Celebrating Seniors!

I’d like you to meet Hank.

Hank is my 10-year-old chocolate lab, he saw me through all 4 years of vet school, marriage to my husband and the birth of my 2 children. Needless to say, he is a very important member of our family, and as such deserves a little extra care in his golden years. I have been doing annual geriatric panels and exams on him for the past 3 years to ensure he leads the healthiest life he possibly can. He has early signs of osteoarthritis in his hips, although, this doesn’t seem to stop him from chasing a ball for hours or leaping off docks into any source of water he can find.

This year his blood work was thankfully all within a healthy range except some protein loss in his urine. Proteinuria can be an early indication of kidney trouble, given that the rest of Hank’s kidney values (urea, creatinine and SDMA) were all normal, and his urine still has a good concentrating ability, Hank does not need to go on any medications at this time. He would, however, benefit from a senior diet so I will be switching him to Royal Canin Mature Consult. This diet will help support Hank’s ageing body by providing him with high-quality protein, joint supplements and nutrients to keep his oral health in tip-top shape.

Written by Dr Rebeccah Stewart, D.V.M.