Caring for a senior dog: when a dog counts as old, how long breeds live, everyday care, and where to go when it is sick or hurt

1. When does a dog count as a senior? There is no single age: it depends on breed and size

Many people have heard that "a dog is old at seven". That is not wrong, but it is too rough. North American veterinary bodies use a different definition: the last quarter of a dog's expected lifespan is its senior period. That is the wording in the American Animal Hospital Association's 2019 Canine Life Stage Guidelines, and its 2023 Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats keep the same definition. The guidelines deliberately give no specific age, because breeds and sizes differ too much.

How do you use this definition? First look up roughly how long your dog's breed lives (there is a table in section 2), multiply by three-quarters, and the result is about the age at which it enters its senior years. Two examples from Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine: a Great Dane can count as a senior at six, while a Chihuahua may not count as one until eleven. At the same "seven years old", the Great Dane is already elderly and the Chihuahua is still in its prime.

So whether your dog counts as old depends on three things:

• Size. The general rule is that the bigger the dog, the earlier it ages. Small dogs often do not show their age until around ten, large dogs at seven or eight, and giant breeds (Great Danes, St. Bernards, mastiffs and the like) enter old age at six or seven.
• Breed. Breeds of the same size can still differ quite a bit. The table in section 2 has figures for about fifty common breeds.
• The individual dog. A dog that has kept a healthy weight all its life, with good teeth and no serious illness, ages more slowly. A Labrador that has been overweight for ten years and a Labrador that has always been lean can enter old age a year or two apart.

Different sources give ages that differ by a year or two, and that is normal, because "senior" is an estimate, not something that switches on at a birthday. What you really need to do is not to remember a number, but, from the time your dog approaches that age, change check-ups from once a year to twice a year (section 5 explains why), and start watching for the changes described in section 3.

At the vet, you can ask directly: "My dog is a 9-year-old Labrador. Would you consider her a senior now? Should we switch to senior wellness exams?"

2. How long do different breeds live? One table makes it clear

Where the numbers in this table come from

The largest study of dog lifespans so far is a British study published in Scientific Reports in 2024: the researchers pooled the records of more than 580,000 dogs, of which more than 280,000 had died, and worked out the median lifespan of 155 breeds. "Median lifespan" means that half the dogs of that breed do not reach that age and the other half live longer than it. It is not a ceiling and not a promise, just the middle figure.

First, a few overall patterns, which are more useful than memorizing one breed's figure:

Median lifespan of common breeds, and roughly when they become seniors

The "enters old age" column below is a rough calculation using the definition in section 1 (the last quarter of the lifespan): the median lifespan multiplied by three-quarters, rounded to the nearest half year. It is only a reminder of when to start treating your dog as a senior, not a medical diagnosis.

Four things to keep in mind when reading this table. First, these are British data; Canada has no study on the same scale, and the same breed in a different country has different bloodlines, breeding practices and common diseases, so the figures are only a reference. Second, the table does not split Poodles into toy, miniature and standard; they are counted together. Third, a median only describes "half of the dogs"; your own dog may well live much longer than the table says, or shorter. Fourth, this column can differ from what vets say from experience: for a Great Dane, for example, Cornell says it can count as a senior at six, while the rough calculation from the median lifespan gives eight. Giant breeds age fast, so if in doubt go with the earlier figure; starting senior care a little early does no harm.

Why another study gives much lower numbers

If you search online you may see a different set of figures, saying that French Bulldogs live only four and a half years on average, Pugs a little over seven, Labradors a little over eleven. Those come from a different British study, in 2022 (the VetCompass project, more than 30,000 dogs), which calculated "life expectancy at birth": 11.23 years overall. The two studies measure different things: one is the median age at which dogs died, the other is how many years a newborn puppy can expect to live, and the second counts puppies that died young, so its figures are lower across the board, and especially low for flat-faced breeds (French Bulldog 4.53 years, English Bulldog 7.39, Pug 7.65). That tells you one thing: flat-faced breeds are prone to serious problems even when young. If you have a French Bulldog, English Bulldog or Pug, senior care needs to start several years earlier, and breathing problems and heatstroke need extra attention.

Why big dogs live shorter lives, and the one thing you can change

The mainstream scientific explanation for why big dogs die younger is that large breeds do not start aging earlier; they age faster. That was the conclusion of a study in 2013. You cannot change breed or size, but one thing is entirely in your control: weight. A study that followed 48 Labradors for their whole lives split them into two groups, one fed freely and one fed a quarter less. The group fed less had a median lifespan of 13 years, the group fed freely 11.2 years, a difference of nearly two years, and chronic conditions such as arthritis came later too. In other words, keeping your dog lean for life is the cheapest and most effective "longevity medicine" you can give it.

3. As a dog ages, what changes in its body: which changes are normal, and which are illness

The changes in a senior dog fall into two kinds: normal aging, where your job is to help it adapt, and things that look like aging but are actually illness and need treatment. The table below helps you tell them apart.

A few numbers worth remembering, so that you see why "it's just old" is not enough:

• About eight in ten dogs over eight have some degree of arthritis (data from North American referral hospitals).
• Eight to nine in ten dogs over three have periodontal disease; it is worse in small dogs and worse with age.
• About 14% to 22.5% of dogs over eight have age-related cognitive impairment, and very few of them are actually diagnosed by a vet, because the owners did not think it mattered.
• Over a lifetime, about one in four dogs will get cancer; among dogs that live past ten, about half will.

Dogs cannot say "it hurts". They just move less, eat less, get grumpy, or will not let you touch a certain spot. Pain can be very quiet: a moment's hesitation before getting up, shifting position again and again at night, avoiding the stroking it used to love, snapping when touched. Write these things down so that the vet can judge whether pain relief or rehabilitation is needed. Many owners realize only afterwards that the six months when the dog "turned grumpy" were six months of toothache or joint pain. So the conclusion of this section is one sentence: any new change in a senior dog is worth asking the vet about once.

