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Senior dog week – Changes in your dog
Changes
Our pets change as they get older, a few grey hairs may appear or they may be content to spend more time snoozing, and this is all quite normal. However there are some changes which should not be ignored, as they can signal some disease processes and our main message to owners of older pets is, get advice, as many diseases if diagnosed early can be controlled and allow your pet to enjoy good quality of life.
Some changes to be alert for are:
- Increase in thirst – are you topping up the drinking water more often, or do you see your pet drinking in other places often?
- Loss of house cleanliness – are you having to clear up after a pet who has been house trained since they were a puppy or kitten?
- Change in appearance of faeces – different volumes, shape, colour?
- Loss of weight, or seeming to get ‘fat’ around the middle?
- Less energy on walks?
This is not an exhaustive list, and really any alteration to what you know is normal for your pet should be a good reason to get an appointment with your vet. Never feel you are ‘wasting our time’ or making a fuss’ just because you can’t decide what is wrong, to a certain extent that is our job!