March is Senior Pet Month

Their affection is timeless, devotion is ageless and their love is forever. March is Senior Pet Month; Make sure your senior pet is at their best!

When do the senior years start?

Senior years are easiest broken down based on the size of our pets.  Small breed dogs and cats typically begin their senior years around 8-10 years old. Medium-sized dogs tend to be considered seniors around 7-8 years old and our large and giant breed dogs are considered seniors around 6-7 years old.

What is different about having a senior pet?

A senior dog and cat can be related to us humans as we reach our 60s.  At this point in our lives we tend to monitor weight, our aches and pains, and preventative medicine.  These are the same goals we have for our senior pets.  Unfortunately they can’t tell us when their knees and back are achy or that something internally feels off.  It is recommended to perform a wellness examination every 6 months on our senior pets to be able to observe and monitor any weight changes, musculoskeletal changes and issues arising with dentition or any lumps and bumps.  Bloodwork is recommended yearly.  This is to ensure that if there are any systemic changes, we are able to catch and manage them before they become a life-threatening issue.

At Pet Kare we are here to help with all of your senior pet needs, from acupuncture to ease chronic pain to preventative care plans assessing blood work and weight management – we can keep your pet comfortable and happy!