Caring for Senior Dogs and Cats in Reno, NV
Dogs and cats are living longer than ever thanks to their owners and veterinarians, but, like humans, they are still prone to all the health problems that come with advanced age. To make sure your pet enjoys the best health and the best quality of life in their golden years, we recommend bi-annual wellness exams, along with routine blood work, the appropriate vaccinations, and parasite preventatives. Checking in with you and your pet more frequently helps us monitor their health, detect underlying signs of illness, and provide the necessary treatments to get them on the road to recovery if they’re ailing.
Is your senior pet due for an exam?
Call us at (775) 852-8522, or request an appointment online.
Common Health Changes in Senior Dogs and Cats
As our pets get older, they can experience a variety of changes over time, including:
- Sleeping more often, less active
- Diminished hearing, sight, and sense of smell
- Irritability
- Dental disease
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Kidney failure
- Congestive heart failure
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Constipation
- Incontinence
- Matted fur (can happen in cats that groom less often)
Managing Your Senior Pet’s Care
Keeping your beloved senior pet healthy is a joint effort between you and your vet. If your pet has chronic illness and limited mobility, we need to take all the necessary steps to treat their symptoms and keep their condition stable. Several changes may need to be made to your pet’s lifestyle, including:
- Changing their diet: Both dogs and cats experience a change in their metabolic rate when they get older. This means that the food they consume as younger adults will not suit their needs as seniors. Senior pets need fewer calories and proteins--if they continue to eat high-calorie, high-protein food every day, they will be at risk for weight gain and a cascade of other problems.
- Grooming more often: Pets can’t groom themselves as well in their senior/geriatric stage of life. Be sure to check your pet’s skin, ears, and nails regularly and let your vet know if you see anything unusual. We recommend brushing your pet regularly. If you want to remove any fur mats yourself, make sure you use electric clippers instead of scissors.
- More frequent vet visits: Bi-annual exams make it easier for us to find and treat health conditions and suggest changes you can make to your pet’s daily routine to give them a better quality of life.
- Regular teeth cleanings: Many senior pets suffer from dental disease. This condition can result in severe infection of the teeth and gums and cause a pet to lose most if not all of their teeth. Dental disease can also send infectious bacteria into your pet’s bloodstream, where it can affect the heart, kidneys, and liver.
Senior dogs and cats deserve to enjoy life just as much as younger pets. To discuss your senior pet’s needs, call us today at (775) 852-8522.