4. Daily life: adjusting your home, feeding and walks

Changes at home: cheap, and they make a big difference

Here is a simple method: follow your dog around once, and watch it get up from its bed, walk to the water bowl, then to the door. You will see at a glance where it slips, where it stops, and which spot is darkest at night. Start with the one movement it struggles with most every day. For example, if it always slips on the first step when standing up, make the floor in front of its bed non-slip first; that same day you will see whether getting up has become easier.

What a senior dog fears most is slipping. Hardwood, tile and stairs are like ice to a dog with bad joints, and after one slip and fall it may never dare to use that route again. The changes the veterinary guidelines suggest are all inexpensive:

• Non-slip. Lay carpet runners, yoga mats or mats with non-slip backing along its usual routes; trim the fur on the bottom of its paws; there are also non-slip toe grips and socks for dogs that you can try.
• Ramps and steps. Use a ramp or small steps for getting into the car, onto the sofa or onto the bed, instead of letting it jump. Jumping down is harder on the joints than jumping up.
• Bed. Switch to a thicker orthopedic mattress that supports the body, and put it somewhere without drafts. Do not use a human electric blanket for a dog; it cannot move off it by itself and can easily be burned.
• Food and water bowls. For large dogs, or dogs with a sore neck, raise the bowls a little, so that eating and drinking do not mean straining downward.
• Stairs and pools. Fit a gate, especially so that it cannot go downstairs in the dark at night.
• Do not move the furniture. A dog with poor eyesight walks from memory, and will bump into furniture that has been moved. Leave a night light on.
• A dog that cannot hear. Do not touch it suddenly from behind. Stamp your foot first so that it feels the vibration, or walk around in front so it sees you before you touch it. The guidelines make a point of this: a senior dog that cannot hear may bite when startled. That is not the dog turning aggressive; it was frightened.
• An incontinent dog. Put a waterproof cover on the bed, and clip the fur short around the back legs and bottom to make cleaning easier and reduce skin irritation; use diapers only when necessary and for short periods.
• Paws. Check regularly whether the nails are too long (senior dogs walk less, so the nails do not wear down), whether the pads are cracked, and whether the skin between the toes is red or swollen. If it flinches when you touch a paw, find out why first.

Feeding: there is no legal standard for "senior food"; what matters is calories and weight

There are plenty of dog foods on the market labelled "for senior dogs", but you should know one thing: in North America, no official body has ever set a standard for "senior dog food". A 2011 analysis of nearly 40 senior dog foods found that their calories per cup ranged from 246 to 408, and that their protein and sodium content varied several-fold. In other words, the words "senior food" by themselves tell you nothing; read the ingredient list, and better still, ask your vet.

What the guidelines say about feeding a senior dog comes down to a few points:

• Fewer calories. A senior dog has a slower metabolism and moves less; feed it the same amount as when it was young and it will certainly get fat. Being overweight burdens the joints, the heart and blood sugar. As mentioned earlier, keeping weight under control can add nearly two years of life.
• Protein does not necessarily need cutting. Many people think an old dog should eat "low protein to protect the kidneys". The guidelines are clear: healthy senior dogs and dogs with early kidney disease do not need protein restriction; it is only considered once kidney disease reaches the middle stages. On the contrary, senior dogs lose muscle, and better quality protein in suitable amounts actually helps.
• A bit more fibre helps the gut.
• Treats count toward the total. A piece of cheese or a slice of ham is a lot of calories for a five-kilogram dog. The usual advice in veterinary nutrition (both WSAVA and AAHA recommend this) is that treats together should not exceed one-tenth of the day's total calories. The easiest way is to weigh out a day's kibble on a kitchen scale and divide it into meals; training rewards, dental chews and whatever family members hand over all count toward it.
• How to judge fat or thin. Vets use a body condition score from 1 to 9, and 4 to 5 is ideal: you can feel the ribs with your hand but not see them, there is a waist when viewed from above, and the belly tucks up when viewed from the side. Above 5 is overweight. Cornell's material says about half of all dogs are overweight. Feel the muscles too: have the temples, the shoulder blades and the sides of the spine sunk in compared with before, and have the thighs got thinner? Even if the weight has not changed, it may be more fat and less muscle. At the next check-up, ask the vet to guide your hand and show you how to feel for this.
• Watch how it eats. If a dog that used to love its food walks up to the bowl and backs away, chews on one side only, or keeps dropping food out of its mouth, its mouth probably hurts and needs checking. Feeding nothing but chicken and white rice for a long time is not nutritionally adequate.
• Water always within reach. Put a sturdy water bowl where it usually spends its time. Even if it leaks urine in the house, do not restrict its water on your own.

Dogs with kidney disease, heart disease or diabetes will be put on a prescription diet by the vet. That is part of the treatment; feed it as directed and do not switch on your own.

Exercise: shorter, more often, on softer ground

A senior dog is not unable to exercise; it just cannot do too much at once. The guidelines and veterinary hospitals say the same thing: replace the one long walk a day with two or three short ones; grass, dirt paths and packed gravel are kinder to the joints than concrete and asphalt; swimming and an underwater treadmill are very good exercise for a dog with arthritis, and several hospitals and mobile services in Victoria offer this (section 7).

Whether the amount of exercise is right can be judged at three points in time: whether it is willing to walk when you set out; whether it falls behind, limps, keeps stopping or pants more than usual on the way; and whether it is stiffer than usual when getting up after resting at home and the next morning. If it is repeatedly uncomfortable after an outing, shorten the route and tell the vet. Replace sharp turns chasing a ball, jumping down from the trunk of the car and running up and down stairs with finding toys on flat ground, walking up ramps, and family members helping it in and out of the car.

Victoria has plenty of places where a senior dog can walk slowly. The ones spelled out on the City's and the Capital Regional District's (CRD) park pages: the Dallas Road waterfront (the area between the trail and the shoreline path is off-leash; on the trail itself and on the beach dogs must be leashed); Beacon Hill Park (leashed throughout, except the off-leash area south of Dallas Road); the 10 km loop trail at Elk/Beaver Lake (a wider trail of packed gravel, but some stretches have a grade over five percent, so a short section is enough for a senior dog; from June 1 to September 15 dogs may not stay in the designated beach and picnic areas); and the Lochside Regional Trail (29 km, rated "easy", wheelchair accessible, dogs on leash and keeping right; you can pick a short flat stretch and walk there and back). Note that dogs are not allowed in the Swan Lake nature sanctuary.

