Tips to Help Ease Your Dog into Sublime Seniority
Whether you took in a puppy from a breeder or adopted an older dog at a shelter, you want them to live long and healthy lives. To help your pet age gracefully, take a look at the tips below. And even if your pup isn’t at that senior stage just yet, many of these tips can be beneficially applied to your non-senior pet’s routine to help them have happier, healthier lives.
Maintain a Healthy Weight – Good nutrition is important at every age and even more important as your dog’s metabolism and activity levels slow down. And extra pounds can put stress on your pet’s body, especially their joints and internal organs. Top veterinarian and senior pet health expert, Dr. Ernie Ward, has commented that, “Proper nutrition can help keep dogs playful and fight signs of aging.” As they slow down pets need fewer calories but still need a diet that has the proper amount of protein, fatty acids and is especially high in fiber. Fortunately, Spring Naturals dinners and treats have all of those healthy benefits because their recipes include whole fruits and vegetables, with five percent fiber, as well as real meat as the first ingredient.
Focus on Antioxidants – Antioxidants can increase the effectiveness of dog’s immune system. Antioxidants like fish oil with Omega-3 fatty acids and L-carnitine are beneficial in helping prevent senile dementia in dogs, while vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can cause damage to body tissue. Spring Naturals’ Senior Dinners contain all of these ingredients plus the same whole fruits and vegetables in every recipe and provide lots of antioxidants from blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and apricots. The senior recipe also includes chicken for its lean protein, salmon oil for its high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, L-carnitine and beta-carotene to battle free radicals, vitamin B12 supplement for energy, and vitamin E for extra joint health.
Keep it Clean – It’s not just your dog’s coat that needs to be looked after. It’s important to also make sure areas such as their teeth, eyes and ears are regularly cleaned, doing so can prevent major health issues and also save you high vet bills. Teeth: Not brushing your dog’s teeth can lead to gingivitis and many other periodontal diseases, which can actually lead to other issues, such has heart disease and diabetes. Routine tarter build-up and teeth cleanings can prevent more severe problems in the future, as well as help keeping doggie breath at bay. Every week take a look at your pooch’s teeth, making sure the gums are pink and not white, red or swelling. Eyes: While antioxidants can help prevent vision loss in pets, regular cleanings can also help Fido’s sight. Every few days, using a damp cotton ball or cloth, clean your dog’s eyes by starting at the inside corner of your dog’s eye and wiping outward to remove any dirt that developed around the eyelid. If you do see signs like eye discharge, constant tearing, crust along the eyelids, and unequal pupil sizes, take your dog to the vet. Ears: Checking your dog’s ear consistently can help you dog maintain good hearing. The inside of your dog’s ear should look pink, not white or red. To clean the ear, take a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and gently swipe it over the inner-ear skin, making sure you never insert anything in your dog’s ear canal. You don’t need to clean your dog’s ears too frequently, but it is important to check them. See a vet if you witness ear discharge, redness, swelling, brown or black ear wax, or dark wax that resembles coffee grounds.
Regular Vet Visits – Taking your dog to the vet is a practice your family should implement regularly, getting an annual checkup or “wellness” visit at least once a year. Each time you go, make sure a thorough exam is conducted which includes, listening to your dog’s heart and lungs and examining their coat, teeth, eyes, ears, and internal organs. And as your pet ages, make sure to talk to your vet about getting checkups more frequently. It’s been recommended that healthy senior dogs should see the vet around every six months. Vets can also advise if your dog could be susceptible to other issues that have to do with breed or location factors, and give you tips on ways to prevent them.
So, to help your best friend age gracefully, then be sure to keep all these things in mind to help them live a long and healthy life. Because you already know – life with a dog is always better!
