PawSeniors

The Complete Senior Pet Care Guide

Most dogs are considered senior somewhere between 6 and 10 years old, depending mostly on size (large and giant breeds age faster than small breeds), while cats are generally considered senior starting around 11 years old. This guide brings together everything on PawSeniors in one place, organized by topic, so you can find what’s relevant to your pet’s specific stage and needs without digging through the full archive.

Free Senior Pet Care Checklist

Use this checklist as a starting point for monitoring your senior dog or cat between vet visits. Save it, print it, or keep it on your phone, and check in monthly, or more often if your pet has a diagnosed chronic condition.

Monthly At-Home Health Check

  • Weigh your pet (a kitchen or bathroom scale works for cats and small dogs); note any gain or loss of more than 5%
  • Run your hands over your pet’s whole body, feeling for new lumps, bumps, or areas of pain
  • Check gums for color (should be pink, not pale, white, or yellow) and confirm color returns within 2 seconds of a brief press
  • Look at eyes for new cloudiness, redness, or discharge
  • Check ears for odor, discharge, or redness
  • Watch how your pet rises from lying down; note any new stiffness or hesitation
  • Note appetite, water intake, and litter box or bathroom habits compared to last month

Questions to Bring to Every Senior Wellness Visit

  • Has anything changed in weight, appetite, thirst, or energy since the last visit?
  • Is my pet due for bloodwork, a urinalysis, or a blood pressure check given their age and breed?
  • Are there early signs of arthritis, dental disease, or cognitive decline I should watch for specifically in my pet?
  • Does my pet’s current medication or supplement list need review for interactions?
  • What’s a realistic quality-of-life baseline for my pet right now, so I have something to compare against later?

Warning Signs That Need Same-Day Veterinary Attention

  • Difficulty breathing, open-mouth breathing (especially in cats), or blue-tinged gums
  • Collapse, seizure, or inability to stand
  • Repeated vomiting, especially with a swollen or hard abdomen
  • Straining to urinate or defecate with no output
  • Sudden severe pain, crying out, or inability to bear weight on a limb
  • Sudden disorientation, head tilt, or loss of balance

Simple Weekly Quality-of-Life Tracker

Rate each area from 1 (poor) to 5 (great) once a week. A pattern of consistently low scores across several weeks is worth discussing with your vet.

  • Hunger / appetite
  • Hydration
  • Hygiene (ability to stay clean and groomed)
  • Happiness / engagement with family
  • Mobility
  • More good days than bad days this week?

Health & Mobility

Nutrition

Home Adaptations

Emotional & Cognitive Care

Product Reviews