Senior Dog Health Conditions
The conditions that tend to surface with age, explained for owners: what the early signs look like, how each is told apart from ordinary aging, and when it is time to call your vet. We are not veterinarians; these guides are reported and sourced.
Many senior dog problems creep in slowly enough to look like "just getting old," which is exactly how they get missed. Knowing the early signs of the common conditions, and how each differs from normal aging, is what turns a shrug into a timely vet visit.
These guides cover the conditions that surface most with age, including kidney disease, diabetes, Cushing's disease, and canine cognitive dysfunction.
How to Live With a Deaf Senior Dog
How to live with a deaf senior dog: one signal she can see, a light or a stamp indoors, and a long line or a fence. A bag rustle is not proof she heard you.
9 minPimobendan (Vetmedin) for Dogs: What It Does and Which Dogs It Is For
Pimobendan for dogs: what the FDA label approves it for, why it starts before symptoms, which stages must not take it, and the label's own side-effect data.
11 minIs Pet Insurance Worth It for a Senior Dog?
Is pet insurance worth it for a senior dog? Insurance pays for the next condition, not the current one. The half you can answer today, and the half you cannot.
9 minHeart Murmur in Senior Dogs: What the Grade Means and What Happens Next
A heart murmur in senior dogs is a sound, not a diagnosis. What the I to VI grades measure, when loudness does track severity, and what the vet does next.
10 minFurosemide (Lasix) for Dogs With Heart Failure: The First Dose, Side Effects, and When to Call
Furosemide for dogs with heart failure: what the first dose does, which side effects are normal, which mean stop and call, and why the vet rechecks blood.
11 minCongestive Heart Failure in Senior Dogs: Stages and Life Expectancy
Congestive heart failure in dogs life expectancy depends on the stage: the ACVIM stages, the median survival studies found, and the one number to count at home.
12 minSplenic Mass in a Senior Dog: Surgery, No Surgery, and How to Decide
A splenic mass in a senior dog forces a decision before anyone knows what it is. The two-thirds rule, where each road leads, and how owners actually decide.
13 minLibrela Adverse Events: Every Sign in the FDA's 10,068 Dog Reports (2023-2024)
Librela adverse events in the FDA file through December 31, 2024: 10,068 dog reports and 1,408 signs. The earlier file listed 3,342. Not incidence rates.
11 minOld Dog Back Legs Weak or Giving Out: What It Means, and What to Check First
Old dog back legs weak or giving out: the four causes, the home check that separates pain from nerve damage, which cases go tonight, and what the vet does next.
14 minCloudy Eyes in Senior Dogs: Which Ones Can Wait, and Which Cannot
Cloudy eyes in senior dogs are usually a harmless aging change. Two questions separate that from the version that needs a vet tonight.
12 minSenior Dog Collapse: What to Watch, and What to Tell the Vet
Senior dog collapse: why you go even after she gets up, the four things that separate a faint from a seizure, and what the vet needs you to have noticed.
13 minBloat in Senior Dogs: The First Hour Does Not Look Like an Emergency
Bloat in senior dogs starts as restlessness and pacing, which is exactly what we tell you to expect from an old dog at night. How to tell them apart.
14 minSenior Dog Hearing Loss: She May Not Be Ignoring You
Senior dog hearing loss looks like disobedience and gets mistaken for dementia. How to tell them apart, when sudden loss is urgent, and how to adapt at home.
11 minSenior Dog Vomiting: What Is Normal, What Is Not, and When to Go In
Senior dog vomiting: how to tell it from regurgitation, the frequency that stops being normal, what an older dog's vomiting often points to, and when to go in.
10 minSenior Dog Seizures: Why a First Seizure After Seven Is Different
Senior dog seizures are not epilepsy in a young dog. What to do during one, when it is an emergency, and why a first seizure after seven changes the workup.
