Healthcare for Older Pets

Older pets have special health needs.  We expect most dogs to live to 15 years, and cats deserve 20 years with their owners.  Larger parrots will live as long as humans with proper care.  This page is dedicated to helpful tips to improve your "Senior Pet" live longer and better.

INCREASED THIRST IS AN IMPORTANT SIGN IN THE OLDER PET

Although judging the amount of water that your pet consumes can be difficult, it can also be a life-saver.  The most common reasons for increased water drinking include urinary tract infections and poor kidney function.  A variety of hormonal diseases, such as Diabetes Mellitus and Cushing's Disease, also cause increased thirst.  Fortunately, all of these diseases are treatable, and can be diagnosed by blood and urine tests.
How much water does a normal dog or cat drink?  A 20 pound dog with normal kidney function would drink 15 ounces of water.  The older cat that weighs 10 pounds drinks 7 ounces of water, but cats can get lots of water from their food, and a cat that eats a lot of canned food might seem to drink a very small amount of additional water.  For indoor cats, observing the amount of urine in the cat box is often a better way to tell whether the cat is drinking (and urinating) excessively.
If your dog or cat seems to drink a lot, your veterinarian will suggest an examination, as well as urine and blood tests.  Pet owners can help by catching a urine sample at home and bringing it to the appointment.

For more information on older pets, see subjects under "The Older Pet" in the menu to the left.