Dear old Finch, our friends’ 12-year old Labrador, is finally over her firework phobia. I can’t take credit for her cure – her transition from cowering canine to passive pooch is due to her fading auditory system. In other words, she has gone deaf. Walter, our neighbours’ 6-month old Border Terrier, on the other hand is going through a rebellious phase – the ‘poor recall’ stage of doggie adolescence. This involves dashing off to say hello to every dog and human in the park, and coming back to his owner only when he has been physically retrieved, often after an exhaustive chase.

We tend to associate increasing age with more health problems and visits to the vet but, as with Walter and Finch, there are some benefits to maturity! Older dogs have hopefully gone past the stage of over-exuberance and lead straining that can be a feature of young dogs, and they are more likely to be content with stretching out in front of the fire than chewing up shoes. Older cats can also see the benefit of being more stay-at-home felines than engaging in turf warfare. As a result, cat wounds and abscesses don’t occur with frustrating monotony and the risk of coming into contact with car tyres decreases.

Help them enjoy their senior years in comfort
Health problems change as pets age. In the early years it’s the traumatic wounds from fights and orthopaedic injuries from misadventure. Later on, it’s more the failing senses, weakening organs and creaking joints of old age. We don’t have to accept the decline of old age as completely inevitable. There are many things we can do to maintain and even improve the health of our older four legged companions. Joint supplements, cartilage stimulants and anti-inflammatories can all dramatically improve mobility. Make sure older pets are a healthy weight, keep them active and feed a good quality diet. Keeping teeth clean and healthy can have a significant benefit to comfort and health, and can be as simple as daily dental chews, teeth brushing or occasional veterinary dental work.

Remember to take your senior pet for an annual vaccination or health check to identify problems early. There are lots of simple things you can do to ensure the Finch’s of this world enjoy their senior years in comfort. It’s worth appreciating that, as cute and enjoyable as puppies and kittens are, there is something rather reassuring and appealing about our senior companions who enjoy a gentler pace of life, look only for a reassuring pat, a comfortable bed and a nice warm fire or radiator to keep them content.