Senior Pet Care
How your pet's needs change.
Your four-legged family member is now a “Golden-ager”. Generally, dogs are seniors at 7 years old, while cats are seniors at 10 years old. Don’t worry though with proper preventive care dog or cat can still be your active companion.
Senior Preventive Veterinary Care
Pets age faster during the last third of their life. And just like us when we become senior, it is important your senior dog or cat be seen on a regular basis by our veterinarians recommend twice a year.
During your senior dog’s or cat’s Preventive Veterinary Care visit, your pet will receive a thorough physical examination by the veterinarian, age appropriate vaccinations/immunizations, preventive care testing, and we will discuss different aspects of keeping your senior pet healthy.
Your Senior Dog’s Yearly Schedule
Twice a year we will need to see your now senior dog for a checkup, booster vaccinations, and preventive care testing.
Visit 1:
- Senior Preventive Care Exam
- Booster Vaccinations (most dogs will receive the following vaccinations) You may also consider getting titer testing to determine if your dog’s vaccinations are still strong enough to protect your pet.
- Rabies (required in Cuyahoga and most surrounding counties). This booster is good for 3 years
- Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus (DHLPP) The DHPP portion is good for 3 years once boostered at 16 months old. The Leptospirosis vaccine is only good for 1 year.
- Bordetella – we recommend this vaccination, which protects against kennel cough, if your dog is “social”, meaning it comes into contact with other dogs (even through a fence). Bordetella needs to be boostered yearly.
- Lyme – unfortunately Lyme disease has come to Northeast Ohio. So if your dog plays in the backyard or goes into the woods we recommend this vaccination which needs to be boostered yearly.
- Blood work – Heartworm/Tick Disease Test, Basic Blood Chemistry, and Complete Blood Count
- Fecal Test – We only need a fresh, teaspoon size stool sample. Senior pets are more susceptible to intestinal parasites, so please make sure they are tested twice a year.
Visit 2:
- Senior Preventive Care Exam
- Fecal Test – We only need a fresh, teaspoon size stool sample. Senior pets are more susceptible to intestinal parasites, so please make sure they are tested twice a year.
- We will perform a urine screen
Monthly Preventative
Your dog should be on a broad-spectrum, monthly, parasite preventative all year round.
Your Senior Cat’s Yearly Schedule
Cats are notorious for hiding health problems, that’s why we recommend your adult cat be seen at least once a year for preventive veterinary care, We will perform a checkup, booster vaccinations, and preventive care testing. Every year we will do the following:
Visit 1:
- Senior Preventive Care Exam
- Booster Vaccinations (most cats will receive the following vaccinations) You may also consider getting titer testing to determine if your cat’s vaccinations are still strong enough to protect your pet.
- Rabies (required in Cuyahoga and most surrounding counties). This booster is good for 3 years.
- Booster Vaccinations – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR), Feline Calicivirus (C), Feline Panleukopenia (P)(aka Feline Distemper) (FVRCP), The FVRCP vaccine is good for every three years once boostered at approximately 16 months old. If your cat goes outdoors or comes in contact with outdoor cats we recommend your cat receive the Feline Leukemia vaccine yearly.
- Fecal Test – We only need a fresh, teaspoon size stool sample. Senior pets are more susceptible to intestinal parasites, so please make sure they are tested twice a year.
Visit 2:
- Senior Preventive Care Exam
- Urinary Test – We will perform a urine screen
- Fecal Test – We only need a fresh, teaspoon size stool sample. Senior pets are more susceptible to intestinal parasites, so please make sure they are tested twice a year.
Monthly Parasite Preventative
Your cat should be on a broad-spectrum, monthly, parasite preventative all year round.
What should I bring to my Senior Dog’s or Cat’s First Visit?
Please bring any records from the people you adopted your dog or cat from. This way we can get birth date, breed, and previous vaccination history.
Also please bring a teaspoon-sized stool sample, "fresh is best".
Finally, if your dog or cat is on medication, please bring it with you so we know the medication and dosage amount.
How can I save money and budget my Senior Dog’s or Senior Cat’s preventive veterinary care?
First, by getting preventive veterinary care, we can protect your pet from many problems and detect others before they become too serious. It is always better for your pet’s health and your wallet to prevent problems!
For those of you that would like to save money on your dog’s or cat’s preventive care, we offer ABC Pet Health Plans. These are Affordable, Bundles, of Care and include the services we recommend for your dog or cat at a particular life stage (Puppy/Kitten, Adult, Senior, Geriatric). These plans also include unlimited exams and discount on certain services and products.
If you have questions about how often we should see your senior pet or you’d like to schedule an appointment, please call us at (440) 234-5831.
