The Senior Pet

Is your pet a senior? A little grey, sleeping more, slowing down, bad breath, vision or hearing changes, altered in eating or drinking habits? Don’t dismiss these changes as “just getting old;” some may be sign of serious disease. Our beloved family pets pass through the same life stages as we do – puppy and kittenhood, adolescence and young adulthood, mature adult, then senior pet. As we recognize these stages, we consider how we can enhance your pet’s health and enable pets to live long and happy lives. We define senior pets as over 7 years old. In human years, this is “over 40.” Many recent developments in veterinary medicine can help improve the health of your pet AND lengthen your pet’s life span. In fact, 20 years ago, life expectancy for a cat was 6 – 10 years. Today, it is 12 – 15 years or more. Some experts believe aging occurs as a result of damage by “free radicals,” old age is not a disease; it is a life stage.

As life expectancies have increased, age-related changes have become more visible in our pets; these can be treated or at least slowed, in many cases. Examples include dental and periodontal disease, obesity, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, cognitive dysfunction, and hormonal changes. Older pets tend to get less exercise, causing decreased muscle tone, decreased bone and joint strength, and increased tendency toward obesity. Moderate exercise, ideal nutritional status, and dental care are imperative as our pets age. Older pets have a decreased thirst response; therefore, they are more likely to get dehydrated in times of stress or in various disease states. Dehydration can be a confounding factor in metabolic diseases. Taste and hearing decrease in older pets. Decreased eyesight can occur due to age-related nuclear sclerosis (hardening of the lens) or due to retinal degeneration. Older cats and dogs need more grooming time, especially in cats, as they tend to groom themselves less. Mouth disorders are very common in older pets – dental disease, oral ulcers, and oral tumors – as evidenced by bad breath, decreased appetite, abnormal chewing, nasal discharge, and decreased grooming. Treatment of these oral cavity disorders leads to significant increases in quality of life and activity levels. Senility, or cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), is common in very old dogs and cats.

Beginning around 7 years of age and older, we recommend annual wellness laboratory analysis. Testing may include serum chemistry profile, complete blood counts, urinalysis, fecal worm test, thyroid screen or profile, and electrocardiogram. With these tests, we can determine EARLY changes, which may not be evident with just a physical examination. Early detection is key. Our pets are masters of disguise, pretending to be well when the early aging changes are occurring. Many specific diets, supplements, or medications are available to help in various age-related disease states – canine CDS, obesity, joint disease, kidney disease, cancer, gastrointestinal disease, dental disease, etc. We, as veterinarians, will always be watchful for drug interactions, contraindications, and times when drug dosages need to be adjusted for some diseases – especially liver and kidney disease.

If you have any questions about this program, or any concerns about your older pets’ health, please do not hesitate to contact us. We want to make your pet feel better AND live longer.