Golden Oldies – Geriatric Care for our pets

Well my husband thinks as a vet all I do is spend my life playing with puppies and kittens and although I admit it is a fun part of the job my heart actually lies with our senior citizens. I have been lucky enough to have my last two dogs until they were 16 and have owned my most feisty cat for the last 14 years and she is still my boss!

Care for Senior Pets

Today an improved diet and medical care have resulted in increased life expectancy in humans, the same can be said for our pets. The result is a growing population of ageing animals. A combination of preventative healthcare, a good diet, regular exercise, and the ever-increasing advancement of veterinary care, means our pets are living much longer and healthier lives than in the past. For example, it is estimated that 20% of our cat population is now 11 or over!

Depending on your pet’s size and breed, you will be amazed how old they actually are in relation to ‘human years’. For example, a medium size dog at 2 years of age is approximately 22 in our years. A cat would be 21. At 6 years old the dog will be 42 and the cat 37. Even though ageing is inevitable, always remember there is so much we can do to keep our pets healthy and enjoy a good quality of life in their golden years. We are proud to offer free Golden oldie clinics with the nursing team who themselves have been the proud owners of senior pets

The ageing process, affects the way in which our pets’ bodies function. No matter what stage of life they are at, there will be constant yet sometimes subtle changes in their physical condition. Some we will notice, like a little weight gain or incontinence, but others are not so visible, such as failing eyesight, loss of hearing, and organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver and thyroid glands, which may not function in the same way they used to. We can advise you about tests and certain changes that can help your pet during the ageing process, especially as they enter the senior and geriatric years.

Regular Health and Blood Checks

Never has the saying prevention is better than cure been more true. Regular monitoring and screening of your pet can pick up changes associated with age. These tests will help identify any problems in their early stages, enabling treatment or changes to your pets lifestyle to begin when the problem may be easier to treat or control. Examinations also provide an opportunity to check out the condition of their teeth, skin, weight, eyes and ears. Simple blood and urine tests can identify the start of more hidden conditions such as heart disease, organ failure, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or arthritis. Once the check and tests are complete, if your pet is developing a condition of any kind, we can discuss with you the many forms of treatment that modern veterinary medicine now provides. Not all conditions can be cured, but a few changes to their lifestyle and any necessary treatments, may help towards improving their quality of life, as they grow older. Remember health checks are not just about finding problems, they can also offer the reassurance that all is well, giving you that invaluable peace of mind.

According to the charity International Cat Care, cats reach the ‘geriatric’ life stage at the age of 15 (the equivalent of 76 years in human terms), but it is not unusual for them to live to late teens and even into their 20s (a cat becomes the equivalent of a centenarian at 21 years old). Fortunately, for these feline golden oldies, which are often cherished family members, it is now generally accepted that ‘healthy ageing’ is achievable; just as it is in humans where the field of ageing wellness is dedicated to optimising mental, social and physical wellbeing and function in older adults. What has been less well defined, however, is what healthy ageing actually looks like in a cat; in other words, what changes would be considered ‘normal for age’ (ie, physiological changes) as opposed to deteriorative changes.

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