Cherishing the Golden Years: Noticing the Quiet Changes in Our Senior Pets
Jasper is my 18-year-old cat, who has been in my life for the last six years when I inherited him after my sister passed away. Jasper was 12 at the time, and the transition was tough. He was an old man then, confused, and quite frankly, not happy to now have to share his life with dogs.
What did I want for him in his golden years? Quality of life. This is what we all want for our beloved pets. I am pleased to say that Jasper now runs the household, being the senior pet at home, and our home accommodates him well.
It is easy to lose sight of our pets’ aging until something drastic happens—which sometimes is something we cannot help and gives us an unexpected goodbye.
When we live with our pets 24/7, what we see can quickly become our “normal.” This is why it’s so easy to miss the subtle signs of decline in our senior companions. With Jasper, we noticed his weight loss only after a visitor pointed it out.
His yearly bloods were good – until they weren’t. Yep, that good old cat thing that happens a lot… hyperthyroidism. With a diet change and medication, he is living a good life, but he now also has high blood pressure as well. All is okay though, as we get a cream compounded for each medication and apply them to his ears daily—he is not great with tablets. His pain is managed with monthly injections, and he is fed using an elevated bowl so he does not have to bend so much.
I cannot know how long he will be with us, but I know that his last years will be pain-free and comfortable, which is how I hope my last years will be too. I do love the older pets… They are so precious and have given us so much love; they deserve to be treated with all the love we can give them.
Remember: aging is not a disease, just a part of life. If your old cat or dog struggles to get up and down, talk to us about pain management. When getting up and down is a struggle for me, you can bet I will do something to manage my pain, so let’s do the same for them.
Sue
