Thanks to advanced preventive medicine and advanced veterinary procedures, our pets are living longer than ever before. As a result, veterinarians see many disease processes unique to our older pets. Generally, pets are considered senior, or geriatric, at around seven years of age. However, this varies with breed and size of the pet. Larger breeds typically age faster than smaller breeds. Contrary to popular belief, pet do not simply age at a rate of 7 human years for each year in dog years. Visit the National Pet Wellness Month Web Site at www.npwm.com to determine the age of your pet in human years.
Common health conditions in older dogs include arthritis, cataracts, hearing loss, decreased eyesight or blindness, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, or liver disease. Additionally, older dogs may suffer from cognitive dysfunction, a condition similar to senility in humans.
Signs that your dog may have arthritis include a reluctance to jump or go up/down stairs, stiffness while getting up from rest, pain when touching areas which may be arthritic, general grouchiness. Arthritis can be managed and your pet’s quality of life may improve dramatically with a few simple changes such as orthopedic pet beds, ramps, medications and joint supplementation. There are even prescription foods containing joint supplementation to help your arthritic pet.
Cognitive dysfunction may be the culprit if you notice any of the following symptoms or behaviors in your dog – Disorientation, house soiling accidents, pacing or wandering around the house, repeating the same actions, unusual aggression, changing sleep patterns, and not responding as well to voice commands. Fortunately, this condition can be managed with medication.
Common health conditions in geriatric cats include hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes. These conditions often display weight loss as a primary symptom. Most of these diseases can be managed to improve your cat’s quality of life. Cats also commonly have arthritis in their older years just like dogs.
The best way to treat geriatric health conditions is to diagnose them early through wellness exams and periodic blood tests. Since pets age more quickly than humans, they may benefit from health examinations and blood work more frequently, usually once or twice yearly. Contact us and we can develop a senior health program specifically designed for your pet.