# Senior pet records, kept simple > Plain-language guides for owners of older dogs and cats: what to track, what to ask the vet, and when to call. Published by the makers of PawLine, an AI pet care app that answers questions about your own pet. ## About this site Guides here are general information, written by an editorial team and based on the sources cited on each page. They are not veterinary advice and are not reviewed or endorsed by individual veterinarians. For anything urgent or specific to your animal, contact your own veterinarian or an emergency clinic. ## About PawLine PawLine is an AI pet care app that answers questions about your own pet. It gives general AI guidance, which is not a diagnosis. Available for iOS and Android. Patent pending. More: https://www.pawline.inc/ ## Pages - [About The Gray Muzzle Ledger and our sources](https://seniordognotes.com/about-and-sources.md): Who publishes The Gray Muzzle Ledger, how guides are written and sourced, review status, and every source we cite. - [What a PawLine answer looks like: a mobility diary for a senior dog](https://seniordognotes.com/app-answer-example-senior-mobility-diary.md): A real screenshot of the PawLine app answering a question about a senior dog's stiffness, with what the answer covered and where it matches our guides. Demo pet, general information only. - [Appetite, weight and thirst changes in senior pets](https://seniordognotes.com/appetite-weight-thirst.md): Why to track weight, food and water, and which changes to bring to your vet quickly. - [The Gray Muzzle Ledger blog](https://seniordognotes.com/blog.md): Short, sourced posts from the Editorial team. - [A hands-on weight check for older dogs: the body condition score](https://seniordognotes.com/blog/body-condition-score-older-dogs.md): The body condition score uses what you see and feel, not just the scale. A step-by-step version from VCA Animal Hospitals. - [Film it: a short video can show your vet what the exam room cannot](https://seniordognotes.com/blog/film-your-senior-pets-movement-for-the-vet.md): AAHA says client videos of a pet walking or jumping can help detect early mobility problems. How to capture a useful clip. - [Older cats and weight: why a slow slide is easy to miss](https://seniordognotes.com/blog/older-cats-weight-water-appetite.md): AAHA and AAFP say being underweight is a common problem in senior cats. What changes, and what to write down for your vet. - [When a senior dog starts waking at night](https://seniordognotes.com/blog/senior-dog-waking-at-night.md): Cornell and AAHA on night waking in older dogs: rule out simple causes, know the cognitive dysfunction signs, and keep a night log. - [The DISHAA checklist: catching dementia in an older dog early](https://seniordognotes.com/blog/dishaa-checklist-senior-dog-dementia.md): Cornell's DISHAA framework for senior dog dementia: six sign categories to track, what to change at home first, and when to see the vet. - [Confusion, night pacing and cognitive changes](https://seniordognotes.com/confusion-night-pacing.md): Signs of canine cognitive dysfunction according to Cornell, and how to log them for your vet. - [Dog years calculator: dog age in human years](https://seniordognotes.com/dog-years-calculator.md): Convert your dog’s age to human years with the UC Davis formula, 16 × ln(dog age) + 31, a research estimate from a study of 104 Labrador Retrievers, not a universal age or health assessment. Why the old ×7 rule is wrong. - [Good days: a quality of life self-check for older pets](https://seniordognotes.com/good-days-quality-of-life-check.md): A gentle seven-category scale (HHHHHMM, by Dr. Alice Villalobos) to notice changes and bring notes to your vet. - [Keeping a medication and supplement log](https://seniordognotes.com/medications-supplements-log.md): Why every pill, powder, cream and “natural” product goes on the list, and what to bring to appointments. - [Printable daily log for a senior dog or cat](https://seniordognotes.com/printable-senior-log.md): A one-page log you can print: appetite, water, weight, mobility, mood, medications and notes. - [Tracking quality of life in an older pet](https://seniordognotes.com/quality-of-life.md): How owners use a quality-of-life scale to track good days and bad days, and how to talk with your vet. - [The records to bring to your vet](https://seniordognotes.com/records-for-your-vet.md): A checklist of what a vet wants from an owner of an older pet, and how to share it before the appointment. - [Senior pet glossary: plain-language terms vets use](https://seniordognotes.com/senior-pet-glossary.md): Plain-language definitions of the terms you hear at senior pet vet visits: life stages, pain and mobility, cognitive changes, bloodwork and quality-of-life scales. - [How often should a senior pet see the vet?](https://seniordognotes.com/senior-vet-visits.md): AAHA recommends a senior workup once or twice a year, with lab work every 6 to 12 months. What to ask and bring. - [Signs of pain and arthritis in older dogs and cats](https://seniordognotes.com/signs-of-pain-arthritis.md): Slowing down is not just age. Mobility changes to write down and show your vet, including how cats hide arthritis. - [When is a dog or cat considered senior?](https://seniordognotes.com/when-is-pet-senior.md): What “senior” means in the AAHA guidelines: the last 25% of a dog’s expected lifespan, and over 10 years for cats. - [When to call the vet about an older pet](https://seniordognotes.com/when-to-call-the-vet.md): A short list of changes that should not wait for the next checkup, and how to find an emergency clinic. ## Optional - [Sitemap](https://seniordognotes.com/sitemap.xml)