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If you have a geriatric dog or elderly, pension, when you travel may require special considerations. Dogs are creatures of habit and routine, and do the best when it can maintain a consistent daily pattern. Seniors may be more set in their ways, and any disruption to your schedule can cause additional stress to an organism's aging. Following a discussion of some issues and concerns that may arise when boarding your pet geriatric pet, along with some tips on how to help relieve them.

At what age, exactly, is a dog considered a "senior" or "geriatric" pet? The actual age varies depending on the breed (with larger breeds age faster than small dogs), but in general, any dog older than 7 – 9 years will be noted as a senior pet. Older dogs usually require more veterinary care and may have more pre-existing conditions medical younger than pets, including heart disease, diabetes, renal dysfunction and liver, low thyroid and arthritis and joint problems. Some conditions may underlie and not previously diagnosed … and stress due to change the environment and time during a stay of shipment can cause the body to react. Only then the animal begins to show symptoms.

If you need to take action for your senior pet when you travel, you should first make an assessment as to their total health and temperament. May be a good idea to take your senior dog to a veterinarian examination shortly before departure to make sure that all is well (or at least stable), with their health. If your PET is relatively healthy, happy and active, if he has previously addressed, and if he has an outgoing personality and relatively relaxed response new things, then you can pass up without problems. If, on the other hand, it has a number of medical conditions, is very stressed in new situations or not an experienced boarder, you may want to consider alternatives such as a pet sitting service at home. If you need advice he had home, the product may be a better choice for pets or unsupervised, with serious medical conditions, as they will be better able detect impending crises quickly.

If, however, your pet is relatively mobile, happy and healthy, you can choose to board him in a local pet resort. By choosing this option, it is always wise to visit the facility and ask lots of questions, as far as care of the elderly. Will they offer many opportunities for your senior to go out and walk around to keep your joints mobile? They are able to offer orthopedic or other soft bedding to arthritic members (or you can take this from home)? They can work with you to provide any special dietary needs? They are able administering any medication according to the directions and how they determine whether they are being given correctly? Will they take your time and help pets with hearing and / or deficits of vision? Do they have quiet areas for lodging away from the hustle general? What measures will take to make your dog more comfortable if he seems very anxious or stressed? What are your procedures, if there is a medical emergency?

It is critically important to your pet's well-being that you advise the staff care for animals of any health problems or concerns. Be honest, as pet resorts are there to provide the best possible care for their senior pet, but may not be able to do it if they are not aware of pre-existing conditions. Remember, they do not know your dog, as well as you do, and subtle differences in behavior or habits that may be indicative of a problem of development may go unnoticed, since they are not as adept at reading your dog. Make sure you leave a phone number where you can be contacted in case of an emergency, and preferably a number for someone local and who will be able to make decisions health care for your pet if it can not be achieved. Many care facilities pet will ask you to fill a form of veterinary emergency so that they are familiar with your wishes if there is an emergency and are unable to contact you. Too make sure you authorize your vet to provide information to service personnel, if the pet facility has questions … vets respect patient privacy in a manner similar to medical people, and unless you have given your approval, they may not be able to provide information necessary to care for the pet if they have personal questions.

There are a variety of alternatives in the care of their pets geriatric as you travel. Make an informed decision based on your general health, temperament and needs, and this may be a relatively stress-free experience for you and your senior dog.

Joy Lee is co-owner and general manager of Rover Oaks Pet Resort in Katy, Texas. She is also passionate about animal rescue, and has authored a book, “Rover’s Rescues…True Stories of Shelter Dogs and Second Chances”, for which a portion of each book sale will be donated to Citizens for Animal Protection in Houston. Visit her website, http://www.joyleebooks.com/, for more information.

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