preview

Comfort For Our Aging Pets

Decent Essays

Comfort for our aging pets is important not only to us but the their well-being also. Keeping our senior dogs pain free is one way we can provide a better experience for our senior pets during their elderly years. The first step to keeping senior pets pain free is recognizing when they are actually in pain and to gauge the degree of that pain, however this may be difficult since they cannot speak to us. We can however look for signs of pain and by judging the reaction to that pain determine how strong and deep the pain actually is. Some signs of pain to look out for are, stiffness when attempting to rise, slow movements when going up and down stairs or off and on furniture, trembling when standing or sitting, sitting in an odd position and gait abnormality when walking. We may also see a lowered appetite and weight loss if the pain is extremely severe. Once it is determined that your dog is showing signs of pain a visit to the veterinarian is the next step. Sometimes pain in joints and other areas mean arthritis caused from age, however it also can be a sign of an unseen injury. The veterinarian will determine the cause of pain and the method of treatment. There are some great pain medications on the market to help our aging dogs be more comfortable and if arthritis is the diagnosis there are several medications that can be prescribed for your beloved dog. The veterinarian may suggest over the counter supplements be given for joint swelling and pain to add to a

Get Access