Our Old Dogs

[snorky998]

Just wondering if we can have a new topic, a specific area to post/discuss concerns primarily related to our older Basenjis?

One of mine is now 14+ and it seems that weekly I have new worries. His eyes are failing, his hearing is failing, his aft-quarter coordination has been off since October, etc...

I'm just a lowly pet owner but a lover of my fur-kids and our breed. I'm not looking for medical advice. I've learned from all of you here all I need to know about preventative care.

I'm thinking more like a .....sheesh....hard to explain....kind of a '"hospice" kind of thing. A Sharing of what to expect, what is normal, what could be coming in our future with an older dog....

[MacPack]

Great idea! I have had several over the years that made it to 17 and 18, but also find it can vary a lot. Some are still bouncing around at 15, others are really slowing down at 14.

My 14 + girl has a bum knee right now, a stretched ACL, and I hate to see her lame and hope it is temporary . She too is pretty much completely deaf and her vision is bad in low light. She has gotten to be a very picky eater too. She has some tremors occasionally, so like your guy, it is something all the time! No one thing is huge, but all together is really makes her seem old. Fortunately her spirit is still going strong and she has a very dominant personality to pull her along.

I think that 14 is about average for the dogs to lose hearing and some sight. Watch for back injuries to show up now, often simple spinal spondylosis that can cause pain and pinched nerves that can make that rear end wobbly. We did some guided stretching with Topper, one holding the shoulders and the other holding the pelvis, and just doing some gentle stretching. It must have felt good as Topper tolerated it every time we stretched him.
Eddie has a bad cervical spine so we stretch his neck, one holding the head and the other the shoulders and it seems to help with is lame right front leg. He likes is so much I can do it alone, I hold his around the head and he will lean back, essentially doing the pull himself! Referred to in our house as "lets pull Ed's head off".

Glucosamine, or Cosequin, can really help stiff joints as well, including the spine. It gave an old girl her mobility back and from age 15 to 17 she got along very well after starting her on glucosamine & chondroitin.

So like humans, stretching, moderate exercise, something to ease the joints, a good diet, all help them age gracefully. Love the oldies every day, they are so special!

[agilebasenji]

I have to say (again) that a good holistic vet has been a key to keeping my seniors going. Digital the brindlewonderkid at 15 now and Jet the (still) trying at 14 are going strong. A few years ago I noticed Digital was loosing some muscle mass in his thighs and for that Dr Jim suggested hydrotherapy, so we go to the doggy pool once a week. This is great because it is so hard to get good exercise in colorado in the winter. And he's pretty deaf and has to pee more often, otherwise, he's in great shape. Really! No arthritis and he can still jump on the sofa/chairs. We did have to put a chest at the foot of the bed when we got a new (higher) bed so that he can get up there if he wishes.

Jet tends to throw his back out and so off to Dr Jim we go about once every 5-6 weeks. Dr Jim does chiro on him and we're good to go for a little over a month.

[agilebasenji]

should have added - great idea for a topic!!!

[Patty]

Yes, I agree - great idea for a topic. I haven't tried hydrotherapy. My oldest now is Spring who is 14 and a half - she doesn't see too well and lately I've noticed is not too keen on longer walks. I'm taking her for her check up next week and hopefully will get some advice on treatment - possibly acupuncture but hydrotherapy will be on the cards now you've mentioned it, agilebasenji.

[agilebasenji]

Yes, I agree - great idea for a topic. I haven't tried hydrotherapy. My oldest now is Spring who is 14 and a half - she doesn't see too well and lately I've noticed is not too keen on longer walks. I'm taking her for her check up next week and hopefully will get some advice on treatment - possibly acupuncture but hydrotherapy will be on the cards now you've mentioned it, agilebasenji.

You should be able to find someone good over on that side of the pond, I know the people that I go to here went to England to train. ;-)

[ownedbyspencer]

Spencer is 14 and counting. His hearing and eyesight are both going. I thought he might be blind, but the vet checked and said he still has sight left. He sure doesn't act like it. After he fell down the stairs a second time, they were put off limits, and he is now carried up and down. He doesn't like it one little bit, but it's just too dangerous for him. Some days, he's spry and active; other days, his hind legs tremble. The x-rays showed a little arthritis. He's on Cosequin DS, but I don't see that it's helping much. The Arthrosamine seemed to help more, so I'm going to switch him back to that. It's more expensive, but I did see a difference.

Spencer has recently started two odd habits. One is that he seems to have forgotten that humans have feet. He will walk right in front of you and trod all over your feet. It drives kids WILD. He doesn't seem to notice that your feet are there. If he feels like sitting, he will park it right on your feet. You try to move them. Uh-uh, he's not budging.

The second thing is, just last week, he got in touch with his inner cat. You know how a cat will ROWWW when outraged-- well, Spencer has started doing that, too. I was giving him his pills one night-- never fun, especially lately -- and he just ROWWWWWed at me like a POd tomcat. Same thing next day. Out come the pills; out comes this ROWWWW! It's not a baroo, not a yodel, not a chortle, not a cry, it's a ROWWWW. Other than that, he's gone totally silent. What's that about? He's gone over to the cat side?

Great thread! Love the oldsters. I'm going to check into the stretching and try to find someplace locally for hydrotherapy. Hmmm... maybe this is a medical reason to buy a hot tub?

[giza1]

This IS a good topic, old dogs are such treasures! There are a few oldies in this house but only one is a Basenji; we have a 16 and a half year old Australian Shepherd, he was my service dog; we lost a 15 year old Siberian Husky in January, she had a tumour underneath her jaw; and we have a 15 year old Basenji, Billy, who is recovering from a stroke. We have two 12 year old Sibes as well but I never consider our dogs "old" until they get to be 13.

Billy is doing very well considering neither of us figured he'd see his 15th birthday in December. He couldn't walk at all last summer, he was very skinny, weak and fragile, but now he can totter around and he gets to where he wants to be, he's put on weight and a lot of muscle mass! Both of his eyes have totally clouded over with cataracts now, this began not quite 2 years ago and I don't think he sees much. He can hear, and smell things and he LOVES to eat! He never was incontinent, he knows what he's supposed to do but occasionally he'll have, not an accident, rather an "I don't care". He's been on phenobarbital for a few years to combat seizures -- too much and he can't walk, not enough and he will seize; it's a fine line. I haven't heard him yodel for about 6 months but he will occasionally ROAR (sortta) at another dog!

And.... his breath (mouth) smells like a sewer, "nothing we can do about that" said the vet. But Billy got some Blue Buffalo "Blue Bones" for Christmas, he loves them and, honest to God, they work on his breath!!
-Joanne

[eeeefarm]

And.... his breath (mouth) smells like a sewer, "nothing we can do about that" said the vet.

After we lost our last boy at just shy of 15, I said to my sister, "what I wouldn't give just to hold him again and smell his horrible breath". Yes, it is very hard to let go of our old ones. I am fortunate in that my current boy is just becoming middle aged at 8, but I have two very old horses (35 & 30 this year) that I know I am going to lose soon. We never have enough time with our critters. I am very much for spoiling them as they hit their golden years. They have earned it!

[agilebasenji]

And.... his breath (mouth) smells like a sewer, "nothing we can do about that" said the vet. But Billy got some Blue Buffalo "Blue Bones" for Christmas, he loves them and, honest to God, they work on his breath!!
-Joanne

I will have to look for those. Digital liked Merrick's Texas Taffy, and then it got recalled, so I haven't gotten any more. His gums are sensitive, so the only way i can brush his teeth is with q-tips. better than not i guess.