Like we humans, as our pets age their health needs change dramatically. The key to keeping our pets healthy, happy, and a part of our lives for as long as possible is to care for our pets more proactively. We should recognize that an aging dog or cat does not mean my pet is now “old”! As we age we have increased risks of health changes, but the quality of our pet’s lives can still be fantastic! Veterinarians consider an aging or mature pet to be seven to eight years old for most dogs and cats, unless we are talking about a very large breed dog in which case five to six years would then be the age. Most of us have heard that on average one human year is equivalent to five to seven years of a pet’s life. With this in mind we must be aware that even six months in a pet’s life is years to us. This gets even more significant as they get older, because most of our pet’s health issues develop in their later years. The take home message here is that when our pets reach this “golden” age we need to be much more involved in their health care.

Proactive in-depth physicals start by visiting your veterinarian at least every six months (again remembering this length of time is many years to a pet). These type of exams frequently involve lab work, stool examinations, x-rays, blood pressure checks, and possibly other tests depending on the individual and any abnormalities found during the examination. While we all find ourselves saying things like “my pet is fine, he or she is not ill and is eating, drinking, and acting normal”, proactive testing is designed to identify early signs of illness that are not yet apparent to the naked eye. Organ diseases like kidney, liver or heart do not become visible until these organs are quite damaged. Simple laboratory tests can many times identify these early changes and start therapy long before there is a great damage to these valuable body parts. It must be said that lab work alone cannot be used to assure us of our health. Radiographs or x-rays along with lab work can identify their own unique changes such as enlarging or shrinking organs, kidney or bladder stones, arthritic changes, and perhaps most important of all, early tumors or cancers which may be lurking on the inside. As with most health care changes, the above changes when identified early can lead to more affective, less painful and less expensive treatments than if not identified until later.

Early recognition of problems involves the identification of changes that are or can be significant and not brushed off as simply “my pet is getting older.” As a veterinarian I recognize that I am part of a team that helps care for the family pet and it is imperative that I listen to the person who knows the absolute most about that pet. This person is of course the pet’s owner! Recognition of any altered behavior, habits or body changes are crucial to improve the longevity and quality of our aging pets.

Significant early changes include, but are not limited to, the following: lumps and bumps noted when grooming or petting your pet; difficulty getting up or jumping on normal spots; bad odor from mouth, ears, or skin; change in appetite or ability to eat certain food types; excessive weight gain or loss; drinking or urinating more often; changes in the character of the stool; loss of bladder control or housebreaking; exercise intolerance or excessive panting or breathing hard; and even cognition changes- like seeming confused, spaced-out, or abnormal vocalization.

We humans as a race are living longer and with far greater quality as we age, so there is no reason not to expect the same for our little furry family members. I think nothing to expect many of my patients to have active great quality lives until well into their teens and sometimes into their twenties!

Please remember that just saying “Fido” acts fine or having your veterinarian look and feel your beloved pet is not enough to assess their health. Preventative care, in depth physical exams, and early recognition of changes are needed to fully care for our aging pets.