As your pet ages, their needs to maintain a good quality of life (QOL) will change. You can help your senior pet remain happy and healthy throughout their golden years by making simple care adjustments. Follow our Caldwell Animal Hospital team’s tips to help your senior pet age gracefully. 

#1: Adjust your senior pet’s diet 

Senior pets’ nutritional needs change as they age. They generally need fewer calories and more fiber and nutrients to support their health and comfort. Senior-specific pet foods have fewer calories and include age-related nutritional supplements. Our team can help you decide when your pet should switch from an adult to a senior diet.

#2: Protect your senior pet’s joint health

Older pets commonly develop arthritis, which wears down joint cartilage and underlying bone as the disease progresses, causing significant inflammation and pain. To help protect your pet’s joint health and ensure your furry pal remains comfortable, follow these tips:

  • Keep your pet active — While your senior pet might not have the same energy level as they did when they were younger, they still benefit from daily exercise. Adequate daily exercise can help maintain your senior pet’s healthy weight, slow degenerative joint disease, and provide mental stimulation.
  • Watch for pain signs — Pets are masters at hiding their pain, and you may not recognize behavior changes, or mistakenly dismiss them as normal aging signs. Consult with our team to determine the cause and relieve your pet’s discomfort if your furry pal exhibits these pain signs: 
    • Limping or lameness
    • Stiffness
    • Difficulty getting up after lying down
    • Reluctance to use stairs or jump on furniture
    • Lethargy
    • Increased irritability
    • Licking, chewing, or biting at the affected area
    • Muscle atrophy
    • Difficulty posturing to urinate or defecate
  • Provide joint supplements — Supplements (e.g., chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, omega-3 fatty acids) may alleviate your pet’s joint pain and help maintain cartilage, which is essential for healthy joints. To help ensure that a supplement won’t interfere with any of your pet’s current prescription medications, always speak with our veterinary team before adding supplements to your furry pal’s regimen.

#3: Schedule biannual senior pet wellness visits

As your pet ages, their risk increases for developing many conditions that threaten their life or QOL, including kidney and liver failure, cancer, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, endocrine disorders, and cognitive dysfunction. Senior pets’ health care needs require extra attention. To help ensure your furry pal remains healthy, our Caldwell Animal Hospital team should evaluate your aging pet at least every six months. Your senior pet’s biannual checkups help us detect and address potential health concerns at an early, manageable stage, which dramatically improves your furry pal’s outcomes and QOL. We recommend blood work during these senior wellness exams to help detect many concerning health issues. 

If you are concerned about your senior pet’s QOL, please contact our Caldwell Animal Hospital team so we can help you assess their condition and determine what steps should be taken to address your pet’s needs. 

#4: Provide mental stimulation for your senior pet

Cognitive dysfunction, a condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans is common in senior pets. Providing mental stimulation can help decrease your pet’s risk. Suggestions include:

  • Find different routes — When walking your senior pet, find different routes so they encounter new and exciting sights, sounds, and smells, and let them sniff to their heart’s desire.
  • Teach a new trick — Teach your senior pet a new trick and practice daily until they are adept.
  • Play nose work games — Encourage your pet to use their hunting skills by hiding treats around your home for them to find or playing hide and seek. This interactive game will strengthen your bond and keep them mentally engaged.
  • Use a food puzzle toy — Eliminate your pet’s boring food bowl, and use a food puzzle toy to make them engage their mind to access their meal.
  • Rotate toys — Rotate your pet’s toys every few weeks to prevent boredom.
  • Install a bird feeder — Place a bird feeder outside the window near your pet’s favorite perch so they can watch wildlife.

Everyone needs a little help when they reach their senior years, including your pet. Be prepared to care for your pet’s changing age-related health and care needs. Schedule your pet’s senior wellness visit with our Caldwell Animal Hospital team and help add precious months or years to your furry pal’s life through early disease detection and intervention.