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Caring For Your Senior Pet During Their Golden Years

August 14, 2023

By pawTree Home Office

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Every fur baby deserves exceptional care, but senior dogs and cats require a little extra. It’s essential to understand the signs of aging and the ways to support that.

The golden years of a pet’s life bring three important changes: mental decline, mobility issues, and overall aches, discomfort and anxiousness.

Here are some simple ways to help them manage these signs of aging.

Age-Related Cognitive Decline

dog-eating

The moments we share with our pets today will become loving memories tomorrow, and we want them to remember.

Some age-related cognitive decline signs include forgetfulness, disorientation, getting stuck in corners, and being less playful.

When we start to notice these "senior moments" in our pets' behavior, it can be concerning and alarming.

However, there are some things we can do to help them age gracefully.

  • Mental Exercises: Mental stimulation is a fun way to help slow cognitive decline in our fur babies. Some of these exercises include learning new tricks, playing with puzzle toys and playing games that challenge their minds, like hiding toys or treats.

  • Physical Exercise: Age-appropriate daily exercise can provide your senior pets with additional mental stimulation.

  • Cognitive Support Supplements: Veterinarian-developed and high-quality cognitive supplements can provide older dogs and cats with different benefits, ranging from regulating mood to normalizing sleep and wake cycles.

Our fur babies' personality is their identity, and we shouldn’t let mental decline define it.

Mobility Issues in Senior Pets

Mobility issues can affect all pets, but their chances of experiencing them increase with age.

If you want to know if your older dog is having mobility problems, look for signs like lack of playfulness, limping, stiffness, and excessive licking of the affected area.

Managing mobility issues for our fur babies is all about making them comfortable, ensuring they don’t have any accidents, and providing the right supplements.

Here are some ideas on how to address these concerns:

  • Traction Support: Slippery surfaces can increase the chances of four-legged family members having an accident. Placing mats and rugs on slick floors like hardwood or tiled floors will increase traction and comfort for them.

  • Elevated Surface Support: Difficult-to-reach places may worsen aches and discomforts our furry friends might already feel. They should be able to get back to their activities in a safer and more comfortable way with the help of portable ramps for getting into cars, going up stairs and climbing onto beds, couches or sofas.

  • Joint Support Supplements: A healthy body begins from the inside with proper nutrition. Joint-specific supplementation can help enhance your fur babies' mobility in different ways. Find out more about how to manage mobility issues with joint supplements in our previous article.

We all know how much our fur babies love to be active. We owe it to them to make sure their senior years are as fulfilling as ever.

Overall Aches, Discomfort and Anxiousness

dog-eating

The golden years is a stage in our pets' lives when intense activity is rare. As their energy levels decrease, relaxation and comfort become essential for them to enjoy those restful moments by your side.

Small adjustments that should grant comfort and relaxation include the following:

  • Comfortable Beds: Think of orthopedic beds for senior pets as more than just a place for them to sleep. Instead, place these soft pads on top of hard surfaces where they spend the majority of their time. They will provide a more comfortable resting area for your pet.

  • Companionship: Spending quality time with your fur babies can reduce stress and give them joy. Cuddling with them and treating them to a massage should help them relax. Not very different from hoomans!

  • CBD Supplements: Hemp extract can promote calming due to anxiousness and aid with occasional aches and discomforts. A premium CBD supplement that is veterinarian developed should do the trick!

We shouldn’t worry about our pets growing old, just as long as we help them do it gracefully. Sometimes that means cuddling up with their hooman comfortably.

Welcoming a senior pet to your family and home is the beginning of a gratifying pet-parent journey.

As you can see, senior pets need additional care. So, keep these suggestions in mind for when you adopt an older furry friend. These tips will help them manage changes that come with maturing and can make their golden years truly “golden.” At the end of the day, you'll realize it's not you who rescued them, it's them who saved you.


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