Early Warning Signs Your Aging Pet Is Developing Health Problems

Pets are living longer because of the advances made in veterinary care, but even so, how do you know when your pet is starting to have health issues?

A wellness veterinarian in the School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorraine Corriveau, stated ” Improvements in veterinary care, diagnostics and earlier intervention make it possible for us to enjoy our pets longer, but key to that enjoyment is helping them to enjoy their later years to the fullest. The attitudes of both veterinarians and pet owners towards our senior pets are changing. The belief now is that age is not a disease and veterinary medicine is emphasizing senior pet health through preventive and wellness programs.”

While some small breeds of dogs are senior at 15 years old, a Labrador Retriever is considered old at 7 years old. In general, cats, mostly indoor cats, live longer than dogs. Some aliments that cats and dogs share with humans include ; heart disease, arthritis, kidney failure, cancer, dental disease, and cognitive dysfunction.

Pets also now have better drugs, like non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, at their disposal. These drugs help manage the pets pains and aches. The best thing to do is make sure your pet gets his regular veterinary exams.

Dr. Corriveau states ” Young pets need regular exams once or twice yearly, however, as dogs and cats approach middle age, these exams should be more frequent. Remember, every year in a pet`s life is equivalent to five to seven human years. So, waiting to see the veterinarian a full year would be like seeing your doctor every seven years, and these exams are crucial for disease and problem intervention.”  as per  ” lafayette-online.com”

Here are some of the early warning signs that your pet is having problems; Repeated vomiting; Increased urination and thirst; Loss of bladder control or noncompliance with house training; Bad breath, drooling or changes in appetite; Lumps or changes in areas of skin color; Changes in appetite like eating more or less than normal; Changes in behavior like excessive whining or disorientation; Gaining or losing weight and unusual bowel habits like constipation or diarrhea.

Image source  en.wikipedia.org  used with permission

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