Senior Pet Care: Keeping our ‘Golden Oldies’ Happy and Comfortable

Senior Pet Care: Keeping our ‘Golden Oldies’ Happy and Comfortable

by Dr Allie Siniawski – Veterinarian

As our beloved pets get older, they will require some extra love and care. You may notice them slowing down and perhaps sleeping more than usual, but what else do you need to look out for?

There are a number of common issues our patients face as they get older.

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis (or arthritis) is a common source of pain for senior pets. It involves inflammation of one or more joints and is a progressive, degenerative disease. Arthritis can really impact your pet’s quality of life by reducing mobility and causing pain.

Signs of arthritis to watch out for in dogs and cats are as follows:

Dogs

• Slowing down on walks
• Reluctance to get out of bed in the morning
• Trouble going up/downstairs
• Reactive when touched around the back or limbs

Cats

• Sleeping more than usual
• Trouble jumping up onto furniture
• Reactive when touched around the back or limbs
• Reduced interaction with their human family members

In animals, the signs of arthritis may be quite subtle, particularly in cats. Regular veterinary physical examinations as well as taking a thorough history at the time of consultation are essential in picking up these subtle signs.

The good news is that there are many options for management of arthritis including injections, daily anti-inflammatories and nutritional supplements. A veterinary consultation can help determine what the best option is for your individual pet and to keep them comfortable and moving better, treatment is often multi-modal. We often see dramatic improvements in a pet’s well-being once we manage their pain and improve their mobility.

Dental disease

Dental disease is something that can go unnoticed as most people don’t usually spend lots of time inspecting their pet’s mouth! Dental plaque will build up on the surface of teeth and can progress to gingivitis, gum recession, tooth infection and eventually tooth loss. This process is known as periodontal disease (gum disease) and results in a painful mouth.

Despite being older, it is important to ensure dental health is maintained in your senior pet as this is a massive contributor to their quality of life. I’m often asked if it is safe for older animals to undergo general anaesthesia for teeth cleaning. While the anaesthetic risk does increase slightly as animals age, mainly due to the presence of co-morbidities (other diseases that they may have), the overall risk of complications is still very low, particularly with the way anaesthesia is monitored in our practice, where it is routine for pets to have intravenous fluids, blood pressure monitoring, pulse oximetry and intubation with 100% oxygen.  We would recommend a pre-anaesthetic blood test for older pets undergoing anaesthesia to uncover any liver or kidney issues which may compromise the anaesthetic safety. With a well-managed anaesthetic, our senior patients generally have a smooth, uneventful recovery.

The earlier your pet is treated for dental disease, the shorter the anaesthetic time required, so if your pet has bad breath or discoloured teeth that needs addressing, do not hesitate to book them in for a dental procedure with us as soon as possible to keep your pet comfortable.

Incontinence

Urinating in the house is a common issue I am presented with when evaluating a senior pet. True incontinence can occur as an animal gets older, particularly in dogs, where a pet may leave a puddle of urine where they were sleeping. This condition can be treated successfully with medication, though a urinary tract infection should first be ruled out.

If your pet has started to drink more water and then can’t hold on as long because they need to go to the toilet more often, this can be a sign of an underlying metabolic issue such as kidney disease or an endocrine disorder. A veterinary consultation, including blood and urine testing, will allow us to hopefully rule out underlying pathology first.

For dogs that are drinking more water, we also recommend taking your pet out for more regular toilet breaks (similar to when they were a puppy!).

Dogs that start to defecate indoors may be due to deficits in the nerves that control this part of the body and could indicate a more serious issue with their lower back.

For cats that are urinating or defecating outside their litter tray, a senior health and behaviour consultation is recommended with one of our feline focused vets to solve this issue.

Weight loss

Senior pets may lose some of their muscle mass, but a steady unintentional decline in weight is not a normal process as pets get older. Weight loss is often a sign of underlying disease, and is always worthwhile investigating, particularly in a senior animal. After a physical examination, your vet may recommend a blood test to look for an explanation for your pet’s weight loss. Then depending on the result, further diagnostic tests may be recommended, including imaging.

Cognitive decline

Cognitive decline can manifest in older animals as anxiety, trouble settling and staying asleep through the night, pacing through the house, constant barking/whining, and trouble being left alone. We can liken this to a form of dog or cat ‘dementia’, which can be quite distressing for pets and owners alike. A high blood pressure can sometimes cause these clinical signs, so it is important to have your pet’s blood pressure checked if they start to exhibit signs of cognitive decline. Anti-anxiety medications are sometimes indicated and can help regulate a disrupted sleep pattern.

Summary

Overall, to ensure your pet ages comfortably, we recommend increasing the frequency of your pet’s veterinary consultations to bi-annual. Depending on how your pet is tracking, your vet may recommend blood testing, urinalysis and blood pressure measurement as part of their check-up. These are particularly important as we can pick up on early signs of disease and begin intervention before it impacts your animal’s quality of life. A healthy and pain-free pet is a happy pet!