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Don't let pet's aging take
you by surprise
November 1, 2007
It's a proverbial truth that as we age, time seems to zoom by. For
humans who have had the pleasure of growing up with a pet, our animal's
aging can catch us by surprise. Suddenly, you notice that your
companion, once a blazing ball of energy zooming here and there and
getting into everything, is moving a little more slowly, or taking even
longer naps.
We all know that our pets age faster than we do. Generally, seven is
considered the standard number when factoring our pet's years to ours,
but different pets age at different rates, with size being a
contributing factor.
Cats generally live longer than dogs and smaller dog breeds often
outlive larger breed dogs. Their overall health and lifestyle play an
important role in their aging process. You can do things to make their
advancing years a comfortable transition.
Most veterinarians recommend that pets 8 and older should have an
annual, complete checkup, and for animals 10 and older it's recommended
that their exams increase to every six months. Regular health checkups
can uncover common diseases that accompany the aging process, such as
kidney disease, diabetes, skin problems, heart and circulation
irregularities, dental diseases and obesity.
Obesity is a widespread problem often found in senior cats and dogs. As
their guardians, it's up to us to help them control their weight. I
recently watched a tear-jerker program on Animal Planet that documented
severely obese pets. Owners were killing them with love in the form of
too many treats, too much human food and too much food in general.
Increased weight can lead to ailments such as diabetes and heart
disease. As our pets age, they become more sedentary and do not burn as
many calories as they did at a younger age, so we can't feed them the
same quantity of food as we did when they were younger. It's better to
give them two small feedings in a day rather than one large meal.
Usually, if your cat's back is rounded in appearance, that's a sign he
or she is overweight. With a dog, if you cannot feel their ribs that's a
clear sign of a weight problem. If your pet is severely obese, he or she
should follow a diet managed by a veterinarian.
Dental disease is another common problem that, if untreated, can lead to
more serious ailments such as kidney, liver or heart disease due to
bacterial infections that accompany dental disease. It's great if you
can get your pet comfortable with teeth cleaning at an early age. A dry
food diet and dental treats can also keep dental diseases at bay.
There are other things we can do to help make our aging pets
comfortable. As they age, routine is even more important to them, as is
exercise. Not unlike us, the aging process is inevitable, but with care,
extra attention and continued activity, they can still find great
pleasure in life.
- Gloria
Dauphin
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