How old is “Geriatric”?

Aging is inevitable. Whether you are a human, bird, cat, dog, horse or anything in between, there will be processes that naturally occur aging us.

Human medicine refers to a “senior” as someone who has reached the age of 65. In a newsletter from the American Society of Aging, an article titled

“Ageism in Language”; asked the following question, “What term(s) do you think are appropriate when referring to people aged 65‐plus?” The most commonly used

expressions and percentage of individuals thought “appropriate” were:

Older adults = 80%
Elders = 41%
Seniors = 33%
Senior citizens = 11%
Elderly = 10%

From these responses, what we used to identify as “a senior” has shifted. This is true of animals as well. We are taking much better care of our pets. With the

availability of internet, online shopping, informed veterinary staff, scientific advancements and a higher level of commitment, our pets are living longer.

According to the AVMA, cats and small dogs are generally considered “senior” at 7 years of age. Larger-breed dogs tend to have shorter life spans compared with smaller breeds and are often considered senior when they are 5- 6 years of age.

Gone are the days when we equated 1 human year to 7 dog years. “Geriatric” is a term that identifies someone as being fragile or just old. Whether thinking of animals or humans, there is no specific age to equate with these terms.

How can I keep track of my aging pet’s Health?

The JOURNEY scale helps to determine a pet’s quality of life based on eight variables. This can be used daily to weekly as a way to compare progressive changes.

The list includes:

J- Jumping or mobility

O – Ouch or pain

U – Uncertainty and Understanding

R – Respiration or Breathing

N – Neatness or Hygiene

E – Eating and Drinking

Y – You

Click on the links to explore ways you can help your elder pet remain healthy and happy.

Aging is not a disease

It does however give us time to collect diseases. Our bodies experience wear and tear as we grow older. Here are some examples of things that can change as we age:

Incontinence
Gait changes
Cognition changes
Sleep disturbances
Loss of appetite
Neurological deficits/changes
Cardiovascular
Endocrine (less ability to deal with stress)
Decreased mobility
Muscle mass loss
Pain!……. And much more

Jumping and Mobility

There are a lot of things that can impact your pet’s mobility. Your pet’s ability to move around depends on their muscles, tendons, joints, nerves, spine a brain. A lot can start to wear out as we age.

Muscle loss can contribute to decreased mobility. This is a direct link to the other aging processes of gait changes. If there is loss of muscle mass, there is less muscle to initiate a pull on the muscles to create movement. Walking up and down stairs becomes more difficult with reduced range of motion to the joints. Animals will start to "shuffle" their feet along the ground. Abnormalities will be seen when comparing one side with the other. In order to take weight off of one limb that is in pain, the opposing leg will try to relieve the stress and bear more weight. Now you have one limb that is bearing more weight and doesn't have time to lift up off the ground.

Dogs might also shuffle their feet because of a lack of proprioception which is where the brain sends a signal to the feet to tell it what to do. The gait becomes uncoordinated and irregular. The base of support might be wider to create a counter balance and more stability. Older dogs might knuckle and drag their feet for various reasons. Again it can go back to lack of muscle to correctly position the foot or the brain isn't getting the signal to tell it "hey, your foot is in the wrong position". Our neurology team would be happy to work with you to discover the cause of any mobility disturbances.

Ouch! Pain in your Geriatric Pet

Anyone over the age of 30 years old can tell you that aging can hurt. Joint pain, soft tissue pain, organ pain- all of these things can impact your pet’s happiness and mobility. We have a handout to help you evaluate your pet for pain, and you are welcome to book an evaluation with our Integrative Medicine service, which specializes in pain management.

You can teach an old dog new tricks: Uncertainty and Understanding

Research has shown that novelty and stimulation helps keeps out brains healthy and slows the progression of dementia.

Stimulation comes in many forms, such as mental stimulation through games or change in the environment itself. You can place treats around the house for cats so they can use their natural instinct of hunting by searching for treats. Place them on the ground so the arthritic cats can avoid jumping. Hide treats in paper bags, in toilet paper rolls like a tootsie roll, or just make them follow the treat before giving it to them. Some animals love to go for rides. The fresh air, anticipation of going to their favorite place or just hanging out with you is great for their cognitive stimulation.

Breathing

Breathing is one of our most basic functions. Dog’s may pant for a variety of reasons including dementia, endocrine conditions, anxiety, being too warm, or nervous.

In addition to panting, being overweight, tracheal collapse, heart disease and much more can impact your pet’s ability to breathe comfortably. It’s important to work with your veterinary team to ensure you pet’s breathing is comfortable and easy. No one wants to feel like they are always trying to catch their breath.

Looking Good is Feeling Good: Neatness and Hygiene

Grooming isn’t just for looks, it can also impact mobility. Nails that are too long can shift the weight back on the feet to apply pressure as if the dog is walking uphill all the time. Too much hair between the pads of the feet can prevent traction thus overusing muscles to prevent slipping. Animals may not groom as much as they age, and may need help with things like mats.

You and your pet

Your relationship with your pet may change with time- and that’s okay. It’s also important when monitoring quality of life to think about your own quality of life. If your geriatric pet’s care exceeds your ability to reasonably care for them, talk with your veterinary team about adjustments that can be made.

Geriatric Care