Pet 101: How to Deal with Your Older Dog’s Needs

Dogs are indeed man’s best friend. However, like most living creatures, they age and

they age fast. And they way they age is similar to us humans. They become less active,

and they manifest needs that have to be addressed right away.

Here are some signs of the dog’s aging with their needs that are commonly associated

with it to better help you understand how to deal with them as transition to their version

of old age.

One of the signs to look for is they greying of your pet’s muzzle, which spreads to

almost the entire face as it grows older. You will start to notice that it could become

harder for them to leave their sleeping spot early in the morning. As they age, they may

also start to develop visual and hearing problems.

Some older dogs may also suffer a form of dementia known as canine cognitive

dysfunction syndrome (CDS), which is their version of the humans’ Alzheimer’s disease.

This affects the pet’s behaviour as their mental capacity starts to diminish. Some of the

signs that your older dog may be suffering from the syndrome include urinating and

defecating inside the home when they have been trained not to all these years. To deal

with this, simply allow the dog to spend more time in the yard throughout the day.

Dogs with CDS may also start to show heightened anxiety, becoming more agitated

and nervous mostly for no apparent reason. This condition may cause insomnia or

restlessness during sleeping hours.

They may also start to become withdrawn and may no longer crave for attention.

As the owner, you need to make sure that your responsibility should extend to the dog’s

old age by making sure it stays as healthy as possible. Visiting the veterinarian at least

twice per year greatly helps. You can also take the following measures at home when

they start to show conditions indicative of old age:

● Provide them with the best and most nutritious foods, especially those that the

veterinarian recommended for older dogs

● Give the dog plenty of good exercise recommended for its age daily

● Provide ramps to assist the dog when climbing stairs or furniture to make it easy

for its joints

● Don’t let the dog sleep on bare floors, especially at night, and provide blanket for

warmth and comfort

● Get the dog to stay active by providing new toys for it to play with regularly