Our Aging Best Friends

Some signs of aging in our pets:

• Stiffness or difficulty with stairs or climbing into the car – some of these pets can become very grouchy and withdrawn
• Changes in appetite or water intake – either an increase or decrease
• Accidents in the house
• Changes in vision especially at night

Some signs of senility:

• Changes in sleep pattern
• Pacing and vocalizing at night
• Becoming lost in a corner or staring into space
• Apparent deafness which could be partly true hearing loss and partly the inability to understand familiar sounds
• Inability to recognize family members or other familiar people

Our aging pets suffer from many of the same problems we develop as we age such as arthritis, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperthyroidism – cats, hypothyroidism – dogs, heart disease and are also prone to periodontal disease.

With regular physical exams, blood testing, urinalysis and blood pressure measurements we can catch many of these problems early and be proactive about treating them to slow down further degeneration and keep our pets healthy and comfortable for longer. The proper diet and some nutritional supplements can help improve your pet’s health and there are many ways to control pain to also improve the quality of your pet’s life.

Talk to us about what can be done for your senior best friend.