Keep Your Furry Friend Happy & Healthy With These Mighty Pet Tips and Tricks!
Few Things In Life Compare to the Love of Old Dogs!
It’s not a question of how much we love our dogs and how hard it is to watch them age. The thought of life without them is hard and often feels unfair that their lives are so much shorter than ours. As your furry friend ages, it becomes more and more important to give them the proper nutrition, exercise, and attention to ensure they live the longest and best life possible.
Some dogs develop anxiety or increased anxiety as they age. This can stem from many sources, sometimes insecurity as their senses weaken such as smell, hearing, and sight. Sometimes it can be from increased pain/discomfort or if they feel vulnerable from joint instability or pain. Many dogs suffer from hip and back pain as they age, but they may not show any symptoms.
If you’re looking to learn more about dog anxiety and some of the best anxiety meds for dogs, including your senior pooch, click here to learn more!
When Is My Dog Considered to be a Senior Dog?
Hold old is my dog to be considered a senior dog, you ask? Typically, a dog is considered a senior between the ages of 7-9 in human years. Your dog ages at 7x the rate we do as humans. So, 7-year-old dogs are 49 in dog years.
Here are some ways you can help your dog age well, in hopes to keep them more active and keep them alongside us as long as possible.
Mighty Pet Tips to Your Old Dog Living a Long and Happy Life!
1). Healthy Weight:
Healthy weights for dogs depend on the breed of the dog and if they are a male or female. For instance, in a black lab, a male should weigh between 64 and 79 lbs, while a female black lab should weigh between 55 and 71 lbs. Each breed has its own unique ideal weight range.
A quick way to get a baseline understanding of your dog’s weight is to look at and check around their rib cage and hips. If the rib cage is easily visible and felt under the skin, a dog will usually be classified as underweight.
A dog with ribs that can be seen but have no excess fat around the rib cage is usually classified as an ideal weight. If the rib cage is barely visible and excess fat can be felt around the ribs, this is the sign of a dog that is overweight.
2). Natural and Quality Foods:
Just like food for the humans of your family, dogs should be eating food that is free from dyes, fillers, preservatives, and additives. Additives and dyes make the food difficult to digest resulting in poor stomach health and poor nutrient retention (we will cover stomach health in a later section). Fillers such as corn are what some dog food companies add to their foods. Fillers add more bulk to the dog food while not offering any additional nutrients.
The health of a dog starts from the inside out. Two main factors in the healthy weight of a dog are diet and exercise. Natural or high-quality dog foods will help your furry friend maintain a good healthy weight and live a longer and healthier life.
3). Does my senior dog need a special diet?
This is going to be dependent on the dogs’ priority of needs. The best senior dog foods add fiber and reduce fat and protein. However, less energy coming in can slow the metabolism and lead to less activity which can sometimes accelerate the signs of aging.
If your dog is healthy and active and at a good weight for his hips/joints, reducing to a senior diet may not be best. However, if your dog starts to develop kidney issues, weight gain, or other symptoms of aging, a senior diet to reduce weight and protein may be suggested by your vet.
4). Healthy Teeth:
A great way to determine your old dog’s health is to look at their teeth! That’s right, clean white teeth can be a great first indicator that your senior dog is in good health. On the contrary, poor oral health and teeth that show signs of decay can point to deteriorating overall health, and can also cause your dog great pain.
Bacteria in plaque have the potential to spread to the bloodstream and affect the overall internal health of your dog. Excess plaque build-up can greatly affect the organs of your furry friend and lead to damaged organs.
Brushing your dog’s teeth is the best way to prevent plaque. However, this can be a difficult task for many owners. Some dogs may have trouble sitting still for teeth brushing.
There are numerous other ways to help keep your dog’s mouth healthy. Doggy dental chews and dental treats are a mix of a treat that your dog can chew on that also helps reduce plaque buildup. Also, specially crafted chew toys help to clean dogs’ teeth and help to keep a healthy mouth.
5.) An Active Lifestyle:
There are two key aspects to an active lifestyle; regular exercise and mental stimulation. Regular exercise can come in many forms; walks, playing fetch, or other activities can help maintain the muscles necessary to keep dogs moving pain-free.
Keeping your dog’s mental needs in mind is a great way to help increase the lifespan of your furry friend. Mental stimulation will help reduce boredom and unwanted behaviors while helping train their mind. It will also help to reduce seizures.
With old dogs, seizures can be quite frightening and detrimental to the overall mental and physical health of your animal. A healthy mind will help the overall health of your animal companion over time.
Are you looking for ways to keep an active and healthy lifestyle for your dog, but just can’t seem to find the time in your schedule to keep your dog moving as it should? At Mighty Pet, we’re happy to offer Doggie Day Camp! Basic social skills and discipline are a part of our Day Camp. We created a place where dogs will look forward to coming to enjoy the exercise and mental stimulation they need.
Be sure to book your dog’s appointment and learn more about Doggie Day Camp here!
6.) Supplements For a Healthy Gut and Joints:
Unhealthy joints can cause pain during movement. If your dog is in pain it may struggle to move or move as little as possible. This can speed up the loss of muscle and the signs of aging in your furry friend.
Much like a healthy diet, giving your dog gut health supplements will help your dog absorb all of the necessary nutrients to slow the signs of aging. Other benefits of gut supplements are more regular bathroom habits, coat health, and a strengthened immune system.
It is important to start giving your dog joint and gut supplements before they appear to need them. This will help to maintain good joint and gut health prior to showing any symptoms of aging.
7.) Love and Attention:
Most importantly your furry friend needs your love and attention. Routine pets, belly rubs, ear scratches, and treats are just as important, if not more important, than everything else on this list. Paying attention to your dog and its behaviors can make all the difference between a long healthy and happy life.
Let Our Team Help You Keep Your Dog Living a Happy and Healthy Life!
There are a lot of aspects that play into keeping your furry friend living a long happy life. We at Might Pet want to ensure that your dog remains healthy. If you have any questions regarding dog products such as supplements, dog treats, dog toys, or questions regarding care for a senior dog, please come into our store.
One of our friendly and knowledgeable team members will be happy to assist you in finding the perfect products, supplements, or food to help keep your dog happy, healthy, and by your side for as long as possible. If you are unable to come into our store, feel free to give us a call at (906) 723-0253. We look forward to seeing you soon at our local Mom and Pup store, Mighty Pet, located in the M&M Plaza in Menominee!
