CARING FOR THE SENIOR DOG
Improved
nutrition, prevention of infectious disease and
advances in veterinary medical care have resulted in
pets living longer and healthier lives. It is
important that we take the appropriate steps to
manage our pet’s health as they age.
Why should we treat old dogs differently to young
dogs?
With advancing
age body functions change.
As dogs age, all
of their body systems are affected:
Reduction in
exercise may result in reduced muscle tone,
which may further reduce the dog’s ability to jump,
climb or exercise. This may also lead to a
stiffening of the joints and arthritis.
When coupled with
a reduced metabolic rate (common in older
individuals), lack of exercise can result in a fall
in energy requirements of up to 40%. If a dog
maintains a good appetite, its daily food intake
must be reduced to prevent excessive weight gain.
Inappetance
(lack of desire to eat) may develop in some senior
dogs since the senses of smell and taste become dull
with age.
Examine your
dog’s teeth regularly for signs of gingivitis,
plaque and calculus buildup, and foul odor. These
can be indications of periodontal disease,
which can lead to serious systemic infection that
will compromise your dog’s heart and kidney
function, loss of teeth, and a chronic painful
mouth. Your dog may or may not give any indication
that its mouth is painful.
Gastrointestinal function and the ability of the
intestines to absorb nutrients are reduced in older
animals.
Thirst is
also decreased, causing an increased risk of
dehydration, especially when combined with
concurrent renal insufficiency (kidney
disease which is common in older dogs).
Most specific
nutrient requirements are not yet determined for
senior dogs. However, it is often assumed that older
dogs have some degree of subclinical (underlying)
disease, particularly of the kidneys and liver,
hence a diet with moderate protein restriction is
usually recommended.
Does my senior dog still need to have regular
booster vaccinations?
With age immune
function may deteriorate. This may in turn result in
a reduced ability to fight infection or screen for
neoplastic (cancer) cells. Regular booster
vaccinations are generally recommended and prompt
treatment of disease is essential. Our veterinarians
will determine the appropriate vaccination program
for your dog based on its physical condition and
lifestyle.
What diseases do senior dogs commonly get?
The major
diseases seen in older dogs are hormonal disorders
(such as hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus),
kidney disease, neoplasia (cancer), infections (e.g.
upper respiratory tract infections), periodontal
disease and arthritis.
It is important
to remember that while young dogs usually have only
one disorder at a time, this is often not so in
older patients, where diagnosis and treatment may be
complicated by the concurrence of multiple
interacting disease processes.
While it is true
to say that "old age is not a disease", it does
merit special attention. This is important so that
if your dog develops disease, we can recognize and
treat it as early as possible, thereby maintaining
its quality of life for as long as possible.
What can I do to make my senior dog as happy as
possible?
Most dogs age
gracefully and require few changes to their general
regimen. Since older dogs do not generally respond
well to change, it is important that any changes are
introduced slowly.
Elderly dogs
should have easy access to a warm bed, situated
where the dog can sleep safely without fear of
disturbance.
It is strongly
recommended that you feed your older dog a senior
diet. They should always have easy access to fresh
drinking water.
As dogs’ age,
some will experience a reduced ability to control
urination and defecation. To reduce the risk of
“accidents”, it may be necessary to allow frequent
access to the outdoors. If you notice an increase
in drinking/urination habits it is important to
notify the veterinarian.
Senior dogs
should have regular health checks with their
veterinarian every six months.
What is a Senior Care Program?
The aim of any
senior care program is to maintain the quality of
the patient’s life and to slow the progression of
age-related disease. Programs usually include a
thorough physical examination, blood screening. Body
weight should be recorded regularly and booster
vaccinations should be given annually. We will
provide you with additional details about our senior
care programs upon request.
CARING
FOR THE SENIOR CAT
There are now
more pet cats than dogs in the North America.
Improved nutrition, prevention of infectious disease
and advances in veterinary medical care have
resulted in pets living longer and healthier lives.
In North America, over the last ten years there has
been a 15% increase in cats over 10 years of age and
the proportion of the feline population aged 15
years or older has increased from 5% to 14%. It’s a
great time to be a cat!
Why
should we treat old cats differently to young cats?
With advancing
age body functions change.
