Pets are living longer. Many pet parents are better at paying more attention and caring for their pets health wellness.
When is a dog considered a senior?
A senior dog varies by size and breed. Dogs are considered a senior in the last 25% of their expected lifespan. Sugar’s breed, a golden retriever, has a life expectancy of 10-12 years old. Sugar was considered a senior dog when she was 7 1/2 years old. I am a proud pet parent of Sugar who is now 13 years old. I am very happy that she has exceeded her life expectancy years.
What am I doing right to keep Sugar Healthy and Happy? I am sharing these
7 Tips to Keep Your Senior Dog Healthy and Happy
1) It is very important to EDUCATE yourself on how to care for your aging dog and be INFORMED on ailments that might occur.
2) Establish a RELATIONSHIP with your veterinarian. It is important that you trust your dog’s veterinarian and comfortable in asking any questions. It is recommended to take your senior dog for a vet visit every six months.
3) Provide your senior dog proper NUTRITION as obesity is very common in senior dog.
4) SUPPLEMENTS, like glucosamine and multi-vitamins/minerals, should be an essential part of your senior dog’s diet.
5) GROOMING is particularly important for senior dogs. It is critical to have a good dental health. Regular brushing eliminates dry skin and a good way to check for any lumps or abnormalities.
6) PLAY and EXERCISE should be part of your senior dog’s daily activity. Adjust as needed. Keep in mind, “Old dogs can learn new tricks.” Mental stimulating games are excellent to use for your senior dog.
7) Make your senior dog be part of your everyday LIFE.
Healthy + Happy DOG = Longer Life
Love these tips! They sure do seem to be working pretty well for Sugar too.
Fab tips. Mity is now showing signs of getting older so I am learning all about senior dogs – I’m worried about him!
At 7 Mr Reilly is aging way to fast – he has the equivalent of human Rheumatoid Arthritis and it is really slowing him down now. We still walk everyday but they are getting shorter and shorter.
SUGAR YOU ARE A GORGEOUS SENIOR…MIND, BODY AND SOUL
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
These are great tips, Sugar! With Miley being 6 years old and Maggie 5 we will keep these in mind! Thanks for sharing!
Great tips coming from the beautiful Sugar! Thanks!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Sugar you are a great ambassador for Seniors. Those top tips sure work for you. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
I’m so happy for Sugar and for you that you have had the good fortune of a long life together (and happy belated birthday to Sugar!). I would give my heart to be allowed to see my departed K grow old. Some things are beyond our control, even if we try to do everything within our power to keep our dog healthy. Despite that, that’s a wonderful list of tips.
Sugar, you are a gorgeous senior thanks to great care and lots of love. Our Yorkie friend Barney is celebrating his 14th birthday today. He is like you and lives each day to the fullest.
Sugar we will write this 7 tips down in our book. And we sure will follow your advice. Many thanks! have a great friday!
We are going to do all of these things, because I want Sheba and Cricket to outlive their life expectancy as well (they are both almost 10 now)! Sugar is such an inspiration and gives us hope that it can happen.
You are such a beautiful girl Sugar!
Such great advice Sugar!!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
thank you for these great tips Sugar. Hazel & Bailey both get supplements for their joints. Mom watches our weight too.
hugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Greta
Luv your happy face Sugar!
Aww…you’re a super cute senior 🙂
Excellent senior tips Sugar! We are both seniors too…Thanks!! Enjoy your weekend!!
Those tips are all good for younger dogs too. My favorite is the last one: make your senior dog part of your everyday life. They are members of the family too 🙂
Great tips to remember!
Excellent tips, Sugar! With both Callie and Shadow being seniors, I do my best to keep them healthy and happy. Ever since Shadow’s sister, Emma, was diagnosed with the osteosarcoma, I have been what our vet calls “tumor phobic”. Every little bump or lump gets examined thoroughly. And, sometimes they have to be removed; but so far we’ve been lucky that they’ve all turned out benign. I’m curious about your vitamins, minerals, and other supplements though: Which ones do you take, and where do you buy them (locally ? Online?)?
PS. As for me being “tumor phobic”, the vet says that with the utmost respect — his wife, he says, is the same way. It was actually his wife who noticed that their Nicholas wasn’t “acting right”, checked him for tumors, and found a mast cell tumor. Doc removed it himself, and Nicholas ended up living an additional 5-6 years before passing due to old age a few years ago. So, he and I have a mutual admiration society between us. I don’t expect every pet parent to have such a great relationship with their pet’s doctor, but it sure does help tremendously!
Love these tips! Lucy is just starting to hit those “golden years”, thankfully we have an amazing vet that takes great care of our dogs. Doesn’t matter how old you are Sugar, you’ll always look beautiful!
Supplements and preventative care have definitely helped with us (we have a 15 year old cocker spaniel). We are also mindful of the kind of activities we do with him and check for signs and body language when it’s hard for him. It doesn’t deter us from going places with him though. We are just coming back from VA Beach as a family and we had fun. It takes adjustment but we are still able to enjoy and explore with our senior dog!
I have 13 years old Golden. His name is Lucky and he is in perfect shape! Healthy and happy dog! 🙂
Wonderful tips-you’re looking fabulous Sugar <3