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 Older Dogs
& Cats
In your older pet's journey through life, there
may be some rapids ahead. It can be very helpful
to know what is coming before it gets here.
Old age is not a disease. However, as we get older, we are much more liklely to acquire diseases. When we talk about how best to take care of our older companions, we are really talking about identifying problems while they are still small, rather than waining until they are big and easy to identify.
How old is that in dog years? We have all heard that one human year equals seven dog years. This may be a good rule-of-thumb, but it is not a really good indicator of how old a dog really is. It is the whole concept of phyiologic age. Physiologic age is how old a dog's body, or physiology, is. We determine this by comparing the dog to a human with similar agr-related changes. For instance, most dogs go through puberty around 6 or 7 months of age. Comparably, humans go through puberty at 12 or 13. So, this means that a eight-month-old puppy is 13 in people years. So much for the old "seven to one" rule!
How fast dogs age is related to their size. Many small dogs live to be 16, 17, even 20 years old. However, most  German Shepards don't make it much past 10. A dog's life-span is related to it's size. I have posted a (partial) dog-years chart below. Your pet's age in people years is listed in the left-hand column. Across the top are four columms for your pet's weight in pounds. For example, a 40-pound dog that is 12 years old is about 69 (marked yellow) in dog years.
What about cat years? Cats age at about the same rate as small dogs. We can use the same chart.
The green part of the chart is the senior citizen zone. By the time your pet reaches 60 in dog (or cat) years, he or she is a senior citizen pet, and is likely to start having the same kinds of health issues that many more mature people experience.
What kinds of health problems do older pets get? Well, the list is a little different from the list we see in people. I have listed a few of the more common problems below.
Arthritis Click on the link to go to a more detailed discussion about Arthritis.
Thyroid Issues Click the link for a more detailed discussion of Thyroid Issues
Kidney Disease Kidney disease is commonly seen in both older dogs as well as cats.
Dental Disease Click the link for a detailed article on Dental Disease
There are many other problems an aging pet can develop, far too many to list. However, we can talk about how to prevent these problems from becoming major issues.
Caring for Your Older Pet.
Managing the health concerns of your older pet is all abo ut early detection. The sooner we can tell your pet is developing a problem, the more likely we are to be able to make a meaningful improvement in your pet's quality of life. Like the image below reminds us, it is much easier to change course before we hit the rapids than after.
1. Periodic Testing. The goal of testing is to identify problems while they are still small and can be dealt with. We recommend that each pet over 60 in people years have a Senior Screen at least annually. A Senior Screen is a series of tests that include a full serum chemistry to screen for such things as kidney disease, diabetes, and liver disease; a CBC to look for anemia and infection, a urinalysis to look for microalbuminuria and other kidney problems, and a thyroid test. The Senior Screen costs about $100, but is an excellent value. Similar testing for humans would cost over $250. The Senior Screen, like the image above suggests, allows us to detect small problems before they become huge problems. It will detect such common conditions as thyroid problems and kidney disease, as well as many other conditions that can rob your pet of energy and life. The Senior Screen also allows us to determine which arthritis medications will be safest.
2. Frequent Examinations. As your pet ages, it becomes more and more important to examine him of her frequently. We recommend exams every six months for every pet over 60 in people years. This really amounts to every two years or so in dog and cat years. Frequent exams will allow us to keep track of weight changes, skin growths, dental problems, etc. We will send you a reminder when it is time for your pet's semi-annual exam.
3. Medicate and Treat and Follow-Up as Needed. Older pets can greatly benefit from treatment. Our goal is to improve the quality and quantity of life, and this is possible with modern medicines. However, it is also important to evaluate and modify our treatment plans and to follow up with appropriate testing when needed. Senior care is not a one-shot thing: it takes persistance.
http://www.sunnysidevetclinic.com/site/view/78574_OlderDogsandCats.pml
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