Senior Cat Care

 

Recent advances in veterinary medicine make an average lifespan of 15 years very realistic. Proper preventive care can (and does!) greatly increase the chances of your cat living a long and healthy life.

As your cat becomes more mature, he/she inevitably becomes more at risk for certain age-related diseases. Since cats' bodies age much more quickly than ours, once your cat is nine years old, Dr. Baxter recommends a thorough physical exam every six months.  Also, just as your doctor will recommend routine screenings for you as you get older, we recommend checking organ function through blood and urine tests. Once your cat reaches nine years of age, a routine blood screen and urinalysis should be performed once a year. These screenings are invaluable in detecting early disease that may already exist without your cat showing symptoms.

Many diseases can be uncovered during a routine physical exam, blood screening and urinalysis. Some diseases commonly seen in older cats include obesity, liver disease, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes. For example, by the time cats begin to show symptoms of kidney failure, they have already lost approximately 66% of kidney function. Routine blood testing can warn us of this problem and allow us to begin treatment before the disease becomes more advanced.


Dental disease is also very common in cats. Signs of dental disease are tartar and calculus build-up on teeth, reddened and swollen gums, and even difficulty eating or drooling in serious cases. Dental disease is present to some degree in 85% of cats over 4 years of age.

The tartar that builds up on cats’ teeth is 70-80% bacteria. When this bacteria enters the bloodstream through inflamed gums or swallowing, problems such as heart, liver and kidney disease can occur. For this reasons, it is very important to keep the amount of tartar to a minimum through routine at-home and professional cleanings.

 

Dr. Baxter may also recommend a diet change at this stage of life. Obesity is a risk-factor for the same types of problems in cats as in people, such as heart disease and diabetes. Fortunately, many brands of cat food now come in “active maturity” or “senior care” formulas that can help delay problems such as age-related kidney disease and obesity.


We at Cat Care Hospital want to be your partner in caring for your cat from kittenhood to old age. Please call anytime you have a question regarding your cat’s well-being. We are more than happy to help!
 

 

Symptoms of Common Diseases


Please let us know if you see one or more of these symptoms in your cat: