Tips for Making Your Senior Dog Comfortable

As a devoted pet parent, all you ever want is to ensure that your four-legged friend is always as comfortable as possible. When our beloved pets begin to age, our sole aim is to ensure that their golden years are as enjoyable as the rest of their lives and that they are not in any pain or discomfort. 

Many dogs will reach their senior years without experiencing any sort of health problems. Certain breeds require more attention than others and will need specific measures put in place. Most senior dogs will begin to slow down, and their mobility levels will decrease. This does not mean that they all hope is lost! 

You could try numerous things as a pet parent to make this period of your dog’s life as comfortable as possible. From big dogs to small, we are confident there is a suggestion below

Implementing Ramps and Other Mobility Measures

One of the main things that could be done when trying to make your senior dog more comfortable is to make stairs and other obstacles easier to overcome. By installing ramps on stairs, or limiting the number they are walking up, you would be alleviating any pressure on their aging joints. While laminate and vinyl floorings look more pleasant and appealing in homes, they could pose some issues for dogs concerning their grip when walking around. Particularly in areas that your four-legged friend ventures too often, putting down rubber grip mats to assist them could further contribute towards easing the pressure on their joints and would prevent any fallings over or slipping around on the laminate!

Providing Them with Specific Dietary Requirements and Supplements

Such as when your dog was a puppy, there will be certain nutrients that your dog will need more of now that they are a senior. Generally, as they slow down, they might become at more of a risk of developing obesity by putting on weight; they are merely not running around as much as they previously were, so they cannot burn off the food they are eating.

By providing your dog with a low calorie, high fiber and protein diet, there is every hope that you are providing them with the adequate nutrients that they need to continue living a comfortable life. 

Further to this, you could also give your dog supplements to contribute to their inner workings and boost the number of nutrients they are receiving and absorbing. There are various supplements supplied by businesses like YuMove, that contribute to joint health, including hyaluronic acid for dogs, and glucosamine supplements. Using supplements like these in tandem with regular exercise and a healthy diet, and you can rest assured that you are positively contributing towards your dog’s health. To find out more about these supplements and how they can be implemented into your dog’s diet, learn more on yumove.com.

Massages and Suitable Exercise

While it is vital to ensure that your dog is getting enough rest and not overdoing it, it is also essential to make sure that they are not entirely passive and get a little bit of exercise each day. Moving around might help keep joints lubricated and prevent any risk of injury from not using them for a prolonged period of time. 

Whether you take your senior for a short walk around the block or do some small exercises with them in the comfort of your own home, the choice is entirely yours. By encouraging them to keep as active as possible, you could minimize the risk of them becoming overweight while encouraging them to use their joints. What’s more, regular exercise promotes the strengthening of the muscles, which is paramount for conditions like arthritis. 

When incredibly stiff, massaging your dog’s joints could be another effective way of easing their discomfort in their senior years or when suffering from arthritis. While it is advised not to put direct pressure on the aching muscle itself, you can gently massage the area around it, to encourage mobility, circulation, and to help them relax. 

While some pet parents will not feel comfortable doing this, it is something that can be completed at home. If you do not want to put yourself or your dog in this position, your registered veterinarian will be more than happy to help you with giving your dog assistance with their condition. You could also contact a professional pet massage therapist, who will be able to give your dog’s joint the attention that it needs.