Preparing for Winter for your Ageing Pet
Young dogs and cats are usually able to handle reasonable extremes in temperature without too much difficulty. However older pets find that the cold of winter or the heat of mid-summer, stresses their old bodies, causing previously hidden medical conditions to become serious, even life-threatening.
These conditions can vary from heart and lung conditions, kidney failure, arthritis or a combination of conditions. Owners often call this “old age”. However “old age” is not a disease but a summary of various ailments.
To give your ageing pet an extended happy life into old age, there are a few things you can do to assist. These include:
• Food and Water. Feed premium pet foods. These are formulated to give your pet all the essential nutrients. Fresh clean water should be available at all times.
• Shelter. Older pets are not able to withstand climatic extremes. A draft-free bed that separates your pet from the heat sapping ground, floor or concrete is essential. Often a coat, if your pet will wear it, will help too.
• Medical assistance. An annual veterinary check-up for any pet over 7 years of age, is ideal. This may diagnose previously unnoticed conditions, review the diet, and commence arthritis treatment.
Old dogs and cats often have stiff old bones. These poor pets creak and hobble around the house, struggle up and down stairs and work especially hard to get to their feet in the chilly mornings. Luckily, help is at hand.
Do pets have moods? You would only have to own a pet for five minutes to know the answer to that is 'yes' but to what extent do the moods of pets reflect the moods of people? Do pets suffer from Panic Attacks and Generalised Anxiety Disorders?
