Thanks to advances in veterinary care, pets are living longer than ever.

However, with this increased life span comes an increase in types of diseases affecting senior pets.

As pets reach the golden years, there are many diseases they can face including kidney, heart, and liver disease; tumors and cancers; hormone diseases such as thyroid imbalance or diabetes; osteoarthritis; and many others.

Thanks to technical advancements in modern veterinary medicine, surgery, diagnostics and nutrition, not only do pets live longer but their quality of life also has increased dramatically.

One example follows human medicine in the development and use of the new generation of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. These drugs help the aches and pains of many senior pets while keeping side effects to a minimum.

Many age-related problems still are seen as inevitable, but the attitudes of both veterinarians and pet owners have changed. The belief now is that age is not a disease, and veterinary medicine is putting increased emphasis on senior pet health through preventive wellness programs.

Eighty-three-year-old Sam Edwards was raised on a farm and has had pets all of his life. He has taken advantage of advancements in veterinary medicine to extend the lives of his pets.

"As I've gotten older, I'm glad that some of the same medical advancements that have helped me age well are good for my pets, too."

Edwards shares his home with Niki, a 15-year-old cat, and Bones, a 16-year-old terrier mix.

"If you had told me 20 years ago that I would be brushing my dog's teeth, I'd thought you were crazy. But I brush Bones' teeth every night while we watch the news. It's something we both enjoy and my vet says it's one of the most important things I can do to keep the old guy healthy."

Pets age faster than people: On average, your pet ages an average of seven years for every year of your life. Cats and small breed dogs age slower (6:1) while large breed dogs age faster (8:1).

Starting at 7 years of age, your pet should be monitored more closely for variations in habits. The veterinary community classifies a pet as a senior at age 7.

The purpose of senior wellness care is to maintain health and prevent illness during your pet's senior years by promoting early detection and treatment of illness.

The single most important step a pet owner can take to keep their pet happy and healthy as long as possible is to schedule regular veterinary exams.

Veterinarians usually recommend that your pet have a complete blood panel annually starting at 7.

Studies indicate that approximately 20 percent of normal-appearing pets have some abnormalities in the blood test.

When your pet is healthy, laboratory testing allows us to establish baseline values for your pet. When your pet is sick, the veterinarian more easily can determine whether your pet's lab values are abnormal by comparing the baseline values with current values. Subtle changes, even in an outwardly healthy pet, may signal the presence of an underlying disease.

What can be done?

Detection in the early stages, before outward signs are apparent, allows us to make simple changes in a pet's diet, medications, and other interventions, that can significantly slow the progress of this condition.

For example, if we can determine that a pet is losing protein from the kidneys at an earlier stage, we can give medications that decrease protein loss and decrease the progression of kidney failure.

Diabetes, thyroid problems, liver problems, even cancer, often can be detected earlier by doing routine yearly blood testing.

Unfortunately, many pet owners are unable to recognize if their pet is drinking more or urinating more. We often are presented with patients, exhibiting symptoms undetected by concerned pet owners, that had kidney failure or diabetes.

Senior pet recommendations:

1. Regular checkups are a must. See your veterinarian two times a year and discuss all of your concerns including behavior issues and diet recommendations.

2. Ask about senior wellness testing and whether your pet should be screened based on age and breed.

3. Monitor for lumps, bumps, difficulty rising, increased water intake, increased urination, changes in activity levels, excessive panting, restlessness, weight changes, altered appetite, bad breath, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal stools, and skin or hair coat changes. Discuss any abnormalities with your veterinarian.

4. Stay current with vaccinations and parasite control recommended by your veterinarian.

5. Keep your pet on preventive flea control and heartworm preventive.