It is important to routinely examine your senior pet and report any subtle changes to your veterinary hospital team. The information you provide is invaluable to your pet's health. Here are some things to look out for:

 

• Has there been a change in your pet's energy level or appetite? May indicate weight or thyroid problems.

• Has your pet’s drinking or urinating habits changed? May indicate diabetes, kidney or thyroid disease.

• Have you noticed any cloudiness in your pet’s eyes? Possible diabetes and cataracts.

• Does your pet experience pain or discomfort when moving?  Possible arthritis.

• Have you noticed any shortness in breath, difficulty breathing, coughing or wheezing?  May indicate heart and lung problems.

• Have there been any changes in your pet’s skin coat? May indicate thyroid or Cushing's disease, parasites or an allergy

• Has your pet experienced any vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, inappropriate defecation, bad breath, drooling or facial swelling? May indicate digestive and/or dental problems.

• Have you noticed any new growths or changes in existing bumps on your pet? Could indicate cancer and immune system problems.

 

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As part of providing the best preventative health care to pets, we encourage clients to have a blood and urine analysis (wellness profile) performed on their pets annually. This is particularly valuable for dogs and cats who are 8 years of age and older.  As noted above senior pets may be at an increased risk of developing age related problems such as arthritis, diabetes, liver and kidney disease. The “wellness profile” gives us a more complete picture or your pet’s overall health. It also provides a baseline for comparison with future profile results.

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