Section
Ageing well, and ending well.
15 articles
Mobility
Osteoarthritis affects most dogs over ten and a large proportion of cats past twelve, yet it is routinely underdiagnosed because cats mask lameness and owners attribute stiffness to normal ageing.
By Dr Samuel Adeyemi, DVM, DACVIM · 4 min read
Surgery
By Dr Rowan Kelly, BVSc, MVS · 4 min read
End of Life
By Dr Mariana Oliveira, DVM, DACVN · 4 min read
End of Life
By Dr Ingrid Sorensen, BVSc, DipACVB · 4 min read
Sensory
By Dr Eleanor Murphy, BVSc · 4 min read
Sensory
Gradual vision loss from cataracts, retinal degeneration or glaucoma is common in older dogs and cats, and many adapt so well using scent and spatial memory that owners only notice a problem once furniture is rearranged.
By Dr Thomas Nakamura, DVM · 4 min read
Urology
Urinary incontinence in older dogs, most commonly spayed females, is usually caused by urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence rather than a behavioural lapse, and it is highly treatable in most cases.
By Dr Eleanor Murphy, BVSc · 4 min read
Mobility
Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength independent of disease, affects dogs and cats much as it does ageing humans, and it compounds joint disease by removing the muscular support that stabilises painful joints.
By Dr Aisha Bello, BVetMed · 4 min read
Oncology
The majority of new skin lumps in dogs over ten are benign, most commonly lipomas or sebaceous adenomas, but the only reliable way to distinguish a harmless fatty lump from a mast cell tumour or soft tissue sarcoma is cytology or biopsy, not visual inspection or how the lump feels.
By Dr Mariana Oliveira, DVM, DACVN · 4 min read
Cardiology
A heart murmur detected during a routine senior check is common and does not automatically mean heart failure is imminent, but it does warrant investigation because the two leading causes in older dogs, degenerative mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy, have different progression rates and treatment windows.
By Dr Noor Haddad, DVM, DACVD · 4 min read
Mobility
Veterinary rehabilitation has moved from a niche add-on to a mainstream part of managing arthritis, post-surgical recovery and neurological decline in older pets, with underwater treadmills among its most valuable tools because water's buoyancy allows strengthening exercise with far less joint load than land-based movement.
By Dr Aisha Bello, BVetMed · 4 min read
Screening
Ageing accelerates the pace at which organ function can change, and diseases such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes and hyperthyroidism are far easier to manage when caught before clinical signs appear.
By Dr Callum Wright, BVSc, MANZCVS · 4 min read
Cognition
Disrupted sleep, including nighttime pacing, vocalising and reversed day-night cycles, is one of the most distressing changes owners report in ageing dogs and cats, and it has several distinct causes ranging from pain to canine cognitive dysfunction to sensory loss.
By Dr Rowan Kelly, BVSc, MVS · 4 min read
Adoption
Senior pets are consistently the hardest to rehome, yet they often make calmer, already-trained companions who settle into a household routine faster than a young animal.
By Dr Mariana Oliveira, DVM, DACVN · 4 min read
End of Life
Grief after losing a pet is frequently underestimated by people outside the household, yet it can be as intense and prolonged as bereavement after losing a person, and it is compounded when a surviving companion animal also shows behavioural changes after the loss.
By Dr Noor Haddad, DVM, DACVD · 4 min read