Senior Care - Eagle Fern Veterinary Hospital

Senior Cat Health Care

Your pet cat or dog is considered a senior if it is 8 years or older. With advances in diagnostics, therapies and nutrition, senior pets are able to live longer, higher quality lives.

Common senior diseases include arthritis, obesity, dental disease, heart disease, cataracts, urinary incontinence, cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, anemia, liver disease and thyroid disorders. Earlier detection of disease allows us to treat and prevent many diseases.

You may note signs of disease:

Limping, stiffness, difficulty climbing stairs
Loss of house training, urinary incontinence
Increased thirst or urination
Confusion, disorientation, changes in sleep patterns, or no longer greets family members
Constipation or diarrhea
Bad breath or dental disease
Decreased appetite, weight change
Vomiting
Seizures
Coughing
Vision or hearing problems
Skin lumps

Please mention any of these symptoms to the technician or doctor during the history taking of your pet.

We recommend all senior pets be examined every 6-12 months. In addition to a physical exam, screening blood and urine tests give a more complete picture of overall health. If abnormalities are found additional diagnostics may need to be done or tests repeated at a later date to monitor the disease