Pets Get Better With Age: New Trends in Caring for Senior Pets

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) is excited to announce new ways their pet product manufacturing members are celebrating senior pets and helping them enjoy their older years. November is National Pet Awareness, as well as Adopt a Senior Pet Month. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), older dogs are often the last to be adopted in shelters. While caring for senior pets can require a little extra TLC from pet owners, there are benefits to adding an aged pet to the home. Senior pets can be a great option for seniors or those with disabilities who are unable to give active young pets the exercise they demand. Many senior pets are also house trained and know basic commands so there is less need for training. Most of all, they just want a family to spend their golden years with rather than spend it alone. Below are some products, manufactured by APPA members, to aid in the aging process and enhance the relationship between senior pets and their owners.

Diet & Nutrition

Dieting restrictions come with getting older because the volume of food is not as important as nutrients. In fact, eating a less but more nutritious diet helps prevent weight gain. The Wooly by PAW5 is an interactive enrichment product that engages dogs’ powerful sense of smell as they snort and sniff their way through dinner! By combining their natural aging instincts with mealtime, dogs have the opportunity to use their most powerful tool: their nose. By challenging dogs’ minds, the Wooly helps keep senior dogs sharper, quicker and younger.

Scientists at Nestle Purina have been studying aging in pets for more than a decade and have concluded that nutrition can positively impact a dog’s cognitive health. Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ contains enhanced botanical oils, which promote alertness and mental sharpness. Around the age of seven glucose metabolism in dogs’ brains begin to change affecting memory, learning and awareness, making it important to consider dietary changes earlier than later.

Holistic in nature, Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Weight & Mature Cat Food helps less-active senior cats maintain a healthy weight by using a natural vegetable fiber to reduce calories. This formula is complete and balanced with real chicken as the main ingredient and turkey, duck and salmon as additional sources of protein. There is no wheat, corn, soy artificial coloring or preservatives. It’s a perfect formula for the old feline soul.

Supplements

Over 65% of dogs over the age of seven suffer from arthritis, and feeding them food with the vital nutrients they need helps them live a long and healthy life. Senior Mobility Pet Supplement With Elk Velvet Antler by Wapiti Labs helps support joint flexibility and mobility for dogs in the second stage of life. Using the same natural blend of Elk Velvet Antler (EVA) and traditional herbs found in Wapiti Labs Mobility formula, Senior Mobility has been reformulated specially for the senior dog.

As dogs get older, systems in their bodies become less efficient. K9 Power Young at Heart® is a formula designed to give senior dog’s key nutrients to keep them going strong and their systems functioning properly. Young at Heart helps maintain normal bodily functions that tend to decline with age, with an emphasis on joint, vision, heart, digestion, and immune health. Just mix a scoop with wet or dry food and pets are on their way to feeling young again.

Just like human hair thins and turns gray with age, the same can happen with a dog’s coat. Lipiderm® Skin and Coat Supplement is a special formulated blend of vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids in one easy to swallow gel cap, to promote a healthy, more moisturized skin and coat. Senior pets have every day difficulties and now their fur doesn’t have to be one of them.

Mobility

Even though senior pets may not be as active as they used to be, it’s still important to exercise. The DogTread® Dog Treadmill is a great way to invest in your dog’s health and well-being. This dog-specific treadmill enables owners to easily transition between a cardio and strength workout. In addition, its innovative FLEX deck design was especially designed with joint health in mind, which makes it great for seniors and dogs with arthritis and joint disease.

Getting around can be difficult for senior pets and when stairs are involved it’s that much harder. House Home Skid Resistant Carpet Runners are designed to adhere to slippery tiles and staircases, decreasing the chance of a stair accident or floor slips. The waffle-patterned ensures pets a stable non-slip journey up and down stairs and peace of mind for pet owners.

Transportation can be another struggle for senior pets unable to hop in and out of the car like they used to. The Wonder Ramp by Kurgo is a perfect solution to still allow outings with your aging friend. The ramp is designed to be a low-stress entry point for your pets, no matter what their age or physical condition. The gentle incline and non-slip surface make it as easy as walking up a slight hill, and the foldable, lightweight design means owners can transport and store it with ease.

Walkin’ Wheels® Dog Wheelchair – Veterinarian-approved, fully adjustable Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair helps aging dogs with weak or paralyzed legs lead a high-quality life. Giving dogs the exercise they need by allowing front legs to move, explore, and play, while their back legs are lightly touching the ground or safely held up in stirrups. Made of top quality, lightweight aluminum material. Dogs can play, run, walk, urinate/defecate, and live healthy, active lives in the Walkin’ Wheels.

Rest and Relaxation

The legendary properties of magnets have been studied for centuries as a natural way to help ease chronic pain and discomfort. Now it’s your pet’s turn to benefit from this healing energy. The MagnaPetic ™ Magnet Powered Relief Pad is engineered with 180 magnets of 800-gauss strength each that are strategically placed to help relieve all-over discomfort. The memory foam material also provides comfort and support.

CBD Pet Care is a non-psychoactive compound that is reported to provide aid for anxiety, nausea, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, pain and cancer symptoms. The calming and soothing lotion is derived from the flowers of Colorado-grown, 100% organic and natural Industrial Hemp Cannabis Plants. Pets can receive all of the medicinal benefits associated with cannabis without the “high” because there is no THC content.

Noise phobia in pets can come on suddenly and worsen with age. Pet Tunes by Pet Acoustics Inc. is a Bluetooth speaker that plays soothing music for pets. The music on each Pet Tunes speaker is specifically composed for either dogs, cats, birds or horses because different animals hear sounds at a different frequency. It’s a great option for senior pet owners who’ve noticed increased separation anxiety or noise sensitivities among their pets.

Grooming, Vision and Dental

Eyesight is an important sense and unfortunately age does weaken it. Luckily, Doggles Originalz saves the day by providing pets with prescription lenses. They come with the Originalz style that started it all. This style has a full frame and fixed lenses. The lens cup is more suited to dogs with less protruding eyes and eyes that are closer together. Lenses can be bought by obtaining a prescription from a vet ophthalmologist.

80% of dogs 3 or older have gum disease, so as time marches on that becomes almost inevitable. WHIMZEES™ all-natural, Vet-recommended dog chews help to fight dangerous plaque and tartar and are a convenient way to keep up on dental health at home. Available in a variety of fun shaped characters such as Alligators, Hedgehogs, Stix and Toothbrushes. They are highly digestible vegetarian treats and ensure proper blood flow through the gums.

When it comes to pets, a wet nose is a healthy nose. For senior pets dealing with dry and cracked noses, Button Nose Butter by Pura Naturals is the perfect solution. It’s made with Organic Beeswax and Organic Castor Oil helps create a moisturizing barrier and heal cracks.

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The American Pet Products Association (APPA) is the leading trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958. APPA membership includes more than 1,200 pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers representing both large corporations and growing business enterprises. APPA’s mission is to promote, develop and advance pet ownership and the pet product industry and to provide the services necessary to help its members prosper. APPA is also proud to grow and support the industry through the following initiatives: Pets Add Life (PAL), the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI), The Pet Leadership Council (PLC), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) and the Pet Care Trust. Visit http://www.americanpetproducts.org for more information.