Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team. Группа авторов

Senior 25 years Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior Senior

Table 1.2.2 Approximation for converting “cat” years to relative human years and applicable life stages. Life stages are based on AAFP‐AAHA Feline Life Stage Guidelines

Age of Cat	Life Stage	Relative Human Age (Years)
3 months	Kitten	4
6 months	Kitten	10
9 months	Junior	12
12 months	Junior	15
18 months	Junior	21
2 years	Junior	24
3 years	Prime	28
4 years	Prime	32
5 years	Prime	36
6 years	Prime	40
7 years	Mature	44
8 years	Mature	48
9 years	Mature	52
10 years	Mature	56
11 years	Senior	60
12 years	Senior	64
13 years	Senior	68
14 years	Senior	72
15 years	Geriatric	76
16 years	Geriatric	80
17 years	Geriatric	84
18 years	Geriatric	88
19 years	Geriatric	92
20 years	Geriatric	96
21 years	Geriatric	100
22 years	Geriatric	104
23 years	Geriatric	108
24 years	Geriatric	112

EXAMPLES

      Mrs Stewart presented Brodie, an 8‐week‐old Border collie, for examination. Brodie had an uneventful physical examination, but given his breed and family history, a few recommendations were made.

      Mrs Stewart was surprised to learn that Border collies were at increased risk for hip dysplasia, as she had mistakenly assumed it was only a large‐dog disease. Brodie's parents had not been screened for hip dysplasia, so any family history was uncertain. A recommendation was made to do a preliminary assessment of hip laxity at 6 months of age during neutering surgery, and then a more complete radiographic evaluation at 2 years of age.

      A sample was also collected to submit for genetic testing. The single panel was capable of screening Brodie for a variety of disorders, including black‐haired follicular dysplasia, cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, collie eye anomaly, degenerative myelopathy, malignant hyperthermia, hereditary myotonia, ivermectin sensitivity (mdr1 mutation), neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, primary lens luxation, trapped neutrophil syndrome, and others. The staff discussed other phenotypic testing that would be done in the future, and provided a link to the website where Brodie's personalized pet profile would be created.

      The staff also discussed pet health insurance options with Mrs Stewart, and reiterated that it would be important to select a policy in the very near future if she wanted to ensure that there would be no preexisting problems that could be excluded from coverage.

TAKE‐AWAYS

       Client engagement is heightened when the client plays an active role in their pet's health, and is committed to the prospect of keeping their pet healthy.

       By examining risk factors for specific pets, it is possible to plan for a lifetime of care on the basis of their specific risk factors.

       Genotypic screening (DNA testing) is typically done early, often around 12 weeks of age, and phenotypic testing is then conducted throughout the pet’s lifetime according to a sensible schedule.

       Health is a dynamic process, so action plans need to be updated on a regular basis.

       Veterinary healthcare teams are critical to being able to provide a lifetime of care, and are often the driving force behind such efforts.

MISCELLANEOUS

      Pet owners are at a disadvantage compared to parents of children, who tend to have a large variety of resources at their disposal for the anticipated care and expenses of child dependents. Armed with this knowledge, emphasis