[BRIDGEWATER (NJ), June 29, 2021] AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines for 2021 has been released by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). It will be published in the July issue of The Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. This update reflects the latest advances in feline medicine for the elderly cat. This Task Force of experts offers a comprehensive current review of feline medicine, which emphasizes senior patients.According to the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guides, senior cats are those that have reached 10 years old. Both cat owners and veterinary professionals need to understand the unique needs of senior cats. "Veterinary professionals should use the 2021 AAFP Feline senior Care Guidelines to improve their assessment and treatment for age-associated medical conditions, and to give guidance to clients, so that they can be included in their cat’s health care team," said Hazel Carney (Canine/Feline Task Force Co-chair), DVM, MS.These Guidelines emphasize the importance of regular veterinary care for senior cats aged 10-15 years. This is to ensure that health issues are managed and detected early. Senior cats who are over 15 years old should be checked every four months. Cats with chronic illnesses may require more frequent visits depending on their severity. These Guidelines introduce the concept of frailty and explain how senior cat owners can use it to help their cats. The Guidelines also address common issues such as pain management, nutrition, weight management, quality of life and end-of-life decisions," stated Michael Ray, DVM Task Force Cochair.The Task Force discusses how aging cats' quality of life (QOL), and health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL). It emphasizes the importance of veterinarians and cat owners working together to make informed decisions for each senior cat. The Task Force recognizes the importance of caring for an elderly cat on its owner. When making treatment plans, veterinarians should consider the following four types of budgets: financial, emotional, physical, and time. Each cat owner will have a different budget, so it is important to be aware of this when making decisions.###AAFP offers additional resources for veterinary teams in addition to these Guidelines. These include video demonstrations of myofascial examination techniques, cat-friendly tips for dental examinations and a client brochure.Catvets.com/senior can provide additional resources and the 2021 AAFP Feline Senior Care Guidelines. You can find resources for cat owners, including the senior care client brochure at catfriendly.com/senior.AcknowledgementsThe AAFP would like thank the Task Force, Michael Ray, DVM and Hazel C. Carney for their hard work in creating the content for the 2021 Feline Live Stage Guidelines - Beth Boynton, DVM; Jessica Quimby DVM. PhD, DACVIM. Kelly St. Denis, MSc., DVM. DABVP(Feline); Helen Tuzio DVM. DABVP. (Feline), CVA. Bonnie Wright, DVM. DACVAA.The AAFP would like to thank Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Merck Animal Health, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets, Royal Canin, Zoetis Petcare, and Merck Animal Health for their support in the development of the 2021 AAFP senior care guidelines and resources. Educational grants were also made available to the AAFP.About the American Association of Feline PractitionersThe American Association of Feline Practitioners is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of cats through continuing education, high standards of practice and evidence-based medicine (catvets.com). The AAFP is a respected leader in the veterinary profession and has a track record of facilitating high standards. This includes guidelines for excellence in practice and educational resources. The AAFP encourages veterinary professionals to constantly reevaluate preconceived notions about practice strategies in order to improve the quality of feline medicine. The Cat Friendly Practice (CFP), a program that supports the care and handling of cats, was launched in 2012. Its purpose is for veterinary teams, individuals, and practices to have the resources and tools to help reduce stress and improve the quality of cat care. The Cat Friendly Certificate Program was launched in 2020. It provides education for individual veterinary professionals. Catfriendly.com or Cat Friendly Homes is the AAFP's educational resource for cat caregivers. It is powered by feline veterinarians.
