Pet Parent Day: Confidently Caring for Your Senior Pet
A full day of practical guidance to help you recognize problems sooner, make better decisions, and enjoy every moment with your senior pet. Watch from your couch, with them right next to you.
If you've noticed the harder mornings, this is for you.
For the dog owner watching their best friend slow down, and feeling it in their chest every time.
For the cat parent who's been told cats "just slow down with age," and senses there's more to it than that.
For the owner whose 7-year-old looks perfectly healthy, and senior care hasn't crossed their mind yet. That's exactly when it matters most.
of pet owners experience anticipatory grief, the quiet worry that starts long before anything is actually wrong. Almost nobody talks about it, so almost everybody carries it alone.
Senior Pet Con is where you stop guessing and stop carrying it alone. One day of real answers from veterinarians who love senior pets as much as you do, with your pet right next to you the whole time. You'll walk away knowing more than you did this morning, and feeling a lot less alone tonight.
Get Tickets NowHow the day works
Two channels of sessions. Surprises during every break.
You know your pet is getting older. What's harder to know is what to do about it: what's normal, what's worth a vet visit, and what would actually make their days better. That's what this day is for.
Your seat for the day: the couch, with them.
The Wellness Lounge
Hands-on comfort, from massage techniques you'll practice live to a cook-along your dog gets to taste-test.
Prevention + Longevity
Veterinarians explaining what actually happens as pets age, how to catch problems early, and how to make the big decisions with confidence.
Senior Rescue Spotlights
During the breaks, we celebrate senior rescue spotlights, plus a closing contest for the community's most distinguished gray muzzles.
Every session is live, and you can move between channels whenever you like. Attend from your couch with your pet next to you.
While we'll do our best to keep the schedule as planned, speakers, topics, and session times may shift slightly.
Pet parent programming
A day built to help you love them better.
Every session is designed for the person who wants to do right by their senior dog or cat, whether that means learning, laughing, or finally feeling seen. Here's what you'll take home.
Hands-On Comfort You'll Practice Live
Massage and touch therapy for stiff joints and anxious moments, taught by a veterinarian while your pet gets the benefit on the spot.
Senior Cats, Finally Included
Recognizing the pain cats hide so well, plus a complete senior cat wellness checklist. A cat over 10 is a senior, even if they look great.
The Live Cook-Along
A fresh recipe for senior dogs with sensitive stomachs, cooked together in real time. Ingredient list sent ahead. Your dog supervises.
Catch Problems Early
The five things most likely to happen to your senior pet, the early signs that are easy to miss, and what catching them early actually changes.
Strong, Mobile, and Thriving
Muscle loss and joint stiffness are among the most treatable aspects of aging. Daily habits, mobility, and an honest look at the science of longer, healthier lives.
The Part Nobody Warns You About
Loving a senior pet without living in fear, the questions you've been too embarrassed to ask a vet, and a closing celebration of every gray muzzle.
Plus: helping your dog through vision, hearing, and brain changes, the senior dental decision, and spotlights on the rescues giving senior pets a second chance.
Get Tickets NowSaturday, September 12
The full schedule.
A full day of practical guidance to help you recognize problems sooner, make better decisions, and give your senior pet more good days. Move between channels freely, your ticket covers everything.
Science with Heart: Healthy Aging and the Human-Animal Bond
We kick off the day together. Opening remarks from Senior Pet Con co-founders Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVM and Adam Greenbaum, followed by Steven Feldman, President of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, and Lauren Johnson, DVM, Senior Manager of Field Veterinary Services at Virbac. Presented by our Presenting Sponsor, Virbac.
Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVM · Adam Greenbaum · Steven Feldman, HABRI · Lauren Johnson, DVM, Virbac
The Senior Cat Wellness Checklist: What Every Cat Parent Should Know
A cat over 10 is a senior, even if they look great. This session gives you a clear checklist for their care: what to feed, what to monitor at home, which screenings matter, and the questions worth asking at their next visit. You'll leave with a plan, not a guess.
Dr. Petra Cerna, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), MANZCVSThe 5 Things Most Likely to Happen to Your Senior Pet (and How to Catch Them Early)
Most senior pet health problems follow patterns, and the earlier you spot them, the more you can do. We'll walk through the five conditions most likely to show up in your senior dog or cat, the early signs that are easy to miss, and what catching them early actually changes.
Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVMLoving a Senior Pet Without Living in Fear
Loving a senior pet means carrying a quiet worry that never fully goes away. This conversation is about living with that fear without letting it steal the good days. It's about staying present, planning without panicking, and making the most of the time you have. You're not alone in it.
Adam Greenbaum & Erika SinnerHelping Your Senior Pet Stay Strong and Mobile
Muscle loss and stiff joints aren't just "getting old." They're among the most treatable aspects of aging. Learn what keeps senior pets moving, from exercise and weight management to therapies your vet can offer, so the stairs, the couch, and the daily walk stay part of your pet's life.
Dr. Chelsea Villarino, DVM · Virbac11:00 am PST · 2:00 pm EST
Break · Senior Superlatives Contest
Grab a coffee, stretch, snuggle, and vote in the community's Senior Superlatives Contest.
Dr. Monica Tarantino & Dr. Molly BrinkmannTouch Therapy at Home: Massage Techniques for Your Senior Dog or Cat
Your hands can do more for your senior pet than you might think. Learn simple massage techniques to ease stiff joints, calm anxiety, and feel even closer to your dog or cat. You'll practice right alongside us, and your pet gets the benefit on the spot.
