As our care of our canine and feline companions continues to improve, our pets are living longer, healthier lives.    However, older age is still often accompanied by special concerns and problems.  We want your pet's golden years to be as relaxing and restful as possible.  With this goal in mind, we would like you as an owner to be as educated as possible concerning your older pet's special needs.

Regular veterinary check-ups every six to twelve months are essential in prolonging any pet's life.  This is especially true concerning our senior pets, particularly those over 10 years of age.  These routine physicals can be vital in disease prevention as well as early detection of existing health concerns.  During a health check, Doctor King and Doctor Bowles will be assessing our patients for concerns such as oral problems, heart and circulatory disorders, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, arthritis and cancer.  Some of these diseases can not be diagnosed with a physical exam alone.  Therefore, the veterinarians may recommend blood work to establish baseline values for your pet or to diagnose a disease.  Please discuss your health concerns for your pets with us so that the appropriate steps can be taken to address your concerns.


As you know, we believe that YOU are the most important factor in your pet's health.  This is especially true for our senior patients! Sometimes the early stages of disease will become apparent through signs that you may see at home.  In other words, we may not see anything on physical exam but you may have some very valuable information about your pets at home.  Here are some general signs that you should let us know about:

-  Lethargy (decreased energy)                                  -  Difficulty jumping/weakness in the rear legs
-  Weight loss                                                             -  Unkept appearance/reluctance to groom
-  Vomiting                                                                  -  Diarrhea or constipation
-  Change in thirst levels (increase or decrease)         -  Frequent or inappropriate urination
-  Halitosis (bad breath)                                              -  Decreased appetite
-  Changes in personality (especially increased aggression or agitation)

These signs can be indicative of many of the health problems challenging our older pets.  Even small fluctuations in some of these parameters can be important, so monitor your senior closely and notify us if you see any changes!  Many of these signs can have easy explanations - and be fixed with some changes at home.

We want your relationship with your canine or feline companion to be as long and rewarding as possible.  Through modern medicine, teamwork, and compassionate care, we hope to make this goal a reality!