Caring for a senior dog is not an easy task. Just as with humans, improved health care has meant an increased life span for your dog. Along with aging come frequent minor health concerns. Caring for a senior dog means a change in nutrion and exericise regime for him. Take a brief guide of three basic rules: Nutrition, Exercises, and Checkups on this matter.
Nutrition
One study found that older dogs have the same ability to digest and metabolize food as younger dogs do. Therefore, it probably isn’t necessary to change your dog’s food simply because he is getting older. As long as he has no weight or health problems, you can plan to keep feeding his regular food to him. The most important thing is that the food consist of a good proportion of high-quality protein. If you are confused about deciding on the best food for your older dog, ask your vet to recommend one of the premium dog foods that can provide sound nutrition for your aging dog.
Even though all the best guides can be given by vets, you at the same time should now some basic rules of nutrition.
- Glucosamine/chondroitin — for joint health
- Vitamin B-12 — for energy and metabolism
- Vitamin E — an antioxidant
- Vitamin C — may play a role in immune function
- Brewer’s yeast — a good source of the B-complex vitamins
- Linoleic acid — found i corn and sunflower oils
- Bromelain — aids digestion and is an anti-inflammatory
- Glycerin — for eye health
Exercise
Whether your senior dogs is gaining weight because of lack of exercise or because of changes in their metabolism, the concern should be solved by keep your older dog exercising as much as he is able.
Do not give opportunity for your dog to be lazy. The danger of obesity of in your older dog has been already warned by vets.
Checkups
As the guardian of an older dog, make sure to provide him regular checkups—at least once a year—from middle age on. For dogs, that’s from around seven years of age, and earlier for the big breeds. Planning for twice-a-year veterinary visits for would help in keeping your senior pet healthy, diagnosing all possible syndromes such as cancers, other metabolic diseases like diabetes, and organ deterioration (kidney disease, liver disease) on time.
Do you know that aging dogs can also get Alzheimer’s? Do you notice that your older friend doesn’t respond to you like he used to, lose house-training skills, and more? Dogs can lose mental functioning as they age, much as humans do.
There is no reason for owner to make every effort to long last your older dog life.