You’ve been best friends with your dog for a decade or more, but you’ve started to notice some changes in your senior dog’s behavior and attitude.
Reaching Senior Dog Status
By the time she was seven years old, she reached senior dog status in the world. This is the time when his energy may have decreased and she may have become more satisfied with napping at your feet than bringing you a tennis ball to go outside and play.
What do you do when you’ve noticed that your dog is aging? That was our question too and we’ve addressed five ways to keep your senior dog happy in this blog post. Let’s get started.
Types For Keeping Your Dog Happy
- Keep your eyes open – This step has more to do with being observant about your dog’s behavior than watching the world go by. Watch everything including changes in appetite, sleeping patterns and any difficulties he may be having. If you notice, for instance, that he is startled easily when you walk up behind him, he may be losing her hearing and that’s something you’ll want to keep an eye on.
- Comfort – It may have been easy for your dog to sleep on a hard surface or a very thin bed when he was a puppy, but now that he is a senior dog, make sure that your pets bed has plenty of memory foam to decrease any pressure points. You can even get one that’s heated if he’s suffering from arthritis.
- Exercise – Even arthritic dogs need appropriate exercise. If the two of you used to run a five K together, try a shorter, less strenuous walk to keep her in great shape. Don’t forget to continue to play. This will keep her mind sharp as well.
- Teeth – Believe it or not, your senior dog’s teeth are one of the most important defenses to illness as she ages. The issue here has to do with the amount of bacteria that builds up on her teeth which can then leak into her bloodstream and travel to other organs. Talk to your vet about getting some additives in the form of crunchy nuggets to go into her food on a daily basis to help remove plaque and reduce the buildup of tartar.
- Mental stimulation – Keeping your dog’s mind sharp is as easy as giving him a new toy or even some new training that helps him focus on things. Have you always wanted to try agility? This would be a great activity for your senior dog to keep him fit and sharp.
Image Credit: istockphoto.com
Do you own a senior dog? For more on senior pet care, click the links below!
Why You Should Adopt An Older Pet
