Pet Senior Wellness: Health and the Older Pet

Though it may seem that you were dealing with puppy and kitten wellness issues, such as those first pet vaccinations just a few years ago, your adult pet may already be facing later-life challenges. Fortunately, if you live in Spokane, Airway Heights, Deer Park or Rathdrum, you have access to a veterinary center that can provide proper care for all the life stages of your dog or cat, including pet senior wellness care.

Just as older humans experience certain age-related health challenges so do dogs and cats. Even owners who have taken care to spay and neuter their pets, keep up with pet vaccinations and have regular checkups performed may find their beloved older animals experiencing more ailments than they once did. These pet senior wellness issues may appear earlier than you had anticipated simply because pets have a relatively short lifespan -- a dog or cat only a few years old by the human calendar may be middle-aged by its breed’s standards. By the time your pet has passed its first decade, it may have become a senior citizen.

Conditions that affect elderly animals resemble those that affect elderly humans. Arthritis, for instance, causes stiffness and pain as joints begin to lose the protective layer of cartilage between their bones. The less mobility a pet has the fewer calories it can burn, and it may grow obese. Internal organs also become less efficient with age, and sometimes you can see the signs of these potential issues. A pet that drinks water constantly, for example, may have a kidney problem while rapid weight loss or weight gain could signify a failing thyroid gland. Pets can also develop diabetes, tumors, high blood pressure and other conditions that may go unnoticed without regular veterinary attention.

The Spokane Solution: More than Just Pet Vaccinations

Here at A-1 Animal Care Veterinary Services in Spokane, we know how to create a pet wellness routine that can keep your dog or cat happier and healthier in its senior years. Our veterinary team can detect possible problems, treat chronic conditions, prescribe medication as needed and make the appropriate recommendations as to diet, nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle factors. If your pet suffers from age-related obesity, diabetes or another metabolic condition, we will adjust its diet accordingly and instruct you on how to administer medicines and other pet senior wellness measures at home. In many cases “human” remedies can be used in properly adjusted dosages, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis pain and glucosamine for joint health.

Your pet can continue to enjoy a happy life even in its elder years with the right veterinary care, but, of course our services do not extend merely to elderly animals. We also spay and neuter young pets, provide puppy and kitten wellness and administer pet vaccinations for all ages. Contact our Spokane office at 509-481-9825 today to learn more.