By the time your pet reaches their senior years, you intuitively understand each other. There is ease in your relationship, and you can depend on your senior pet for consistent behavior. 

Unfortunately, this effortless coexistence does not always last forever, and your pet’s behavior may regress as they enter their double-digit years. You may wonder why you seem to be caring for a puppy or kitten again, rather than a mature dog or cat. However, senior pets are not testing their boundaries or needing additional training—they are living with age-related medical conditions causing pain, decreased mobility, memory loss, or sensory impairment. The following seven behaviors are often the first indication of a health problem in your senior pet.

#1: Your senior pet is having accidents in the home

Rather than a lapse in house training or litter box manners, house soiling may be caused by various medical conditions, such as incontinence, neuromuscular disorders, urinary, kidney, or liver disease, diabetes, and avoidance of painful postures. Your pet may be affected by cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), a form of dementia causing memory loss. Pets with CDS may forget to signal their need to go outside or forget to urinate and defecate in the appropriate location. 

#2: Your senior pet is vocalizing excessively

Senior pets may vocalize frequently at inappropriate times, such as during the night and when they are alone, and without provocation. Cats and dogs may meow, cry, bark, or howl out of pain, frustration, fear, or disorientation. 

#3: Your senior pet is socializing less with family

Pets commonly isolate themselves when they are ill or experiencing pain. Human touch or restraint may aggravate unseen injuries or trigger painful movement as the pet tries to move away. If your pet stops performing their typical activities and following their routine, take them to your family veterinarian for a complete physical examination. 

Senior pets may also develop new fears and phobias. They may be reluctant to socialize with a new pet, or because of other household changes. Pets with CDS may fail to recognize social signals or familiar faces.

#4: Your pet seems to ignore you and often gets lost

Pet owners often joke about their pet’s selective hearing, meaning that pets consciously choose to hear only when they want. While this is more likely because of inadequate training, senior pets who fail to respond to their name or familiar verbal cues are probably affected by hearing loss. Age-related vision changes, such as lenticular sclerosis, cataracts, and glaucoma, make navigating unfamiliar areas a challenge—they can easily become disoriented and lost in their own home (e.g., standing facing a wall or corner, and getting trapped behind furniture). They may appear clumsy, and slow. 

#5: Your pet is constantly seeking contact and attention

Senior pets may develop anxiety for many reasons. Pets with CDS who may feel disoriented or lost will seek out their owners for reassurance. Some pets experience separation anxiety and become excessively distressed in their owner’s absence. Pets with vision or hearing loss may become hypersensitive to sound, touch, and movement. 

#6: Your once-friendly pet is now aggressive

Senior pets are commonly more agitated or irritable because they have medical conditions that cause pain, or their perception or cognition has changed. Anxious pets tend to overreact and aggressively defend themselves against a scary trigger. Your pet is not being mean but trying to protect itself from the perceived threat. Never punish your senior pet for this reaction, which will lead to distrust and fear. Consult your veterinarian for guidance.

#7: Your pet is performing new repetitive behaviors

Compulsive behaviors that often arise during a pet’s senior years may be brought on by neuropathic pain, cognitive impairment, or anxiety. Pets may pace or circle during the day or night. They may lick or chew their paws, legs, and body because of pain or allergies, resulting in self-harm. Senile pets may “stargaze,” or stare blankly at nothing.  

While your senior pet’s behavior changes can be surprising and concerning, when you understand their cause, you can respond with compassion, and know how to help. Always consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes, and provide your pet with the necessary treatment or pain control.

If you are struggling to help your aging pet, Lap of Love’s teleadvice services can suggest environmental modifications to improve your pet’s comfort around the home. If you are concerned that your pet’s anxiety, pain, or stress is affecting their quality of life, consider dignified in-home euthanasia provided by a Lap of Love veterinarian in your area.