Taking Care Of Your Senior Cat: Food And Water Intake

 

If you have decided to get a senior cat to add to your growing family, congratulations. This decision will surely impact your life meaningfully as you change the life of an old cat and witness how she transforms into her golden years.

Now, be sure to understand all needs of your senior cat. Such knowledge will help you be the best fur parent you can be. Read on and take note of the things you need to keep in mind.

• Senior cats experience more physiological changes such as the inability to absorb or digest food well
• Senior cats fail to use their sense organs to the full
• Senior cats are more prone to being dehydrated and having heat stroke or heat stress 

How can you address these concerns?

• Give your senior cats highly absorbable food filled with nutrients to support their healthy aging
• Motivate your senior cats to increase their water intake to keep hydrated and to support kidney function

A sudden change in your pet’s drinking and/or urinating habits should be brought to the attention of your veterinarian San Diego, CA. Read more here.

Memory Foam Beds For Pets

 

You might be wondering why memory foam is called such.  This is due to the material remembering the original shape it had and it returns to that shape after your dog moves or gets up.  This reaction is important to that material.  The ability to spring back to its original form lets it support your pet continuously even if he moves around. 

As your pet lays down on the foam, the material reshapes itself around your dog’s body.  But when your dog shifts around, that same material returns to its previous shape, providing support.  Thus, you will not have to fluff the bedding as it does it for you by itself.  If your pet moves around on a regular blanket, for instance, any support he had would be gone. 

Here is another example: if you place a heavy bowling ball onto a bed made of memory foam, it then sinks, but does not roll over to one side.  The foam bends to the weight of the ball and supports it on every side.  As you pick up the bowling ball, the foam would spring back to its normal shape.  If you tried rolling that ball along the mattress surface and it stops on another area, it would just stay still because the foam would still support it on every side.

Your professional veterinarian San Diego, CA is a valuable resource when it comes to your pet’s health and needs.

Cold Weather Pet Care

 

When winter arrives, expect that your dog may experience a few issues with his skin and coat. In particular, the skin of your pup can become itchier, drier, or flakier because of the cold yet dry weather. The paws of your dog can also be affected as they become chapped.

Can you address these issues? Yes, you can by following the below tips:

Give your dog fewer baths than the routine. The goal of doing this is to retain the essential oils of the skin and prevent it from becoming excessively dry.

Keep the humidifiers inside your home going to support skin moisturization.

Use a special shampoo on your dog to keep his coat moisturized and to avoid itchy skin.

Do not completely shave the coat of your dog during the cold season. Doing this will give your dog natural protection against extreme cold weather.

Trim the fur between the paw pads of your dog to avoid the formation of ice balls.

If your pet is showing signs of hypothermia, contact a veterinary hospital San Diego, CA immediately so you can be instructed on what to do.