Determining the age at which your pet becomes a senior is based on many factors, including breed, size of pet, and lifestyle. As a general rule, when your dog turns 7 years of age or your cat turns 8 years of age, we consider them a senior.
Senior pet wellness exams are very important. Identifying a disease or health concern in the early stages often makes treatment less complicated. Senior pets can be skilled at hiding their ailments from their owners, and a wellness exam provides the opportunity to compare results since your pet’s last visit. Additionally, great advances have been made in the treatment of many senior pet ailments. Some of these include:
- Arthritis care
- Mental alertness
- Loss of activity level
- Changes in eye sight
- Pain management
As part of your senior pet’s health care plan, which includes age and lifestyle appropriate vaccinations, we recommend a diagnostic workup once a year, including the following:
- Complete blood cell count
- Blood chemistry panel
- Urinalysis
- Fecal testing
- Chest and abdomen X-rays
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Blood pressure analysis
Your senior pet wellness exam also provides the opportunity to discuss additional recommendations based on your pet’s exam such as changes in pet nutritional requirements, lifestyle changes, and behavior.
Please contact us to schedule a senior pet wellness visit. If you have any questions or concerns, our staff will be happy to discuss them with you.
