#ANIMAL AGE EXCERSIZE BY TEETH HOW TO#

Take them at least once, or best twice yearly, to your veterinarian for a complete health examination and blood work, called a CBC (Complete Blood Count) and Chemistry Profile (evaluates your pet’s organs).

Exercise is not only a great way to help keep down body fat, but it also is great for mental stimulation and maintaining good muscle mass. For cats, I recommend playing fetch with a foil ball, hiding food around the house for them to find, putting dry food in a “food-dispensing ball” and let them bat it around the house, and my favorite is laser tag with a penlight. For dogs, it’s walking 20 minutes a day, playing in the yard or park, and swimming if you have access to water. Carrying extra weight around is a tremendous burden and a strain on joints, heart and blood sugar control. Here’s my list of things that I do for my dog, two cats, and thousands of aging pet patients:

#ANIMAL AGE EXCERSIZE BY TEETH HOW TO#

He’s got a great spirit, good blood work and last year got a new left artificial hip to help his gait.Īs a veterinarian, I would like to share with you some ideas on how to keep your aging pet as healthy as possible. My dog Zack may be older than he was one year ago, but he’s in great health, and I am not going to treat or think of him as a declining pet just because of his numerical age. The misconception that 9 years of age is old for a dog brings me to a phrase that I frequently say in my examination room, “Age is not a disease.” In addition, age should not be a reason to decline health care advice or treatment. That night I returned home to re-examine my “older” dog and was pleased to have found him in good health. I never thought of him as “old.”Īs a veterinarian, I am keenly aware that pets age much more rapidly than humans, and that we have to be proactive with their health care. My client said, “Oh, he’s getting old!” I was shaken a bit by her response. After a few seconds passed, I realized that my dog, Zack, is 9 years old. My first impulsive answer was that he was four years old, but I instantly knew that this was not correct since we adopted him when my oldest son was still in elementary school, and now he is in college. Just a few days ago a client asked me how old my dog was, and I actually had to think about it.

Animal age excersize by teeth