Think about the weather too. Victoria winters are damp and cold; a dog with arthritis can wear a coat outside and be dried off at home. Summers are not very hot, but flat-faced dogs and dogs with heart trouble still get heatstroke, so skip the midday walk, and never leave a dog in the car: when it is 21 degrees outside, the inside of a car can reach 32 degrees in 10 minutes and 40 degrees in 30 minutes, and cracking a window makes almost no difference (section 9 covers first aid for heatstroke).

To a deer, a dog looks like a predator; even a dog on a leash can provoke it, so take extra care on walks when mother deer are protecting their fawns (fawns are usually born in late May or June) and during the rut (it usually peaks in mid-November). In areas where bears or cougars are seen, keep dogs on a leash. If your dog has had a bat in its mouth, contact your veterinarian right away. See Guide No. 42.

→ No. 42 · Wildlife in your home and yard

The brain needs exercise too: it is part of preventing "dementia"

Cognitive dysfunction in dogs cannot currently be cured, but it can be slowed. The veterinary college's advice: play for a while every day, using puzzle feeders and snuffle mats so that it has to think to find its food; teach it one or two new tricks, however simple; and keep a regular routine, with fixed meal and walk times, because what a senior dog hates most is disruption.

Two minutes of observation a day is worth more than anything

The early signs of illness in a senior dog are all small. A few habits worth forming:

• Weigh it once a week (for a small dog, hold it on a bathroom scale and subtract your own weight) and write the number down. Weight that quietly drops is often illness.
• Once a month, feel its whole body for new lumps, and note the position and size (pea-sized is worth noting).
• For a dog with heart trouble, learn to count how many breaths it takes per minute while asleep. Normal is 12 to 30 a minute; above 30, tell the vet. There are free phone apps to help you count.
• Watch how much it drinks: if you are refilling the bowl noticeably more often than usual, pay attention.

Keep these notes in your phone and bring them to the vet; they are a hundred times more useful than saying from memory that "it hasn't seemed right lately".

5. Preventing disease: a check-up every six months, and teeth, weight, lumps, insurance and money

Check-ups from once a year to twice a year: what is checked, and why

Both sets of guidelines agree: a senior dog should have a check-up at least every six months. Why six months? Because one year for a dog is several years for a person, and six months without seeing a vet is already a long time for a senior dog. Many diseases of old age (kidney disease, heart disease, thyroid problems, diabetes) have no obvious symptoms early on and are found through blood and urine tests.

A senior check-up usually includes the items below. Before you go, you can ask which of them will be done and what each costs:

The cost of this set varies quite a bit between clinics, so ask before you go. Clinics can generally give a written estimate; just ask: "Could I get a written estimate for a senior wellness exam with bloodwork and urinalysis?"

Two small things before the visit that your vet will be grateful for: use your phone to film two clips of ten or twenty seconds, one of the dog getting up naturally after waking and one of it walking on a familiar route; and bring a list of its usual food, treats, medicines and supplements. Describe changes specifically, for example "it used to stand up in one go, but for the past two weeks it often needs two tries", which is far more useful than "it hasn't seemed right lately".

Vaccines, and prevention of fleas, ticks and heartworm, do not stop because the dog is old. Which ones and how often depends on where you live and on whether the dog travels or spends time outdoors, and should be decided with your vet for the individual dog; not every one is needed.

Teeth: the illness most often overlooked in senior dogs, and the most painful

Eight or nine in ten dogs over three have periodontal disease, and by old age almost none are spared. Periodontal disease is not just bad breath: bacteria enter the blood from the gums and damage the heart and kidneys, and in small senior dogs with severe bone loss around the teeth, the jaw can even fracture. The guidelines require the vet to check the mouth at every visit.

Many owners are afraid to have a senior dog's teeth cleaned because of the anesthetic. In practice, the vet first runs blood tests and listens to the heart to assess whether anesthesia is safe, and for most senior dogs it is. Only a proper dental cleaning under anesthesia can clean below the gum line; the "anesthesia-free teeth cleaning" offered in pet stores only scrapes the surface. At home, brushing is best: use a dog toothpaste (not human toothpaste) and a soft brush, and brush the outer surfaces of the teeth gently, starting with just a few teeth and building up. If the gums are already red, swollen or bleeding, or the dog flinches when its mouth is touched, see the vet first, because brushing inflamed areas hurts. If brushing is impossible, use a vet-approved dental gel or dental chew; it is better than nothing. Go easy on antlers, hard bones and hard hooves, because a senior dog's teeth break easily.

Lumps: note anything pea-sized, and have it checked if it has not gone in a month

Lumps are very common on senior dogs, and most are lipomas, which are benign. The problem is that the most common malignant tumour in dogs, the mast cell tumour, can look and feel exactly like a lipoma. The guidelines put it this way: taking a "wait and see" approach to a skin lump is risky; it should be measured, and a few cells drawn with a fine needle and examined. A fine needle aspirate needs no anesthetic, takes a few minutes and does not cost much.

Which lumps need a look: anything pea-sized or larger; anything that has not gone within a month; anything that grows, changes shape or changes colour; anything the dog keeps licking or scratching; anything red, bleeding or smelly. When you find a new lump, put a ruler next to it and take a photo, and note the date and position, so that you can compare the size at the next check.

Insurance: buy it while the dog is young and healthy; it is hard to get once it is old

Pet insurance in Canada has one iron rule: conditions that already exist before the policy starts (pre-existing conditions) are never covered, and switching companies does not change that. So if a dog that already has arthritis is insured now, anything related to its joints will not be paid for; age itself is not a reason to refuse a claim, an existing condition is. In addition, the industry association's buying guide says plainly that some companies simply do not take on new pets over a certain age, and those that do raise the premium, the deductible and the co-payment with age. The age limits differ from company to company; there is no single number, so ask before you buy.

