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Caring for Your Senior Pet It seems like only yesterday that tiny, silky-soft kitten or rough-and-tumble, rambunctious puppy came into your home. How soon they mature into adult family pets! In just seven short years those precious "babies" will have become our beloved "senior" companions. Take a look at the age/weight chart below and find your pet's age in "human" years. Because the overall lifespan of cats and dogs is much shorter than that of humans, our household pets age more rapidly than we do. Each year of a pet's life is roughly equivalent to seven human years.
The staff at Walnut Creek Animal Clinic has taken a step forward in providing the most excellent care for your pets by initiating our "Celebrate Seniors" Healthcare Program: Step 1 The close relationship you have with your senior pet enables you to detect even subtle changes in your pet's behavior and/or activity level. Your answers to the following questionnaire provide a starting point for evaluation of your senior pet. Is your pet……………..? Just not himself/herself Interacting less often with family Responding less often or less enthusiastically Changing in behavior/activity level Having difficulty climbing stairs Having difficulty jumping Exhibiting increased stiffness or limping Drinking more often Urinating more often Changing eating patterns Noticeably gaining or losing weight Losing housetraining habits Changing sleeping patterns Confused or disoriented Changing haircoat, skin, or new lumps and bumps Scratching more often Exhibiting bad breath/red or swollen gums Showing tremors or shaking Step 2 Thorough "head to paw" physical exam performed by one or our Clinic veterinarians. Additional testing through bloodwork, urinalysis, blood pressure monitoring, and electrocardigraph. Step 3 Evaluation of tests results by our Clinic veterinarians. Step 4 Individualized recommendations for your pet including possible dental cleaning, dietary changes, lifestyle changes, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Step 5 Semi-annual or annual follow-up. Just as certain disease processes are common in aging humans, there are many diseases and conditions that develop in our aging pets. As pets become older they are less active and their metabolic rate decreases. Their immune system becomes weaker and they commonly develop autoimmune disorders. The skin becomes thickened and inelastic resulting in hyperpigmentation and thickened footpads. Claws become brittle. Pancreatic enzyme production decreases as does cardiac output. But the good news is that senior pets don't suddenly become old overnight. It is up to you and your veterinary health care team to look for early subtle changes that indicate aging. Some of the more common diseases/conditions to look for in our older pets include: Digestive System: Peridontal disease, gingivitis, cancer, pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel, constipation, and colitis. 85% of dogs and cats over the age of seven have some form of periodontal disease. Signs include bad breath, redness in gums, swollen gums, oral mass. Cardiac and Respiratory Systems: Congestive heart failure, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and emphysema. Signs include decreased stamina, coughing, difficulty breathing, and weight loss. Urinary System: Kidney failure, kidney stones, kidney infection, kidney insufficiency, bladder tumors, and urinary incontinence. Signs include increased thirst/urination, straining to urinate, decreased appetite, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea and back pain. Endocrine System: Thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism, and hypoadrenocorticism. Signs include weight change, increased appetite without weight gain, vomiting, increased thirst/urination, change in energy level, hair loss. Reproductive System: Prostate cancer and enlargement ( incidence is very high in intact males), testicular cancer, and breast cancer. Signs include bleeding lumps, irritated skin, swollen lymph nodes, vomiting, diarrhea, straining to urinate. Musculoskeletal System: Decrease in muscle and bone mass result in degenerative joint disease, arthritis, hip dysplasia, and spinal disease. Signs include lameness, reluctance to walk or exercise, decreased appetite, discomfort/pain. Vision and Hearing Systems: Cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma, and hearing loss. Signs include gray, bluish hue at the center of the eye, rubbing/ pressing head against objects, swelling, redness, tearing, thick eye discharge. Nervous System: Cognitive dysfunction resulting in behavioral changes, altered sleep cycles, inappropriate elimination, emotional withdrawal, decreased appetite, compulsive barking, pacing, tremors, and a lack of recognition of familiar people and places. The onset or severity of many of these diseases/conditions can be prevented or delayed by early detection and appropriate preventative care. We believe our "Celebrate Seniors" program is key to that prevention. We are enlisting your help by asking that you take a few moments to find your pet's "human" age and and answer our questionnaire. Then schedule an appointment for a Senior Exam. Call and ask for information. |
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