Although it is hard to believe, dogs over the age of 8 and cats over the age of 10 are considered “senior”.
In the same way as people, as our pets age they are more likely to start getting health issues. However, one of the main differences between us and our pets is that they can hide early signs of age related problems. This means that they may not show any signs of illness until a condition is fairly advanced. Catching any health problems early gives us chance to improve our pet’s quality of life.
Does your pet struggle getting up from a nap, climbing the stairs, getting into the car or jumping? Have your pet’s eating and drinking habits changed? Have you noticed that your dog is slowing down on walks? Is your cat hunting less or not going outside as often? Is your pet sleeping more than usual or hiding away? All of these could point to age related conditions that could be affecting your pet’s wellbeing. Noticing these signs early means that we can start treatment or management adjustments earlier, leading to longer and happier lives for our four-legged friends!
Here at The Stocks Vets, we strive to offer the best care we can for our older patients, to help them live their twilight years comfortably. With this in mind we are pleased to offer our ‘Senior Pet Clinics’ which are run by our team of Registered Veterinary Nurses; Jess, Hayley, Jessica, Lydia, Kimberley, Kerry and Hollie.
The clinics are free of charge and the veterinary nurse will do a full health check of your animal, discuss any concerns and also included as part of the Senior health clinic are:
- For dogs an in-house urine analysis which allows us to check for signs of urine infections, kidney issues and diabetes.
- For cats a blood pressure measurement as many older cats will suffer from hypertension (increased blood pressure) and this is often asymptomatic until reasonably well advanced.
Prior to your appointment we will ask you to complete a senior clinic questionnaire which may help to highlight any current problems your pet may have.
During your clinic, one of our nurses will discuss with you any concerns you have regarding your pet, and advise on ways to help them in their senior years.
If you are interested in making an appointment please phone us at either surgery and we will do our best to help your animals feel as happy and comfortable as they deserve to be through their senior years.
Please note: Veterinary Nurses are unable to make any diagnosis, and it may be that your animal will need to be referred for a vet consultation for further treatment and examination.