Fact File - Geriatric

As our pets get older, just like you or I, they can be prone to developing certain illnesses. The signs of these illnesses can develop quite slowly and so it isn’t always obvious that your pet may be getting poorly. The purpose of this fact sheet is to help you know what signs to watch out for that may indicate your pet is developing an illness.

Signs to look out for in your pet include…
Drinking more than usual
Urinating more than usual
Eating more than usual whilst losing or not gaining weight
Eating less than usual
Change in activity levels-either more active or less active
Stiff when getting up or moving around
Coughing
Panting more than usual

If you are concerned about any of these signs in your pet please do not hesitate to contact the surgery to discuss your concerns with a vet

Below are some common diseases that may affect your pet as they get older.

Kidney Disease-is very common in older cats and relatively common in older dogs. It is usually chronic, i.e. it develops over a relatively long period of time, and often the cause is unknown. Signs to watch out for include-drinking and weeing more than usual, weight loss, not eating as much as usual and vomiting. We can diagnose kidney disease with a simple blood test although we sometimes we require a urine sample as well. Although we cannot cure kidney disease there are a number of different measures than we can do to help slow down the progression of the disease and make your pet feel much more their usual self.

Diabetes- is common in both elderly dogs and cats. It is caused by the body losing control of the way it deals with glucose, its main energy supply. When it first develops, the body usually has a high glucose level, which can damage tissues and make your pet feel unwell. Signs to watch out for are an increase in drinking and weeing, weight loss, sometimes eating more than usual, sometimes eating less than usual. Diabetes can usually be diagnosed with a simple blood test. It is almost always managed with daily insulin injections, although in some cats, if caught early, can be managed with diet. For many years it was thought that diabetes was not curable, however recent studies have shown that in cats if it is caught early and treated successfully it is possible to put them into remission, i.e. cure the diabetes for a moderate length of time. One of the main risk factors for diabetes to occur is obesity, particularly in cats, and so it is important to maintain a normal body weight especially as your pet gets older.

Dental Disease-is one of the most common diseases we see in older cats and dogs. It can be caused by a poor quality diet and feeding wet food is often implicated, but sometimes it is just a natural process that occurs as your pet gets older. For further information please see the page ‘what happens when my pet comes in for dental treatment’.

Heart Disease-is common in older dogs and cats, especially in certain breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Boxers. There can be many causes of heart disease and sometimes these don’t affect the dog until later life, when symptoms such as coughing, reluctance to go far on walks and panting are noted. Although it is rare that we can cure heart disease we can almost always make your pet more comfortable with daily medications to help the heart work better.

Arthritis- is extremely common in older dogs and cats. You may notice your dog becoming lame or stiff, particularly after a longer walk, or struggle to get up from lying down. Your cat may not want to play as much as usual, or struggle to jump up on sofas or kitchen counters. He or she may not want to go outside as much as usual, or struggle to groom themselves. Arthritis can be managed with a combination of pain relief, joint supplements to help improve the quality of the joints, weight loss if your pet is overweight and managing exercise appropriately.

Hormonal diseases-encompass a group of diseases that can affect dogs and cats, often in different ways. They may make your pet eat or drink more than usual, gain or lose weight, lose hair or have recurrent skin problems, or make them feel sick or have diarrhoea. If we are worried your pet suffers from one of these diseases we may suggest as special blood test .