List of Contributors ix
About the Companion Website xi
Part I They Just Don’t Live Long Enough 1
1 Introduction 3
Mary Gardner
2 Maintaining the Human–Animal Bond 7
Dani McVety
3 Geriatrics and Fragility 11
Mary Gardner
Part II The Aging Body Systems 21
4 Vision Changes 23
Kayla Waler and Meredith Voyles
5 Hearing Loss 35
Brad Bates
6 Dentition and the Oral Cavity 43
Heidi B. Lobprise
7 The Nose and Smelling 51
Faith Banks
8 Cognitive Dysfunction and Related Sleep Disturbances 57
Dawnetta Woodruff
9 Smelly Old Dog: Addressing the Dermatological Concerns of Our Geriatric Patients 77
Melanie Cohen
10 Central and Peripheral Nervous System 87
Laura Devlin Bacon
11 The Aging Kidney 99
Shea Cox
12 The Hepatic System 115
Laura Devlin Bacon
13 The Respiratory System 127
Cheryl A. Braswell
14 Mobility Issues 145
Tammy Perkins Johnson
15 Age ]Related Gastrointestinal Conditions and Considerations for Nutrition 185
Shea Cox
16 Urinary and Fecal Incontinence 199
Faith Banks
17 Thermoregulation 209
Brad Bates
18 Managing Pain in Geriatric Patients 221
Michael Petty and Sheilah Robertson
19 Exotic Animal Geriatrics 245
Amanda Grant
Part III What Matters Most in the End 257
20 Understanding the Behavior of Geriatric Patients to Enhance their Welfare 259
Carlo Siracusa
21 Environmental Enrichment and Senior Pets: The Next Best Thing to the Fountain of Youth 269
Steve Dale
22 Where Are all the Grey Muzzles?: Marketing and Caring for Geriatric Pets in your Practice 279
Mary Gardner
23 Veterinary Hospice in Your Practice 289
Mary Gardner and Dani McVety
24 Quality of Life Assessment and End of Life Decisions 297
Mary Gardner
25 Anticipatory Grief and Preparation for Pet Loss 311
Shea Cox
26 The Look 317
Faith Banks
27 Convenience and Aggressive Pet Euthanasia 321
Dani McVety
28 Letting Go – Handling Euthanasia in Your Practice 327
Mary Gardner and Dani McVety
29 The Final Chapter 337
Mary Gardner
Index 000