If you have a senior dog as a pet, you’ve most likely shared many memories with them over the years. As your senior dog approaches the end of its life, it’s critical that you enjoy it with them and create a few more memories. To make that happen, you must first build a friendly environment devoid of threats that might lead to incidents that result in death or injury that disables your dog. Dogs are inherently curious, and if left alone in the house, they may endanger themselves, especially if there are hazards around. Dogs require a safe, comfortable resting spot in a dry, draught-free environment. The measures listed below can assist you in maintaining a well-kept home.
Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Insulation slows heat transfer via a surface such as a wall, duct, or roof. A well-insulated home allows less warm air to escape during the winter and less cool air to escape during the summer. This cuts down on the amount of energy required for heating and cooling. Insulation conserves energy in this manner. You’ll want to keep your home at a consistent temperature. Managing your home environment is critical, especially when outside temperatures fluctuate. Heat strokes can damage senior dogs. When a home’s heat insulation is ineffective in intense heat conditions, cardiac arrest may affect a dog. When caring for your senior dog, it is critical to have a safe heating system and adequate home insulation to regulate the indoor climate to avoid this.
Eliminate Lead Risks
Some remodeling and repair operations might raise the risk of lead exposure. Lead-based paint can be found in homes built before 1978, typically hidden behind later paint. If you want to rebuild or remodel an older property and plan to disrupt the painted surface, it is critical to do it carefully. Lead paint dust or chips can be hazardous to one’s health. Lead is most hazardous to dogs when consumed orally, although it can also be absorbed through skin contact or inhalation. Senior dogs are especially sensitive to lead poisoning since they are prone to investigate new items by licking and biting them. Caring for your senior dog entails removing any risk of lead poisoning from your environment. To do this effectively, consider contacting a lead removal service to professionally remove lead contaminants from your environment.
Pressure Wash the Environment
Do you want your senior dog to be in the finest possible environment? It would help if you thought about hiring a professional pressure washer. Power washing your driveway, deck, siding, and other external areas surrounding your house may quickly and efficiently remove built-up dirt, silt, and other debris. This improves the appearance of the surfaces and reduces wear and tear by removing mold, algae, chalk, insects, weeds, and other contaminants. Over time, this build-up will ruin paint/stains and cause damage to wood/masonry. Caring for your senior dog by adopting pressure washing will increase curb appeal and make your senior dog’s habitat healthier. When done correctly, pressure washing is an important element in home maintenance. It prevents health issues for your senior dog down the line.
Install Security Fencing
To guard against breaches and threats, perimeter security must be maintained. Although most senior dogs can defend themselves against predators, it is prudent to implement physical security measures such as fencing and perimeter fence detecting devices. One of the most common types of property protection is a security fence. It is one of the fencing solutions that provides optimum protection for the property’s valuables, storage rooms, and open places. Security fences may include extra elements such as razors, barbed wire, and sensors developed to detect movement. Other types may include a surveillance system that will capture intruders in its line of sight using motion sensor detection systems, which are also commonly installed. Installing security fencing on your property counts as caring for your senior dog since it protects it from intruders and criminals.
Test Your Sump Pump
Caring for your senior dog is easier if your sump pump is in tip-top shape. If you have a sump pump in your basement, you should examine it at least twice a year. Sump pumps normally last around ten years, but with appropriate maintenance, they might live even longer. Check the pump’s water level: if it’s overflowing, it’s probably not doing its job correctly. Take the time to clear the debris around the pump so that it can do its job effectively. Unplug your sump pump to see if its power supply is functioning properly. If you detect any problems with your sump pump early on, you can save thousands of dollars in water damage and flooding later on, and you and your senior dog can avoid dealing with major flooding damage.
Clean the Gutters
Caring for your senior dog is easier when the gutters are in good shape. Gutter cleaning should be done at least twice a year, or as the seasons change. Gutters overflowing with debris will not do their job and may result in far more costly water damage. Every spring and autumn, ensure you inspect and clean your gutters, cleaning any muck, fixing any leaks, and repairing damaged gutters as needed. You could find a suitable gutter cleaner to clean your gutters for you. Get the deck professionally cleaned to ensure that your senior dog has the best possible environment for its final years.
Control Pests and Rodents
Eliminating rodents from your environment makes caring for your senior dog easier. Rodents can cause more damage than you realize, especially in the basement or walls. Bees, ticks, wasps, mosquitoes, and even spiders pose a health risk to your dog, so keep them away. If raccoons are an issue in your community, they may cause a lot of difficulty and damage. Keep rubbish out of reach of children. Termites may destroy thresholds, trim, walls, and furnishings if your home is prone to them. Damages, as you might expect, are costly to fix. Speak with your homeowner’s insurance agent to determine what coverage you possess and what is advised. If you have a major insect problem, request a professional pest treatment company’s recommendation.
