Is My Pet Geriatric?
Services Contacts Staff Info Pet Links Pet News What's New? Take a Tour Senior Pages		The age at which your pet enters its geriatric years varies by weight and species. The table below shows the age at which your pet can be expected to begin their geriatric years: Small dogs (<20 lbs): 9-13 years Medium dogs (21-50 lbs): 9-11.5 years Large dogs (51-90 lbs): 6-9 years Giant dogs (>90 lbs): 6-9 years Cats (most breeds): 8- 10 years Just like people, as pets age, their organs will gradually begin to deteriorate and lose their ability to function. Even though your pet may seem health well into the geriatric years, there are many problems common to geriatric pets (like kidney or heart failure) which may not present symptoms until your pet becomes tragically ill. Modern veterinary diagnostics make it possible to identify problems early enough to institute preventative health care measures. Metzger Animal Hospital recommends that older animals receive a geriatric profile that consists of blood work, Urinalysis, ECG, Tonometry (glaucoma detection) and Blood Pressure. These tests are especially critical if a dental or other anesthetic procedure is required. Canine and feline senior citizens can't get special discounts at the movies, however they can get special care in their 'older' years with the help of your veterinarian.