Understanding Your Pet's Age

Acadia Veterinary Hospital Inc
5202 E 11th Street - Tulsa OK 74112
918-834-3304
24-Hour Emergency Service

Open Weekdays 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturdays 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

Use the chart below to calculate your pet’s ‘true’ age in relation to human years! Match your pet’s current age with its weight class to determine its age in comparison to a human. We recommend blood work to screen for early signs of disease in any patient classified by the age category of ‘senior’ or older on the below chart. Early detection is the best way to prevent disease and provide for a longer, healthier life for your animal.

Want to know your dog's age? If you have time, you can calculate their approximate age by using the following steps:

STEP 1
If a dog is a year old, that is the equivalent of 15 in human years (not seven, as we always thought).

STEP 2
When a dog reaches the age of two, he is approximately 24 in human years (not 14 as commonly believed). But not to worry, read on.

STEP 3
Add four years to every year after age two. For example, a three-year-old dog is equivalent to 28 in human years; a four-year-old is 32, a five-year-old, 36, a six-year-old, 40 -- and so on.

STEP 4
Take the dog's size into consideration, since smaller dogs generally have longer life spans than larger dogs, with toy breeds tending to live the longest and giant breeds, the shortest. For example, according to the above method, a six-year-old dog is considered 40 in human years, when in fact a larger dog may actually be closer to 42. However, veterinarians consider this a good general chart to follow for all dogs.

Here's a short cut for those without a calculator or a lot of time.

Dog Years	Human Years	Dog Years	Human Years
5 months	10 years	12 years	64 years
8 months	13 years	13 years	68 years
10 months	14 years	14 years	72 years
1 year	16 years	15 years	76 years
2 years	24 years	16 years	80 years
3 years	28 years	17 years	84 years
4 years	32 years	18 years	88 years
5 years	36 years	19 years	89 years
6 years	40 years	20 years	93 years
7 years	44 years	21 years	96 years
8 years	48 years	22 years	99 years
9 years	52 years	23 years	103 years
10 years	56 years	24 years	106 years
11 years	60 years

Want to know your cat's age? Here's an easy use method.

Allow 15 human years for the first year of your cat's life.
Add nine years for the second year. A two-year-old cat will approximate 24 human years.
Add four human years each for successive years of his life.
When all else fails, refer to the accompanying chart.

Tips:

This method utilizes averages only. Some purebred cats, such as Maine Coons, mature much slower and don't reach full development for three or four years. Finally, like humans, cats age in relation to diet, exercise and care.

Cat Years	Human Years	Cat Years	Human Years	Cat Years	Human Years
1	15	8	48	15	76
2	24	9	52	16	80
3	28	10	56	17	84
4	32	11	60	18	88
5	36	12	64	19	92
6	40	13	68	20	96
7	44	14	72