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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / May 2005Geriatric bloodwork?
When is a cat considered geriatric? I know it used to be 7 years old, but I thought that may have changed. NewCat is 9. My previous vet had not suggested it yet. It's coming up on time for her annual and now we are with a new vet. Before I take her in, just want to gain a little knowledge. NewCat appears to be healthy, no signs of the usual older cat illnesses. Thanks.  Signature-Kelly > When is a cat considered geriatric? I know it used to be 7 years old, but I > thought that may have changed. NewCat is 9. My previous vet had not [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks. I think it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have it done, if nothing else than as a "baseline" to measure against as she gets older. Hugs, CatNipped > I think it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have it done, if nothing > else > than as a "baseline" to measure against as she gets older. True. Sounds like a plan. Signature-Kelly > When is a cat considered geriatric? I know it used to be 7 years old, but I > thought that may have changed. NewCat is 9. My previous vet had not > suggested it yet. It's coming up on time for her annual and now we are with > a new vet. Before I take her in, just want to gain a little knowledge. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > -- My vet starts the geriatric exams at age 7. I agree, I think that's a bit too young--our two older cats are 7 and 8, and it adds quite a bit of expense to the annual exam. However, it can also pick up problems you aren't aware of--routine geriatric urinalysis showed crystals in our cat's urine--so I think it's a good idea if you can afford it. I believe after age 10 or so, the advice is to have check-ups every six months rather than yearly, but I'm not positive about that. --Yngver > When is a cat considered geriatric? I know it used to be 7 years old, but I > thought that may have changed. NewCat is 9. My previous vet had not > suggested it yet. It's coming up on time for her annual and now we are with > a new vet. Before I take her in, just want to gain a little knowledge. > NewCat appears to be healthy, no signs of the usual older cat illnesses. See http://www.felinecrf.org/diagnosis.htm#annual_bloodwork HTH Helen > See > http://www.felinecrf.org/diagnosis.htm#annual_bloodwork > > HTH > > Helen Thanks! Lots of good info there. Signature-Kelly > When is a cat considered geriatric? I know it used to be 7 years old, but I > thought that may have changed. NewCat is 9. My previous vet had not > suggested it yet. It's coming up on time for her annual and now we are with > a new vet. Before I take her in, just want to gain a little knowledge. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > -- > -Kelly We used to label them geriatric at 12, at the cat hosp where I worked. That's when we recommended a geri panel, etc., unless there were known complications or disease. -L. > We used to label them geriatric at 12, at the cat hosp where I worked. > That's when we recommended a geri panel, etc., unless there were known > complications or disease. > > -L. 12 makes much more sense than 7, especially for an indoor-only cat. I'll talk to the vet about it. I might get it done anyway since I'm such a worrywart. Signature-Kelly > > -L. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > -- > -Kelly Kelly, is there different criteria for indoor or outdoor cats? I know indoor cats usually live longer, but I always figured it was due to accidents/communicable disease, not onset of the usual diseases that come on with old age. I took Yoda in for a geriatric blood panel. I think he's probably between 11-13 years old. He already had a baseline of sorts from when he was so sick a couple years ago. He just seemed to act old, walking slow and stuff, I think it was Megan who suggested a blood panel becuase he shouldn't be acting old at 13. Anyhoo. Everything was within normal range. Now I read that polys are more susceptible to arthritis. I'm wondering if he has that. That would explain him walking slow, sometimes, but not always. He still plays. He still acts like a 2-year-old if he chases the laser pointer. Heh. Or maybe I'm just obsessing. I really love that old cat. Sherry > Kelly, is there different criteria for indoor or outdoor cats? I know > indoor cats usually live longer, but I always figured it was due to [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Sherry I was more thinking along the lines of stray vs owned, that would have been a better way to phrase it than indoor-only. You know how you get a 7 year old stray at the shelter and they look much older than a 7 year old housecat? Almost always need a dental and have something going on. In Yoda's case, yes he goes outside, but he has someone looking out for him and doesn't have the hard life a stray would. NewCat doesn't act like she's 9 either. She still gets the zoomies once a day, is very social, eats and uses the litterbox fine, etc. -Kelly sridd...@aol.com wrote: > Kelly, is there different criteria for indoor or outdoor cats? I know > indoor cats usually live longer, but I always figured it was due to [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Sherry It's hard to tell. Did you find him as an adult? IME, animals that have had any amount of time on the street as youngsters generally live shorter lives than if they have been born into indentured servitude. ;) If they live outdoors, generally life is harder, even if they are an "owned" cat - all of their instincts are "on point" all the time while outdoors - which has to have an effect over the long-term. It's not uncommon for indoor-outdoor cats to start to show age much earlier than indoor-only cats. If cats show any signs of disease or aging past age about 8-9 or so, some vets will pull a geriatic panel just to be sure everything's ok. And arthritis can present at any age. -L. > sridd...@aol.com wrote: > > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > -L. He was originally from a litter of farm kittens somebody had. He was still pretty young when we got him, I'm just not sure how old. Although I"m sure he never went to vet or got the most premium food, I do recall empty 9-Lives cans all over the place when we got him. So it wasn't like he had to scrounge for anything to eat anyway. He didn't act old until he had a severe bout with HL and nearly died. He just never really was the "same" although nobody else would probably notice except me. The vet kind of blows me off about this since the blood panel was good. It's even hard to describe. "He eats good, plays, poops fine, acts normal in every other way. But he "walks too slow." Sherry sridd...@aol.com wrote: > He was originally from a litter of farm kittens somebody had. He was > still pretty young when we got him, I'm just not sure how old. Although [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Sherry Well, my guess would be pain - from arthritis or otherwise. If it concerns you, I'd get a second opinion. If he's rambunctious at times, I wouldn't be too concerned, though. Peewee has slowed down quite a bit, too. But if I have food and say "Run, Peewee, run!" he will run like all get-out. ;) -L. ' > sridd...@aol.com wrote: > > He was originally from a litter of farm kittens somebody had. He was [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > -L. He does still get rambunctious at times--he'll chase the laser dot like crazy. He never asks to go outside much anymore. If he does, he just goes out and spends an hour laying on top of my car, pretending to be the Lincoln Mercury Cougar. :-) It could be that he has a little arthritis, and has stiffness or joint pain just like many of us people do, particularly when we've been sitting a long time or just get up. There's a product I keep meaning to ask the vet about -- for joint health--glucosamine? Is that it? But again, what I'm noticing is pretty subtle. Probably most people wouldn't even notice it. What I don't want to do is put him on any kind of medication he doesn't need, because of the liver problem. Although the bloodwork looked fine now, at one time he only had 60% liver function. Sherry |
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