Is My Pet Sick or Just Getting Older?

Photo: seniordogcareproducts.com

As our pets get older, we expect them to slow down as part of the aging process, but how much slowing down is too much? What signs should pet owners watch out for in their senior pets that may suggest there is more going on than simply normal aging?

What qualifies a pet as a senior pet?
Senior pets can loosely be defined as those in the last 25% of their anticipated lifespan for their species and breed. For example, a cat expected to live 15 years would be considered senior at 11 years of age. What that means to dog and cat owners is 9-11 years of age is the start of your pet’s senior years. One notable exception is giant breeds of dogs who are considered senior a year or two earlier.

Slow motion
Many pet owners assume their pet is slowing down because it is older. Since aging is associated with a variety of illnesses, if you have a senior pet who seems to be slowing down, take him for a complete physical examination. Your pet can’t tell you their joints hurt from arthritis, but your veterinarian can. Never give your dog or cat your arthritis medication as these drugs are extremely toxic to pets. There are medications that can help make your arthritic pet more comfortable and kick their activity level back up a notch.

Forgetfulness
Another behavior change incorrectly attributed to aging is loss of housebreaking/litterbox use. Older cats are especially prone to developing kidney problems, and the accompanying increase in urine production. Couple an increase in urine production with creaky joints that don’t move so well anymore and your cat may act as if he has forgotten where to find the litter box. Placing litterboxes conveniently near your cat’s favorite perch will help overcome this problem. Some creaky cats can no longer climb over the edge of the litter box and will “go” right outside the litterbox. Substituting a box with lower sides or a cut out for easy entry will often resolve this situation. Diabetes and urinary tract infections will also cause what appears to be a loss of housebreaking. All of these reasons may contribute to a lack of litter box use, but the reason may be as simple as not changing the litter often enough to your cat’s liking.

Cognitive dysfunction syndrome
A syndrome is a collection of clinical signs that commonly occur together. Once your veterinarian has determined an illness is not causing your pet to slow down, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) will be considered. CDS in a decline in brain function in the aging dog exemplified by behavior changes. Dogs with CDS may stand in one place more often, greet the owners less often and have accidents in the house. At the recent Zoobiquity 3 Conference in New York City, Dr. Chad West, one of The AMC’s board certified neurologists, discussed a case of CDS in a dog. The MRI findings in the dog were strikingly similar to the second most common cause of dementia in humans, vascular dementia.

Keeping your pets young
Sadly, there is no fountain of youth for either you or your pet, but there are things pet owners can do to keep their favorite fur baby around as long as possible.

• Don’t assume changes in your pet’s behavior, activity or appetite are “just old age.” Bring these changes to the attention of your veterinarian.
• Take your pet for regular veterinary check-ups. The current guidelines recommend annual visits for younger pets and more frequent visits as your pet ages. Early detection of disease can mean all the difference in extending the life of your pet.
• Keep your pet mentally and physically active. Use feeding toys to challenge your pet to “hunt” for her food. Consider low impact exercises for your dog, such as swimming. Exercise your dog or cat on a regular basis.

World Rabies Day 2012

Today, Friday, September 28th is World Rabies Day. This annual event serves to increase awareness about rabies in both animals and humans. In the United States, human cases of rabies have dramatically decreased since the 1970’s due to the “One Health” collaboration between public health officials, veterinarian-directed rabies vaccinations for companion animals, and wildlife vaccination programs.

Something new under the sun

Described in ancient Babylonia, by Homer in the Iliad, and also by Aristotle, rabies is possibly the oldest infectious disease known to both man and beast. But two recent developments, a shortage of the human vaccine, and increasing reports of rabies in animals has led to new issues in the prevention of rabies.

More animals and more species of rabid animals

Wild raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes harbor the rabies virus and transmit it to domestic animals and people. Airplane passengers got a scare earlier this year when a rabid bat checked himself into an Atlanta bound flight.

As cute as some wild animals are, we must never forget they are, in fact, wild and can cause great harm to humans. Most of us are wary of the typical rabies carriers like raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes, but recently, reports of rabies in unusual animals reminds us to look and not touch any wild animal, including groundhogs, beavers and deer.

Even NYC is not immune to rabies. We had a small raccoon epidemic a couple of years ago in Central Park.

Cats are the number one domestic animal infected with rabies, and just a few days ago, rabid kittens inadvertently adopted by families in Georgia provoked a public health scare.

Human vaccine shortage

Six cases of human rabies were reported in the United States in 2011; in 2010, only two cases were reported. Since rabies is virtually always fatal, even one case is too many. Some people at high risk, like veterinarians and international travelers, are vaccinated against rabies as a precaution. For those not vaccinated, post exposure prophylaxis is administered.

The same vaccine works for both pre- and post-exposure treatments, but right now vaccine supplies are limited. Priority for vaccination goes to those possibly exposed to rabies, and preventive vaccination is on hold. Government officials believe this situation will resolve shortly.

Protect your pet, protect yourself

• Rabies vaccine is safe and readily available for companion animals. Talk to your veterinarian about rabies vaccination for your pets.
• Both you and your pet should avoid contact with wild animals. If you find an injured wild animal, report it to the appropriate authorities; don’t try and care for it yourself.
• Don’t encourage wild animals to visit your yard by feeding them.

If you want more information about rabies, review the most recent surveillance report from the American Veterinary Medical Association that was published just two weeks ago.