Arthritis-Friendly Pet Care
Help is on hand when sore joints make it hard to care for your pet.
Family pets offer unconditional love – and encourage owners to live a healthy and active lifestyle. But at times joint pain can make it tough to care for pets. Fortunately, nearly every level of pet care is available today. Leave the tough tasks to someone else, so you can focus on the fun parts of life with your four-legged friends.
Here a few services that can help.
Grooming. If bathing and combing your pet taxes your joints, delegate these duties. National chains Petco and Petsmart offer in-store grooming for cats and dogs, or look for a local mobile groomer who makes house calls.
Cost: Starting at $25
Exercise. Like you, dogs need a regular walk for their mental and physical health. But there may be times when you don’t have the energy or mobility for a game of fetch or a good walk. When you have flares, hire a dog walker, or send your pup to “doggy daycare,” where he can play with his canine friends. You can find dog walkers through sites like Pet Sitters International ; many Petsmart locations (www.petsmart.com) offer doggy day camp, or contact your local vet or kennel.
Cost: $16 to $25 per day
Boarding or sitting. When you’re away, hire someone to visit your pets at home, or look for a suitable boarding facility. Fetch Pet Care and Pet Sitters International list bonded and insured pet care pros and boarding facilities.
Cost: $20 to $60 per night
Cleanup. Handling dog and cat waste can strain sore joints as you bend and stoop during cleanup. Dog cleanup services like Doody Calls (www.doodycalls.com) will clear out your yard daily, weekly or monthly. A local pet sitter may also offer cleanup only services for your cat or dog.
Cost: Starting at $12 per visit
Transportation. The toughest part of caring for your pet can be getting him to the vet or groomer. Look for pet shuttle or taxi services, such as Fetch Pet Care to pick up and drop off your pets.
Cost: Starting at $15
– Lisa Milbrand
