Veterinary Medicine Essentials: Geriatric medicine

As pets age they require different approaches to the care they receive, but you may find yourself fighting the "He's just getting old" attitude of pet owners. Help clients realize the value of continued care with the latest guidelines, client handouts and team training in this Essential.

Updates on geriatric medicine

Senior vs. geriatric: Semantics or significant?

Dec 01, 2016

Why these words aren't interchangeable and what this means for your veterinary patients. ...

Age is not a disease ...

Sep 19, 2016

... but here are client communication and philosophical tips from CVC educator Sue Ettinger, DVM, DACVIM (oncology), for those moments in a veterinary hospital when a pet's age and difficult diagnoses and prognoses come together. ...

Think it's dementia? Remember DISHA

Aug 03, 2016

This handy abbreviation will help you pinpoint true cases of cognitive dysfunction in your veterinary patients. ...

New review helps illuminate cognitive dysfunction syndrome

Aug 01, 2016

Without cold, hard lab numbers and clear scientific proof, diagnosing neurologic conditions in your veterinary patients can be tough to describe, and without owner buy-in, they can be tough to treat. However, a recent review provides a starting point for providing clients with objective evidence. ...

Senior dental care: Never too old for good dental health

Dec 08, 2015

With individualized anesthesia protocols and appropriate monitoring, veterinary dental procedures are safer than ever before. Now, all senior patients can enjoy the benefits of good dental care. ...

Journal Scan: High-frequency sounds can lead to seizures in some older cats

Jul 29, 2015

Crinkling paper. Clinking glasses. Even deaf cats with a newly defined epileptic syndrome can suffer neurologic effects when exposed to sounds such as these. ...

Is your veterinary practice missing opportunities with senior patients?

Feb 19, 2015

Paying attention to this segment of your client base is important to clients and business. ...

Diagnosing conditions in geriatric pets

Don't draw a blank when it comes to dementia

Many of your older canine and feline veterinary patients are likely showing signs of cognitive decline. Have you been checking up on this treatable condition? ...

Have you implemented AAFP/AAHA Feline Life Stage Wellness Guidelines? (Proceedings)

Cats currently are the most popular pet in America, and are considered a family member by many cat owners. Despite these facts, cats do not receive the veterinary care they need; in 2006, only 64% of cats (compared with 83% of dogs) visited a veterinarian (1). ...

Skinny old cats : Why some senior cats lose weight. What's going on? (Sponsored by Purina Veterinary Diets)

What is known about common age-related changes in cats and what may be done to halt or reverse the decline in body weight that is apparently a predictable prelude to death ...

Vestibular disease in dogs and cats (Proceedings)

The vestibular system is essential in maintaining balance and preventing the animal falling over by keeping and adapting the position of the eyes, head and body with respect to gravity. ...

How to identify the cause of weight loss in geriatric cats

Unfortunately, weight changes in older cats are often attributed merely to aging, so clients may not seek veterinary care or veterinarians may inadvertently delay a diagnostic workup until marked weight loss is evident or additional clinical signs arise. Starting with a detailed history, work your way through a complete workup in these patients. ...

Video: Weight loss: An early sign of disease in older cats

Particularly in aging cats, weight loss can be the earliest sign of disease, says Susan Little, DVM, DABVP. ...

Treatment of geriatric pets

Boosting canine cognition

Researchers explore the link between nutritional intervention and behavioral enrichment to ward off cognitive decline in aging dogs. ...

Is it time for euthanasia? Helping owners assess a pet's quality of life

Dr. Mary Gardner says it's not just about quality of life but also quality of death. ...

Veterinary dentistry and oral surgery for geriatric patients

Geriatric veterinary patients have a variety of health care needs. Topping the list is the need for thorough physical and oral examinations. ...

Anesthesia for the geriatric patient (Proceedings)

What is a geriatric patient? Geriatric patients are pets that have attained 75% of that species or breeds expected life span. Therefore, a 6 year old Yorkshire terrier would not be considered geriatric, but a 6 year old Irish wolfhound would fall under this definition. ...

Video: Protein-restricted diets in healthy geriatric cats

Dr. Susan Little, discusses the importance of individualizing cats' nutritional management. ...

Client education

Client video: Is your elderly kitty getting skinny?

Get older cats with sudden weight loss into your veterinary clinic to make sure serious disease isn't looming. ...

Posts and tweets about cognitive dysfunction in dogs and cats

Your veterinary clients likely won't volunteer that they're seeing signs of this disease in their senior pets, so make sure you're asking and educating with this social media campaign. ...

Wellness screens for senior pets

Raise your veterinary clients' awareness of important changes their older pet may be experiencing. ...

Posts and tweets about senior pets

Use your social media network to educate clients and raise awareness about senior pets with these tweets and posts. ...

Client handout: Lack of mobility may mean less time with your pet

Here are five ways to improve senior pets' health-and maybe even life expectancy-by helping them get back to the things they used to do. ...

Samples of client handouts about junior and senior wellness blood testing

Sell clients on bloodwork for young and old pets. ...

Stress the importance of senior pet care to veterinary clients

Use these client handouts to help clients understand the importance of wellness exams and preventive diagnostics in senior dogs and cats. ...

Arming your team

The senior care toolkit

This toolkit delivers team training, free client handouts, exam room education strategies and more, all designed to make it as easy as possible for veterinarians and their teams to explain senior healthcare and wellness to pet owners. (With an educational grant provided by Vétoquinol) ...

7 steps to make your veterinary practice comfortable for older pets

Use these tips to ease the pain and strain of a veterinary visit for senior pets. ...

Make a case for senior veterinary care

Sometimes clients need a little nudge to get their senior pets in for wellness exams and preventive diagnostics. Use these informational handouts to stress the importance of senior care and stay ahead of disease in older pets. ...

Conversation tree: Discuss dental care for senior pets

As pets age, their owners may resist dental care, insisting their pets are too old for anesthesia or offering up other myths when they turn down the care you recommend. Consider these tips to explain the value of dental care at every stage of life, including the golden years. ...

Teach pet owners to care for old pets

Evidence suggests pet owners don't always recognize when their pets reach their senior years. Here's how veterinary professionals can help. ...