Old Cat Diseases
In Home Visits For Cats
This post is to help understand how a regular veterinary visit in the home might not be the best idea. This does not include an end of life visit, which should always be done in home if possible.
Hyperthyroidism In Cats
Unfortunately, this one of the most common problems seen in geriatric and older cats. The average age of onset is 13. It’s an insidious disease that results in many other related afflictions due to the increased level of thyroid hormone,
Vestibular Disease
Vestibular disease is related to a problem in the middle ear whereby the normal orientation of the body related to earth is not normal. It causes dizziness and is similar to motion sickness. In dogs, it is called Old Dog Vestibular Disease and in cats, it is called Feline Idiopathic Vestibular Disease.
Kidney Disease
It is important to know that once the cat or dog develops symptoms of kidney disease, or kidney insufficiency is found by way of blood tests, a significant amount of the kidney tissue has been depleted and cannot be regenerated.
Arthritis
Different studies have shown that a large percentage, (90% by age 12 in one study) of cats have some degree of degenerative joint disease or arthritis. A significant percentage (45%) of these cats show clinical signs. Arthritis can be seen in cats as young as 2 years and the percentage goes up above 90% when cats reach the elderly stage (17 years and over).
Injection Site Sarcomas In Cats
Feline Injection Site Sarcomas (FISS) are extremely aggressive cancers that may be related to an injection or vaccination. The specific cause is unknown. They can develop from 3 months to 4 years post vaccination, or injection, and some don’t show up for five or more years.
