Dogs and cats age much faster than humans – by 2 many have already reached adulthood. By 7, many are entering their senior years.

Early detection is critical, and this is a key focus during your pet’s annual health check. During this appointment a full thorough exam is performed and anything concerning investigated. This can vary from lumps that needing investigating, assessment of signs of arthritis, a dental check or performing routine screening bloodwork.

Conditions that commonly affect older animals include (but not limited to):

• Arthritis – can be a common cause of chronic pain and reduced ability to exercise. There is a wide variety of management options available and we can find one that works for you and your pet

• Heart disease – this condition can be common in certain breeds of dogs and cats

• Kidney disease – this is especially common in our older cats

• Urinary incontinence – commonly seen in older female dogs, this condition is usually easy to manage but can be quite distressing to the pet if not treated

• Brain aging – can be noticed as behavioural changes, barking at seemingly nothing, blindness or deafness or a change in toileting habits. While we cannot reverse most of these changes there are options to minimise some of them and keep your pet as comfortable as possible

• Dental disease – extremely common in older pets and causes not only oral pain but can impacts on other organ health

• Obesity – not only does this put extra pressure on their joints (leading to arthritis development) it can contribute to the development of other health conditions. Maintaining a healthy body weight can contribute to a much-improved quality of life

We recommend a yearly IDEXX preventative screening for all of our senior patients. This includes a comprehensive bloodwork panel, urinalysis and faecal assessment. This is a great starting point for monitoring your pet’s internal health as they age and can also highlight developing conditions when they are still quite new.