1. Know when your pet is a “senior”
Different sources vary on this, but according to the American Veterinarian Medical Association, by age two, most pets have already reached adulthood. By age five, they are considered middle age, and at the age of seven, they’ve started their senior years. Dogs, especially the larger breeds, begin the aging process a lot sooner, and should be treated as a senior after reaching three-four years of age. Remember, all pets age differently, so there is no set age that your pet is a senior.
Veterinarians suggest that supplements and vitamins can be served at any age, and provide an easily digestible, highly palatable diet addition to the regular diet. Giant dog breeds that are seniors will benefit from receiving supplements/vitamins at three years of age, while smaller senior dogs will benefit if supplements/vitamins are added at age five. Supplements/Vitamins can benefit senior cats at seven years of age.
2. Make quick checks a daily routine
Check your pet’s teeth for loose or missing teeth, bad breath and inflamed gums. Brush your pet’s coat regularly to stimulate the skin and remove loose hair. Check for lumps that might have formed since the last brushing. Pay attention to your pet’s movements. If he or she is getting up slower, or limping, notify your vet.
3. Seniors need high quality, easily digestible food and plenty of fresh water
Nutrition is of utmost importance! Older pets may experience a loss of appetite, and they need the correct balance of protein and nutrition in order to help maintain their best possible health and weight. Diets can treat disease or metabolic conditions, but they can include prescription diets that may not be highly palatable.
Some supplements/vitamins products are pleasant-tasting enhancers that will not greatly affect the diet to which they are being added. For animals that refuse to eat or cannot eat solid foods, the Sure products, by PetAg provide a complete balanced diet that has been carefully formulated to provide high quality protein, resulting in the animal maintaining more body mass and healthy immune and enzyme systems.
4. Watch your pet’s waistline!
Reportedly, 25 percent of pets in the U.S. are overweight. Obesity leads to many health-threatening conditions that can lead to shorter life spans. Adverse affects common in older, overweight pets include an increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and decreased immune competence. Metabolism in dogs drops by up to 30 percent, and that drop in metabolism contributes to pet weight problems.
5. Schedule veterinarian visits at least twice a year
Remember, pets age faster than humans, so a visit to the vet once a year is like visiting your doctor or dentist once every seven years. Make sure that your pet’s vaccinations are updated on a regular schedule since seniors’ immune systems are not as competent as when they were younger.
6. Vitamins and minerals should suit aging bodies and metabolisms
Adjusting these elements to fit the needs of senior animals can improve their overall health. For instance, as animals age there is a decreased need for calcium and phosphorus. If reduced, there is less stress to eliminate from the body. Additionally, an increased need for vitamins results in improved health, body function and immunity. Like humans, the benefits of an increased supply of antioxidants helps to decrease free radicals present that can have an effect on a number of body systems.
7. Adjust levels of exercise
While obesity can be treated with a combination of exercise and diet, older pets may have ailments, such as painful arthritis, that are aggravated by extensive exercise. Be watchful and alert to these conditions. Products with glucosamine and chondroitin have been shown to help ease a pet’s discomfort. One product available is Grand Meadows’ grand mobility with glucosamine.
8. Older cats are more sensitive to noise
As cats age, they may become more sensitive to noise and fearful of loud noises, especially if they’re arthritic. Try to provide older cats a quiet place to hide or rest comfortably. They also may need a larger bed to sleep in because they cannot curl up into a tight ball any longer.
9. Give your pet a massage
Older pets like and benefit from a soft, full body massage. This may help the pet relax while you have another chance to check for lumps.
10. Give your pet a warm place to sleep
As animals age they become more sensitive to cold. Provide them with a soft comfortable bed in a warm, draft-free area away from foot traffic. Both cats and dogs will appreciate being able to be warm and comfortable. Warm outerwear further protects dogs that must go outdoors during cold weather months.
When you bring a pet into your family, you need to do a little bit of careful research to ensure that you understand what its needs and requirements will be. Regardless of whether you are bringing home a horse, dog, cat, rabbit or mouse, there will be certain care requirement basics that will need to be adhered to. Feeding, Exercising, Living Arrangements, Vet Checks and Grooming will need to be considered and you will need to make sure that you have a solid grasp on these basics.
