Older dog health is easier to maintain now more than ever. Even though older pets might require more of your attention, thanks to advances in pet foods and veterinary medicine, dogs are living longer.

So If you’re concerned about older dog health, and are wondering what is the best way to maintain it, here are seven tips to help you get started.

1. Many older pets have arthritis in their joints. In order to help slow the progression of this very common disease consider giving your dog two supplements, chondroitin, and glucosamine. Some manufacturers have already supplement older dog diets with these compounds.

2. Older dogs tend to lose their teeth and can have trouble chewing. Because of this you should regularly examine their teeth for any potential dental disease problems. If you have the time you should even brush your dog’s teeth every day.

3. Just like in humans, a dog’s mental ability diminishes with age. To help slow down some of this age related change try to keep your dog active mentally by adding new toys and play activities.

4. Giving your dog antioxidants can be another great way to help maintain their health. Just like in humans, antioxidants have proven health benefits for pets as well.

5. Also, with senior pets, it is important to have them be seen by their veterinarian more frequently. It is recommended that once dogs get about seven years of age, that instead of annual visits, that they see the veterinarian twice a year.

6. Flea and tick protection should also be kept up to date, because older dogs are more susceptible to external and internal parasites.

7. Obesity is the most common problem affecting older dog health. If you can prevent your dog from becoming obese, you can help them live healthier and longer.

If you need to know more about dog health, then visit Dr. Chris’ website where you can find lots of free vet advice.

Tags: Animal and Pet Articles, animals, dogs, family, pets

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 9:23 am and is filed under Senior Retriever Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.