Signs Your Senior Parent’s Pet Needs Dental Care
Companion Care at Home Northfield IL
February is Pet Dental Care month and it’s the perfect time to make an appointment to get your senior parent’s pet a dental check up! Just like humans, pet need dental care in order to stay healthy. If your senior parent relies on their cat or dog for companionship and fun, it’s important to keep their pets as healthy as possible.
A yearly dental checkup and cleaning will help keep your senior loved one’s beloved furry companion happy and healthy. If you, your senior loved one, or a home care provider that works with your senior parent is noticing any of these signs in your parent’s pet it’s definitely time to make an appointment with their vet:
Stained Teeth
Did you know that pet can have tartar buildup on their teeth just like people? If your senior parent’s pet has noticeable yellow or brown stains on their teeth that’s a surefire sign of tartar buildup. During a dental cleaning the vet can chip all that tartar off and make sure that your senior parent’s pet has healthy teeth and gums.
Trouble Eating
If your senior parent’s cat or dog is having noticeable trouble eating their food that is a pretty good indication that they are having problems with their teeth. Dropping food, being unable to pick up food, swallowing food too fast or throwing up food immediately after eating it can all be signs of dental disease or trouble in pets.
Drinking More Water And Not Eating As Much
One of the advantage of home care for seniors is that a home care provider will notice how and when your senior parent’s pet is eating. If the pet is drinking a lot more water than usual but avoiding food they are probably hungry but having pain when they eat. So they drink extra water to feel full because it hurts their mouth to eat.
Drooling
Some breeds of dogs and even some cats tend to drool because of the shape of their face and their jaw. But if your senior parent’s pet is drooling more than usual or if they have started drooling when they didn’t really drool before that’s an indicator of dental problems. Scheduling a vet checkup is important to catch any dental problems before they cause the pet too much pain.
Hiding
Cats in particular are very good at hiding when something is wrong. But if your senior parent has a cat that has suddenly starting hiding a lot or spending time by itself in odd places, that’s probably because it’s in pain. A thorough dental cleaning and addressing any gum issues will make the cat feel better and be its usual friendly self again.
Home care can do more than your help your senior parent. A home care provide can help schedule a vet appointment for your senior parent’s pet and arrange for transportation to make sure that both your senior parent and their pet get safely to the vet and home again.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care in Northfield, IL, call the caring staff at LifeCare Home Health & In-Home Services. Call (888) 606-4199 LifeCare serves all of the Chicago Metro Area.
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