If your dog is still young, this is one of the most valuable pieces of advice in this guide. If it is already old, you can still do the sums: ask an insurer for a quote, look at the monthly premium against the fact that it will only cover "new" conditions, and decide whether it is worth it; or simply put the same amount each month into a separate account as the dog's medical fund. CanDo Studio does not sell insurance and does not recommend any company.

Money: what a senior dog costs in a year, and who to ask when you really cannot afford it

The main costs of a senior dog are check-ups and tests, dental work, medicines and prescription food for chronic conditions, and the occasional emergency. An emergency visit, with its examination fee, observation in hospital and imaging, often costs far more than a family vet, which is why you should know in advance where the emergency hospital is and where the money will come from.

When money is genuinely tight, there are a few places in Greater Victoria you can ask, all checked on their websites on November 2, 2026:

• Paws for Hope's Better Together program: pays 80 percent of the vet bill for low-income households, with the owner paying 20 percent; you qualify if you receive government assistance, or if your income is no more than the low-income line plus 10 percent; up to four pets; Victoria is among the cities served. Phone 778-991-7729. (This entry is written from its listing in the bc211 community services database, because its own website would not open that day; check again before applying.)
• Balfour's Friends Foundation (Greater Victoria only): for households receiving disability assistance or BC income assistance, with a household income under $25,000 a year, or with a letter from a domestic violence shelter, it pays for necessary treatment of illness or injury; it does not pay for preventive care; you cannot contact it directly: your vet applies on your behalf, and the money goes straight to the clinic.
• BC SPCA pet food bank: free pet food and supplies are given out at points across the province; call 1-855-622-7722 to find the nearest one.
• ElderDog Canada: a national charity dedicated to helping older people care for their dogs, and to finding new homes for senior dogs; all its services are free; there are local groups in Victoria, Saanich to Sidney, and Sooke to the West Shore, with contact details on the chapters page of its website.

6. Common diseases of old age: how to spot them, and how to care for the dog at home

Below are the most common illnesses of senior dogs, and for each only three things: what it looks like, how vets generally treat it, and what you can do at home. Diagnosis and medication are the vet's job; this is only so that you know what to expect.

Arthritis

What it looks like: slow to get up, struggles to get into the car or up the stairs, sits down after a short walk, does not like a particular leg being touched, worse in cold weather. How vets treat it: losing weight comes first; there are anti-inflammatory painkillers made specifically for dogs (a class of prescription drugs called NSAIDs), and long-term use needs regular blood tests to watch the liver and kidneys; there are also injectable drugs for joint pain, joint supplements, laser, acupuncture and hydrotherapy. At home: non-slip floors, ramps, a soft bed, short and frequent exercise, keeping warm. Never give human painkillers: ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and aspirin can all cause severe vomiting, stomach ulcers, kidney failure or liver failure in dogs, and can be fatal.

Cognitive dysfunction: the dog version of "dementia"

What it looks like: vets screen with six letters, DISHAA. D for disorientation (getting lost at home, getting stuck in a corner and unable to turn around, staring at walls, waiting on the hinge side of a door for it to open); I for interactions (not greeting you the way it used to, or the opposite, becoming clingy or irritable); S for sleep (sleeping by day, pacing at night, barking at night); H for house-training and the things it has learned (urinating or defecating indoors, no longer signalling to go out, not responding to its name); A for activity (no interest in play, aimless pacing, repetitive licking); and A for anxiety (separation anxiety, fear of noises, fear of going out). There is a DISHAA self-assessment form for owners, scoring each item from 0 to 3: a total of 4 to 15 counts as mild, 16 to 33 as moderate, and above 33 as severe. You can print it, fill it in and take it to the vet. How vets treat it: it cannot be cured, but it can be slowed. North America has one prescription drug approved specifically for cognitive dysfunction in dogs (selegiline), and the guidelines say up to seven in ten dogs improve on it; there are also prescription brain-support diets containing antioxidants and medium-chain triglycerides. At home: a regular routine, brain games every day, a light left on at night, no moving the furniture, and no scolding when it urinates indoors. Note down when these things happen and how often; that is more useful than a vague "it's been confused lately". And do not jump to conclusions before the check-up, because pain, failing eyesight or hearing, and urinary problems can all look similar.

Heart disease

What it looks like: coughing (especially at night and after exercise), fast breathing, tiring after a short walk, fainting. In small dogs over eight, the most common cause is a degenerating mitral valve (especially common in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, miniature Poodles, Shih Tzus, Maltese and Chihuahuas); in large dogs it is more often cardiomyopathy. How vets treat it: after hearing a murmur with the stethoscope, they do a heart ultrasound; in the early stages medication can slow it, and once there is heart failure the dog is kept going on diuretics and heart drugs. At home: count its breathing while it sleeps, and tell the vet if it is over 30 a minute; give medication on time and never stop on your own; control salt and weight.

Chronic kidney disease

What it looks like: drinking more and urinating more, and later not eating, vomiting, bad breath and weight loss. How vets treat it: blood and urine tests to stage the disease, a prescription kidney diet (one of the core parts of the treatment), blood pressure control, and fluids. At home: clean water available at all times; feed the prescription diet for its stage; regular rechecks. Remember what was said earlier: early kidney disease does not need protein restriction, so do not switch to a "low protein" food on your own.

Cushing's disease, hypothyroidism and diabetes

These three are common hormonal diseases in senior dogs. Their symptoms look somewhat alike, and blood tests tell them apart. Cushing's disease (too much cortisol): drinks a lot, urinates a lot, eats a lot, a pot belly, panting, hair loss; common in miniature Poodles, Dachshunds, Boxers, Boston Terriers and Beagles; there are drugs to control it. Hypothyroidism: gains weight without eating more, lazy, unwilling to move, a thinning coat, poor skin; common in medium and large dogs aged four to ten; a thyroid hormone tablet every day, for life, inexpensive and effective. Diabetes: drinks, urinates and eats a lot yet loses weight, and if poorly controlled quickly develops cataracts; needs daily insulin injections, and the owner has to learn to give injections and check blood sugar at home, which the vet will teach.

