Dog Nutrition: Preparing Proper Nutrition for the Senior Citizen Dog
By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2009-01-17 09:54:12 | Word Count: 517
When it comes to keeping pets, owners must be very careful about nutrition. If you have a dog, you have to ensure that your dog gets the best nutrition so that it lives healthy.
It is a big mistake to think that you can feed your dog anything under the sun. You have to take a lot of care about your dog’s nutrition in order to keep your dog fit and free from any kind of illness. Special care needs to be taken of dogs who are aged. Older dogs need more care because they are susceptible to health disorders.
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Experienced dog owners already know that a dog’s diet has to be regulated according to its age. Those who are new to keeping pets will have to understand that the dog’s diet has to change according to its age.
The things that you have to change when your dog gets older are the number of times you feed your dog and the amount of food you give it. These two things are very important when it comes to the food habits of your dog.
Due to age, most dogs have a lack of appetite. After a certain age, you will notice that your dog is not to keen on eating. This surely means that you need to make a change in the diet in order to give your dog the required nutrition. Another major problem, along with lack of appetite is a weakened digestive system. With age, your dog will find it more and more difficult to eat and digest food. This is the time when you have to switch to many meals throughout the day for your dog so that it gets all the nutrition it requires.
The best food for an ageing dog is dry food that has been specially formulated for dogs of the higher age group. These dry foods are available in most pet food stores. However, before you choose a certain dog food, it is best to seek the advice of your dog’s veterinarian.
The dog food must have all the necessary nutrients that your dog needs, including vitamins, minerals, zinc, vitamin B and calcium.
Joint disease:
When you have an ageing dog, one of the illnesses that your dog will be most susceptible to is noninfectious osteoarthritis. Take your dog for regular checkups to ensure that your vet detects osteoarthritis in an early stage.
Given below are the illnesses which are likely to affect aged dogs:
Obesity, especially in big dogs.
Mechanical trauma from jumping or any other activity.
Torn ligaments in joints. The stifle joint, is most susceptible to ligament tear, especially in poodles.
Slipped knee cap. This is another disorder that is more common to the toy breeds.
Osteochondritis dissecans, which affects younger dogs.
Hip dysplasia.
Give your dog correct nutrition at all points in its life in order to ensure that it remains healthy. Love, care and regular checkups are also as important as the diet in order to keep your dog free from illnesses and give your dog a long and healthy life.
