The transition from a pet’s vibrant adult years to their “frosty-faced” senior era is rarely a sudden event. It is usually a slow, steady shift. Small changes in behaviour and daily habits might be so gradual that they aren’t noticed at all, or put down to our pets “just getting old.”
As a vet for more than 25 years and the founder of Pet Lighthouse I have seen how old age can creep up on our pets and that the key to managing this period of their life is more than just appropriate medical intervention, vital though that is. What is critical to a good final chapter for our pets is owners who take a positive and proactive approach to aging. It can be easier to turn a blind eye, to try and avoid the uncomfortable reality that our pet is getting older, but by seeking clarity on the subtle (and not so subtle) shifts we see we have a much better chance of maximising our pet’s welfare.
What does “quality of life” really mean?
When I speak to clients with older pets, particularly ones who are grappling with chronic health conditions, the vast majority tell me that their pet’s quality of life is more important than the quantity. However, quality of life can feel like a rather abstract concept. Does it mean they are still eating? Does it mean they can still walk?
Quality of life is really just another way of saying welfare, or wellbeing. It is really important to remember that it is about more than health.
Put simply, quality of life is the balance between positive and negative feelings that an animal is experiencing. We look at these feelings in four different areas:
- Nutrition and hydration- what your pet is eating and drinking and how that is making them feel.
- Environment- what they are living and how that is making them feel. Are they too hot, or too cold, is their bed comfy, have the stairs become difficult and scary.
- Behaviour- this is about how you pet is able to interact with their world in three key areas
- Their environment, can they move around easily, can they play, can they choose where they want to go, and what they want to avoid?
- How they interact with people, are they enjoying play and quality time with their human family members. Can they choose time alone if that is what they want?
- How they interact with other animals, are they spending time with their friends and companions, but able to enjoy peaceful time when they want?
- Health- how is your pet’s physical condition making them feel. Do they have a health condition, is this receiving appropriate treatment? Does the treatment itself make them feel unwell, or is administering the treatment unpleasant?
Having thought about your pets feelings in each of these areas we can build up a picture of how they feel overall- their quality of life.
If you would like to read more about the factors that help us understand our pet’s quality of life and the questions we can ask to understand it better, please sign up to the Pet Lighthouse newsletter. By signing up you’ receive the Pet Lighthouse Quality of Life eBook.
The emotional balance sheet: gains vs. drains
When considering our beloved pets’ well-being we need to consider not just what might be making them feel sad, but also what their “sparkle factors” are, those unique, positive behaviors that define their individual personality.
Have they stopped being able to experience the things they really enjoyed- long walks, playing with particular toys. If so, what can we do to replace this enjoyment? For example, instead of a long walk, a shorter walk with lots of opportunities for sniffing can give just as much enjoyment to your pet.
Think about the good moments in your pet’s day:
- Engaging with the family.
- Genuinely enjoying a meal.
- The “sparkle” in the eye during a favorite game.
- Seeking out physical affection.
Conversely, we must identify the shadow lines” or welfare blockers – the markers in their day where they might experience negative emotions or physical discomfort:
- Having a poor appetite, a food they don’t enjoy or period of nausea
- Not being able to find a comfy spot
- Being worried about being left on their own
- Feeling bored and listless
- Being bothered by an overly exuberant other pet or lively child when they want to sleep.
By thinking about the positive and negative experiences of our pet throughout the day this allows us to think about opportunities to maximise the positive and minimise the negative- shifting that welfare balance to overall positive.
This isn’t about perfection, no one can be happy all of the time! It is about the balance and the opportunity to improve our pet’s wellbeing.
Welfare blockers and setting boundaries:
There are lots of opportunities for us to rebalance our pets’ wellbeing. However, there are some negative experiences and feelings that cannot be balanced out. At Pet Lighthouse, we call these welfare blockers.
Common examples of health related welfare blockers include:
- unmanaged pain
- chronic nausea
- struggling to breath
- feeling weak
- distracting itchiness
Behavioural welfare blockers also exist, including fear and anxiety that can feel overwhelming,
It is important that these issues are addressed by the appropriate professionals. If these feelings are not properly managed they drown out the other positive feelings, making it very difficult, if not impossible for an animal to experience good welfare.
When considering an older pet’s quality of life it is difficult but important for the whole family to think about and discuss the boundaries together what the boundaries are for their pet’s wellbeing. |Are there certain things that are important for your pet and mean that if they couldn’t do those anymore you would be worried about your pet’s quality of life? It is a highly emotional time when we start to see more serious deteriorations in health and wellbeing in our pets, it really helps during this time if you already have some structures in place to help discuss this. Watching out for uncontrolled welfare blockers is an important part of setting boundaries and protecting your pet’s wellbeing.
The silent language: identifying subtle signs of pain
One of the biggest hurdles in senior pet care is the masking instinct of our pets. Evolution has taught our pets to hide vulnerability. This means that by the time a dog is limping or a cat is hiding away, the pain has likely been present for a long time.
