Keep Your Dog Health During the Golden Years of Life

This article offers you advice on how you may take care of your dog and aid him when he reaches his golden years.

As your dog gets older, his body will become weaker and he will begin to develop aches, joint pains, generalized weakness and a sure increase in his medical problems. If given appropriate care, however, dogs may be able to live happy lives even in their old age. You may need to make some adjustments in his surroundings to provide him with comfort in his daily existence as an older dog. Unfortunately, an adored pet never seems to live long enough. Each breed also has different life spans.

You may have to make adjustments in his surroundings in order to minimize any possible discomfort that it may cost him. You would need to give additional protection for him against excessive heat and cold since dogs become unable to regulate their body temperature as they get older.

Give him some routine exercises that would suit his health. If your dog begins to pant heavily or starts to oppose a given routine, you may need to change it to something more appropriate which he could bear more easily.

Change his diet and feeding schedule according to his needs. As dogs get older, they would become less active and would need fewer calories. You may want to discuss with your veterinarian which particular diet would suit best for your dog. Prescription diets are also available.

Your aging dog will experience loss of hearing and eyesight as he gets older. Take these things into consideration to ensure the safety of your dog.

Older dogs will require special dental care much more frequently since they are now more prone to get affected with gum problems and diseases. A thorough dental cleaning should be done at least every six months. This would require anesthesia so you must make sure that a complete blood examination is done before the operation.

Older dogs will also need a lot more bathing and grooming and they will require nail trimming more frequently. They may develop dry skin which as a sign of ageing or, in some cases, might be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Continue his bi-annual veterinary exams as older dogs need extra care to help them cope with their problems. Consider his age in human terms. A 13-year-old dog may be suffering like a 75-year-old person. So be considerate with him when your dog has passed the years of his prime. It is your chance to give him back the care and affection he has given you all those years!

Visit Steve Weber on his site at Cactus Canyon and find our more
information about keeping dog teeth healthy.