SENIOR PETS

Senior pets are our favourite!

In general, a pet is considered a “senior” at age 7 – but this can differ with breed, size and genetics. We believe there are three stages of senior pets that all have different goals for their medical care:

Early Seniors – prevention and delaying disease
Classic Seniors – managing and preventing disease
Super Seniors – managing disease and quality of life

All senior pets require special care to meet their changing needs and keep them comfortable, happy and healthy as they age. Whether it’s for a general wellness exam and preventative care, laser therapy, routine labwork, arthritis management, or a quality of life assessment – we are here to support you and your special senior!

We recommend wellness exams every 6 months for our senior patients and annual labwork.

If you have questions about your senior pet and providing them with a good quality of life well into their golden years, reach out to us to set up a Senior Pet Consult today!

Quality of Life

Quality of life (QOL) considers both the physical and mental wellbeing of an animal. It is something that is very important to monitor as your pet ages. Measuring quality of life must be tailored to your family and pet, specifically keeping in mind thier individual personalities, likes, and needs.

A QOL scale is something that can be regularly done weekly/monthly as your pet ages to help you track and journal their progress and can utlimately help you to make end of life decisions for your pet when the time comes. Here are a few of our favourites:

Lap of Love Quality of Life Scale

OSU Quality of Life Scale

Caring for a senior pet at the end of their life can be a very difficult and emotional time for both you and your pet. There are some great resources available if you are needing help with:

general care for senior pets
anticipatory grief
care giver burden
knowing when it is time to opt for euthanasia
pet loss support

please reach out to us and we are happy to discuss and help you find resources and support groups depending on your needs!