Senior Pet Care: Keeping Your Loyal Companion Healthy and Happy
Senior pets are special companions who seem to know us better than anyone, and they deserve our special care and attention after the lifetime of fun and companionship they’ve given us. Whether you're at home or visiting a trusted vet clinic in Charleston, SC, here’s everything you need to know about caring for a senior pet.
Caring for Senior Pets
At Cainhoy Veterinary Hospital, we’re proud to pay special attention to the health and care needs of the senior pets our clients bring to our facility.
Just like humans, pets experience changing health requirements as they age. And because pets age much more quickly than we do (most are considered senior by age 7), their health needs can change quickly. That’s why we recommend more frequent preventative pet care and wellness exams for senior pets— twice a year when possible, potentially more if they have existing conditions that need special care.
During wellness exams in Charleston SC, we may conduct a range of diagnostic tests to look for common age-related conditions and diseases. This can save you money and stress in the future, and help protect your pet from the debilitating effects of age-related diseases before it’s too late.
Bloodwork
Bloodwork can be an essential part of identifying and then treating potential age-related health problems that don’t appear on the surface. We may recommend a blood test at a wellness examination for your senior pet if we have reason to believe they may have underlying conditions.
Urinalysis
Urinalysis can help us identify kidney disease, bladder infections, and even certain cancers. We may recommend a urinalysis be conducted at your senior pet’s wellness exam in Charleston SC. These can be essential tools in helping us catch, diagnose, and treat issues with your senior pet before they become serious.
Diagnostic Imaging
From x-rays to ultrasounds, diagnostic imaging for pets allows us to see what’s happening inside your pet’s body when we can’t get the full picture from a physical exam. Diagnostic imaging can help us assess the functioning of organs, soft tissues, bones, and joints.