As your pet ages, one year of his or her life is roughly equivalent to 4 years in human years.
Because our pets age at a quicker pace than we humans do, it is important that they receive appropriate preventive care, along with early detection screenings to identify any health concerns of diseases in their earliest stages.
Pets aged seven years or older should visit their veterinarian twice a year for wellness exams.
As your pet enters their senior years, risks for certain types of illnesses can increase. At your pet's wellness exam, your veterinarian might recommend additional testing to ensure that your pet is healthy inside and out.
Some of the testing which may be recommended for senior cats and dogs includes:
Cancer Screenings, which will help your veterinarian detect any signs of cancer your pet may be developing. As with humans cancer, early detection is often vitally important to the treatment of this disease.
Wellness Blood Work, which helps your pet's veterinarian build a complete image of your pet's health, inside and out! Blood work can be used to screen for a variety of abnormalities. See our section for Adult and Senior Wellness under Preventive Care for more detailed information.
X-Rays may be recommended by your veterinarian to provide a more thorough exam of your pet's internal heath. X-rays can provide helpful insight to bone structure, lump formation and organ heath.
Should your senior pet develop a condition which requires medical treatment, your veterinarian will be able to work with you to determine which medications and procedures would provide the best care and comfort for your pet. Treatment for chronic conditions, such as joint pain and diabetes can usually be managed with medications prescribed by your doctor - many of which can be filled in our own in house pharmacy.
