3 Tips For Living With A Senior Dog

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The times out in the park with your pet dog are some of the best moments of your life. It's simple, there’s not much going on, but you, nature and your dog are having a blast. The mere fact that dogs run like crazy and have such a happy smirk on their face as they bound around and release all their energy, puts a smile on our faces.

Maybe it's something philosophical that we humans and dogs share; the feeling of freedom. That’s why they’re called ‘man’s best friend’. They have many qualities that could be deemed human-like. One of them is getting old and not being that same feisty person you once were. Dogs live about a 13-15 year lifespan, so they get old quite quickly compared to us. Which is why there can be a bit of a bridge between us as we don’t understand how they could change so quickly. Take your time with them and help them adapt to their age with these 3 tips.

1. Add More Rugs To Your Home

When our feet ache, we soak them to get all the aches and pains out of them. We wear wooly socks and soft slippers. But dogs rarely like to get wet and they don’t like dog socks either. So instead, we can make their lives easier and stop their paws from hurting by placing more throw rugs around our homes. If you have carpet in your living room that’s great, but more than likely you’ll have hardwood flooring  or tile for your kitchen. Put a soft cotton rug in the kitchen so the dog has a place to relax and you have a place to wipe your feet. You may see your dog limping around as it gets older. Their joints may become inflamed as they age, and they may suffer from arthritis. So a simple rug to help them walk around on hard floors helps a lot.

Pay Attention To Their Hips

Dogs are incredibly athletic animals that make human feats of running and jumping look pathetic. One of the reasons we love them is because they can jump and run with so much energy and skill. When they get old, dogs commonly get hip dysplasia, especially larger breeds. Their hips become misaligned and their joints more rigid. It can hurt just to walk let alone run. Fortunately, there are many treatments are at your disposal. On Dogs By Nina, there’s a lot of advice on what kind of surgical treatments you can opt for depending on the severity of the dysplasia. On the other hand, taking your dog to a dog chiropractor could do wonders for the health of your pooch. They will carefully feel where the bones may be out of place and with some pressure and manipulation, correct the alignments.

Encourage Relaxation

Hey, your dog is moving into his or her twilight years, so don’t take them on the same amount of walks anymore. Be more relaxed with them, definitely let them do the dog stuff they like, such as sniffing around and enjoying toys. Just slow the pace of life down with them and let them be in as much comfort as they can without being totally stationary.

Dogs are the light of our lives, and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as they get old.