We all know how to calculate our pet's age in "people years"- you take their age and multiply it by 7. Well, that's how we used to do it! Turns out, it's not so simple. The size of your dog needs to be factored in, as large dogs age faster than young ones. (Explains why miniature poodles can watch your first child be born and still be around as they go to prom but an 8-year-old Boxer is viewed at as "old") There's also a difference between indoor and outdoor cats! Outdoor cats live a harder lifestyle than those kitties living the posh life inside and will actually age faster. Check out these tables for more information!
Dogs: You start to see the big difference at 3 years of age. Before then, the size of dog has little difference. By 13 years, there is almost a 30 year gap between a large and small dog!
Cats: Like dogs, you start to see the difference at 3 years of ago. By age 14, there is almost a 50 year gap between inside and outside cats!
Pets over the age of 5 should be seen every 6 months for exams as they are more likely to develop serious medical conditions. The sooner we catch these diseases, the more treatment options there are! Call your vet to schedule today.
