AC Pup encourages loving your pets their whole life

If you've ever gotten a tiny puppy or kitten and had her as a part of your family for the duration of her long life, you know what a joy that can be. Participating in all stages of the life of a pet from the time she's a baby until the time her days are over is an opportunity like no other.

Congratulations to you for making the commitment to your pet for her entire lifetime. You'd be surprised how many pets are traded in for a younger model when they're no longer the adorable little puppy or kitten they were when they first joined the family.

Each stage of a pet's life has blessings and challenges. Of course, tiny puppies and kittens are oh so cute and cuddly, but they bring the challenges of biting, scratching and chewing everything in sight. It's a good thing we're really cute during this stage.

Then as adolescents, there seems to be no end to our energy. We want to run and play for hours on end. And we're not happy doing it alone.

We want you to run and play with us. We want you to roll on the ground with us and take us for long, long walks. We don't really understand if you worked all day long, and we don't really think that should matter anyway. We want you throwing the ball, and sometimes fetching it for us, too. We just want you by our sides in a very active sort of way.

Then we graduate into pet adulthood. This is the comfortable stage where everyone knows the routine and life is good. Your pet is conditioned to her schedule and yours, and there are few surprises. Just lots of love.

Finally, after some years, your pet reaches her senior years. This is the period of time, after years of dedication and loyalty to your family, your pet needs you the most. This is also the time you can have the sweetest, most memorable interactions with her.

Personally, I love senior pets. It's my favorite time of the life cycle for animals. It's also when they seem most vulnerable and when they deserve special treatment.

You see, senior pets, especially dogs it seems, develop some of the same issues older people experience: conditions like arthritis, loss of vision and hearing, and dementia.

Dementia is a problem with dogs that puts them in great jeopardy, requiring very close supervision by their families. Your elderly dog is at great risk for wandering because she becomes confused and can't find her way home.

In my work with helping reunite lost and found pets with their families, it seems like we've had more senior pets missing than usual lately. I always hear the statement that they've gone off to die. I don't know if that really happens or if they simply get turned around and don't know which way home is.

That's why it's so important to take extra measures with your senior pet. Maybe you haven't seen symptoms of dementia. But if they're older, just assume they have it.

First and foremost, make sure they're microchipped and continually wear a collar with legible identification. Then make a pledge to them that they'll never go outside of a fenced yard without supervision.

Just because an older pet could roam the unfenced yard and come right back to the door yesterday doesn't mean she can do it today. You never know when the effects of dementia will kick in, so please don't take any chances.

Sharing your life with all the phases of your pet's life is its own reward. You'll have memories for a lifetime, and you'll both be blessed more than I can describe.

Send questions to acpup247@yahoo.com. Visit www.acpup.com or like his Facebook page.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 3:17 PM with the headline "AC Pup encourages loving your pets their whole life ."