Autumn is when owners notice things. The evenings are long and indoors, the lamps are on, and you are simply in the same room as your pet more often. A lot of what gets noticed in October gets filed under old age. Some of it is. A surprising amount of it is something we can help with.
Why these weeks bring it to the surface
Three things change at once in Burnaby households from late September. Walks get shorter and wetter, so a dog who was comfortably tired in August is now under-exercised and restless in the evening. Daylight shrinks, which shifts sleep patterns for pets as much as for people. And everyone is home more, so the pacing at eleven at night that nobody was awake to see in July is suddenly obvious.
Cats show the same seasonal effect. A cat who was out most of the evening is now indoors from five o’clock, and the yowling at two in the morning starts to register.
Normal ageing, and the things that are not
Slowing down a little, sleeping more, being slightly less interested in a long walk: that is ageing. The changes worth a conversation are the ones with a pattern to them.
- Disorientation. Standing in a corner, going to the hinge side of a door, staring at a wall, or pausing as if they have forgotten what they came for.
- Changed interaction. A dog who used to greet you and now does not, or a cat who was aloof and is suddenly clingy. Either direction counts.
- Sleep that has flipped. Sleeping heavily all day and pacing, panting or vocalizing at night is one of the most telling patterns.
- House soiling in a pet who was reliable for a decade.
- Anxiety that is new. Following you room to room, distress when left, or startling at things that never mattered.
- Loss of learned routines, like forgetting to ask to go out, or losing a trained cue.
- Repetitive behaviour, such as circling, licking a spot on the floor, or wandering the same loop.
Together those describe cognitive dysfunction, which is common in older dogs and cats and frequently never mentioned to us, because owners assume nothing can be done and do not raise it.
The important part: it is often not the brain
This is why we would rather see the pet than answer by phone. Several very different problems look identical from the sofa.
- Pain. Arthritic pets pace because they cannot get comfortable, avoid stairs, and become irritable when handled. Night restlessness is often sore joints, not confusion.
- Hearing and sight. A pet who ignores you may not hear you. A pet who hesitates in a dim hallway may be losing vision, which shows up exactly as the evenings darken.
- An overactive thyroid in cats, which causes night yowling, weight loss and restlessness.
- High blood pressure, kidney changes and liver changes, all of which alter behaviour.
- Diabetes, where the first thing owners usually notice is drinking more, and accidents overnight.
Most of those are found with an examination and straightforward testing. Our pet diagnostics cover blood work and urine testing, and blood pressure can be checked at the same visit. That is how the other causes get ruled in or out.
What helps at home, whatever the cause
- Keep the routine boringly predictable. Same meal times, same walk times, same bed. Older brains lean on routine.
- Light the path. A night light in the hallway and by the water bowl helps a pet with fading sight or confusion far more than people expect.
- Deal with slippery floors. Runners and mats on laminate and tile change how confidently an older dog moves. If your home is mostly laminate or tile, this is one of the highest-value changes you can make.
- Make the essentials reachable. Water on every floor, a litter box with a low side, a bed that does not need a jump.
- Exercise the brain in daylight. Short sniffing walks, scatter feeding and puzzle bowls tire an older pet more kindly than distance.
- Keep the day busy and the evening calm, so the sleep pattern has a chance to settle.
- Write things down. A week of notes about when the pacing starts, how often they drink, and what they eat is worth more to us than any description from memory.
Night-time restlessness is also the point where anxiety and confusion feed each other. If your dog was anxious before this started, our guide to understanding dog anxiety covers the groundwork that still applies in old age.
When to bring it forward rather than wait
Any of these deserve an appointment rather than a wait-and-see: a sudden change over days rather than months, circling or pressing the head against a wall, a seizure, sudden blindness, a marked increase in drinking, weight loss, or a pet who becomes distressed or aggressive when touched. Sudden is the word that matters. Cognitive change creeps; most of the other causes arrive quickly.
Twice-yearly check-ups make more sense than yearly ones once a dog or cat is into their senior years, because six months is a long time at that stage. Our medical services team can set that rhythm up with you.
Frequently asked questions
My dog paces and pants every evening. Is that dementia?
It might be, and it might be pain, so it is worth an exam before you decide. Evening pacing with panting is a common presentation of arthritis discomfort in older dogs, and it is worth identifying rather than accepting. Note the time it starts and how long it lasts.
Is there anything that actually helps cognitive decline?
Yes, there is a real plan for these pets, built around diet, enrichment, routine, sleep and comfort, with more options your veterinarian can discuss once other causes are ruled out. What does not help is waiting a year and hoping. Earlier is better with this one.
My cat howls in the middle of the night. Why now?
Night vocalizing in an older cat is a classic sign worth checking, commonly linked to an overactive thyroid, high blood pressure, sight loss, pain or cognitive change. It also gets louder in autumn because an indoor-at-night cat has more hours awake in the dark. Please do not write it off as attention-seeking without an exam.
How old is senior?
Roughly seven for most dogs, earlier for giant breeds and later for small ones, and around ten to eleven for cats. What matters more than the number is that once a pet is in that range, changes deserve to be mentioned rather than absorbed.
Should I still walk my older dog in the rain and dark?
Yes, but change the shape of it. Shorter, more frequent, well-lit, on a harness, with time to sniff rather than distance covered. An older dog who stops going out entirely stiffens up faster and sleeps worse.
My pet seems fine, just old. Is a visit worth it?
A senior check catches the things that are silent for a long time, including kidney changes, thyroid changes, blood pressure and dental pain, which our dental care team can then look at properly. Plenty of those visits end with nothing to do beyond a baseline, and having that baseline is exactly what makes next year’s result meaningful.
Speak to the team at Brentwood Animal Hospital
If something about your older dog or cat has changed this autumn, phone us and describe it, even if it seems minor.
Published by the team at Brentwood Animal Hospital.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for an in-person veterinary examination or advice about your individual pet. If you have an urgent concern about your pet, contact Brentwood Animal Hospital or your nearest emergency veterinary hospital right away.
Brentwood Animal Hospital
4489 Hastings Street, Burnaby, BC V5C 0L6
Phone: (604) 900-8383
Email: info@brentwoodvet.ca
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Thursday closed