| By :
Steve Weber
Just as with people, senior dogs can develop numerous health related issues as they age. One of the most obvious signs of aging in older canines is that they simply slow down. Far more time each day is spent lounging around and sleeping. It is normal for senior dogs to spend the majority of their day napping or lying around. Another issue owners of senior pets must deal with is weight gain as their dogs age. Because the dogs become less active, it is often normal for their weights to increase. It's very important that owners recognize this as it begins to happen. There are numerous reasons why the extra baggage can be detrimental to the canine's health in his or her later years. Dogs can have heart problems and circulatory problems just like people and this extra weight can aggravate these conditions. Additionally, diabetes and arthritis are concerns in older, overweight dogs. With osteoarthritis, the more weight the senior canine has to carry, the more stress there is placed upon the joints of the arthritic dog. It's difficult enough to deal with the problems of dog arthritis but when added weight is carried the symptoms can be greatly exaggerated in senior dogs with arthritis. Because the activity level in older dogs is usually much less than when they were younger, the only real answer to controlling their weight is by decreasing the amount of food they eat each day. This can be difficult to do for pet owners because the dogs of course would always like more. But it must be understood that cutting back on the calories each day is a necessary part for ensuring long term health and a better lifestyle for their senior pet as he ages. One answer in helping the dog decrease the calories and ensuring he or she feel satisfied is to provide food in smaller amounts multiple times per day. If this is done, it is very important to keep track of the total daily food intake as it can be easy to give too much using this method. Additionally, for dogs with arthritis, it's very important for pet owners to understand that a daily dose of glucosamine can greatly improve the arthritic condition and pain suffered in their senior canines. The glucosamine has virtually no side effects and is a completely natural supplement product used by thousands of canine owners successfully in treating arthritis symptoms and dogs. Additionally, it is far less expensive than are the numerous prescribed medications that veterinarians may suggest in the treatment of canine arthritis. The glucosamine does not act in masking the pain or symptoms. Therefore, the results are not immediately observed when first beginning glucosamine treatments in senior canines. It can take several weeks up to several months before improvements can be seen when using the glucosamine. The reason for this is that arthritis is not curable and all that can be done is to alleviate the symptoms with a supplement such as glucosamine which aids in rebuilding and regenerating joint tissue somewhat.
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