Think of it like this—the older you are, the more closely you have to monitor your health. When you could climb a tree in a minute when you were 10, at the age of 40, you might find yourself struggling. Over time, the body becomes less nimble and there is a plethora of other problems. It’s exactly the same for your dog! If the pooch is nearing his 5th birthday, his health is closer to that of a 50-year-old man, so it’s likely he needs more monitoring and frequent checkups. The new calculations have a scientific study behind them