While you naturally take your pet to your veterinarian if they fall ill or become injured, scheduling routine wellness visits is equally vital for your furry companion’s health. Regular veterinary care can not only ward off many infectious diseases, but also detect early stage disease, offering a better prognosis, and simpler, less costly, and more effective treatment. For your senior pet, your veterinarian will likely recommend biannual—or more frequent—exams, to keep a closer eye on their changing health status. Here are four reasons why regular veterinary care is essential to keep your senior pet in tip-top shape, so you can enjoy their golden years together.

#1: A physical exam checks your senior pet from nose-to-tail

Nothing is more important to your pet’s health than a thorough physical exam, as your veterinarian’s own two hands and finely honed skills are exceptional diagnostic tools. During your senior pet’s physical exam, your veterinarian will check the health status of the following organs and areas:

• Heart — Aging pets frequently develop heart murmurs, arrhythmias, and other cardiac issues that cause leaky heart valves, decreased cardiac output, and hypertension.
• Lungs — Senior pets experience a weakened immune system and are more susceptible to respiratory illnesses. 
• Abdomen — Your veterinarian can often feel masses and organ abnormalities in the abdomen, which will guide further diagnostics to determine the problem’s cause and extent.
• Eyes — Aging pets generally experience vision issues, and may develop glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal problems.
• Ears — Polyps, squamous cell carcinoma, and other cancers can crop up in pets’ ears, particularly in white or light-colored cats. 
• Mouth — Since the majority of pets suffer from dental disease by age 3, your senior pet likely has some tartar accumulation and gingivitis. Tooth abscesses, fractures, resorptive lesions, oral cancers, and other issues can be detected during a physical exam.

Problems found on a physical exam will guide your veterinarian on additional diagnostic tests that will help pinpoint the cause of your pet’s health issues. This process is a vital step in their overall health care regimen.

#2: A detailed history detects potential lifestyle issues with your senior pet

A chat with your veterinarian about your pet’s daily activities can reveal potential issues that need correction for a better quality of life. For example, if your senior cat is eliminating next to their litter box, they are likely suffering from osteoarthritis, which can be helped with short-sided litter boxes that arthritic cats can step over more easily. You can discuss subtle behavior changes, diet, at-home dental care, and low-impact exercises during your senior pet’s wellness visit to ensure they are well-supported at home as they age.

#3: Preventive veterinary medicine helps your senior pet fight off disease

Lifestyle-appropriate vaccinations and parasite prevention are critical not only for young pets with a developing immune system, but also for senior pets whose immune system is weakening. Speak to your veterinarian about your pet’s exposure risks to determine the vaccinations and preventives they need to stay healthy and safe from infectious diseases.

#4: Routine screening tests monitor your senior pet’s health

While your pet likely undergoes routine screening tests throughout adulthood, senior pet diagnostic testing is often more in-depth to catch age-related conditions. During your senior pet’s regular veterinary visits, they may undergo the following diagnostic tests to screen for illness:

• Blood panels to establish baseline values — A complete blood count (CBC), chemistry panel, and thyroid profile impart a great deal of information regarding your pet’s health, and may reveal anemia, infection, organ dysfunction, cancer, diabetes, thyroid conditions, and other diseases.
• A urinalysis to evaluate urinary tract health — Many senior pets, especially cats, experience decreased renal function, which may be detected with a urinalysis. This urine test can also indicate urinary tract infections, crystalluria, diabetes, liver issues, and urinary tract cancers. 
• Blood pressure testing to check for hypertension — Senior pets with hypertension are at increased risk for heart disease, kidney problems, blindness, and more.
• X-rays to monitor organ shape and size — Chest X-rays can detect heart and lung issues, and abdominal issues, such as liver, kidney, bladder, spleen, or gastrointestinal tract problems.

Early disease detection is critical to keep your beloved senior pet happy and healthy for as long as possible, and regular veterinary care is the best method for achieving that goal. 

If your senior pet has been diagnosed with a terminal disease during their wellness visit, you may choose to support your beloved companion through their final moments with hospice care and our telehospice service. Prepare yourself for the inevitable by learning more about in-home euthanasia, or contact a Lap of Love veterinarian in your area for more advice on keeping your senior pet comfortable through their golden years.