Caring for Senior Pets

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

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

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