Module 7: Caring for Pets with Special Needs
Caring for Senior Pets
Older pets often need a gentler pace and closer attention than younger animals.
✓Common Changes in Senior Pets
- Reduced mobility, stiffness, or difficulty with stairs
- Vision or hearing decline
- Increased need for bathroom breaks
- Confusion or disorientation in cases of cognitive decline
✓Adjustments to Make
- Move at the pet's pace on walks and around the home
- Approach from where the pet can see or sense you coming, especially if hearing or vision is reduced
- Watch for signs of pain, such as reluctance to move or unusual stillness, and report them to the client
- Keep the environment as consistent as possible, since change can be disorienting
Senior pets often can't do what they used to, and that's not something to rush past — it's something to plan around.