Caring for Your Aging Pet
Just like humans, pets go through many changes as they grow older. As the pet owner, you need to be aware of these changes and how they affect your pet and your relationship with your bet. In addition, the more you understand about the effects of age on your pet, the better prepared you will be to properly help your pet through this stage of its life. Physical Changes
Perhaps the most obvious change in pets as they grow older is physical. A common physical problem in aging pets is the inability to control defecation and urination. For you, this can become extremely frustrating, particularly if your pet has always done a good job with its bathroom behavior. When these changes occur suddenly, it may even make you angry at your pet. If this happens, try to give your pet more frequent opportunities to relieve itself. Like humans, pets become less and less able to hold their urine and stool for long periods of time as they grow older. Your pet may even experience dribbling of urine during the night as it sleeps.
Although it is common for aging pets to have problems with their bathroom behavior, you should still report the problem to your veterinarian. Sometimes, it can be a sign of serious disorders such as diabetes and kidney failure. The sooner your vet starts treating these problems, the less problems and permanent damage your pet will experience. Eating Problems As pets grow older, their eating habits often change and their general nutrition often worsens. For some older pets, there is an increase in weight because they continue eating the same amount of food but they are not as active. For others, weight loss is a problem because they lose their desire to eat. In either case, your pet can encounter serious problems. Luckily, there are a number of specially formulated food that have been created for older pets. These foods help ensure your pet is getting the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. You also need to work at keeping your older pet active in order to keep its body in shape. There are a number of toys for dogs and cats that will help keep them active and strong. Sense Perhaps the least obvious change older pets go through is a loss of senses, including taste, sight, touch, smell, and hearing. As your pet grows older, each of these senses is dulled and becomes less responsive to stimuli. This often coexists with a loss in mental capacity. As a result, your pet may become forgetful or start exhibiting odd behavior. Since these changes usually occur slowly, many pet owners don’t even notice. To slow down this process, keep your pet active and well trained.
Canada Vet
P.O. Box 47035, 15-555 West 12th Ave.
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Z 4L6
Toll-Free Phone number: 1 (877) 822-6838
Toll-Free Fax number: 1 (800) 532-2981
Email: info@canadavet.com
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