When 'Just Getting Old' Is Actually Something Treatable

Slowing down

Frequently arthritis, and frequently very treatable. Modern joint medication, weight management and a few home changes routinely give dogs and cats a year or two of markedly better movement. A dog who has stopped jumping onto the couch is showing you pain, not a change of preference.

Drinking more

Never normal in an older pet. Kidney disease, diabetes, Cushing's and hyperthyroidism all present this way and all are diagnosable with a blood test. If you are refilling the bowl more often than you were six months ago, that is a vet visit, not a quirk.

Confusion at night

Canine and feline cognitive dysfunction is real, common, and partially treatable with medication, diet and routine adjustments. Night pacing and yowling in an older cat is also a classic hyperthyroid or blood pressure sign — both very treatable, and both routinely dismissed as senility.

Bad breath, lumps, and weight loss

Dental disease is painful and fixable. Lumps are frequently benign but only a vet can say. Weight loss in a pet who is eating is a laboratory question with a real answer. None of these three is old age, and all three are commonly written off as it.