There’s something special about living with an older dog or cat. After years in the family, senior pets know the household routine and seem able to read our thoughts. And because of advances in nutrition and veterinary medicine, pets tend to live longer than they once did.
 
Pets’ needs change as they age, and older pets need extra care. Regular veterinary visits and some household adjustments can help keep dogs and cats healthy and comfortable into their senior years.
 
How old is old?
The common belief that 1 dog year equals 7 human years isn’t really true. Dogs don’t all age at the same rates; small breeds tend to live longer than large breeds. Cats and small dogs are traditionally thought of as senior at about 7 years old (although since they can live well into their teens, 7 years may actually be middle age). Large dogs enter the geriatric stage a bit sooner. Check out these resources for more information:

• Senior pet care, including estimated human age equivalents for older pets (American Veterinary Medical Association)
  
• Feline life stages (The Cat Community)

 
What to watch for
Keep an eye out for gradual changes over time. Stiff joints, reduced vision, and picky eating are not necessarily normal effects of aging. They are often symptoms of medical conditions that can be treated.
 
As dogs and cats get older, their risk for arthritis, cancer, kidney disease, thyroid disease, heart disease, and many other problems increases. Watch for symptoms like these:

• Mobility trouble, including reluctance to jump up, stiffness when rising, difficulty going up or down stairs, and reduced participation in family activities
• Sensitivity to touch (such as growling during petting)
• Increased grumpiness
• Urine or stool accidents in the house
• Changes in appetite or food preferences (for example, preferring soft to crunchy food)
• Changes in water intake
• Changes in urine volume or urine frequency (for cats, look for bigger urine clumps in the litter box)
• Unexplained weight gain or loss
• Anxiety or confusion
• Difficulty seeing or hearing
• Changes in the fur
• Lumps or swelling
• Coughing or wheezing
• Exercise intolerance
• Vomiting or diarrhea

 
Veterinary care
Dogs and cats should be examined by a veterinarian at least once a year. Older pets may need to be seen more frequently. Many veterinarians recommend wellness checks every 6 months for senior animals. Think of it this way: if 1 dog year really were the same as 7 human years, then an annual examination for a dog would be the same as an examination every 7 years for you and me.
 
Some diseases progress for a long time before an animal shows any symptoms. Routine diagnostic testing can turn up evidence of chronic disease early in its course, when treatment is most effective. Your veterinarian may recommend these tests for your senior pet:

• Bloodwork, including complete blood count, chemistry profile, thyroid hormone level, and tests for infectious diseases (like heartworm and tick-borne diseases)
• Urinalysis
• Fecal analysis
• Blood pressure measurement

 
Preventive health care includes vaccination. Rabies vaccination is required by law in North Carolina for all dogs, cats, and ferrets over 4 months old (for good reason). Dogs’ and cats’ vaccination needs may change as they age, so talk with your veterinarian about immunizations that make sense for your pet.
 
Things you can do

• Discuss your pet’s changing nutritional needs with your veterinarian.
• Keep your pet in the target weight range. Obesity is linked to diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions in animals.
• Protect your pet from summer heat and winter cold. Geriatric and baby animals cannot regulate their body temperature as easily as healthy young adults.
• Provide soft bedding.
• Make sure your pet has easy access to food bowls, litter boxes, and favorite sleeping areas, ideally without having to navigate stairs to reach them.
• Don’t assume that changes in behavior and activity are normal for older animals.

Photo by Eric Han

Summer is rapidly approaching, and it’s already hot outside. Even when the weather is moderately warm, the temperature inside a parked car can rise dangerously high. Heat and humidity put dogs at risk of heat stroke, which can be fatal.
 
Dogs rely mostly on panting to cool themselves (they sweat only a little from their paw pads). But panting isn’t always enough to keep a dog’s body temperature in the normal range, from about 100°F to 103°F. As the body temperature rises above normal, dogs can develop heat exhaustion. Heat stroke (in dogs) is defined as a body temperature over 105.8°F along with central nervous system dysfunction.
 
Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency and has a reported death rate of about 50% in dogs. It damages the brain, kidneys, heart, intestines, and other internal organs, and it causes blood clotting disorders.
 
Causes of heat stroke
Heat stroke is caused either by exposure to heat and humidity or by strenuous physical exertion. These are situations that commonly lead to heat stroke in dogs:

• Leaving a dog in a parked car (cracking the windows open doesn’t help)
• Running, hiking, rollerblading, or even taking long walks with a dog in hot, humid weather
• Leaving a dog outdoors in the heat without enough water and shade

 
Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, an emergency veterinary medicine specialist, recommends not exercising with your dog if the temperature (in Fahrenheit) plus the humidity level is over 150. So when the temperature is 80°F and the humidity level is 80%, it’s too hot to take your dog on a run (80 + 80 = 160).
 
Dogs at risk
Although any dog can develop heat stroke, the risk is higher in dogs with these conditions:

• Obesity
• Brachycephalic head shape: flat-faced dogs like pugs, French and English bulldogs, and Boston terriers
  
• Heart disease
• Lung or airway (especially larynx) disorders
  
• Nervous system disease

 
Signs of heat stress
Dogs start showing signs of heat exhaustion before they develop full-blown heat stroke. Watch for the warning signs, which become more severe as heat stroke sets in:

• Excessive panting
• Fatigue
• Fast heart rate
• Dry/sticky gums
• Dark red or purple gums or tongue
• Stumbling or seeming dizzy
• Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures
• Collapse
• Dark or red urine
• Black diarrhea

 
If you see signs of heat exhaustion in your dog, carry him to a cooler place immediately; at least get him into the shade. Wet him down with cool water (ice is not necessary) and give him water if he’s able to drink on his own. Take him to a veterinary clinic right away if he has any of the more severe signs or if you’re not sure whether he’s OK after a few minutes. It’s much better to take in a dog who turns out to be fine than to delay treatment for a dog who has heat stroke.
 
Preventing heat stroke

• Never leave a pet in a parked car.
• In summertime, exercise with your dog in the early morning or the evening.
• Carry water for your dog to drink when you’re exercising together.
• Provide shade and water for outdoor dogs (an enclosed doghouse is too hot).
• Keep your dog at an ideal weight.
• Do not leave a brachycephalic dog outdoors in hot weather.
• Keep an eye on working/hunting dogs and give them water and shade breaks. They tend to focus on their tasks and don’t know when to stop.
• Plan ahead for power outages and air conditioner malfunctions.

 
Sources

• Bruchim Y, Klement E, Saragusty J, Finkeilstein E, Kaas P, Aroch I. Heat stroke in dogs: a retrospective study of 54 cases (1999-2004) and analysis of risk factors for death. J Vet Intern Med. 2006:20(1):38-46.
  
• Lee JA. Keep your dog cool this summer: heat stroke, part I. Pet Health Network website. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/keep-your-dog-cool-summer-heat-stroke-part-i. Accessed June 6, 2018.
  
• Lee JA. Keep your dog cool this summer: heat stroke, part II. Pet Health Network website. http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/keep-your-dog-cool-summer-heat-stroke-part-ii. Accessed June 6, 2018.
  
• Marshall M. Heat stroke: diagnosis and treatment. DVM360 website. http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/heat-stroke-diagnosis-and-treatment. Published August 1, 2008. Accessed June 6, 2018.
  
• McLaren C, Null J, Quinn J. Heat stress from enclosed vehicles: moderate ambient temperatures cause significant temperature rise in enclosed vehicles. Pediatrics. 2005;116(1):e109-112.
  

 
Photo by Kasia Koziatek