One important feature of the health of your pet is pet grooming. This needs to be done throughout its life. Taking a more active part in grooming your pet as it ages. This because grooming becomes more important at this phase in your pets life.
It is important for you to be aware that older pets will often groom less. It could be that they have trouble reaching the “difficult to reach areas,”. It could be that they develop skin conditions which require special attention. It is for these reasons that you may have to be more involved. Especially as your pet’s groomer, you can help keep your pet clean. You may need to monitor any skin changes and coat. Be on the lookout for any signs of medical problems.
Bumps and Lumps
You might start seeing and feeling bumps and lumps underneath and on their skin. This is often noticeable as the pet continues to age. It is important that you have all the new skin growths. Your pet’s doctor in Singapore can evaluate this skin growth’s to find out if further attention is required. Some might be a bother, aggravating the pet. This is especially when they are situated in sensitive body parts. It can also happen that the pet will bleed from any grooming and other activity. Several of these may prove to be more serious, such as tumours.
Another kind of bump/lump you might see on your pet’s skin is pressure sore. The sores come up at those points in which there is not some cushioning. That is normal as your pet lie in these areas between bone and hard surfaces are affected. These sores are most common in the large dog breeds. However, you might see it more frequently as the pet ages. Also as it loses some of its protective muscle mass.
An example of these sores, a hygroma, will occur at their elbow. This is your pet’s body reaction to pressure in this areas. Hygromas could become rather large. It might often time look like your pooch has a tennis ball on its elbow. These might also get infected and rather painful from any ingrown hairs.
Another common place for the pressure sores would be the hip joints and sides of the knees. When you notice the start out of these kinds of sores. It is a good idea to furnish soft padded surfaces to the areas where your pet sleeps. Realize that these kinds of sores can be hard to treat.
Nails
Generally, most pets do not enjoy having their nails trimmed. On the other hand, as your pet continues to age. It is even more crucial to trim the nails and might be harder to do so. Usually, nails will often get thick as well as brittle with time. Even then, your pets might resent getting their paws groomed. This further delays the chore. Nail beds and nail can get overgrown. Meaning that they could grow into their pads. This will actually be rather painful, thus making walking a chore.
At the same time, you can make it a routine to trim small amounts of the nail. This can be either from your dog or even cat after every 2 weeks. This will help make walking much easier for your pet. It will also help prevent nail overgrowth. When you are having a hard time getting the trims done. You can visit your pet’s groomer for help and tips how to do it.
Changes in the Skin and Coat
As your pet ages, several changes might occur in your pet’s coat and skin. This is more evident as your pet reaches its senior years. You will notice that skin that is always healthy will become flaky and dry. You might notice dander on the coat’s surface.
On the flip side, the skin could become too oily and will feel greasy to touch. With these changes, it could be an indication of your pet not being able to groom himself properly.
When your pet has arthritis, it can often make it difficult to reach other places. A lack of interest in your pet might be caused by mental changes. These changes are brought about by ageing. Thus a usually fastidious pet might seem uninterested. You might have to help out by doing more regular brushing, bathing. As your pet’s groomer, you could also use medicated shampoos when bathing your pet.
Often times the endocrine system diseases are usually first reflected through changes in the pet’s skin. Any hormonal imbalances might cause the skin to be fragile and thin. This also means that it might tear easily. It can also be slower to heal. It will also be possible for you to notice colour changes. This can often show by light skin turning dark. It will at the same time appear thickened.
You might notice tiny bumps that will look like blackheads. Any slight changes in odour, colour, or appearance of the pet’s skin need to be investigated. You can have a veterinarian in Singapore do so to find out the underlying medical causes.
Grooming Aids
You can find products that can help make it more comfortable and easier to groom the senior pet. Search for combs and brushes that come with plastic tipped teeth. Using these kinds of tools can be more comfortable for your pet’s skin. As for wire brushes, they will be helpful in getting the mats and also remove excess dander.
Using brushes that have their teeth set in rubber back and a foam padding underneath them. This can be much comfortable for your pet’s skin. When your pet does not like water yet they need a bath. You could look at the different waterless shampoos. This will help make the job less stressful and easier.
When the pet has long fur, maintain the area about the rear end trimmed short. Faeces frequently mat in its hair causing unpleasant odours and skin irritations. Senior cats and dogs oftentimes fail to maintain this region as clean