Services for Senior Pets

Senior Dogs

As dogs age, they can become more prone to joint and bone conditions that cause pain and limit mobility. Common issues our veterinarians often encounter include arthritis, hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis, decreased spinal flexibility, and growth plate disorders.

Early detection and treatment are key to maintaining your dog’s comfort as they age. Treatment options vary depending on the condition and may include adjusted exercise routines, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications, or surgical procedures to ease discomfort, stabilize joints, or remove damaged tissue.

Senior Cats

Although osteoarthritis is often associated with older dogs, senior cats can also suffer from this painful joint condition.

In cats, the signs of osteoarthritis tend to be more subtle than in dogs. While reduced mobility can occur, more common symptoms in aging cats include weight loss, decreased appetite, changes in mood or behaviour, poor grooming, accidents outside the litter box, and difficulty jumping onto or off furniture. Unlike dogs, visible limping or lameness is rarely noted by cat owners.

It is believed that approximately 50% of all pets die from cancers. That's why it's important for your senior pet to visit the veterinarian for routine wellness exams as they age.

Bringing your aging pet in for routine checkups even when they seem healthy allows your veterinarian to examine them for early signs of cancer and other developing conditions, which respond better to treatment when caught early.

Heart disease can be a problem for our aging pets.

Senior dogs often develop conditions such as congestive heart failure.

Heart disease is seen less in cats; however, Feline Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is relatively common.  

Aging can bring about changes in your pet’s vision and hearing, with many senior dogs and cats experiencing some degree of blindness or deafness.

These changes often develop gradually, allowing pets to adapt so well that the signs may go unnoticed by their owners for some time.

Liver disease is common in older cats and may be the result of high blood pressure or hyperthyroidism. Symptoms of liver disease in cats include loss of appetite, jaundice, drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased thirst.

In dogs, symptoms such as seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, jaundice, abdominal fluid buildup, and weight loss can be a sign of liver disease.

Veterinary care is essential if your pet displays any symptoms of liver disease.

While diabetes can occur in dogs and cats at any stage of life, it’s most commonly diagnosed in pets as they reach middle age and beyond.

Signs to watch for include increased thirst, a heightened appetite despite weight loss, cloudy eyes, and frequent or recurring infections.

Kidney function tends to decline as pets age. That said, in some cases, medications used to treat other conditions in senior pets can cause kidney problems.

While chronic kidney disease cannot be cured, it can often be managed with a prescription diet and medications.  

Senior pets may experience accidents due to weakening bladder muscles, but incontinence can also indicate underlying health problems like urinary tract infections or cognitive decline, and shouldn’t be overlooked.

If your aging pet shows signs of incontinence, scheduling a veterinary visit promptly to determine the cause and explore treatment options is important.