As veterinary care improves, companion animals live longer. Managing pain, cognitive decline, and end-of-life decisions in senior pets raises important welfare considerations.
Senior pets frequently live with chronic pain from arthritis, dental disease, and organ dysfunction that is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Studies show that owners routinely underestimate their pet's pain, misinterpreting reduced activity as normal aging rather than pain-related behaviour change. Pain scoring tools including the Helsinki Chronic Pain Index have improved veterinary assessment but are not universally used. End-of-life decisions require balancing owner grief with the animal's welfare — prolonging life in a suffering animal to avoid the pain of loss causes ongoing welfare harm. Veterinary hospice and palliative care services are helping owners navigate this with better welfare outcomes for both animals and families.