Most of you may have met our grumpy but lovely clinic cat Ma, who is now well and truly a senior cat as she is 13 years old. This means she will need to get a full senior health check up every six months. The check up includes a blood pressure test to ensure that she does not have high blood pressure, and a urine sample to check that her kidneys are in good working order. We like to give all pets over the age of 7 years regular senior checks, especially cats, as problems such as high blood pressure and kidney disease can be more of an issue.

Dr Eleanor gave Ma a full check up and found her blood pressure was excellent and her urine sample got the all clear. She discovered that Ma had mild dental disease meaning that she would require a dental procedure during which her teeth would be cleaned. The team had also noticed that Ma was not jumping and climbing around the clinic as much as usual so Dr Eleanor decided to take some x-rays too.

In order to have her teeth cleaned and have her x-rays taken, Ma would need a general anaesthetic. In preparation for this, a blood sample was taken to test her liver and kidney function. The test result was normal so Ma was ready for her day in the hospital. Ma was not allowed any breakfast on the morning of the procedure (which she was not happy about!) Dr Suzanne and nurse Kara put Ma under anaesthetic and put her on intravenous fluids to make sure her blood pressure was stable throughout the anaesthetic and her kidneys were protected.

While Dr Suzanne cleaned Ma's teeth, Kara monitored Ma's blood pressure and heart rate. Once her teeth were clean, Dr Eleanor took some x-rays of Ma's hips. We noticed some changes to Ma's hips, suggesting that Ma has arthritis. Dr Eleanor recommends that Ma be given some Metacam to help her with any pain she may be experiencing, as well as a course of Pentosan injections to help her joints. Ma also loves liver treats so she will be having some Jointguard liver treats, containing glucosamine, to help her out too.

If your pet is over 7 years old, ask our friendly team about putting your pet on our senior program!