What not to do with an aging dog?
Marco McKenzie
2025-08-26 20:49:55
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Don't stop walking your dogs altogether when they start to slow down and show signs of joint stiffness. Many pet parents in this situation begin to walk their dogs less frequently, unfortunately, this can do a lot more harm than good. If your dog goes without exercise for most of the week, they risk losing muscle tone and overall fitness. They’ll then find it harder to remain active and mobile. If you follow up periods of inactivity with weekend meadow marathons, you really risk over-exerting your canine companion and injuring them. Don't let your dog become a couch potato as they age. Letting them lounge around all day isn’t the way forward, either. Over-exerting your older dog is a definite no-no. Look for signs to ease up and slow down, such as your dog seeming exhausted after a walk, instead of moderately fatigued but happy, or them no longer seeming enthusiastic about going for walks in the first place.
Tommie Turcotte
2025-08-18 06:29:02
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You shouldn’t tell them off when they become less tolerant and more irritable. Instead, we should give them time and space away from any visitors or other animals. We need to understand and respect this by making sure we leave them alone when they are sleeping. It’s also not a good idea to let them struggle to get up or down the stairs without your help, it may be a good idea to block the stairs off with a baby gate so that they don’t injure themselves. We should not let them become overweight, as this can contribute to several health concerns. You should not make them exercise in a way that puts excess strain on their ageing joints.
It is not recommended to take them on a single long walk, instead look at taking shorter but more frequent walks throughout the day.
We should not ignore changes in mobility, or slowing down, struggling with stairs or being less keen on jumping up, hearing difficulty, or loss of hearing, stiffness when getting up, not being able to see things as well as they used to.
Kasandra Nitzsche
2025-08-08 06:15:40
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: 19
Be careful with extra snacks and scraps. Try to avoid moving the furniture in your house or leaving objects in their way. Your dog may begin to bark more often, this can be because something is troubling them, or because they are going deaf. It is important to respect your dog’s space. Don't let concerns about potential health problems and associated costs put you off rehoming an older dog, as some organizations may offer financial support for identified conditions.