Pets Can Have Senior Moments, Too!

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

Senior pets -- generally, that means pets over the age of seven, but it varies depending on species, breed, and size -- can suffer from a lot of the same problems senior humans do. That includes the dreaded, embarrassing, or frustrating "senior moment".

What's a senior moment? It's a cute name for a somewhat disturbing problem. Your brain just won't feed you the information you need -- even though you KNOW you know it. Some senior moments are innocent; others are indicators of a more serious memory issue in action.

For pets, a senior moment may lead to a lost dog or cat. One moment, your pet is happily wandering the park or yard. The next, he or she has gotten confused and wandered off in search of an owner who was right where the pet left them. Changes in senses as your pet ages may make it difficult for your lost pet to find his or her way home. A pet can panic and become even more confused when they can't find you.

Don't lose your pet to a senior moment! Here are some things you can do to help:

• Always know where your pet is. Keep a close eye on them when you are out and about, and don't let them wander out of sight.
• Make sure your yard is fully fenced at home, and only let your pet off-leash in fully fenced park areas.
• Don't let your senior pet wander away from you in unfenced areas, no matter how well trained he or she is. They may get lost or confused and not be able to find their way back.
• Make sure your pet wears a collar with ID tags and your contact information whenever you are out of the house.
• Work on finding ways to signal your dog that work with changing senses. You may need a whistle on a different frequency, for example.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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