The Changing Patterns in Referral Rates of Geriatric Cats and Dogs to an University Clinic

Abstract

Improving quality of care and nutrition of pet animals and advanced diagnosis and treatment by developing technologies, lead to an increase in survival rate. As the present authors were unaware of finding documented reports for several diseases, it was aimed to investigate the number and health status of geriatric cats and dogs which were brought to Internal Medicine clinics of our faculty’s training and research hospital within six years. Twenty-four cats and 10 dogs enrolled in the study were found to be healthy, whereas multiple health concerns were diagnosed in totally 1354 animals (n=403 for cats, n=951 for dogs). Increase in survival rate within 6 years was determined as 27.7% increase for cats and as 5.3% increase for dogs. The urinary system diseases for cats and cardiovascular system diseases for dogs were found to be the most frequent diagnosis. Geriatric animal rates varied between 4.2 and 12.3% for cats and 6.2 and 15.7% for dogs within years which were not expected as higher.

Keywords

• Geriatrics, cat, dog

Üniversite Kliniğine Getirilen Geriyatrik Kedi ve Köpek Oranlarındaki Değişimler

Abstract

Gelişen teknoloji sonucu gerek beslenme gerekse tanı ve tedavi yöntemlerinin kullanılmasıyla evlerimizde beslediğimiz kedi ve köpeklerde hayatta kalma oranının yükseldiği gözlenmektedir. Ülkemizde konu ile ilgili bir araştırma yapılmış olmadığından, bu çalışma ile son altı yıl içinde Fakültemiz Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, İç Hastalıklar ABD polikliniğine getirilen geriyatrik kedi ve köpeklerin oranı ve bu hayvanların yaşlarına göre sağlık durumları değerlendirildi. 1354 hayvanın dahil edildiği çalışmada, 24 kedi ve 10 köpekte herhangi bir hastalığa rastlanmazken geri kalan hayvanlarda (n=403 kedi, n=951 köpek) çeşitli sağlık sorunları olduğu tespit edildi. Son altı yıl içinde kedilerin yaşama süresinin %27,7, köpeklerde ise %5,3 oranında arttığı görüldü. Kliniğimize gelen geriyatrik pet hayvanlarından kedilerde en çok üriner sistem, köpeklerde ise kardiyovaskular sistem hastalıklarının geliştiği izlendi. İç Hastalıklar kliniğimize gelen hastalarda geriyatrik kedi oranının %4,2-12,3, köpek oranının ise %6,2-15,7 arasında değişkenlik gösterdiği bulundu.

Keywords

• Geriyatri, kedi, köpek

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