Helping older pets enjoy their ‘golden years’

Happy New Year! In my practice, our resolution for 2009 is to celebrate senior pets. Exciting advances in veterinary medicine are helping pets live longer, happier lives than ever before.

Pet life expectancy has doubled in the past 50 years, due in large part to vast improvements in nutrition and the development of vaccines against common diseases. I firmly believe that modern veterinary medicine holds the keys for adding significantly more quality time to pets’ lives. One of the keys is early detection programs for senior pets.

The purpose of a senior early detection program is to diagnose medical conditions as early as possible. Almost every pet will develop at least one serious condition in their senior years. Our
chance of successfully and economically addressing a problem depends directly on how early we catch it.

Most people understand this concept from their own medical care. Cholesterol screening can lead to treatments that prevent heart attacks. Regular mammograms, colonoscopy, and prostate evaluations can catch cancer in very early, treatable stages. Thanks in large part to the success of routine screening, people are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. 

Regular screening tests can have the same benefits for our pets. The major questions are when should we start screening older pets, what tests should we run, and how often should we run t
hem? My answers to these questions are based on guidelines published by the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Of course, they are also based on my personal opinion and experience.

Pets should begin regular senior screenings when they reach the rough equivalent human age of 50. There have been several “senior at seven” campaigns to improve awareness of senior pet care.

The age of seven is similar to a 50-year-old person for many dogs. However, giant breeds age more quickly and toy breeds age more slowly. Cats reach a similar age equivalency around age ten.

When pets enter the “over 50” crowd, pets should graduate to more thorough laboratory screening tests than younger pets. Complete blood counts can detect chronic inflammatory conditions, platelet problems, anemia, and even some cancers. Serum chemistries can detect diabetes, liver conditions, kidney impairment, digestive problems, hormone imbalances and more. Frequently, a thorough serum chemistry panel will be our best chance of catching illnesses in their earliest stages. A urinalysis provides important information on kidney function, bladder health, and can even detect liver problems or diabetes.

Specialized screening for high risk problems should also be a part of any early detection program. Abnormal thyroid levels are common in older pets. It is simple to add periodic thyroid testing onto your pet’s regular laboratory panel. Both dogs and cats can develop high blood pressure as they age. They can also suffer from increased eye pressure, or glaucoma. Regular measurement of blood pressure and eye pressure should be part of a thorough physical examination in older pets.

Every major professional organization that publishes guidelines for senior pet care recommends thorough examinations and laboratory tests every six months. Older pets age the equivalent of four to seven years in each twelve month interval. An issue that begins to develop a few weeks or months after a veterinary visit is likely to become an advanced problem before the next annual visit.

Experts agree: a year is often just too long.

Many early detection programs also include chest x-rays and electrocardiography (EKG). In certain breeds, or in pets with certain medical conditions, these tests may be recommended on a regular interval. In my practice, I recommend a screening x-ray and EKG when a pet first enters the “senior” years. I like to have a baseline on file for every pet. It is extremely helpful when trying to read future tests to have a baseline measurement to compare. Unless there are abnormalities to follow, I generally do not repeat these tests on a predetermined interval.