Senior Citizen or Seasoned Citizen

By: Katherine Mathes, DVM

            How often do you ask yourself how old is my dog? Do you compliment him on still acting like a puppy? Unfortunately our pets age faster than we do. As puppies and kittens, they quickly mature from being a baby to a teenager. Then their aging process slows down for several years. For most pets at about 7 or 8 years old, they are about the same age as a 45-55 year old person. As pets enter their teen years, time can catch up very quickly.

            Because our pets age rapidly, we recommend physical exams every 6 months starting at age seven. This gives us the opportunity to detect problems early and minimize suffering. Our pets can develop similar problems we do as we age such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and arthritis. While many signs of disease are subtle and difficult to notice, prevention and early detection is the key to treating them.

            Pets generally don’t complain when their joints hurt. Instead we may see increased stiffness, trouble jumping onto furniture, reluctance to climb the stairs or they may just not socialize as much with their families. Animals also don’t complain when they don’t feel like eating. They may simply not clean their bowl or only nibble on a few kibbles of food. This can quickly lead to weight loss that may or not be readily noticeable. Other subtle signs, which may be indicators of a more severe problem, include changes in hair coat, lumps or bumps on the skin, bad breath or drinking more water. Physical exams and routine lab work can often find the cause for these changes giving us a chance to work together to help your pet reach a ripe old age with a good quality of life.

            Once a diagnosis is made, treatment can be tailored to fit you and your pet’s individual needs. Modern medical advances have given us many safe and affordable options.