Senior dogs experience increasing health challenges that require proactive welfare management. Quality-of-life assessment helps owners and veterinarians make compassionate decisions about end-of-life care.
Senior dog welfare requires proactive management of the multiple conditions that accumulate in aging. Pain management for osteoarthritis is the most impactful single intervention for most elderly dogs; many owners underestimate the degree of chronic pain their dogs carry. Regular veterinary assessment using validated pain scales enables appropriate analgesic therapy. Cognitive dysfunction requires environmental adaptation as spatial memory and orientation decline. The decision about euthanasia timing is among the most difficult and important welfare decisions companion animal owners face. Cultural pressure to maximize lifespan rather than quality of life can result in prolonged suffering in terminally ill animals. Veterinary guidance on quality-of-life assessment and euthanasia timing is a core welfare service that should be normalized and accessed early.