Senior dogs have complex and changing welfare needs that require adapted management, pain assessment, and veterinary care to maintain quality of life through their final years.
Senior dog welfare requires active management of the accumulating health challenges of ageing. Osteoarthritis causes chronic pain that owners often attribute to slowing down rather than recognising as a treatable condition. Effective pain management with NSAIDs, physiotherapy, and adapted exercise significantly improves quality of life in arthritic dogs. Cognitive dysfunction causes confusion, altered sleep patterns, and anxiety that distresses dogs and requires environmental management and sometimes medication. The quality of a dog's final months and the timing and manner of euthanasia when quality of life cannot be maintained are important welfare decisions requiring careful veterinary guidance.