Dogwood Veterinary Hospital's Senior Wellness Program:

"An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure"

Your pet's Golden Years are a special time. Your pet has been a member of your family for quite some years now. Perhaps you've noticed some changes, or your pet may appear to be still in its' prime. The old cliche that dogs and cats age seven years to our one year isn't exactly true. There are variations based upon species, breed and size. The table below more accurately defines your pet's senior years and its later geriatric years based on age and weight.

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PET WELLNESS MONTH. READ THIS INFORMATION CONCERNING YOUR AGING PET.

         
IS YOUR DOG A SENIOR OR A GERIATRIC PET?   
         
Pet's Age
 Pet's Weight  
  0-20 21-50 51-90 >90
5 36 37 40 42
6 40 42 45 49
7 44 47 50 56
8 48 51 55 64
9 52 56 61 71
10 56 60 66 78
11 60 65 72 86
12 64 69 77 93
13 68 74 82 101
14 72 78 88 108
15 76 83 93 115
16 80 87 99 123
17 84 92 104  
18 88 96 109  
19 92 101 15  
20 96 105 120  
         
  Relative Age in Human Years     
         
  Senior    Geriatric  
         

The age at which a dog enters its senior and geriatric years is closely associated with body weight. This table was developed to help you determine if your pet is a senior or a geriatric dog. On it you can find the relative age of your pet in human years, ie if your dog is 10 years old and weighs 30 lbs. the corresponding relative age = 60 years, a Senior. The same age dog weighing over 90 lbs. has a relative age of 78 years, qualifying him for Geriatric Pet status.

Most cats are considered seniors once they have reached 8-10 years.

With our SENIOR WELLNESS PROGRAM we want to help your pet through these years with as little difficulty and as much comfort as possible, and hopefully sustain longer life with early detection and treatment for any problems that might occur with advancing age.

We believe that early diagnostic testing is an important component of any wellness program. In an apparently healthy pet, it provides a baseline that may be used for comparison in the event that disease develops. Such testing may also allow identification of disorders before clinical signs are evident, at a point when intervention may help your pet live a longer, more comfortable life. Finally, for pets with previously identified problemes, diagnostic testing can be used to monitor treatment efficacy and disease progression.

THE SENIOR WELLNESS PROGRAM at Dogwood Veterinary Hospital has three stages:

SENIOR WELLNESS LEVEL 1 : 7-8 years of age. Recommended every six months.

Consulation with Owner We will have you fill out a questionnaire regarding your pet's habits.
Examination Our Veterinarian will check for any abnormalities concerning the eyes, ears, skin, teeth, anal glands. They will feel over the whole body for any lumps and bumps that appear abnormal.
Complete Blood Count Also known as a "CBC," this blood test will determine any underlying blood disorders such as anemia, infections and some cancers.
Profile This blood test will help to find out current function levels of the liver, kidnesy and pancreas. It can also pick up diabetes, electrolyte function and some benign tumors
Urine Analysis This testing can decide the concentration of urine, abnormal cells, crystals or stones forming and bacteria present.
Thyroid FunctionTesting Detection of:
FELINE HYPERTHYROIDISM - Weight loss, increased appetite with no weight gain.
CANINE HYPOTHYROIDISM - Weight gain leading to heat stroke and joint deterioration.

SENIOR WELLNESS LEVEL 2 : 9-10 years of age. Recommended every six months.

Consulation with Owner We will have you fill out a questionnaire regarding your pet's habits.
Examination Our Veterinarian will check for any abnormalities concerning the eyes, ears, skin, teeth, anal glands. They will feel over the whole body for any lumps and bumps that appear abnormal.
Complete Blood Count Also known as a "CBC," this blood test will determine any underlying blood disorders such as anemia, infections and some cancers.
Profile This blood test will help to find out current function levels of the liver, kidnesy and pancreas. It can also pick up diabetes, electrolyte function and some benign tumors
Urine Analysis This testing can decide the concentration of urine, abnormal cells, crystals or stones forming and bacteria present.
Thyroid Testing Detection of:
FELINE HYPERTHYROIDISM - Weight loss, increased appetite with no weight gain.
CANINE HYPOTHYROIDISM - Weight gain leading to heat stroke and joint deterioration.
EKG Efficiency level of the different parts of the heart.
X-Rays and/or Ultrasonography

Chest: This will help to make sure the heart is of normal size, show any masses in the chest cavity, abnormal growths on bones, disk abnormalities and any excess fluid in the chest.

Abdominal: The veterinarian can see the size of organs or growths attached to organs. Detection of kidney or bladder stones forming and any excess fluid.

SENIOR WELLNESS LEVEL 3 : 10 years of age and over. Recommended every six months.

The same tests done in Level 2 would also be done
in Level 3, with the following additions:
Biles Acids  
Ultrasound  
Tono-Pen XL This instrument detects glaucoma.
Prostate Exam