Just old age, or time to see the vet?

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The short answer

You cannot tell normal aging from disease by looking, and neither can anyone else. Changes in sleep, stiffness, reluctance to move or play, disorientation, house accidents, thirst and weight are the ones guidelines name. AAHA says owners often read these as normal aging when they may be chronic pain. So any of them is a reason to book an exam, and a sudden change is a reason to call the vet that day.

Why "he is just getting old" is the most expensive sentence

In a UK interview study of owners and vets, owners described how a dog sleeping more seems fine precisely because he is old, and some never mentioned cognitive changes to the vet at all (Wallis et al.). The vets in the same study said owners often wait, and that dogs can hide signs in the exam room. Picture a 10-year-old terrier who no longer jumps on the sofa. The family decides he has gone off the sofa. A year later the vet finds painful arthritis in both hips. The change was real the day he stopped jumping; it just got filed under "age".

AAHA's 2023 senior guidelines make the same point: clients often see changes in older pets as unavoidable decline when they may be the result of chronic pain. That is good news in a way, because pain is something a vet can often do something about.

The signs worth writing down

Sleep and mind. Sleeping more in the day and pacing or restless at night, less interest in family, getting lost in a familiar room, staring at walls, new anxiety, and accidents in the house are the classic signs of cognitive dysfunction (Merck owner guide). It is common and under-recognized. AAHA puts impairment at roughly 14 to 22 percent of dogs over 8. In a US owner survey the share with presumptive advanced signs rose from about 8 percent at ages 8 to 11, to 19 percent at 11 to 13, 45 percent at 13 to 15 and 67 percent at 15 to 17, yet only about 1.8 percent of owners reported a diagnosis (Frontiers 2022). That was a screening questionnaire, not a diagnosis, but the gap is the point.

Movement. Stiffness after rest, slower on stairs, reluctance to jump into the car, less play, a dog who gets "grumpy" when touched. These are the first things to mention, and bring a phone video.

Thirst, urine and weight. AAHA's owner article lists increased thirst and urination, weight loss and reduced appetite as things to report (kidney is one cause), and reluctance to exercise or trouble breathing at rest (heart is one cause). Unplanned weight loss is never a "good diet result" in an older dog.

Coat and skin. A dull, thin or dry coat, hair loss, scaling or dark skin can be a grooming problem, but hormone conditions such as an underactive thyroid or Cushing's disease can cause them too, so it is a vet question before it is a shampoo question (Merck).

Eyes. A bluish haze in an older dog's eyes is often nuclear sclerosis, a normal change that should not cause pain or discharge. Cataracts look similar and need an exam to tell apart. Redness, discharge, unequal pupils or a cloudy pupil should not wait.

Lumps. Skin tags, fatty lumps and tumors cannot be told apart by sight or touch, by owners or by vets. The usual test is a quick needle sample under the microscope. Mast cell tumors, which average a diagnosis age of 8 to 9, can look like an insect bite or a wart. AAHA says masses found at a senior exam should be measured in three dimensions and aspirated. There is no agreed size or time rule, so any new or changing lump is worth a visit.

Bad breath. Persistent bad breath is usually gum disease, and Merck lists it as a reason for a dental check. A change in the smell itself, or foul breath along with drooling, bleeding or going off food, is a reason to go sooner.

The five-minute Sunday check

Once a week, with a treat in hand, run your hands over him nose to tail. Feel for lumps, spine and shoulder muscle, and hip muscle. Look at eyes, ears, gums and teeth, lift his lips, check nails and pads, and watch him stand up and walk across the room. Note anything new. The AKC recommends weekly hands-on checks for exactly this reason, and a dated note turns a vague "a while ago" into "three weeks ago".

What to bring to the vet

• Dated notes on weight, appetite, water, sleep and mobility.
• Short videos of stiffness, stairs, confusion or anything you see at night. Dogs often act normal in the clinic.
• A list of changes since the last visit, and when each started.
• Any lump photographed with a coin or ruler beside it for scale.

A sudden change, such as collapse, difficulty breathing or a dog who suddenly cannot get up, is a different question from gradual change. Call a vet or an emergency clinic straight away.

Worth knowing

The common thread is that older dogs change gradually and that gradual change is easy to explain away. The antidote is cheap: a note on the phone, a monthly photo, a weekly hands-on check. A few other findings from the research are worth knowing. Dogs on hard floors, particularly big ones, can develop pressure sores on the elbows that start as a rough patch and can become infected, and thicker bedding is the first measure vets name. Ears should be cleaned only when needed, with no cotton swabs, alcohol or peroxide, and redness, odor or head-shaking needs a vet. Some owners in the studies said they skipped check-ups because of cost, which is understandable, but a note-and-video routine makes each visit cheaper and sharper. And the same dog can be thin over the back legs and spine while carrying a belly, because fat and muscle are separate stories, which is why the muscle score and the weekly hands-on check are worth the minute. None of these signs is a diagnosis. They are a list of reasons to ask.

Last researched October 6, 2026. Figures from UK or screening-questionnaire studies are labeled as such.

General information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet before changing your pet's treatment, diet or medication.