New research highlights ageing dog healthcare needs

New research from the University of Liverpool, funded by BSAVA PetSavers, shows that dog owners think many important changes in their older pets are 'just old age', when actually they are signs of serious health problems.

The researchers surveyed more than 600 dog owners and more than 300 veterinary professionals across the UK. Dog owners were asked if they had noticed any of a list of 48 different clinical signs in their older dogs, and how urgently they thought they should seek veterinary advice when they noticed them.

The research team identified that dog owners regularly attributed potentially serious changes in older dogs to normal ageing, and thus may not take them to see a vet.