My animal seems healthy: does testing really make sense with no symptoms?

Yes, and that is exactly the point of geriatric surveillance. The most important age related diseases have a long phase without visible symptoms, during which a simple test finds them and home observation does not. A profile on a well animal serves two purposes: catching an early problem and, if all is fine, setting the personal reference values that make every future check easier to read. Waiting for the symptom almost always means starting late.

How often should blood tests be repeated in a stable senior animal?

For a healthy senior animal the common reference is a full assessment once a year, with a lighter, targeted check at the mid point, so two contacts a year in all. The frequency rises with a chronic disease, medication to monitor, or values that drift over time. The exact plan is set by the vet based on previous results: the rule is to match frequency to risk, not to repeat everything every six months out of habit.

A senior cat losing weight while eating a lot: what could it be?

It is a classic picture that deserves a check without waiting for the scheduled visit. A senior cat losing weight despite eating heavily first raises the suspicion of hyperthyroidism, though diabetes or intestinal absorption problems give similar signs. All are manageable if caught early, and diagnosis runs through targeted blood tests and, for the thyroid, hormone measurement. Note when the loss began and take that to the vet.

Should blood pressure be measured in animals too?

Yes, and it is often overlooked. Hypertension in senior animals is common and linked to kidneys, heart, eyes and brain: left untreated it can cause serious damage, for example a sudden retinal detachment with loss of sight. Measurement is quick and non invasive, done in the clinic with a calm setting to avoid a falsely high reading. In at risk animals or those with known kidney disease it belongs firmly in the periodic geriatric checks.

Caring for senior pets50 minLevel: IntermediateUpdated on August 20, 2026

Planning geriatric check ups and screening for a senior pet

When to start geriatric check ups, how often to repeat them and which tests catch age related disease early in a senior dog or cat, before symptoms show.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere, Italy, European Union

What you need before you start

L'età reale dell'animale e la taglia, perché decidono quando inizia la fase geriatrica
Lo storico degli ultimi esami del sangue e delle urine, se disponibile
Il peso registrato negli ultimi sei-dodici mesi, per leggere la tendenza

The illnesses that shorten a senior animal's life almost never arrive suddenly: they build silently for months, while the animal just seems a little more tired or drinks slightly more. Kidney decline, feline hyperthyroidism, diabetes, tumours and heart disease all have a long quiet phase in which a simple test sees them and the eye does not. Planning geriatric check ups means stopping the wait for a symptom and moving to a regular surveillance system, tuned to the age and risk of the individual animal. This guide explains when to start, how often to return, which tests genuinely make sense, and how to organise it all without turning it into a burden, for you and for the animal.

When an animal becomes geriatric

There is no birthday that makes an animal old: the threshold depends on species and, in dogs, mainly on size. Large dogs age earlier than small ones, and a cat is considered senior later than a large dog. The practical rule is not a date, it is a change in check up frequency: from the point the animal enters the geriatric band, the visit goes from yearly to twice a year.

Indicative age of entry into the geriatric phase. These are rough figures: breed, health status and your vet's opinion can move them earlier or later.
Category	Senior roughly from	Suggested check up frequency
Small breed dog	About 9-10 years	Every 6 months
Medium breed dog	About 8-9 years	Every 6 months
Large or giant breed dog	About 6-7 years	Every 6 months, earlier if at risk
Cat	About 10-11 years	Every 6 months

What the baseline tests look for

A geriatric check up is not a random blood test: it is a targeted set covering the organs that fail most often with age. Knowing what each item looks at helps you read the report and not panic over a single out of range value, which must always be read alongside the others and the animal's clinical picture.

Complete blood count, describing red cells, white cells and platelets and flagging anaemia or inflammation.
Biochemistry with kidney and liver markers, to catch renal and hepatic failure early.
Urinalysis, read together with the blood and often seeing the kidneys before the blood does.
Blood glucose and, where indicated, fructosamine, for the diabetes that is far from rare in older animals.
Thyroid hormones, hyperthyroidism in cats and hypothyroidism in dogs, opposite pictures but both common.
Blood pressure, often forgotten, yet tied to kidneys, heart, eyes and brain.
Assessment of weight and muscle mass, a clinical measure in its own right, not a cosmetic detail.

