Monday, November 21, 2011

Caring for Your Older Pet

What is a Senior Pet?

The old adage of "that's 107 in dog years" has some merit.  Dogs age faster than humans, but it is not exactly a one to seven ratio.  The first year of a dog's or cat's life is approximately the same as a human's first 18 years.  After that, the aging process slows down, and depending on breed and size at about age 7, your dog or cat becomes a senior.  For smaller breeds like toy poodles and chihuahuas this may be extended to age 10.  Giant breeds like Mastiffs and Great Danes can be considered senior at age 5. 

What's the Difference? 

As your pet enters his golden years you may notice him slowing down or having trouble getting up after laying down.  Just like us, dogs and cats can be affected by arthritis.  This can be helped with glucosamine supplements, ideally started before middle age.  There are also prescription medications to help with pain and inflammation.  Some dogs and cats will benefit from a heated pad in their bed, or a ramp or stairs to make getting up and down easier. 

Start out Right

Keeping your pet at a healthy weight is probably the single greatest gift you can give him in his older years.  Excess weight wears out knees and hips, makes pets more prone to diabetes ( See our blog post about Diabetes on pets for more info), arthiritis and just plain shortens their life.

No comments:

Post a Comment