Archive for the ‘animals’ tag
Caring For Older Dogs and Cats
One of the difficult things for many pet owners to accept and understand is that they will likely have their pets for the duration of the animals’ life. Most cats and dogs will live anywhere between 10-20 years. The pet will age throughout this time period and change drastically with the years.
The crazy, uncontrollable and glowing puppy will eventually become a geriatric dog with a number of special needs. Seeing your pet grow old is often a difficult thing to deal with emotionally as they develop many aches and pains as well as serious disorders with age. It is never easy to see a pet in pain. It is especially difficult to deal with hurting pets when they have been a solid part of your life for a great many years.
Preparing yourself for a Pet’s Old Age
There are many things that older pets need. It takes much more time and effort to keep an older animal happy and healthy than it does to do so in a young animal. This is because the pet’s body is slowly breaking down. Certain things stop working the way they should and the animal needs supplemental care to make up for this.
Older animals will also likely begin to develop severe diarrhea and vomiting. This can come as a frustrating surprise to owners who have never dealt with old animals. Owners must now deal with smelly and extremely messy litter boxes and accidents. Some owners may even begin to feel a degree of resentment towards their beloved pets as they scrub up vomit and clean the carpets of fecal stains for what can sometimes feel like all day long.
Common Issues with Older Pets
There are some issues that are a constant worry for owners of older pets. These issues include:
• Weight issues-older animals are sedentary, so many become obese. But on the flip side, many animals become gravely underweight because their organs are not functioning correctly.
• Bones and joints-most older animals begin to suffer from painful and sometimes disabling arthritis. They are often not able to engage in activities that seem relatively easy such as bending over to drink or eat from dishes on the floor.
• Kidneys-the kidneys take a pretty big beating with age. It becomes difficult for animals to rid their bodies of wastes and other toxins.
For more information on taking care of older pets, visit the website of the gogetpets.net Clinic today.
Aother – Joseph Devine