TAKING CARE OF A GERIATRIC (SENIOR) PET

How wonderful it would be, if we could stay young always. But alas! it is a sad fact of life and accepting it and growing old gracefully can mean different things to different people. To live a fulfilled life, means, for some of us enjoying the little things that mean so much to us, for some of us our possessions, that undeniably include our darling pets.

Like humans, pets too lose in the ageing game. After becoming a part of the family for many years, they grow old, get sick, or debilitated and the owners, sometimes put them out of their misery by coming to terms with the inevitable and decide to bring about a peaceful end for their beloved 'son or 'daughter'. All this is only possible because man and his' best friend' share a common bond, gone trough many delightful experiences and enjoyed each other's company. Pet owners should be able to accept responsibility for their pets by providing care until the senior or should I say golden years of their pets' lives!

The senior pet (geriatric) needs' include preventive health care and nutritional support. Preventive health care should include annual check-ups throughout the pet's later years.

A geriatric animal can often be helped even if it has a variety of medical problems related to years of an inappropriate lifestyle. It is far better, however, to have the clinic staff and client be aware of the risk factors throughout a pet's life.

Many age-related changes in pets are inevitable, but a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition may delay the onset of some of the problems.

Throughout years of owning a pet, the human-animal bond usually strengthens. The dog or cat has been part of the family for years. By helping older animals, pet owners can enjoy their companionship for a longer period.

Cats and small dogs are generally considered to be 'senior (geriatric) at about 7 years of age. Larger breed dogs, because of their shorter life spans are considered geriatric around 6 years of age.

Creating awareness about the geriatric pet

In Malaysia, education and awareness about the older pets' needs is considerably insufficient. Pet owners are still not clear about the advantages of good geriatric management. The more pet owners continue feeding adult formulas to their senior pets, many unwanted health issues will crop up much sooner than they anticipate.

Ask your veterinarian for signs to look out for since they are the experts regarding your pet's risk factors and the early warning signs of disease that may be due to poor nutrition and lack of knowledge.

Some of the signs to look out for are:

Several important physiological changes are responsible for the altered nutrient requirements that occur with ageing. The following are some of the reasons.

• Reductions in physical activity and the lean body mass result in a decreased metabolic rate and reduced caloric needs for maintenance by about 20 per cent. These changes represent the primary reasons that over 25 per cent of the aged dog population are obese.
• In contrast, some older pets have reduced appetite and reduced digestive-absorptive capacity, resulting in the inability to maintain optimal body weight.
• Their smell (olfactory senses) and taste perception may become diminished with ageing, which can reduce the animal's desire to eat.
• Maintenance of good oral hygiene is very important in the older patient.
• Gingival (gum) inflammation and recession from excessive accumulation of plaque, as well or oral infections and tumours can also reduce food intake.
• Ageing in pets affects the function of virtually every organic system. Reductions in digestive secretions, absorption and motility (movement) can contribute to constipation, flatulence and abnormal assimilation (digestion) of nutrients.
• The reduction in thyroid, adrenal and exocrine pancreatic functions are also common in the ageing process. In addition, kidney, skin, muscolo-skeletal, heart, lung and nervous disorder increase with age.

Feeding geriatric animals optimal levels of critical nutrients may reduce the incidence and severity of illness related to the dysfunction of these organs. The two major non-accidental causes of death in dogs and cats are kidney and heart diseases. Both of which may be delayed or managed with proper nutrition.

All Hill's Mature Adult pet food such as Canine Mature Adult (for dogs) and FelineMature Adult (for cats) now come in new and exciting formulations with built-in glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (GCS).

What is Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate

Glucosamine hydrochloride acts as a building block of cartilage by supplying a key nutrient that keeps cartilage cells healthy and functioning properly. Research has proven that glucosamine is well-absorbed by cats and dogs. Chondroitin sulfate works by helping block the enzymes that break down cartilage. When these two are combined it is known as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Most joint problems that are common in large breed dogs eg. bone deformities such as 'hip dysplasia' can be prevented and excellent joint health will be achieved. So, now dogs will be strong and have healthy joint structure and able to maintain flexible joint cartilage naturally. This nutrient supplement was first introduced as a supplement popularly known as Cosequin( only prescribed by veterinarians.

It is available at your regular veterinary clinic or pet shop for the pet food now available for your pet's health.

Let us all treat our pets with the care and love they deserve, and like some pet owners do, as part of the family. After all, our pets bring us so much joy and help relieve our stress after a hectic work-day and what would we do without them, I wonder...