Suburban Animal Clinic enjoys caring for your pets from babyhood into old age.  It'€™s important to realize that as our pets age, they require additional care and vet visits over and above what youngsters require.  Proper preventative care during the entire life of your pet will help them live longer, happier lives.

Pets age faster than humans, €this is true.  Cats are considered seniors at around age 7, and geriatric at around age 13.  The average life span of an indoor only cat is 15-18 years (we have seen cats into their 20's!).  Most dogs are considered seniors at age 7 as well, although larger breed dogs, such as St. Bernards, Great Dances, and Mastiffs, are considered seniors at age 5.  Small breed dogs can live 12-15 years, while larger breeds live an average of 10-12 years, with giant breeds living an average of 6-8 years.

Just as people need different care, including preventative care, as they age, our pets need the different care as they age, too.  We follow guidelines set forth by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association in regards to preventative care for senior pets.

Senior pets should have a preventative care exam at least every 6 months.  Just think, if pets age 5-7 years per our 1 human year, that would be like us not going to our doctor for more than 5 years.  Pets can'€™t always tell us this or that hurts, or that they don'€™t feel good at a specific time. 

Pets retain an instinct that tells them to hide when they hurt or don'€™t feel good.  Granted, a direct injury will probably result in visible limping.  But in regards to organs functioning properly, pets will hide their discomfort or ill feelings as long as possible.  By the time you are seeing symptoms such as visible weight loss, changes in eating/drinking, changes in activity or sleeping habits, your pet is likely pretty ill.  Frequent preventative care exams and routine blood work can help us detect an issue before it comes severe.

We also recommend annual blood work (complete blood count, organ function profile, and thyroid check) for all senior pets.  This allows us to closely monitor organ function and watch for changes or trends.  For example, the numbers on the lab work may be '€˜normal,'€™ but if they are slowly going up or down each time, then that could indicate a problem in the future that we can begin medical support for now.

The best example is kidney disease.  By the time an owner sees symptoms of kidney disease (weight loss, vomiting, increased thirst/urinations, anorexia), the pet has already lost 75% of its kidney function.  However, by monitoring yearly blood work, we can detect a possible problem early on, and recommend a change in diet or a supplement to help keep the kidneys healthy as long as possible.

Senior pets can also suffer from glaucoma, hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiac disease, and even arthritis, just like humans.  Twice annual preventative care exams can help us detect these issues before your pet tells you, and we can help you help your pet stay comfortable and healthy as long as possible.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  Schedule your pet'€™s senior preventative care exam today!

Take advantage of our senior specials in our quarterly newsletter!

Suburban Animal Clinic is located in West Columbus off I-70 near I-270.  Suburban Animal Clinic serves Galloway, Hilltop, West Side, Georgesville, West Jefferson, Grove City, Grandview, Upper Arlington (including OSU Campus area), Hilliard and Dublin.

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