Senior Pet Care • at Parrish Creek

Senior Care at Parrish Creek

Senior care is very important to us at Parrish Creek. Some conditions (or combinations of conditions) are more common in older pets. These include, but are not limited to, heart disease, arthritis, obesity and renal impairment (decreased function of kidneys). These and other points are taken into account when your senior pet is cared for at Parrish Creek. Our doctor and technicians receive ongoing training in the special care and treatment senior pets require.

Geriatric pets are more likely then seniors to have any of the above mentioned conditions, or combinations of them. They are also less able to tolerate stresses such as temperature change. The table shown will help you determine the age of your pet as it compares to human years.

Relative Age of Your Dog in Human Years

	Dog’s Size (In Pounds)
Dog’s Age	0-20	21-50	51-90	>90
6	40	42	45	49
7	44	47	50	56
8	48	51	55	64
9	52	56	61	71
10	56	60	66	78
11	60	65	72	86
12	64	69	77	93
13	68	74	82	101
14	72	78	88	115
15	76	83	93	123
16	80	87	99
17	84	92	104
18	88	96	109
19	92	101	115
20	96	105	120
Senior Geriatric

Husbandry

Senior pets have special dietary requirements. They are typically less active than adults and don’t require as many calories. They also require less phosphorus and sodium to stay healthy. A good quality senior diet is appropriate for them. Some individuals often have arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, or other conditions that require additional dietary considerations. Many prescription foods are available for your pet’s specific needs. Dr. Folland will use the examination, history and lab work to determine the best diet for your senior pet.

Recommendations

Many of the conditions senior pets develop have accompanying signs, which help in their diagnosis. It is helpful for you to look for these signs because the earlier we diagnose a condition, the more we will be able to do to make your senior pet comfortable, and the longer his/her life may be. The following are some of the common signs to look for in senior pets.

	Difficulty climbing stairs
	Increased stiffness
	Loss of housetraining
	Increased thirst
	Increased urination
	Excessive barking
	Less interaction with family
	Decrease responsiveness
	Less enthusiastic greetings or behavior

	Difficulty jumping up
	Changes in activity level
	Excessive panting
	Circling/repetitive movements
	Confusion or disorientation
	Tremors or shaking
	Skin and hair coat changes
	Changes in sleeping patterns
	Altered appetite
	Weight change

Many of these signs may be consistent with more than one diagnosis. Sometimes a senior pet will act and look completely normal, but will have abnormalities which only show up on the lab work. And because of the accelerated aging of dogs and cats, normal lab work can change dramatically in only a few months. For these reasons Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic recommends that all senior pets receive a comprehensive physical examination every 6 months, a complete blood work-up (complete blood count, chemistry analysis and urinalysis) every year, and an intestinal parasite test every year. A heartworm test is recommended for dogs every other year.

Zoonosis

Senior pets are no more likely to carry any diseases or parasites that can be transmitted to humans than their younger counterparts. However, humans can get roundworms (an intestinal parasite) from dogs or cats. It is transmitted through a fecal-oral route and therefore is more common in children because they often do not wash their hands thoroughly before eating. To prevent roundworms in your pets(s), Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic recommends that dogs be given Heartgard Plus once a month all year round, and that cats be given Revolution once a month all year round.

Humans can get toxoplasmosis from cats. It does not cause problems for the adult human that contracts it, but if it is contracted during the first trimester of a pregnancy, it can cause severe defects in the fetus. To prevent infection it is recommended that pregnant women do not change litter boxes, handle raw meat or work with dirt.

Humans can get ringworm, which is a fungus, from infected cats or dogs. This can be treated and resolved for both humans and pets.

Humans can get mange (sarcoptic mange or scabies) from infected dogs. This can also be treated in both humans and dogs, but it is extremely itchy and contagious until resolved.

Services

In order to diagnose and treat your senior pet’s medical problems, and support their special needs, Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic has many services and resources available on-site, including:

·         Diet education
·         An in-house laboratory for immediate results
·         Ultrasound
·         Radiology (X-rays)
·         Endoscopy
·         Heat therapy
·         Fluid therapy
·         Oxygen therapy
·         In-house pharmacy
·         Pain control
·         A modern surgical suite where we can perform surgery, electrosurgery and cryosurgery (freezing) with rigorous anesthetic monitoring by the doctor and trained technicians

Anesthesia

Senior patients often have conditions which require special care during anesthesia. A plan from start to finish, including anesthesia, pain control, rate and volume of IV fluids, and other considerations is tailored to each patient. Some of the steps we take to make surgery with a senior pet successful are:

·         Lab work before the procedure, to assess your pet’s ability to metabolize the anesthetic drugs used
·         Pain control before surgery
·         IV fluids before, during and after the procedure
·         Pre-oxygenation (giving oxygen before any anesthesia)
·         Continually heated blankets to maintain temperature throughout the procedure
·         Thick padding and rotation when necessary to decrease pressure on arthritic joints
·         Periodic extra ventilation to expand the lungs
·         Continuous monitoring of vital signs (respiration rate, heart rate, temperature, capillary refill time, reflexes, etc.)
·         Continuous record of vitals and other information during surgery to help track trends
·         Post-oxygenation (giving oxygen after anesthetic is turned off until your pet is lifting his/her head and breathing independently)
·         Pain control after surgery

Advances in veterinary medicine have made anesthesia with senior pets much safer and more successful than in the past. If you have any questions about anesthesia or surgery with your senior pet, feel free to ask our doctor or any of our techs.