Better Nutrition, Technology Prolonging Lives of Pets

Perhaps the first clue is when the hearing goes--or the eyesight or the rear-end coordination. But when your dog saunters past a cat instead of giving bloodthirsty chase, you know he’s old.

Dr. Ralph E. Barrett, Sacramento specialist in geriatric pet care, said that in recent years dogs and cats have added a year or two to their life spans. Large breeds such as St. Bernards rarely reach 12 years, but cats and small dog breeds live into their 20s.

“Cocker spaniels just go on forever,” Barrett said. Sixty percent of his patients are geriatric.

He attributes the increased longevity not only to better nutrition, but also to the improved training of veterinarians, more sophisticated technology for diagnosis and treatment, more specialization among veterinarians and greater awareness among owners of what is available.

Not all signs of aging need the attention of a professional, Barrett said. A thickening of the lenses in the eye, which looks gray, affects eyesight only slightly. Deafness may appear after about age 10.

Because the pet is seeing and hearing less, it may cling more to its owner for security. Dogs and cats may also become grouchy with children as arthritis decreases their tolerance for poking and prodding.

With less sensory stimulation, a dog may sleep 20 or 21 hours a day.

With less exercise, animals may put on weight and need to be put on a diet. However, according to veterinary cardiologist William Thomas of UC Davis, no research has been done linking obesity and health.

“There are lots of chubby dogs around that are perfectly happy,” he said.

A drastic weight gain, however, is reason for a call to the doctor.

Warning Signals

Other conditions serve as warning signals as well, including an increase or decrease in appetite or water intake. Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urination, coughing or weakness also announce potential problems.

Even bad breath can be a symptom of diabetes or dental disease, Barrett said.

Symptoms of ill health may escape owners’ attention until the problem is advanced. That is particularly true in cats, which may show no sign except lethargy.

“A cat is off in a corner lying on the couch and doesn’t move,” Barrett said. “When a week later the owners notice, it’s too late.”

According to Barrett, the most frequent cause of death in geriatric pets is kidney failure. Cancer and heart disease from worn-out valves are second and third. Other doctors put cancer in first place, followed by failure of the heart, kidney, liver and endocrine system.

It was Tosca’s faltering heart that led Michael Copeland of Carmichael to make a tense, seven-hour drive home from Southern California last year. All the way, his 14-year-old female Samoyed suffered labored breathing and loss of muscle control. At the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, a pacemaker was inserted into her neck to regulate the heartbeat, and her zest has returned.

Two months ago, she also suffered a stroke, a classic age-related problem, but Copeland said with medication she has pulled through that too.

Older dogs the size of Tosca also frequently suffer from degenerative arthritis, Barrett said. Breeds such as German shepherds are sometimes born with loose hip joints that lead to pain later on. Total hip replacement with the high-tech metal used in people is available, but surgery is complicated and expensive--close to $2,000, Barrett said.

“It’s too bad it’s so expensive,” he said. “A lot should have it.” Instead, anti-inflammatory drugs and mild exercise are used.

Kidney failure, signaled by loss of energy and appetite and greatly increased water intake, can be treated with dialysis, just as in people. But unless the kidney regenerates, the owner must decide whether to spend several thousand dollars on a transplant or lose the animal. Cats respond better to kidney transplant than dogs.

Kidneys are the only organs currently transplanted in pets.

Old eyes are subject to cataracts, correctable through surgery. Glaucoma is less common. Contacts are used, but only occasionally for temporary protection of diseased or injured eyes. They are just too difficult to keep in place, Barrett said.

Another challenge may be brushing a pet’s teeth, a hygienic habit that Barrett would like owners to employ from their pets’ earliest days. Vets and pet stores stock toothpastes in a variety of flavors, including raspberry, costing about $7.