Hi friends,

Southern California summers seem to get warmer every year. And somehow… it’s already the middle of August. I’m getting the kids ready to go back to school and wondering where the summer went—even though, judging by the weather, summer clearly has no intention of going anywhere. 😅

But there’s a family I saw this week that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

They have the sweetest golden girl who is now fourteen. As she’s gotten older, the things that used to be simple aren’t quite so simple anymore. She still loves her baths, but getting in and out of the bathtub became difficult for her, and lifting a senior Golden Retriever in and out wasn’t exactly sustainable for her humans either.

So her dad came up with a solution. He took one of those folding lawn chairs, folded it down low, and put it inside a kiddie pool in the backyard. Now she can step into the shallow pool, settle onto her little chair, and enjoy her bath without struggling.

And then they bought her a water heater. For the kiddie pool. For the dog. 😂💛

I don’t know why, but that detail just got me. Because isn’t this what loving an old dog looks like?

Inside their house, they have her physical therapy exercises taped to the kitchen wall. They work her little cookie stretches into the rhythm of everyday life—between dinner, homework, errands, and everything else a family has going on.

And this summer, they discovered a hummingbird nest on their deck. Woven into the nest were strands of her golden fur. 🥹 Even the hummingbirds, apparently, have decided she’s part of their family.

But here’s the other side of loving a fourteen-year-old dog.

That same week, they had one of those nights. She vomited, there was a mess everywhere, and for about 45 minutes she couldn’t get her legs underneath her. If you’ve ever loved a very senior pet, you probably know exactly where your mind goes in those moments.

Is this it? Are we getting close? Am I going to have to make that decision?

And then, a few hours later, she got up and walked herself to the bathroom. All by herself.

Despair at 2 a.m. Hope by breakfast.

That emotional whiplash is such a real part of loving a senior pet. One difficult night can make you feel like the end is suddenly right in front of you. And then the next morning, they’re asking for breakfast, sniffing around the yard, or looking at you like, Why is everyone acting so weird? I’m fine. 😂

I watch so many families carry this quietly, and I want you to know something: caring for a senior pet is rarely about one heroic thing you do. It’s usually a hundred tiny accommodations.

It’s the rug you put over the slippery floor. The ramp by the bed. The medications organized on the counter. The physical therapy exercises taped to the kitchen wall. And yes, sometimes it’s the lawn chair in the kiddie pool and the water heater you bought because your fourteen-year-old dog deserves a warm bath. 💛

Each one says the same thing: You are still here. You still belong with us. And we’re going to keep meeting you where you are.

As veterinarians, of course we talk about medications, supplements, lab work, mobility, pain control, and nutrition. All of those things matter tremendously. But especially in these senior years, I think there is another kind of medicine we sometimes forget to name: comfort, dignity, joy, and belonging.

Maybe that’s one of the greatest gifts we get to give them toward the end of their lives. Not trying to make them young again, but helping them feel safe, comfortable, and deeply loved exactly where they are.

And sometimes, that looks like a lawn chair in a kiddie pool. 💛

And while we are here — the three things I want every senior pet family to know.

Stay ahead with preventive testing.

Here’s the hard truth about our seniors. By the time symptoms show up at this age, we are often already behind. Bloodwork, imaging, arthritis markers, microbiome assessments, cancer screening — these catch the quiet shifts long before they become the crisis. With senior pets, early is everything.

Keep up with rehabilitation appointments.

Regular bodywork does more than maintain muscles and joints. It keeps us connected to their body month over month, so we notice the small changes before they become big ones. And what most families don’t realize — movement and physical engagement support cognition too. A body that keeps moving keeps the mind moving with it.

Be present. Do the things you love together. And speak love over them every day.

This one matters more than any test. Take the slow walk. Sit in the sunshine together. Let them do the things that light them up, even at their own pace now. And every day, spend a few quiet moments in positive affirmation with them — they feel it more than we know. These are the golden years. Be in them.

So this week, if you are deep in those years, I want you to know the lawn chair counts. The taped-up exercises count. The warm bath counts. All of it counts.

Tell me about your old one, their name, their ridiculous comforts, the thing you rigged up just for them. Send us an email at info@integrativepet.com. These are my very favorite emails to read.

Give your gray-muzzled ones an extra slow scratch from me today. 🐾

— Dr. Lily 💜

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A Note for Senior Pet Parents

If you have a senior pet who has not had a wellness exam in the last three months, please reach out to our team today and let’s get their next appointment on the calendar.

I know it is easy to wait until something feels wrong. But with our senior loves, the most powerful medicine happens before the wrong shows up. This one conversation, looking closely at their bloodwork, their body, their comfort, their whole picture, is genuinely one of the most important things you can do for their golden years.

Message us at (213) 316-6886 or send us an email at info@integrativepet.com. We would be honored to walk these years alongside you.

I want to say the thing I think Neda’s double-take was really asking about.

There’s an idea floating around that somewhere out there is a category of pet parent who has it handled. Who isn’t googling at eleven at night. Who doesn’t stand in an aisle second-guessing a chew toy. And when you’re inside your own worry, it is very easy to believe that everyone else is in that category and you are the exception.

I’m telling you as someone people assume is in that category: I’m not. There isn’t one. The expertise doesn’t remove the worry — it just gives the worry better vocabulary.

Because worry, most of the time, isn’t a sign that you’re failing. It’s love that hasn’t found a task yet. It shows up before you know what to do with it, and it looks like doubt, and it feels like inadequacy, and it is actually just the size of how much you care arriving ahead of schedule.

So — yes, I’m just figuring it out.

I think that might be the whole job.

What’s the thing you assumed every other pet parent already knew, and you were the only one still guessing at?

I’ll go first — I genuinely did not know whether to buy the chew toy. I bought it. She loves it. I still don’t know if it was the right call.

— Dr. Lily

Send us your answer at info@integrativepet.com