Changes to make to help your ageing dog.

As our beautiful doggies enter their golden years of life, it's time for us to reassess their day to day activities and what we can adjust to help make them more comfortable. Below are some great tips on where to start! 

Diet

​A dog’s diet and their weight plays a huge roll in their life expectancy as they age. Moving your dog to a ‘senior’ diet involves reducing the amount of fat and protein in the diet, to make it easier on your dog’s organs to process and to reduce weight gain as their exercise begins to decrease as well.
A senior diet or a specific diet suggest by your vet can help to support kidney function, arthritis and joints as well as heart health.
It's essential, as your dog reaches their later years in life, that they aren’t carrying any extra, unnecessary weight. Extra weight adds extra pressure to a dog’s joints and can worsen arthritis.
A raised food and water bowl for taller breeds is a great way to reduce stress and tension in the neck and back for older dogs. The less bending down they have to do, the easier it will on these areas for them. 

Exercise

​Although the level of activity your dog can handle will decrease as they age, it’s important to continue a suitable amount of exercise to help keep your dog healthy, keep them from gaining weight and to help support their joints.
You will find you may need to reduce the pace on your walks and also the length and may even need to include some little stops and breaks along the way. It’s best to avoid large hills and any steep inclines or declines, as this just creates extra work for your dog.
Keep in mind the time of day for your walks too, as cooler weather will aggravate arthritis and heat can be overwhelming on the heart of an older dog.
A great alternative to walks for older dogs is water exercise, including swimming and hydrotherapy.
If transporting your dog and you are unable to assist them in and out of the car or if you have stairs around your home, a ramp is a great idea to help them move around. 

Grooming

​Daily grooming and body checks of your dog are a great way to keep an eye on any new lumps and bumps that may appear, which is very common in older age. Be mindful of any warts or skin tags when brushing as these can easily be caught in a brush and open up into bleeding sores.
Keeping your dog’s nails well clipped and at a shorter length will also assist with their mobility, as they can easily grow into their pads causing a great deal of pain. 

Bedding & Environment

​Senior dogs should be spending most of their time inside, enjoying the quiet life. They have no reached their retirement and deserve some good R&R now. You should assess your dog’s sleeping and resting areas for the day and night and ensure that access is easy, with not gaps or small spaces they could fall into or get stuck (ie: between a couch and wall or down the side of a raised bed) Orthopaedic beds are great for providing support and comfort whilst still being soft and gentle on their joints. Beds that are too soft can be difficult for an older dog to get in and out of and very firm or solid beds will offer no comfort or relief to their arthritis.
During the cooler weather, arthritis and sore joints can flare up, so keeping a safe but warm environment will ensure your dog stays comfortable. Electric blankets and direct heat can quickly cause a dog to overheat so should be avoided, however a warmed room without a chill in the air can be a lot more comfortable to them. 

Medical Support & Supplements 

​We are so lucky now with how far pet care and research has some and now have a variety of options to offer support and relief to our older pets. Your vet can suggest a number of options to offer pain relief and joint support as your dog ages. These range from oral medications to injections. Your vet should always be consulted prior to beginning any new medication or supplements for your dog as this could affect other medication they are currently taking or other organs.
There are also options of physiotherapy and more natural approaches such as red light, acupuncture and natural herbs and supplements through a holistic vet as well.