Grace and Gratitude: Caring for Your Older Dog

Gratitude. It’s one of my favorite words and emotions, evoking memories of all the places, situations, and beings - human, furry, scaly, or feathered - that have helped me become what I am today: the person and the veterinarian. 

Sasha celebrates her 14th birthday at our favorite place - our weekly visit to see Dr. Strubel at A Well Adjusted Pet for her physical rehab session. photo: Dr. Viru Gopisetty

One that stands out is my dog Sasha and the love she brought into our lives. My husband and I adopted Sasha as an eight-week-old puppy back in 2005, long before I became a veterinarian. She was the center of our lives and one of the reasons I chose to change careers and go to vet school. She lived to be almost 15 and left us in May 2020. Needless to say, not a day goes by when I do not think of her. 

Sasha taught me how to be a better veterinarian, especially in her senior and geriatric years. Caring for her as she aged - and through a dreaded diagnosis of cancer that required an amputation - gave me firsthand experience with what pet guardians of older animals go through, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Vet school prepared me for how to keep pets healthy, how to deal with a range of illnesses and conditions, and how to provide support to pet guardians. But it was real life experience that prepared me for the special care that older pets need. For this, I am eternally grateful to my Sasha. 

Sasha celebrates her 14th birthday at our favorite place - our weekly visit to see Dr. Strubel at A Well Adjusted Pet for her physical rehab session. 

The American Veterinary Medical Association states: “Age is not a disease. Although senior pets may develop age-related problems, good care allows them to live happy, healthy, and active lives in their senior years.”

But how do we define senior? What is the difference between senior and geriatric? And why is this distinction important? 

First, let’s take the dog’s age. You may have heard that one year of a dog’s life equals seven human years, but the thinking on this has changed. There are now many online tools to determine a dog’s age in human years using the new protocols. One I find useful is the American Kennel Club website, which has a chart clearly outlining how to calculate your dog’s age.

But the definitions of senior vs. geriatric are not as clear. Currently, there is no standard age that marks the transition from the senior stage to the geriatric stage for all dogs (though these two terms are often used interchangeably, the senior stage precedes the geriatric stage). However, the most important factors to consider in marking this transition are the breed and size of the dog. Generally speaking, smaller dog breeds tend to live longer than bigger ones (regardless of their size, it’s never long enough). 

I think of the senior life stage as one where pets start showing some changes, but are for the most part still healthy, though their aging body systems can develop diseases from loss of function. The geriatric life stage is where pets become “fragile,” as Dr. Mary Gardner describes it in her wonderful textbook on the subject. Simply put, this means they need extra help and care. Dr. Gardner also offers the following guidelines for distinguishing senior dogs from geriatric ones, though of course, individual dogs may vary. 

• Small dogs (under 20 pounds) are considered senior from 9-13 years of age and geriatric when they are 14 and older. 

• Medium dogs (20-50 pounds) are senior from 9-11 years of age and geriatric when they are 12 and older. 

• Large dogs (50-90 pounds) and extra-large dogs (over 90 pounds) are senior from 6-9 years and geriatric when they are over 10.

Dr. Gardner’s guidelines helped me change my way of thinking about how best to keep older dogs healthy. As I watched my own dog Sasha grow older, I started noticing little changes in her. Her muzzle became grayer and her eyes turned a little cloudy. Her hearing began to diminish, her bark changed, and she could not walk quite as far. To keep her healthy, we had to change our expectations for her.

We didn’t let her overdo it when she was at her favorite beach (even though she dearly wanted to). When she turned 10, I started her on a weekly physical rehab program to keep her strong. Looking back, this was a great decision because when she had to lose a leg to cancer at the age of 13, she was so fit that her recovery was quick and she adapted to her new status as tripawd like a champ. We continued her weekly rehab with some adjustments to keep her comfortable and pain free as she transitioned from a senior dog to a geriatric one. 

Understanding the difference between these terms and paying more attention to our dogs as they grow older will enable us to keep them healthy as they age. Work together with your primary care veterinarian as a team. Bring your older dog in for a checkup every six months, instead of yearly. Do regular bloodwork and urine testing, with imaging if indicated. Talk with your vet about pain management, diet, and what to watch for as your dog ages. With proper care, our dogs can live their best lives well into their later years. 

As a person and a vet, I’m grateful for the lessons I learned from Sasha as we  cared for her throughout her long life. Not only a wonderful companion, she was my teacher as well. And whenever I see an older dog chasing a ball at the beach with a sparkle in those cloudy eyes, I know she’s still with me.