SENIORS

Our  pets are family to us and we want to give them the best. Providing  routine care is one way we show our love. As they age, it can be  difficult to recognize what our pets need. It becomes even more  important to pay close attention to changes in their habits and maintain  regular visits with your veterinarian.

When is your pet a senior pet? Cats and small breed dogs are  considered senior at 7 years of age while large breed dogs are typically  considered senior at 6 years of age.

For pets that have not yet reached senior status, it is recommended  to have yearly exams. Along with the annual exam, your veterinarian will  recommend routine vaccines, internal parasite control, heartworm  prevention and flea/tick control. Other preventatives may be offered  based on your regional location.

Once your pet becomes a senior, routine exams should occur every six  months. Diagnostics such as bloodwork and urinalysis will likely be  added to the exam. Based on those findings, further tests may be  recommended to investigate any findings of concern. If there are  specific problems, more frequent rechecks and diagnostics may be  recommended to keep your pet as healthy as possible.

Your veterinarian will most likely discuss common problems in senior pets:

• Osteoarthritis
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Liver disease
• Behavior problems
• Heart disease
• Thyroid disease (hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats)
• Dental disease
• Diabetes
• Other endocrine diseases
• Weight control

It is important to have annual (or bi-annual) routine exams,  blood-work and urinalysis to maintain your senior pet’s health.  By  following your veterinarian’s recommendations, you may catch problems  before they progress and keep your senior pet in tip-top shape.

The kidneys play an important role in many normal body processes. Normal kidney function involves the following:

• Filtering wastes from the blood and excreting them in the urine
• Balancing body salts, acid and water
• Maintaining normal red blood cell production
• Maintaining proper blood pressure
• Balancing calcium, phosphorus, and potassium

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease that affects both cats and  dogs, though diagnosed more frequently in cats. It becomes more common  as pets age. CKD is a progressive disease which causes the loss of  kidney function over time. There are many causes of CKD. Regardless of  cause, the disease often results in non-specific clinical signs.

How do you tell if your cat or dog has chronic kidney disease? This  can sometimes be difficult as clinical signs appear late in the course  of the disease and may not be obvious. One of the first things you may  notice is that your dog or cat is more tired than normal. They may  urinate and drink excessively. They may not eat all of their meal or  stop eating completely. Other common clinical signs include vomiting,  diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration and bad breath. If any of these signs  occur with your pet, it is important to schedule an appointment with  your veterinarian to have your pet evaluated.

What will happen at the veterinary clinic? Your veterinarian or  veterinary nurse will collect a history on your pet. Be prepared to  offer information as to when clinical signs first appeared, what your  pet is doing at home, and how he or she is feeling. After collecting all  the pertinent information, a physical exam will be performed which  typically includes taking the temperature, heart rate, and respiratory  rate of your pet and evaluating the skin, eyes, mouth, ears, hair,  palpation of the abdomen (which can allow evaluation of the size of the  kidneys), limb manipulation, and pain evaluation. After this, your  veterinarian may recommend a minimum database be performed which  includes a blood draw for a complete blood count (CBC) and serum  chemistry and urine collection for a urinalysis.

• Complete Blood Count evaluates red blood cells and white blood cells  specifically looking for anemia (low red blood cell count) and any  signs of infection or inflammation (increased white blood cells).
• Serum Chemistry evaluates many components in the blood including  those that are filtered by the kidneys, like blood urea nitrogen (BUN)  and creatinine (Cr). Elevations in these values don’t occur until 75% of  the kidney function is lost and, in conjunction with other  abnormalities, can lead to the diagnosis of CKD. In addition, the serum  chemistry evaluates electrolytes and other substances that may be  altered with CKD.
• Urinalysis evaluates the kidneys’ ability or inability to  concentrate urine and indicate urine infections and stones. Assessing  the protein levels in the urine can also help add valuable information  about the underlying condition.

In addition to a minimum database, your veterinarian may recommend more specific or clarifying procedures:

• Urine culture evaluates which bacteria are causing an infection and  which antibiotics will be effective against the bacteria in the urine.
• Urine protein/creatinine ratio elevations can indicate specific dysfunction within the kidneys.
• Blood pressure increases are typically seen with CKD and it is important to control persistently elevated blood pressure.
• Radiographs evaluate kidney and bladder shape and size and may show evidence of certain types of stones in the urinary tract.
• Ultrasound offers a more detailed evaluation of kidney and urinary tract structures.
• Kidney biopsy can provide more information as to the cause of CKD  though is not typically performed until after the diagnosis of CKD has  been made.

Recently, a blood test was introduced called Symmetric Dimethyl  Arginine (SDMA). The test detects 40% loss of renal function versus the  typical 75% loss indicated by elevations in BUN and Creatinine. With the  introduction of this test, kidney impairment can be detected earlier  and interventions can be implemented to slow progression of the disease.

CKD is a common occurrence in cats and dogs. Knowing what to look for  is the first step in properly identifying CKD in your pet.  Identification of any of the clinical signs warrants an appointment with  your veterinarian to evaluate for CKD. The earlier the diagnosis, the  sooner treatment can begin, which can prolong the life of your pet.

THIS INFO WAS PROVIDED BY VETOQUINOL