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Senior Pets Deserve Extra Love—And Expert Attention
Whether your beloved pet has spent a long, happy life with you or you recently adopted a senior dog, our older pets need special attention. Just like with humans, aging for pets comes with a long list of potential health issues— from arthritis and joint pain to higher risk of cancers and other concerns.
Caring for Your Senior Pet
Some medical conditions are difficult or impossible to diagnose simply by looking at your pet. Routine blood work is so important because it helps your veterinarian detect and diagnose medical problems that might otherwise fly under the radar. Having blood work conducted regularly also enables your veterinarian to catch illnesses early, before any minor issues turn into major ones, and to track your pet's health as they mature and grow older.
Your senior pet is an important member of your family and we want to help make their golden years happy, healthy and comfortable.
Depending on breed, many dogs and cats are considered seniors as early as 7 years old. As your pet ages, they are at greater risk for an array of conditions such as arthritis, dental disease, vision loss, kidney failure, cancer and more.
For senior pets, we recommend semi-annual wellness visits and regular health screenings. Because pets age much faster than we do, health conditions can appear suddenly and unexpectedly. More frequent visits and screenings allow us to identify problems early on, which allows us to treat your pet with less difficulty and greater success.
The absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean the absence of disease. Even if your pet appears to be healthy, pets are very good at hiding ailments, which is why we commonly recommend:
- Bloodwork allows us to detect conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease. Bloodwork also may help to expose infections, anemia and various other concerns.
- X-Rays help us diagnose arthritis, as well as reveal certain cancers.
- Urinalysis is an important part of your pet's comprehensive blood work. It can help detect kidney problems, urinary/bladder problems, and can even point to hormonal (endocrine) problems.
