Ravinder Dhaliwal, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), DABVP (Canine and Feline)^†
MedVet Silicon Valley Veterinary Specialists, San Jose, California

Elizabeth Boynton, DVM
Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California

Sheila Carrera-Justiz, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Nicole Cruise, CVT
Northcentral Technical College, Wausau, Wisconsin

Mary Gardner, DVM
Lap of Love, Jupiter, Florida

Janice Huntingford, DVM, DACVSMR, MS, CVPP, CVA
Essex Animal Hospital, Essex, Ontario, Canada

Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDC
Cibolo Creek Veterinary Hospital, Kerrville, Texas

Elizabeth Rozanski, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine)
Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts

Contributing Reviewers

Kathleen Cooney, DVM, CHPV, CCFP
Caring Pathways, Berthoud, Colorado

Lynn Hendrix, DVM, CHPV
Beloved Pet Mobile Vet, World Veterinary Palliative Medicine Organization, Davis, California

Correspondence: [email protected]

^†R. Dhaliwal is the chair of the AAHA Senior Care Guidelines Task Force.

These guidelines were prepared by a task force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association. This document is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA standard of care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting. Evidence-guided support for specific recommendations has been cited whenever possible and appropriate. Other recommendations are based on practical clinical experience and a consensus of expert opinion. Further research is needed to document some of these recommendations. Drug approvals and labeling are current at the time of writing but may change over time. Because each case is different, veterinarians must base their decisions on the best available scientific evidence in conjunction with their own knowledge and experience.

The 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines are generously supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, CareCredit, IDEXX, and Zoetis.

AAHA would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr. Lynn Hendrix’s additional contribution of developmental editing of this guideline.