As Your Pet Ages…

Part of us doesn’t want to realize that as we age, our animals
age and with it, as for ourselves, aches and pains and disease
occur. We do need to be aware of this and watch our animals with
this in mind. Many times an owner reports that his animal “just
got sick”, when, in truth, their pet has been slowly but surely
becoming more and more ill over several months. Unlike humans,
who readily identify feelings of pain or discomfort and vocalize
this to everyone around, animals are much more subtle in the
manifestation of their illnesses. Animals tend to hide disease
until it overwhelms their system, forcing them to slow down, not
eat as well, and not move as agilely since in the wild world, it
was survival of the fittest and he who got sick first was preyed
upon first.

As animals slow down from a disease, many owners attribute this
to “getting old”, overlooking the fact that some systemic
illness may be, in fact, forcing the cat/dog to sleep more and
not move as much. As with any condition, when it is discovered
and treated earlier in the course of the illness, the chances
for recovery are much better. For this reason, your veterinarian
may suggest doing a blood panel or radiographs for your older
pet in order to work up something detected on the physical exam
(i.e. heart murmur; small kidneys) or just as a general health
screen to evaluate your pet’s status at that time.

As a veterinarian, taking a thorough history is important in
detecting a potential problem or trying to clarify a problem
that is actually occurring. We ask questions regarding the
animal’s general attitude and appetite and rely heavily on the
owner for accurate information. We like to know- the water
consumption, urine output, presence of vomiting or diarrhea,
appetite that is consistently good or poor, the energy level
with or without exercise, the degree of interaction with the
owner and any variations of what is considered normal for that
pet. This helps point us in the right direction in making a
diagnosis.

Common diseases that afflict the older pet include kidney
disease- with cats, this is usually chronic kidney failure,
which is a slow, but progressive shutting down of the kidneys;
as they

deteriorate, the toxins that are normally eliminated in the
urine accumulate in the body. The kidneys that are responsible
for concentration of urine fail in this respect so that the cat
will urinate large amounts of dilute urine and consequently, get
thirsty but yet, not be able to keep up with its fluid
requirements and be dehydrated. Thus, a veterinarian who has a
cat presented for a poor appetite and weight loss and notes
dehydration and small kidneys on his/her physical exam will
consider chronic kidney failure to be among the first diseases
to be ruled out.

Other diseases include diseases of the thyroid gland which in
dogs, is hypothyroidism, that is, a thyroid gland that is
secreting insufficient levels of thyroid hormone. Such an
affected dog slows down, puts on weight although he isn’t eating
a lot and has a poor quality coat. Cats get the opposite problem
and get hyperthyroidism, that is, they have too much thyroid
hormone on board and are hyperactive, thin, eat a lot but lose
weight and often drink and urinate a lot and may have chronic
vomiting or diarrhea problems. Owners often interpret the
hyperactivity to being just a healthy older cat, but this cat is
one that is constantly seeking food and losing weight and
doesn’t tolerate being held and is generally irritable. Of
course, for some people, this is a description of any normal
cat. But owners need to be keyed into what is normal and
abnormal for their cat.

Diabetes and Cushing’s are two endocrine abnormalities that can
cause a house-broken pet to inappropriately urinate in the
house. Owners often think that their pets are “mad at them” or
trying to get back at them for having left on a weekend outing.
But animals are rarely do this and when Fifi urinates large
amounts in the middle of the night and is drinking the water
bowl dry, revenge is not the driving force.

Most of these diseases are manageable, not curable, the latter
being the case when you give medication and the problem
permanently goes away. With these afflictions, medication can be
given to mitigate the disease but are treatments that are
on-going. The purpose is always to improve the quality of life
of the pet, as long as they have a conscientious and willing
owner.

The above is general veterinary information. Do not begin
any course of treatment without consulting your regular
veterinarian. All animals should be examined at least once every
12 months.