DPC Vet Articles
Old Age Is Not a Disease
By Dr. Gail Cutler, DVM, CVA VCA Desert Animal Hospital
There is a saying in veterinary medicine ‘old age is not a disease’. There are many healthy geriatric pets that have a good quality of life. In order to maintain that good quality of life, some require medical or surgical assistance for conditions that are associated with the aging process. These include arthritis, obesity, cardiac disease, cancer, kidney and liver disease, senility, hearing and vision loss, reproductive problems, and endocrine problems.
The first thing you may see in an older pet is slowing down, not being able to jump up on things, or difficulty getting in and out of the car or litter box. These can be due to longstanding joint abnormalities that have degenerated and can be addressed with joint supplements, anti-inflammatory medication, pain medication, and acupuncture. There are also special diets that can help with arthritis.
A related problem is obesity. As pets age, they can become more sedentary and gain weight. Many people don’t realize that their pet is obese. Studies have shown that decreasing weight vs. giving arthritis medication has the same effect on helping a pet get around. Obesity can also predispose a pet to other diseases such as diabetes, as well as decreasing their lifespan. It is important to measure the amount of food given to a pet, and then decrease it as recommended by your veterinarian.
An aging heart can start to have problems. Your veterinarian may have noted a heart murmur earlier in a pet’s life. A murmur is when a heart valve does not close completely, and may or may not have a long-term effect on the heart. A dog owner may first notice a cough when their pet is lying down or sleeping, which progresses to coughing more frequently. A cat may hide cardiac disease entirely. Heart disease is best diagnosed with radiographs and an ultrasound to help determine what medications would best improve the pet’s quality of life.
Like people, older pets are more prone to cancer. This can show up either as an external mass, or the pet may have nonspecific symptoms such as general malaise, inappetence, and weight loss. Cancer is best diagnosed by biopsy of the mass, radiographs, or ultrasound. There have been significant advances in chemotherapy and cancer surgeries to help a pet with cancer live a longer and happier life.
As organs age, they can become less efficient. Aging kidneys can lose their ability to concentrate urine effectively and the pet will get dehydrated even though it is drinking and urinating a lot. They can get an upset stomach, accumulate body minerals that the kidneys usually excrete, which leads to vomiting, weight loss, and not eating well. The kidneys don’t make new cells, so treatment is aimed at making what is left of the kidneys work better. On the other hand, symptoms of liver disease vary, but usually involve the digestive system. The liver is always regenerating itself, and when it ceases to function appropriately, diagnostics are needed to figure out why and then see if the changes can be reversed with medical treatment.
Some older pets may start having changes in their mental status, such as staring into space, doing odd behaviors, or not doing what used to be traditional behaviors. The good news is that there is medical treatment for senility, after ruling out blindness, deafness, or separation anxiety.
Hearing and vision loss are not uncommon as a pet ages. Chronic ear infections can contribute to hearing loss, but sometimes it is just age-related changes to the hearing apparatus. We see a lot of cataracts in dogs, which have a slow onset. If a cataract is sudden onset, it may be related to diabetes. Blind and deaf pets can do surprisingly well when in familiar surroundings. Although they haven’t invented hearing aids for pets, cataract surgery at a specialist is an option.
Sometimes an owner will think that their older dog has had a stroke, which is rare in pets. Usually it is vestibular disease, which is a balance problem of the inner ear. The pet will have a head tilt, unable to walk, vomit, and eyes rolling. After ruling out an ear infection (and less likely a brain tumor), most treatment is symptomatic and the pet gets better on their own.
Older pets that have not been spayed or neutered can develop trouble down the road. An intact male is subject to prostatitis, which is an enlarged and inflamed prostate. It causes blood in the urine, difficulty urinating or defecating, and if abscessed, the patient can become quite ill. Or, testicular tumors can arise. Treatment for both conditions is castration. An unspayed female is vulnerable to a pyometra, which is a pus-filled uterus that can happen about a month after a heat and she will become very ill. The treatment is an expensive emergency spay. Spaying and neutering your pet when it is young can avoid these problems.
There are some endocrine problems that can happen to older pets. One is thyroid disease. In dogs, a long-standing immune problem can cause the thyroid to not make enough hormones. Signs of hypothyroidism include thin hair coat, weight gain, and low energy. This is treated with daily thyroid supplementation. In cats, a benign tumor on the thyroid gland can use the thyroid to make too much hormone. Signs of hyperthyroidism include excessive hunger, weight loss, vomiting, drinking more, and restlessness. This is treated with either daily medication to inhibit thyroid production, radiation treatment, or a special iodine-free diet.
Cushing’s disease is another endocrine problem that can affect older pets. It is usually caused by a benign tumor on the pituitary gland, but can also be adrenal gland tumor, or cancer. The effect is excess secretion of cortisol in the system, and the signs are excessive water drinking, hair loss or skin issues, hunger, and weight gain. Treatment is with medication to either decrease cortisol production, or to alter the adrenal gland function.
Lastly, older pets can become diabetic. Often this is related to obesity, but not always. The signs are excessive drinking, hunger, weight loss, and can progress to illness. This is due to the pancreas not secreting enough insulin to help the body use the available glucose. Treatment is regular insulin injections. Interestingly, with proper treatment, cats can reverse their diabetes, so regular monitoring is required.
All of these conditions underscore the need for regular checkups for senior pets. Twice yearly exams and bloodwork for any pet over age seven is a good idea to get a heads up on early signs of age-related diseases. Catching something early can definitely help extend the length and quality of your pet’s life.