Veterinary care for your senior dog

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

Veterinary care for your senior dog

8 min read

Why check-ups become more frequent

Old age is not an illness, but it carries plenty of them, and what defines a senior dog is having several at once (kidneys, heart, joints, teeth, hormones). A dog hides pain and compensates in silence for a long time: by the time a sign becomes visible, the illness has often been progressing for months (WSAVA Global Pain Council consensus). And that is exactly why acting early matters: six months in a dog's life is a long stretch, so we bring check-ups closer together to avoid letting something treatable slip by (AAHA Senior Care Guidelines 2023).

"He's just old" is never a diagnosis. At best it's a hypothesis to confirm with the vet, once everything treatable has been ruled out.

What we look for behind "he's just getting old"

These illnesses share their signs and set in quietly. The right instinct isn't to guess which one it is, but to keep these markers in mind so you know what to report.

Organs that weaken in silence

The kidneysChronic kidney disease advances silently; the first sign is a dog drinking and urinating more than before (IRIS consensus).

The heartA leaky valve gives itself away as a murmur on auscultation, sometimes a night-time cough, well before any tiredness (Keene et al. 2019).

The hormone glandsDiabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushing's: weight or thirst that shifts for no reason, easily blamed on "old age".

The frame and the mouth

The jointsArthritis makes a dog slow down, hesitate on the stairs, stiffen when getting up: treatable pain, not an inevitability.

The mouthPeriodontal disease is painful and almost silent; bad breath is often the first clue.

What calls for a watchful eye

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

The brainCognitive decline (disorientation, restless nights, forgetfulness) is a real illness, not simply "losing the habit".

What a senior check-up looks like

What goes into it is decided with your vet, based on age, breed and what they observe in your dog. To give you an idea, a senior check-up often brings together:

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Calmly get your dog used to stepping onto the scales and being handled all over, rewarding with a marker word ("yes!") followed by a treat. A senior who lets himself be examined without stress means a more reliable check-up and gentler care (Wess et al. 2022).

Your role between visits

Weight

Unintended weight loss is never trivial (kidneys, heart, cancer, a painful tooth).
Weight gain counts too (thyroid, extra pounds loading the joints).

Thirst and urination

A dog who drinks and urinates markedly more, and keeps it up, should put you on alert (kidneys, diabetes, Cushing's).
Never cut back his water to "fix" it: see the vet instead.

Appetite and drive

An appetite that drops or shoots up, a dog who seems dimmer or grumpier: worth flagging.
A "backslide" in obedience often hides pain.

Lumps

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

Should you still vaccinate an old dog?

Yes, but not "everything, every year". A booster is above all a chance for the health check, where the vet examines your dog from nose to tail. On the vaccines themselves, it's tailored: the core viral vaccines (distemper, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus) protect for several years, and a titre test can spare an unnecessary jab, which is especially useful for a senior or a dog that has reacted before. Leptospirosis and kennel cough, with short-lived immunity, are boosted according to lifestyle; rabies remains required by law for travel or for a restricted-breed dog. The right schedule is decided with your vet (WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group 2024).

None of these signs can be diagnosed at home: they say "time to see the vet", and it's the vet who sorts them out.

Note and report

Stiffness on getting up that "thaws out" after a few steps
New bad breath, a loose tooth
He slows down, plays less, hesitates on the stairs

Have seen without delay

He drinks and urinates markedly more, and keeps it up
He loses or gains weight for no reason
A lump appears, grows or changes
Disorientation, restless nights, forgetfulness setting in

Life-threatening emergency, rush to the vet

He collapses, becomes suddenly weak, gums pale
Fast or laboured breathing at rest
A male straining to urinate without success

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)
Boswood et al. — EPIC Study: pimobendan in preclinical mitral valve disease (J Vet Intern Med) (2016)
Kealy et al. — Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs (2002)
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)
Consensus on the staging of chronic kidney disease, IRIS (International Renal Interest Society)

Going further

guideArthritis and mobility: keeping my dog comfortableThe pain hiding behind 'he's just calmer now': spotting arthritis and easing his mobility day to day.Read the guide guideFeeding Your Senior DogAdjusting portions and keeping a healthy weight, a key point at every vet check-up.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 check-ups, concrete markers to judge whether daily life still feels comfortable for him.Read the guide guideRecognising the signs of ageing in my dogThe early signs that mean it's time to check in with the vet more often.Read the guide guideIncontinence in your older dog, without scolding himA common issue in senior dogs, worth raising openly at your vet follow-up.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

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.

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.

At what age is a dog a senior?

It depends mostly on size: large and giant breeds are seniors from 6 to 7 years, small dogs more like 9 to 10 years. As a rule of thumb, a dog enters "senior" in the last quarter of its estimated life expectancy (AAHA). That's the time to bring 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 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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