At 15 years old, the expensive tests wont show you anymore than no tests. They will tell you he is old but you know that already. Even if the test found something, the treatment cant save him from old age. I also wouldn't have his teeth cleaned anymore or anything that requires anesthesia.

If you think he might have come in contact with an animal that has worms, those tests would be good for his comfort but otherwise just love him.

No matter how much you spend old age is going to win. Love him and spoil him for the time he has left.

If money is an issue, I would say at least go with the routine tests. However, if you could afford it, I feel that the "works" is worth it. Our seniors need all the help they can get!! The thyroid is a big thing that goes wrong in older kitties, so it would be good to have that checked.
Also, about the dental, some places offer non anesthetic dental cleanings. Of course, if kitty needs anything extensive, this would not work. Also, bad teeth can cause a LOT of problems in cats, so if your baby has something really bad going on with his teeth, the risks of anesthesia may be worth it to get it taken care of.
Just my 2 cents.
Good luck!! I know it gets harder (and more expensive) as they get older!!

I recommend the full geriatric panel. My oldest cat is around 19 yrs old now. He was diagnosed with early stage CRF and hyperT a year ago. If both diseases hadn't been caught early on with routine testing, it's unlikely he'd still be with me and doing as well as he is. There is no such disease as "old age", and the diseases that are common in elderly cats are often manageable and sometimes curable. The sooner you catch them, the better prognosis for your cat. Of course if your decision would be to not provide any sort of treatment or management of disease(s) potentially identified through testing, then I suppose there's no point in doing the testing in the first place.

Laurie

I appreciate all of the responses so far (and feel free to keep them coming).

I'm not trying to whine about the cost of vet care. Hank (my cat) has been getting these geriatric profiles for several years now. I just wanted to know what people thought were key tests.

I thought if I could save some money now when he's healthy that might help when he's not. He is an exceptionally great cat and I would happily spend money on him as long as his quality of life is good. I probably spend at the vet without thinking and I'm trying to at least reflect before I say "go ahead".

Another vote for the geriatric panel, for all the reasons already mentioned. And, since you are saying it's another $50 more, that's not a lot of money to catch something early for your beloved pet.

I respectfully disagree with GammyT about dental work for older cats. My 17-year-old cat just had dental work, and came through with flying colors. Gingivitis means bacteria in the mouth, that can end up circulating throughout a cat's body, and an older cat just does not have the immune system to fight that bacteria. It could kill him/her. The risk between a systemic bacterial infection vs. the dental procedure is for you to discuss with your vet. Note that I did have to spend significantly more for my geriatric cat's dental work. His procedure included an IV drip to ensure and help his kidneys function, and a higher-cost anesthesia that is gentler to the system and they can come out of almost instantly.

Now when he yawns, I can see his teeth all white and gleaming, and his breath has no odor. I had a cat years ago who did get a bacterial infection from dental decay, and it almost killed her; she ended up with a heart murmur for the rest of her life as a result of the infection entering her heart. For me, the dental procedure, even for a geriatric cat, is worth it. Again, to be discussed on a case-by-case basis with your vet, but I had to disagree with GrammyT's recommendation.

Well, it's a calculated risk to go with the mini blood chemistry because not only may you miss an illness that the more complete geriatric panel would identify, but if the mini blood chem does indicate something out of range, you're going to spend a lot more money having to have complete blood work done, anyway, in addition to putting your cat through another vet visit and needle stick. I personally think it's worth the peace of mind and convenience to get the geriatric panel and have a lot more diagnostic information available in a single vet visit.

Laurie

I recommend the full panel at least once yearly for all cats greater than 12 years, including the T4 and UA, whether or not the cat needs general anesthesia. As Laurie mentioned, these tests screen out major diseases long before clinical signs show a problem, which is usually late in the disease and harder to manage.

The full panel includes the other major liver enzyme (ALKP) which is more sensitive for liver damage that ALT.

Having a BUN, creatinine, PCV, and total solids is not enough to differentiate between dehydration and renal disease should the BUN and creatinine be elevated. You need to know if the cat can concentrate urine in the face of dehydration- if not, then you have renal disease. Without a UA there is no way to tell.

There is no screening for diabetes in that mini panel. Need a blood glucose and UA to check for glucose in the urine.

The full panel includes electrolytes, which are very important for normal heart rhythm and can be out of balance in certain diseases.

Of course all animals need a full physical exam before having GA to check for arrhythmias, heart murmurs, increased lung sounds, lymph node sizes (indicating infection or cancer), and other signs of disease.

All cats >12 years need annual T4 screening. Period.

There is absolutely no reason to make a cat of any age suffer with dental pain for the rest of its life, nor to risk kidney, liver, or heart infection from dental disease. Old age is not a disease, it simply makes one more likely to have certain diseases, which are manageable but only if you know they are present. I've anesthetized all sorts of old animals, some with multiple diseases, safely because 1) I knew what diseases were present and how to choose my anesthesia drugs to cause the least problems for those diseases 2) I monitor my patients very well 3) I adjust IV fluid levels as needed based on diseases present if any 4) when possible I optimize the patient's health prior to GA (not possible in emergencies of course).

My recommendation is to have the full panel and if everything is OK, proceed with the dental. He may never need another dental, and you certainly don't want to wait for him to get a kidney, liver, or heart infection and THEN put him under GA. And I'd do the full panel once yearly to screen for these important problems that can be managed when caught early.