There are many things that we recommend to our clients to do at home with their senior pets. Your awareness of your pet’s physical condition and habits will be one of the biggest keys in preventing and catching health problems early.
Monitor food and water intake. Your pet should have fresh food and water daily
Monitor feces and urine production. Watch for any changes in color and consistency. Make sure that your pet is going to the bathroom without any straining or other problems.
Monitor your pet for any signs of lameness or stiffness in his or her legs. Arthritis can show up early in some dogs and cats. There are medications that can help with the pain and joint function, and other treatment if necessary.
Watch for any significant weight loss or gain. Certain medical conditions can cause this to occur and early detection is important!
Keep your senior pet on an exercise regime. Exercise is good for your older pet. It will help to stimulate your pet’s mind and keep his or her body strong. Laying around all of the time will cause any body to deteriorate faster!
Continue to play with and train your pet to keep his or her senses sharp. You can use the same training techniques from when your pet was younger to help stimulate his or her mind along with teaching new tricks.
Feed an appropriate diet. As your pet ages the kind of food they are on needs to be changed to a senior dog or cat food. Your TLC veterinarian will make a recommendation, when appropriate.
Keep your TLC veterinarian informed of any changes in your pet’s behavior or attitude.
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