Pets are living longer just like their owners due to their generally improved living standards.

Just as in the human population, longer lives for animals can produce new challenges for the health care team looking after them.

You may be surprised to learn that from the age of around seven onward, your dog or cat enters his or her senior years.

As pets become more senior the incidence of internal diseases increases. Diabetes, heart disease, kidney insufficiency, arthritis and cancer are all more common in the older pet.

In the early stages these diseases can go unnoticed which makes preventative healthcare very important.

Early detection of many diseases can help to prevent clinical problems, reduce suffering and maximise the success of treatment.

Pet owners know their animals better than anyone else and we rely on them to alert us to any changes in their pet before they become serious.

Don't be afraid to speak up for your pet. Consulting your vet at an early stage will reduce the time that your pet feels unwell and often make treatment simpler.

Even when your senior pet looks healthy, the vets advise a physical examination every six months to detect problems early.

After an examination, your vet will advise on further investigations or screening tests that are appropriate.

Screening tests are designed to test apparently 'normal' animals for evidence of early disease that would otherwise remain hidden.

Health screening programmes are an important way of making a full assessment of your pet's well-being, helping us to keep your pet happy and healthy for as long as possible.

During February the senior pets' health screens offered at St. Anne's are available at significantly reduced prices to encourage pet owners to take part.