Feeding
Find out the correct pet food for your animal and make sure you buy the best possible quality. Most animals will thrive on a mixture of fresh produce and dry commercial pet food. Dogs will prefer kibble and canned food, as will cats. If you are feeding other sorts of animals you may need to talk to an expert in order to ensure that you provide the correct diet. Usually, the person or company who you buy the animal from will provide you with information about the optimal dietary requirements. The library will have an excellent selection of books that will give you detailed and well-researched information about the correct diet for different types of animals.
Exercising
Animals usually require exercise. The degree of exercise will vary depending on the sort of animal you have. For example, a cat simply needs to be let outside for a little while with a bell to scare of the birds. A dog will need a long walk every day. A mouse will need to run around its little wheel. A horse can be lunged or ridden to keep its fitness levels up. Make sure you understand the exercise requirements of the animal that you buy. It really is cruel to buy a pet and not exercise it properly, so if you don’t like long walks, get a cat instead of a dog.
Living Arrangements
Before you bring your new animal home, you will need to think about the type of living arrangements that you will need to supply. Most animals need warmth and a dry area to sleep. You may need a specialised cage if you are buying a rabbit. If you have dog or cat, you can buy a woven basket with nice soft bedding for sleeping. Of course, horses will need a stable and a suitable sized paddock.
Vet Checks
Vet bills can be expensive, so think about taking out pet insurance if you buy a new animal. Most pets will need immunisations and semi-regular vet check ups to monitor health and happiness and head off any emerging health problems early.
Grooming
When you buy your pet, you will want to purchase suitable grooming equipment to ensure that you keep your animal clean and happy. Select a pet who fits in with your lifestyle and think about grooming before you buy an animal, rather than after.
By following these basics, you can ensure that your pet is well cared for, happy and healthy. Make sure that you have an understanding of the actual time commitment involved in raising and caring for an animal before you decide to go ahead and bring one into your life. Provided that you look after your pet properly, you are sure that experience years of pleasant companionship and joy. We hope that you have found this guide to be of help to you and your “best friend”!
THANK YOU…. Alex has been involved in the pet industry for over 20 years. Starting in a partnership of a full line pet store, until he opened his own store and expended it to 3 locations. His involvement and sponsorship of various pet clubs as well as donations to a variety of rescue organizations, has helped a number of pets and their owners to enjoy a long lasting relationship. As the result, his extensive experience and knowledge of animals and pet supplies is shared through these articles.
Trimming Your Pet’s Hair With Animal Clippers
Like people, pets also need to have a consistent haircut, and one way to take care of that is by trimming their hair with dog clippers. Taking a dog to a experienced pet groomer routinely might prove to be expensive as well as time consuming. However, cutting your own dog’s hair isn’t stressful at all and it can be a splendid bonding experience for you and your pet.
At first, you may need to ask anybody to provide help in giving a haircut to your pet. Ask your relative or a buddy who understands how to tackle pets. This will make the matter more convenient for you.
First of all, give shower to your pet. Mix a little do shampoo in the small jug of water and clean his hair thoroughly. Dry him up with soft towel and begin brushing his hair. Utilize a clean brush or hair comb that’s right for your pet. Sort out matted hair and eliminate tangles. Now you’re prepared to cut the fur by means of the hair clipper. Your pet might get terrified as soon as he hears the noise of the clipper. That’s where you need a person to help you relax him.
In order to trim the hair of your dog properly, you must ensure that you are using the right type of blade. You’ll have to pick the blades that are suitable for your pet’s fur. If your pet’s furs are dense and long then you will need to make use of sharper blades. It is better that you look over the directions in the guide that should have come with the clipper.
Start cutting the hairs of your pet. It is usually best to remove the hair of the head area first and then eliminate the fur from back side and tail. Try to move the clippers in the reverse direction of growth to trim the hair in a better way. Pet hair clippers will not harm your pet if you work with them attentively and carefully. After you have finished using clippers, use a set of scissors to complete the look for your pet. Any type of clippers shouldn’t be made use of for removing the face fur so work with the scissors if you want to get rid of face hair of your dog.
It may possibly take you a bit of time to learn the best approach to provide hair-cut to your pet. Many pets don’t like the sound of clippers and might be difficult to tackle initially. However, as time passes, you and your dog will become used to of this job and that will make things simpler for you.
Now that you have taken the time to read this post, why not take the time and read my many other posts, am sure you will find what you need.