As pets get older, families often notice changes that are hard to put into words. A dog seems unsettled once the house goes quiet at night. A cat drifts away from the routines they used to love. A once-confident companion becomes more anxious, clingier, or seems briefly lost in rooms they have known their whole life.
These moments can be unsettling, because it is not always clear what they mean. Is this simply old age? Or is it a sign of something more — like Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, often called pet dementia?
You should not have to guess. To help families notice these patterns early and talk about them with confidence, Pet Requiem created the SENIOR Mind Check — our own brain-health screening and tracking tool for aging dogs and cats.
What the SENIOR Mind Check is
The SENIOR Mind Check is a simple, at-home checklist that organizes the everyday signs of cognitive change into six areas that are easy to observe and remember. It is not a diagnostic test. It is a way to see clearly — to turn a vague feeling that “something is different” into specific observations you can track over time and share with your veterinarian.
Built on trusted veterinary science
The SENIOR Mind Check is an original Pet Requiem tool, but it is informed by well-documented clinical signs of cognitive change in aging pets — including the respected DISHAA framework developed by Dr. Gary Landsberg, which veterinarians use to organize the behaviors seen in Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (Disorientation, Interactions, Sleep/Wake cycle, House soiling, Activity, and Anxiety).
We built the SENIOR Mind Check to put that same clinical thinking into a form that is warm, plain-spoken, and easy for families to use at the kitchen table. It complements — and never replaces — a veterinary examination.
Continue Your Journey
Start with the Interactive SENIOR Mind Check
If you’d like guided scoring and immediate feedback, complete the assessment online.
Prefer a Printable Version?
Download the SENIOR Mind Check Checklist to complete at your own pace, track changes over time, and share with your veterinarian.
The SENIOR Mind Check is a screening and tracking aid, not a diagnostic test, and does not replace a veterinary examination.