12 minSenior Dog Pancreatitis: The Signs That Get Mistaken for Aging
Senior dog pancreatitis often looks like a bad day rather than an emergency. The signs worth calling about, what triggers it, and the fat number to look for.
12 minSenior Dog Itching: Is It Fall Allergies, or Something Else?
Senior dog itching often spikes in fall with ragweed, but new itch in an older dog can point to a thyroid, Cushing's, or skin problem, not just allergies.
10 minCBD for Dogs with Arthritis: Does It Actually Work?
Does CBD help dogs with arthritis? A 2018 Cornell study says yes for pain, at 2 mg/kg twice daily. The evidence, the dosing, and the honest safety caveats.
10 minSenior Dog Ear Infections: Why They Recur, and the Cause Most Owners Miss
Senior dog ear infections that keep coming back are usually a symptom, not the problem. The late-summer triggers, the allergy link, and the cause owners miss.
9 minDegenerative Myelopathy in Dogs: The Painless Disease That Takes the Back Legs
Degenerative myelopathy in dogs is a spinal-cord disease, the canine ALS, that painlessly takes the back legs. Signs, stages, the SOD1 test, and what helps.
12 minLaryngeal Paralysis in Dogs (and GOLPP): The Noisy Breathing That Isn't Just Age
Laryngeal paralysis in dogs: a raspy bark and noisy breathing in an older dog. Why it is usually GOLPP, when it turns dangerous, and the surgery that helps.
12 minWhy Is My Senior Dog Panting? Normal Panting vs the Signs to Worry About
Why is my senior dog panting? Panting at rest, in a cool room, or more than usual can signal pain, heart, or hormone disease. How to tell, and when to worry.
10 minHypothyroidism in Senior Dogs: When Slowing Down Isn't Just Age
Hypothyroidism in senior dogs looks like plain aging: weight gain, low energy, hair loss, feeling cold. How to spot it, tell it from Cushing's, and confirm it.
12 minCushing's Disease in Senior Dogs: When It Isn't Just Old Age
Cushing's disease in senior dogs: more drinking, a pot belly, hair loss, and panting. How to tell it from diabetes, how it is diagnosed, and how it is managed.
12 minHeart Disease in Senior Dogs: The Cough, the Breathing Test, and What It Means
A cough or new tiredness in an old dog can be the heart. The signs of heart disease in senior dogs, congestive heart failure, and when it is an emergency.
12 minLumps on Senior Dogs: Is It a Fatty Tumor, or Something to Worry About?
Fatty lumps on senior dogs are usually lipomas. A few cancers feel the same, so a needle test tells you, not touch.
10 minOld Dog Vestibular Disease: It Looks Like a Stroke, but Often Isn't
Old dog vestibular disease: signs are often worst for 24 to 48 hours, and many dogs begin to improve within 72 hours. She still needs a vet today.
11 minBlue-Green Algae Poisoning in Dogs: The Summer Water Danger to Know
Blue-green algae poisoning in dogs can start in minutes or not show for days. An hour of nothing is not the all-clear. What to do if she drank scummy water.
9 minSenior Dog Cancer Warning Signs: The 10 Signs and What to Do Next (2026)
Senior dog cancer warning signs: the 10 to recognize, the common senior cancers (lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell, osteosarcoma), and what comes next.
22 minSenior Dog Cataracts: Stages, Surgery, and What to Expect in 2026
Senior dog cataracts: how to tell them from lenticular sclerosis, the four ACVO stages, when surgery is right, the cost, and the uveitis risk to know.
21 minSenior Dog Diabetes Symptoms: Signs, Diagnosis, and Treatment for 2026
Senior dog diabetes symptoms: the four classic signs, how it is diagnosed, the insulin and diet plan that works, and the long life most managed dogs have.
21 minSenior Dog Kidney Disease: Signs, Stages, and Treatment in 2026
Senior dog kidney disease: early signs, how vets stage it (IRIS 1-4), the treatment that changes outcomes, prognosis by stage, and when it turns end-of-life.
21 min