As the years go by, the lives of dogs It also transforms. They no longer have the same energy as when they were puppies, their pace stops being frenetic and becomes more leisurely and their fur loses intensity and color.
According to a Tik Tok video by Juan Manuel Liquindoli, ethologist y canine educator creator of @filosofia.animal, old age also affects the way you see the world. Therefore, it is important to accompany your dog making small changes to your routine to improve your well-being and make you feel calmer.
How to help your dog’s well-being during old age
The expert affirms that it is important to accompany him emotionally and mentally, since at this stage the canine cognitive dysfunction syndromesimilar to Alzheimer’s in humans.
It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that occurs in older dogs and can affect memory, behavior and learning.
Although these are some of the signs that could occur, Liquindoli ensures that they should always be evaluated by a veterinarian To determine your diagnosis:
- Disorientation
- Sleep disturbances
- More anxiety
- Difficulty coping with everyday situations
Given these changes that come over the years in the dogsyour tutor should set the goal that your pet can continue to interact with the environment but in a way that is accessible to them.
For this, the expert proposes approaching it from the cognitive, sensory and affective perspectives.
Since cognitiveit is key to adapt mental stimulation without generating unnecessary stress. He ethologist y canine educator recommends continuing to propose simple challenges such as planting or searching for foodor offer your dog a simple toy without rushing him.
From the scope sensorialthe key is to maintain the animal’s physical activity but lower the speed of the walk and not seek constant movement. This way, the dog will be able to have more time to sniff, be calm, observe and walk at its own pace, without its guardian requiring it to move forward all the time.
On the emotional level, during the old agethe specialist assures that the dogs They tend to benefit when they have stable routines. At the same time, predictable interactions often help them.
However, remember that it is also essential to respect rest periods since some pets require more space and do not want to interact constantly.
