was semi feral when he arrived. That made him difficult to adopt, but he
had a home for life at the shelter, says Linda Moore, a volunteer foster-
mom for the shelter. “They only euthanize when it’s in the animal’s best
interest,” she says.
Nine years later, in August, he began having problems with circling
behavior. When veterinary treatment for a possible ear infection hadn’t
resolved the problem by October, the cat was referred to Purdue. “They
couldn’t find anything either,” says Linda. When it got worse the next
spring, he went back to Purdue for a more in-depth screening. “A CT-scan
found a brain tumor. It was a quarter the size of his brain,” says Linda.
Unfortunately, Purdue wasn’t able to offer treatment.
“The shelter contacted a couple other vet schools, and Dr. Klopp got back
in touch with them,” says Linda. Lisa Klopp, DVM, is an assistant
professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Il inois. “She
thought she could do something for him.”
That’s when Linda first heard about the cat. The shelter wanted him to go
into a foster home until treatment could be scheduled, to avoid any
possible exposure to il nesses he might pick up there. “I’d given them my
name the previous fal to foster older cats, but I’d not heard from them until
Sandy Robelia cal ed me,” says Linda. The situation seemed oddly
coincidental, too, because Linda had only recently lost one of her own cats
—solid black, named Natasha—to a brain tumor.
Linda had misgivings about taking the sick cat at first. “I asked Sandy,
How can take this guy and say I’l foster temporarily and then put him back
in the shelter?—There is no way I can do that! But likewise, I also knew I
couldn’t afford the bil .”
The kitty came to live with her on Easter Sunday. He had several
smal seizures that week but they were quite different than what she’d
experienced with Natasha. “She’d have a grand mal seizure, then pretty
much recover from it. He just looked like he was stretching. Then he’d lose
control of his bladder, and real y couldn’t move for a couple days, so I’d
have to hand feed him.”
Once Dr. Klopp reviewed the records from Purdue, she wanted to
see the cat right away. “She felt he was in imminent danger of
hemorrhaging,” says Linda. “The tumor had grown down near the brain
stem, and she didn’t know if she could get it al , or if it would be malignant.”
Although the doctor was booked for the next three weeks, she moved
him ahead of everybody else, and performed surgery the day after he was
admitted. “We got the cal and Dr. Klopp was absolutely ecstatic,” says
Linda. The tumor came out—al of it—in two pieces. Tests showed it was
benign.
Dr. Klopp became very attached to him while he was at the
university hospital, and once he left ICU, he’d often be found sitting in her
lap. “When we went down to pick him up she looked like she was ready to
cry,” says Linda. “She was cal ing him Zoobie and he seemed to respond
to that, so Zoobie is his name now.”
The shelter footed the bil . “They sent out a special appeals letter after
the surgery. It al happened so quickly they real y didn’t have the time
before,” says Linda. “Within a month they had more than enough to cover
Zoobie’s bil .”
Linda took him back down for his six-week checkup. He was fine. But
she had fal en in love with the cat, and couldn’t bring herself to take Zoobie
back to the shelter. “I went ahead and adopted him.”
Zoobie is by al estimates around 10 or 11 years old, but Linda says
since his brain surgery, he acts like a three-year-old. “He goes rol icking
around the house with my younger cats and everything amazes him. He
loves playing with the cat dancer toy,” she says, “he just about goes
berserk for that.”
She was a bit concerned about him fitting in with the other animals. “He
has no problem with the dog, or with the other cats, he’s just incredible,”
she says. After ten years of shelter life, the black cat is starting his next
decade with a permanent home, a new name and a family that loves him.
Zoobie is making the most of it.
Visit the Veterinarian: Well-Pet Exams
No matter what her age is, your cat needs a veterinary exam at least
once a year. Vaccinations used to be given automatical y each year, and
the cat received a checkup at that time. More recently, many veterinarians
believe annual vaccines aren’t necessary, but since cats age so much
more quickly than people do, an annual “wel -pet exam” is essential to
ensure she maintains good health. The veterinarian listens to the cat’s
heart and lungs, checks her eyes, ears and teeth, examines her for
parasites, and makes a note of any behavior changes you might have
noticed that potential y indicate a problem.
Because senior cats have fewer reserves and can become il so quickly,
the wel -pet exam is even more important for them. Once they reach
adulthood, each cat year equals about seven human years. Waiting 12
months between checkups leaves them at risk for major health changes. A
twice-yearly visit for cats over the age of eight makes more sense. That’s
the equivalent to a middle-aged person getting a physical about every
three years, says Dr. Tranquil i. “It makes al the sense in the world to get
more aggressive with checkups, and have the veterinarian ask appropriate
questions with regard to overal behavior changes.”
