ANIMAL BYTES: TLC for Senior Pets
02.09.11
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Pets are living longer these days, much like the somebody population. As they age, they, too, need extra attention and loving care.
When is a pet considered a “older”?
This variable depends on the size of the dog. Generally speaking, cats and trifling dogs are considered a senior at age seven. Large and giant family dogs age sooner and are seniors as early as five or six years old.
What problems are mean in senior pets?
Common diseases that I see in older pets involve heart and lung disease, cancer, kidney failing, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, senility and arthritis.
These pets will show a dip in their abilities to see and hear. Their eyes may become cloudy, usually caused by one of two processes: cataracts or atomic sclerosis.
In cataracts, the lens crystallizes making it demanding to see through. For correction, cataract surgery can remove the crystallized lens.
Atomic sclerosis is an aging process where the lens hardens and causes a cloudy demeanour very similar to cataracts. There are no treatments for this aging process yet.
Source: The Rafu Shimpo