Top Tips to help your senior pet!

We have compiled a list of the top things you can do at home to help improve your senior pet's quality of life:

Diet: Older animals may be less able to cope with nutrient excesses or deficiencies, or changes in nutrient intake and quality. A top recommendation is for your senior pet to be fed a complete and balanced premium food suitable for mature pets - we will be able to give you the best advice when it comes to diet.
Exercise: Senior pets must maintain mobility and muscle mass in their later years. Dogs should have consistent levels of daily exercise - slow and steady is the key.
Routine: Our senior pets can become a little rattled if their routine is changed, especially if they are showing signs of dementia. Keep to a routine with exercise and feeding times. Too many changes can lead to anxiety problems.

Cats Get Arthritis Too

Because cats are relatively small and very agile they are even better than dogs at hiding or covering up mobility difficulties caused by arthritis. We generally don't take cats for a walk around the block so it is hard to see a limp or change in gait. Pain commonly goes unnoticed in our feline friends so watch out for these subtle signs:

Mobility

• Your cat may hesitate when jumping up or down from your lap or from the furniture
• She may not land very gracefully when jumping down
• Will be reluctant to climb the fence or climb trees
• Will be unwilling to move freely in and out of cat flap
• She may no longer use the litter box, especially if it has high sides

Rescue Pets are Great!

Recently our Nurse Brittany visited the Animal Welfare League at Wingfield on her day off to deliver some spare blankets to them.

While there she visited some of the wonderful dogs eagerly awaiting adoption. (more cute photos below)

If you're thinking about a new pet, why not check out what pets are available through a reputable animal rescue organisation such as Animal Welfare League?

Even if you are not in a position to adopt another pet, you can still visit the shelter and give the lonely pets some love and attention they are needing...

Other Great Animal Rescue Organisations Include:

Australian Working Dog Rescue Inc.

RSPCA SA

Greyhound Adoption Program SA

SA Dog Rescue

More cute photos from Brittany's AWL visit...