3 Essential Veterinary Services For Senior Pets
Although you might wish you could spend the rest of your life with your beloved pet, animals such as dogs and cats have shorter lifespans than humans, meaning that they typically reach their senior years around the age of seven. Thankfully, your veterinary clinic can provide the following services to help your senior pet thrive.
1. Geriatric Pet Wellness Exams
If you've gotten into the habit of scheduling a single annual wellness exam for your pet, you should know that veterinarians recommend at least two wellness exams per year for senior animals. This extra frequency allows them to detect age-related diseases and disorders earlier in their development.
A geriatric pet wellness exam resembles a typical pet wellness exam in most respects. Your veterinarian will probably weigh your pet to check for obesity and perform various lab tests to look for systemic problems. The veterinarian may also watch your pet for signs of dementia, mobility issues, and vision or hearing loss.
2. Chronic Pain and Disease Management
Senior pets can struggle with many of the same health problems as senior humans. An older animal can develop diabetes, hypertension, gum disease, tooth loss, cognitive disorders, and degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis. Some of these issues can cause chronic pain that diminishes the animal's quality of life.
If your veterinary clinic diagnoses a chronic health issue during a senior wellness exam, rest assured that your pet can receive a variety of treatments to manage that issue. Your pet might benefit from the extraction of a diseased tooth, a gentle exercise routine to preserve mobility, and medications for chronic pain or a systemic illness.
3. Dietary and Nutritional Changes
Senior pets typically move around less than younger animals due to metabolic changes and mobility problems. As a result, they can gain weight if they keep eating their usual diet. Obesity can raise your pet's risk factors for many serious diseases while aggravating stress on arthritic weight-bearing joints.
If your pet weighs too much for its breed and frame, you may need to start feeding your pet differently. Your veterinarian may recommend a specific product formulated especially for senior pets. You may also need to serve your senior pet smaller portions to balance its calorie intake with its metabolism and activity level.
Don't neglect the changing health and wellness needs of your old friend, even if it still looks and acts youthful. Contact your local veterinary clinic to request a senior pet wellness exam and get all your senior pet care questions answered.
For more information, contact a company such as Johnstown Veterinary Associates.