Geriatric evaluations are very important. You may ask yourself how old is a pet before they are considered geriatric? On average any pet over the age of 7yrs would be considered a geriatric patient. This of course may vary some due to breed and weight.
Geriatric pets healthcare is very different than puppies and adults. Geriatrics need things that younger pets don't need, and need to avoid some things that younger pets need.
Because pets age so much faster than people, it is important to monitor them every 6 months for potentially harmful medical conditions.
| Common Medical Conditions in Senior Pets:
Dental disease - Periodontal disease, gingivitis, cancer
Liver disease - Inflammatory, degenerative and cnacerous liver disease
Kidney disease - Kidney failure, kidney stones, kidney infection, kidney insufficiency
Heart and Lung disease - Cardiac disease, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema
Joints - Arthritis, hip dysplasia, back disease
Endocrine System - Diabetes melitus, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, hypoadrenocorticism, hyperadrenocorticism
Cancer - Cancers of the skin, spleen, liver, lymphoid tissue, etc...
Ocular - Cataracts, dry eye, glaucoma
Gastrointestinal disease - Inflamatory bowl, pancreatitis, cancer, colitis
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