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Your Pet's Golden Years
Age is not a disease. But just as
people over the age of 40 require additional visits to their
doctors, our senior pets also have
special needs. In recent years pet care has improved
significantly, and as a result, pets are now living longer.
This is great news for pet owners like yourself because
it increases the time you have to spend and enjoy with your
pets. This increased
longevity has led to a greater emphasis on geriatric medicine.
The fact that our pets age more rapidly than we do, allows
diseases to develop more rapidly. Our best defense against these
health problems is awareness and
prevention. If we can spot the warning signs early on, we can
help ensure our pet a smooth transition from their adult years
to their senior years.
Watch the video
"Our
Aging Pets"
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Where to begin?
The first step is to figure out how old your
pet is. The chart below will help. Use the age and weight of
your pet to find out how old they are. As you can see the
larger your pet is the sooner they reach that senior age.
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Pet's
age
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Cat
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Dogs
0-20 lbs
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Dogs
21-50 lbs
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Dogs
51-90 lbs
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Dogs
>90 lbs
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5
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36
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36
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37
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40
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42
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6
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40
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40
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42
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45
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49
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7
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44
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44
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47
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50
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56
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8
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48
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48
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51
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55
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64
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9
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52
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52
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56
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61
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71
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10
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56
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56
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60
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66
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78
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11
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60
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60
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65
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72
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86
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12
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64
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64
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69
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77
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93
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13
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68
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68
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74
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82
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101
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14
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72
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72
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78
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88
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108
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15
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76
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76
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83
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93
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115
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16
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80
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80
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87
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99
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123
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17
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84
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84
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92
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104
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18
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88
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88
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96
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109
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19
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92
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92
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101
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115
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20
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96
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96
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105
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120
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Some warning signs that may indicate your pet is beginning to
suffer from age related problems are:
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Health Category
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Examples of Common Senior Diseases
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Signs
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If Left Untreated
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Dental
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Periodontal
disease, gingivitis, cancer
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Bad
breath, red or swollen gums, masses, trouble
eating/chewing
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Heart
disease, tooth loss, kidney and liver disorder, systemic
infection, cancer progression
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Joints
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Arthritis,
hip dysplasia, back disease
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Lameness,
reluctance to walk or exercise, decreased appetite,
discomfort/pain
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Progressive
disease, reduced mobility, neurologic deficits
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Heart
and Lungs
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Cardiac
disease, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema
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Decreased
stamina, coughing, difficulty breathing, weight loss, pot
belly
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Progression
to renal and liver disease, poor vascular profusion,
eventual death
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Endocrine
System
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Diabetes,
thyroid disorders,
Cushing,
Addison's
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Noticeable
weight change, increased appetite without weight gain,
vomiting, increased water consumption, frequent urination,
change in energy level
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Heart
failure, kidney failure, secondary metabolic disease
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Liver
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Inflammatory,
degenerative and cancerous liver disease
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Decreased
appetite, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, increased
thirst/urination
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Hypo-albumineria,
lipid metabolism disturbance, anemia, bleeding disorders,
liver failure
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Kidney
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Kidney
failure, kidney stones, kidney infection, kidney
insufficiency
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Increased
thirst/urination decreased appetite, weight loss,
vomiting, diarrhea, back pain
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Progression
to kidney failure, heart disease, electrolyte upset, fluid
balance disturbance, death
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Cancer
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Cancers
of the skin, liver, spleen, lymphoid tissue etc.
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Bleeding,
lumps, irritated skin, identified mass, swollen lymph
nodes, vomiting, diarrhea
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Can
progress to organ failure or death
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Ocular
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Cataracts,
dry eye, glaucoma
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Grey
bluish hue at the center of the eye, rubbing, pressing
head against objects, swelling, redness, irritation,
tearing
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Difficulty
seeing, corneal ulceration, can progress to blindness,
loss of eye
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Gastro-intestinal Disease
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Inflammatory
bowel disease, pancreatitis, cancer, colitis
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Vomiting
diarrhea, weight loss, fluid gain
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Further
weight loss, disease will progress to potential death
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Senior
Frequently Asked Questions
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Knee
Surgery
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In recent years pet care has improved significantly and as a
result, pets are now living longer.
This is great news for pet owners like you because it
increases the time you have to spend and enjoy with your pets.
This increase in lifespan has led to a greater emphasis
on geriatric medicine because more pets are now living long
enough to acquire various “old age” diseases.
The
most common problem associated with older pets is dental
disease. Dental
plaque accumulates on the teeth and leads to gingivitis,
periodontal disease, and eventually abscessed teeth.
The first thing you will usually notice at home is bad
breath. Scheduling
your pet for periodic oral health procedures, usually once a
year, easily prevents most dental problems.
The
aging process also affects the urinary system.
If your pet drinks an excessive amount of water or needs
to be let outside at night to urinate, he or she may be
suffering from kidney disease.
Also, older spayed females may develop urinary
incontinence and “leak” urine when they are sleeping.
Heart
disease is commonly found in older pets, with the incidence as
high 33% in dogs over 9 years old.
Heart disease is not as common in cats, but does occur.
Heart disease can be detected by physical examination or
chest X-ray.
Tumors
of many kinds are more common in older pets, some which may be
malignant. Early
detection and treatment is the key to success in the battle
against these often devastating diseases.
Other
diseases appearing in middle aged and older pets are diabetes,
hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s disease,
pancreatitis and liver disease.
Respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis are also
observed. Arthritis
is very common and we are very fortunate to have some extremely
effective drugs to combat this debilitating disease.
Some
older pets suffer from cognitive dysfunction, sometimes referred
to as senility. They
may appear confused, disoriented or have significant changes in
their routine activity or behavior.
Again, we are happy to have a drug that helps in many of
these cases and return your pet to more normal behavior.
The
key to success in treating all of these geriatric conditions is
early diagnosis. Thorough
physical examinations, lab work or x-rays we can detect most of
these conditions when they are still treatable.
We have established a program specifically designed to
make an early diagnosis and save you money at the same time.
Help make your pet’s Golden Years healthy and happy,
and give us a call today!
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Service
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K-9
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Fel
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Office
Visit
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43.00
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43.00
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Blood
Pressure
Reading
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32.00 |
32.00 |
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Senior
Wellness 2:
Chemistry,
CBC, T4, FT4, Urinalysis
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115.00 |
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Heartworm Antigen
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15.00 |
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Senior
Wellness 2 w/ Virals, Chemistry CBC, FELV / FIV, T4, Urinalysis
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115.00 |
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Microalbuminuria
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18.00 |
18.00 |
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Fecal
Spin Float
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22.00 |
22.00 |
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Eye
Pressure Test (Tonometry)
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26.00 |
26.00 |
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Total
Value
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$282.00 |
$267.00 |
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Discounted
Pricing for Check Up
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$240.00 |
$227.00 |
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Article Name to View
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