Proactive Senior Pet Care
Cats and dogs will rarely ask for help if they’re feeling uncomfortable, and signs of illness might sneak up and occur seemingly overnight. To anticipate potential illnesses and diseases, we recommend regular examinations (ideally, every 6 months) and testing with your vet to make sure your pet continues to stay as healthy and pain-free as possible. We also want to make sure you have the information you need to be sure your beloved senior is living their best life.
What to Expect During Your Senior Pet's Exam
Your vet, who is both Fear Free and Cat Friendly certified, will perform a gentle, thorough, comprehensive physical examination along with bloodwork and any other condition specific testing your pet may need. Many senior pets have chronic conditions and each visit we assess their comfort level, pain score, body condition score and anxiety score to make sure that their home treatment plan is adjusted for their current status. We also have you submit a thorough history questionnaire prior your visit and love to see videos of your pet moving and in their home environment to accurately and completely assess their comfort level. We create long term care plans that include home environment modifications and tips - caring for seniors is way more than prescribing medication. It’s about what’s best all around for both you and your pet.
Signs to look for that might indicate acute or chronic pain:
- Slowing down
- Avoiding jumping certain places or moving more slowly
- Eating less
- Sleeping more
- Hiding in a corner or under furniture
- Showing a reluctance to jump (up onto something or down from something)
- Needing multiple attempts to jump
- Avoiding the stairs and other high places
- Licking at the same spot
- Vocalizing
- Clumped, dry, or greasy hair coat
- Bathroom accidents
- Behavior changes
- Isolating from the family
- Grouchy with other pets or family
- Chewing on one side of the body
Please let your veterinarian know if you’ve noticed any changes in your pet’s behavior, as this often indicates health changes as well.
Long Term Pain Management and Arthritis
At Healing Paws Veterinary Care, we take a multimodal approach to pain relief for dogs and cats to ensure the highest level of comfort for your loved one. This includes medication, environmental modifications, supplements, and alternative therapies such as laser therapy and electromagnetic therapy. The most common long-term pain in both cats and dogs is arthritis- a condition that leads to the deterioration of the cartilage in the joints. This causes the bones to rub against each other when your pet moves, leading to significant discomfort. Dr. Sands was chosen as a member of the National Zoetis Osteoarthritis Pain Management Speaker board because of her dedication to helping pets with arthritis live more comfortably. Together with the Healing Paws team, she can provide multimodal treatment to make your pet's day-to-day life easier.
