ABSTRACT
In recent decades, veterinary medicine has become more successful in prolonging the healthy, useful lives of pets. As a result, the practitioner spends a greater part of each practice day caring for the geriatric animal, both healthy and unhealthy. Because of their longevity, older pets are typically regular family members, with owners who seek the finest health care possible for their pets. The practice of geriatric medicine most properly should begin not when the dog or cat reaches some specific "golden" age, but rather when the wiggly, robust puppy or kitten receives its first examination. Like all parts of a sound preventive program, geriatric nutrition best follows from a well-considered juvenile and adult nutrition program. Furthermore, once it becomes senior, the "well" geriatric is as much a candidate for a diet designed especially to accommodate old age changes as is his unhealthy contemporary. In fact, evidence suggests that appropriate dietary management of the healthy, but often subclinical, patient may help postpone the signs of dysfunction and increase quality and length of life. A knowledge of the most significant nutrients and the impact of each on aging systems is now, and will become increasingly more, important to the progressive, skillful veterinarian.
Subject(s)
Aging/physiology , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Cats/physiology , Dogs/physiology , Animals , Cat Diseases/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus/veterinary , Dog Diseases/metabolism , Heart Diseases/metabolism , Heart Diseases/veterinary , Kidney Failure, Chronic/metabolism , Kidney Failure, Chronic/veterinary , Neoplasms/metabolism , Neoplasms/veterinary , Obesity/metabolism , Obesity/veterinaryABSTRACT
Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most frequently recognized neoplastic diseases of the canine integument, although few risk factors influencing tumor development have been clearly defined. Three dogs with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are reported. Tumors developed in lightly-pigmented, glabrous following chronic sunlight exposure and long period of dermatosis. Microscopic examination of tissues from the three dogs showed progressive development of epithelial hyperplasia through stages of solar keratosis-like lesions to invasive and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/veterinary , Dog Diseases/etiology , Skin Neoplasms/veterinary , Skin/pathology , Sunlight , Ultraviolet Rays/adverse effects , Animals , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/etiology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Dermatitis/complications , Dermatitis/veterinary , Dogs , Female , Skin Neoplasms/etiology , Skin Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Lethargy and weight loss were associated with chronic lymphocytosis in a dog. The bone marrow was infiltrated with large numbers of small lymphocytes, similar to those appearing in blood. Clinical and laboratory examinations led to a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Four other cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia were evaluated retrospectively.