Eyes and ears

Cloudy, bluish eyes in a senior dog are in the great majority of cases "nuclear sclerosis", which does not affect vision and needs no treatment. True cataracts make the dog bump into things; surgery succeeds in about nine cases out of ten or better, but an assessment comes first. A condition called SARDS can make a senior dog go suddenly blind within days; there is currently no effective treatment, but dogs cope quite well using memory and smell, provided nothing at home is moved around. Hearing loss cannot be restored; learning a few hand signals (come, sit, good) in place of spoken commands is good for both of you.

Urinary incontinence

This is especially common in spayed females: statistically about one to four in every twenty, appearing on average two to three years after spaying. The place where the dog sleeps is wet, and it does not know. It is not deliberate, and it is not "going senile"; there are specific drugs (hormones, or drugs that tighten the urethra), and most work well. Rule out a urinary infection first. Before the visit, watch for three details: does it wet its bedding while asleep, or does it want to go out while awake but cannot make it in time, or does it keep squatting and pass only a little each time? These three have different causes. At home you can give it more chances to go out (one extra after getting up, before bed, and during the day), shorten the route to the door, gently clean up and dry the skin when it has an accident, and not scold it. If it strains repeatedly but cannot pass urine, go to the emergency hospital right away.

Cancer

Between a quarter and half of senior dogs will face it. Common signs: a new lump, unexplained weight loss, not eating, limping (bone cancer), a swollen belly, bleeding, a wound that will not heal. Cancer in dogs now comes in many kinds: some are cured by removal, some are treated with chemotherapy (the vet will explain the side effects and the costs), and some can only be eased. Whether to treat, and how far, is something you and the vet decide together, based on the dog's age, the type of cancer, the cost and its quality of life. There is no standard answer, and there is no such thing as "not treating means you don't love it".

Small tips for giving medicine and nursing a bedridden dog

• Hide pills in a small piece of cheese, in peanut butter (check that it contains no xylitol) or in a "pill pocket" treat made for the purpose; if it really will not take them, ask the vet whether there is a liquid form, or whether the medicine can be made up in a flavour it likes.
• Turn a dog that cannot walk every two to four hours to prevent pressure sores; put a soft, breathable pad under it; change it as soon as it is wet, and clip the fur short on the back legs and bottom; check the bony points (hips, elbows) every day for redness.
• When it will not eat, warm the food, add a little warm water or low-salt chicken broth, and feed it by hand; this often works better than leaving food in the bowl.
• Write every medicine, dose and time on the fridge, and have whoever gives it tick it off, so that doses are not missed or doubled. If a dose is missed, vomited up, or you suspect it was given twice, phone the clinic that prescribed it and ask what to do next; do not give a double dose yourself, and do not give it medicine left over from another dog.

7. Animal hospitals in Victoria: family vets, specialists, emergency hospitals and house calls

First, tell the three kinds apart, so that you go to the right door

Animal hospitals in Canada are tiered like human hospitals:

• Family vet (general practice): your dog's "family doctor". Check-ups, vaccines, blood tests, dental cleaning, minor surgery and management of chronic conditions all happen here, and most of the time this is all you need. Family practices mostly work by appointment and are closed after hours; most are closed on Sundays, and quite a few are open on Saturdays; their websites usually say "for after-hours emergencies go to such-and-such hospital".
• Specialty / referral hospital: has specialists in internal medicine, surgery, neurology, oncology, imaging and so on, and does MRI, CT, complex surgery and chemotherapy. You usually get there by referral from your family vet; if you go on your own, it may send you back to your family vet first.
• Emergency: open 24 hours or overnight, for the situations described in section 8. Emergency hospitals do not take appointments; it is first come, first served, except that the most serious cases go first; the visit fee is higher than a family vet's, and the wait can be long.

How to choose a family vet, check a licence, and complain

All vets and animal hospitals in BC are regulated by one body: the College of Veterinarians of BC (CVBC). On its website you can check whether a vet is licensed and whether a hospital is accredited (the facility search page lets you search by city). To choose a family vet: find two or three near home in the CVBC directory; phone and ask whether you can bring the dog in for a first visit (called a meet and greet; some clinics charge for it and some do not); ask the rough cost of a check-up, blood tests and dental cleaning, and whether there is a senior check-up package (some clinics have a senior wellness package); and find out where they send after-hours emergencies and how far that is from your home. If you are unhappy with a vet or a hospital, you can complain to the CVBC in writing, by email to complaints@cvbc.ca, or by phone at 604-929-7090 or toll-free 1-800-463-5399.

Family practices in Greater Victoria: examples

Below are a few in each area, as examples only, not recommendations. All are fully accredited in the CVBC directory. Addresses, phone numbers and hours were copied from each clinic's website on November 2, 2026 (hours are in the 24-hour clock); check again before you go. For after-hours emergencies, all of them point to the two emergency hospitals described below.

24-hour emergency: Greater Victoria has only two

Neither website gives the emergency visit fee, and neither says whether to phone first. In practice, phone before you set out, say briefly what is wrong with the dog and how long you will take to arrive. The hospital can prepare, and can also tell you how long the wait is right now and whether to go straight to the other hospital instead. The WAVES home page says that wait times may be longer than usual, and that is the norm. A few years ago WAVES suspended its emergency service for a while; its website now says 24 hours, but a phone call to confirm never hurts.

Neither hospital has a cardiology or an ophthalmology specialist. For those two, family vets on the Island generally refer to Vancouver: VCA Vancouver Animal Emergency & Referral Centre (2303 Alberta St, 604-879-3737, with cardiology, ophthalmology, oncology and other specialties; a referral form is needed) or Canada West Veterinary Specialists (1988 Kootenay St, 604-473-4882). Nanaimo has an orthopedic and referral centre, ORCA VET (101-1861 Dufferin Crescent, 236-462-6722, Mon–Thu 7–17), which does orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, cancer surgery and CT.

