Senior Pet Care

at Gardens Animal Hospital

At Gardens Animal Hospital, we understand the unique needs of the elder pet, so our senior pet care and wellness program prioritizes their needs as they age, considering things like joint health, supplements, cognitive disposition—and even nutritional counseling. The challenges and choices that come with elder pet care are much different than those which pet parents contend with during the puppy and adult years. Walking you to and through the elder years of your pet’s life is a role we take seriously and offer support and guidance to make the best choices for this unique stage of life.

Scroll to view more details about our senior pet care services for dogs and cats at our Palm Beach Gardens, Florida location.

Senior Pet Care Program

We can’t stop aging, but we can provide support to delay and improve some classic signs of aging in your senior pet. Some common conditions that can now be treated with therapeutic methods include joint degeneration, cognitive decline, gut imbalance, and low energy. Scroll to view some of our other common senior pet care services.

Senior Pet Diagnostic Testing

Senior pet care blood screenings are among the most important ways we monitor your older pet’s overall health. We recommend administering these blood screenings bi-annually once your dog or cat has reached their “geriatric” years, between the ages of 6 and 9, based on their breed and unique physiology. Testing your pet’s red and white blood cells gives us powerful insights into their liver, pancreas, kidney, dental, and thyroid health, to name a few.

Pet Therapy Treatments

Some of the most common age-related ailments of cats and dogs include arthritis, joint degeneration, and hip dysplasia, in addition to generalized aches and pains. When your senior pet suffers from pain, we have several therapeutic approaches to alleviate their symptoms. After an evaluation and orthopedic exams, we may recommend supplements like fish oil and glucosamine, k-laser therapy, acupuncture, weight management and physical rehabilitation. All of these methods, in addition to medication therapy, can help reduce pain and discomfort while adding vitality to their years.

Pet Hospice Care

While we do always prioritize preventative care, treatment or surgery to cure disease is not always the best solution with consideration to your pet’s overall quality of life. Especially in their elder years, surgery in and of itself can be a risk to their life, as an example. When your pet is suffering from a terminal illness or disease, our approach is a palliative one, where we prescribe comforting medications, diet strategies and gentle therapeutics to make their last weeks and months as comfortable as possible.

Pet Euthanasia

Saying goodbye to a pet who has become a loving part of your family and home is always a difficult experience on our pet owners. At Gardens Animal Hospital, our role is often a supportive one where we help you better understand your dog or cat’s current quality of life and determine if palliative care or compassionate euthanasia is the right next step for them. In the latter case, we offer comforting rooms and support for you and your pet during their treatment, and can offer at-home euthanasia, which for many is the most calming environment to transition.

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Improving your pet’s vitality as they age

It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a veterinary specialist because the field of knowledge surrounding the aging pet is growing exponentially as we discover more ways to identify age-related maladies to treat, and sometimes even delay the progress of natural degeneration. Like people, our pet’s experience age-related illnesses that can make them lose their once lively spark. Some common conditions that can now be treated with therapeutic methods include joint degeneration, cognitive decline, gut imbalance, and low energy. And the best news is that a lot of these methods don’t require any medication, steroids, or invasive treatments! Give us a call to learn more about our pet anti-aging treatments that are developed to optimize their bodies for longer, healthier years.

K-Laser Therapy at Gardens Animal Hospital

Regenerative medicine is a growing field of medicine that helps restore joint health and mobility by encouraging the body to repair and restore itself naturally without the use of pain medication or steroids. K-Laser Dynamic Therapy uses these same principles to provide advanced healing for your pet’s joints and musculoskeletal system after surgery, after injury, or in response to natural aging and degeneration.

Whether you’d like to accelerate post-surgery healing for your pet, or help them live with less aches and pains, our k-laser therapy treatment is the best approach for regenerative healing. Our K-Laser Dynamic therapy device uses several pulse frequencies to produce a combination of analgesia, inflammation reduction, biostimulation and antimicrobial effect, accelerating the regeneration of tissues and increasing cellular energy. Every k-laser therapy session accelerates the natural healing and regeneration process, helps alleviate chronic pain, actively reduces inflammation, and increases circulation to the area for enhanced healing.

Frequently Asked

Questions

When do dogs and cats enter elder age?

Cats and small dogs are considered elder as early as 7 or 8, and larger breeds reach their elder years by age 6! Taking this into consideration, we modify your pet’s whole wellness plan and start to implement preventative care screenings around these ages.

What are common illnesses of older dogs and cats?

Our pets suffer from many of the same ailments that we humans experience as they age. Some of the most common age-related issues your dog or cat may suffer from in older age include Cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, urinary issues, liver disease, diabetes, bone deterioration, joint degeneration, cognitive decline, loss of energy, vision loss, hearing loss and thyroid issues.

How does Gardens Animal Hospital improve elder pet health?

Early detection and prevention are key when it comes to caring for your older pet. The early signs of degenerative disease or other life-limiting problems may show up relatively early in the routine tests we administer during your pet’s annual wellness exams. In addition to ongoing screenings, our veterinary physicians will help guide you throughout your pet’s life with custom recommendations to help improve their overall wellness and quality of life. This includes nutritional counseling and supplement recommendations, regular dental exams, suggesting optimal cognitive and exercise routines, educating you on simple but important health tips, and if needed, recommending therapeutic treatments like k-laser therapy, acupuncture, or massage therapy techniques.

What senior pet behaviors should I be mindful of?

As a pet parent, you know your dog or cat’s behaviors better than anyone, so seeing signs of change in them is always reason to question if they’re having an issue. And as your pet ages, they’re most likely to suffer from one or many of these common signs of aging:

Sensitivity to sound
Loss of hygiene habits
Confusion
Irritability
Loss of energy
Repetitive activities
Increased aggression
Change in sleep habits
Decreased appetite
Increased thirst
Gut issues
Blood in the urine or stool
Difficulty breathing

If you notice any of these changes in your senior dog or cat, call us to schedule a checkup and we’ll have our Palm Beach Gardens veterinary team run diagnostic tests to determine if there are any therapeutic treatments we can implement to help them feel more like themselves.

“What impressed me most was the level of compassion shown by everyone at the clinic. They treated my pet not just as an animal, but as a beloved family member. Their gentle handling and soothing words made a world of difference in easing my pet's nervousness.”

“The Doctor and staff go above and beyond to take amazing care of my 14-year-old pup. They take the time to explain things thoroughly and answer any questions you may have, you never feel rushed out the door. He does a great job at tailoring the treatment plans to our ever changing needs. Both the receptionist and techs are friendly and compassionate. Facility is nice and clean as well. I would recommend his care to anyone in the Gardens area!”

“Even during tough conversations, all of the vets have been so supportive and helpful. We appreciate how kind and loving everyone is towards our pup. Getting bad news is never easy, but receiving it with compassion goes a long way.”

Related Departments

Pet Diagnostics

From routine bloodwork and digital urinalysis, to investigative digital cytology, radiology (x-ray) & ultrasound, at Gardens Animal Hospital, we offer fast, comprehensive, in-house lab results so you understand the full scope of your pet’s complex health profile.

Pet Surgery

Palm Beach Gardens Animal Hospital offers a full suite of surgical services for your cat or dog, from spaying and neutering early in life, to orthopedic surgeries and even cancer care from our team of pet board-certified veterinary surgeons.

Pet Pharmacy

Gardens Animal Hospital is pleased to offer a fully-stocked in-house pharmacy at our Palm Beach Gardens location, as well as a convenient, 24-hour online pet pharmacy experience for our pet families! Click below to learn more and visit our online store.