Common Senior Dog Health Problems and Simple Tips to Prevent Them

Senior dog health issues are something you should be aware of as a dog owner. Dogs tend to develop certain health problems as they get older. These problems can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort to your dog and affect its health badly. So, as a dog owner, it is your responsibility to come up with a preventive plan to avoid such problems.

As your dog ages, a lot of changes take place in its body. Given below are some of the most common senior dog health problems.

• Its metabolism slows down

• Its joints become weak and it tends to develop joint related problems

• Its eyesight and hearing capabilities get weakened

• Vital organs like kidneys and liver get weakened

• Its immune system gets weakened and it becomes vulnerable to bacterial and viral infections

Treating senior dog health problems can be quite a difficult task. As your dog gets older, it might not be able to respond positively to prescription drugs or may not tolerate them as well. It might not be able to recuperate quickly from an illness. Moreover, it might not be able to withstand the side effects of conventional medical treatments. So, you should try to prevent such health problems to the extent possible. Let me tell you how you can do it.

Diet plays a very important role in senior dog health. So, you should feed your dog a nutritious diet. Consider purchasing a high quality AAFCO approved dog food that has been formulated for older dogs. These types of food contain more fiber, to help avoid age related issues such as constipation.

Fresh Water can help to avoid urinary tract problems. Even adding 1 additional walk per day, even a short walk, can help encourage urination, natures way of clearing the urinary tract.

Make sure your dog gets enough physical exercise. Play with it, take it for a walk, make it fetch the newspaper, and do anything that keeps it active for some time. Regular physical exercise can strengthen your dog's limbs, increase its metabolic rate, and improve its overall health.

Giving organic health supplements is another way to avoid senior dog health issues. Certain herbs like Huang Qi, milk thistle, cat's claw, and mistletoe are known for their ability to boost the immune system of dogs and improve the functioning of their vital organs. A regular dose of these herbal supplements can increase the disease resistance capacity of your dog to a great extent and make it healthier naturally.

What you need to realize is very simple. There is no magic potion that can keep your dog young forever. However, with care and good genetics a dog can live from 13 to 20 years or older. Senior dog health problems are as much a reality as old age itself. However, with the right combination of diet, exercise, and natural health supplements, you can avoid these health problems to the extent possible and keep your dog hale and hearty.

Jeff Grill is an editor of the Dog Health Handbook, which has more information on senior dog health. See this site for more information on natural approaches to the treatment of senior dog health problems.