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02 9522 7088
Sylvania Veterinary Hospital
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Caring for Senior Pets

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    Caring for Senior Pets

    Picture your 70 year old Grandma. She takes a while to get moving in the morning, sometimes loses her train of thought and loves an afternoon nap. You could have just described most 13 year old cats whom would also be considered senior.

    All cats and dogs over the age of 7 are considered senior. Just like humans, as your pet ages, changes occur in his or her physical condition that require more frequent visits to the vet. If medical problems are recognized and treated when they are first detected, the treatment may be easier for your pet and less costly for you. To aid in this early diagnosis we suggest the following:

     

    Biannual vet checks

    See your vet every 6 months to get your pet checked over. Their annual vaccinations can be incorporated into one of these checks. This is a great opportunity to discuss any issues that may have developed. An ideal senior health check should include a physical exam, blood pressure check, urine test and blood test. Usually the vet will also ask about your pet’s mental status and discuss possible indicators of arthritis.

     

    A good quality diet

    We cannot stress enough how important a good quality, balanced, “senior“ premium diet is. It will significantly prolong the life of your dog or cat as well as so many extra benefits for skin, joints, teeth and weight maintenance to name a few. Supermarket brands are not considered premium foods. Look for brands such as Hills or if your pet prefers home cooked discuss with your vet the best way to balance this diet. There are also prescription diets available for certain “old age” issues such as kidney disease, dementia or arthritis which can have a huge impact on the health of your pet.

     

    Dental management

    Dental disease is extremely common in older animals and often overlooked as a source of pain and discomfort. Your vet should check your dog or cat’s teeth every 6 months and address any apparent issues. A lot of our clients are worried about putting their older animals under anaesthetic. However dental procedures are commonly performed on older animals as long as they are otherwise well so please discuss with the vet the risks and issues with performing this procedure in your pet.

     

    Arthritis management

    Arthritis is another frequent source of pain for these older dogs and cats and is often not treated as the pet is just considered “old.” However these animals are often hiding their discomfort. Supplements and medications are available to help alleviate pain and a specific arthritis plan can be formulated to help ease your pet’s suffering.

     

    A whole lotta love!

    Most importantly give your senior pet extra cuddles and attention! Keeping a close eye on them will mean you pick up changes early such as lumps or smelly breath.
    Plus keeping their minds active and lots of interaction prevents cognitive decline. Your vet is relying on you to convey how they are going in their day-to-day life and will be guided by your impression on how well they are aging.

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    • I was such a brave boy getting my needles I didn’t even yelp 🤗🐶🐾
Thank you @sylvaniaveterinaryhospital for being so gentle with me 💙
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    • This was the after picture from the vet trip trying to get the girls into the car. Poor Lilly 😂
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Thank you 
Last year due to #menaifires we had to be evacuated from our house

The entire valley was left blackened and devastated by the bushfire
However now it’s thriving and it’s difficult to imagine what it was like 
Unless like me you’d spent the night in your car with your kids, your dog and your cat with the sky blood red from the flames and the air thick with smoke as you didn’t have anywhere to go and were really scared, however needing to be brave and not showing any fear to your kids as you really didn’t know anyone in the area, or if you’d be homeless or safe in the car overnight. It was quite traumatic. 
We spent the next day in the #woronoracemetery by the radio for some update if they’d reopened the roads. We really needed to be someplace quiet for my child with sensory processing issues, a crowded evacuation centre wasn’t a place we could be. We camped out in the cemetery for the day, as it was quiet, there were toilets and the dog could be walked. The smoke clouds in the distance filling the sky were worrying as I was uncertain if I could make it through another night in the car without sleep, that was until we received wonderful news that #sylvaniaveterinaryhospital was boarding pets until people in our situation could return home 
Their wonderful generosity enabled us to get to the evacuation centre at #gymeatradies to get information 
We registered with the #nswpolice  then accommodation was arranged for us for that night. 
Unfortunately we had to stay away from home for another day at our own expense, as although the roads reopened I couldn’t take my child with asthma back into an area where the air was dense with smoke and ash 
I read something the other day that made sense when it said “I survived because the fire within me burned brighter than the fire around me”
Looking at the valley yesterday I realised it was still beautiful despite the devastation it had experienced and its scars, possibly more so as it was going to continue to grow, thrive and inspire others to overcome adversity 
Then I thought about me, how it’s important to express #gratitude and to say #thankyou to all those that have helped me get to here
    • Our adoption kittens keeping each other cozy on this cold Autumn day 😍🥰
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    • Meet Henry the Cocker Spaniel x Cavalier puppy. Our nurses fell in love with him when he came is for his puppy vaccination 😍 those puppy eyes are just too cute! 💕
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    • How lucky is Chase to be getting so much attention while waking up from his anaesthetic ! Nurse Shae is the best at giving post-op cuddles 😍🐾
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    • When your patients are this cute, how are you meant to get any work done ? 
Luis came in for his final puppy vaccination today with Dr Carolyn 🐶🐾💕 @luisthesausage .
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#miniaturedaschundpuppy #sylvaniaveterinaryhospital #svh

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    335 Princes Hwy, Sylvania NSW 2224

    Phone Number
    02 9522 7088

    Email Address
    mail@sylvaniavet.com.au

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