There are several things to keep in mind when looking at senior pet health. The focus for senior pet health is making sure your furry friends have happy, healthy and fruitful lives in their older years.

Age

Firstly, how old is a senior pet? There are many differences between cats and dogs, but we consider them to be senior pets once they reach the age of 8 years. This should only be seen as a starting point, as some cat and small dog breeds can easily live double this!

Diet

Diet and weight are some of the most important things to address in older animals. Diet is important for several reasons. Over feeding animals leads to obesity, which puts massive stress on the cardiovascular system (especially the heart) and the skeletal system (especially the joints that have to carry the extra weight). It is very easy to over feed a senior animal, as their metabolic needs are slightly less than adults. Incorrect feeding can lead to disease via lack of nutrient requirements (the older you get, the more anti-oxidants, certain vitamins and trace elements are required) allowing suppression of the immune system. Poor consistency of food will allow tartar to build-up and can lead to gum disease.

A premium quality, balanced, commercial diet is the best way to address the diet of senior pets. A diet specifically formulated with high quality protein, added anti-oxidants, vitamin E and high digestibility, while lower in fat and salts is essential for managing older animals.

Heart

Heart health is very important. The best way to maintain a healthy heart is regular exercise coupled with a sensible diet. Just like humans, some pet heart diseases can be inherited from older generations, so minimising extra stress on the heart, such as reducing extra weight, is also required.

Kidneys

Renal disease is common in older animals, especially cats. The kidneys function every second of our lives and often we do not even realise they are there until something goes wrong. Kidney disease is such a broad topic that it has its own profile on this website.

Regular urine testing (a free service when a sample is provided at vaccination), along with blood testing, are the best ways to monitor kidney function.

Joints

Arthritis can also go hand in hand with older age. Joints can become arthritic for a multitude of reasons. Symptomatic relief is aided by sensible diet and weight management to ensure the minimum stress on joints to allow as much movement as possible.

Teeth

Tooth related disease is very common in older animals. Preventative dental care BEFORE disease occurs is much more effective than treating disease. Tartar build-up leads to gingivitis (gum inflammation and infection), which can lead to tooth root infections, and bacteria in the blood stream causing even more severe infection! Dry foods whilst younger, rawhide bones to chew and regular cleaning using pet-registered toothpaste or cleansing solutions all form part of a preventative program.

There is an underlying theme in all of these processes – diet. There are lots of different types of diets available, so it is imperative that you speak to our trained staff to discuss which one is best for your pet. Each pet is different; so if you have more than one, especially if they are different ages, let us provide the information you need to make their lives as fruitful as possible.