Even with the best nutrition, exercise, and proper health and dental care, certain changes to your cat's internal organs are inevitable as she grows older. Let's see what you can expect and what you can do to prevent or manage problems that may occur as a result.
Like your cat's other muscles, her heart will lose muscle tone and become less efficient with age. Cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, is fairly common in elderly cats.
Depending on your cat's age, general condition, and symptoms, the veterinarian may simply listen to her heart with his stethoscope, use radiographs (X-rays), or recommends an electrocardiogram or EKG or echocardiogram to diagnose a heart problem.
Age also takes a toll on the lungs, making them less elastic and limiting their ability to oxygenate blood. The result is usually reduced stamina and a higher susceptibility to respiratory problems, especially if your cat has asthma.
Older cats are also more likely to contract infectious respiratory diseases, so your vet may recommend changes in your senior's vaccination schedule. The kidneys also become more vulnerable to disease over time due both to natural changes that occur as the body ages and to other health problems, including gum disease and heart problems.
Symptoms, usually increased drinking and urination, do not usually appear until kidney disease is well advanced, so most vets recommend screening for proper kidney function through urinalysis or blood chemistry analysis as part of the regular physical exam and before any procedure that requires anesthesia.
Medication and a special diet may control kidney disease, especially if you catch it early. The job of the liver is to remove toxins from the blood and to produce certain proteins and enzymes. Infections, parasites, cancer, toxins, medications, and a number of diseases all can cause potentially fatal damage to the liver, especially in an older cat whose liver is less efficient than it was when she was younger.
Jaundice is commonly associated with liver disease, but because other symptoms are not specific, liver disease can be difficult to diagnose. Nevertheless, most vets recommend screening for proper liver function as part of routine geriatric care and before anesthesia.
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