Condition journey

Senior Pets

Helping an older pet thrive, decoding what changes mean, and caring for comfort and quality of life.

Find care near you

Your senior pets care team

These are the practitioners this condition can call for, from your everyday vet to specialists and therapists. Enter your postcode to see who's near you at each step.

Your vet (primary care)

Internal-medicine specialist

Veterinary physiotherapist ·Hydrotherapist

Home & hospice end-of-life vet ·Mobile vet (home visits)

Understanding senior pets

Reading from PetsLikeMine

Stage 1

Is my pet a senior now?

When is a cat "senior"? The mature, senior and super-senior years 14 min
When is a dog "senior"? Ageing by breed and size 13 min
The first signs your pet is getting older (normal vs not) 16 min
Setting a senior baseline: the numbers and notes worth having now 16 min

Stage 2

Keeping them thriving

Feeding an older pet: what changes, and what "senior diet" really means 14 min
Keeping an older pet moving: exercise, joints and staying strong 14 min
Muscle loss in older pets (sarcopenia): spotting it and slowing it 14 min
Senior blood tests explained: bloods, urine, blood pressure, SDMA, T4 17 min
Dental care for senior pets: why "too old for a dental" is a myth 12 min
Weight and body condition in the senior years 12 min
The senior wellness check: what your vet should do twice a year 19 min

Stage 3

Something's changed

Is my dog losing his mind? First signs of canine cognitive dysfunction 16 min
Hearing and sight loss in older pets: helping fading senses 16 min
Lumps, bumps and the cancer conversation in senior pets 14 min
Is it pain, age, or disease? Reading the slowdown in an older pet 17 min
Weight loss in an older pet: why it is never just old age 17 min

Stage 4

Managing more than one thing

The senior cat with kidney disease and an overactive thyroid 13 min
When your old pet has several things wrong at once: the whole-pet view 16 min
Juggling medications for a senior pet: the safe-polypharmacy guide 15 min
The treatment tug-of-war: when managing one condition affects another 17 min

Stage 5

Comfort and quality of life

You are not a bad owner: caring for the carer of a senior pet 14 min
The 3am pet: managing night-waking and sundowning 16 min
Feline cognitive dysfunction: the old cat who yowls and forgets 16 min
Making your home work for an older pet: ramps, grip, warmth, access 14 min
Incontinence and toileting accidents: dignity and practical help 15 min
Living with canine cognitive dysfunction: a day-and-night plan 15 min
Treatments and supplements for an ageing mind: help vs hype 14 min

Stage 6

Cherishing the time left

sensitive

Anticipatory grief: mourning a pet who is still here 13 min
Making the most of the time you have left together 13 min
Knowing the road ahead: a gentle guide to what comes next 13 min
Tracking quality of life: good days, bad days and the bigger picture 15 min