Senior Dog Health Care and Your Vet

Senior Dog Care
Senior dogs need care as much as pups do. Dogs are cute and cuddly when they are young but as we grow older, our dogs grow old with us. If you have an older dog or an aging dog, then you certainly have to learn the basics of senior dog care.
Dogs generally live up to 15 years if they are cared for properly and their health issues are addressed early on. It would benefit you and your loved one tremendously if you knew how to identify health issues for elderly dogs. If you deal with these aging signs in your senior dogs, then you can make their lives longer and more meaningful for your dog and for you.
Observing Your Senior Dog
Slowing Down. One of the more easily identified signs of aging is slowing down. Observe your older dogs. Do they struggle while getting up from a lying position? Are they often out of breath after climbing stairs? If your senior dog exhibits slowness and they tire easily, don't overlook the details. While this slowness may be due to health reasons, you should also consider their age. Some of the slowness may be due to medical conditions such as arthritis or thyroid problems. By taking your elderly dog to a Vet for a quick checkup you can help prevent future health issues and target the ones already in need of attention.
Diseases. Be on the lookout for diseases. Older dogs may be affected by a number of diseases not experienced by younger dogs. Some of these include diabetes, arthritis, cancer and Cushing's disease. Your elder dog's vital organs such as liver, kidney and heart may also malfunction and contract senior dog diseases. If you notice anything resembling the symptoms of these diseases, bring your older dogs to a veterinarian.
You should also be vigilant in caring for your senior dogs. Ensure that your elderly dog gets good nutrition-enough food and vitamins without allowing him to become obese. Keeping the weight of your old dogs down through exercise and proper nutrition is very important. Be sure to clean his teeth always. Most often than not, periodontal diseases are the most common reasons for visits to the Vet.
Senior Dog Health Care and Your Vet
Anything unusual in the behavior and health of your senior dog should be noted and reported to the Vet for checkup and treatment. Don't ever forget to regularly visit the Veterinarian so that anything you might miss can be observed by the Vet. Dog health problems can be diagnosed easily with a Vet around. Otherwise, your senior dog's health could deteriorate far quickly.
Taking your elderly dog to the Vet once a year is not enough. If your pet has become a senior dog, then you have to visit the Vet at least two times a year. This is to ensure that your dog's health will be preserved and you can enjoy a longer time with him/her.
Oftentimes, your senior dog will undergo a geriatric screening with the Vet. He or she will go through a physical examination, blood samples will be taken for testing and an. electrocardiogram may also be necessary depending on your dog's health. Other special medical tests may be required depending on your dog's breed and medical history.
The following are additional old dog health problems that can be avoided by paying attention to the details of your pets' behavior.
The first would be the rapid loss of weight. This is a really serious matter that would warrant the attention of your veterinarian. If this happens, then don't hesitate to take your old dog to the Vet.
If you notice your dog is not eating as he used to, or if he is not eating anything, then go check with your vet. This will also be the case if you notice that your dog is eating a lot but he is not gaining weight. Or if he is thirsty and drinks a lot, but does not urinate as often. This may be indicative of diabetes. If your dog has diarrhea and vomits a lot, then be sure to take him to the vet without hesitation to see if his condition improves.
It is, of course, normal for a senior dog to get tired more easily than when he was younger, but this should not prevent you from double checking with your vet to see if he is suffering from any type of lung or heart disease. If your senior dog pants excessively or coughs a lot, better see the Vet.
Grooming
Apart from dog health concerns, grooming is a part of senior dog care. If you have been grooming your dog all his life, you need not stop when he is already a senior. Rather, you should, all the more, look after the grooming of your older dogs. It is not only for good looks, but it will help the overall cleanliness of your older dogs. If you have not been regularly grooming your dogs in his younger years, you should devote more serious attention now that he is becoming a senior dog.
You should schedule daily grooming sessions with your elderly dog and be prepared with the right tools for the job. You can purchase brush and flea combs in all shapes and sizes depending on your dog's coat. If you brush his coat, you can actually prolong the time between your dog's bathing sessions. This grooming session will also be a great opportunity to check for any changes in the skin of your older dog and to check for growths or tumors in his/her body.
Senior dogs need love and care as regular dogs do. In fact, they even require a little more attention now because they are getting older. Older dogs may seem like additional work for you but if you go back through your life with your senior dog, you'd easily take care of your senior dog if only for the memories and joy of being together.
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