Senior Pet Wellness & Cognitive Health Check-In | Tell Tail Moonlight Veterinary Center
Tell Tail Moonlight Veterinary Center

Senior Pet Wellness & Cognitive Health Check-In

A short screening for dogs age 8 and up, built around the changes we look for most in senior pets. Complete it at home before your visit, or with our team in the room.

Before you begin: This check-in is an educational screening tool, not a diagnosis. Many of these signs overlap with other treatable conditions, so any items you flag here are things for your veterinarian to examine, discuss, and test for as needed. Please complete every question as accurately as you can.

Pet & Visit Information

Your email is used only to send a copy of these results to our care team so they can be added to your pet's medical record.

Part 1: Senior Wellness Screening

Older dogs are prone to chronic pain and functional decline that can be easy to miss day to day. Check anything you've noticed recently.

General History
Chronic Pain: Dental
Chronic Pain: Joints
Functional: Mentation
Functional: Mobility
Functional: Elimination
Functional: Senses
Quality of Life & Other
Does your pet seem to enjoy their life?
Interested in learning how to "senior dog proof" your home?
Do you experience caregiver exhaustion at times?

Part 2: Cognitive Health (DISHAA) Assessment

For each item, score how it has changed since your dog turned 8, compared to earlier in life. Score every item, even if the answer is "none."

DISHAA
DDisorientation

Gets stuck or has difficulty getting around objects, goes to the hinge side of a door

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Stares blankly at walls, the floor, or into space

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Does not recognize familiar people or familiar pets

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Gets lost in the home or yard

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Less reactive to sights or sounds

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ISocial Interactions

More irritable, fearful, or aggressive with visitors, family, or other animals

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Decreased interest in approaching, greeting, or affection/petting

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SSleep/Wake Cycles

Pacing, restlessness, sleeping less, or waking at night

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Vocalizing at night

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HHousesoiling, Learning & Memory

Less able to learn new tasks or respond to previously learned commands, name, or work

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Indoor soiling of urine or stool, or decreased signaling to go outside

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Difficulty getting your dog's attention, increased distraction, or decreased focus

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AActivity

Decrease in exploration or play with toys, family members, or other pets

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Increased activity, including aimless pacing or wandering

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Repetitive behaviors, such as circling, chewing, licking, or "stargazing"

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AAnxiety

Increased anxiety when separated from owners

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More reactive or fearful of sights or sounds

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Increased fear of places or locations, such as new environments or going outdoors

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Please score all 18 DISHAA items before submitting.

Your Results

0 None
None (0–3)Mild (4–15)Moderate (16–33)Severe (>33)

Talking points for your veterinary visit

To add these results to your pet's medical record, scroll down to the form below (now pre-filled), verify the "I'm not a robot" check, and click Submit.
Bring this summary to your next visit, or schedule a senior wellness exam so we can discuss these findings together.
Request an Appointment

About this tool: Part 1 is adapted from the Senior Wellness Pre-Visit Screening Checklist, adapted by the CCDS Working Group from the Senior Dog Veterinary Society (© 2026, Monica Tarantino, DVM). Part 2 is adapted from the DISHAA Assessment Tool, created by Dr. Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM, for the Purina Institute, and is provided here for screening purposes with permission of use implied for clinical education. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome scoring reference: Salvin HE, McGreevy PD, Sachdev PS, Valenzuela MJ. Underdiagnosis of canine cognitive dysfunction: a cross-sectional survey of older companion dogs. Veterinary Journal (London, England: 1997). 2010;184(3):277-81.

This check-in is an educational screening tool only. It does not diagnose any condition and does not replace a physical examination. Under California law, a veterinarian must establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, generally through examination of your pet, before making a diagnosis or recommending treatment (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 16, § 2032.1).

Tell Tail Moonlight Veterinary Center · 414 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024 · (760) 652-5002