Best Way to Care for Your Aging Dog

How do you care for your aging dog?

Your dog has been there through thick and thin. However, now that your dog is entering the next phase of life, you might realize that he or she has a new set of needs that need to be met.

Aging dogs, or senior dogs, have different dietary requirements, exercise, and lifestyles. In general, if you have always done a good job of looking after your dog and if they are in reasonably good health, you can expect to enjoy this chapter of your dog’s life for a few more years to come.

It is important to ensure that you are taking care of your senior dog in the best way possible so that they can continue to live a full and happy life. With these few tips to help guide you, you can ensure that your senior dog is getting the care and love that they need during this phase of their life.

Routine Veterinary Care.

As a dog enters into its senior years, its medical needs become a bit different than those of a young pup. Many of the ailments that tend to afflict older dogs can be better treated when they are caught early. This is why it is so important to take your dog to the vet regularly for check-ups and the like.

It is common for older dogs to start developing quite a bit of tartar and plaque on their teeth. For this reason, you may want to consider having your vet perform a dental cleaning on your dog, as long as they can safely be given a sedating drug. Keeping your dog’s teeth clean is a big part of keeping them healthy in a more general sense.

You can find out more about dental cleaning for your dog as well as anything else they might need from their veterinarian by checking out exceptionalpets.com.

Adjust Their Diet.

Older dogs also have a different set of needs regarding their dietary requirements. Therefore, once your dog is officially a senior, you should look to change their food to special specially formulated for senior dogs.

Some of the key differences between adult dog food and senior dog food include a lower amount of fat and fewer calories per serving. In addition, several senior dog food types are specifically formulated to help combat certain diseases and illnesses that are common in older dogs.

If you think it might be time to switch your dog’s food to senior food, have a chat with your veterinarian to figure out exactly which food and brand will be the right fit for your dog.

Let Them Take It Easy.

Even though it is incredibly important to keep your senior dog active, bear in mind that they can only handle so much at this stage in life. A nice easy stroll during the latter part of the day as opposed to a long walk or jog in the midday heat will be the right thing to keep your senior dog active and healthy.