The Vet Nurse's Blog
Madeline Peel is our Vet Nurse Technical Claims Advisor. In her blog she offers advice and shares her experiences gained when dealing with all areas of veterinary practice and claims handling.
March 2010 - Geriatric Pets
As your pets starts to get older and slow down they will need more care and attention from you and the veterinary practice. Older animals will probably start to exercise less and gain weight so you may have to alter their diet. There are foods especially prepared for older pets that have lower protein to help the kidneys and lower in salt and phosphorus to reduce the stress on the heart. They are also highly digestible to help your pet to absorb all the nutrients they can.
They may also start to develop arthritis so for dogs short regular walks are better than intermittent long walks and if there is any discomfort when walking or getting up you will need to see the vet. Other problems associated with the older pets are heart, kidney, liver, cataracts, cancer, house soiling, senility and dental disease.
Most veterinary practices will have free nurse check up clinics for older pets where they will check your pet’s teeth, heart, weight and overall condition. They may advise your pet to have a blood screen and urine test so the vet can check that the kidneys and liver are working normally. If there are problems your vet will be able to help you manage these conditions as long as they see your pet before the disease becomes too advanced.