Meeting the Needs of Your Older Pets

Depending on the size and breed of your pet you may have noticedit is a bit slower when chasing a ball, struggles a bit moregetting up the first thing in the morning or loses its breath abit quicker.The aging process wears down your pet in much thesame way it does us, but on a much faster pace. While most humanbeings live to be 70+ a dog, depending on many factors, oftenlives for 10 years or less. Many dogs begin showing health/agerelated problems at different ages. This is related in a largeway to the size of the animal. Despite all those age brackets there is no one hard fast rule.The best way to judge is based on the individual animal and thechanges in its behavior and health. The best thing you can dofor an older animal is to keep it healthy and not over orunder-weight. Also, keep your animal exercised but be carefulnot to overdo it. The needs of an older animal are often different so it is veryimportant to maintain communication with much veterinarianconcerning your pets and all the health problems/changes whichare included in this advancing age process. There are certainthings you should look for in your pet as you do your groomingrituals. Below find a list of several things to watch for. Teeth/gums: Check your pet and see what is normal for it as"normal" may be different from one dog to another. Changes ingum color can indicate potential problems. Foul breath can beanother warning sign as well as loss of weight, pawing at themouth, excessive salivation, swallowing difficulty or othersigns of pain. Lumps/bumps: Check your pet for these as you groom the animal.Masses are common and in most cases are benign but if you find anew one of these, consult your vet to have it checked as canceris quite common in dogs, particularly those who have not beenspayed or neutered early in life. Eyes: If you notice a change in the dogs eyes, such as abluish-gray tint, consult with your vet to see exactly what isthe cause and what treatment is involved. Cataracts, geneticdiseases and other causes are often the root of sight loss inolder animals. Mobility: Arthritis is common in the older petsbut other problems such as degenerative joint disease may be atthe root of that stiffness in the mornings. Anti-inflammatorydrugs or steroids are often prescribed to aid in this problem.Common aspirin can also help but is often used as a last resortdue to side effects. Changes in thirst and elimination: Changes such as increasedthirst or having to "go' more often are indications of potentialkidney or bladder disease or even diabetes. Check with your vet. Body/Coat Condition: Keeping your dog in shape cuts down on alot of potential health problems- heart disease, etc. If thecoat becomes overly flaky or there is excessive hair loss, yourdog may have a hormonal problem which can be diagnosed through asimple blood test. Heart disease: Changes in sleeping habits or coughing throughthe night can be indicators of canine heart disease. Frequentcheckups can often prevent these types of diseases. Consult yourvet. Article written and reprinted with permission of:http://www.pedigreedpups.com/ Purebred Dogs, Puppies and DogBreeders - "Your New Best Friend" Copyright 2005. All rightsreserved.