The American association of Feline specialists has completed an updated version of the senior care Guidelines. The guidelines will be published in the September problem of The Journal of Feline medicine as well as Surgery. They address a broad variety of problems including medical, behavioral as well as way of life considerations as well as will assist veterinarians provide consistent high high quality care for older cats. I’ll be sharing a few of the highlights from these guidelines over the next weeks to assist you make informed decisions about care for your own cats.
While there is no particular age at which a feline becomes a “senior” because private animals age at different rates, the AAFP utilizes the complying with definitions: “mature or middle-aged” (7-10 years), “senior” (11-14 years), as well as “geriatric” (15+ years). The guidelines utilize the term “senior” to include all of these age groups.
The guidelines address the suggested frequency of wellness visits, the minimum database of lab values such as bloodwork as well as urinalysis that ought to be acquired at each visit, routine wellness care, nutrition as well as weight management, dental care, anesthesia as well as the special needs of the older cat, as well as tracking as well as managing particular diseases.
The guidelines are devoted to the memory of Dr. Jim Richards, the famed “kitty doctor” as well as former director of the Cornell Feline health and wellness Center, who died in a motorcycle mishap in 2007. two of his preferred quotes were “Cats are masters at hiding illness” as well as “Age is not a disease.”
Look for much more info on the senior care guidelines in future posts.
Ingrid King
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7 comments on senior Feline care Guidelines
Athena says:
September 1, 2014 at 9:00 am
Ok, thanks.
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Athena says:
August 30, 2014 at 11:36 pm
Ingrid, do you understand of any type of updates to this information? I’m concerned about getting my 9-year old male kitty to the vet twice a year since he totally flips out when he sees strangers as well as they try to touch him. He pulls a total Jeckyll-and-Hyde routine. He seems healthy, however I still would like to be able to take him to the vet twice a year without having to concern about him getting so stressed-out that he has to be sedated. At his age, I would rather have him getting as few injections as possible.
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Ingrid says:
August 31, 2014 at 7:07 am
I don’t believe the suggestions have changed, Athena. When it concerns cats like yours, sometimes, you just have to accept that there are limits as to exactly how much you can do, even if it’s not ideal. You have to evaluate the tension of a vet go to vs. the benefits.
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Athena says:
August 31, 2014 at 8:27 pm
Ok, thanks. I’m going to look into a sedative for him. Do you understand of one that’s mild, however effective? Something I might provide him before we go to his appointment, so he’d be dopey when we get there?
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Ingrid says:
September 1, 2014 at 6:24 am
You’ll requirement to ask a vet about this, Athena.
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Cheri Collins says:
May 5, 2021 at 3:15 pm
Athena, I had a feline who had started life feral as well as was not comfortable being touched by a stranger. I took him to the vet in a soft-sided provider which opened at the top (as well as the end). when there, I opened the top of the provider as well as two techs extremely rapidly provided him an injection of a sedative. It was all performed in seconds. The examination was much much much more comfortable for him this way. He didn’t feel he had to fight for his life. He wasn’t terrified. temple Grandin states fear is the experience which leaves the worst emotional scar on an animal.
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Tammy says:
June 17, 2009 at 10:33 am
The age guidelines are interesting! I have three cats who autumn into the middle-aged category. They are all three 8 years old. None of them act like much more than kitties many of the time!
My Oscar young boy is 13 – he’s a senior! He sure hasn’t slowed down much either! He chases around right here like he’s a young man many of the time!
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