Senior Pet Healthcare
As your pet ages, it's important to recognize that their healthcare needs will change and at an increasingly rapid rate. At Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital, we recommend bi-annual senior wellness checkups for dogs and cats over 10-12 years of age. Because each breed and individual ages differently, our veterinarians will let you know when he or she should begin coming in for these bi-annual exams. Each senior wellness checkup includes the following:
Physical Exam
The physical exam is the first and most important step in detecting disease and delaying the onset of the common maladies of old age, such as osteoarthritis, renal disease, and liver disease. Our veterinarians bring nearly a century of combined experience into the exam room and will do a complete check of all your pet’s body systems. In addition, they will take an extensive medical history custom tailored to your pet’s needs to learn more about your pet’s overall condition.
Laboratory Testing
Our veterinarians depend on laboratory results to help give them a complete picture of your pet’s health. These tests give an invaluable glimpse into parts of your pet’s body that cannot be checked with an outward physical exam. When your pet is healthy, laboratory tests provide a means to determine your pet’s “baseline” values. Subtle changes in these laboratory test results, even in an outwardly healthy animal, may signal the presence of an underlying disease. Our senior wellness lab profile includes:
- Complete blood count
- Blood chemistry profile
- Thyroid function
- Urinalysis
Additional Diagnostics and Onsite Treatments (if necessary)
Based on the findings of the physical exam and senior wellness lab profile, our doctors may make recommendations to you for additional testing to better sort out your senior pet’s medical condition. Those tests are usually very non-invasive and might include digital x-rays, abdominal, or cardiac ultrasound, or additional blood work to make a definitive diagnosis. Many senior pet conditions can be managed with nutrition, exercise and medications. Other therapies, such as laser light therapy, are particularly helpful for older pets and may be recommended by your veterinarian to help treat arthritis and other chronic ailments.
Behavior and Lifestyle Counseling
As your pet ages, lifestyle changes may be necessary in order to keep him or her happy and healthy. These may include a special diet or medications to manage chronic conditions or pain. Our staff will recommend the right food for their changing needs and will instruct you in how to administer any medicine your pet may need. We can also counsel you on how to care for a companion that is growing blind or deaf or who is starting to fade mentally.