Building the check up calendar

Knowing what is needed is not enough: surveillance only works if it becomes a calendar with reminders, otherwise the twice yearly visit slips until a symptom appears. These steps turn the recommendations into a concrete plan that survives the busy months too.

Set the date of entry into the geriatric phase
Start from age and size to decide when to double the check up frequency. It is the zero point of the calendar.
Book two appointments a year, not one
Put the six month follow up in the diary now, without waiting to remember it. A future appointment already booked is missed far less than one still to arrange.
Match the tests to the right visit
Agree with the vet which check includes the full panel and which is lighter. You do not need to repeat everything every six months if the animal is stable.
Prepare the fast and the sample collection
Some tests need a few hours of fasting or a fresh urine sample. Knowing in advance what to bring avoids postponing the draw or coming back twice.
Record every result in the same place
A single archive of reports lets you read trends over time, which is the real value of geriatric surveillance.
Open the booking window early
Set the reminder thirty days before the ideal date, so you find a slot without rushing and keep the twice yearly rhythm real.

Home monitoring between visits

Months pass between one check and the next, and you are the one who sees the animal every day. A few simple measures, gathered at home consistently, are often the first sign of a problem and give the vet a picture a single visit cannot offer. You do not need complex tools, you need consistency.

Weight, always measured the same way, because a slow decline is more informative than an isolated figure.
How much it drinks and urinates, since increased thirst and urine are among the first signs of kidney, diabetes and thyroid trouble.
Appetite and attitude to food, including any difficulty chewing.
Mobility: how it rises, whether it climbs stairs, whether it still jumps where it used to.
Breathing and cough at rest, and the resting respiratory rate in sleep if your vet has asked for it.
Any sudden change in behaviour, disorientation or altered sleep.

Adapting the plan to individual risk

The baseline calendar suits a healthy senior animal. Some conditions call for more frequent checks or extra tests, and recognising them lets you discuss the plan with the vet rather than simply accept it. Surveillance intensifies when risk justifies it, not at random.

A known chronic disease, requiring targeted checks on the affected organ and on the drugs in use.
Long term medication, since several drugs need periodic blood monitoring.
Breeds predisposed to specific cardiac, renal or endocrine problems.
A recent bout of illness, which brings surveillance forward until the situation settles.
New signs between visits, which move the check up earlier regardless of the calendar.

Geriatric medicine does not chase disease, it lies in wait for it: it catches it while still small, when the options are more numerous and cost less.
Principle of veterinary preventive medicine

Frequently asked questions

My animal seems healthy: does testing really make sense with no symptoms?: Yes, and that is exactly the point of geriatric surveillance. The most important age related diseases have a long phase without visible symptoms, during which a simple test finds them and home observation does not. A profile on a well animal serves two purposes: catching an early problem and, if all is fine, setting the personal reference values that make every future check easier to read. Waiting for the symptom almost always means starting late.
How often should blood tests be repeated in a stable senior animal?: For a healthy senior animal the common reference is a full assessment once a year, with a lighter, targeted check at the mid point, so two contacts a year in all. The frequency rises with a chronic disease, medication to monitor, or values that drift over time. The exact plan is set by the vet based on previous results: the rule is to match frequency to risk, not to repeat everything every six months out of habit.
A senior cat losing weight while eating a lot: what could it be?: It is a classic picture that deserves a check without waiting for the scheduled visit. A senior cat losing weight despite eating heavily first raises the suspicion of hyperthyroidism, though diabetes or intestinal absorption problems give similar signs. All are manageable if caught early, and diagnosis runs through targeted blood tests and, for the thyroid, hormone measurement. Note when the loss began and take that to the vet.
Should blood pressure be measured in animals too?: Yes, and it is often overlooked. Hypertension in senior animals is common and linked to kidneys, heart, eyes and brain: left untreated it can cause serious damage, for example a sudden retinal detachment with loss of sight. Measurement is quick and non invasive, done in the clinic with a calm setting to avoid a falsely high reading. In at risk animals or those with known kidney disease it belongs firmly in the periodic geriatric checks.

What to do next

Decide from age and size when the animal enters the geriatric phase and, from then on, move the visit from yearly to twice a year. Agree a baseline test panel with the vet, book both annual appointments now with a reminder thirty days ahead, archive every report in one place to read the trends, and pair it with steady home monitoring of weight, thirst, appetite and mobility.