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Senior Feline Care

Baldwin Animal Hospital is here to help guide you and your pet through their senior years. As our feline friends age, changes begin to take place in that can affect their health and comfort. When detected early and managed properly, many age-related medical conditions can be prevented from progressing to serious illnesses. Once symptoms appear, the condition may have advanced to a stage that is more costly and difficult to treat. We want to help you and your cat to enjoy the longest, healthiest life together. This is why we recommend biannual wellness exams for senior pets. We also recommend annual blood tests and urinalysis for senior cats so that we can detect conditions early, when intervention is most effective.

Compared to humans, cats age more quickly, resulting in dramatic changes in health that can occur in as little as three to six months. Please call us if you notice any of the following changes in your senior cat.

• Weight loss
• Decrease in appetite
• Bad breath or drooling
• Increased appetite, especially if accompanied by weight loss
• Rough appearance to cat's hair coat
• Increased vocalization or frantic behavior, especially if accompanied by a ravenous appetite
• Excess urination
• Increased water intake
• Decreased activity level, increased stiffness or difficulty grooming
• Apparent pain when your cat moves or is handled
• Sudden tendency to bite or jump from your lap when you brush or pet your cat
• Any vomiting, abnormal stool or decreased frequency of bowel movements
• A new lump or growth, especially if it appears to increase in size quickly
• Depression or listless behavior
• Increased respiratory rate or open mouth breathing
• Coughing

Making the carrier cat-friendly:

Training cats into the carrier: