Companion Animals

Companion Dog Senior Wellness Monitoring

Regular senior wellness monitoring detects age-related conditions early, enabling intervention before welfare is significantly compromised.

Key Facts

Dogs are considered senior from approximately 7 years (smaller breeds) to 5 years (giant breeds)
Cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, organ disease, and cancer all increase in prevalence with age
Six-monthly wellness checks for senior dogs allow earlier detection than annual visits
Bloodwork, blood pressure monitoring, and urinalysis form the core of senior screening
Pain assessment using validated scales should be routine in senior dog checks

Welfare Considerations

Senior dogs with undetected chronic conditions experience progressive welfare decline that is often attributed to 'just getting old'. Regular wellness monitoring with structured pain assessment and diagnostic testing enables earlier intervention that maintains quality of life for longer. Senior dogs deserve more frequent veterinary contact, not less.

What You Can Do

Schedule six-monthly wellness checks for dogs over 7 years
Ask your vet for a structured pain assessment at wellness visits
Monitor your dog for subtle behaviour changes indicating pain or cognitive decline