1. Changes around the House – there are some things that you should consider changing in your everyday environment to continue keeping them comfortable at home. You can consider using a night light to help them see easier at night, providing steps or using ramps to allow easy access to their sleeping spots such as the on the bed or couch, providing orthopedic or warming beds to ease any joint discomfort or muscle aches, elevating food and water dishes for larger dogs and ensuring that older cats have places to eat, drink and use the litter box that do not require them to jump up or climb over something for access. It is also important to ensure your senior pets have easy access to water; you can use a water fountain to help encourage drinking.
2. Watch for Lumps or Bumps – while giving your pet their daily massage or during any petting session, keep an eye out for any lumps or bumps as they develop. All growths should be checked by your veterinarian to make sure there is nothing to worry about. It is especially important to monitor all growths for any charges such as sudden growth, redness or irritation, fluctuation in size or if they seem to bother them in any way. Some pets are more prone to developing growths are they age and we can discuss your options are your pet’s next visit.
3. Flip the Lip – it is important to continue home dental care as your pet gets older to prevent dental disease from developing or worsening. There are many options and we can help you find the best one for your pet from oral gels and toothpaste to dental chews and diet. If your pet’s mouth is painful and the dental disease has progressed, then we can discuss the option of a dental cleaning to get their mouth healthy again.
4. Help with Grooming – as pet’s age, many times they will start to groom less or differently. There are some things that you can do to help them look their best: trim their nails on a regular basis, even if you have never had to trim them before since as they age, dogs are less likely to wear their nails down and the nails are more likely to be brittle and difficult for cats to sharpen; brush them or use a wet washcloth to wipe them down to help remove dander, encourage grooming and prevent matts from developing and check their paws for any clumped litter or debris between their toes. Sometimes, it helps keep senior pets shaved down or trimmed to make grooming easier. In many cases, changes in grooming is a sign of pain, discomfort or some underlying health problem so have them checked out to make sure nothing else is going on.
5.Keep Active and Watch the Weight - in some dogs and cats, as they get older and their metabolism and activity changes, they gain weight. The majority of pets develop osteoarthritis as they age and excess weight will increase the strain on their joints and will lead to discomfort. It is important to help them continue to be active. There are some easy changes that you can make to help keep them moving. In cats, you can still encourage playtime with toys such as feather wands or laser pointers. Some cats like using interactive toys or playing with other pets in the household. You can also hide some of their food around the house to allow them to work to “find” it. In dogs, it is very important that you continue with daily exercise such as a walk around the block or swimming to keep them active. The most important thing with both dogs and cats is consistent exercise to keep their muscles healthy, prevent muscle loss and keep them at a healthy weight.
6.Good Nutrition – in truth, good nutrition is a cornerstone for good health. It is important to ensure that your senior pets get the best nutrition possible. There are so many diet options available; sometimes it is difficult to make a good choice! You should always read the back of the bag – the top 10 ingredients generally comprise the majority of the diet. The ideal diet for cats, especially senior cats, is either a canned or dehydrated formula, since it will have lower carbohydrates, higher protein and increased moisture content. Ideally, the diet you pick for your cat should be grain free and the diet you choose for your dog should have lower amounts of high quality grains or be grain free as well. We recommend and use the Honest Kitchen dehydrated diet at our hospital – ask for a complimentary sample of different varieties. We can also make personalized diet and brand recommendations based on your pet’s health care needs.
7. Know the Signs- watch out for some more common signs that can indicate there is an underlying problem. Watch out for noticeably decreased grooming, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, changes in appetite such as eating more or less, increased water consumption, increased urination, loss of bladder control, accidents in the house or missing the litterbox, diarrhea, constipation, reluctance to jump or walk upstairs, difficulty getting up and down, resting more, excessive panting in dogs, exercise intolerance, vomiting, bad breath, drooling, changes in behavior, hiding or avoiding interaction or changes in vocalization. Don’t accept these changes as your pet “just getting older”!
8. Schedule a Wellness Check – it is important that your pet receives a physical exam every 6-12 months to allow their doctor to asses for any early changes to their health. We can help pick up changes that you may not notice at home. At each examination, we check their eyes for any early changes or degeneration, their ears for signs of infection, the mouth for signs of dental disease or discomfort, their skin for any signs or allergies or growths, the mu
9. Check some Senior Labwork - we can perform a bloodwork and urinalysis profile to help find underlying problems before your pet starts showing signs of illness. This will allow us to treat them early if we find a problem. We can choose a profile based on your pet that will check for liver and kidney function; diabetes; underlying disorders with their white blood cells, red blood cells or platelets; thyroid disease; urine concentration for kidney function and urinary tract infections.
10. Consider Supplements – there are some supplements that you can consider as your pet ages. In many cases, we recommend glucosamine to help support joint and cartilage health and prevent further degeneration from osteoarthritis and omega 3 fatty acids to help provide support to your pet’s internal organs and keep the joints lubricated and functioning correctly. We can discuss other supplement options at the time of your pet’s wellness check. If you have any further questions about senior health care in general or specific questions about your pets, please give us a call at (480) 988-3660.
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