Senior Pet Care

Senior Dogs

As dogs reach their golden years, mobility concerns are common. They may be overweight, have arthritis and/or neurological disease.

Addressing these issues early is essential for keeping your dog comfortable as they continue to age. Treatment for joint and bone issues in senior dogs ranges from weight loss, modifying their exercise, and providing traction on the floor to pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Senior Cats

While osteoarthritis is typically a condition we think of in older dogs, this painful condition can also affect your senior cat's joints.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in cats are more subtle than those in dogs. While cats can experience a decrease in range of motion, the most common symptoms of osteoarthritis in senior cats include weight loss, loss of appetite, depression, change in general attitude, poor grooming habits, urination or defecation outside the litter pan, and inability to jump on and off objects.

Over their lifetime, one in 4 dogs will be diagnosed with cancer and almost 50% of dogs over the age of 10 will be affected. That's why your senior pet needs to visit the veterinarian for routine wellness exams as they age.

Bringing your geriatric cat or dog in for routine checkups even when they seem healthy allows your veterinarian to examine them for early signs of cancer and other developing conditions which respond better to treatment when caught in their earliest stages. 

As some dogs age, they develop degenerative changes of the heart valves. Over time this can lead to congestive heart failure.

If your pet has a heart murmur, chest radiographs and ultrasound of the heart are recommended. This allow us to assess heart size, function and to diagnose the cause of the murmur. This is used to determine prognosis and if your pet would benefit from medication.

Heart disease is seen less in cats; however, Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (or HCM for short) is the most common diagnosis. As with dogs, this diagnosis is made by ultrasounding the heart.

Degeneration in the eyes and ears can lead to varying degrees of deafness and blindness in older pets, particularly dogs.

These conditions often come on slowly, allowing geriatric pets to adjust their behaviour and making it difficult for pet owners to notice. 

Although dogs and cats can develop diabetes at any age, most are diagnosed as they surpass middle age.

Symptoms of diabetes in dogs and cats include excessive thirst and urination (including accidents in the house), increased appetite accompanied by weight loss, cloudy eyes, and chronic or recurring infections.  

Kidney function tends to decline as pets age. Kidney function is assessed by looking at bloodwork in conjunction with a first morning urine sample.

In some patients, abdominal ultrasound may be recommended.

As they get older, dogs can be prone to urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and cancer of the urinary system. If your pet's urinary habits have changed (frequency of urination, straining to urinate, blood in the urine, accidents in the house), please make an appointment to have your pet seen.

A first-morning urine sample is also recommended. Please contact us and we can assist you with how to collect a sample. It must be placed in the fridge until it is brought to the clinic.