Tips to support your elderly dog’s cognitive health | Dorwest Herbs

VSA Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Dorwest partner Amelia Steele gives her top tips on how to support your elderly dog through their golden years…

“We love our dogs and watching them grow old can be difficult. As they enter their senior years, we can start to see changes in our dog’s behaviour, which can include decreased appetite, lethargy, restlessness, memory loss, disorientation, increased toileting accidents and potentially even aggression.

“With older dogs, it can also be tricky to meet their needs as their body may not always be able to keep up, so one of the best things you can do for your senior dog is to keep their brain active. It’s also a great way to bond with your dog and show them that you care, when they can’t get out and do activities with you.

“While all of these things can be extremely upsetting, it’s important to remember that there are things you can do to help your dog and supporting them through their old age is just as important as every other phase of their life.

“With all the conflicting information out there, it can be tricky to know how to do this, so I’ve put together my top tips for supporting your senior dog:

Try to keep a consistent environment to help your dog feel safe, sudden changes can be stressful to an elderly dog. This can include where you keep their bed, the space they have access to and other people/animals coming into the home.
Keep a predictable routine to help reduce your dog’s anxiety - this includes meal times, walk times and time you set aside to spend with your dog.
Spend some time teaching your dog a new trick (yes old dogs can learn new tricks!). Something simple like “touch” or a chin rest are great options for senior dogs.
Hide treats for them to find around the room. This engages their mind and the sniffing is a great way to tire them out, without overdoing it.
Play the which hand game (holding a treat in one hand and letting your dog choose a hand).
Encourage gentle exercise or do slow sniffy walks with your dog - sniffing is great mental enrichment. You could even sit at the park and let your dog watch the world go by.
Use snuffle mats, lick mats or KONGs to give your dog some calming enrichment time.
Give your dog plenty of rest time and avoid disturbing them while they sleep - sleep is so important to healthy brain function.
Avoid scolding them or becoming frustrated if they struggle to understand things they used to know. The same goes for toileting accidents, remember that lots of senior dogs cannot control where and when they toilet.

“I also love to incorporate the use of supplements to support brain function, like Dorwest’s new BrainCopa® which is designed to promote healthy brain function and support with cognitive decline. It can also be easily crushed, so even dogs that struggle with tablets can be given BrainCopa®."