3 Tips for Making Life Easier for Your Elderly Dog

One of the most important considerations for many pet owners is how to make their elderly dog as comfortable as possible for the rest of their dog's life. Listed below are three tips that can help you make life easier for your elderly dog.

Supplements

One of the best ways to make life a bit easier for your elderly dog is to consider giving him or her supplements that can help alleviate some of the symptoms of aging. For example, supplements that have glucosamine and omega fatty acids can actually reduce the inflammation that accompanies arthritis in dogs, and that can allow your dog to be in less pain and even regain a bit of his or her lost mobility. In addition, there are also supplements available that can help keep your dog from losing his or her sight, with vitamin C and vitamin E supplements being among the more common vision supplements out there.

Orthopedic Bed

Another way to make life better for your elderly dog is to consider replacing his or her bed with an orthopedic option. The reason for this is that as your dog ages and begins to develop arthritis, it will become very difficult for him or her to move around or sleep comfortably due to the joint pain.

However, an orthopedic bed can help by allowing your dog to sleep with less pressure on his or her joints and bones, and that will lead to more restful sleep. In addition, the more restful sleep and lack of pressure on the joints will allow your dog to wake up in less pain and be more active and energetic.

Senior Dog Food

Finally, it is important to consider replacing your dog's food with a food that is designed specifically for a senior dog. These senior-dog food formulas will usually consist of easier-to-digest ingredients to prevent any painful stomach issues for your dog.

In addition, the senior-dog food options will also go with much softer kibble that will make it much easier for your dog to chew even if he or she is missing a few teeth or has dental pain due to his or her advanced age. However, one of the most important reasons to get senior dog food is that it will have fewer calories than traditional dog food, and this is important to keeping your senior dog that may not be as active anymore from becoming overweight.

Contact your veterinarian today to have your elderly dog examined and to discuss what steps you can take to make your elderly dog's life much easier and more comfortable. Supplements, an orthopedic bed, and senior dog food are all great ways to combat the sources of discomfort that an elderly dog will experience while also making his or her life much easier.