Golden Oldies
Just as in human medicine, we recognise that our senior pets can benefit from early detection and treatment of potentially serious diseases.
As pets move into the senior stage of life, at around 7-8 years old, they experience changes very similar to those in aging humans. Disease and conditions known to affect older people also affect our four-legged companions: kidney, heart and liver disease, tumors, thyroid conditions, dental disease, arthritis, diabetes and loss of sensory perception. Understanding these changes and how you and your vet can provide for them, is essential to our pets' quality of life.
Although veterinary expertise is improving, studies have shown that as many as 17% of middle-aged and older animals that appear healthy have an underlying disease. There are growing numbers of ways we can help ‘slow the clock' and promote healthy lives for our senior pets, including laboratory tests which can detect diseases and conditions early when treatment and prevention are most beneficial. Borris, a senior cat belonging to one of our Small Animal vets Sally Browning, taught her owner the value of blood tests very clearly about four years ago. Sally had planned a routine teeth clean for him and, as he needed a general anaesthetic, she decided to run some blood tests. Much to her surprise, her apparently healthy friend had an overactive thyroid gland. Eventually, she would have worked this out with his increasing weight loss, a never-ending appetite and the development of life-threatening heart disease. It was so much better to start treatment early - he is now 16 years old and while he requires medication for arthritis, he is happy and still quite playful. It was also interesting that the vomiting Sally put down to eating breakfast too quickly disappeared when she treated his thyroid condition. Borris continues to have regular blood tests as this give Sally peace of mind that she is doing all she can to keep her friend healthy in his last years.
The Totally Vets' Golden Oldies Programme consists of careful history taking from you, as you know your friend best, a full physical examination, a blood test, a urine test and a written report giving our findings, recommendations for further investigation if required, and a treatment/follow-up plan. Sometimes, treatment could be as simple as a change of diet. These programmes really focus on preventative care and early treatment.
Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of life for the longest possible time. Together, we can make the ‘golden' years the most rewarding you and your pet have ever shared. It is so much better to limit or stop nasty diseases from progressing until it is too late. Contact us for more information on our Golden Oldies Programme - your pet may be more grateful than you think.
