by: Jocelyn Davey-Hawreluik
Greetings to all the Furbaby Pet Care family. As always, it’s nice to connect with you here. We all appreciate you taking time to read our newsletters. We keep them short and sweet as well, we try to ensure we don’t clog up your inboxes!
It’s Senior Dog Month
I thought it would be a good reminder for all dog lovers that this month, November, is Senior Dog Month. A dog begins its senior petizen years between 7 – 11 years old, depending on the breed. And because the aging process has begun, dogs will start to slow down and require different care.
We’ve got some tips to help with your senior doggy
- Keep nails trimmed regularly – long nails will cause the foot to stand differently creating pain and stress on the joints and can lead to development of arthritis.
- Use pet stairs or ramps for beds, furniture, vehicles – the impact of pets jumping up or down from elevated platforms can take its toll on knees, elbows and hips.
- Be sure to get a full bloodwork done in their early senior years so you have a record of what their ‘normal’ is,
- See a vet annually for a check up and keep vaccinations current.
- Highly recommend to have your dog have a regular Doggie Dental clean up.
- Physical Exercise may need to be adjusted to smaller doses and do not push your dog past its limits. Keep active, but remember your senior pet does need rest too.
- Add supplements to their diet (as recommended by the veterinarian). Dogs will start to eat less as they age, so they may need a boost in their nutrients and to get some of the vitamins they need.
- They may need to change food choices to smaller kibble, soft food or specialized food options.
- Night vision is one of a dogs first thing to have issues with, use night lights in a dog’s regular places of the house.
- Canine Massage Therapy is a great option to give your pet’s muscles a healthy work out and stretch!
- Although we do not see a lot of senior pets in a daycare environment, Furbaby Pet Care does offer in home pet services to come and care for your pet, including Certified Canine Massage Therapy.
We provide many services for senior dogs at Furbaby Pet Care!
Make sure you check out all of our services at Furbaby Pet Care. Yes, we offer daycare and boarding at our campus. But we also offer grooming – for the nail trims, Certified Canine Massage Therapy, Reiki and training. And for those families who can’t come in? We can go to you! One of our mobile team members will be happy to set something up and ensure your doggo receives regular visits, care and lots of love!