Geriatric Cat Guidelines.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners have recently released a new set of guidelines for care of the geriatric cat. Over the next few weeks, we will follow their lead with several blogs about your older cat.
The most common disease of the older cat is Chronic Kidney Disease. This disease is multifactorial in it’s causes, but it essentially is a progressive decreased ability of the kidney to get rid of waste products from the blood stream. Signs of this disease are non-specific but include:
Mild changes in behavior
Change in drinking frequency or location
Excessive thirst
Larger Volumes of urine
Small, dry bowel movements
Decreased appetite
Decrease in muscle mass
Nausea
Poor hair coat
The earlier it is diagnosed, the more likely we can slow down the progression of this disease. Simple blood and urine tests aid in diagnosing this disease, and should be considered in all older cats. Some cats that have kidney disease also suffer from hypertension. Any older cat with any of the above signs should be examined and a determination made if testing is warranted.
Older cats should visit their veterinarian at least every 6 months. In the life of a senior cat, six months is about the same as two years for a human. Certainly long enough for significant health changes to occur.