Should you still vaccinate an old dog?

Yes, but you tailor it rather than re-vaccinating everything every year. The core viral vaccines (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus) protect for several years, and a blood titre test can spare an unnecessary jab; leptospirosis and kennel cough are boosted according to lifestyle. The right schedule is decided with your vet.

Do you have to vaccinate an old dog every year?

Not for everything. The yearly appointment stays valuable, but mainly as the health check ; on the vaccines, the core viral ones last several years (often a three-yearly booster), and only leptospirosis and kennel cough need a yearly booster. You discuss it with the vet, backed by a titre test if needed.

How much does a blood test cost for a dog?

There is no official price: fees are unregulated and vary with the practice, the region and how extensive the work-up is. Expect often a few tens of euros for a basic blood panel, more with a urine analysis or targeted tests. The only reliable price is your practice's quote : ask for it without hesitation.

Vet check-ups for your senior dog

Caring for my ageing dogPart of · Caring for my ageing dog

Vet check-ups for your senior dog

Q: How often should a senior dog have a check-up?

Where a fit adult sees the vet once a year, a senior does better going twice a year . The reason is simple: six months in a dog's life is a long stretch during which an illness can appear and progress. The exact rhythm is set with your vet.

Q: My old dog is drinking a lot and urinating a lot, is it serious?

It's a genuine warning sign not to let drag on: settled thirst and urination can point to kidneys, diabetes or Cushing's disease, all the more treatable when caught early. Above all, never cut back his water: you fix nothing and you dehydrate him. Note how long it's been going on and see the vet.

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Why he needs closer follow-up

Old age isn't an illness, but plenty of illnesses come with it, often several at the same time (kidneys, heart, joints, teeth, hormones). Your dog hides his pain and carries on as if nothing were wrong, so by the time the first sign finally shows, the illness has already progressed. That's why you need to act early: in six months, an illness has time to appear and to advance. Hence the closer check-ups, so nothing treatable is missed.

"He's just old" is never a diagnosis. It's a guess, until the vet has checked that there's nothing to treat.

What hides behind "he's just getting old"

Several of these illnesses give the same signs and settle in without showing anything. No need to guess which one: keep these markers in mind so you know what to report.

The organs that fail in silence

The kidneysKidneys deteriorate without showing anything. The first sign you'll see is that he drinks and urinates more than before.

The heartWhen a heart valve leaks, the vet hears a murmur through the stethoscope long before anything is visible (Keene et al. 2019).

The hormone glandsDiabetes, a sluggish thyroid or a hormonal disorder such as Cushing's disease change his weight or his thirst for no obvious reason. Easy to put down to age.

The joints and the mouth

The jointsArthritis slows him down, makes him hesitate at the stairs, leaves him stiff when he gets up: pain that can be treated, not a fate to accept.

The mouthGum infection is painful and almost invisible; bad breath is often the first clue.

What needs a watchful eye

LumpsA lump may be harmless or not; only the vet can tell, and catching it while it's small changes everything.

The brainCognitive decline is a real disease of the ageing brain: he gets disoriented, sleeps badly, forgets. This is not a dog unlearning his training.

What a senior check-up looks like

A senior check-up isn't the same for every dog: your vet tailors it to age, breed and what they observe. To give you an idea, it often brings together:

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Calmly get your dog used to stepping onto the scales and being handled all over, praising him ("yes!") and giving him a treat. A senior who lets himself be examined without stress usually means a more reliable check-up, and gentler care for him.

Your part between visits

Weight

Unintended weight loss is never trivial (kidneys, heart, cancer, a painful tooth).
Weight gain counts too (thyroid, extra kilos weighing on his joints).

Thirst and urine

A dog who drinks and urinates markedly more, and keeps doing so, should ring alarm bells (kidneys, diabetes, Cushing's).
The simplest sign is that you're refilling his water bowl far more often than before.

Appetite and energy

If he suddenly eats far less or far more, or turns dull or grumpy, tell your vet.
A dog who suddenly listens less well is often hiding pain.

Lumps

While you stroke him, run your hands everywhere to feel for a new lump or one that's changing.
Show your vet any lump; never squeeze or lance it yourself.

