Senior Pet Month this November is a time to appreciate your pet’s unwavering love and companionship and reflect on ways you can enhance their senior years by recognizing the changes they face with age. We’re here to help you outline these changes and provide you with transformative tips to elevate your senior pet care routine to promote lasting health and happiness for your pet.
Increase Your Pet’s Schedule of Veterinary Visits
Although many pets do not enjoy trips to the veterinarian, one of the most effective ways to keep your pet healthy and thriving is to boost their number of annual veterinary visits. While young pets may only require a single annual visit, aging pets require a little more hands-on care. Senior pets are at a higher risk of developing age-related health conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, and more. As such, it’s important to be proactive and monitor their health consistently with preventative veterinary care through biannual veterinary visits.
Adjust Your Pet’s Home Environment
It’s important to recognize that with age comes mobility hurdles. Your once energetic and agile pet may not have the strength to navigate about the way they did when they were young. Furthermore, conditions such as arthritis may result in achy joints, bones, and muscles that add to your pet’s mobility challenges. To ensure your pet is safe and comfortable, there are several modifications you can make to your home, including:
- Non-slip mats or carpets to cover sleek flooring.
- Ramps or small benches to assist with reaching couches and raised areas.
- Placing their food and water close by to ensure it’s always accessible.
- Creating a potty area indoors with potty pads.
- Upgrading your cat’s litter box to a shallow, wide litter box to deter accidents.
- An orthopedic pet bed to soothe aches and enhance comfort.
Monitor Your Pet’s Hygiene and Grooming Needs
Senior pets may have problems with incontinence or grooming, leading to decreased hygiene that can become dangerous if left unaddressed. If your pet is prone to accidents, it’s essential to monitor their hygiene closely. When your pet soils themselves, it’s important to promptly wash and dry them to avoid urine scald, sores, and infections. Additionally, if your pet has become a true couch potato in their old age, make sure they switch positions throughout the day, as long periods without movement cause sores and joint stiffness. It is also beneficial to brush your pet daily to mitigate matted, painful fur and stay on top of their nail trimming needs as less movement means less natural nail filing.
Take your senior pet care regime to new heights this November by scheduling an appointment with your trusted veterinarian for Senior Pet Month.