House calls, hospice care and euthanasia at home

When a senior dog struggles to go out, or has reached its final stage, several vets in Victoria make house calls. All are in the CVBC directory:

• Resting Paws In-Home Veterinary Hospice Services: specializes in hospice care at home: quality-of-life assessments, palliative care, euthanasia at home, grief support and arranging cremation; seven days a week; serves from Sooke to Sidney; has a fund for families in financial difficulty. Phone 250-951-7297. Fees are not listed on the website, and a travel charge may apply.
• PenVet Mobile Veterinary Services: house calls, quality-of-life assessments, euthanasia at home; serves the area from Sidney to Langford; phone 236-361-0422 (daily 8–19).
• South Island Mobile Veterinary Services: euthanasia at home and aftercare; serves Victoria, Langford, Colwood and Sooke through to Duncan; phone or text 250-818-5526.
• Epiphany Veterinary Services: house calls and end-of-life services; serves downtown, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, Royal Oak and Sidney; a visit to Sooke costs an extra $50 plus tax. Its website lists its prices, which you can use as a reference: an end-of-life phone consultation is free, a house call $80 plus tax; euthanasia at home $350 plus tax (including travel and the procedure), drugs about $20 to $100 depending on weight, cremation extra. Phone 250-686-6511.
• At Home Veterinary Services: house calls, and after-hours euthanasia; phone 778-677-7713.

Rehabilitation and hydrotherapy

For dogs with arthritis, after surgery, or with nerve problems, rehabilitation helps a lot. CVVH has a sports medicine and rehabilitation department (underwater treadmill, laser, acupuncture); Hillside Veterinary Hospital has a hydrotherapy treadmill, but when checked in November 2026 its website said that hydrotherapy was paused and no new rehabilitation patients were being taken; and two services offer rehabilitation at home: E-Motion Veterinary Rehabilitation (778-910-5220) and Align Veterinary Services (236-708-5273, serving from Victoria to the Comox Valley). We have not found a dedicated dog swimming pool in Victoria so far.

What to say at the vet

• Booking a check-up: "I'd like to book a senior wellness exam for my dog. She's 11."
• Asking about cost: "What would that cost, and could I have a written estimate before you start?"
• Describing symptoms: "For the past two weeks she's been drinking a lot more and slow to get up."
• Phoning the emergency hospital: "I'm bringing in a 12-year-old Labrador. He collapsed and is breathing fast. We're about 20 minutes away."
• Asking for a referral: "Would you refer us to a specialist for this?"

8. When to go to the emergency hospital right away, not tomorrow

The first half of this list is the "when to go to the ER" list that Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine gave owners in 2025; the second half is specific to senior dogs. If any of these happens, phone the emergency hospital first, then set out; do not wait for the family vet to open in the morning.

For all dogs:

• Difficulty breathing: fast or noisy breathing at rest, open-mouth panting, blue or purple gums or tongue, neck stretched out.
• Sudden collapse, unable to stand, a leg or the hindquarters will not move.
• Has eaten something poisonous (section 9 has a list) or swallowed something that cannot be digested (a sock, a corn cob, a bone).
• Hit by a car, a fall, a bite, an obvious injury.
• Severe pain: crying out, trembling, will not be touched, cannot move.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea within one day, especially with blood, lethargy or not eating.
• A seizure: the first ever, several in a row, or one lasting more than five minutes.
• A swollen belly together with retching that brings nothing up (especially dangerous in large dogs; more below).
• Difficulty urinating, or cannot urinate at all.
• An eye injury, or an eye that is suddenly red, swollen or will not open.
• Chewed an electrical cord.
• Heatstroke (section 9).
• A severe allergic reaction: swollen face, hives, vomiting, difficulty breathing.

Specific to senior dogs:

• Back legs suddenly weak, dragging, unable to stand: a common disc problem in senior dogs; the longer you wait, the harder it is for the spinal cord to recover, so do not "watch it overnight".
• Sudden head tilt, circling, unsteady, eyes flicking rapidly from side to side, nausea: most likely "old dog vestibular syndrome". It looks like a stroke, and many owners assume it is the end. In fact most dogs slowly improve after the first day and recover over a few weeks, perhaps with a slight head tilt left over. But from the outside it cannot be told apart from a real stroke or a brain tumour, so it has to be checked.
• Sudden blindness (bumping into things within days, pupils wide and not reacting): get it checked quickly, because some causes can be treated.
• Faints, goes limp for a few seconds, then gets up again: usually the heart; older small dogs especially need checking.
• Swollen belly, retching, restless: bloat, a twisted stomach. Large deep-chested breeds (Great Danes, St. Bernards, standard Poodles, German Shepherds, Boxers) are most at risk, and age is one of the risk factors. This is an emergency measured in hours: once the stomach twists, its blood supply is cut off; without surgery it is fatal, and with surgery in time more than eight in ten survive.
• Fast breathing: a senior dog breathing more than 30 times a minute at rest, or more than 30 counted while asleep, needs its heart and lungs checked.

Not an emergency, but contact the vet the same day: sudden clear loss of appetite or very low energy; repeated vomiting or diarrhea; blood in the urine; new obvious pain. When you phone, say when it started, whether it is getting worse, whether the dog can drink, and what medicines it is taking. If it gets worse quickly, vomits even water, collapses or has trouble breathing, go straight to the emergency hospital.

Not urgent, but book a check soon: gradual weight loss; drinking and urinating steadily more; a persistent cough; recurring lameness; a new lump; bad breath together with odd chewing; pacing all night; new urine leaking. Note the changes and bring photos or video; you do not have to wait for the next routine check-up.

9. Dog first aid: what you can do at home, and keep yourself safe before you help the dog

The aim of first aid is not to treat the dog at home but to get it to the hospital alive. What follows combines the 2025 edition of the American Veterinary Medical Association's pet first aid guide, Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Merck Veterinary Manual. To really learn the hands-on skills, take one of the courses in section 10.

Rule one: protect yourself first

Even the gentlest dog may bite when it is in pain; that is the first sentence of the guide. Approach an injured dog slowly, from the side, speaking softly; do not hug its head, and keep your face away from its mouth. If you need to move it and are afraid of being bitten, make a temporary muzzle by wrapping a roll of gauze, a long sock or a leash twice around its muzzle and tying it. Three situations where you must not muzzle: it is vomiting, it is having trouble breathing, or it is a flat-faced breed (French Bulldog, Pug, English Bulldog). To carry it: a small dog in a crate or a sturdy cardboard box; a large dog on a board, a firm cushion or a blanket used as a stretcher, carried by two people, keeping the spine as straight as possible.

