Author Topic: How to prepare for dog getting older?  (Read 2041 times)

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Offline Mari

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How to prepare for dog getting older?
« on: January 07, 2017, 11:30:01 AM »
So my first dog is officially in the oldies category, she'll be 11 this year. Luckily she still seems young except for a bad knee. But I want to make sure I continue to give her as comfortable a life as possible. So I was wondering if you guys would share experiences with me on living with a senior dog? Good or bad. What changes have you made to routines, home environment, feeding, exercise etc. I'd love to learn from your experiences so I can be prepared. I also just enjoy hearing about oldies in general  :luv:

So far the only change for us is due to her knee arthrosis. She is now on a vet diet adapted to dogs with joint problems. She also gets some medication for her knee. Last year I bought her a memory foam bed, I thought a mature lady might appreciate a quality mattress (she did not care for it  :005: ). She does not seem to have any stiffness in other joints, but I didn't like the idea of her sleeping on the cold floor so I moved her mattress to a chair to get some distance from the floor and now she seems pleased :)

Any stories or tips and tricks for improving an older dogs life is appreciated :)


Offline Holly Berry

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Re: How to prepare for dog getting older?
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2017, 12:33:54 PM »
Rosie is now 13 and two of my previous dogs have reached 12 and 13. TBH I don't treat them any differently now they are older than they been have throughout their life.

I let them decide what they want to do and tailor their walks accordingly. Rosie recently had a benign tumour removed from her ear so isn't able to go swimming anymore due to infections, but I have no doubt she would still go in if I let her.

She doesn't have any concept of old age so I just go with the flow and let her get on with it
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Offline elaine.e

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Re: How to prepare for dog getting older?
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2017, 05:58:08 PM »
My first Cocker, Josh, reached the incredible age of 16 years and 51 weeks! I'd so hoped he'd make his 17th birthday, but it wasn't to be. He just died of old age, not of any particular illness.

One of my current two, William, is 12 years and 9 months. He's quite fit and active, although almost totally deaf. I think the main difference between Josh at 12 and William at 12 is that I've made very sure that William has stayed slim, whereas I remember Josh as being a bit portly at that age.

William has Dry Eye and cataracts, but his eyesight is still OK and the cataracts haven't changed for several years and are unlikely to do so now. He has some damaged discs in his back and they're one of the reasons I make sure he stays slim. He has acupuncture every couple of months, which helps, and I add golden paste and a green lipped mussel supplement to his food every day to help with his mobility and his general health. He's raw fed and I find that helps keep him slim and fit too.

He still walks in the New Forest every day and enjoys his walks, although I've noticed that he trots rather than runs nowadays and I know he's lost a bit of muscle tone in his back legs. I lift him in and out of the car, because of his back, and rarely let him go upstairs for the same reason.

I think keeping them mentally stimulated and interested in life is as important for older dogs as it is for older people. So I make a point of playing with him and his favourite cuddly toys for a few minutes every day, vary his walks by going somewhere different a couple of times a week, take him up to my friend's house so he can see his best friend Ruby Retriever (who is even older at 15) and when we're out walking we play games such as finding hidden treats and practice a few sit stays and recalls.

I haven't changed his diet. He's raw fed, which he loves, and I find it helps him to stay slim without me having to reduce or change his food. Until recently the belief for many years was that older dogs needed less protein in case it put too much pressure on their kidneys. But now it's being realised that unless they have a specific kidney problem they need as much protein as younger dogs because they're less able to assimilate protein and may become protein deficient if their diet is low protein. There's also a recognition that good quality protein that's easily digested, such as from meat and fish, is better than protein from grains or other sources.

So overall, I think good diet, appropriate exercise and mental stimulation are all important to help keep them as fit and happy as possible.

Offline Mari

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Re: How to prepare for dog getting older?
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2017, 08:00:24 PM »
Thanks for sharing! A lot of good information here :)

Offline PennyB

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Re: How to prepare for dog getting older?
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2017, 11:20:07 PM »
I'm the same re quality rather than quantity and mine do as much as they can that they usually do for as long as they want to - its worth keeping an eye out for aches and pains or even just putting them on something like yumove advanced anyway. I sometimes see my vet more for reviews to make sure I haven't missed anything but not much really. Its not even worth getting Lady a lovely bed as she seems to dictate where she sleeps anyway, which might mean the floor but its her choice.

I must admit its great having dogs of different ages (currently aged 3, 5, 6 & 12) so I can do long and short walks when I want and don't miss out - before Ruby died I'd take her on quite short walks on her own then would walk the others for a longer time
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