Tips for caring for elderly pets

If you have a senior pet, you know how amazing they can be, especially if they have been a part of your family for many years. In fact, if someone is interested in adding a furbaby to their family, I encourage them to consider a senior pet.

There are so many advantages to having a senior pet. You don’t have to guess how big they’re going to get. You already know what their disposition will be. You don’t have to go through the destructive puppy or kitten stage. And they’re rarely susceptible to many of the diseases that plague young animals.

While senior pets are absolutely fabulous as they age, they do need special attention. Like anyone else who’s aging, and I guess that would be all of us, changes continually occur.

One of the things we sometimes see in older dogs and cats is confusion and disorientation with symptoms like dementia and senility. They seem to forget how to find their way around their own homes.

That’s why I routinely remind folks to put legible identification on their pets with either ID tags or embroidered collars or both. And I urge everyone to have their pets microchipped in the event they’re lost so a simple scan can provide the way home.

It’s helpful to know what to watch for if you have a pet with a few years on him. An older dog may exhibit signs of being disoriented, not able to find his way around an area he was previously familiar with, standing at the hinge side of the door to go out instead of the open side, appearing lost or circling, just to name a few.

Older cats experiencing senility may become increasingly vocal and needy. They may forget to use their litter box or have sleep disturbance. They may fail to groom themselves and even become a little cranky.

If you notice these symptoms in your pet, have him examined by a veterinarian to rule out any other medical issues. If no other medical problems are diagnosed, he just might have dementia.

If that’s the case, then plans for keeping him safe need to be made. Closer supervision should be provided especially while he’s outside.

I’ve lost count of the number of times a family will contact me to ask for my help in locating their missing senior pet. The stories are all so similar with the family telling me their lost pet has never wandered off before.

And that’s the way it happens. The elderly dog or cat that has never left the yard before becomes so confused he doesn’t even know where home is anymore. So he takes off on a journey to try to find where he’s supposed to be, and it’s typically the opposite direction of his home. It’s amazing how far an elderly pet can travel.

Lately, there have been several elderly pets that have wandered away from their homes. Knowing older pets are missing and in danger from the elements, traffic or predators is scary. And knowing families are heartbroken and searching for their loved one makes me so sad.

Luckily I have a terrific group of caring people who follow my Facebook page and help share notices of lost or found pets. Some of them actually go out searching for the pet just to see if they can help.

The signs of pet senility may be subtle at first. Please be aware. And please be understanding of a dog or cat that has been loyal for years and now needs your patience and protection. This is the time he needs you most.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Tips for caring for elderly pets."