Senior Care for Pets

Semi-annual visits are recommended to prevent age-related illnesses in your aging pet.

Time passes by quickly and before you know it, your veterinarian tells you your pet is approaching senior status. Your pet's golden years can be just as good if they have proper care and routine veterinary visits. To learn more about caring for your senior pet, please call us at 905-683-6430.

When is my pet considered a senior?

When a dog has their 7th birthday or you have celebrated the fact that your cat has turned 9, they are entering senior status. Our veterinarians recommend that they undergo a thorough senior wellness exam. This will include a detailed discussion about your pet's lifestyle and health, a physical examination, an evaluation for pain or discomfort, a nutritional discussion, and a diagnostic work-up.

What are physical signs that my pet is becoming a senior?

It's fairly easy to spot the signs that your pet is getting older. Here's what you should look out for:

  • Less playful or active
  • Greying on top of the head on their chest or around the muzzle
  • Eyelid tumours
  • Deteriorating hearing and eyesight
  • Lumps on their body
  • Decrease/increase in eating, drinking and urinating

Why are regular exams important for senior pets?

Your senior pet should have two wellness exams every year to ensure they remain healthy. With a full diagnostic checkup, we can detect illnesses in the early stages, monitor known health conditions and provide treatment. As a senior, your pet's health is very tricky and they can develop the following diseases:

  1. Cancer
  2. Kidney and Liver issues
  3. Arthritis
  4. Diabetes
  5. Cognitive dysfunction (similar to Alzheimer's disease)
  6. Heart disease
  7. Hormone disorder

Even if your senior pet isn't symptomatic and appears healthy, it is still necessary to have these exams. By detecting these illnesses early, we can administer the appropriate treatments to help extend your pet's life and improve their comfort level. For instance, arthritis can be addressed with special foods and supplements in the early stages and joint pain can be prevented if we find the signs early.

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