Celebrating Senior Pets – March and April

Senior Pet Awareness



Did you know at the age of seven, your dog or cat is considered SENIOR!
Senior Pets are the focus during March and April at Sydney Animal Hospitals. Book a consultation with our vet to have the opportunity for your pet to receive:
Geriatric Profile Blood Testing at a reduced price
Discounted Hills Prescription Diets
Call your local Sydney Animal Hospital to discuss ways to help your Senior dog or cat.
At 10 years old dogs have reached retirement age.
At 12 years old dogs have hit 77 in human years.
Cat

Cat


Dog

Dog


Our special friends need special care in their older years.
Note: above table is an approximation. As a rule, larger breeds age faster than smaller breeds.
As with humans, the need for health care increases with age in dogs and cats too. Like us, animals suffer from aches and pains related to ageing – see signs to look out for – but veterinarians at Sydney Animal Hospitals can help you ensure that ageing isn’t a pain for your best friend.
Our pets age quicker than we do, entering their senior years from 7 years old in dogs and 10 years old in cats. Senior pets can start to display age related health problems, which may slow the animal down, affecting their behaviour, appetite and mobility. During March and April at Sydney Animal Hospitals we’re focusing on our Senior Pets, so that we can help them live longer in comfort – ensuring your best friend will be a happy and healthy companion for many years to come.


Common Health Problems
Common health problems affecting senior dogs and cats include osteoarthritis, obesity, metabolic diseases such as diabetes or kidney failure, bad teeth and changes to their cardiovascular system. Behavioural changes are also common, which can sometimes be related to cognitive dysfunction or may be related to internal metabolic changes or pain. With early intervention, most age-related diseases can be managed to ensure your pet remains comfortable, happy and healthy.
Because our pets can’t talk to us and communicate how they feel, senior pets should have regular vet checks at least every six months and a routine blood test every year. This helps us to determine the health of many important internal organs such as the kidneys and liver and can often be the first indicator that something is wrong.
As animals get older, just like in people their body and metabolism slows. As a result in changes both on the outside and the inside. To get a full picture of your older pets health we run a comprehensive blood panel that checks for any changes in organ function, thyroid function, diabetes as well as a full blood count. These tests can help pick up issues early allowing for your vet team to effectively treat before they become palliative. It also allows us to select the safest arthritis medications for your pet.
Laser Therapy Package
We have discounts off a Laser Therapy Package, some benefits of laser (Senior month specific – there are heaps! Outside of this)
01
02
03
04
05
Senior Pet Focus
Contact one of our Sydney Animal Hospitals during March and April to take advantage of our Senior Pet focus – and give us the opportunity to help your pet be with you for many years to come.


BLOG
Patient Pepper
Thirteen year old cat Pepper’s life expectancy and quality of life has improved significantly thanks to a recent check-up and blood test at SAH which diagnosed early stage kidney disease. Pepper’s owner had noticed the cat was drinking more water and seemed a little unsettled, and after a full physical examination, our vet recommended a geriatric blood test to check Pepper’s liver, kidneys and other blood parameters. The blood result showed elevated levels of Creatinine and Urea, two metabolic by-products which can build up in the blood if kidney function is impaired.
Pepper has since been started on some medication to help control her blood pressure to aid kidney function, together with being fed a special renal support diet that will reduce the workload on her kidneys. Kidney disease is very common in older cats, and in this case the blood test not only provided peace of mind to Peppers owner, but also helped diagnose early stage kidney disease which can now be managed to ensure Pepper is around enjoying life for many years to come. If you have an older dog or cat, book in for a consultation with one of our friendly team to give us the opportunity to pick up diseases early and put in place a management plan to keep your pet happy and healthy into their twilight years.
Before and After
Your pet may not be able to tell you when something is wrong. In fact, animals have evolved to hide signs of illness until it is quite advanced.
Veterinarians at Sydney Animal Hospitals are trained to identify and address age-related problems in pets. By identifying these problems at an early stage they can be managed to ensure that senior pets enjoy an excellent quality of life.
7 Sydney Animal Hospital Locations Across Sydney
Sydney Animal Hospitals have 7 locations across Sydney for your convenience

Newtown
Open 7 Days

Inner West
Open 7 Days

Norwest
Open 7 Days

Kellyville
Open 7 Days

Baulkham Hills
Open 7 Days

Newport
Open 7 Days

Avalon
Open 7 Days
7 Sydney Animal Hospital Locations Across Sydney
Sydney Animal Hospitals have 7 locations across Sydney for your convenience