At Premier Veterinary Hospital, our goal is not only to ensure your pet receives care when he or she is sick or hurt, but also to help encourage a long, healthy life. Aging pets need a bit more attention and a customized care plan to ensure they live an active, healthy life in their senior years. Annual exams are still important, though we may want to see your pet more often. We encourage you to schedule a senior wellness exam in our Tyler, Texas veterinary office as a first step.

What You Can Do to Keep Your Senior Pet Healthy and Happy

Working alongside our team here in Tyler, Texas, there are multiple steps you can take to protect the health of your pet long term.

Get Health Checkups

As noted, annual checkups in our Tyler, Texas office are important. As your pet gets a bit older, we’ll also want to conduct more thorough exams. This includes exploring the need for more diagnostic testing and health prevention screenings. When you see your vet, we’ll provide recommendations based on the physical needs of your pet. For example:
Pets often need arthritis and joint exams to pinpoint degeneration concerns.
Heart and lung screenings can help ensure your pet’s organs are functioning well.
Kidney disease screenings may occur for some pets.
Many pets will need dental cleanings to protect their teeth as they get older.
Diabetes is another condition we’ll screen your pet for as they age.

Most of this is done through physical examinations, blood work, and x-rays. If there is a concern, we’ll recommend any type of treatment best suited to your pet’s needs. All of this is done in our Tyler, Texas office.

Mental Health Needs Change
Older pets may still want to run and jump as they used to, which may no longer be as easy to do. To keep your pet’s mental health sharp, we may recommend more focused activities such as puzzles. You may also begin to notice changes in your pet that may be bothersome. Talk to our team about these:

• Changes in your pets urinary and bowel habits – perhaps your pet is having more accidents
• Trouble sleeping or not sleeping all night
• Appetite changes or reduced water consumption
• Some pets become less “happy” and more aggressive
• Some older pets prefer more alone time

It’s not our goal to fix every change, but it is important to notice these changes and to take action when they are unhealthy.

Making Your Home Senior Pet Approved

When you come in to our Tyler, Texas office for a wellness exam for your senior pet, we will talk to you about the ways you can improve your pet’s life at home. For example, aging pets may need a bit more attention and one-on-one time with owners and less time with young children. Here are a few recommendations that can often help:

• Consider an orthopedic bed for your pet if he or she has joint pain.
• Focus on improving your pet’s diet. We’ll create a meal plan that helps encourage weight loss if that’s what your pet needs.
• Make it easier for your pet to get around. Consider ramps to replace stairs. Make sure your pet is able to get his or her footing and avoids slippery surfaces.

Bring your pet in to see us. Let our team help you with your pet’s senior care needs. Our Tyler, Texas veterinary office is just a call away: 903-617-6072. We’re happy to work one-on-one with you to learn what your pet’s health concerns are. Schedule with us today.