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A report in Veterinary Practice News describes how veterinary practices can build a more continuous care pathway for senior pets, from identifying patients who have stopped coming in to tailoring visits and planning ahead. The approach addresses barriers such as transport, cost concerns and fear, but the report does not describe a new formal program or provide outcome data showing how well these measures work.
Veterinarian Chelsea McGivney has outlined a care pathway veterinary practices can use to help senior pets remain in regular care, focusing on early planning, individualized visits and support for obstacles that keep owners away. The report matters because older animals may return to a clinic only after a health crisis if caregivers mistake changes for inevitable aging or face hurdles such as transport, cost concerns or a pet’s fear of travel.
McGivney’s report, published by Veterinary Practice News, describes a practice-level approach rather than announcing a new clinical guideline or service. It recommends treating aging as a distinct life stage that calls for an individualized plan, not assuming that every change is either an unavoidable part of age or evidence of terminal illness. The plan can address preventive screening, pain, nutrition, dental health, behavior and concurrent conditions, alongside the caregiver’s ability to provide care.
The proposed first operational step is to identify older dogs and cats who have not had an examination within a practice-defined period. A records review can flag chronic conditions, missed follow-ups, discontinued medications, mobility concerns and previous handling difficulties. McGivney advises making contact in a supportive tone and asking what would make a visit easier, rather than sending only a generic overdue notice. Possible responses include a quieter appointment, help getting an animal from the car, telehealth where appropriate, staged care to address cost concerns, or referral to a mobile provider.
Visits may need more time and adjustments to the environment. The report suggests gathering information in advance about changes in appetite, drinking, mobility, sleep, elimination and behavior. Caregivers might also share videos of their pet moving around at home. Low-slip surfaces, soft bedding and accessible scales are among the environmental considerations in the source material. The report’s excerpt ends while discussing visit design; it does not provide a complete implementation protocol.
Keeping Older Pets in Routine Care
The pathway targets a gap between gradual changes at home and the point when an animal needs urgent attention. A caregiver may assume that slower movement, altered sleep or appetite changes cannot be addressed, or worry that a visit will bring unaffordable recommendations or a premature end-of-life discussion. If those concerns go unaddressed, the report says, routine appointments can be postponed until a crisis prompts the family to seek help.
For clinics, the recommendations shift senior care from isolated appointments to an ongoing relationship: notice which patients have dropped out, ask why, then offer practical options. For families, that can make room to discuss comfort and priorities before decisions are made under pressure. These are the intended benefits described by McGivney; the report does not present measured results showing that the proposed steps reduce emergencies or improve health outcomes.
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Guidance Behind the Care Approach
The report cites the 2023 American Animal Hospital Association Senior Care Guidelines, which it says do not set one age that defines every senior patient. Species, breed, size, expected lifespan, health and functional changes all affect how an individual animal should be assessed. The guidelines are presented as support for a broad, individualized approach rather than a single age threshold.
McGivney also cites a 2024 scoping review that identified barriers to veterinary access, including affordability, geography, staffing and equipment, communication, transportation and practical or social factors. The report uses that finding to argue that an overdue appointment may reflect more than a lack of interest in care. Its focus is on ways a clinic can ask about those barriers and adapt where possible.
“What would make this visit easier for you and for Bella?”
— Chelsea McGivney, DVM, MBA, in the report
Evidence and Local Implementation
The source describes recommended practice changes but does not report whether a clinic has implemented the full pathway, how many patients it reached or what outcomes followed. It also does not set a universal definition of “senior,” a standard interval for identifying patients overdue for care, or a single required appointment format; those choices are framed as matters for individual practices and patients.
Some options depend on circumstances. The report says telehealth may be considered only when legally and clinically appropriate, and a mobile-provider referral may not be available in every area. It does not give cost estimates or establish that every clinic can provide added appointment time, environmental changes or transport assistance.
Steps for Veterinary Practices
McGivney’s proposed next steps begin with each practice reviewing its records, deciding which patients to contact and preparing a supportive outreach message. Teams can then ask caregivers what is preventing a visit and consider an appropriate response, such as a low-stress appointment, a staged plan or a referral. Pre-visit questions and home videos can help the team understand changes that may not appear during a short examination.
The report does not announce a rollout date, a formal program or a follow-up evaluation. Whether the approach changes attendance or health outcomes remains to be seen; practices adopting it would need to track those results themselves.
Key Questions
What is the care pathway described in the report?
It is a proposed practice approach to identifying senior pets who have stopped attending, understanding why, and tailoring outreach and appointments to the animal and caregiver. It is not described as a newly launched national program.
Does the report define one age when a pet becomes senior?
No. Citing the 2023 AAHA Senior Care Guidelines, the report says age alone does not define every senior patient; species, breed, size, lifespan, health and functional changes matter.
What might make a senior-pet visit easier?
The report suggests discussing quieter appointment times, help getting an animal from a car, telehealth when legally and clinically appropriate, staged care, low-stress handling or referral to a mobile provider. Options depend on the clinic and the family’s circumstances.
Does the report show that this approach improves outcomes?
No outcome measurements are provided in the source. It describes recommended steps and their intended purpose, but does not establish their effects on attendance, emergencies or health.
Source: veterinarypracticenews.com
