Senior dog health checks: what to monitor

Dogs age faster than humans, and the health challenges they face change significantly from middle age onwards. From around age 7 (5 for large and giant breeds), proactive monitoring makes an enormous difference in both lifespan and quality of life.

The twice-yearly senior health check

The single most impactful change you can make for a senior dog is switching from annual to twice-yearly vet visits. This is not about spending more money — it is about catching diseases at stage 1 rather than stage 3.

Every senior health check should include:
- Full physical examination (weight, body condition score, lymph nodes, heart and lung auscultation, joint mobility, eye and ear health, oral health)
- Blood panel: complete blood count + biochemistry (kidney values, liver enzymes, glucose, thyroid for some breeds)
- Urinalysis: the most sensitive early test for kidney disease
- Blood pressure measurement: hypertension is common in older dogs and causes organ damage silently

What to monitor at home between visits

- Weight: weigh monthly. Unexplained loss of >1 kg in a month warrants a vet call.
- Water intake: increased drinking (polydipsia) is a classic sign of diabetes, kidney disease, Cushing's disease, or pyometra.
- Appetite changes: sudden decrease or increase in appetite is a symptom, not a personality quirk.
- Mobility: observe when your dog gets up after lying down. Stiffness, reluctance to jump, or favouring a leg suggests arthritis.
- Breathing at rest: count breaths per minute while your dog sleeps. More than 30 breaths per minute at rest may indicate heart disease.
- Coat and skin: thinning coat, symmetrical hair loss, or skin thickening can indicate hormonal disease.
- Cognitive changes: getting "stuck" in corners, night waking, house training accidents, or decreased interaction can indicate cognitive dysfunction syndrome.

Most common senior dog diseases by age

| Age | Conditions to screen for |
|-----|--------------------------|
| 7–9 | Arthritis, dental disease, hypothyroidism, early kidney disease |
| 9–11 | Cardiac disease, Cushing's disease, cancer, diabetes |
| 11+ | Cognitive dysfunction, advanced kidney/liver disease, cancer |

Use Flovvi to log weight monthly, track water bowl refills, and note any behavioural changes — this data is gold at vet appointments.