Why do you care so much about senior pets?
I love old pets. They are my absolute favorite. Puppies are great too, but old pets just have a really special place in my heart. During our COVID times when we had a little bit less patient and traffic flow, I actually completed a geriatric and palliative care certification through the American Animal Hospital Association, which is our accrediting body. So as an accredited hospital, it's really important to us that we stay current on all of the things that are most important to our pets. Our senior pets have been our friends and loyal companions for years and we owe it to them to do the best we can for them in these later years in life.
Dr. Jessica Torok
Urban Veterinary Associates
Why is it important to monitor senior pets closely?
Well, as we age, dogs and humans alike, things change in our bodies and things can be really subtle, especially when you're seeing them every day. We like to see our senior pets twice a year, so about every six months. As they age, you can imagine if they're coming in twice a year, if they age seven times faster, that's like going to the doctor once every three and a half years. So it's not really unreasonable to see them that frequently. We will see changes in their eyesight, hearing, mobility, right? We can also see diseases creep up on us, things like hypothyroidism for dogs, hyperthyroidism for cats, diabetes for both species, right?
How do you detect changes and diseases in senior pets?
We think about all of those changes that can happen in their bodies and how do we detect those, right? So blood work. Blood work is the biggest thing that we do for these animals on a yearly basis at a minimum. Sometimes we do it twice a year if there's a chronic condition that needs to be monitored. We also are doing EKGs, blood pressures, chest and abdominal x-rays, right? So those chest and abdominal x-rays are really just a screening device for us to say is there any enlargement of the heart, any abdominal lymph nodes, any masses in the chest? The liver and kidneys look okay. Do we have any stones in the gallbladder, kidneys, or urinary bladder? Is the spleen enlarged? Are there any masses in the abdomen that I can't feel with my fingers but I can see them on the x-ray? And then we can have good educated conversations about what do we do for these animals moving forward.
What are some common issues in older pets and how can they be addressed?
Arthritis, one of the hugest things that we see in our older pets. Their mobility, you know, they get a little crunchy and they're kind of walking on their toes, maybe a little slower to get up, maybe a little hesitant to go up the stairs or jump into your car or up on the sofa. We have so many things that we can do to help them that are really, really safe and very affordable.
What can pet owners do at home to help their senior dogs?
Sometimes it's like adding some extra grips. There's a product called Toe Grips that you can slip over their toenails and helps them to get better traction on the floor. I used those for my old dog when he was having some mobility challenges and I didn't catch the arthritis changes in him. But now, as a practitioner who's been through that experience, I'm much more able to talk about it with my clients and about their patients and help guide you through that from a personal perspective as well as from a professional perspective.
What signs should pet owners watch for in their senior pets?
We want to make sure that we're really watching them closely for any decreases in appetite, right? Sometimes it'll just be like, oh maybe they're picky, maybe they don't like their food anymore. That's almost never the case. We as humans get bored with our food, but dogs, very seldom is that the case. There's usually something wrong and it can be as subtle as the animal kind of knowing, when I eat this, my tummy hurts. I'm not gonna eat it again. So they walk up to the bowl and maybe sniff it and walk away. So if you're seeing things like that, that might be an indication that something bigger is happening and we need to evaluate.
Why is maintaining weight and muscle mass important in senior pets?
Weight loss, right? We see a lot of patients have weight loss or muscle atrophy as they age and it's not normal, right? We want to make sure that we're maintaining that muscle mass and that health, that they're eating an appropriate diet. Senior patients need, they need protein. So some people will say, oh you want to put them on a low protein. Well maybe not. Maybe modified protein or a different type. Maybe we need to aim for less red meat and more white meat like fish and pork based or chicken versus like a beef or a venison or a buffalo based so that we're having less phosphorus for them to deal with, less work for their kidneys.
What should pet owners do if they have a senior pet at home?
There are just so many different things that we can discuss during our senior wellness exams. If you have a senior pet at home who hasn't been seen in a while, now is the time. Do not wait. Look at them. Get them in here. Get them in here to see us. We at Urban Vet are really dedicated to making certain that we take the very best care of our senior patients. We look forward to seeing you soon with your beautiful old friends. Thanks so much.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (630) 541-8088, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram