As our pets age, their health changes too. Those over the age of 8 years are considered senior (average equivalence of 50-56 human years), and require regular health checks to monitor their wellbeing and catch any potential health issues before they become serious.
One of the most important tools for this is your general health check where your pet will receive a complete physical examination, focusing on areas that you have concerns about. Another simple non-invasive test is routine blood tests. These blood tests provide valuable insights into their internal health, including liver and kidneys, imbalances in glucose or thyroid levels, blood cells to assess infection or anaemia, electrolytes imbalances, and much more! Our senior pets are sometimes on more medications too, so regular blood tests are also required to monitor their effects on vital organs. Our veterinarians recommend that our senior pets have a full health check and blood test every 12 months to detect any early disease as they age.
Along with health issues that can be picked up on bloods, osteoarthritis is a common problem in aged pets. Clinical signs can be subtle and difficult to spot by owners as our pets are very good at masking pain. Such signs include limping or favouring one leg, difficulty getting up or lying down, reluctance to move, stiffness after rest, behavioural changes or licking joints. If you notice any of these symptoms, our professional vets can examine your pets joints to see if there are any evidence of osteoarthritis and start early intervention to keep them pain free.
