4 Tips to Help Your Senior Dog to Thrive

Ensuring that your senior dog lives out their final years in comfort is of the utmost importance to any dog owner. Your dog’s energy levels might be slowing down, but their love for you certainly isn’t and they are relying on you to take good care of them now they need you the most.

Assisting with your dog’s mobility is important; you want them to be able to keep their independence whilst making sure that they are safe and not putting themselves at risk of injury.

So, what can you do as a devoted dog owner to help ensure that your dog is living their best life, whilst also making sure that they are comfortable on a day to day basis?

Read on for a helpful list of tips to remember to help your senior dog thrive in these next few precious years.

Get Regular Vet Check-Ups

Any family pet should be receiving at least one annual health check-up each year, but this is much more important for your elderly furry friend. Senior dogs are recommended to have check-ups every six months.

As your dog gets older, they are more prone to having issues with their health. Senior dogs are more likely to develop conditions such as cataracts, hearing problems, arthritis and failing organs. Regular check-ups can catch these conditions early while they can still, in some cases, be treated.

Using senior appropriate supplements for your dog will also help to minimize their risk of developing any conditions, providing them with all the extra nutrients that they need.

Maintain Good Dental Health

This is important for animals and humans alike and it is especially important as your dog reaches their senior years. While it is not uncommon to see a senior dog missing a few teeth, ensuring that your dog has good dental hygiene is important from a young age to minimize this risk.

It is advised that when your dog has reached their senior years, that they will need assistance cleaning their teeth daily to prevent the build up of tartar. However, if your dog is not a fan of you touching their teeth or their mouth in such an intimate way, consider the use of dental treats.

Furthermore, you will be able to take your dog to the vet for a professional clean once a year to further contribute toward good dental health.

Ensure They Eat A Balanced Diet

Like any pet, your senior dog requires a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. As senior dogs have less energy than their younger counterparts, they are at an increased risk of developing obesity and other related conditions. To ensure that this risk is as low as possible, they will need an age-appropriate diet. They may also be more susceptible to having adverse reactions to nasty ingredients, many of which aren’t listed on the label. Always make sure you are aware of any dog food warnings and that you keep an eye out for any changes in your dog.

Most senior dog foods out there are developed with your beloved pet in mind and are easy on their digestive system; they are low in fat content, have fewer calories and are easy on their teeth.

Bella and Duke are one example of a company who are paving the way with their excellent selection in senior raw dog food. This type of food provides your aging friend with all the nutrients that they need to remain agile, including amino acids for their joints and botanical anti-inflammatories to prevent any swelling and pain.

Help with Mobility

As your dog gets older, their mobility is sure to be affected, just like ours. You might find that they are no longer able to make it up the stairs, onto the sofa or onto your bed (if you let them on your bed).

If you are finding that this is the case, you will have to begin to put measures in place to ensure that they are safe and do not injure themselves when attempting to do these things. It could be something as simple as bringing their bed downstairs, or helping them onto the sofa. Assisting with this type of mobility will ease any excess pressure on your dog’s joints and make them as comfortable as possible.

Similar things need to be taken into consideration if your beloved pet has developed cataracts and is unfortunately gradually losing their sight. Moving items out of their reach which could potentially injure them will help to make sure that they are safe and out of harm’s way if you are not around to look after them.

Do you have any tips to add? Share them in the comments below 🙂