These days, everybody is bringing a new puppy into their homes and it’s great to give an abandoned puppy a new home, or show a puppy or a litter of puppies absolute love. But there are also those dogs that have been around and part of the family for years and you can’t neglect them. Often, older dogs are ignored when a new puppy is brought into the home, but that’s not how it should be. And while some might say that training a new dog is hard work, it’s important to show both pets the same amount of love and attention. So for those of you who have older dogs at home, shower them with love and take heed of these tips to make their lives just as good.
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Dental Hygiene
Always stay on top of making sure that you brush your dogs teeth regularly and get it checked by a vet just as often. Dental diseases and decay can cause pain and make things very uncomfortable for your pet. And if brushing teeth is not something that your dog enjoys, there are toys that help with the same process.
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Maintaining A Diet
Often, older dogs have issues with chewing, digestive problems, a lack of appetite and sometimes even obesity. It’s important to maintain a diet once you consult your vet and make sure that you don’t deviate from that plan. It could be something as small as adding fiber to help improve digestion. Make sure to check with your vet.
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Keep Exercising
While your dog might not be excited about exercising as much as before and going for long walks and runs, you need to find ways to keep them interested in doing those things. Short walks, strolls around the neighbourhood are good. Keep an eye on their breathing and stop every now and then, letting them rest enough.
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Doctor A Day Keeps The Ailments Away
There might be a lot of things you can’t diagnose sitting at home, so visit your vet often. Plan the check-ups at least twice a year so that you can keep an eye on their health and make sure that everything is fine. Plus, older dogs might need a little more care and attention and a vet will spot it right away.
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Make Your Home Comfy
Remember proofing your house when you rbought your dog home as a puppy? Now you need to make it easy for your older dog to have access to. Food and water needs to kept in areas they can easily reach, if there are stairs involved find a way to make the climbing up and down process easier. Their beds could be a little more comfortable and the like.
It might seem like a lot of work, but it’s actually quite simple. You would have done a lot of these things when you had a puppy in the house, now you’re just switching it up for a much older dog.
