Animal Welfare Professionals

Help us round out senior pet month by showcasing your senior pets and sharing any tips you have for caring for them!

Tell us about your senior pet, share a picture or video and your tips about caring for them in the comments below.

Interested in learning more about senior pet care? Check out these FAQs from American Veterinary Medical Association.

I'm currently the proud furry momma of 3 senior pets. Kloke, Karter and Kooper! All three of them are 10 years old and we've had them for pretty much most of their lives.

Now that they're in their senior years, I have to remind myself that they need a little extra help getting in and out of the car but once they're out in nature, they run around like when they were pups. The dogs have started taking some joint supplements (Dasuquin) as recommended by our vet and I give them CBD treats on occasion when we've got long road trips or if I notice any signs of soreness after outdoor adventures. Kloke also has started to lose her eyesight and doesn't see too well in the dark. Especially around the house, we've started to add night lights at the end of the dark hallway because if we move around the house quietly and she doesn't see us, she gets startled. 

I had to break out some old pictures of them to reflect on how much they've grown and how much their personalities have changed over the years with every move between 3 different states (see attached)

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I adopted Valentine from Town Cats the shelter I work for  last December. She was 9 years old and had been living in a large FIV enclosure for the past 3 years with little hope of getting adopted due to her agressive nature, being a senior with FIV, and the fact she could be cat aggressive. I worked with her for a long time to form a strong connection and work through her behaviors, she hadn't been in a calm home setting ever in her life I think. For the first month she hid in the kitchen drawers... I mean pulled them out and hid behind them. Around the 2nd month she started to feel at home and was playing all day! I had never really saw her play here at the shelter so it was amazing to see her becoming a cat comfortable in her new home. She grew to love my brother and boyfriend who I share an appartment with and loves to cuddle but still has some aggressive tendencies we are working through. As a senior cat with FIV we get her blood work done twice a year and she has a dental coming up soon, dental care is so important in seniors and cats with FIV. She loves being the Queen of our house (she's our only cat) and she brings me more joy then I could have ever imagined. 

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I'm currently caring for 5 senior pets in my home: two foster cats, one dog and two sister cats. The oldest is my big dog, he's 16 and I adopted him from the shelter where I was working when he was a puppy. The cats are 10, 12, and the sisters are 13+.

My most helpful tip for caring for a big senior dog is: Carpet tiles! We put carpet tiles everywhere on our wood floors which help him and our past senior dogs tremendously so they don't slip, plus I can take them outside and hose them off to clean up the inevitable pet messes.

One of my senior foster cats now has her own Instagram account. That may seem like a funny tip, but she adores the attention (and treats!) during the many photo sessions, and setting up the backdrops and props is a great low-key way for her to have something interesting going on that involves her. Example photo attached. You can see more at @doe_cat if you like!

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My current dogs are 2 and 7 but I had 3 different senior dogs from 2008-2017. I learned to modify my home as my dogs aged. One of the most important things I did was place non-skid area rugs, throw rugs, and runners all over the house wherever I had hard wood or slick surfaces. My arthritic dogs moved around a lot easier without having to try to maneuver slippery floors. My dogs have always been allowed on furniture but inevitably, they reached a point where jumping up was too difficult so I made sure they had tempurpedic beds with bolster sides (and fleece blankets in winter) in most rooms.

I've used acupuncture, fish oil, CBD treats, and golden paste (turmeric paste) to help with arthritis and hip displasia. 

Most importantly, I gave them LOTS and LOTS of love! I adjusted my routines with each of them as they aged. I made sure to take them for a walk each day even if the "walk" meant walking out the front door and to the house next door. I learned to slow down and let them decide where and how far to go. Sometimes, I'd drive them to a favorite field we used to walk to so they could spend time in their favorite places. They taught me so much about slowing down and savoring every moment. I will always love them! 

Here is our senior lady, Chispa! We have had her 4 years and she is probably 12 years old. She had just had all her mammary glands removed when we adopted her (cancer) and now has an aggressive sarcoma. She is deaf, has lost a good number of her teeth and half of her tongue. We have just now started her on a regiment to assist with pretty debilitating hip issues and associated pain. She moves slow but she is still ALL HEELER. :) She likes to be the boss, even if she is asleep on the job most of the time. We are so glad she is part of our family!

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