23 Aug Senior Pet Care Doesn’t Have To Break The Bank

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), pets are considered geriatric around 7 years of age. And while it is not as simple as “1 human year = X cat/dog years,” there are calculations that can help put a pet’s age in human terms. A 7-year-old cat is estimated to be about 54 in human years, while a 7-year-old dog is 44-56 in human years.

The term “senior” for dogs depends a lot on the size and the breed, since larger breeds and purebreds tend to develop health problems sooner than smaller and mixed breed pets. Large breeds and purebreds may be considered geriatric at the age of 6.

Just like people, older pets are more prone to develop chronic health problems than young pups and kittens are and require extra monitoring. Older pets are more likely to develop heart, kidney and liver diseases so your vet will want to do annual blood work to monitor organ function.

Older pets are also more prone to arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. According to the American Kennel Club, cancer accounts for nearly half the deaths of pets over 10. Dogs and cats get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans.

It’s also normal for older pets to experience some loss of sight or hearing—similar to humans. Because senior pets are more likely to develop health problems, they should be regularly examined by a veterinarian to detect any diseases before they become more difficult to treat. It’s much cheaper to prevent disease, or at least detect it early, than it is to treat it after it’s progressed to a larger problem. The AVMA recommends that geriatric pets should have semi-annual vet visits instead of annual visits, especially since many diseases are hidden and your pet may not exhibit symptoms.

The good news is that there are medications and treatments to manage most senior pet maladies, and the cost of these medications along with more frequent vet visits doesn’t have to break your bank. Clinics such as PetWellClinic® in Knoxville and Alcoa offer discounted services and products as well as bundled pet care packages that are more affordable than those typically offered at a full-service animal hospital.

By operating convenient hours for non-surgical care, PetWellClinic® is able to offer substantially discounted prices for preventative products, vaccinations, wellness exams, and treatment of minor or chronic conditions. Think of us as a “minute clinic” for your pet—no appointment necessary, with quick in-and-out service. You can save even more time by pre-registering and pre-paying online for our walk-in clinics.

PetWellClinic® has three locations: 10549 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922; 7329 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919; and 228 S. Calderwood Street, Alcoa,TN 37701. Learn more about how PetWellClinic® can exceed your expectations for affordable, top quality senior pet care by visiting our website at www.petwellclinic.com.