Which statement is true about how aging dogs should be managed in terms of disease risk?

• A. All aging dogs have subclinical disease.
• B. Aging dogs do not require routine monitoring.
• C. Age alone is sufficient to diagnose disease.
• D. Senior status indicates age, not necessarily disease.

Answer: (D)

Being older increases the risk for disease, but age itself is not a diagnosis. The true statement is that senior status indicates age, not necessarily disease. This means management should include routine monitoring and ongoing screening to catch problems early, since some conditions can be present without obvious signs. Not all aging dogs have subclinical disease, and even healthy seniors benefit from regular checkups because early detection improves outcomes. Conversely, age alone does not diagnose disease, and healthy seniors should not be treated as diseased merely because they are older. Regular monitoring allows clinicians to tailor care to each dog’s needs as they age.