Dr. Gengler says you should include a dental check. “You may not be
able to do an in-depth exam until the animal’s asleep. But at least you can
advise the owner that yes, there’s halitosis; yes, there’s gingivitis; and
there’s calculus on the teeth so we need to get it off.”
It’s always best to catch problems early and treat them right away to
head off more serious problems. But your veterinarian has a hard time
noticing subtle problems if she only sees your cat during a crisis. “The
annual health check for older pets is imperative. It’s imperative that I put my
hands on them, and feel them, listen to them. I talk to Mrs. Jones and say
how are we doing?” says Dr. Marks. “I want to see the pet every year so
I’ve seen him when he’s healthy. If something changes, I want to pick it up
early.”
The top health issues in aging cats include cancer, kidney problems,
diabetes and hyperthyroidism. “As these animals get older, one starts
looking at their liver, their intestinal track, their kidneys, at their heart, and
various body systems, looking for those organs that could be failing,” says
Johnny D. Hoskins, DVM, an internist, and a specialist in veterinary
geriatrics. Geriatric screening tests help veterinarians go beyond the
hands-on exam and examine the cat from the inside out.
Monitoring Tests
Evaluating the blood may uncover abnormalities that otherwise would
not be found until it is too late for treatment to help. “I recommend routine
blood work be done, and X-rays or ultrasound of the chest and abd
omen to
make sure nothing’s going on that’s abnormal,” says Rhonda L. Schulman,
DVM, an internist at University of Il inois. A simple test such as a urinalysis,
which examines the content and volume of the urine, can alert the
veterinarian to kidney disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes
mel itus and other health problems.
“We especial y encourage people with cats over 10 to see the vet twice
a year,” says Dr. Little. “It’s a change from what we cal ed fire engine
medicine, a reactive response to putting out the fire,” she says. “Being
proactive requires a good working relationship with a veterinarian who is
interested in senior care.”
Ideal y, your cat should have a first screening test when she’s seven to
ten years of age and in good health. “By the time they’re in double digits,
it’s time to do some geriatric screening, especial y for chronic kidney
disease in cats,” says Dr. Webster. What constitutes normal varies slightly
between cats, and about 5 percent wil be outside what is considered a
“normal” range, says Dr. Marks. Having a baseline test is particularly
helpful to determine your cat’s normal range, as a comparison for the
future.
The health of a variety of organs can be determined by looking at
specific factors in the blood. A complete blood count (CBC) measures the
components that make up the blood. For instance, the hematocrit (HCT),
or packed cel volume, is the ratio of red cel s to total blood volume. A
lower than normal HCT indicates anemia, while an elevated HCT is an
indication of dehydration, lung disease or of cardiomyopathy. The CBC
also typical y measures the percentages of the white blood cel s. High or
low numbers can indicate anything from infections or tissue damage, to
cancer or autoimmune disorders.
A biochemical profile measures the various chemicals, vitamins,
minerals, enzymes and other compounds in the bloodstream. Blood urea
nitrogen (BUN) is the byproduct of protein metabolism, and the BUN level
is a good measure of kidney health.
The liver does so many things that many diseases affect it. Therefore,
the liver is a solid health barometer for the rest of the body. For instance,
bile acids produced in the liver act to absorb fat, so abnormal blood levels
of bile acids indicate liver problems. Enzymes produced by the liver are
very sensitive, and the levels in the bloodstream wil go up if the liver is
damaged, says Dr. Webster, but this can indicate other diseases.
“Probably 80 percent of the time you’l find another disease cause of
enzyme to go up.”
_____________________________________________________________
Blood Values
Tests only screen for the possibility of a problem, says Dr. Marks. If a liver
enzyme is elevated, more specific diagnostic evaluations, such as
abdominal X-rays and ultrasound, are required to figure out the exact
cause.
Yet checking biochemical abnormalities alone ignores the total
animal. When your cat feels great, but has an abnormal lab value on the
blood work, Dr. Marks says you have a choice. You can aggressively
pursue the cause with further diagnostics, or you can wait a month to
repeat the test and, if the result is stil elevated, then go further. “I’m not
real y a fan of saying we have to do all these tests on all pets over eight
years old,” he says, but admits that’s the easiest way to catch those pets
you worry about. It depends on the owner, the comfort level of the
veterinarian, and especial y on the health of the individual cat.
Enrich the Environment
When your cat celebrates her seventh birthday, she hasn’t any idea, nor
does she care, that she’s now a “senior” feline. Cats older than seven often
have the constitution and attitude of much younger animals. There’s no
reason she shouldn’t enjoy a rewarding and vital life wel into her teens.
