Feline Healthy Ageing:getting the most out ofyour mature consult
Dr Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM

Outline• What is ageing and why ’mature’ is an important life stage• What can we do? Key points for the mature examination• Findings from the Feline Healthy Ageing Clinic

What is ageing?
Ageing is the process of growing older
Healthy ageing is the process ofgrowing older in the absence of agerelated diseases

Geriatric cats
are cats thatdevelop age
related disease

Average feline life span = 14 years

Potential
lifespanlife= 30 years
HealthyTo extend healthy life span the goal is todelay the development of age-relateddisease and slow the progression of age
related disease

Biology of ageing

From: ‘The Hallmarks of aging’ Lopez et al. Cell 2013,
redrawn by Sandrine Fontegne

The fountain of youth: interventions• Caloric restriction / dietary energy restriction / intermittent
fasting• Exercise / high intensity training• Nutraceuticals:• Resveratrol• Metformin• Rapamycin• Spermidine

What can we do?
• Chronic kidney disease 8-10 years• Hyperthyroidism 9-10 years• Hypertension >10 years + CKD & hyperthyroidism• Diabetes mellitus >6 years• Osteoarthritis / degenerative joint disease >6 years• Heart disease >9 years• Cancer odds increase with age to 16 years

Obesity
7-12years

What can we do?

The biological processes that lead to thephysical appearance of ageing and thedevelopment of age-related disease arestarting to occur from around 7 years of age

Opportunities: Mature
Preventative health care
• Vaccination• Parasite prophylaxis
Early recognition of disease• Obesity• Dental disease• Musculoskeletal disease• Hypertension• CKD• Hyperthyroidism

Monitor – regular through clinicalexaminations
EXAMINATIONKITTENJUNIOR

ADULT

MATURESENIORS.SENIOR

Clinical history

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Physical examination

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Dental examination

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Nutritional assessment

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Weight, BCS, MCS

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Behaviour & environmentq1-2mEvery 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Review parasite control

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Review vaccination

q1-2m

Every 6m

YearlyYearly2x yearly

2x yearly

Blood pressure--

ConsiderYearly1-2x yearly

2x yearly

ConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderConsiderYearly1-2x yearly

2x yearly

Routine blood tests

ConsiderConsiderConsiderYearly1-2x yearly

1-2x yearly

Retrovirus test

As needed

As needed

As needed

As needed

As needed

As needed

Thyroxine--Consider

Consider1-2x yearly

1-2x yearly

Faecal examination
Urinalysis

www.catcare4life.org

Frequency of visits
Every 12 months with a vetConsider interim 6 monthly• Monitor weight and BCS• Monitor for dental disease

Photo Credit: Laura Beard “Barry”

Monitor – for obesity

Body Condition ScoreMuscle condition

Dental disease
Recognise and address early• Remove plaque and calculus• Institute preventative dental careMusculoskeletal disease
Owner assessment of cat behavior and movement
Orthopedic examination
https://painfreecats.org/the-fmpi/

Photo Credit: Rosa Fay “Stevie”

Hypertension
Start measuring bloodpressure in mature cats tohabituate them
Always measure in catswith a risk factor of 2ndhypertension

Laboratory testing
Minimum database• CBC• Biochemistry• Urinalysis• +/- Thyroxin
Start from Mature life
stage to establish normal

Approach one:
Regularly screen allcats from 7 years ofage

Approach two:
Monitor closely forclinical changes inhistory and screen
cats under 11 years if
applicableMonitor – gold standard Vs limited
resources• Physical examination• Oral examination• Dental examination• Weight• Body Condition Score• Muscle condition• Discuss diet
• Discuss vaccination• Discuss parasite control

Get the most out of yourappointment• www.catfriendlyclinic.org• See: https://catfriendlyclinic.org/vetsnurses/handling-of-cats/ for videos of cathandling• International Cat Care YouTube Channel

The Feline Healthy Ageing Clinic•206 cats•Median age 8years (IQR 7-9)
•February 2017 – October 2019
•Based in north-west UK

Weight and BCS of 206 cats 7-10years

Blood pressure from 194 cats

Conditions diagnosed at enrolment• 10% azotaemic• 1 know diabetic• 2.7% newly diagnosedhyperthyroid• 29% had heart murmurs• 5% had BP>160mmHg

Dental disease – 205 cats examined• Dental disease in
54%• FORLS 29%• Stomatitis 4%• 82% of cats had
dental disease
recorded over thecourse of thestudy

Orthopedic examination; 182 cats
• 58% had findings ofreduced range of motion,
pain or joint thickening on
orthopaedic examination• These cats weresignificantly older P=0.002• 70% of cats had abnormal
findings on OE over thecourse of the study

Application to practice• Weigh and BCS cats at every
visit• Examine their teeth at every
visit• Start to assess formusculoskeletal disease
from middle age• Prevent obesityImportant• Update the owner at each visiton• Weight• BCS• Weight change• Dental status.
• Start to make them aware of
the signs of DJD/OA in cats.

Thank you