Just like humans, pets face changes in their lifestyle as they age. Older pets like dogs and cats attain similar attributes like older people both physically and mentally. Pets can get grumpier, or get lazier and even unreliable at following instructions! As your pets age,( remember Buster in Toy Story 3 ) , their health starts to deteriorate and their ability to learn and stay aware weakens as well. With such changes to health and learning, pets can face problems keeping up with their routines like, exercising, eating and sleeping. Their sleeping patterns might shift and their eating habits might cause problems like indigestion. Some pets are known to get more affectionate as they age and are prone to get over-dependent on the owners; this makes them lazier as well. On the other hand some pets start to isolate themselves and take less interest in activities with their owner. Keeping in mind that these changes may occur in your pet due to age, checking in with a veterinarian is always helpful.
Physical changes in your pet may include poor muscle tone and pot bellies and white hair growing on the pet’s body. These changes are easier to notice as the pet gets old. There can be other reasons for the growth of white hair on your pet or their excessive fat, so it’s always recommended to consult your vet about the physical changes your pet goes through. For instance, if you cannot feel the ribs of your dog by lightly pressing the rib cage area with your finger, it indicates extra fat on your dog and it should be consulted with a vet right away.
Veterinarians often suggest diet control and more physical activity to help, the aging pet. In reality it can be somehow difficult to cope with the diet control as some pets gets to fixate on meal times and eating, as they get older. A very helpful simple tool available in the market is a slow feed bowls that has a design that limits the amount of food intake of your pet. A slow feed bowl is designed like a maze bowl, in which the food is spread over the maze and your pet would need to use some energy to get to their food. This can limit the amount of food your pet intakes and consequently keep their weight under control. Solving the maze on regular basis could also increase your pet’s awareness and make eating a little fun. Some of these bowls are totally environmental friendly and are cost effective as well. Search for the bowl by “Simply Pets Online” made from bamboo fibre and rice husk.
Even if your pet has aged, it does not necessarily mean that it cannot live a healthy happier life. Today’s advanced medications and veterinary expertise has developed actions and routines that help pets to keep up with the best of their younger friends. In the long run, fully understanding the changes in your pet can also increase the bond between you and your pet. If you are worried about your older pet please do not hesitate to ask your vet for advice.
Certainly at Simply Pets Online a prime part of what we do is allowing older pets to live the best life they possibly can.
