How to Look After Your Dog As It Gets Older

Many dog owners love their four-legged friends so much that they would do anything for them. However, it is easy to forget how quickly time goes and that before you know it, your beloved dog is getting older and requires additional support. This is often forgotten, as dogs are always so happy and lively to be around, but it can change in an instant. If you want to support your dog properly, then it is important to consider how their care needs to adapt as they get older, so you can meet their needs and best help them. The difficult thing is not being able to communicate with dogs. Many owners don’t then know that their dogs might be in pain or too tired for a walk, but it just looks on the outside like they are being stubborn. To help you and your dog on your journey together, here are some important things you need to know.

Expectations

It is important to first consider expectations. When you invest in a dog, you invest in it for life. This means that you need to learn to be aware of your dog and understand their breed, as well as their cues. You will need to care for your dog as they get older by adapting the lifestyle and going beyond just their basic needs and providing them with a tailored approach to daily comfort, health, diet and wellbeing. This may mean more vet visits, better insurance, a new diet, and a modified home for ease of movement.

Health and wellbeing

It is important that you take your dog to the vet on a regular basis, and depending on the vet's advice, this may be more frequent than before. This will ensure that any early signs of common issues are caught early, for example, arthritis, organ decline, dental issues and more.

Learn how to look out for common issues at home, on advice from your vet. These might be things like hearing loss, cloudy eyes, incontinence or fatty lumps on their body.

Diet and nutrition

Diet plays an important role in the health and wellbeing of your dog. Make sure you speak to your vet about important things like calorie intake, senior and breed-specific diets, digestive aids and a suitable dog supplement. You need to consider that your dog may be less active, which means the amount they eat might need to change, so you don’t put a strain on ageing joints with obesity. Dogs may also need food that is more easily digestible.

Exercise and activity

It is important to consider what your dog needs as they age. For most, this might mean shorter, more frequent walks rather than long ones. They will need things that are gentle but keep their muscles and joints moving without hurting or straining themselves. Combine this with stimulation such as puzzle feeders to keep their minds sharp and active. This is also good to tire dogs out.

Make sure you are keeping an eye on your dog and adapting the lifestyle you have together where needed, so they can continue to enjoy life and be comfortable.