Caring for A senior dog
Who knew that this quirky little dog we adopted from the humane society would still be around 16 years later? Her face is now completely gray, and her back legs are a little stiff. She can’t hear a thing and her sight is quickly going too. Within the last year, we’ve noticed her seeming disoriented, and sometimes I find her in a room just staring at the wall. At night she seems anxious and unable to settle down. Being left alone has become increasingly stressful for her and often she has accidents, which you can tell she is immediately sorry about. She sometimes almost falls asleep while standing up and her back leg almost always has a little nervous tremor. It was time for me to learn everything about caring for a senior dog.
Bailey's Story
In June of 2006, we just moved to Texas and promised the boys (age 6 and 3) that we would finally get a family dog. We visited an Animal Expo fair and there stood Bailey on top of a table at the Humane Society tent. She had been rescued from the streets, just found wandering alone, and they nicknamed her “Lolita”. They guessed she was about a year old and was a chihuahua mixed with rat terrier and maybe even miniature greyhound. She had a sweet disposition and was house trained in no time. Outside of her weird obsession with eating bugs (probably discovered on the streets) she seemed like the perfect dog.
Entering the senior years
So here we are 16 years later which by the way makes Bailey 112! Although she has definitely aged, she has lots of good days too! She still spins in circles for treats, and has no issues jumping up on furniture. Just recently giving up our 3-mile a day walks, she still goes up and down stairs like a champ! Her strongest sense these days is smell, and she knows immediately when you walk in the room. Her quality of life is still there so now our job is to make her as comfortable as possible in her senior years. After doing some research, I found some great tips for caring for a senior dog. If you are lucky enough to have a senior like Bailey, and recognize similar aging signs, keep reading.
Routine for a senior dog
food
Try to do the same things at the same time every day. Feeding them at the same time is key, because literally that might be the highlight of their day. Also, it might be time to switch to “senior” food. Just introduce it slowly. Bailey, who ate hard food her whole life now only likes canned food. That probably has more to do with her teeth than the taste, but it was easily changed. She also went from eating two large meals a day to several small ones 3 times a day.
Exercise
The other thing you really want to keep in the routine is exercise. Not only does it keep their weight down, which prolongs their life, but it also helps with their stiff joints. It may be time to make those walks shorter, but as long as they seem to enjoy it, it’s the best thing you can do for them. They still have their sense of smell, and this is probably when it’s most fun.
Veterinary Care for a senior dog
Annual Checkups
The most important thing is the bloodwork. With Bloodwork they can check white and red blood cells as well as kidney and liver function. Those are an easy way to detect any kind of disease. We just took Bailey last month, and even with all her senior moments, the bloodwork came back perfect! Whew! This is also an opportunity for the vet to check all the bumps and lumps that seem to pop up daily.
Cognitive Dysfunction
This is unfortunately a common senior dog issue and mimics what we know as Alzheimer’s. I’m sure there are many levels. I read that some dogs forget where their food and water bowl are. I’ve mostly noticed that Bailey gets confused outside and often tries to go to our neighbor’s house after being let out. Most of her cognitive issues seem to be related to anxiety. The vet told me that is mostly related to separation (even if I’m just a room away), or dulled senses and increased pain (arthritis). You can get a small dose anxiety pill to take the edge off when there is an upcoming stressful situation, but mostly you just need to be patient.
Home environment for a senior dog
Dog Bowls
An elevated dog bowl is incredibly helpful for a senior dog both with digestion and mobility. Also make sure that your dog stays hydrated! They should always have a bowl of water, sometimes more than one, and you will notice them drinking a lot more than normal. Of course, that means they may need to go out more than normal. If they don’t seem interested in water, pour a little beef or chicken broth in to make it appetizing.
Ramps or steps
I’m not at this level yet, but if your senior dog has always been on furniture and now throws out a hip jumping up, it might be worth getting a ramp. Unfortunately, some dogs will be terrified of the ramp, and you will have to turn around and return it. At this point in life, they aren’t learning any new tricks.
Rugs
Senior dogs not only struggle with balance but tend to slip and slide if they can’t get traction. I read somewhere to get them padded socks but that was a hard no for Bailey. The most important area is the stairwell. Ours were wood and after a couple of falls, I realized I needed tread pads.
Cleared paths
The night vision is the first to go, and I can tell you firsthand that if something is unexpectedly on the floor, Bailey will run right into it. Also, nightlights are helpful on stairs or anywhere that your dog may wander at night.
temperature control
Senior dogs’ metabolism has slowed down, so just like older people their hot and cold sensation is a little off. They should not be exposed to either extreme temperature. Bailey who used to burrow deep under the blankets, now prefers to lay on top.
In conclusion, Bailey has been my shadow and experienced the last 16 years by my side. She watches all my favorite TV shows and never asks me to change the channel. When I really don’t want to exercise, she sits by the door until I put on her leash. No matter how long I leave her alone, even if it’s just 15 minutes, she’s over the moon excited to see me come back. Impromptu naps? She’s right next to me to keep me from feeling guilty. She cleans up all dropped crumbs better than any vacuum ever could. And most importantly, she stood by me while we watched the kids go off to college. Now it’s her turn to be taken care of.
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