Fill Gutter Cracks
Caring for your senior dog is easier when the environment’s flooring is loaded with cracks. When the weather begins to warm up, inspect your driveway, sidewalk, and patio for concrete cracks. Small cracks become unsightly, and resurfacing cracks as soon as they are discovered implies less costly repairs on exterior surfaces in the future. During a house inspection, deep fractures might also cause concern. Consider mud or slab jacking if simple resurfacing is broken beyond repair. This method injects grout below the concrete slabs to lift them, costing about half the price of a new slab.
Get a Roof Inspection
If you’ve got a senior dog, caring for a senior dog is easier when your home’s roof is in excellent working condition and free from leaks. Homeowners fear having a roof inspection, but getting regular roof inspections and maintaining the roof they have can extend its life. Taking care of roof problems can also help the home’s heating and cooling systems run more effectively and avoid roof leaks that cause water damage. Ensure your roof is washed regularly, especially if you have shingles. This aids in removing unclean and lengthy black streaks that begin to run from the top to the eaves. This is due to algae that grow in humid circumstances, particularly on roofs that spend a lot of time in the shade. Inspecting your roof for debris regularly is critical to ensure that there is no dirt, loose items, or other foreign things on it. Make sure to remove debris after heavy rains because it can rapidly gather and cause worse difficulties. Check for any leaks as well. Early detection of leaks can avoid serious or costly damage to your roof, home, and foundation.
Check Your HVAC Unit
Caring for a senior dog is easier with a functional HVAC unit. Keeping the HVAC unit working requires regular changing and inspection of the air filters. Changing your air filter may help to extend the life of your A/C unit, make it perform more effectively, and preserve the quality of the air in your house. A well-maintained HVAC unit is impossible to deceive. Your central heating and cooling system works hard to circulate air around your home. Circulating air through the numerous vents already demands a lot of energy; neglecting to install a clean filter makes this process considerably more difficult and can put needless pressure on your central air unit. Make certain that you pay close attention to the filter’s rating. In the fall and spring, homeowners should have their HVAC and furnace systems inspected by a specialist from air conditioning services. This will not only keep you warm in winter and cool in the summer, but it will also demonstrate to potential buyers that you care about your property.
Maintain Your Landscaping
While landscaping is essential to a healthy and elegant outdoor environment, it is critical to keep up with landscape upkeep throughout the year. Caring for a senior dog is easier when the landscaping is well-done and free from weeds and overgrown shrubs. Warmer temperatures and greater rainfall initiate grass, trees, and vegetation development cycles in the spring. Unwanted weeds and fungus look terrible and take soil nutrients, water, and sunshine from your landscaping plants. Plant and tree care is essential for their health. They will take over if control attempts are not maintained. Regular weeding will prevent this problem and keep plants healthy. Lawns, gardens, and grounds that are attractively planned, healthy, and well-maintained provide a good first impression, promote a serene ambiance, and boost property value. Lawn and landscape maintenance is critical to the health and growth of your landscaping investment. Contact a local landscape designer to ensure that your landscape remains in top condition.
Check for Foundation Problems
When the weather heats up, take the time to check your home’s outside foundation properly. Cracks in your home’s foundation can diminish its value by up to 15%, and addressing these concerns as they arise can result in less expensive repairs in the future. A structural engineer should check and repair large fractures in your foundation. If you notice problems with your home’s foundation, contact building contractors to have it inspected and to decide on construction repairs.
Track Water Consumption
For many of us, detecting a leak in the home is difficult until the telltale water stain forms on the ceiling. Keeping track of your account is one of the simplest methods to check leaks and excessive water use. Examine your water bill regularly and compare it month to month. If the figure is greater than typical, you should investigate further with the assistance of a skilled plumber. Caring for a senior dog will require water for bathing and drinking. You don’t want to run into a situation that interferes with your dog’s access to water.
Wash Your Siding
Cleaning your home’s siding twice a year will improve its appearance and extend its life. Ensure you clean the siding twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. Experts recommend renting a power washer and devoting an afternoon to the task. Nevertheless, pick your pressure washer and nozzle carefully—too much pressure might harm or even disintegrate the façade of your home. Keeping your siding clean promotes a healthy and clean environment for your senior dog.
Trim Your Trees
Branches that grow too close to your house or electricity lines might cause problems later. Every year, fallen tree branches cause $1 billion in property damage. Bring in a professional from a local tree service company once a year to analyze potential hazards and cut down trees on your property if you have trees. Arborists and tree service firms are specialist businesses that care for trees and other woody plants. They administer fertilizer, prune or trim, inspect for insects and diseases, and help with other concerns such as removal or transplantation.
Caring for your senior dog is easier when it’s done in an environment that is well-maintained, healthy, and free from potential hazards. As a dog owner, ensure that you do not skip any maintenance tasks for crucial parts of the home.
