The Diet Needs of Seniors

Due to improving living conditions, the lifespan of pets is also increasing. In order for a pet to live a long and happy life, you need to provide the best care throughout its every stage of life. Frequently, pet owners are reluctant to admit that their pet is growing old, therefore, they do not take specific care measures to help its old age. What do you need to know about the needs of your golden age pet?

The First Signs of Growing Old

Every pet is becoming old in a different way; it is indeed an individual matter. For example, small breeds live longer than large breeds, therefore, they start growing old later.

During the pet‘s aging process, its body changes as well, metabolism processes slow down, physical activity is reduced, and the pet starts taking naps more frequently. Its behaviour might also change – it may become more irritated, or on the contrary, more affectionate. Gradually, its eyesight and hearing get weaker, the learning ability and concentration deteriorate as well.

The main age related health problems are: skin problems, disorders of the digestive tract, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, joint and skeletal problems as well as disorders of the urinary system and the endocrine system. The majority of these problems are related to changed needs in nutrition.

How to Properly Take Care of Your Aging Pet?

Physical activity. Due to the aging process, the pet gets lazy, sleeps more, dogs are reluctant to go for long walks. However, even little physical activity is essential for a pet in order to maintain its optimal body weight, healthy joints, and muscles.

Regular visits to a veterinarian. It is recommended to take an aging pet to a veterinarian at least once a year, ideally once every 6 months. Many diseases are not visible externally, therefore, it is vital to monitor the pet‘s health. What is more, a preventive examination costs cheaper than treatment. It is better to invest in the health of your pet with periodical check-ups than spend a fortune on treatments, which could have been initially avoided.

Observe your pet‘s health condition. Due to old age, the risk of certain illnesses increases. If you notice these signs, such as rapid weight loss or gain, increased thirst and frequent urination, changes in appetite, diarrhoea and/or vomiting, immediately contact the veterinarian. These clinical signs might suggest very serious illnesses for an aging pet.

Proper Feed for a Senior

Due to decreased metabolism processes and energy loss, you need to choose a specific feed for senior pets. It should contain fewer calories and a sufficient amount of proteins to maintain proper muscle tone. What is also important is that the feed is easily digestible because digestion and fat absorbency deteriorate due to old age. That is why it is recommended to feed the pet more often and in small portions.

In spite of this, we would like to recommend you HiQ Mini Golden Age Care and HiQ Golden Age Care feeds for senior dogs and HiQ Golden Age Care feeds for senior cats. These products are perfectly balanced for maintaining the proper health condition as well as the emotional state of a senior pet. All of the ingredients are selected and processed to help ease the effects of old age: decreased digestion, lowered activity levels and weakened natural body defence system. The feeds are enriched with L-carnitine which helps transform fat into energy, and helps maintain optimal body weight by preventing the absorbency and fat storage in the body.