health care, have an impact on your older pet.  Here are some simple tips to improve your dog or cat’s quality of life during their “golden” years.

1. Don’t let your pet get overweight
An overweight animal can have the same health problems as humans –arthritis, heart   disease, kidney disease, liver disease, and diabetes. 

2. Feed a quality diet
A good quality diet will contain vitamins and minerals designed specifically for your senior pet.  Some quality foods also contain additives to help prevent arthritis or joint pain.  Also, most good quality foods will have less filler meaning less stool to pick up.  It’s not a good idea to feed table scraps to your senior pet (or any pet for that matter) because it can cause weight gain, digestive problems, as well as that awful begging behavior.

3. Preventative health care

  • Establish a relationship with a veterinarian early in pet’s life.
  • Ask your veterinarian about diagnostic tests, which may identify early problems.
  • Keep pet current on vaccinations, routine check ups and parasite control (this includes heartworm prevention, flea & tick control and intestinal parasites)
  • We recommend  a routine checkup every 6 months.
  • Become informed about common conditions in older pets and what signs to look for…

4. Keep teeth cleaned
Regular dental cleaning from your pet's doctor can help prevent bad breath, gingivitis, and tooth loss.  It also prevents infections in other organs caused by bacteria from the mouth traveling through the bloodstream.  The mouth is a mirror to the body.  How healthy is your pet’s mouth?

5. Offer plenty of exercise
Exercise helps your senior pet stay slim, trim, and healthy.  Walking, jogging, or playtime – adjust it to fit your pet’s ability. 

6. Train your pet properly
A pet that knows to “sit” and “stay” won’t risk running into the path of oncoming traffic.