Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and function in the absence of an identified disease, and it differs from cachexia, which is muscle wasting linked to a disease such as cancer, heart or kidney failure. Sarcopenia affects the older animal that gradually loses [lean body mass](/glossary/lean-body-mass), sometimes without visible weight loss if fat mass compensates, which is exactly why it can go unnoticed (WSAVA; veterinary literature). This muscle loss reduces mobility and strength and can affect immune function and recovery, and because muscle is also a protein reserve drawn on during illness, preserving it in older animals is a nutritional goal. Current guidance favours adequate protein intake in the healthy senior, contrary to the old idea of routinely restricting protein with age, and such restriction is justified only in certain specific diseases on veterinary advice, for example some stages of [chronic kidney disease](/glossary/chronic-kidney-disease). Suitable physical activity also helps limit wasting, and assessment uses a muscle condition score alongside the [body condition score](/glossary/body-condition-score). The marker: in a healthy senior, maintaining good-quality protein intake and activity helps slow sarcopenia, correcting the outdated belief that older animals need less protein, a point the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary) underlines.

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General documentary information. For an individual animal, a veterinarian's advice takes precedence over any online content.