Senior Pet Care

Just as with people, it's important for cats and dogs to see their doctors more often as they age. At Eastown Veterinary Clinic, we recommend exams every 6 months for senior pets. Dogs and cats are considered seniors once they turn 7 years old.

Eastown Veterinary Clinic's thorough senior wellness exams are designed to:

• Help your pet live the longest and healthiest life possible.
• Recognize and control known health risks for older dogs and cats.
• Detect any signs of disease at their earliest symptom, when they are the most treatable.

Senior exams include more questions about your pet's life than our general wellness exams so we can identify more early indicators of disease. Your veterinarian will discuss with you any abnormal findings and will provide recommendations on how to keep your senior pet feeling their best. In addition to the routine heartworm test and stool sample test for intestinal parasites, we will recommend additional testing to evaluate the health of your pet's internal organs. These tests include:

• CBC (complete blood count)
• CHEM screen (liver and kidney function)
• Urinalysis
• Thyroid function

We recommend this baseline laboratory testing be conducted at least once a year in senior pets. If we are monitoring medication or managing disease progress, your Eastown veterinarian may recommend smaller panels every 3 to 6 months.