Dogs and cats age much more quickly than humans. Their development from puberty to adulthood takes place over a period of 18-24 months. After that time each year of a pet’s life is equal to about 4 years of a human life.
What is a senior pet?
Any pet over the age of 7 years is considered a senior.
Large breed dogs over the age of 5 years are considered a senior.
Although age is not a disease, it is a progressive process that is associated with the development of age related problems. Some changes that are more prevalent in the mature pet include:
- Physical and metabolic changes, joint disease, renal disease, muscle atrophy, cognitive and behavioural changes, thyroid disease, skin and coat changes
We are able to assess the health of your mature pet in several ways:
- Annual/semi annual physical examination by your veterinarian
- An early disease detection blood profile and urinalysis (senior wellness profile)
We recommend performing a senior wellness profile on all mature pets. There are several benefits to this:
- In the early stages of disease there is often no noticeable signs (compromised organ function can occur before clinical signs are evident)
- This blood panel can serve as a benchmark/baseline when done in a healthy mature pet. This enables better care and diagnosis for any changes that develop in subsequent years.
Early disease detection in the mature pet can result in earlier medical and nutritional treatment, which will impact the quality of your pet’s life.
During the month of November, we are offering a 20% discount on our Senior Blood panel when you book an annual examination for your senior pet. Your pet will also receive a complimentary bag of the appropriate Royal Canin Veterinary diet, based on their nutritional requirements.
