The Pet Sit Blog

A little extra care reaps great rewards

November 12, 2009

Posted in: Uncategorized

November has been designated Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month to help promote the many advantages of adopting an older animal.

Older pets are often neutered, house-trained, current on shots, extremely loyal and are usually overlooked at animal shelters.

If you are looking to add an older furry member to your family, remember that with older age comes a little extra care.

PSI member Debra Milton, owner of Four Paws Pet-Sitting Services in Douglasville, GA, offers the following advice on caring for senior pets:

• Spend a bit more time checking the senior dog for new lumps and bumps on its body, review the eyes for signs of glaucoma and check their urine and feces for any signs of blood, etc.    
• The senior dog’s teeth may not chew as well as they did when they were a younger dog so pet parents may want to adjust their diet with smaller size dry pellets or crush the pellets up if they are large or gradually change to a wet food.
• Use special bedding for senior dogs, like beds with heat for the winter and/or bedding with cooling sheets for the summer months.  And, use liners to protect bedding from incontinence issues.
• Discuss with your vet the times of day that would be slower at their clinic for you to bring in your senior dog.  This will create less stress on the pet, the pet parents, office staff and other patients in the vet’s common areas such as reception and waiting areas and exam rooms. 
• When traveling, remember to protect your vehicles with potty pads, blankets or seat covers for possible incontinence issues.   
• Keep a closer eye on children that may be around the senior dog – especially toddlers and young children that may not have been exposed to dogs in general and especially senior dogs.