Due to improved veterinary care and dietary habits, pets are living longer now than they ever have before. One consequence of this is that pets, along with their owners and veterinarians, are faced with a whole new set of age-related conditions. In recent years there has been extensive research on the problems facing older pets and how their owners and veterinarians can best handle their special needs.

Q: When does a pet become “old”?

A: It varies, but cats and small dogs are generally considered geriatric at the age of 7. Larger breed dogs tend to have shorter life spans and are considered geriatric when they are approximately 6 years of age. Owners tend to want to think of their pet’s age in human terms. While it is not as simple as “1 human year = X cat/dog years”, there are calculations that can help put a pet’s age in human terms:

Age: Human Equivalents for Older Pets

Q: What kinds of health problems can affect older pets?

A: Geriatric pets can develop many of the same problems seen in older people, such as

1. Cancer
2. Heart Disease
3. Kidney/Urinary Tract Disease
4. Liver Disease
5. Diabetes
6. Joint or Bone Disease
7. Senility
8. Weakness

Q: I know my pet is getting older. How do I help them stay happy and healthy for as long as possible?

A: Talk to your veterinarian about how to care for your older pet and be prepared for possible age-related health issues. Senior pets require increased attention, including more frequent visits to the veterinarian, possible changes in diet, and in some cases alterations to their home environment. Here are some basic considerations when caring for older pets:

Older Pet Care Considerations

Q: My older pet is exhibiting changes in behavior. What’s going on?

A: Before any medical signs become apparent, behavioral changes can serve as important indicators that something is changing in an older pet, which may be due to medical or other reasons. As your pet’s owner, you serve a critical role in detecting early signs of disease because you interact and care for your pet on a daily basis and are familiar with your pet’s behavior and routines. If your pet is showing any change in behavior or other warning signs of disease, contact your veterinarian and provide them with a list of the changes you have observed in your pet. Sometimes, the changes may seem contradictory – such as an older pet that has symptoms of hearing loss but also seems more sensitive to strange sounds.

Possible Behavior Changes in Older Pets

• Increased reaction to sounds
• Increased vocalization
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Decreased interaction w/humans
• Increased irritability
• Decreased response to commands
• Increased aggressive/protective behavior
• Increased anxiety
• House soiling
• Decreased self-hygiene/grooming
• Repetitive activity
• Increased wandering
• Change in sleep cycles

Common Signs of Arthritis in Pets

• Favoring a limb
• Difficulty sitting or standing
• Sleeping more
• Seeming to have stiff or sore joints
• Hesitancy to jump, run or climb stairs
• Weight gain
• Decreased activity or interest in play
• Attitude or behavior changes (including increased irritability)
• Being less alert

Signs of arthritis often are similar to signs of normal aging, so if your pet seems to have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, the best thing to do is to have your veterinarian examine them, and then advise you as to what treatment plan would be best to help your pet deal with the pain. Arthritis treatments for pets are similar to those for humans, and may include:

• Healthy diet and exercise to help maintain proper weight.
• Working with your veterinarian to find a drug treatment that helps relieve the pain.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS): the most common treatment for arthritis in dogs. These drugs are similar to ibuprofen, aspirin, and other human pain relievers. However, never give a NSAID for people (over-the-counter or prescription) to your pet unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian; some of these drugs (such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen) can be toxic for pets.
• Over-the-counter pet treatments, such as pills or food containing either glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate or Omega fatty acids. Both may help relieve the symptoms of arthritis in dogs.
• A veterinarian-prescribed NSAID and an over-the-counter treatment that together may help decrease pain and disease progression.
• Diets with special supplements may also help decrease the discomfort and increase the joint mobility

Do not give human pain medications to your pet without first consulting your veterinarian. Some human products, including over-the-counter medications, can be fatal for pets.

Changes in the home environment may also help you deal with an older pet who is experiencing stiffness and/or pain. Orthopedic beds, stair steps to help an animal up to higher places (so they don’t have to jump), raised feeding platforms, etc. can help make your arthritic pet’s life more comfortable.