To be a true advocate, we must look for the “silent language” of discomfort:
1. The changing living space:
Does your dog still greet you at the door, or do they wait for you to come to them? Does your cat still seek out the highest perch, or have they moved their life to the floor? Do they take a different route up and down from higher surfaces to avoid jumping? A change in where a pet chooses to be in the house is often a subtle sign that navigation has become a cost they aren’t willing to pay.
2. Restlessness
Pain often manifests as an inability to settle. If you notice your senior dog pacing at night, a cat waking you at a different time, or any panting that is not related to heavy exercise, these are often indicators of chronic discomfort or other significant health issues, including the onset of cognitive dysfunction, or in the case of panting lung of heart disease.
3. The scruffy look
For cats specifically, a matted coat or a lack of interest in grooming is a significant red flag. Conversely, over-grooming a specific joint can point directly to the source of arthritic pain.
4. The grumpy old man/woman
Is your pet less likely to seek out a fuss? If people or other animals approach do they growl sometimes, when previously they would have played, or at least tolerated?
Most “grumpy” pets are experiencing pain or other negative emotions.
If you notice these changes, or any other subtle variance in your pet’s routine this is important information they are passing on to you. Take a note and speak to your vet to check what is underlying these changes.
The importance of choice
As pets age, their world can naturally become smaller. However, a small world can still be a high-quality one, provided the pet maintains choice, or what is sometimes called agency.
Agency is the power to choose. Can they choose to go outside? Can they choose to move away from a loud noise or a pestering younger sibling?
When a pet loses the ability to control their immediate environment- either through mobility or health issues or cognitive decline- their welfare takes a significant hit.
Thinking about how we can give them choices within their current world can help a lot. Does an elderly cat need a hidey place that is not as high as before – making sure they are being treated with appropriate pain relief is the most important first step, of course. Is there a different walking route that has more interesting sniffs. Do they need a new, thicker bed to choose to lie on if they wish. Don’t just replace an old bed but provide both and see which they choose to use.
Understanding your own pet’s quality of life
Pet Lighthouse can help you understand and map your pet’s wellbeing through:
- Understanding your pet’s emotional balance sheet and gauging their daily luminosity
- Recognising and creating new sparkle factors – unique positive experiences that are valuable to your individual pet
- Recognising and minimising negative feelings and emotions
- Helping you define your boundaries
Understanding the humans
It is impossible to discuss senior pet welfare without discussing the human side of the relationship.
As our pets start to visibly age and slow down it can be easier emotionally to try and avoid that reality. However, this can mean that we don’t take the steps we could to better support our pets.
Many owners find themselves in a state of anticipatory grief. This is when you start to experience all the emotions related to grief while the pet is still alive. It can create a state of decision paralysis, where we know we need to help but the fog of guilt makes us wait for a crisis. Pet Lighthouse helps you shift from this helplessness to a position of “stewardship,” acting as the keeper of your pet’s comfort.
During my training with the Blue Cross Pet Loss Support service, I learned that early discussion and preparation is an important part of making this difficult time easier for pet owners.
Our memories can be unreliable during this period and so it can be really useful to keep records of how your pet is on a day to day basis. Otherwise we have a tendency to remember more of the positives and perhaps not address the negatives as quickly as we could.
A good place to start is with a simple calendar to track your pet’s daily luminosity. This allows you to record whether their day was radiant (leading their own day), dimmed (needing coaxing to sparkle), or shadowed (dominated by welfare blockers).
Creating a pro-active senior pet healthcare journey
It can be easier emotionally for us to try and avoid the reality of our pet aging. However, this means we miss out on many meaningful ways for us to connect with our pet and help them enjoy their old age. It also risks us sleepwalking into a crisis or remaining trapped in a fog of complex choices.
Proactively seeking advice on your pets health and welfare provides an opportunity to make a real difference to our pets wellbeing.
Pet Lighthouse provides online and face to face (certain London postcodes) quality of life focused consultations. We can provide support around the general wellbeing of your pet but also in situations where decisions have to be made about diagnostic and treatment choices.
Pet Lighthouse acts as an independent advocate, providing the structure, time, and space combined with a non-judgemental approach to ensure the care your pet receives is right for them and for your family’s own unique needs. We work alongside your vet, not instead of them.
We owe it to our senior pets to be their lighthouse – to see the rocks before they hit them and to guide them into a safe harbor while they still have their dignity intact.
You can book a free introductory chat, or initial consultation with Pet Lighthouse here:
About the Author:
Dr Caroline Allen is a highly experienced vet and welfare expert.
She is the former Chief Vet of the RSPCA and founder of Pet Lighthouse, a London-based second opinion service, providing time and space for owners navigating decision fog around their pet’s health.
Caroline is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and completed training with the Blue Cross Pet Loss Support service.
Further Resources:
Read more about welfare-focused vet care on the Pet Lighthouse blog
Discussion