WELLNESS PROFILES FOR THE SENIOR AND GERIATRIC PET

For most pet owners, it seems that the years go by too quickly, and often you have to stop and think before answering when asked about your pet’s age. There are many similarities between pets and humans during the aging process; everything just happens more quickly for our pets. As your pet reaches 6-8 years of age, you may begin noticing signals that he or she is slowing down. These signs become more pronounced as your pet grows older, just as with humans. Conditions such as cataracts and arthritis can often be diagnosed by a thorough physical examination by the veterinarian. However, there are other conditions which cannot be as easily detected by a simple examination.

Often, pets who have problems with internal organs or systems will not show any symptoms until the disease causes considerable damage to the affected areas. Organs such as the liver and kidneys may become up to 70% damaged before a pet will show symptoms. Cancerous diseases can also rapidly progress before becoming detectable to the naked eye. For this and many other conditions, laboratory testing may be the easiest way to detect and diagnose diseases before signs become visible upon physical examination. Often it becomes more difficult to treat these conditions as they progress further, so early detection can be key in determining if we will be able to offer treatment. In an effort to offer your senior or geriatric pet the best possible medical care, we have developed a laboratory work-up that can screen for many internal problems that may otherwise be undetectable until they progress. We hope to screen animals that appear generally healthy on physical examination, making sure there are no detectable internal problems.

This wellness profile includes routing bloodwork such as a heartworm test, which your pet may have received already this year. Other bloodwork includes a CBC (complete blood count) which measures the numbers of different cell types present in your pet’s blood. This can show if your pet has any high or low values which may indicate types of cancers, infection, blood loss, or other problems. We also perform a blood chemistry to examine the enzyme levels of different organs such as the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. This is valuable information that can indicate if your pet is experiencing liver or kidney failure, as well as offering us other data about your pet’s internal health. In some cases, we may also check a thyroid level to make sure this important gland is functioning properly.

Other tests that we perform include a fecal examination, where we use special solution mixed with your pet’s fresh stool sample to check under microscope for many different types of intestinal parasites by causing them to float to the surface. We also check a urine sample for crystals, blood, signs of infection, and other things that can offer clues about many of your pet’s body systems.

Depending on your pet’s overall appearance and general physical health, the doctors may recommend additional testing, or forego tests which have been performed recently. The results of the laboratory testing will help the doctors make recommendations on improving your pet’s lifestyle to keep him/her healthy. If abnormal results are found, we may recommend treatments and/or additional testing to help monitor your pet’s condition. We will call you as soon as your pet’s test results have arrived.

Please feel free to discuss this important aspect of your aging pet’s health care with any of our staff members as we want to help you enjoy many more years with your beloved companion!