Dr. Streithof of TVV Decatur Emergency reports...

So you’ve been thinking of adopting a pet for awhile. You’ve thought it over, and you know you’re ready. It just so happens, your friend on Facebook has some adorable pictures posted of some puppies that absolutely need a home now! And they’re FREE!  Really? ... Look away from those cute pictures for a minute, because there may be one important aspect of pet ownership that you haven’t completely considered.

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September is Senior Pet Care Month and TVV Decatur 's own Dr. Melissa Finke (left) gives us important tips and information on keeping our senior pets living longer, healthier and happier lives.

Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, our dogs and cats are living longer and longer lives. As they age, however, we find ourselves dealing with ailments more common to these senior pets. It is up to you and your veterinarian to provide the best possible preventative care and to recognize problems early.

So, at what point do our pets become seniors? We generally consider our feline patients to be seniors once they reach the age of eight. Dogs, due to their varied sizes, are not quite so simple but eight years of age is still a good average. However, smaller dogs may reach old age 3 or 4 years later than giant dogs. Keep in mind, our pets age 5 to 7 years for every year of our life.

What are the diseases more often found in geriatric patients?

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