It is an unfortunate reality that our pets move through the stages of their lives more rapidly than we do.
Cats are considered mature at 7 years of age, become seniors at 10 and are in the geriatric stage of life when over 14. The lifespan of dogs is inversely proportional to size meaning large breed dogs live shorter lives. Large breed dogs are considered mature and giant breed dogs (over 42 kg) are considered geriatric at 7.5 years of age. Small breed dogs are considered mature at 7 years of age, seniors at 10 years and are categorized as geriatric when they turn 12.
As our pets age, they can become more prone to a variety of disease problems which can include kidney disease, heart disease, dental disease, arthritis and disease of the thyroid among others!
We need to pay particular attention to dogs over 5 years and cats over 7 to observe signs of disease problems.
Signs that you don’t want to ignore include:
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Changes in thirst and urine production
- Change in coat quality
- Change in behavior
- Slowing down, reduced ability to exercise, lameness and stiffness
- Bad breath
- Lumps and bumps
- Coughing or difficulty breathing
Oftentimes, these changes are gradual and may be missed or put down to ‘just getting old’.
A thorough physical examination and history taking can help pick up on telltale signs of aging. Blood testing can reveal disease problems in their early stages potentially before there are any disease signs. We have put together a blood panel designed to help detect disease at an early stage. This panel includes SDMA (which can pick up on
kidney disease at a very early stage) and proBNP (which is an early screening test for heart disease). We are offering this at a reduced fee during January and February).
Book online or call to schedule an appointment for a wellness evaluation for your mature pet.
~Dr. Tom Honey & Dr. Tanja Schnabel
