Senior Pet Care
at Airport Animal Hospital in Goleta

As our beloved pets age, they require special care and attention. Here at Airport Animal Hospital located in Goleta, CA, our talented veterinary staff provides loving and compassionate senior wellness care for dogs and cats.

How do you know when your furry friend needs senior care? Remember, every year for a dog or cat lives is equivalent to five to seven human years. As a general rule, cats live longer than dogs, and smaller dogs typically live longer than larger dogs. This means that some very large dogs may be considered ‘seniors’ as early as eight to nine years, while small dogs may not be considered ‘seniors’ until 11 to 12 years. One of our veterinarians at our Goleta animal vet clinic can evaluate you dog’s health and let you know when your pet is in his or her ‘golden years.’

As your pet ages, you may notice a general “slowing down.” In terms of physical activity, your pet may not run as fast, climb the stairs as quickly or be able jump up on the couch with you. Your pet will also respond more slowly to external stimuli, especially as major senses including sight, hearing and smell begin to dull. Your pet's ability to fight off diseases also diminishes, and recovery time from infection or other injury takes longer. Older pets are also at risk for developing kidney, heart, and liver disease; osteoarthritis; tumors and cancer; diabetes; and hormone disorders such as a thyroid imbalance or Cushing's syndrome.

Annual examinations are an important part of your pet’s well care at any stage in his or her life. As your pet ages, we recommend a wellness screening every six to twelve months. Senior health exams, including full laboratory testing, provide an important indicator of your pet’s health. Tests such as blood count, urinalysis, blood chemistry panel and parasite evaluation help a veterinarian diagnose and monitor a condition before it begins to seriously impact your pet’s quality of life. For cats, we also recommend an additional test for hyperthyroidism, a condition common in older cats.

These tests provide a snapshot of your pet’s health and allow our veterinarians to prevent or monitor problems, just like early diagnosis of heart disease or cancer is important for our own long-term health.

Many conditions that develop with age are fully treatable. For example, if your dog is less active and can’t leap on and off the bed anymore, this may be due to a thyroid condition and arthritic back pain. With proper care and medication, you dog can be back in business and ready to play!

If your pet shows signs of sickness or needs surgery, we may recommend additional testing. Here at our animal hospital, our pet care diagnostic services include heartworm testing, feline leukemia/feline immunodeficiency virus testing for cats, blood pressure evaluation, and urine protein evaluations.

As part of our senior pet care, our Goleta animal vet clinic may also recommend a diet specially formulated for older pets. If your pet is overweight, this increases the risk that he or she may develop heart disease and other illnesses. As activity slows due to physical changes, it is especially important to feed your pet a balanced diet.

In addition to senior wellness care, we also spay and neuter, provide dental care, boarding, grooming and other standard veterinary pet care services. Make an appointment today!