Should an old dog still be vaccinated?

Yes, but not "everything, every year". The booster is above all an opportunity for a health check, where the vet examines the dog from nose to tail. On the vaccine side, your vet adapts the schedule: the core vaccines (distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, parvovirus) protect for several years, and a blood test can check whether he's still protected, sparing him a needless jab. That's especially worth doing in an older dog, or one who has already reacted badly to a vaccine. Leptospirosis and kennel cough protect for less time and need a yearly booster, depending on the life he leads. Rabies, for its part, remains required by law for travel or for a dog in a restricted category, meaning a breed the law considers dangerous. Your vet sets the right schedule with you.

Note it and mention it

He's stiff when getting up, then it wears off after a few steps
He has new bad breath, or a wobbly tooth
He's slowing down, plays less, hesitates at the stairs

Get him seen promptly

He drinks and urinates markedly more, and it lasts
He's losing or gaining weight for no reason
A lump appears, grows or changes
He seems disoriented, sleeps badly, forgets things he knew

Life-threatening emergency, straight to the vet

He collapses, goes suddenly weak, his gums turn pale
He's breathing fast or with effort, even at rest
He strains to urinate, but nothing comes out

AAHA — Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats (2023)
AAHA — Canine Life Stage Guidelines (2019)
WSAVA Global Pain Council — Guidelines for the Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain (2022)
WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group — Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats (2024)
Wess et al. — Effect of cooperative care training on physiological parameters and compliance in dogs undergoing a veterinary examination: a pilot study, Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2022)

Going further

guideArthritis and mobility: keeping my dog comfortableThe pain hiding behind "he's calming down": spotting arthritis and easing his mobility day to day.Read the guide guideFeeding Your Senior DogAdjusting the ration and watching his healthy weight, a key point of every vet visit.Read the guide guideCognitive decline (senility) in the senior dogDisorientation, restless nights, forgetfulness: the signs of cognitive decline to raise with your vet.Read the guide guideAssessing your dog's quality of lifeBetween two consultations, concrete markers to gauge whether daily life is still comfortable for him.Read the guide guideRecognising the signs of ageing in my dogThe first signals that should prompt you to step up the pace of check-ups.Read the guide guideIncontinence in your older dog, without scolding himA common issue in senior dogs, to raise without embarrassment during vet follow-up.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

Should an old dog still be vaccinated?

Yes, but not blindly and not everything at once. Your vet picks the vaccines that are useful given your dog's age, health and lifestyle, rather than redoing the lot every year out of habit. A blood test can also check whether he's still protected, sparing him a needless jab.

Does an old dog need vaccinating every year?

Not for everything. The core vaccines against viral diseases last several years; only leptospirosis and kennel cough need a yearly booster. The annual appointment remains valuable, above all as an opportunity for a full health check. Your vet sets the right rhythm with you.

How much does a blood test for a dog cost?

There's no official price list: every vet sets their own fees, which vary with the practice, the region and how thorough the check-up is. Expect a few tens of euros for a basic blood panel, more with a urine test or more in-depth analyses. The only reliable price is the one your practice gives you: ask without embarrassment.

How often should a senior dog have a check-up?

Where a healthy adult sees the vet once a year, a senior benefits from going twice a year. The reason is simple: in six months, an illness has time to appear and to advance in a dog. Your vet sets the exact rhythm with you.

At what age is a dog a senior?

It depends mostly on size: large and giant breeds are seniors from 6 to 7 years old, small dogs more like 9 to 10. As a rule of thumb, a dog becomes "senior" in the last quarter of his estimated life expectancy (AAHA). That's the moment to bring his check-ups closer together.

My old dog is drinking a lot and urinating a lot, is it serious?

It's a genuine warning sign, not one to let drift. If he drinks and urinates a lot, and it lasts, it can come from the kidneys, from diabetes or from Cushing's disease. The sooner you see the vet, the better they respond to treatment. Above all, never cut back his water: you fix nothing and you dehydrate him. Note how long it's been going on, and book an appointment.

Updated on July 11, 2026Sources

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