We consider most adult cats to be geriatric when they approach 9 to 10 years of age. Most cats will have a life span ranging from 14 to 20 years of age. Some have even seen 30. With this geriatric protocol we hopefully can extend the life of your pet and improve their quality of life. Early intervention is the key to successful control of any disease.

The most common geriatric diseases in the feline are:

1. Kidney disease or kidney failure

2. Hyperthyroidism and hypertension

3. Heart disease

4. Neoplasia (cancer)

The majority of these diseases are non-curable but much can be done to slow progression and decrease the detrimental effects to our patients. This requires early diagnosis of a beginning disease problem. Usually no symptoms are seen in the early onset of these diseases.

When your cat reaches the 9 to 10 year range we suggest a geriatric workup, nutritional counseling and weight assessment. The tests we suggest are:

1. CBC - complete blood count. This will give us indications of anemia, infection, blood leukemia, low platelet and low iron levels.

2. Urinalysis - helps monitor kidney disease, diagnose diabetes and rule out cystitis (bladder infections).

3. Chemistry panel - looks at enzymes associated with different body organs, (e.g.) liver, pancreas, kidney), electrolytes and protein levels.

4. T4 - Assesses thyroid function.

5. Blood pressure - rules out hypertension.

6. Heartworm test - rules out heartworm disease - possible cause of sudden death in cats.

7. Radiographs - assesses heart shape and size, health of lung tissue, liver and kidney size, presence of tumors (cancer) and enlarged lymph nodes.

8. Ultrasound, ECG and echocardiogram - these tests further examine for tumors (cancer), variations in normal organ size, heart size, heart shape, heart muscle thickness and hypertension (both pulmonary and circulatory).

After we receive the above test results we may need to run additional tests or make changes in our nutritional counseling.

Our pets unfortunately age at an accelerated rate compared to us. This rate may be as much as 7-10 years per calender year. For this reason we recommend a complete physical exam every six months. We will review past test results and abnormalities and make recommendations for further follow-up testing on an individual basis.

We cannot prevent or stop aging but working together we can allow your pet to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Please ask us if you have questions or concerns.