Caring for Older Pets: Senior Pet Care Makes a Difference in Helping Them Live Happier, Longer Lives

Just like people, our pets are living longer lives—thanks to things like improved diets and veterinary care. That makes senior pet care an important issue for us all.

But just what constitutes “old” for our pets? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are many variables, including size, but they offer the following charts as a basic guideline for how to determine your pet’s age in “human” years:

Dog years	Human years (*dog size lbs)
7	Small – Medium: 44-47 yrs
	Large – Very large: 50-56 yrs
10	Small – Medium: 56-60 yrs
	Large – Very large: 66-78 yrs
15	Small – Medium: 76-83 yrs
	Large – Very large: 93-115 yrs
20	Small – Medium: 96-105 yrs
	Large: 120 yrs
*Small: 0-20 lbs; Medium: 21-50 lbs; Large: 51-90 lbs; Very large: >90 lbs

Cat years	Human years
7	45 yrs
10	58 yrs
15	75 yrs
20	98 yrs

As pets reach their senior years, they may encounter a variety of health challenges, including things like arthritis, senility, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other medical conditions. Without question, all the major senses start to dull, and things slow down overall, just as they do for people.

Proper care should definitely include a visit to your veterinarian to determine how your pet is doing and what, if anything, you should be aware of. Physically, your pet’s ability to fight infection and disease may decrease, and their cognitive function may diminish, which can cause confusion, a change in sleeping habits, or even a loss of house training. Patience, compassion and even a little retraining will help.

Old age doesn’t mean your pet can’t enjoy a quality life. Your love and attention makes all the difference. Regular activity, switching to a higher quality and more age-appropriate pet food, and regular veterinary care are a few things you can do to ensure that they’re happy and healthy.

So consult with your veterinarian and plan ahead so that your pet—and you—can enjoy their golden years!