The key is to expect the best of her, and give her the best support
possible. That includes good nutrition, exercise, grooming, home-life
accommodations, and mental stimulation.
Nutrition
“There isn’t any one best food,” says Dr. Abood. A number of
therapeutic diets address specific diseases, such as kidney failure, once
the cat is diagnosed. Dr. Abood says that therapeutic diets are
manufactured to have specific nutrient modifications, and that the diets for
a given condition are pretty similar no matter who makes them. “When
animals do better on one over the other, that’s an individual animal
variation, that’s not a diet difference,” she says.
Cats are notorious for hating change, and getting your feline to accept a
new diet may take some time. It doesn’t matter how great the food is if she
refuses to eat it. “If they don’t recognize it as food, it’s not going to do the
job you want it to do.”
When the older cat is in good condition, and has a high level of activity,
why should you switch to a “senior” diet? Dr. Carey says a food change
helps support the cat’s physical needs, which usual y change before
obvious signs of aging appear. The newest senior-label diets are
designed to support the cat during these normal but invisible changes of
age so she maintains that kittenish behavior, rather than waiting until late in
the game when obvious external signs develop. “There’s certainly been a
proliferation of senior cat diets on the market,” says Dr. Little. “I think they
can be beneficial.”
Your choices are do-it-yourself diets or commercial products, says Gary
Landsberg, DVM, a behaviorist at Doncaster Animal Clinic in Thornhil ,
“Getting ingredients that act as natural antioxidants is a good idea,” he
says. Commercial pet food manufacturers also recognize the benefits of
these ingredients, and employ veterinary nutrition scientists to design diets
suited to cat needs. “They are the ones who are doing the research to
enhance their food and make it better,” he says. “Cats are so prone to
thyroid disease, kidney disease and diabetes, I think feeding the right
amount of the premium food is going to make it easier on their organs in
the long run. I don’t think there’s any evidence that raw meats are any
better than cooked meats.”
Homemade diets fal in the “therapeutic diet” category. If you plan to feed
them, they should be designed by a veterinary nutritionist to ensure they’re
right for your individual animal, says Dr. Wynn.
Because the older pet’s metabolism changes so she typical y burns less
energy, lower calories are at the heart of most senior diets, says Dr.
LaFlamme. “A lot of them also have added antioxidants, or added protein,
or added this or that,” she says. “But the real key is diets are formulated to
be balanced based the energy content of the diet and the expected energy
intake of the animal. So it’s real y important that the diet match the
individual pet.” There’s no reason to offer your lap-sitting feline the
equivalent of r
ocket fuel, but if she stil swings from the drapes, she’l need
the extra calories to keep her healthy. “By the time cats reach 15 to 16
years of age, about 30 percent are actual y underweight,” says Dr.
Davenport.
Here’s another example. Most regular adult maintenance diets promote
an acidic urine to prevent struvite crystals. Yet this is not necessarily the
best choice for an older cat, says Dr. LaFlamme, because an acidic urine
promotes the formation of calcium oxalate stones. “That may be one
reason that cat owners with an older cat might want to switch over to a
senior cat food.”
Senior diets typical y contain highly digestible ingredients to help cats
whose digestive system may not be as efficient as when younger, says Dr.
Hawley. “By manipulating the nutrients we have the ability to al ow them to
better absorb things.” Other considerations may be added fiber to keep
bowels healthy, or softer textures for cats suffering from dental disease.
Your veterinarian can recommend a good senior cat product. Make sure
the label says the food is “complete and balanced” in accordance with
guidelines established by AAFCO (Association of Animal Feed Control
Officials).
Feeding For Health
It is impossible to list al of the various cat foods available for mature cats,
but you can start with the fol owing list to see if one or more fits your cat’s
needs:
Eukanuba Mature Care Formula
IVD (Royal Canin) Select Care Mature Formula
Purina Senior Cat Chow brand
Science Diet Feline Senior
Nutro Complete Care Senior
Max Cat Senior
Precise Feline Senior Formula
Wysong Geriatrx
Nutrigenomics
Today, cutting edge studies are proving that age-old adage, “you
are what you eat.” Nutrigenomics shows promise for preventing, slowing
the progression of, treating or even reversing disease.
Nutrigenomics studies how individual nutrients or combinations of
nutrients affect health by altering the expression of genes, says Sal y
Perea, DVM, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist in Davis, California.
This science combines information from genetics, nutrition, physiology,
pathology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biocomputation, sociology,
ethics, and other disciplines.