Care for Your Faithful Senior Pets
When your pet reaches the golden years, special care is important. Justin Animal Hospital veterinarians and staff are experience in providing compassionate, high-quality veterinary care for senior pets. Depending on your pet’s breed and age, as well as physical examination, we will determine when your pet reaches the time of life when he or she requires geriatric veterinary care. Managing diet and weight, continuing good exercise habits, and joint care are all important to keep your pet comfortable and ensure the best quality of life.
During a geriatric screening exam, we look for health problems common to older pets. Caught early, we may slow the progression of disease and extend your pet’s lives.
Our veterinarians will check your pet for many problems and diseases such as:
- Function of the kidneys, liver, and thyroid
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
Most important for maintaining your senior pet’s best health is a regular examination with our veterinarians once or twice a year.
Pet Pain Management
If your senior pet has chronic pain, it can contribute to many problems such as impaired mobility, decreased appetite, and behavior changes. Pain relievers can be used to help your pet be more comfortable and better able to do some of the activities he or she enjoys.
We might prescribe the following:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Morphine-type medication
- Therapeutic laser treatments
- Joint supplements
Older Cats Can Be Secretive
Many pets mask their pain or try to hide it from us. Senior cats are especially private and many suffer needlessly because their problems are not diagnosed. Justin Animal Hospital’s veterinarians are happy to see your cat on a regular schedule so that we may establish baselines to effectively identify any health problems and treat them promptly.