Strategies for Improving Your Senior Pet’s Daily Life
Read more to learn about 5 strategies for improving your senior pet’s daily life.
Let’s talk about some strategies for supporting the aging pet! Caring for a senior pet is a completely different ballgame than a young and rambunctious healthy one, particularly those with chronic illnesses, so our tools need to change. As always, please remember to discuss any changes to your pet’s exercise plan, diet, supplements, or medications with your veterinarian.
One of the best things for aging pets is continued engagement, both mental and physical. Maintaining daily walks is high on the list, even if they are shorter and slower than they used to be! Physical movement engages the brain and increases blood flow to all parts of the body and is vital to maintaining a good quality of life. Mental engagement can be easy to adapt to a senior’s needs, just think about how much a cat loves a new cardboard box! Or try a game of treat hide and seek with your food-loving friend. Anything that gets their wheels turning will be beneficial.
Along with mental and physical engagement comes accessibility. If your pet can’t comfortably and safely reach their favorite places to nap, eat, and play, they may start to disengage from their environment. Chronic illnesses often limit mobility, so adding a ramp or steps to the chair, couch, or bed is a great way to keep them happy. The height of a cat tree is also important to consider since arthritis can prevent an older cat from jumping up and down, and they are more prone to injury if they attempt a jump they used to do every day. For medium and large dogs, a vehicle ramp is an essential safety tool. To make the transition easier, introduce your dog to the ramp before they need it, so when they do, they are already comfortable using it.
Once your pet can readily access their favorite place to sleep again, consider the type of bedding you choose for them. The extra fluffy, cloud-like beds for dogs can be very difficult to navigate for an arthritic pet, or one whose balance isn’t what it used to be. Instead, look for foam beds that are moderately firm and provide more support. Also, older pets have a harder time regulating body temperature, and may adore a new heated pet bed year-round.
Ease of access for food and water dishes is also very important. Arthritic pets may seem to have a decreased appetite or water intake, when in reality, reaching down to the floor to eat or drink causes them pain. Elevating food and water dishes is an easy way to improve their quality of life. Also, think about where their dishes are. Do they need to go up or down stairs to reach them? Additionally for cats, where is the litter box? Moving these items closer to where your pet spends most of their time can make a big difference.
Finally, general home safety for your pet is important. A pet who isn’t as strong as they used to be are more prone to accidents, such as falling down stairs or getting stuck because they aren’t able to bend their body enough to turn around in a tight spot. Slippery floors can cause avoidable injuries, so adding area rugs or yoga mats can protect your pet. If your home has larger areas of slippery floors, toe grips might be the best option. Also part of home safety is keeping a consistent routine. As the brain ages, adapting to a new routine can be quite challenging and cause anxiety, so avoid unnecessary changes.
Hopefully some of these tips can help your aging friend! If more guidance and support is what you’re looking for, call us or send a message so we can help!
