Everything Elko November 2018

SENIOR
Wellness
We love our senior pets, so much in fact,
that we set aside a month every year to
make sure that they get the high-quality
care they deserve! This month we are
celebrating our seniors in November,
so we want to give you information to
consider some health aspects that your
senior may be experiencing and needing
some veterinary guidance in getting
through them.
You may wonder as your faithful
companion ages, that at what age
are they truly considered seniors or
geriatrics. For smaller dogs and cats, that
age is 7, whereas our larger canine friends
age faster and are considered seniors at
6 years old. So what kind of health care
changes can we expect to implement into
our pet’s regimen as they age? The first
change we need to implement is more
frequent vet checkups. Our younger
guys are recommended annual visits,
whereas we want to see our seniors at
least twice a year, more frequently if they
have health issues.
When your pet comes in for these visits,
what problems are we examining for?
The full physical examination that your
veterinarian performs is the palpation of
your pet for lumps, hair loss, tenderness,
changes in abdominal character, dental
disease, eye health, and joint mobility.
Questions that your pet’s vet tech or
veterinarian will ask you help them
identify underlying issues that may just
be presenting, or ones that have become
a true health concern. Your veterinarian
will begin to start running annual or
semi-annual bloodwork at these visits, to
establish normal parameters of internal
organ function and to start monitoring
for changes that would indicate disease
process’ like kidney/urinary tract disease,
liver disease, diabetes, and thyroid
disease. They may further recommend
ultrasounds, ECG, radiographs or
echocardiograms if there is any indication
on the physical exam or bloodwork that
indicates heart disease, cancer, and joint
or bone disease.
As our pet ages, we are not only
increasing their veterinary care, but we
are also modifying their diet and nutrition
at each visit to make sure we are staying
on top of weight control and ensuring
they are getting the appropriate caloric
intake with correct nutrients. During
their exam, we document any changes
in their mobility, their mental health and
status, and changes in behavior. Mental
health is just as important to our older
pet’s quality of life as their mobility and
appetite, so we do not want to ignore
these changes as “getting older”. Getting
lost in the house, circling in the yard, and
vocalizing with no cause are just a few
changes to remember to mention to your
veterinary team at your pet’s next visit.
For more information » on signs
to watch for in the aging pet,
or for questions you may now
have, contact the health care
team at Elko Veterinary Clinic.
Make sure your senior pet is ready to keep up for all the ADVENTURES you’ll have together!
64 www.EverythingElko.com | November 2018