Your Aging Dog
by Pamela Mandeville

It probably seems funny to talk about an older dog when you’re taking home a silly, happy, active puppy. Well, the good news is that dogs tend to be active and vibrant well into double digits. Still, there are things about your dog you should give thought to from the day he comes home that will help you when he’s an older guy.

In our conversations, you might have heard us challenge you if you refer to your dog as a “baby” or “child”. In part, that’s because the more you recognize the uniqueness of a dog…a family member who is important, that you care about, but is not human…the more you’ll be able to “do right by him.” You’ll make correct choices about how to treat him, you’ll know what to expect from him and you’ll know best how to make him a happy dog. The more you internalize that, the better equipped you’ll be throughout his life…including during the hard times.

You’ll find that generally dogs remain active as they enter “double digits”. Certainly, they’ll slow down but should continue happy and active. You can do a couple of things to help:

Keep your dog in good weight. We all know that being over or underweight isn’t good for us…same holds true for dogs…especially the overweight ones. So once your dog gets out of puppyhood, track his weight. Learn the “hands on” test…you can feel ribs, but not count them.

Same holds true for overall condition. Good exercise helps your dog remain healthy.

As your dog hits about age 7 or 8, talk to your vet about “senior citizen care.” Many vets will encourage biannual checkups in older dogs and run “mini panels” of blood and urine tests. Do continue the “dog tests”.

Similarly, check your older dog’s teeth. It’s not a bad idea to be sure that the teeth are clean and maybe have your vet clean them. It’s not unusual for a dog to have some minor infections and once cleaned up, to perk up quite a bit.

You’ll find that some things will happen as your dog ages. Loss of hearing is relatively common as they approach their teens. Most dogs will respond to raised tones or claps to catch their attention. As the hearing loss becomes more severe, begin relying on visual signals; flipping your light switch a couple of times, for example, can be a signal for your dog to come in. Eyesight may dim but complete loss of vision is uncommon; even so dark hallways and rooms can be problematic.

The pattern of an aging dog does head downward, but not necessarily dramatically. Typically, you may find your dog is doing a little “worse” for a couple of weeks but then, he’ll plateau. He’ll be fine for some time…but then go downhill and level off again. It’s a little disconcerting, to be sure. But once you become aware of the “down, then plateau” pattern, it’s easier to manage.

But the time may come…and not necessarily when your dog is old…when you will have to make some hard decisions about him. Everyone’s hope is always that they live healthy lives and just don’t wake up one day…unfortunately that’s not always so. There may be times when you need to make health decisions about your dog that aren’t easy. It’s impossible to say in advance “I’ll do this” or “I’d never do that,” although it never hurts to think about those parameters. What we can suggest are some things to think about, some of them now when it’s not an emotionally difficult time.

Build a very good relationship with your veterinarian. This means that now, when your dog is young and healthy, you need to talk to him about healthcare for your dog. Listen and think about his advice…and whether you’re being well treated, listened to and advised what’s best for you and your dog. Think about how comfortable you are calling and asking a question. If anything doesn’t sit right now or in the future…look for a new vet.

Is it truly an emergency? If something happens, the desire is always to make it right as soon as possible…like yesterday. Before you rush into extensive treatment or surgery…stop and think. A broken leg might mean you need to do something ASAP but treatment for cancer should not have to start tomorrow. If it’s not an emergency, get a good night’s sleep, talk to your vet and get a second opinion. Waiting also gives you some time to get over shocking news and possibly think a little more clearly about what to do.

If you are dealing with a specialist, go back and talk to your own vet about the treatment options you’re offered and, in particular, what their experience has been with dogs once treatment is done. They may sometimes paint a much more realistic picture of what to expect a few weeks, months or years down the road. We could not have made the right decisions for Scoop without our regular vet’s guidance.

Focus on quality of life…both during and after treatment…and not just whether your dog can be cured or live longer. Having your dog survive surgery but be unable to function well or be comfortable or eat may not be what you are expecting…and it could well be something your veterinarian assumes you understand. Ask a lot of questions…about the treatment, the immediate recovery and the status in the months following.

Regrettably there comes a point when you will wonder, “Is it time?” There is no definitive answer for this. There are some questions to think about:

• How is your dog day to day? Does he still eat well? Is he still clean? Is he comfortable? Or is he in continuing discomfort/pain despite medication?
  
• How does your dog interact with you? Does he recognize you or his favorite people? Does he have a hard time moving around? Does the smallest change in routine throw him into a downward spiral?
  
• Is he still clean? Most elderly dogs need to go out more often. But is he making it through the night? Is he eliminating involuntarily...and not controlled by medication?
  
• What’s the treatment status? Are you giving him a lot of medication…or trying different ones…and how are they working?
  
• Some of the harder comments to accept…but that we believe are very realistic.
  
  
• “Better a week too soon than a minute too late.”
• “Are you doing this for your dog or for yourself?”
• “There isn’t much I won’t do for my dog…but there is a lot I won’t do to him.”
• “They spend our lives filling our hearts…and in the end, the only hard thing they ask of us winds up breaking our hearts.”

We can’t tell you what to do…although when you need us, we’re here and we’ll tell you what we’d do if it were our dog.

We can tell you what we believe. We care deeply for our dogs. We also recognize that they are dogs…they think differently than we do and are not human. To us, that means that each and every dog has a unique “essence,” for want of a better word to characterize what makes every dog special. Recognizing that there was little hope they could return to their essence helped us make our terribly difficult decisions to end their lives. We miss them all to this day.

What we will also tell you is that you should never feel strange about mourning your dog. People are more understanding of the relationship with pets than in the past. Your dog is a member of your family…not a human member but a member regardless
…and saying goodbye is painful. Cry or don’t cry, bury or cremate, be sad or accepting, get a new puppy or new breed right away or never again…it’s all ok and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

And we’ll recommend one thing: pull out your photographs and videos. Remind yourself of all the years you had with your dog…the games, the silliness, the affection and companionship…and remember how they filled your heart for many years. None of us can ask for more.