No matter what we do, we can’t stop the hands of time.
So, here’s how to take special care of your senior doxie with a few tips and tricks. Whether we like it or not, our adorable and precious Doxie will age. The best thing to do is accept the situation and most importantly, learn how to take care of our dachshund as they get older. So, how can we best take care of our aging dachshund? Read on to learn more!
Provide the Right Type of Food
Your four-legged friend’s nutritional needs change over time. Because of biological changes, you need to offer an age-appropriate diet. For example, a young doxie is more active and could easily use up energy. Thus, it is important to give him more calories. However, this is not the case with an old dachshund.
Because they become less active and energetic, your doxie is prone to becoming overweight as he loses interest in physical activities. For this reason, you would need to give older dogs a low-fat and low-calorie diet.
Not only that, but you also need to take into consideration your dog’s overall health condition. If your doxie already has an existing problem, you need to know his diet restrictions and what food is okay to give.
Determining the right food to feed your doxie can be tricky. Thus, it would be a good idea to speak to your vet and ask for his help to develop a healthy eating program for your dog.
Perform Regular Exercise
Taking care of your aging doxie starts well before he gets old. Ideally, you should have already established the building blocks of healthy senior years of your dog while he is still young.
Nevertheless, it is never too late to encourage regular exercise in your dachshund. You can start slow and gradually increase the intensity of the exercise. Remember to first build up your dachshund’s stamina and strength before proceeding to a more difficult routine.
Vet Visits
As your doxie grows older, the more important it is for him to get regular vet checkups. The vet could assess any problems that may arise and even identify potential dangerous illness before it becomes full-blown. Don’t simply assume that your doxie is healthy.
Oftentimes, dogs look healthy on the outside, but you don’t know that a problem is starting to develop inside their body. Get your senior dog checked at least once every six months.
Dental Visits
You might have already seen how old people lose their teeth. The same is true with your doxie. Dental diseases become more and more common as your dog ages. That’s why, while they are young, you need to have already given your dog a good dental and oral care.
You can clean your dog’s teeth with a piece of clean cloth. If your dog won’t allow you to do so, buy him some dental treats. Have your dog checked and receive professional dental cleanup at least once a year.
Groom Your Senior Dog Properly
Your old doxie won’t be as active as he was before. He would most likely spend more time lying down, causing his hair to grow unruly, disheveled, and tangled. This is especially true when you have a wirehaired or longhaired dachshund. For this reason, you need to brush your dog’s hair every day and use natural pooch shampoos.
Don’t underestimate the need for proper grooming. Remember, your dog’s skin gets dry and flaky. Not only that, but urine scalding can happen as well due to his inability to hold pee effectively.
Facial folds of your dog can easily get irritated due to drooling. So, keeping your doxie fresh and clean could do a lot of wonders.
Use a ramp
It’s not that easy to climb up and down the stairs, bed, and sofa when you’re an old dachshund. Not only that but if your dog is forced to jump up and down from a high place, he can put a lot of strain on his back and eventually develop musculoskeletal problems, such as IVDD, which affects 1 in 4 Dachshunds. This is the last thing you want to happen to an aging wiener dog.
Thankfully, there are tools that you can use to help your doxie. Chief among them is the DachRamp. It is a portable and sturdy pet ramp that helps your dachshund climb up and down from one place to another. It comes with adjustable heights, so it can perfectly suit your current and future needs. Remember that even though IVDD is genetic, you can push back the disease by taking steps to avoid strains on your Dachshund’s back.
Your Doxie Can Age Happily
Aging is a normal process of life. The best thing we can do is prepare for the time when our dachshund turns to his senior years. Once that happens, we would be more prepared with the right knowledge and tools to better take care of our beloved doxie.
