Life with a Senior Dog

I'm kind of shocked people think 7 and 9 year old dogs are Senior dogs. Seven year old should be the prime of life for a dog.

mudpuppy

I'm kind of shocked people think 7 and 9 year old dogs are Senior dogs. Seven year old should be the prime of life for a dog.

 Really? You must have or have only ever owned small dogs then.

http://www.swiftcreekanimal.com/forms/srdog.doc

Babe could have been considered a senior at 6. Kord just turned 2 and is still considered a puppy, at ages 3, 4 and 5 he will  be considered at his prime. After that, he is considered a senior.

This does not mean that the vet or myself treat them as such, in Babe's case she had some underlying issue's that we knew were going to prematurly age her, we were warned of this, and I think she did fantastic! Kord is a work in progress and much more active than Babe was, so I will have to watch him.

Here are a couple of sites that are good to bookmark for senior dogs:

• http://www.handicappedpets.com/
• http://www.dogleggs.com/

mudpuppy

I'm kind of shocked people think 7 and 9 year old dogs are Senior dogs. Seven year old should be the prime of life for a dog.

I am too but maybe that's because Sassy, who is 8ish (we think), shows absolutely no signs of age. It wasn't until Buffy turned 10 or 11 that I even noticed any signs of aging and it was random enough that I wasn't sure if she'd just played too hard or it was age-related. She really hadn't slowed down her activities until just this last year though.

Shari didn't really show aging difficulties until she was about 12.  First I had her on Deramaxx for arthritis, but after finding this forum, I switched her to Knox Nutra Joint, glucosamine, and Valerian.  I think she was mid-way through her 13th year at that point.

I moved the water bowl closer to where she laid, elevated it.  Also elevated her food dish.  Bought a couple of orthopedic beds to put in her favorite spots.  Walks were slower, shorter.  She had a chronic eye problem most of her life, so sight was not good and I never moved my furniture.  Even after her left eye was removed at 14, she still got around okay.  We were more careful not to move up on her blind side since her hearing was going as well and she really didn't know we were there. 

 Really? You must have or have only ever owned small dogs then.

never owned a dog that weighed less than 65 pounds. Know lots of people with so-called "senior" dogs who are healthy, athletic, and act like puppies. Part genetics, part good diet/exercise program, part luck.

According to several studies mean age of natural death of dogs is around age 13, smaller ones slightly longer, bigger ones slightly less. A seven-year-old dog would therefore be sort of equivalent to a 50-year-old person. I think most 50-year-olds would strongly object to being called "senior".

I think most 50-year-olds would strongly object to being called "senior".

Maybe that's why nobody likes those AARP letters that arrive just in time for one's 50th birthday...LOL

When Goliath turned 12 his arthritis in his back legs started getting a bit worse.  We had hard wood floors, and kind of steep stairs going to the bedrooms.  We would walk behind him when he wanted to go upstairs, with our hands lightly on his behind to let him know we "had" him if he slipped.  He was a big dog though, 90lbs or so, though he did lose a lot of weight as he got older.  Coming down those stairs he was terrified and would cry at the top until my father or brother would carry him down the stairs, or I would walk backwards in front of him each step. 

My parents have a van, and he had difficulty getting into that, as well as into and out of the camper trailer, so my father built a ramp, and carpeted the ramp for him. 

I guess, just watch whenever Willow hesitates to do something, and see what can be done to help her with that particular thing

 I don't have any senior dogs, but my mom has an 11 year old min pin named Abby. She still gets daily walks but they are alot shorter, she tells them when she is ready to turn around. She got arthritis last year so my mom got her a new bed that's easier on her, and put alot of blankets on it since she likes to curl up in them. Other than changing her diet, nothing much has changed. Oh, she's blind so my mom can't move any furniture around anymore because Abby knows the house as is right now. Went over a few weeks ago and put my bookbag on the floor forgetting and Abby walked right into it, of course I felt soo bad. :(  As for treating them differently, my mom baby's her alot more now than she used too, but that's my mom for you.

