Geriatric Medicine
Boswell Roe
As your pet approaches their senior years, it is important that we clearly understand your goals for their health. We invite you to work with us to develop a Senior Wellness Plan - a health plan which is tailored specifically to match your expectations and the needs of your pet. With our medical knowledge and experience, combined with a clear understanding of your vision for your pet’s later years, we can customize a plan to ensure appropriate care.
What is a Senior Wellness Plan?
A Senior Wellness Plan is a combination of periodic screening exams and at-home monitoring designed to identify problems in our older patients early in the disease process. All too often, our older patients surprise us with sudden illness after seeming healthy at home. We run tests and find that these patients may have had subclinical problems for months or years. Our goal is to eliminate the surprise and identify problems earlier so that we can intervene to slow progression of disease, or, in some cases, cure the problem. By doing this, our pets live longer with better quality.
How often does my pet need a screening exam?
A thorough physical exam, including a detailed discussion of your pet’s recent physical and mental status, is the cornerstone of early disease detection. We recommend a physical exam every six months for pets older than 7 years.
What tests may be included in the senior screening exams?
Since this is a custom program tailored to each pet, it depends. We rely heavily on your observations at home, our physical exam findings, and the results of previous testing to decide which tests are appropriate for your pet. Some of the tests which may be recommended include blood tests and urinalysis (typically performed at least annually for pets older than 7 years), ultrasound evaluation, x-rays, biopsies, or specific function tests. More information regarding our in-house diagnostic capabilities can be found at In-House Diagnostics. When specialized tests are needed, samples can be sent to the University of Georgia Diagnostic Laboratory or to one of several commercial laboratories.
What sort of problems are we looking for?
Common diseases of older pets are listed below. Many of these are either treatable, or we can prescribe medication and therapy (including K-Laser Therapy) to make your pet more comfortable and possibly slow disease progression.
Thyroid Disease: Cats and dogs commonly develop thyroid dysfunction as they age. Cats typically develop an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) which results in an increased appetite with weight loss, poor hair coat, possible diarrhea or vomiting, and heart dysfunction. Dogs typically develop a loss of thyroid function (hypothyroidism) which results in a reduced appetite, weight gain, a poor hair coat, and greasy skin with possible recurrent ear and skin infections.
Adrenal Disease: Dogs sometimes develop a syndrome from excessive adrenal gland function (hyperadrenocorticism) which results in excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, pot-bellied appearance, poor hair coat with hair loss, and recurrent infections.
Diabetes Mellitus: Cats and dogs may develop diabetes as they age. Owners may notice excessive drinking and urination, as well as increased appetite with weight loss. These animals also have increased risk of urinary tract infections.
Kidney Disease: Kidney dysfunction and failure is common in older cats and dogs. Pets with kidney disease may exhibit symptoms of excessive drinking and urination, weight loss, and lethargy. Kidney disease often goes hand in hand with periodontal disease.
Liver Disease: Cats and dogs may develop a variety of liver abnormalities as they get older. The abnormalities may be asymptomatic, or they may result in weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, excessive drinking and urinating, and general malaise.
Heart Disease: Both cats and dogs suffer from heart disease. Owners may observe lethargy or exercise intolerance, altered breathing rates and patterns, and loss of appetite.
Arthritis: Cats and dogs with arthritic pain may have increased stiffness, difficulty sitting or standing up, limping, a reluctance to run or play, panting, or even personality changes.
What should I look for at home?
At-home monitoring is a critical component of senior wellness. You should bring your pet in if you notice any of the following:
What is a Senior Wellness Plan?
A Senior Wellness Plan is a combination of periodic screening exams and at-home monitoring designed to identify problems in our older patients early in the disease process. All too often, our older patients surprise us with sudden illness after seeming healthy at home. We run tests and find that these patients may have had subclinical problems for months or years. Our goal is to eliminate the surprise and identify problems earlier so that we can intervene to slow progression of disease, or, in some cases, cure the problem. By doing this, our pets live longer with better quality.
How often does my pet need a screening exam?
A thorough physical exam, including a detailed discussion of your pet’s recent physical and mental status, is the cornerstone of early disease detection. We recommend a physical exam every six months for pets older than 7 years.
What tests may be included in the senior screening exams?
Since this is a custom program tailored to each pet, it depends. We rely heavily on your observations at home, our physical exam findings, and the results of previous testing to decide which tests are appropriate for your pet. Some of the tests which may be recommended include blood tests and urinalysis (typically performed at least annually for pets older than 7 years), ultrasound evaluation, x-rays, biopsies, or specific function tests. More information regarding our in-house diagnostic capabilities can be found at In-House Diagnostics. When specialized tests are needed, samples can be sent to the University of Georgia Diagnostic Laboratory or to one of several commercial laboratories.
What sort of problems are we looking for?
Common diseases of older pets are listed below. Many of these are either treatable, or we can prescribe medication and therapy (including K-Laser Therapy) to make your pet more comfortable and possibly slow disease progression.
Thyroid Disease: Cats and dogs commonly develop thyroid dysfunction as they age. Cats typically develop an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) which results in an increased appetite with weight loss, poor hair coat, possible diarrhea or vomiting, and heart dysfunction. Dogs typically develop a loss of thyroid function (hypothyroidism) which results in a reduced appetite, weight gain, a poor hair coat, and greasy skin with possible recurrent ear and skin infections.
Adrenal Disease: Dogs sometimes develop a syndrome from excessive adrenal gland function (hyperadrenocorticism) which results in excessive drinking and urination, increased appetite, pot-bellied appearance, poor hair coat with hair loss, and recurrent infections.
Diabetes Mellitus: Cats and dogs may develop diabetes as they age. Owners may notice excessive drinking and urination, as well as increased appetite with weight loss. These animals also have increased risk of urinary tract infections.
Kidney Disease: Kidney dysfunction and failure is common in older cats and dogs. Pets with kidney disease may exhibit symptoms of excessive drinking and urination, weight loss, and lethargy. Kidney disease often goes hand in hand with periodontal disease.
Liver Disease: Cats and dogs may develop a variety of liver abnormalities as they get older. The abnormalities may be asymptomatic, or they may result in weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, excessive drinking and urinating, and general malaise.
Heart Disease: Both cats and dogs suffer from heart disease. Owners may observe lethargy or exercise intolerance, altered breathing rates and patterns, and loss of appetite.
Arthritis: Cats and dogs with arthritic pain may have increased stiffness, difficulty sitting or standing up, limping, a reluctance to run or play, panting, or even personality changes.
What should I look for at home?
At-home monitoring is a critical component of senior wellness. You should bring your pet in if you notice any of the following:
- Changes in energy level, exercise intolerance, or panting
- Changes in appetite or thirst
- Weight gain or loss
- Bad breath or drooling
- Decreased grooming, poor haircoat, lumps, or changes in skin color
- Vomiting, diarrhea or constipation
- Increased urination or loss of bladder control
- Reluctance to walk up stairs or rise from the floor
- Changes in behavior such as disorientation, vocalizing, or hiding