Senior Pet Health Record

Who this is for

The record an older animal earns. Check-ups, blood tests, dental work and anything else the practice does go in the upper table with the result and the next date they gave you; the lower table is where you write what you see at home between visits, which is usually where a change shows up first.

Owners of a dog, cat or other pet the vet now calls senior, households sharing the care of an ageing animal, and anyone whose practice has moved to more frequent check-ups.

What this helps you track

• Check-ups and tests with the result you were given and the next date
• Current medicines and conditions written where a sitter or a locum can see them
• Day-to-day changes at home, dated, instead of remembered
• Whether a change has already been mentioned to the practice
• A record to take to an appointment rather than a week of vague recollection

How to use it

1. Fill in the animal's details, the practice and the current conditions and medicines at the top.
2. After each check-up or test, add a line: the date, what was done, who saw the animal, the result as they gave it and the next date.
3. Between visits, write dated lines in the lower table when something changes — eating, drinking, toileting, mobility, sleep, mood, lumps, coat.
4. Tick the column when you have told the practice, so nothing is mentioned twice and nothing is missed.
5. Take the sheet to the next appointment, or open the browser version on your phone in the consulting room.
6. Keep a copy where a sitter or a family member can find it.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

When does a pet count as senior?

That depends on the species, the breed and the individual, and your vet will tell you when they consider your animal to be there. The sheet does not define it and carries no age thresholds.

How often should an older pet be checked?

Your practice sets that. Many move to more frequent appointments with age, and the next due column is for whatever date they give you.

What is worth writing in the observations table?

Changes rather than snapshots: drinking more, slower on stairs, waking at night, off one food, a new lump, stiffness after rest. Vets ask when it started, and a dated line answers that.

Should I record medicines here?

Keep the list of current medicines in the field at the top, and the dose-by-dose record on a medication log. No doses appear anywhere on this sheet.

Can it help with a quality of life discussion?

A dated record of what has changed is a useful thing to bring to that conversation, but the conversation belongs with your vet. The sheet offers no scoring and no guidance.