Senior Dog Basics: When is my dog senior?
When does a dog count as senior, what actually changes in food, weight and care, what is worth buying, how pet insurance and vet visits work, and which signs to take to the vet. Each page answers one question an owner already has, with the sources we used.
General information, not veterinary advice. Pages may contain affiliate links; each page says so at the top. How that works.
- At what age should a dog start senior food?Not automatically, and not because of a birthday. In the US there is no official nutrient standard for a "senior" dog food, so the word on the bag does...
- Small or giant: when is your dog senior?There is no single age. AAHA, the American Animal Hospital Association, defines "senior" as the last 25 percent of a dog's estimated lifespan, and it...
- What to buy for a 7-year-old dogLess than the marketing suggests. A 7-year-old does not need a "senior kit". The things the research actually supports are cheap: a gram scale for his...
- Insure before the first diagnosis?This page explains how pre-existing conditions work. It is not advice on whether to insure; that depends on your dog, your savings and your state. The...
- At what age to increase vet visits?When your dog is senior, which for a giant breed can be years before a small one. AAHA's 2019 guideline says a senior dog should have at least two...
- Just old age, or time to see the vet?You cannot tell normal aging from disease by looking, and neither can anyone else. Changes in sleep, stiffness, reluctance to move or play,...