Ticks in Ontario: Autumn is Round 2 for TICKS

Ticks are parasites and, while all parasites are disgusting, the ones that attach and suck blood always seem to have that little extra repulsive quality.  Ticks fall into this category and unfortunately they are becoming more prevalent in our area.  In addition to their disgusting nature (sorry if we have offended any tick and parasite lovers out there) ticks also have the ability to transmit diseases during the process of sucking blood.

(Are your pets protected this fall against these mean tiny parasites?)

Ticks are closely related to spiders. They are typically small when unfed, (1 to 5 mm in length), and all active stages feed on blood. They cannot fly and do move quite slowly. Ticks usually come in contact with people or animals by positioning themselves on tall grass and bushes. Once they land on a host they can take several hours to find a suitable place on the host to attach and feed.  Most tick bites are painless. 

Tick Life Cycle

There are two major tick ”blooms”, when ticks emerge from their previous life stage and begin feeding.   One bloom occurs in the spring/summer and the other in the late fall.  This is when we need to be extra attentive to protect both ourselves and our pets from tick bites and the possible diseases they carry.

Ticks and Disease

Ticks can transmit several diseases (anaplasma, ehrlichia, lyme) but the one that gets the most attention in our area is Lyme disease.  Lyme disease is transmitted by the black legged tick or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis).  Until recently this tick was primarily seen along western Lake Erie; however, now the blacklegged tick is being found all around Lake Ontario, including the GTA.  It is becoming endemic in eastern Ontario, especially in the Kingston area.

Lyme disease can affect both you and your pets, in fact we humans are much more susceptible to the disease than dogs.  While a bite by an infected tick will lead to infection in humans 80-90% of the time, only 5-10% of dogs bitten will become infected.  Not all ticks are infected with lyme so not every tick bite could cause lyme disease.

There are two other ticks in our area which get less press but can transmit disease.  The American dog tick is the most common tick while the brown dog tick is less common but can live indoors.

Tick Bite Prevention

It is important to be vigilant for ticks even in our area. We have seen ticks attached to dogs who have not been outside Mississauga.

As we mentioned earlier, ticks like to locate themselves in long or overgrown grass and in bushy areas so pay special attention if you and your dog like to walk in such areas.  Wear socks, pants and long sleeves to protect yourself.  Check both you and your dog for ticks after your walk and remove any you find.  Brushing your dog after a walk is a way to help remove ticks which are attempting to attach.  If you have difficulty removing a tick from your dog call us and we can do it for you.

Protection Against Ticks

We have products that work against fleas and ticks, or fleas and heartworm but nothing that is completely effective against all three parasites.  Revolution, a topical product which many of you have used, is the best compromise as it does well against fleas and heartworm and has some effect against ticks.  However, to obtain good protection against all three parasites two products are required.  For ticks and fleas we have a topical agent, (Advantix) and an oral chewable tablet (Nexgard).  Both work well against ticks and  fleas but require a second medication to protect against heartworm.

Why Ticks Complicate Things

Traditionally we have started heartworm prevention in May or June because the mosquitos which carry the parasite are not infectious until then.  However, the first tick bloom is in the early spring and summer before your dog is taking heartworm preventive medication.  To completely protect your pet we recommend starting your dog on tick prevention in March or April and then adding heart worm protection the beginning of June.

Should My Dog Be on Tick Preventive?

Knowing your dog’s lifestyle, you might feel that tick protection should definitely be added to your dog’s summer parasite prevention regimen.  If so, call us and we will be happy to discuss which medications would be best for your dog(s).

If you are uncertain about the addition of tick preventives, we will be happy to discuss the pros and cons with you to help you decide whether it is appropriate for your situation.

I Have a Cat, Do they Get Ticks?

Ticks can attach to cats who go outdoors.  However, because cats are so fastidious in their grooming they usually groom off the tick prior to the tick being able to obtain a blood meal.  Most of the tick preventives  used for dogs should not be used in cats.  If you are concerned about protecting your cat Revolution is an option.  As we mentioned it is not a perfect tick preventive but does protect well against fleas and gives some tick protection.  We do recommend flea protection for cats who go outdoors.