Rule two: phone first, then set out

Save the numbers and addresses of your regular family vet and the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone now, and put a copy on the fridge, so that you are not searching for them in an emergency. Before leaving, phone the emergency hospital and tell them what has happened and roughly when you will arrive. They can prepare, and may tell you what to do and what not to do on the way. For poisoning, calling the poison hotline (numbers below) is faster than going to the hospital first, because the hotline can tell you right away whether to induce vomiting and what to bring.

CPR

First confirm: it is unconscious, not breathing, and you cannot feel a heartbeat (put your hand on the left side of the chest just behind the elbow). Only then start; never do compressions on a dog that is still breathing.

• Lay it on its side (most dogs with the right side down and the left side up; barrel-chested dogs such as English Bulldogs on their back).
• Place one hand over the other on the widest part of the chest (for deep-chested dogs such as Dobermanns and Greyhounds, directly behind the armpit; for small dogs and cats, wrap one hand around the chest and squeeze).
• 100 to 120 compressions a minute, pressing down one-third to one-half of the chest width; you can hum "Stayin' Alive" in your head to keep the rhythm.
• After 30 compressions, close its mouth and blow two breaths into its nose, watching for the chest to rise.
• Change the person doing compressions every two minutes, pausing as little as possible. Keep going until it breathes again, or until you reach the hospital.

Cornell's own words: CPR takes hands-on skill, and it is best learned from a professional before an emergency happens.

Choking

Signs: suddenly pawing frantically at its mouth, difficulty breathing, lips and tongue turning blue. If it can still breathe, do not fuss with it; go to the hospital at once. If it cannot breathe at all: if you can safely open the mouth, look inside and sweep out anything you can see with a finger or the back of a spoon, without pushing it further in; a small dog can be lifted by the back legs, head down, and shaken a few times, then given a few quick forward presses on the belly just behind the ribs; for a large dog that is standing, wrap your arms around its belly from behind, put your fist in the soft spot below the ribs, and thrust upward and forward several times; if it is lying down, press on the back with one hand and push the belly upward with the other. Even after the object comes out, have it checked at the hospital.

Bleeding

Press a clean cloth or gauze directly on the wound and hold it for at least three minutes without lifting it to look; if blood soaks through, do not remove it, add another layer and keep pressing. Use a tourniquet only on a limb or the tail, and only when pressure cannot stop the bleeding, loosening it every five to ten minutes. Then go to the hospital.

Heatstroke

A dog's normal temperature is 38.3 to 39.2 degrees Celsius; at 40.6 degrees (105 degrees Fahrenheit) or above, it is heatstroke. Signs: panting that will not stop, drooling, bright red or purple gums, staggering, collapse. What to do: move it to shade at once; wet the body with cool water, not ice water; place wet towels on the neck, the armpits and the groin, changing them every few minutes, and use a fan; do not plunge it into a tub of cold water; give small amounts of water only after cooling has begun; then go to the hospital, because heatstroke damages the internal organs, and a dog that seems to have recovered can get worse hours later.

Poisoning

The poisons dogs most often swallow, according to the Pet Poison Helpline's statistics for 2024: chocolate; grapes and raisins; rat poison; xylitol (in sugar-free gum and many sugar-free foods); ibuprofen; cannabis; vitamin D3; human and canine anti-inflammatory drugs; and onions, garlic and chives. Also remember: macadamia nuts; alcohol (including liqueur chocolates and raw bread dough, which ferments in the stomach, producing alcohol and gas); antifreeze (sweet-tasting, and one lick can be fatal); human antidepressants; and acetaminophen. Since cannabis became legal in Canada, cases of dogs eating it have clearly increased, and second-hand smoke can poison them too.

If you find it has eaten something: do not rush to make it vomit, because some things do more harm coming back up (corrosive or sharp items); phone the hotline or the emergency hospital first, and bring the packaging with you.

• Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661, 24 hours, serving Canada and the United States; there is a consultation fee per case (the website says US$99, including follow-up).
• ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 888-426-4435, 24 hours; the website says a consultation fee may apply, and does not say how much, or whether Canada is served.

Seizures

Move things away from around it, and turn off the lights and the television; do not hold it down, and do not put your hand in its mouth (a dog will not bite its own tongue, but it will bite you); time it by the clock, and film it if you can; afterwards it will be dazed for a while, so stay with it. If a seizure lasts more than five minutes, or there are several in one day, go to the emergency hospital at once.

A home pet first aid kit: stock it as the guide says

Important phone numbers (family vet, emergency hospital, poison hotline); a copy of the dog's medical record and medication list; a digital thermometer; a muzzle or a roll of gauze; a spare leash and collar; clean towels; non-stick dressings; self-adhesive bandage; adhesive tape; blunt-tipped scissors; disposable gloves; a small flashlight; tweezers; a dropper or a large syringe; sterile lubricating gel; saline solution (contact lens saline will do); 3% hydrogen peroxide (only when the vet or the hotline tells you to induce vomiting, never more than once, and never for cleaning wounds). Keep it in one fixed place that everyone in the household knows.

10. Pet first aid courses and certificates: where to learn, and what they cost

You cannot learn the hands-on actions above from text alone. The good news is that a pet first aid course is easy to get in Canada: the online ones cost a few tens of dollars, and the in-person ones take a day. The courses below were checked on the providers' websites on November 2, 2026; prices change, so look again before you sign up.

How to choose: if you just want to feel prepared, start with the Canadian Red Cross one-hour online course, $30 per person, which any family member aged 13 and up can sign up for. If you want real hands-on practice (muzzling, compressions, bandaging), book an in-person class: Walks 'N' Wags's in-person classes on Vancouver Island are currently only scheduled in Nanaimo, DogSafe's instructors are in Nanaimo, Duncan and Campbell River, and locally in Victoria there is Victoria First Aid's four-hour class; whether St. John Ambulance has a pet first aid class scheduled in Victoria, ask the BC branch at 1-866-321-2651. For an ordinary owner, these certificates are proof that "you have done the training"; people who want to run a pet boarding, dog walking or grooming business are often asked whether they have one.

