Senior care guide · Free digital Pet Passport
Keeping older pets healthy starts with better records
Senior pets — generally dogs over seven and cats over ten — need a different kind of record-keeping. Conditions develop gradually: weight creeps down, mobility changes, medications multiply and vet visits become twice-yearly instead of annual. Paper notes scattered across years are useless when a new sitter, groomer or emergency vet needs the full picture tonight.
Why this matters
The LetzPaws Pet Passport is built for exactly this stage: ongoing medications with dates, weight trends in care notes, allergy flags that never fade, and a private share link you can send to any professional in one tap.
Senior health checkpoints by age
Twice-yearly vet visits
Switch from annual to six-monthly wellness exams. Log each visit date, bloodwork results summary and any new diagnoses in the passport.
Weight monitoring
Weigh monthly and note trends in care notes. Unexplained loss is an early warning for kidney disease, diabetes and cancer — having a written trend helps any vet spot patterns faster.
Medication management
Senior pets often take pain relief, joint supplements, thyroid medication or heart drugs. The medications field prevents sitters from missing a dose or doubling up.
Mobility and handling notes
Arthritis, deafness, vision loss and cognitive changes affect how professionals handle your pet. Update temperament and care notes so groomers, walkers and sitters adapt before the appointment.
These are general guidelines — breed, size and existing conditions change what your vet recommends. Larger dogs often enter senior care earlier than small breeds.
Vaccinations in senior years
| Vaccine / measure | Protects against | Typical schedule | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core boosters (dogs/cats) | Distemper, parvo, RCP components | Every 1–3 years per vet protocol | May be extended with titre testing in some cases |
| Rabies | Rabies virus | As legally required | Still mandatory for travel regardless of age |
| Lifestyle vaccines | Kennel cough, FeLV, leptospirosis | If still boarding, hiking or outdoors | Discontinue only on explicit vet advice |
Your vet may adjust the vaccination schedule for senior pets based on lifestyle and titre testing. Keep whatever protocol you follow fully logged — boarding and grooming facilities still require proof.
What senior pet sitters and groomers need most
Pain and mobility signals
Which leg is stiff, whether stairs are OK, if lifting is tolerated — groomers and sitters adjust handling based on this. Update after every vet visit.
Medication timing
Twice-daily pills, insulin, topical treatments — exact times and instructions in the medications field. Sitters see it before the stay begins.
Dietary restrictions
Kidney diets, low-fat formulas, allergy exclusions. Senior pets often have strict food requirements that cannot be improvised.
Emergency vet preference
Your regular vet plus the nearest 24-hour clinic. In a crisis, a sitter with your passport link knows exactly who to call.
Expiry alerts
Every vaccination is tracked with its expiry date — anything overdue is flagged in red automatically.
One-tap sharing
Generate a private link and show the full passport at the clinic — no app needed on their side.
Seen by every pro you book
Allergies, temperament and care notes appear with every LetzPaws booking, before the appointment starts.
Frequently asked questions
Is the passport useful if my pet is already senior? +
Especially then — you are likely managing more data than ever. Even entering current medications, vet contact and recent weight takes minutes and immediately helps every professional you book.
Can I share the record with a new vet? +
Yes — generate a private link and show it at the first appointment. They see vaccination history, medications, allergies and care notes without you reconstructing years from memory.
How do expiry alerts help senior pets? +
Boosters, prescription renewals and parasite treatments all have dates. The passport flags anything overdue in red — useful when you are managing multiple medications and appointments.
Do professionals see health alerts automatically? +
When you book on LetzPaws, allergies and critical notes appear with the booking. For anyone outside the platform, use the one-tap share link.
Is it free for senior pets? +
Yes — free for pets of any age, with no limit on profile completeness or sharing.
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