Dog & Cat HospitalCalabasas

Care

Senior Pet Care

Comprehensive screenings and individualized management plans for aging dogs and cats — because the best years deserve the most attentive care.

Older pets have different needs than their younger selves, and the changes happen faster than many owners expect. A seven-year-old dog or cat has aged roughly the equivalent of 45–50 human years — and from that point forward, each calendar year brings increasingly significant physiologic shifts. Senior care at Dog & Cat Hospital Calabasas means moving from once-yearly wellness visits to twice-yearly comprehensive screenings, running lab panels that catch kidney disease, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, and early organ changes before they cause obvious symptoms, and building a management plan around what's actually going on — not assumptions about age. Our in-house specialists mean that senior pets with complex, overlapping conditions can be managed by the right expert without sending you elsewhere.

What's Included

Senior care at our hospital builds on the standard wellness visit with age-specific additions:

  • Twice-yearly comprehensive physical exams — more frequent because senior health can change quickly
  • Senior blood panel — chemistry, CBC, thyroid (T4), and urinalysis to screen for the most common age-related diseases
  • Blood pressure measurement — hypertension is common and often silent in older dogs and cats
  • Cognitive and behavioral assessment — changes in sleep, disorientation, or house-training lapses can signal cognitive dysfunction
  • Pain and mobility evaluation — arthritis affects most dogs over age 8 but is frequently under-recognized
  • Cardiac auscultation and referral to our on-site cardiologist when murmurs or rhythm changes are detected
  • Dental health assessment — dental disease accelerates with age and contributes to systemic inflammation
  • Medication reviews and dose adjustments as organ function changes
  • End-of-life planning discussions for owners navigating advanced disease

Help your senior pet thrive in their later years

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What to Expect

A senior wellness visit runs longer than a routine adult appointment because there is more to cover. The veterinarian will ask about any changes you've noticed at home — appetite, thirst, activity level, sleep patterns — because you often see things between visits that don't show up on exam day. After a thorough physical assessment, the team will collect blood and urine for the senior panel and discuss results before you leave if in-house testing is used. Any abnormal findings become the foundation for a conversation about next steps, which may include imaging, a specialist consult, or a management plan for a newly diagnosed condition. The goal is always a clear picture of what's happening and a practical path forward.

Why Our Team

Specialists for complex seniors.

Older pets often have interacting conditions — heart disease alongside kidney disease, for example. Our ACVIM internist and cardiologist are in-house for exactly these situations.

Advanced imaging on-site.

Digital radiography, ultrasound, and CT scanning help evaluate masses, organ size, and structural changes without sending your senior pet to an unfamiliar referral center.

Proactive pain management.

Arthritis and other chronic pain conditions are actively screened for and treated — because a less painful senior is a more active, engaged one.

Continuity that matters.

For a senior patient, the relationship with a consistent care team that knows their history is more than convenience — it means changes get noticed early.

Frequently Asked Questions

1At what age is a dog or cat considered senior?
Generally, cats and small dogs (under 20 lbs) are considered senior around age 10–11; medium dogs around 8–9; and large and giant breeds as early as 6–7 years old. Biological aging varies, so we assess each pet individually rather than applying a single threshold.
2How often should a senior dog or cat see a vet?
Twice-yearly wellness visits are recommended for most senior pets, because six months represents a meaningful portion of a senior dog or cat's lifespan and many age-related conditions progress quickly. More frequent visits may be needed if a chronic condition is being actively managed.
3What blood tests should a senior pet have?
A senior blood panel typically includes a complete blood count, comprehensive chemistry panel, thyroid hormone level (T4), and urinalysis. Together these screen for the conditions most commonly seen in aging pets: kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, and anemia.
4My senior dog sleeps more — is that normal or a sign of illness?
Increased sleep is common in older dogs and isn't always a red flag, but a sudden increase, combined with decreased appetite, difficulty rising, or confusion, warrants a veterinary visit. Arthritis pain, hypothyroidism, anemia, and early organ disease can all cause lethargy that owners attribute simply to age.
5Does my senior cat really need two vet visits per year?
Yes — cats are notorious for hiding illness, and conditions like hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, and hypertension are very common in senior cats but usually cause no obvious symptoms until they're well advanced. Twice-yearly exams and labs are the most reliable way to catch them early.
6How do I know if my dog is in pain from arthritis?
Arthritic dogs often don't yelp; instead they slow down on walks, hesitate at stairs, are stiff after resting, or resist being touched in certain areas. A mobility assessment during a wellness exam can identify pain that owners haven't recognized as arthritis.
7My senior pet was just diagnosed with kidney disease — what now?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in pets is staged using blood and urine values, and management — including diet change, hydration support, and sometimes medication — is tailored to the stage. Many pets with CKD live comfortably for years with appropriate monitoring and care.
8Should I still vaccinate my senior pet?
Core vaccines are generally continued in senior pets based on titer testing or a three-year schedule, though the frequency of lifestyle vaccines may decrease as circumstances change. We evaluate each senior pet's immune status and risk factors individually rather than applying a blanket rule.
9When is it time to talk about end-of-life care?
It's never too early to have a quality-of-life conversation with your veterinarian — especially when a senior pet has a progressive disease. Our team approaches these discussions with honesty and compassion, helping families understand what to watch for and how to make the most informed decisions for their pet.

Related

TreatmentsSenior Wellness Program

Help your senior pet thrive in their later years

Schedule a senior wellness visit and let our team build a care plan matched to where your dog or cat is in life.

Book an Appointment