I know I’m showing my age, but I remember in the 70’s, Lorne Greene, the star of one of my favorite TV shows Bonanza , did Alpo dog food commercials. He would often reference that one year of life for a dog was equal to 7 people years. He basically set a standard many people have been using for years. And although it isn’t a bad general rule of thumb, there isn’t really a “one size fits all” comparison to extrapolate dog age to human age. This is because of the wide variety of dog breeds, ranging from the tiny Chihuahua to the giant Mastiff. A fairly consistent rule of thumb is the smaller the dog, the longer the expected life span. Although there also isn’t a direct ratio of cat to human years, cats have less variation in size and a more standard chart of cat to human years. However, some breeds do tend to live longer, such as the Siamese cats.
Caring for your pet as it ages is as important as puppy and kitten wellness care. The goal in veterinary medicine in the last few years has changed from treating disease once diagnosed to detecting disease early and slowing the progression of disease, along with increasing the length and quality of the pet’s life. Routine physical exams are the mainstay of senior wellness care. Yearly visits are the minimum, and because pets age quicker than humans, scheduling exams every 6 months for a pet over 7 years old is now becoming commonplace.
I know, a lot of you are saying, “Come on, doc. Everybody gets old, that is just natural.” Sure, we can’t stop the aging process, but just like in people, we can slow down the process and add time to our pet’s already too short lifespan. There are many diseases, that when caught early, are very manageable. Thyroid disease is an example. Cats often develop overactive thyroid glands and dogs often have underactive thyroid glands. Both problems are diagnosed with blood tests and very treatable. Another treatable disease is kidney insufficiency, which both dogs and cats are prone to and is diagnosed with blood and urine testing. When caught in the early stages, feeding a kidney protective diet alone has been shown to slow deterioration of kidney function. Diabetes is much easier to treat in the early stages than the late stages, and again, all it takes is a simple blood and urine test to diagnose.
Other problems, when addressed early, certainly make a big difference to a pet’s quality and length of life. Prevention of obesity has been shown to increase the length of life in our pets significantly. In one study on a group of labs, obese dogs died, on average, two years earlier than their littermates that were ideal weight. Arthritis, which often goes hand in hand with obesity, has many treatment options to slow progression of the disease. Dental care is important for all life stages, but especially important as pets age, when anesthesia may become an increased risk.
One common change we can see in our pets as they age is behavioral. It is very important to continue to keep your older pets minds busy. Senior pets still have active minds but if you don’t continue to challenge them, they can lose some cognitive function. Behavioral specialists recommend an “enriched environment,” meaning that there are things to keep your pet busy in their living area. For dogs that might mean play toys that encourage play and reward, such as the balls that have kibble that fall out when the dog rolls it around. For cats, it could mean increasing the vertical environment with cat trees. Following a regular routine including playtime can also slow the onset of cognitive dysfunction. This is especially important for pets that are kept primarily indoors and rely on their human for entertainment.
So remember to take your pets in for their physical exams at least yearly to keep them well. During the months of April and May we discount wellness testing we do on healthy senior pets to screen for disease. Feel free to e-mail me at mcaviness@wildernessvet.com with any questions you might like addressed in upcoming articles. For more information on senior pet wellness, including a chart comparing pet ages to human years, visit our website at www.wildernessvet.com or become a fan on our Facebook page.
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Until the next article, enjoy your summer and your pets!