We treat Brownie basically the same except we give him a little more attention and petting because we might not have much time left. He also doesn't play as much now but he does pick up his rope and play when he wants to but only for about 5 mins. We haven't changed the set up of the house at all yet though. Instead of his long walks we only take him about 7 blocks now. We give him regular food but we put a little water in because of his teeth getting a bit older. We also have an orthopedic bed for him and he absolutely loves it. We also give him little massages every once in a while for his arthritis.

My lab Shadow lived to be 15 1/2 (RIP my devil dog) She grew old gracefully. Unfortunately for her she did have issues with her back end towards the end. She could no longer climb stairs, jump in the car, and the worst part she did not "know" if she had to or if she was going to the bathroom. Fortunately for us it was her rectum, no bladder issues. She hated being carried up or down the stairs which we did since she was a smaller lab, she hated being lifted in the car. She was so dignified. The last 4th of July we took her up north (she was 14) she watched my two younger dogs jump off the dock. That was HER thing it frustrated her so and it saddened me that it did. The only other thing we had to do for her other than carry her on stairs was we blocked our bedroom door so she couldn't wander around the house at night. If she did she would have piddle issues because she would stimulate her bladder by moving around. She was mostly blind, and completely deaf when she passed.

Maxine is still doing very well (knock on wood). However she is starting to have issues getting in the car. She is much bigger than Shadow so I see a ramp in her future. Not too distant too. If she is tired she does not think she can do it. She may have a little cloudiness in her eyes but she seems to see fine. Her hearing is more selective than it used to be. I know she still hears fine because she may ignore me if I call her but if a piece of food hits the kitchen floor and she is in the basement she bolts up the stairs. Recently we started her on a "regular" routine of Previcox. She was not showing signs of pain, but she is older and I know I have aches. We are only giving her 1/2 a tablet 3 times a week. I do think she is more comfortable as a result.

We have dog beds but my dogs usually opt to sleep on the floor, at least in the summer. We do escort Max in her potty walks more now. The silly girl often does not leave the porch. I think she just has us trained. We walk/exercise her regularly. I actually started working her on the bike. Not as much speed as Belle, with Max I maintain a steady good trot speed for her. She loves it. Maxine still walks 2+ mile walks. She handles them very well still. Not too tired in the end. She keeps up with Belle and Teddi on our weekend outings too. The big thing I notice is she is more tired in the end than the other two. She refuses to not be a part of it. We do try to make sure she does not over do. She is a FIRM believer of anything they can do she can do.  

One of my favorite Shadow stories. She was 4 days before her 15th birthday. She was a bird hunter and lived for opening day. DH took her out hunting with Belle. Shadow bless her heart worked that field, found and flushed a pheasant. Belle stared in amazement how cool that was. Shadow was the ultimate bird dog.

 

Mosby is now 14 and his arthritis has gotten much worse in the last two years.  I make sure there are comfortable beds on every floor for him, although in the summer he prefers the hardwood floor.  I don't want him on the furniture because of shedding but also because I worry more that he will hurt himself trying to jump up and down.  I encourage him to take his time on steps and will stay behind him to give his rear end a boost if he is struggling, but generally I try to treat him the same.  When he is at my mom's house she treats him like an "old dog" and he seems to fall into acting like one.  At my house, he acts more like a puppy, just with less running around.  He'll still get excited when he finds a toy under the couch and throw it around a few times, and then "tackle it" and chew on it with his tail wagging just like a puppy.  So I guess I haven't changed too much, I have just slowly discouraged too many steps or vigorous running.  I have also noticed some weight gain as he has gotten older so I changed how much I feed him and opt for things like carrots over cookies for treats.

I do very little differently with my senior dog.  Much of the time he acts just like a young dog!  I think, being a small breed and a terrier, he won't be truly "old" for a few years yet. 

Oh, wow thank you all so much for sharing the things you do or don't do with your older dog.  If you are fortunate enough to have a healthy older dog cherish every second because you never know if/when that could change. 

Thanks everyone, please keep posting--I think this is the best thread I've ever started!

mudpuppy

Seven year old should be the prime of life for a dog.

Mudpuppy, you seem to have lots of dog experience.  Have you ever had a senior dog and if so did you do anything special or different in that dogs life as it aged.