Fido will only be a puppy for so long, and that means as a responsible owner you need to think carefully about how you will care for them as they age. This is so important because if you care for them well, you can ensure they have the best senior years, and live a long and healthy life. With that in mind read in to find out what you can do to aid this in your pet.

Allow them rest as well as exercise.

You wouldn’t expect your granny to run a marathon or a triathlon as they approached their senior years, and the same goes for your Dog. Of course, exercise is essential, but going for miles and miles of walks or runs may be too much for their aging body to handle.

To that end, it is crucial that you take into account their current physical health and not just what they were able to do in this past. Then you can use this assessment to help decide what exercises and activities will be most enjoyable for your pet, as well as contribute positively to their health instead of harming it.

For example, some pooches that are struggling with joint pain and issues may benefit from hydrotherapy to keep them as subtle as possible in place of long extended runs.

Minimize pain.

It is hard to have a good time when you are in pain, and this applies to dogs, as much as it does humans. Sadly, painful health issues are often more common as your dog gets older. What this means is that is crucial to keep an eye on your pupper as they age and watch out for any symptoms of pain including lameness, excessive grooming of a particular area, and unusual hostility when touched.

If you do suspect that your pooch is in pain, then it is always best to pay a visit to the vets and get things checked out and treated ASAP.

Change their diet.

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Diet is a massively important factor in maximizing your Dogs Golden Years. In fact, even before they are seniors, it’s a good idea to focus on dog nutrition as a proactive method of setting them up for good health in later life.

Once they are older, it’s then vital to consider the nutritional balance of their food as well as the calorie count. The reasons for this being that some dogs need fewer calories as they get older as they are less active, but can benefit from an increase in certain foodstuffs such as oils to ease joint issues.

Allow access.

Lastly, a big problem for aging dogs is that they can’t always access the places that they use to. This is pretty sad for dog and owners, especially if you like nothing better than to snuggle up with each other on the couch of an evening.

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Luckily, there are some smart companies out there that make ramps and steps that allows even the most senior of dogs access to their favorite spots. Something that will guarantee that they can enjoy their Golden Years just as much as the other stages in their lives.