Senior Care at Deerfield Vet Hospital

In general we consider cats to be adults between the ages of 1-8 years of age, senior from 9 to 13 years and geriatric from 14 until 25 years old with an average life span of 15 years for an exclusively indoor cat.  The average life span of an outdoor cat is 4 years of age.

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For dogs, the aging process occurs much more rapidly in some breeds, relative to their body weight.  Most breeds under 50 lbs are similar to cats, but for breeds over 50 lbs, we can start to consider their senior years starting as early as 6 years of age and many would be considered geriatric by the time they are 10 years old.

The bottom line is, you know your pet better than anyone else, so let us know if you think you detect any changes associated with aging.  We can help you understand common medical conditions in your pet’s senior years.  It’s not all about how long your pet lives, the emphasis should be on their quality of life, while they are with us.

Studies show that 23% of senior dogs and 17% of senior cats that seem healthy in fact have an underlying disease. In order to detect diseases we recommend an annual blood panel.  A senior panel can screen for such important diseases as diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and thyroid dysfunction.  Watch your older pet for changes in eating, house training, weight, or mobility.  Many ailments of older age can be treated with medications and/or prescription diets that will greatly improve your pet’s quality of life.

Wellness Care

Most of us don’t need a medical checkup more than once a year, but dogs and cats are different.  Pets, on average, age up to seven times faster than humans.  By age two, most pets have already reached adulthood.  

The bottom line? Taking your dog or cat to Deerfield once a year is the same as seeing your own doctor just once every seven years! Annual blood testing and vaccinations are an important part of keeping your pet healthy. To learn more about health care options for your pet, please click here.