IS MY PET OLD?
Our pet´s life expectancy has increased. Veterinary medicine has made advances in geriatric care and the pharmaceutical and food industries destined its production of nutraceuticals and food that guarantee the improvement in the quality and life expectancy of these animals.
And what characterizes an elderly animal? The definition of a geriatric patient is quite relative, as there are differences in life expectancy for different races and species. But in general, special care for elderly dogs and cats should start at 6-7 years, varying according to the size of the animal. According to studies, larger dogs age faster, around 6-7 years old. The small ones take longer to reach the third age, with an estimated aging from 8 years old.
As with humans, geriatric animals bring with them several changes such as the appearance of white hair all over the body, weight loss, opaque and whitish eyes, difficulty on walking, tiredness, drowsiness, more sensitivity to cold wheater, loss of teeth, difficulty of chewing, and many end up also developing cognitive dysfunction, etc.
Despite all this, aging is not considered a pathological process, but a biological process. After all, it is at this stage that the body's cells are more aged, and influenced by the lifestyle we provide to our pets, developing several changes throughout the system, such as the heart, kidneys, liver, brain, lungs, intestines, among others.
And how can we prevent these changes, giving a quality of life to our animals? We must take our pets to veterinary care frequently, at least once a year, so that the veterinarian can evaluate and adopt necessary measures for the health and maintenance of life of them.
There are several nutraceuticals that provide all the essential nutrients for preventing changes and maintaining vital systems, maintaining an increasing life expectancy, as it generates well-being for the pets. It is also ideal to provide a regulated diet, specifically for older animals, because at this stage, they will need a range of different nutrients. With all these factors combined, you can increase your pet's life expectancy and quality of life.
By : Dr. Jéssica Moreira - Veterinarian
