Caring for Your Senior Cat's Health

The percentage of aging household cats has increased significantly over the last decade. While the aging process may induce certain physiological changes that may complicate the health care management of pets, age itself is not a disease. In fact, many conditions attributed by the owner to "old age" are actually treatable conditions that, with appropriate and timely medical intervention, can be controlled, if not cured, so that the cat's quality oflife is significantly improved.

Signs of Illness

Some examples of behavioral changes and other health problems that are often attributed solely to old age, but instead may be associated with a treatable disease are inappropriate elimination; changes in attitude; activity or mobility; weight gain or loss; or an alteration in eating or drinking habits. These changes may be slight and develop slowly, therefore, it is important to observe your cat closely so that even the most vague changes will be noted.

Routine Veterinary Care

With younger cats, routine yearly visits to the veterinarian are recommended for health maintenance. An aging cat, however, needs more frequent routine monitoring (every six months) by the veterinarian, since changes associated with aging and disease progression can occur within a relatively short time. Also, cats are particularly good at hiding illness; a cat with signipcant disease can appear healthy to the owner. Be sure to tell your veterinarian about anything that seems abnormal with your cat, even if the sign seems vague and unimportant. Your veterinarian will also need a record of any current prescription or non-prescription medicines being administered, all foods being fed (don't forget to count treats), and nutritional supplements.

Diseases of the Aging Cat

Some treatable diseases that may commonly occur in aging cats are. hyperthyroidism, chronic renal failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, cognitive dysfunction, and. cancer.

Feline Cancer

With the popularity of cats and the increasing age of the. feline population, the incidence of cancer has also increased. The good news is that some recent advances in feline cancer treatment have improved response rates and quality of life, and increased survival times in many patients. As with human cancer, early diagnosis and treatment increases the chance for curing the disease. The Veterinary Cancer Society has developed the following list of signs which may indicate cancer:

Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow.
Sores that do not heal.
Weight loss.
Loss of appetite.
Bleeding or discharge from any body opening.
Offensive odor.
Difficulty eating or swallowing.
Hesitation to exerciseor loss of stamina.
Persistent lameness or stiffness.
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating.

Golden Years

A caring and observant owner teamed with a compassionate veterinarian and other health care team members can make, your cat's senior years "golden."

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