We love to see senior pets! Dogs and cats age seven times faster than humans, so it is vitally important that your senior pet has a twice-annual health check.
Health checks in senior pets often identify health problems that owners simply aren’t aware of. Some of the more common health issues affecting older pets include:
- Dental disease and sore teeth
- Skin tumours
- Heart disease
- Kidney and liver disease
- Arthritis
- Abdominal problems and growths
- Skin disease
- Eye and ear problems
- High blood pressure
Blood testing
For pets between 7-10 years and over (depending on breed), we recommend an annual blood and urine test to screen for ‘silent’ diseases which often affect older animals but don’t tend to produce symptoms until the disease is very advanced. These illnesses include diabetes, kidney disease, tumours and liver disease. Our in-house pathology facilities make blood and urine tests a quick and painless procedure which could potentially save your pet’s life.
Arthritis
When you bring in your senior pet, the vet will do a thorough physical exam to check if your pet’s joints are becoming arthritic. Arthritis is an extremely common and painful problem for both senior cats and dogs but it can be managed with medication. Symptoms of arthritis can include a slower walking pace, stiffness when getting up or lower activity levels.
Blood pressure
High blood pressure is an extremely common problem seen in older cats and it can be associated with several serious diseases including elevated thyroid hormones, blindness and kidney disease. When you bring your senior cat in for a check-up the vet will do a non-invasive blood pressure test to ensure levels are normal and have not altered significantly since your last visit. Regular blood pressure testing is a pain free way to screen for and diagnose these diseases before they begin seriously impacting your cat’s quality of life.
If your pet is over the age of 7, your vet may chat to you about performing urine and or blood tests at your pet’s next visit. This will ensure we don’t miss anything important and we keep your pet as healthy as possible.
