Pettify for senior dogs and cats

What owners of senior pets keep track of

From the rules behind Pettify’s care plan for older pets, each with its source. They describe the routine, not treatment: anything new or worrying is for your vet.

1. When “senior” starts

   Dogs by breed, cats from 10 years

   AAHA counts a dog as senior in the last quarter of its expected lifespan, so a large breed gets there years before a small one. Pettify takes the upper end of the breed’s lifespan: a breed that lives 10 to 12 years is senior from 9. For cats, the AAHA and AAFP guidelines start the senior stage at 10 years.

   Sources: AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines, 2019; AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines, 2021

2. A check-up every six months

   Every 6 months

   Both sets of guidelines say a senior dog or cat should see the vet at least every six months, and the plan schedules the check-up that often. For cats from about 7 years, it also suggests asking your vet about yearly blood and urine tests.

   Sources: AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines, 2019; AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines, 2021; AAFP Senior Care Guidelines, 2021

3. Shorter walks, more often

   3 walks a day, each half as long

   For a senior dog, the plan halves the length of each walk and makes it three walks a day instead of two: a senior pace, on soft ground where possible. A dog used to two 30-minute walks gets three of 15.

   Sources: AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines, 2019; Royal Kennel Club breed profiles

4. Smaller meals, gentler play, more brushing

   4 meals a day for a senior cat

   Older cats do better on smaller, more frequent meals, so the plan suggests four a day. They groom themselves less, so brushing comes up more often, and play sessions get shorter and gentler but stay daily.

   Source: AAFP Senior Care Guidelines, 2021

5. Nails that need a look

   At every trim

   An older cat’s nails thicken and can grow into the pads. For a senior cat, the nail trim becomes an essential task, with a note to check the nails every time.

   Source: AAFP Senior Care Guidelines, 2021

How Pettify helps

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  A plan that changes with age

  When your pet reaches the senior stage, Pettify adjusts the care plan and sends a notification that says so. You can still change how often and when each task comes up, switch tasks off and add your own for anything your vet adds.

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  Daily medicine reminders

  Many older pets take something every day. A reminder can repeat daily, several times a day if needed, and the notification has Mark as Done and Snooze for an hour, so a dose doesn’t slip when the evening gets busy.

• 

  Weight and vet visits on record

  Log weight and temperature and follow them on a chart. Each vet visit keeps the medicines prescribed at it, and you can attach lab results as photos or PDFs, up to 10 per record.

• One report for the next appointment

  Before a check-up, export a PDF report with vaccinations, vet visits, health records, the care plan and recent activity. Attached lab results are printed inside, and you can share it straight from the app.