Just like humans, our four-legged companions can experience a few similar signs of ageing, such as reduced appetite, increased tiredness and joint aches and pains. It can be heartbreaking to watch our pups transition from a playful pup with endless amounts of energy to senior canine, spending most of its time napping on the couch. However, as distressing as it sounds, pet owners must deal with the fact that pups will grow older and tire out sooner. And that their job now is to keep their senior pups healthy, especially their ageing joints, to help extend their remaining years and make the most out of them.
Bear in mind that senior dogs may have different health requirements compared to younger generations. It’s vital to work with a veterinarian when introducing a new diet that works best with their age. Keeping the right body weight for your dog’s age, size and breed helps prevent damage to their joints as they reach their senior years. Here are some wellness tips to help keep your dog’s joints healthy and young.
Choose an Age-Appropriate Diet for Your Dog
Some older dogs tend to gain weight, which makes moving around even more difficult. Take note that obesity is a major underlying cause of many health issues, including joint pain, among dogs. Providing your furry friend with pure pet food appropriate to its age and size is important to help maintain a healthy weight and prevent the development of joint issues.
When creating an appropriate diet plan for your pup, choose a diet and complementary supplements that contain high levels of glucosamine, a building block of cartilage. Normal wear and tear occur on your dog’s joints every day. Cartilage acts as a cushion that protects a dog’s bones and joints from the friction caused by daily movement. This cartilage erodes and weakens as dogs get older, which can result in pain or inflammation.
In case your dog has already gained significant weight and you are working on cutting down its calories, it is better to supplement their diet with some pain and inflammation relieving agents. This is important because they would probably be suffering from any of these due to being overweight. And the sad part is that they can’t even express it. If you want to help your furry companion help alleviate these troubles, you can give them CBD for older Dogs or similar canine-friendly products, according to the age of your pet. After making this change, you can see the difference in their mood for yourself.
Maintain an Exercise Routine
Unless your dog is injured, it’s important to keep them physically active even in their senior stage, but try not to push them too hard. Simple exercises like walks and fetch games can keep their strength and muscle tone and shed some unwanted pounds to prevent obesity. It’s normal for senior dogs to lose interest in outdoor activities, but the key is to reduce the intensity. Try to shorten their walks. A 10-minute walk 3 times a day, for example, is much better than walking for 40 minutes straight per day.
Improve Your Dog’s Sleep Habits
Senior dogs may experience some degree of joint pain due to a lack of cartilage and muscle tone. We all know how any type of pain can affect the quality of sleep. In this case, you might want to consider using all-natural supplements like CBD oil https://alphagreen.io/collections/high-strength-cbd-oil.html which is thought to aid in relieving pain. However, don’t forget to check with your veterinarian first.
Also, give your dog a comfortable bed with soft blankets and pillows to cushion their ageing joints and help them rest easier. There are even beds specifically made for orthopaedic dogs, it’s good to invest in one if your dog experiences severe aches and pains. Additionally, you can also get beds specifically for the breed of your dog. For instance, you can get Dog Bed For Golden Retrievers if you have a golden retriever as your paw friend. That said, a good night’s sleep increases your dog’s blood circulation and reduces joint stiffness, helping them to recover more quickly.
Have Regular Vet Visits
Senior dogs are more prone to a variety of serious health conditions. Hence, they are advised to undergo some health examinations at least twice a year to ensure their overall wellbeing. Your vet may run a few tests to identify any health issue that can affect your pet’s quality of life and comfort level.
This way helps them to find the right treatment for your dog before it gets even worse. Regular checkup is as much an important preventative measure for senior dogs’ health as it is a treatment plan. It’s not always obvious that a dog is experiencing a certain health problem, so be sure to have them checked by your vet regularly.