Woof! Did everypaw have a pawonderful holiday weekend?  Did you have lots of funnigans?  Whew! Mom took us out on an adventure every evening; us Lhasa’s do not like warm weather and like the evening cooler temperatures. Furiends, Mom made us work-out though, she said it is Grr8 for our heart, keeps us young.  Trust me; I am not slowing down anytime soon.  BOL

This reminded me, this month is National Senior Pet Wellness month; of course, this doesn’t include me because I am not old.  I just paw up to everypaw, I am seasoned, experienced; and oh yeah, let’s not furget distinguished and debonair.  BOL

What does senior pet wellness exactly mean?  What does it entail (no, not your tail)?  First, no wags about it, exercise is very important for us even as we age.  Did you know that exercise can help prevent bad dudes visiting us?  As we age, we can develop Alzheimer’s-like disorders, just like humans. Exercise will help reduce the progression of this disorder; as well as keep us at a healthy weight, keep our body functioning properly and helps stay alert.

Tell your parents that regular exercise is actually an important part of keeping our quality of life and slowing down the progression of aging. Get this!  It helps your parents too!  Maintaining regular physical fitness with us can also help to keep our physical, mental and emotional health sharp and intact. Mom gives us regular exercise, explains why we are very sharp and young at heart.

As we get older, (oh I can’t even imagine this) we getter heavier.  Oh my!  That means no sexy struts!  Along with exercise, nutrition is very important to help keep our sexy bodies and decrease the risk of diabetes.  Your parents may not know this, as we get older, we do not eat or drink as much, it is more important than ever our diet is maintained at our regular intake of nutrition and fluids. This not only helps to ensure that we are getting all of the essential nutrients and vitamins that we need in our senior years, but it also helps to keep up our energy levels and fight off any sickness or health issues.

Now there is one more important thing, I know that you may not want to hear this, trust me, this is very important.  Hold on to your kibble, once you reach the age of seven, you need to see Doc more. I know, I know, I know;  hear me out, these appointments with Doc become increasingly important as we age because nearly every single pet will develop at least one serious condition in their senior years. Scheduling regular screening exams with Doc will help your parents catch any serious complications that could affect us in our senior years.  Mom did this for Buffy and she was able to catch a lot, which saved Buffy’s live numerous times.  She has begun doing it for Carla and I (ok, so I admit it, I am a senior..sigh); Carla’s thyroid was caught early this way.

Furiends, Senior Pet Wellness Month is a great opportunity for your parents to learn about all of the care for us senior pets. However, it is important that all year, not just this month. After all, a healthy pet is a happy pet, and that is the most that we can ask for in their senior years.   Don’t you agree?  How many of you are senior pets?  Do you have senior pet tips to share to help others?

Bark at ya later
Mr MaGoo