1 dog year = 7 human years?
As with us humans, the life expectancy of our pets has increased over the past ten years. There are many reasons for this. The cat is no longer just a "mouse catcher", and most dogs are not primarily for hunting and use. They have become full-fledged family members, receiving good care and frequent and good follow-up at the veterinarian with all that entails. The senior check applies when the dog is approx. 7 years old.
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EU control
The annual health check in connection with vaccination can be seen as an EU check. The veterinarian then makes an assessment of the teeth and gums, eyes, ears, lymph nodes, heart, lungs, genitals, fur, skin, paws, claws and the animal's general condition. When you feel the animal, you also sometimes discover lumps and growths that need to be examined more closely. The senior check is an extended health check where you pay a little extra attention to typical age-related ailments and take some blood tests to detect disease at an earlier stage.
How fast do animals really age?
Animals age faster than us, and many have heard that one dog year is equal to seven human years. This rule is not entirely correct, as both dogs and cats develop most rapidly in the first years of life – but it does give an indication that the real age compared to human years is much higher. So if you say that the dog or cat has become approx. 7 years older in one calendar year, you can understand that a lot has happened in a small body in a short time.
When do you consider your dog and cat to be seniors?
It varies slightly based on size – for example, a large dog ages faster than a small dog – but roughly speaking, large dogs are seniors from 6–8 years of age and small dogs from around 10 years of age. Cats also enter the senior ranks at around 10 years of age.
What symptoms should you look for?
With age come old-age-related ailments. Some can be seen as stiffness and stiffness, but other ailments can come on more insidiously and are difficult to detect. For example, kidney failure and high metabolism are typical for cats. When kidney failure results in visible disease, as much as 70–80% of the kidney can often be damaged. A blood test can reveal the development of the disease much earlier, and measures such as a specially adapted diet, etc. can be implemented. A blood test can in many cases reveal disease at an earlier stage and also provides a reference so that development can be followed.
Our recommendation: The Senior Check
For seniors, we recommend an extended health check with blood and urine tests. Preferably annually in connection with the vaccine, but you can also set up an appointment outside of this. In addition to a full health check as described above, we recommend that a senior check includes:
- Blood status and a biochemical blood profile for liver, kidney (SDMA) and metabolism.
- Urin test
- Blood pressure
At A-Vet, we also have specialist expertise in eyes, and we will always give the eyes a little extra attention – including checking the pressure.
Below follows some more information about the above-mentioned surveys.
Blood status
In English, this is called a “Complete blood count” (CBC). This gives us information about the different types of cells in the blood – red cells that carry oxygen, white cells that fight infection, and platelets that stop bleeding. We have a machine that counts the cells and gives us information about their size and shape, and we also look at the sample under a microscope.
Biochemical profile
This gives us information about the organs and can help us detect, among other things, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, etc. SDMA is a specific test that detects kidney disease in its early stages. Metabolic disease is not uncommon in animals. Cats usually have a high metabolism and dogs have a low one. The disease affects many processes in the body and the changes often come insidiously.
Blood pressure
All dogs and cats over 10 years old should have their blood pressure measured regularly, just like humans. At the clinic we have a small and handy blood pressure monitor that can easily measure the blood pressure of both dogs and cats. This can be done during the annual health check.
Urine analysis
A urine sample is useful for much more than just detecting a urinary tract infection. We check the concentration and composition, and the sample can help us detect kidney disease and diabetes, among other things.
The senior check varies according to need
Finally, it should be said that it is the owner who knows their animal best, and we will adapt the senior check as needed! If you have noticed that Pluto or Pus is calmer than before, eating or drinking more or less, or changes in fur and skin or other things, then there is usually an underlying cause. We will do our utmost to help define what is "normal and expected" aging and what is illness. Do not hesitate to contact us if you are wondering whether your animal qualifies for a senior check. Also check out what it means to be a Vetplan customer with us!
