Most dogs have their eyes losing their brightness and their muzzles turning white as they grow old. In addition, they stop doing most of the things they used to do due to pains, aches, and stiff joints that are common with them.
You might find that your dog no longer enjoys jumping high to get a toy or playing with you at the beach like it used to do. This does not mean that the dog has a health condition. The truth is that it is getting old and lacks enough energy for such things.
However, growing old does not mean that the dog cannot have fun and enjoy its life like before. It means that you need to find new ways that it can handle and play. You also need to find ways through which the dog can transition from its old life to the new one.
A dog is a man’s best friend, and it hurts a lot for a dog owner to see their dog suffering, especially due to old age. You need to find ways to add joy and happiness to your old dog’s life. To do that, you can;
Add Supplements to the Dog’s Diet
There are many supplements that are important in boosting the health of a dog, but only a few of them are helpful in the life of an old dog. For instance, for joint support and healthy skin and coat, you can use fish oil.
Some health complications, such as arthritis are very common with senior dogs. Arthritis causes a lot of discomfort, and serious cases are known to be life-threatening. CBD oil for dogs’ arthritis is one of the best supplements to help old dogs get rid of and ease pain from arthritis.
Additionally, you can use a combination of chondroitin and glucosamine supplements to boost the health of your aging dog. You do not need to wait until your dog has a severe case of arthritis or any other health complication before using these supplements.Â
Related: What A Dog Parent Should Know About Using CBD For Dogs
These supplements should be used early enough and not as therapies. Ensure that your dog is not allergic to any of them.
Offer a Soft Bedding to the Dog
If you have a young dog, the chances are that it finds it easy to sprawl on the floor of your house, no matter how hard it is, and sleep without any issues. However, as the dog gets old, it finds it difficult to do the same things and might become stiff from sprawling on such hard floors.
To ensure that your dog finds joy and happiness even at old age, you need to look for an orthopedic dog bed that is soft and thick. Such a bed offers enough comfort and joint support to the dog, ensuring that it finds it easy to sleep at any given time.
Protection From Bad Weather
Bad weather, or rather weather extremes that were initially not a problem with your dog, might start affecting the life of the dog as it grows old. During extreme winter conditions, you should look for dog boots in case of ice or snow and fleece blankets for the cold.
To keep the dog warm when in the house, you can look for a track coat that ensures that the entire body of the dog is kept warm at all times. This is important in boosting the stiffness of its muscles.
During extreme summer conditions, you should make sure that the dog has access to cool shelter and water. You can look for cooling beds and coats for dogs to enforce this. In addition, you can use hosing to keep the dog cooler when it is extremely hot.
Related: The Real Reason You Prefer Dogs or Cats Over the Other: Dogs Vs. Cat People
Regular Exercise
Finally, you need to regularly exercise your dog as it grows older. However, it is important to ensure that the exercises are regulated. Too much exercise might result in worsening the conditions brought about by old age, while little exercise will not be enough to support the development of the dog’s muscles.
You can do this by walking the dog regularly to strengthen its muscles. It also helps in boosting its appetite, preventing obesity, improving its mood, and avoiding boredom and anxiety. This is important when adding joy and happiness to your old dog’s life.
In conclusion, if you do not do some or all the things discussed here, you need to start preparing for and dealing with the loss of your dog. This is because you are most likely going to lose the dog due to ailments such as arthritis brought about by old age.
Keeping a dog and taking care of it is not as easy as some people might think. This is because it involves caring for the dog, providing for it, and making sure that all health problems are averted before they get serious.
However, with modern medication and technology, things are a bit easier for dog owners, and they can manage to add joy and happiness to their dogs without any problems.
