Your Pet as a Senior
Over the past few decades the
life expectancy of cats and dogs has been
increasing. This is helped by a number of factors:
- A greater understanding of cats and dogs nutritional needs
and the availability of prepared pet foods that provide a balanced diet.
- Advances in veterinary medicine enabling vets to successfully diagnose and treat more conditions.
- The growth of preventative healthcare programmes to detect problems at an early stage and so start treatment sooner.
To keep your
senior pet
looking good and feeling great requires a little
more attention than when it was younger. Both cats and dogs tend to
become less attentive to their own grooming so require a little more help
from you, especially with their
coat and
oral hygiene.
Skin and Coat Care
As cats and dogs age their coat can become thinner, losing its shine and the
skin can become thicker and less elastic. This changes not only how your
pet looks but also how it feels when stroked. In some cases the skin will
feel rough and you may find warts or growths on the skin. By establishing a
regular grooming routine you can monitor any changes in your pets skin and
have any areas for concern checked by your vet as they become evident.
Remember to continue to treat your pet for
fleas and worms even in their
senior years.
Oral Care
As pets age they become more prone to
dental problems that can cause
pain and discomfort.
The problem often begins with the build up of
dental plaque and
tarter
which, if left untreated, can lead to
gingivitis (
gum inflammation) and
absesses. Such conditions need veterinary
dental treatment.
Watch out for the following signs when your pet is eating or chewing to
help detect any problems at an early stage.
- Eating cautiously or refusing to eat
- Dropping food from mouth when chewing
- Avoiding eating or chewing of dry food
- Drooling saliva when eating.
Ask your vet about an
oral care regime that you can carry out at home for
your pet.
Keep a record – preventative healthcare planning
Cats are generally considered to be senior citizens from around
8 years of
age. A large breed dog is considered a senior from around
5 years whereas
smaller breeds age more slowly. At this stage they can be more prone to
health problems that can ultimately affect their
life expectancy. Once they
reach their senior years it is recommended that you take your pet for veterinary check up 2 times per
year to ensure early detection of any developing health problems.
When we care for our pets day in and day out, it can be difficult to know if their
behaviour or appearance has changed significantly over a period of time.
By keeping a record of its general health and appearance you
will have a better indication of how your pet is ageing
and be able to provide useful information for your vet at each consultation.
This checklist can be used to monitor your pet's health and record any
changes that occur.
- Sleeping for longer periods
- Weight changes
- Fussy eating
- Decrease or increase in appetite
- Increased thirst
- Bad breath
- Build up of tarter on teeth
- Incontinence at night
- Urination or defecation problems
- Increased urination
- Dullness of the coat
- Lumps on the skin
- Morning stiffness
- Cloudy appearance in the eyes
- Muscle wasting, particularly around the head and hindquarters
- Less energy
- Reluctance to exercise
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Behavioural changes
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of vision