Planning for the senior years of companion animals requires proactive health monitoring, pain management, and quality of life assessment to maintain welfare through the final life stages.
Senior companion animal welfare requires a proactive approach that anticipates and addresses the predictable health changes of aging before they compromise quality of life. Pain from osteoarthritis, dental disease, and organ failure in senior animals is frequently unrecognized because animals mask pain and owners attribute behavioral changes to normal aging. Systematic pain assessment at every senior wellness visit catches treatable pain earlier and reduces cumulative welfare compromise. Cognitive dysfunction in senior dogs and cats causes confusion and disrupted sleep that affects both animal and owner welfare - and is addressable with medication and environmental modification. The transition from curative to palliative care orientation as terminal illness progresses requires honest welfare-focused discussion that many owners and vets find emotionally difficult.