Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Caring For a Senior Dog

Just as with people, senior dogs can develop
numerous health related issues as they age. One
of the most obvious signs of aging in older
canines is that they simply slow down. Far more
time each day is spent lounging around and
sleeping. It is normal for senior dogs to spend
the majority of their day napping or lying around.

Another issue owners of senior pets must deal
with is weight gain as their dogs age. Because
the dogs become less active, it is often normal
for their weights to increase. It's very
important that owners recognize this as it begins
to happen. There are numerous reasons why the
extra baggage can be detrimental to the canine's
health in his or her later years. Dogs can have
heart problems and circulatory problems just like
people and this extra weight can aggravate these
conditions. Additionally, diabetes and arthritis
are concerns in older, overweight dogs.

With osteoarthritis, the more weight the senior
canine has to carry, the more stress there is
placed upon the joints of the arthritic dog.
It's difficult enough to deal with the problems
of dog arthritis but when added weight is carried
the symptoms can be greatly exaggerated in senior
dogs with arthritis.

Because the activity level in older dogs is
usually much less than when they were younger,
the only real answer to controlling their weight
is by decreasing the amount of food they eat each
day. This can be difficult to do for pet owners
because the dogs of course would always like
more. But it must be understood that cutting
back on the calories each day is a necessary part
for ensuring long term health and a better
lifestyle for their senior pet as he ages. One
answer in helping the dog decrease the calories
and ensuring he or she feel satisfied is to
provide food in smaller amounts multiple times
per day. If this is done, it is very important
to keep track of the total daily food intake as
it can be easy to give too much using this method.

Additionally, for dogs with arthritis, it's very
important for pet owners to understand that a
daily dose of glucosamine can greatly improve the
arthritic condition and pain suffered in their
senior canines. The glucosamine has virtually no
side effects and is a completely natural
supplement product used by thousands of canine
owners successfully in treating arthritis
symptoms and dogs. Additionally, it is far less
expensive than are the numerous prescribed
medications that veterinarians may suggest in the
treatment of canine arthritis. The glucosamine
does not act in masking the pain or symptoms.

Therefore, the results are not immediately
observed when first beginning glucosamine
treatments in senior canines. It can take
several weeks up to several months before
improvements can be seen when using the
glucosamine. The reason for this is that
arthritis is not curable and all that can be done
is to alleviate the symptoms with a supplement
such as glucosamine which aids in rebuilding and
regenerating joint tissue somewhat.

----------------------------------------------------
Learn more about taking care of a senior dog at
Steve's website, Cactus Canyon:
http://www.cactuscanyon.com

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=124394

>