A Smarter Approach to Senior Pet Care: Q&A With Dr. Alea Harrison

As pets live longer, their health needs become more complex, and the importance of proactive, preventive care has never been greater. Banfield Pet Hospital recently introduced new Senior Care and Senior Care Plus Optimum Wellness Plans (OWPs), designed using insights from the organization’s extensive medical record database and industry best practices, including the American Animal Hospital Association’s Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. These enhanced plans bundle essential preventive services with advanced diagnostics, helping veterinary teams and pet owners detect age-related conditions earlier, when intervention can be most effective and affordable.

To learn more about the development of these new offerings and what they mean for aging pets and the people who care for them, Vet-Advantage spoke with Dr. Alea Harrison, chief medical officer of Banfield Pet Hospital.

Banfield has long emphasized preventive care. How do these new Senior Care Optimum Wellness Plans extend that philosophy for aging pets?

Dr. Harrison: Banfield has always believed that every pet deserves the opportunity to thrive throughout all stages of life. For more than 30 years, Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans (OWPs) have helped make regular, high-quality preventive care easier and more affordable for millions of pets annually.

Understanding the unique needs of aging pets, Banfield developed the new Senior Care OWPs. These plans bundle essential preventive services — like regular wellness visits, vaccinations, and advanced diagnostics — to help catch age-related health issues early, when intervention is often easier and more affordable. By focusing on prevention, we aim to help senior pets live happy, healthy lives.

Since launching in June 2025, Banfield has enrolled more than 34,000 pets on Senior OWPs — enabling our hospital teams to deliver specialized care in a predictable and budget-friendly way.

In November, Banfield celebrated older companions during National Senior Pet and Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Months by partnering with TV personality and senior dog owner Dylan Efron. The campaign highlights how older pets bring companionship, love, and fulfillment to families, while also addressing common barriers to adoption such as concerns about care and cost. By covering adoption fees and offering complimentary Senior Care OWPs for six adoptable pets across the U.S., we’re making it easier and more affordable for families to provide the specialized care aging pets need.

Our hope in recognizing the unique joys and rewards of senior pet adoption is that every older pet not only finds a loving home but also receives the preventive care necessary to enjoy their golden years to the fullest. We recently began introducing the adoptable pets, and within one week, three have already found their forever homes, including an adorable bonded pair!

What insights from Banfield’s medical data influenced the creation of the senior-specific plans?

Dr. Harrison: The development of our Senior Care OWPs was informed by Banfield’s extensive medical record database and industry best practices, including the AAHA Senior Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. Our data shows that 17% of the over 500,000 senior dogs and cats examined annually at Banfield’s hospitals are diagnosed with cardiac issues, and 11% with diabetes. These insights highlighted the need for advanced diagnostics and tailored preventive care to address the most common health challenges faced by older pets.

How do these new offerings reflect broader trends in how veterinarians approach senior pet care today?

Dr. Harrison: Veterinary medicine is increasingly recognizing the unique health needs of senior pets. There’s a growing emphasis on proactive, data-driven care
that combines regular wellness exams with advanced diagnostics to detect age-related illnesses early. Banfield’s Senior Care OWPs reflect this trend, offering flexible, budget-friendly packages that make high-quality, preventive veterinary care more accessible and convenient for pet owners. Our approach aligns with industry guidelines and the broader movement toward lifelong wellness for pets.

The new Senior Care plans include six types of diagnostic tests. How do these tools change the way you and your team manage older patients?

Dr. Harrison: The inclusion of six types of diagnostic tests — bloodwork, radiographs (x-rays), urine testing, blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiogram (ECG), and dental exams — gives our veterinary teams a comprehensive view of a senior pet’s health. These tools help us monitor changes in organ function, detect common age-related issues like kidney and heart disease and identify problems such as diabetes or urinary tract infections. With this information, we can tailor care plans, intervene earlier and manage chronic conditions more effectively, with the goal of improving outcomes for older pets.

Can you share an example of how early detection through these diagnostics has changed outcomes for senior pets
in your practice?

Dr. Harrison: Early detection is critical for senior pets, as symptoms of age-related illnesses can be subtle and progress quickly. One example is Royce the poodle: his owner, Jessica G., has worked as a veterinary technician at Banfield for over a decade. When the 12-year-old pup started to show signs of his age — a possible sinus arrhythmia along with a mild daily cough — Jessica knew the Senior Care OWP was perfect for his advancing needs. His Cardio proBNP test came back abnormal, which led to further diagnostics, including chest radiographs and a radiologist consult — all covered under the plan.

Thankfully those results were unremarkable, so Jessica and the team will continue to carefully monitor Royce. And she has the peace of mind to know he’s safely able to do what he loves — stay active, social, and bringing cheer to everyone he meets.

By catching issues early, we can initiate treatment sooner, help slow disease progression, and help pets maintain a better quality of life.

Many pet owners struggle to recognize signs of aging in their pets. How do you and your team help clients understand what “normal aging” looks like versus early signs of illness?

Dr. Harrison: We educate clients that while aging itself isn’t a disease, senior pets are more vulnerable to chronic conditions. Symptoms — such as changes in appetite, mobility, behavior, or bathroom habits — can be subtle. Our team helps pet owners distinguish between normal aging and early signs of illness by providing regular checkups, screenings, and clear communication about what to watch for. We encourage preventive care, including routine bloodwork and dental cleanings, to catch issues early. We also share tips for keeping older pets secure, mobile and mentally engaged, and recommend consulting a veterinarian if any changes are noticed.

How do these wellness plans make conversations about cost and value easier with clients concerned about affordability?

Dr. Harrison: Our Senior Care OWPs are designed as set packages of preventive care services at a fixed cost, covering unlimited office visits, vaccinations, exams and diagnostics. By bundling services, we add ease to routine preventive care for pet owners, making conversations about the importance of monitoring their pet’s health as they get older easier while helping them avoid unexpected costs associated with treating chronic age-related disease.

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istockphoto.com/Bigandt_Photography

istockphoto.com/Guillermo Spelucin Runciman

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