As cats age, all
of their body systems are affected:
Reduction in
exercise may result in reduced muscle
tone, which may further reduce the cat’s
ability to jump, climb or exercise. This may
also lead to a stiffening of the
joints and arthritis.
When coupled
with a reduced metabolic rate (common in
older individuals, lack of exercise can result
in a fall in energy requirements of up to 40%.
If a cat maintains a good appetite, its daily
food intake must be reduced to prevent
excessive weight gain.
Inappetance (lack of desire to eat) may
develop in some senior cats since the senses of
smell and taste become dull with age.
Examine your
dog’s teeth regularly for signs of gingivitis,
plaque and calculus buildup, and foul odor.
These can be indications of periodontal
disease, which can lead to serious systemic
infection that will compromise your dog’s heart
and kidney function, loss of teeth, and a
chronic painful mouth. Your dog may or may not
give any indication that its mouth is painful.
Gastrointestinal function and the ability of
the intestines to absorb nutrients are reduced
in older animals.
Thirst
is also decreased, causing an increased risk of
dehydration, especially when combined with
concurrent renal insufficiency (kidney
disease which is common in older cats).
Most specific
nutrient requirements are not yet determined for
senior cats. However, it is often assumed that older
cats have some degree of subclinical (underlying)
disease, particularly of the kidneys and liver,
hence a diet with moderate protein restriction is
usually recommended.
Does my senior cat still need to have regular
booster vaccinations?
With age immune
function may deteriorate. This may in turn result in
a reduced ability to fight infection or screen for
neoplastic (cancer) cells. Regular booster
vaccinations are generally recommended and prompt
treatment of disease is essential. Our veterinarians
will determine the appropriate vaccination program
for your cat based on its physical condition and
lifestyle.
My senior
cat becomes very distressed when we try to medicate
them. Should we keep trying when it upsets her so
much?
This is something
you should discuss with your veterinarian. There is
no simple answer to this question; it depends on
whether the treatment may lead to a cure, or whether
it is aimed at controlling clinical signs. It also
depends on how ill the cat is, and on how serious
the disease for which it is being treated. Older
cats are often poorly tolerant of excessive physical
handling or environmental change, so while
veterinary medicine may be able to offer complex
therapeutic options, it is important that each case
be assessed individually. Treatment should not be
attempted where it will be poorly tolerated for
medical or temperamental reasons. Once the
patient’s quality of life can no longer be
maintained it is important that euthanasia is
performed as compassionately as possible, in order
to prevent the cat from suffering.
What diseases do senior cats commonly get?
The major
diseases seen in older cats are hormonal disorders
(such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus),
kidney disease, neoplasia (cancer), infections (e.g.
upper respiratory tract infections), periodontal
disease and arthritis.
It is important
to remember that while young cats usually have only
one disorder at a time, this is often not so in
older patients, where diagnosis and treatment may be
complicated by the concurrence of multiple
interacting disease processes.
While it is true
to say that "old age is not a disease", it does
merit special attention. This is important so that
if your cat develops disease, we can recognize and
treat it as early as possible, thereby maintaining
its quality of life for as long as possible.
What can I do to make my senior cat as happy as
possible?
Most cats age
gracefully and require few changes to their general
regimen. Since older cats do not generally respond
well to change, it is important that any changes are
introduced slowly.
Elderly cats
should have easy access to a warm bed, situated
where the cat can sleep safely without fear of
disturbance.
It is strongly
recommended that you feed your older cat a senior
diet. They should always have easy access to fresh
drinking water. Notify the veterinarian if you
notice a change in your cat’s drinking/urination
habits.
As cats’ age,
some will experience a reduced ability to control
urination and defecation. To reduce the risk of
“accidents”, it may be necessary to allow access to
multiple litter boxes.
Senior cats
should have regular health checks with their
veterinarian every six months.
What is a
Senior Care Program?
The aim of any
senior care program is to maintain the quality of
the patient’s life and to slow the progression of
age-related disease. Programs usually include a
thorough physical examination, blood screening and
testing for feline leukemia virus infection (FeLV).
Body weight should be recorded regularly and booster
vaccinations should be given annually. We will
provide you with additional details about our senior
care programs upon request.
