Senior Pet Care in Austin, TX

Caring For Your Senior Pet

Seniors are more likely to develop chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis, blindness, dental disease, kidney disease, or dementia. For this reason, regular wellness visits are even more crucial for senior pets, and we often recommend them more often than once annually.

Bringing your pet in for wellness visits allows us to check for signs of discomfort or disease and treat them before they grow more serious. Performing routine tests and exams on senior pets is the best way to safeguard against pain and sickness.

Here are some examples of routine tests we perform on senior pets:

• Senior Wellness Profile: Testing often can find underlying infections, early onset of issues, or pre-existing conditions that cannot be found during physical exams or that you never knew about before. Treating problems early, before they make your pet very sick, will provide better outcomes and allow you and your pet to get the most enjoyment out of their golden years. This Senior Wellness Profile includes:
  • Full panel bloodwork: Can identify many conditions, such as anemia, diabetes, kidney failure, and more.
  • Thyroid testing: A thyroid issue is a common hormonal imbalance that can affect your pet in many ways. It is important to screen for this as they get older to ensure that some behaviors are just a result of your pet getting older or is there a medical reason that we may need to treat.
  • Heartworm testing: These tests are performed yearly, regardless of if your pet is on Heartworm Prevention, to ensure your pet has not become infected with the disease. There have been reports of pets developing heartworm infections despite year-round treatment with heartworm prevention, so having your pet tested regularly is an important step in keeping them healthy.
  • Urinalysis: Aids us in examining many aspects of your pet's health, such as hydration levels, and can detect the presence of diseases including kidney disease.
  • X-rays: Can help us diagnose issues, such as arthritis or cancer, by allowing us to see the musculoskeletal system.

If you ever notice a sudden change in your senior pet, please give us a call to let us know your concerns. Healthy habits such as exercise, regular veterinary check-ups, and proper nutrition can help your pet to stay healthy and happy into their twilight years.

Getting Ahead Of & Managing Pain

Osteoarthritis is typically seen more in older pets, although any pet can develop this condition. You may see your furry companion simply "slowing down in their older age", but this could be a sign they are in pain. In cats, osteoarthritis is exceedingly common. This disease often goes undiagnosed and untreated in pets.

Learn more about how we can help your pet live out their golden years in the best comfort.