7 Health Changes to Watch for in Older Dogs

By Dr Duncan Houston

An older dog may show illness through small changes: taking longer to rise, leaving hard food or waking repeatedly overnight. Watching patterns helps you recognise a problem before it becomes a crisis.

These seven areas are useful to monitor. None is a diagnosis on its own.

Quick Answer

Watch older dogs for changes in mobility, mouth comfort, thirst and urination, vision, body weight or lumps, behaviour, and breathing. Arrange a veterinary assessment for new or persistent changes rather than attributing them to age. Collapse, breathing difficulty, severe pain and inability to urinate need immediate care.

1. Stiffness or reduced mobility

Arthritis can cause difficulty rising, reluctance to jump and shorter walks. Muscle loss, spinal disease and other painful conditions can look similar. Film your dog walking and standing up; a comfortable day at the clinic may not show the full problem at home.

2. Bad breath or changes in eating

Dropping food, chewing on one side or avoiding hard items can signal dental pain. Dogs may continue eating despite significant disease. An oral examination helps distinguish dental problems from nausea or reduced appetite caused by illness elsewhere.

3. More thirst, urine or accidents

Kidney disease, diabetes, hormonal disorders, urinary infection and incontinence are possible explanations. Difficulty reaching the toilet area can also contribute. Do not restrict water to prevent accidents. Record changes and ask your vet whether to bring a fresh urine sample.

4. Vision or eye changes

Bumping into objects, hesitating in dim light or difficulty locating treats deserves attention. Cloudiness is not always a cataract, and not every cloudy eye is harmless. A red, painful eye or sudden vision loss requires urgent assessment.

5. Weight loss, muscle loss or new lumps

Changes can reflect inadequate intake, gastrointestinal disease, hormonal illness, chronic organ disease or cancer. A lump cannot reliably be identified by appearance or touch alone. Measure or photograph it and arrange examination; your vet may recommend sampling.

6. Sleep, memory or personality changes

Night waking, house-soiling, getting stuck in corners or altered interaction can occur with cognitive dysfunction. Pain, sensory loss and other illness must be considered first. The AAHA cognitive-care guidance describes this diagnostic process.

7. Coughing or reduced breathing comfort

Heart, airway and lung disease can affect older dogs. Note whether coughing occurs during activity, overnight or after drinking. A video and resting breathing pattern can help your vet, but laboured breathing should never wait for a recording.

How urgently should you act?

When is this an emergency?

Open-mouth breathing at rest, blue or very pale gums, collapse, repeated seizures, a swollen abdomen with unproductive retching or repeated straining without urine are emergency signs. Keep your dog calm, call ahead and travel directly for care.

Make monitoring useful

Record weight, appetite, water intake, toilet habits, movement and sleep. Keep routine examinations and discuss blood and urine screening using an individual plan, as supported by AAHA senior assessment guidance. Maintain comfortable exercise, dental care, suitable nutrition and manageable enrichment.

Common mistakes

• Treating every lump as either harmless or definitely cancer.
• Withholding water to control urine accidents.
• Giving human pain medicines for stiffness.
• Waiting until the next routine review despite a new concerning sign.

Frequently asked questions

Is slowing down always arthritis?

No. Pain, weakness, heart disease and other conditions can reduce activity.

Are all old-dog lumps cancer?

No, but examination and sometimes a sample are needed to distinguish causes.

Can senior health problems be treated?

Many can be treated or managed. Earlier assessment often gives you more options for maintaining comfort.

Knowing your dog's normal habits is valuable. Act on meaningful changes while there is still time to investigate them calmly.

Explore ASK A VET™ for practical explanations of the changes you are noticing.