Caring for a senior dog
Most of what owners write off as old age is treatable. That is the whole point of this page.
When "senior" starts
- Small breeds — around 11 years
- Medium breeds — around 9 years
- Large breeds — around 8 years
- Giant breeds — around 6 years
Twice-yearly check-ups
Six months is a long time in the life of an older dog, and conditions that are cheap and simple to manage early become expensive and complicated late. Baseline bloodwork while your dog is well is unusually valuable, because it gives later results something to be compared against — a figure at the top of the normal range means something different if you know it used to be at the bottom.
Arthritis is the big one
Extremely common and consistently under-treated, because dogs adapt rather than complain. Signs: slow to rise, stiffness after rest that eases with movement, hesitation at stairs or the car, lagging on walks, licking a joint, changed sleeping position, irritability when touched.
What helps: keeping weight down (the single most effective intervention available), non-slip runners on hard floors, a supportive bed away from draughts, ramps instead of jumping, shorter and more frequent walks, and pain relief prescribed by a vet. Never give human anti-inflammatories — they cause serious harm to dogs.
Weight in both directions
Older dogs burn less and gain weight easily, which worsens joints. But unexplained weight loss in a senior dog is a different matter and warrants investigation rather than reassurance.
Recalculate their portion
Senior dogs need a lower multiplier than active adults. Re-run the numbers with the senior setting.
Open the food calculator →Cognitive dysfunction
Canine dementia is real and often mistaken for stubbornness. Signs include staring at walls, getting stuck in corners, night pacing, disrupted sleep, toileting indoors after years of reliability, and reduced interaction. There are dietary and medical management options, and they work better started early.
Signs that need a vet, not patience
- Increased thirst or urination
- Weight loss with a normal appetite
- New lumps, or existing lumps that change
- Coughing, or breathlessness after mild activity
- Bad breath, dropping food, chewing on one side
- Sudden disorientation or a change in personality
The last part
Quality of life is easier to judge with a written record than from memory. Note each day whether your dog ate willingly, moved comfortably, engaged with you, and had more good hours than bad. Over weeks the pattern is clearer than any single day, and it makes a hard conversation with your vet a shared, evidence-based one rather than a guess.
Convert your pet's age
Human-year equivalent, life stage, and when senior care should begin.
Open the age calculator →Work out the human-year equivalent and life stage first — it sets when twice-yearly checks and screening bloods should begin. Open the age calculator →
Common questions
When is a dog considered senior?
It depends on size: roughly 11 years for small breeds, 9 for medium, 8 for large and 6 for giant breeds. Larger dogs age faster throughout life.
Is my dog just slowing down or is something wrong?
Stiffness that eases with movement, hesitation at stairs and lagging on walks usually indicate arthritis rather than age alone, and it is treatable. Increased thirst, weight loss or breathlessness always warrant a vet visit.
Can dogs get dementia?
Yes. Canine cognitive dysfunction causes night pacing, disorientation, getting stuck in corners and toileting indoors after years of reliability. There are management options and they work better when started early.