THE SENIOR CAT

There are now more pet cats than dogs in the North America and many of them are seniors. Improved nutrition, prevention of infectious disease and advances in veterinary medical care have resulted in pets living longer and healthier lives.

With advancing age body functions change.

As cats age, all of their body systems are affected.

Reduction in exercise may result in reduced muscle tone, which may further reduce the cat’s ability to jump, climb or exercise. This may also lead to arthritis.

When coupled with a reduced metabolic rate (common in older individuals), lack of exercise can result in a fall in energy requirements of up to 40%. If a cat maintains a good appetite, its daily food intake must be reduced to prevent excessive weight gain.  Diet is very important at any age but especially for older cats.

Inappetance (lack of desire to eat) may develop in some senior cats since the senses of smell and taste become dull with age and dental disease is common.

Gut function and the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrients are reduced in older animals. Constipation is more frequent due to gut changes and diet can be of great help here as well.

Thirst is also decreased, causing an increased risk of dehydration, especially when combined with concurrent renal insufficiency (kidney disease which is common in older cats).  In some cats it will be increased in such cases as diabetes or as another symptom or renal insufficiency.

Most specific nutrient requirements are not yet determined for senior cats. However, it is often assumed that older cats have some degree of subclinical (underlying) disease, particularly of the kidneys and liver, hence a diet with moderate protein restriction is usually recommended but only after verifying that you cat is otherwise healthy through blood work, urine tests and sometimes X-rays to rule out cardiac disease.

With advancing age, discuss changes in medications with your veterinarian.

Changes in physiology not only affect food absorption, they also affect the way many drugs are metabolized. Liver and kidney disease occur commonly in older cats. When coupled with mild dehydration, these can result in drugs staying in the system longer and marked elevations in drug concentrations circulating within the blood. When treating geriatric patients, the dose and dosing intervals of some drugs may need to be altered.  And remember most cats already don’t like to be medicated!

Vaccinations

It is assumed that with age immune function may deteriorate. This may in turn result in a reduced ability to fight infection or screen for neoplastic (cancer) cells. Regular booster vaccinations are generally recommended and prompt treatment of disease is essential. Our veterinarians will determine the appropriate vaccination program for your cat based on its physical condition and lifestyle.

Medicating your cat

This is something you should discuss with your veterinarian. There is no simple answer to this question; it depends on whether the treatment may lead to a cure, or whether it is aimed at controlling clinical signs. It also depends on how ill the cat is, and on how serious the disease for which it is being treated. Many medications can be put by a pharmacist in good tasting treats or made into transdermal preparations.  Ask us about alternatives to pills and liquid medications.

Common Diseases

The major diseases seen in older cats are hormonal disorders (such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus), kidney disease, neoplasia (cancer), infections (e.g. feline immunodeficiency virus [FIV]), periodontal disease and arthritis.

It is important to remember that while young cats usually have only one disorder at a time, this is often not so in older patients, where diagnosis and treatment may be complicated by the concurrence of multiple interacting disease processes.

While it is true to say that "old age is not a disease", it does merit special attention. This is important so that if your cat develops disease, we can recognize and treat it as early as possible, thereby maintaining its quality of life for as long as possible.

Keeping  my senior cat as happy

Most cats age gracefully and require few changes to their general regimen. Since older cats do not generally respond well to change, it is important that any changes are introduced slowly.

Elderly cats should have easy access to a warm bed, situated where the cat can sleep safely without fear of disturbance.

It is strongly recommended that you feed your older cat a senior diet recommended by your veterinarian. They should always have easy access to fresh drinking water.

As cats’ age, some will experience a reduced ability to control urination and defecation. To reduce the risk of “accidents”, it may be necessary to allow access to multiple litter boxes.

Senior cats should have regular health checks with their veterinarian every six months.

My veterinarian mentioned a Senior Care Program; what does this entail?

The aim of any senior care program is to maintain the quality of the patient’s life and to slow the progression of age-related disease. Programs usually include a thorough physical examination, blood screening and urinalysis. Body weight should be recorded regularly and booster vaccinations should be given annually. We will provide you with additional details about our senior care programs upon request.