AAHA Announces Guidelines To Improve Care For Senior Pets

Published on Jan 9, 2023 12:00 AM

American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) announced the 2023 Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats to assist veterinary teams in caring for senior patients within their clinics.

AAHA claims a special approach for senior care. According to AAHA, keeping senior dogs and cats happy, healthy, and well-cared for throughout their golden years necessitates an individualized, multifaceted approach.

The association has released the 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats to assist veterinary teams in providing the best possible care to their older canine and feline patients.
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“At the core of these guidelines is the understanding that aging is not a disease, but a process that family members can embrace, love, and enjoy with their senior pets,” said Ravinder Dhaliwal, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), DABVP (Canine and Feline), chair of the 2023 Senior Care Guidelines.

According to the AAHA, senior dogs and cats account for 44% of the pet population. Incorporating specialized care and monitoring at the practice level can ensure that veterinary visits are a positive experience for these pets and their owners.

The AAHA guidelines provide veterinary teams with actionable strategies for creating senior-friendly environments to welcome pets in this age group. It included many things, such as changing physical environments, prioritizing care to keep families together, and treating healthy and unhealthy seniors differently.

Veterinary teams are nurturing the human-animal bond and, ultimately, helping to keep aging pets with their families by prioritizing senior-friendly care and treating these patients holistically.

“Every veterinary team member has a story of a sweet senior who made an impact on their heart and motivates them to be a senior pet champion,” said Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, AAHA chief medical officer.

“This important guide helps teams provide the right medical care, the right environment, and the right family support to be truly senior-friendly,” she explained.