Dr. Shannon Nash, DVMThe Senior Dental Decision: How to Make the Right Choice for Your Pet
Few decisions worry senior pet parents as much as dental work. Is anesthesia safe at their age? Is it worth it? A veterinary dental specialist walks through how to weigh the risks and benefits, what untreated dental disease really costs your pet, and how to make the call with confidence.
Dr. Heidi Lobprise, DVM, DAVDCRecognizing Pain in Senior Cats
Cats are experts at hiding pain. Often the signs are small: skipping the jump to the windowsill, grooming less, hiding more. Learn what to watch for, what those changes might mean, and when it's time to call your vet. Catching pain early gives your cat more comfortable years.
Dr. Maranda Elswick, DVMCan We Help Dogs Live Longer? The Science Behind Healthy Aging
The science of canine aging is moving fast, and some of it is remarkable. An honest look at what researchers are learning about why dogs age, what might extend their healthy years, and what's real versus hype. No miracle claims. Just where the science stands today.
Dr. Brennen McKenzie, MA, MSc, VMD · Loyal for Dogs1:00 pm PST · 4:00 pm EST
Break · The Senior Puppy Bowl
Settle in for the Senior Puppy Bowl, plus a message from our friends at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.
MuttvilleHelping Your Senior Dog Through Vision, Hearing & Brain Changes
When your dog starts bumping into furniture or sleeping through the doorbell, it's hard to know what's normal aging and what needs attention. How vision, hearing, and cognitive changes manifest, plus practical adjustments to keep your dog confident and comfortable at home.
Dr. Melissa Shapiro, DVMThe Daily Habits That Help Senior Pets Thrive
Good senior years are built on ordinary days. The small daily habits that add up: nutrition, enrichment, routine, and the quick at-home checks that catch changes early. Nothing complicated, nothing expensive. Just the everyday things that make the biggest difference.
Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, DVM · PurinaCook Along: A Fresh Recipe for Sensitive Tummies for Dogs
Grab your apron and cook with us, live. We'll make a fresh, simple recipe built for senior dogs with sensitive stomachs, and talk through why each ingredient earns its place in the bowl. Your dog gets to be the taste tester. This one's as fun as it is useful.
Nikki Giovanelli, RVT, MS Animal Nutrition CandidateAsk the Vet Anything: The Senior Pet Questions Everyone Is Too Embarrassed to Ask
The questions you've been afraid to ask are answered without judgment. Bathroom accidents, strange smells, changing behavior, the topics no one brings up at the dog park. Nothing is off limits, and nothing is too small. Bring your questions and get honest answers from a vet who has heard it all.
Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVM🧡 Closing Remarks
Senior Pet Con founders Dr. Monica Tarantino and Adam Greenbaum close out Pet Parent Day and celebrate the community that showed up for their senior pets.
Dr. Monica Tarantino & Adam GreenbaumPet, Vet & Aftercare Roundtable
Your weekend isn't over. On Sunday afternoon, pet parents, veterinarians, and aftercare experts all sit at the same table. Three seats at the same appointment: what each of us sees, and what we would change. One conversation, every side of the exam room, and one change each of us is asking you to make.
Adam Greenbaum · Dr. Monica Tarantino, DVM · Lucinda Newcomb, Chief Customer Officer, Gateway
Thank you for being here with us
Your pet deserves this day. So do you.
- You love your senior dog or cat more than most people around you will ever understand. This day is built for you to learn, laugh, and feel a little less alone in all of it, with your pet right next to you.
- A full day of live sessions from expert veterinarians on pain, mobility, nutrition, and enrichment
- Dedicated senior cat sessions, because a cat over 10 is a senior too
- A live cook-along for your senior dog, with the ingredient list sent ahead
- Ask the Vet Anything: real answers to the questions you've been afraid to ask
- Stories, humor, and the Senior Dog Tyranny Support Group 🐾
- Sunday's closing end-of-life conversation, open to both audiences
- Can't catch every session live? Add 60 days of replays for $10 at checkout, plus downloadable guides included with every ticket
Common questions
Everything you're wondering, answered.
Is this for dogs only, or cats too?
Can my pet attend with me?
Is this really 100% virtual?
When does the day start?
What does my ticket include?
What if I can't watch live?
Do pet parents and vets attend together?
Two brands. One shared mission.
Get to know the brands behind the event.
Senior Pet Con is a joint production of Love, Baxter and the Senior Dog Veterinary Society: two organizations built with the same belief that senior pets and the people who love them deserve more.
Love, Baxter is committed to building the world's most helpful resource for pet end-of-life, senior pet care, euthanasia support, aftercare, and grief. Not as a brand story. As a real response to a loss that changed a family.
- End-of-life education and resources
- Euthanasia decision support
- Aftercare guidance and planning
- Pet grief support and community
- Senior pet care and wellness content
The Senior Dog Veterinary Society exists to enhance the care of senior and geriatric canine patients by supporting the veterinary professionals who treat them, and through the Senior Dog Revolution, to change how senior dogs are perceived everywhere.
- Geriatric canine clinical education
- Support for veterinary professionals
- The Senior Dog Revolution
- RACE-approved continuing education
- Client communication resources