The BC SPCA website also has a free pet first aid booklet (PDF) that you can download and read first.

11. The final goodbye: how to tell when it is time, what happens, aftercare and grief

This section is not easy to write, or to read, but it is a part of having a senior dog that cannot be avoided. Section 9 of guide No. 10, Keeping pets in Canada, covered part of this; here it is in more detail.

How to tell: a scoring sheet for owners

Veterinary oncology has a "quality of life scale" that many hospitals use, called HHHHHMM. Seven items are each scored from 0 to 10: Hurt (can the pain be controlled, is breathing comfortable); Hunger (can it eat enough by itself); Hydration (is it getting dehydrated); Hygiene (can it be kept clean, are there pressure sores); Happiness (does it still respond to you, to toys, to walks); Mobility (can it get up and walk to the door by itself); More good days than bad. If the seven add up to more than 35, continuing hospice care at home is acceptable; below 35, it is time for a serious talk with the vet.

The value of this sheet is that it breaks a heartbreaking decision into seven small questions you can answer, and you can fill it in every week and watch the trend. Many vets will tell you: better a week too early than a day too late.

There are two other very concrete methods. One is, while it is still doing well, to write down the three small things it loves most, such as coming to the door to greet you in the morning, sniffing around on the grass, or leaning against someone to sleep after dinner; later, see whether it still does those three things. The other is to note on the calendar "comfortable today" or "a hard day today", with a line on why, for example "finished dinner, but was in pain and kept shifting position all night"; that shows how its day really went better than just "good appetite". You do not have to wait until the bad days outnumber the good to talk to the vet: one episode of severe breathing difficulty, or one bout of pain that cannot be stopped, needs dealing with right away on its own. When you talk to the vet, be honest too about who at home can keep watch at night and who is able to lift the dog, so that the care plan is one you can actually carry out.

What happens: knowing in advance makes it less frightening

The euthanasia procedure is much the same at every clinic. Here is the explanation the Toronto Humane Society wrote for owners: the vet first gives a sedative injection (usually into the muscle); after five to ten minutes the dog falls asleep, and at this point you can hold it and talk to it; then the vet injects an overdose of anesthetic into a vein, the heart stops within minutes, and the dog feels no pain. Old, frail dogs have thin veins, so the vet may need to try several spots; some dogs pass away quietly at the sedation stage. After death the body may pass urine or stool, the eyes will not close, and there may be one or two reflex deep breaths; none of this means it is still alive or suffering, and knowing in advance means it will not frighten you. You can ask for a lock of fur or a paw print to keep; most clinics are glad to do this.

It can be done at the clinic, or you can ask one of the house-call vets in section 7 to come to your home, so that the dog is in its own bed with the family around it. A house call costs more; one of the services in section 7 lists its prices on its website, which you can use as a reference: euthanasia at home $350 plus tax, drugs $20 to $100 depending on weight, cremation extra.

Aftercare

• Cremation: the local pet cremation service in Victoria is Gateway Pet Memorial's Victoria centre (587A Bay St, 250-590-0995); it offers private cremation (your dog alone, ashes returned) and communal cremation (together with other pets, ashes not returned); the prices are not on the website, and clinics and house-call vets can usually arrange it for you.
• Burying it yourself: the City of Victoria's garbage collection does not take animal remains; the CRD's Hartland landfill classes animal remains as "controlled waste", which needs a permit and a booking first. As for whether you may bury a pet in your own back yard, we did not find a clear clause in the municipalities' animal control bylaws this time; if you want to, phone your municipality first.
• Dog licence, insurance, microchip: remember to tell the municipality to cancel the dog licence, to tell the insurance company, and to tell the microchip registry.

Grief: it is not self-indulgent, and there are people to talk to

For many people, losing a dog that has been with them for over a decade is no lighter than losing a relative, and often nobody around them understands. BC has a free bereavement helpline with a dedicated pet loss program: the BC Bereavement Helpline's PAWS for Pet Loss, 604-738-9950 or toll-free 1-877-779-2223, Monday to Friday 9 to 17, which also runs an eight-week online group ($150, with subsidies available). Pet Trust at the University of Guelph's veterinary college in Ontario has an online pet loss support resource centre, with videos and guides that anyone in Canada can use. Victoria Hospice's bereavement services (250-519-3040) are for South Island residents, with up to six free counselling sessions; they are not specifically for pets, but you can ask.

12. Common misunderstandings

• "A dog is old at seven." Too rough. A Chihuahua is not old until eleven; a Great Dane is old at six. Estimate from three-quarters of the breed's median lifespan.
• "It's old, so walking slowly and not wanting to move is normal." More than eight in ten senior dogs have arthritis. That is pain, and it can be treated.
• "Old dogs should eat low-protein food." Healthy senior dogs and those with early kidney disease do not need protein restriction; the guidelines say so plainly.
• "Anesthesia is too risky for an old dog, so skip the teeth cleaning." Blood tests and an assessment first; most senior dogs can be anesthetized, and untreated periodontal disease does more harm to the body.
• "That lump is a lipoma, leave it." A lipoma and a malignant mast cell tumour can look the same; a few cells drawn with a needle tells them apart, in a matter of minutes.
• "Peeing indoors is deliberate / it's going senile." Usually incontinence, an infection or cognitive dysfunction: all illnesses, and all have medication.
• "Give the dog some Advil or Tylenol for the pain." It could be fatal. Dogs cannot take human painkillers.
• "Head tilted, walking in circles: it's a stroke, nothing can be done." Usually old dog vestibular syndrome, and most recover within a few weeks, but it must be checked.
• "Buy insurance once it's old." Existing conditions are never covered, and many companies do not take new policies above a certain age; buy early.
• "You can just turn up at emergency any time." Phone before you leave; the hospital can prepare and tell you how long the wait is.
• "Euthanasia is giving up on it." When the score is below 35 and the bad days outnumber the good, sparing it suffering is the last way to love it.