Special Veterinary Care for Your Faithful Senior Pet

As they age, pets’ bodies, like ours, require more medical care. Common ailments in elderly dogs and cats include arthritis, dental disease, urinary tract infections, behavior or cognitive dysfunction, kidney disease, cancer, and cataracts. Sometimes visible symptoms appear early. However, it is very common for symptoms to appear only when the condition is advanced or incurable.

In addition, your pet may be unable to communicate the pain and discomfort he or she is experiencing. This is why regular, more frequent preventive care examinations are important as your pet enters his or her senior years. Our veterinarians are trained to detect early signs of disease that you may view as simply “slowing down” or getting older.

We understand your pet is a member of your family and we will do what we can to ensure that your cat or dog leads a long, healthy life. To help your pet remain healthy in his or her senior years, we recommend the following tests for aging pets:

• Vet screen—A comprehensive blood screening that evaluates liver, kidney, and other functions.
• CBC—Complete blood count to check for anemia, infections, or leukemia.
• Urinalysis and early renal disease detection test—Checks for urinary tract infections as well as provides a comprehensive look at the functioning of internal organs.
• Radiographs—X-rays can reveal arthritis as well as other internal problems.
• Ultrasound—A non-invasive test for more in-depth evaluation of your pet’s internal organs.
• Blood pressure—Both dogs and cats can have high blood pressure, which can lead to kidney damage and blindness.
• Electrocardiogram—An EKG is used to screen for heart abnormalities.
• Thyroid profile—As dogs and cats age, they may develop an over- or underactive thyroid gland that needs to be addressed. Once detected, these conditions are very treatable.