Age is NOT a disease.....As veterinary professionals, this is one of the most important lessons we first learn and one of the most important pieces of information we want to pass on to you. That being said, there are many health conditions that our pets develop as they age. However, there are also many of these conditions that can be successfully treated, especially if they're caught early on. 

For this reason, Valley Veterinary Hospital is honoring senior pets by celebrating Senior Pet Health during the months of September and October. Schedule a wellness exam with blood work for your 10+ year old pet(s) and receive $25 off the cost of the blood work. 

During your pets appointment, he/she will receive a complete physical exam by the doctor, have blood drawn for a  blood panel, which includes a complete blood count (CBC), a chemistry panel, which also includes checking the thyroid, and we'll obtain urine for a urinalysis profile.

We'll also address any concerns you may have including changes in behavior or cognitive function, changes in weight and/or appetite, possible decreases in sight or hearing, decreased energy or a decreased tolerance for exercise and activity and possible pain your pet may be experiencing that might include arthritic changes. Pain and inflammation are conditions that we always want to address, that can be managed, to help give your pet the best quality of life possible. While all of these things can be "normal" for an aging pet, they can also be indicative of an underlying disease process that may point to a diagnosis and quite possibly a treatable one. 

A senior pet exam includes:

• A complete physical examination including heart and lung health, teeth, joints, skin, hair coat, ears, eyes, weight and any lumps or bumps your pet might have. 
• CBC - CBC's are important as we can determine if your pet might be anemic or if there might be an infection somewhere based on the number of white blood cells. If we find any abnormalities, we can then continue our "investigative" work to establish where the abnormalities might be originating from.
• Chemistry panel - A chem panel consists of checking liver function, kidney function and blood glucose level which checks for diabetes. 
• T4 - This test can tell us if there's abnormal thyroid function. Most commonly, we see decreased (hypo) thyroid hormone production in dogs and increased (hyper) thyroid hormone production in cats. Thyroid disease is normally very treatable in both dogs and cats. 
• Urinalysis - A urinalysis can give us information on several different issues that might be happening with your pet that you might not otherwise be aware of. For instance, we can see if there's glucose in the urine that might be indicative of diabetes. We can also see if there might be an infection in the bladder. If we find crystals in the urine, that might indicate bladder stones or an increase or decrease in urine PH that could lead to bladder stones. These are only a few of the abnormalities that we can find in the urine that can lead us to a condition that can be very treatable.  

 While getting older is a normal stage of life and something that will happen to most of us, it is not, in and of itself, a disease. Our pets are our family members. Their jobs in our lives are to give us joy, companionship and love, which they do unconditionally  Many of our pets don't tell (show) us when they don't feel good and we might not know until it is too late. For this reason, physical exams and telling blood work are an important part of their care and what we can, and must, do for them. Honor your faithful and loving senior companion and schedule an appointment today. 

For more detailed information on feline hyperthyroid disease and feline kidney (renal) failure, click here.