4 Poignant Things Your Senior Dog Would Like To Tell You

All the pet owners have to face this worst aspect of watching their furry pal getting old. Most dogs get old around seven years whereas large breed dog gets old little sooner. Your pooch may get obese, slow down in his activities and his senses may start to dull. During these years, he may be not active to communicate his needs to you, which he might have been doing earlier. Thus, in his golden years, you can make out what your old furry pal needs through his behavior. If your old dog could talk, here are the things he would like to tell you.

I Don't Have A Clear Vision Anymore:

As your dog ages, he may lose his vision. If your senior dog is not able to find food or water dishes, or not ready to move around as before etc., these may be the subtle signs that he doesn't have a clear vision. Take him to a vet and get a checkup. If the vet determines that this behavioral change is due to weakening vision, then you need to take certain steps to help your pooch to move around. There are some things which you can take into consideration for example marking different rooms with different scents or using different types of rugs so that your dog knows which room he is in by touch or by smell. You can block the danger areas by gates and place their food bowls and water bowls in the same place. These may help your dog to identify his things, rooms etc.

I Am Not Able To Hear Properly:

If your dog has lost his hearing, there are many ways you can communicate to your dog. If you have trained your dog with both verbal and in sign language, it won't matter as much that he can't hear but he will be able to understand the sign language. If you have not trained your dog with hand signals earlier, start training for a smooth transition to deafness now. The studies have shown that the deaf dog can still detect the vibration. So you can get your dog's attention by clapping your hands and by knocking on some noisy or hard surface.

I Am Not Able To Move, Because My Joints Hurt:

Your dog will not be able to move because of arthritis and joint pain, which are common problems for aging dogs. He may not be able to get down or get in the car, he may not be able to climb stairs or to move around in cold weather. You can give supplements like Joint guard chews or Joint guard powder for dogs by taking your vet's advice. You can provide him a comfortable orthopedic bed, ramps to climb and get down of the car, take him for shorter walks, etc. These things can always be helpful for your dog with joint pain.

I Can't Burn My Calories Easily Liked I Used To:

The most common health issue in your old dog will be obesity. This can even cause other health problems such as joint pain, heart attack or liver issues, like humans. As humans get older the metabolism slows down and they need less food to maintain a consistent weight. Dogs are similar to humans, so they also find it difficult in burning the calories that results into overweight. If you find your dog gaining weight, then it's time to change the diet and shift to the food which is formulated for senior dogs. Senior dog food like Complete Mix Adult/Senior Dog Food, Eukanuba Senior Plus Dog Food has fewer calories, less fat, high fiber and extra nutritional supplements. This will help him not to be overweight.

There are many more things, which your dog would like to tell you about many other problems such as dental care, gum disease and some other such issues of aging ranging from liver disease, diabetes and find difficulty to fight off illness. Make sure you keep an eye on your dog as he ages this will help you provide him the best care and improve the quality of his life in his senior years.