Best Way to Care for an Aging Dog

For most of us, our pups are a part of our family. That’s why as they get older, it’s important to put extra thought and care into some of the changing or frequent needs of our dogs. Below are some of our tips for helping your aging dog be as happy as possible.

Increased Vet Visits

For most younger pups, vet visits are usually an annual event to keep up with vaccinations and medicines. However, as your dog gets older, it is often a good idea to increase the frequency in which you have them checked by your vet. Most individuals recommend increasing vet visits from once a year to twice a year for aging dogs to ensure they are getting more compressive vet care. This would includie dental care, bloodwork, and checking for signs of any issues that tend to be more common in older dogs.

Watch Their Diet and Nutrition

Making sure your dog eats high quality food with good nutritional value is important for a dog at any age. However, the need for special attention to your dog’s diet and nutrition increases as they get older. For many older dogs, they can have difficulty with digestion. They also may need more or less of certain vitamins to aid in their needs as they get older. It’s important for owners of older dogs to devote extra time and research into ensuring their pup is getting all their nutritional needs met.

Exercise With Your Dog

We all know how important exercise is for our dogs, however, this is particularly important as they get older. Frequent exercise can help maintain a good weight for your pup and help them maintain their mobility. Daily walks are an easy and great way to do this as well as frequent trips to the dog park.

Adapt To Their Needs

As your dog gets older, their needs will probably change. From their vaccination needs to their environmental needs and even their mental health needs. Staying updated on what your pup needs in order to easily transition into becoming a senior dog is important. Changing their vaccines or the frequency they receive them, changing the areas they play and sleep if their mobility decreases, or providing extra attention to help maintain their happy mood are all ways you can help adapt to what your dog may need as they get older and provide them with as much love as possible.

We all want our dogs to transition into aging with as few problems and as much happiness as possible. Are there ways you have helped your older dog transition as they get older? Share your tips below!