Most pets are "senior" by age 7 — earlier for giant breeds. Arthritis, kidney disease, cognitive decline, diet shifts, and the hard quality-of-life conversations, handled with evidence.
Aging is not a disease, but it changes the rules: a senior pet needs twice-yearly vet visits, baseline bloodwork, and a diet that often shifts toward controlled phosphorus and joint support. Catching kidney disease, arthritis, or canine cognitive dysfunction early is the difference between management and crisis. These guides cover what changes after age 7 and how to act on it — including the quality-of-life framework most owners wish they had sooner. Browse all care guides for life-stage and breed-specific advice.
12 guides
Pets aged seven and older are the slowest-moving residents of almost every US shelter — the ASPCA and shelter-medicine literature consistent…
dogBy the time a dog reaches 11 to 12 years old, roughly a quarter to a third of dogs show at least one sign of canine cognitive dysfunction, a…
There is usually one evening that sends an owner looking for a guide like this. The dog who has not eaten since morning lifts his head and w…
catYour cat is slowing down. Maybe they don't jump onto the counter anymore, or they sleep more than they used to, or their once-glossy coat lo…
catA 13-year-old cat that eats two bowls a day and still drops from 5.0 kg to 3.6 kg over four months is not a healthy cat with a big appetite …
catOverview By the time a cat shows obvious signs of kidney disease, the kidneys have usually lost about two-thirds of their filtering capacit…
catRadiographic surveys reported by the American Association of Feline Practitioners AAFP and International Society of Feline Medicine ISFM put…
dogBy the time a dog limps, the osteoarthritis has usually been progressing for months or years. The American Animal Hospital Association AAHA …
dog"Senior" isn't one age — it's a moving target that depends on size. Small breeds under 25 lbs hit senior status around 10-11. Medium breeds …
dogBy the time a dog is seven, the disease is usually already there: the American Veterinary Dental College AVDC and the American Animal Hospit…
dogOverview A Great Dane is geriatric at six. A Chihuahua of the same age is barely middle-aged. "Senior" is not a birthday — it is a size-ind…
A dog or cat's first abnormal kidney value usually shows up on a blood panel months before the first symptom an owner can see — increased dr…
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