From HSEC
Elmore County
November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month, and we see increasing numbers of older pets whose owners are no longer able to care for them. Our dogs and cats can live well into their mid to late teens so adopting a 5-, 8- or 10-year-old pet still means many, many years together. Of course, what would be best in our Shelter world is that all pets stay with their families and never need our help in finding them new homes. That is why we ask everyone to keep a check on others around you – those that may be elderly without family support (or family that care about the pet), those less fortunate, those facing challenging times. We should all look out for one another as much as possible but also ask that you keep an eye out for the pets in those same homes.
With better preventive health care & nutrition, and changing attitudes to ‘roaming’ pets, our pets are living longer than they did just a couple of decades ago. But longer lives can also lead to increased care requirements whether that be modified diets, more trips to the Vet for recurrent issues, or just more attention paid to the changes happening with an aging pet. Increasingly we see senior pets coming to us, and upon arrival they are in a very apparent state of neglect. We see terribly overgrown (and ingrown) nails, coats with missing hair from parasites or neglected medical issues, teeth severely in need of dental care and often extractions, ears that are infected and painful, and more.
Many times, these pets have had elderly owners who have their own issues, such as reduced vision or limited means and ability to get around, and simply are not realizing the issues their beloved pet is also having. They may not be able to trim their dog’s nails and, if they cannot drive, cannot get their pet to a Vet or Groomer. These owners may not comprehend that their pet is simply not eating as well as it used to because its teeth are painful. If a pet owner is also dealing with human dementia or Alzheimer’s, they may forget to feed their pet or also not realize that their pet has been missing for longer than a few hours while it is locked outside (or has escaped).
So, we bring this up to ask that family, friends and neighbors please also keep an eye out for the pets of those who may no longer be seeing the reality of their pet’s needs and health. They may need help with a ride to a Vet or even need the help of a mobile Vet to come to their house. Or they simply may need the help of checking to make sure they have dog/cat food and that the pet is being fed regularly. Helping a pet suffering from fleas is also helping the owner who may be being bitten by fleas in the house as well. We are asking for everyone to look out for each other AND try to also look out for each other’s pets when there is a need for a bit more oversight. If you love animals this is not only helping the animal, but helping their human as well, and we can all use a lot more of helping each other these days.
